Walk of the Roses

The obligatory family photo. 

 Lindsey and her good friend Vicki with Dr. Cantwell.  Dr. Cantwell came as an interim principal this year.  He was fabulous.  The Board tried to convince him to stay but being an interim principal is his "thing."  You would think that someone that was just filling in wouldn't be as involved.  He showed up at athletic events.  He met the girls at the front door almost every morning.  At least once and often more times a week, he joined different girls for lunch.  He showed up at After Prom at 2:00 a.m. . . . this after being at the Prom from 5:30 until 12:30 a.m.  What a guy.  In one year, he has put his footprint on the school and the students. 

Vicki, Emily, Sarah and Lindsey . . . going to University of Cincinnati, Bowling Green, Loyola of Chicago and University of Dayton.

The students walk from the Academy to Our Lady of Angels (about 1/2 mile).  The police close the street.  They have been doing this for 120+ years.  It is called the Walk of the Roses.  Most of the neighborhood comes out and cheers them on, along with parents, grandparents, family and friends.  It is very impressive.  The walk is led by a bagpiper, followed by the teachers, administrators and finally the students.  And here is Lindsey.

a couple more prom pics

Lindsey shared a couple more pics with me from her and Andrew's proms.

The geeks go to prom

Andrew's prom was in downtown Cleveland at a hotel directly across from the Peace Memorial fountain.  Here are the girls hoping off of the fountain wall. 



The prom . . . the dress . . .

Lindsey attended Andrew's prom on May 29.  As a side note, yes, it was a Sunday.  And yes, only an all boy's school would schedule a prom for a Sunday when there aren't many places that the girls could go to get their hair done.  On the other hand, they got great deals on limos, the location and the photographer. 

Lindsey actually said that his prom was better than her prom, but her After Prom was much better than his.  Of course, I was in charge of her After Prom so she had better think so.  She did have great logic for the reasons though.  We had substantially more things to do (inflatables, casino, corn-hole, basketball, volleyball, crafts, movies, Wii, etc.) and our program ran longer (until 3:30 a.m.). 

But the most important thing was that Lindsey made her dress.  In the beginning, she didn't want me to stray too far but ended up doing it all herself.  Even if she had to do lots of ripping out.  She hand sewed all the beads on the dress bodice and gladly showed everyone her thumbs from the needle.  She made the purse and sewed beads on it but then decided that she didn't like the beads and took them all off. 

Here are some pics:

Lindsey and Andrew in his front yard

Lindsey modeling her dress . . . she is entering it in a contest. 

And this is their group of friends that went together.  All the boys graduated from St. Ignatius.  The young man to the far right is a very good friend and he and Lindsey have been friends since they were 3 or 4.  He is planning on becoming a priest.  Trust me, his Dad was freaking out over the young lady he was taking to Prom.  I told him that Mary is wonderful young woman and Joe does need to date before he gives it all up.

Lindsey and Andrew in the customary pose in front of the fireplace.  Did I ever mention how talented she is.  If you can see the two drawings over her left shoulder (the birds and the car), she drew those.  Probably three years ago. 

And girls are really great fun, especially when you ahve really good friends who show up to cheer you on when you are going to another prom.  These are some of Lindsey's very best friends, Sarah, Vicki and Emily. 

And on Andrew's back porch.













And this is Lindsey and Shayn.  Lindsey has known Shayn through Youth Ministry at our Church.  Shayn is entering her senior year at the University of Dayton and was instrumental in convincing Lindsey to visit the campus (a huge plus since Lindsey wasn't sure about it) and also is a wonderful role model.  Shayn is working on a degree in environmental biology and is spending this summer volunteering with the UD ministry at a mission in Kentucky or Tennessee. 

Tonight is graduation.

One Prom down . . . one to go . . .

Lindsey's Prom for her school was this past Saturday.  I have to admit that I got a bit more than mushy . . . especially when I happened to be watching Andrew's face as Lindsey came down the steps and he just sucked in his breath and whispered "gosh, you are beautiful." 

This pic was taken shortly after Lindsey's 2nd birthday.  She joined our family when she was 22 months old.  At the time, she had been having seizures, living on the streets and was really and truly a holy terror.  She wanted her mommy . . . even though her mommy was the absolute worst thing for her.  Her mommy is my niece.  My niece by the way, hasn't seen Lindsey, or for that matter, her other children, since any of them were removed from her custody.  Zachariah was removed from her custody when he was four months old and placed with us, five years after Lindsey.

In any event, I have been having fun going through pics and finding those that are some of my favorite.  I did a collage thing for her graduation party and these are some of my favorite of her.

I remember clearly that Zachariah was devastated when Lindsey went off to camp and no one, no one could calm him down, except Lindsey.  He is going to camp for the first time this summer.  But I just wonder what is going to happen when we pull away from Dayton on August 21 . . .



and her 10th birthday . . . she hated that her birthday was in March and she couldn't have a swimming party . . . so we waited until summer for her 10th birthday. 

She was all of 13 when she raided her sister's closet for this dress.  She thought that I would let her wear it to her 8th grade graduation.  Ha!

Her first "official date" with Andrew was the 2009  Winter Formal.  Aren't they cute? 

Kind of a frightening thing that they have been together for two years. 

Of course, the following year for winter formal, they didn't look that much older.  But they were pushing their way to their senior year of high school, making college visits and decisions and devastated when we told them they would NOT be going to the same college.

And last year, we had Sarah's wedding and Lindsey looked almost angelic as she practiced walking up the aisle. 

And of course, then we have the senior photos.  When did she grow up?

And the joy of being a Senior at Saint Joseph Academy.  Fall started off with a bang and Lindsey did so well.  National Honor Society, University of Dayton,

And the "Team Dynamite" not only finished 3rd in the State, but they went on to the National F1 Engineering competition in Ann Arbor . . . and this is what was posted on the school's website:

Calling themselves "Team Dynamite,” the students were the only all-female team at the competition, an international contest open to all secondary schools and other organized youth groups. Their task was to design and manufacture CO2 powered model racing cars. F1 in Schools, Inc. is a non-profit company "committed to providing an exciting yet challenging educational experience through the magnetic appeal of

Formula One.” In the process, "the students learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, marketing and team work, to name a few skills,” said Math Department Chair Mr. John Lesko.

In addition to competing at the National Race, the SJA team placed first in the presentation portion of the April competition and third in the engineering portion. "Our students are thrilled at the prospect of being able to compete at the national level,” said Mr. Lesko. This college event drew 120 teams from the best colleges around the country.

They were the first team from SJA to ever place high enough in the finals to go on to the National competition. 
 
But then there is this. 
 
SJA's Prom was Saturday, May 21. 

Andrew's prom is this coming Sunday (only an all boys' school would schedule a prom for a day when most hair salon's are closed).  Lindsey made her dress for Andrew's prom, well, she is almost done.  There is still some beads to be sewn on and it needs to be hemmed.  Other than that it is done, including that she made a purse.

When did they grow up.  I still remember holding her for the first time and trying to comfort that holy terror that didn't understand why her life was turned upside down.  Forget Zachariah, what am I going to do when we leave her at Dayton on August 21?

Alas, she didn't win

Lindsey didn't win anything with her video for Dayton.  To be totally honest, if she had asked for input, I would have told her that her video didn't "do" what they were asking.  The question was to identify a problem facing the world and coming up with a solution to it.  Her presentation was great but frankly didn't answer the question.  Alas. 

She is down to 124 days until she leaves for Dayton.  Between now and then, she has Easter break, with a senior camp in next week, AP tests (the week after Spring break), the National engineering competion (the following week), prom (the week after that), Andrew's prom (the week after that -- which, if you are trying to keep track is Memorial Day weekend), graduation is June 9, graduation party is June 11, vacation for two weeks (June 20 to July 5).  I don't know what she is planning for the rest of the summer, but I am exhausted just thinking about it. 

She has also decided to make her prom dress.

This dress in fact, which costs about $400 with taxes, etc.

This is the fabric that we bought

and this is the pattern:

The advantage is that she will be wearing this dress to Andrew's Prom.  Wish her luck!

 

as posted at the SJA website . . . go girl!

(Lindsey is in the front on the right . . . as she pointed out to me, the only one with glasses . . . sigh)

Pre-Engineering Students Compete in Regional Competition


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Dyn-o-mite!—Pre-Engineering Students Pre-engineering students wowed judges last week in the "F1 In Schools Ohio Regional Competition” with a balsa wood, carbon dioxide-powered race car. SJA’s Team Dynamite, the competition’s only all-female team, scored high enough to earn the school’s first-ever invitation to the National Race at the Michigan International Speedway on May 11th & 12th, said math teacher Mr. John Lesko. The F1 competition was held in Granville, OH. F1 in Schools, Inc. is a non-profit company "committed to providing an exciting yet challenging educational experience through the magnetic appeal of Formula One. Its main objective is to inspire students to use IT to learn about physics, aerodynamics, design, manufacture, branding, graphics, sponsorship, marketing, leadership/teamwork, media skills and financial strategy.” In addition to winning a spot to compete at the National Race, the SJA team placed first in the presentation portion of the competition and third in the engineering portion. "Throughout the competition, our students were enthusiastic and professional. They’re thrilled at the prospect of being able to compete at the national level," said Mr. Lesko. Congratulations to all.

Crapp O'lla

March 2011 is turning into a real crapper.  Besides the fact that gray is the current color . . . sky, snow, Lake Erie . . . it has been a real bust of a month and its only the 15th. 

My purse was stolen on March 3.  Besides dealing with all the crap that you have to do to keep the creeps from stealing your identity and using your credit cards . . . which they did within minutes of stealing my purse . . . think about the other things you have to do to replace all that stuff that we schlep around. 

I would highly recommend that everyone make a list of everything in their purse or bag.  Itemize and put a replacement cost on it.  Seriously.  You think "its just a purse."  When I valued everything I had in my purse, it came to about a $800 value.  When the insurance company did it (and since getting your purse stolen from your vehicle falls under your homeowner's and that deductible, you can claim it), the replacement value came to over $1,200.  Seriously.

Think about it:  I had a Vera Bradley purse and change purse.  I had a Coach wallet and small make-up bag.  Insurance doesn't cover the cost of the cell phone but the leather holder is covered.  I had two library books.  The library charges you primo dollars to replace the books.  I am sure that they do not pay primo dollars but it doesn't matter.  I had a leather business card holder.  I had $140 in gift cards to Target.  I had $72 in cash.  I never have that much cash but had just been reimbursed for a work related expense.  I had my monthly bus pass.  It was stolen on March 3.  It costs $95 per month.  I had my IPod.  The replacement cost on my Ipod is $242.  The kicker is that the Vera Bradley and Coach stuff were gifts. 

Go ahead, make a list and then decide whether you really need to carry all that stuff with you.

Thank God that I didn't have any knitting in my purse.  I would have hunted the turds down like the dogs that they are and stabbed them with my DPNs!

The upside is that the last week of the month, Zachariah and I will be in Dallas.

Grumpy

and so, how is your day going?

Go read this blog post from Danielle.  While she is feeling grumpy, I found myself agreeing with everything she said. 

Enjoy!

for Lindsey

Would you all be so kind as to vote for my daughter's video for the University of Dayton's scholarship. The top three vote getters will be reviewed by the school and then be eligible for up to $10,000/year for four years of scholarship money.


https://apex.udayton.edu/inquiry/vc201180/view/videoid/q_ucK56X8qo/videotitle/What%20Are%20We%20Missing%20in%20the%20NewsQMQM/videodescription/In%20a%20world%20of%20negative%20news,%20what%20wonderful%20things%20are%20we%20missingQMQM

Lindsey is very excited about graduating from high school. She has been accepted at Case Western Reserve University and University of Dayton. She was excited about Case (it is a fab school but the location and logistics are lousy . . . and not just because she would be within 30 minutes of home) but Dayton is an incredible school has a wonderful engineering program (she wants to study civil engineering). For those of you who don't know Dayton, it is a Catholic University (run by the Marianists). The University is very proactive in the community, encourages the students to think outside the box and has wonderful ministry programs. Lindsey was not only accepted at Dayton but she also was put in the honors program and is getting a $15,000 year scholarship based on her scholastics only. The additional scholarship mentioned above would make the program really very affordable.

some weird knitting stuff

Winter = itchy skin = making cotton back scrubbers . . . .

seems weird  you know, but these things really work.  This one is for my son and my daughter thinks I should make one for each of the girls on the swim team.  

and why do we have itchy skin . . . it would be because of this:

Mini Mochi keyhole

Mini Mochi keyhole
Originally uploaded by mlj1954ohio

I love this yarn. I am making this for me. It will be a simple keyhole scarf that I can use to keep my neck warm on those days when my office is cold.  Oh, yeah, its always cold in my office.   Nothing like that wind off of Lake Erie straight up East Ninth Street to keep us well chilled!

why you shouldn't follow your kids on facebook

Top Ten Reasons Why You Shouldn't Follow Your Kids on Facebook:

10.  It pisses you off that they never comment on your status.  Ever.
9.    It pisses you off when you realize that they comment on everyone else's status.
8.   They have more friends than you, including most of your friends.
7.   They have friends that you find questionable (who is that guy anyway?)
6.   You have concerns about the change in status in their "relationship."  (When did it get that serious?)
5.   You are afraid to comment on their "anything" because they'll accuse you of spying.
4.   They get pissed at you and unfriend you. 
3.   You realize that they are posting things on Facebook in the middle of Theology class and Tech class and AP English . . . do they ever pay attention to the teachers?
2.   They take over your picture album
1.   They are tagging pics on Facebook instead of doing their scholarship applications.  Hellloooo, is Facebook going to be paying for your college . . . focus people.

Oops, I just got unfriended.  Again.

Some Late 2010 Pics

So I realized that I haven't been very good about blogging.  This Fall and early Winter have been very busy, at work and personally.  Our Firm is opening four offices in early 2011 and since I manage the relocations, every day has brought a new challenge . . . including finding exactly where in Saudi the cities are . . .

Anyway, here are some photos from late 2010.  Zachariah and I carved our pumpkins.  We had originally thought we would do some creative carving but decided to make traditional jack-o-lanterns.

Thanksgiving weekend with Sarah and Kyle and the girls.  They were thoroughly enjoying performing Taylor Swift songs on the Wii.

Apple pie . . . and the casserole behind is lasagna.  I love lasagna, my family likes my apple pie.

Skipping forward to Christmas Eve and the traditional reading of the "Night Before Christmas."  Dave has read this to the kids since Sarah was little.

Christmas morning . . . it was around 6:20. 

Lindsey was thrilled with her new jammies.  Kyle couldn't believe that she really wanted them.  She is so looking forward to wearing these at the Youth Ministry Retreat in a couple of weeks.  This is a girl's size 16.  She didn't like any of the patterns in the women's department.

 And Zachariah got Sarah and Lindsey matching robes.  Dave and I got them matching boots.  Fortunately, Sarah is now married and we don't have to worry about mixing them up. 



















 Lindsey is dressing Sarah.  Sarah and Lindsey got new jackets and scarves for Christmas.  Savannah got a new jacket for her December birthday.

 Beautiful girls in their new duds!

And, as we have done the last couple of years, we had the swim team over for Christmas brunch and sock exchange.  This isn't the entire team.  Some of the girls couldn't make it that day and some were out of town for the Christmas break.  Some had already left before we thought to take a pic.  The brunch was between their morning (9 to 11) and afternoon (3:30 to 5:30) practices.  The plowed through three pounds of sausage, three pounds of bacon, 40 slices of french toast, 1-1/2 casseroles of breakfast strata, 40 biscuits and sausage gravy and a variety of doughnuts and cookies.

 Zachariah got a couple of gift cards and decided that he really, really wanted a 790 piece ($90) Lego set.  He did put it all together within one day.

 And I started 2011 by making bread.  I love making bread and Zachariah helped for the first time.  He was fascinated with the entire process, including sticking his finger in the yeast to see what it felt like!

 And, I did manage to get some knitting done.  This is blocked on my dining room table. 

Happy 2011 to one and all

The between week . . .

True friendship is like sound health,

the value of it is seldom known until it be lost.

~Charles Caleb Colton

The week between Christmas and New Year is always hectic.  Strangely busy with odd activities. 

On Monday, we hosted the SJA Swim Team brunch.  I stayed home from work.  I could have left Dave with the Swim Team Brunch.  Oh the joy.  22 teen age girls between swim practices  . . . during the Christmas break, they swim 2 hours in the morning and 2 hours in the afternoon.  On Monday, they came to our house for brunch and a Christmas sock exchange.  A couple of things:

• these teenage girls do not know how to park . . .
• these teenage girls do not know how to back out of a drive . . .
• these teenage girls know how to eat lots of food.  Lots and lots of food.  Two egg stratas, three pounds of bacon, three pounds of sausage, two loaves of french toast, three pitchers of orange juice, three pitchers of grape juice, a variety of cookies and donuts, etc. But it could be because they spend so much time swimming.

None of the other parents showed up.  Last year, at least three other parents showed up to help. 

Monday evening, we were at my sister's home for dinner and other things.  My nephew, Michael, who had been in a serious accident in October was there.  He still has the trach but he can talk and eat and looks great.  He is going to have to undergo about four or so more surgeries, all except one will require hospital stays but nothing like what he had to endure after the accident.  He looked wonderful and it was great to see him and his bride and their four month old daughter.

Zachariah had spent Monday at a good friend's home playing Wii.  He then spent Monday night/Tuesday with Mary, his cousin/sister . . . a long story . . . and had a great time.  He is exhausted and it is only Wednesday.  Tonight he is going to a birthday party/sleepover.

Lindsey has two swim meets this week.  I haven't gone to either.  Oh well.  Too much to do.

Merry Christmas Eve Eve

Like many companies, ours will be closed for Christmas Eve this year.  Usually, it is just a half day but with Christmas falling on a Saturday, we get all day on Christmas Eve.  Sweet.  I am also taking off on Monday.  We are hosting the annual Christmas Brunch for the SJA swim team.  During the Christmas break, the swimmers swim twice a day.   Two hours in the morning, two hours in the late afternoon.  So on Monday, we will be having around 26 teen age girls at our house for brunch and a Christmas Sock Exchange. 

Keep in mind that these girls spend HOURS in the pool.  They eat enough food to put most high school boys to shame.  I think I figured it out last year on the USAA website that given the amount of time that they swim during over the Christmas break, my daughter, who weighs about 105, needs to eat approximately 7,000 calories a day just to maintain her weight.  Most of the girls are buff.  They swim.  They do dryland workouts.  They exhaust me.  I will make two egg casserole dishes, 3 pounds each of bacon and sausage, two loaves of french toast and they will go through it like locusts.  You have to make sure that your fingers aren't anywhere near their mouths cause they just don't pay attention.

Anyway, I have shared the following with many people and in case I missed you . . .

Today...I wish you a day of ordinary miracles-

A fresh pot of coffee you didn't have to make yourself.

An unexpected phone call from an old friend.

Green stoplights on your way to work or shop.

I wish you a day of little things to rejoice in...

The fastest line at the grocery store.

A good sing along song on the radio.

Your keys right where you look.

I wish you a day of happiness and perfection-little bite-size pieces of perfection that give you the funny feeling that the Lord is smiling on you, holding you so gently because you are someone special and rare.

I wish You a day of Peace, Happiness and Joy.

They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them, but then an entire life to forget them.

Take the time!

Wishing you the very best for 2011

True friendship

True Friendship is a plant of slow growth!

~George Washington

Yesterday, December 8, was one of my best friend's birthday.  I live in a suburb of Cleveland and Janet lives in a suburb of Dallas.  We have been friends for more than 30 years.  We talk to each other about once a week and spend time together online. 

Happy birthday Janet.  I wish you were closer so that I could give you a hug.  Looking forward to seeing you in March.

Conversations

Each person's life is lived

as a series of conversations!

~Deborah Tannen

Isn't profound.  The conversations that we have that make up our life.

A good friend and co-worker called me yesterday and wanted to have lunch.  I warned her going in that I was not a happy camper.  I was crabby and disappointed and hated my job, disliked my kids and wasn't too terribly thrilled with life in general. 

So, we had lunch and we talked . . . we had conversations . . . several about a variety of things.  And then a couple of other co-workers joined us.  One was especially sad because she had to put her dog down this past weekend.  And the other is dealing with her mother's estate.  And we talked and conversed and then laughed and listened to each other.

Later I spoke with a dear friend.  She lives in Dallas.  Her husband died four years ago yesterday.  We talked and laughed and cried together.  We had a wonderful conversation and she sent me a wonderful note.

And you discover that our lives are all bits of conversations.  Whether or not you are sitting across a table or on the phone or on a blog or group, we all have conversations and that is what makes up a lot of our lives!