Topsy Turvy

Things have been so "topsy turvy" around here!  Some "noteworthy" items from our home...
Nathanael just finished ninth grade!  I can't believe it!  This last week he got to go to Lagoon Day with the other ninth graders.  He said that he had a good time but that he went on a roller coaster that was pretty wild and decided that roller coasters are not for him.  He didn't get sick-but he said that it made him feel pretty weird for awhile!  He also participated in a 5K run at school and really pushed himself to do his very best (I don't know why-I personally do not like running) and came home exhausted but satisfied.

Lindsay just finished seventh grade.  She adjusted so well from elementary school to junior high (much better than I did)!  She also participated in the 5K but she walked most of the way because of a friend who likes running about as much as I do, and Lindsay is a good friend.  At the end of the race, they found another friend who was walking it instead of running and Nat came back to jog with Lindsay after he had finished. I just knew he liked his sister!!!

Ethan had a "topsy turvy" week.  He finished the fourth grade-cool!  He got to go to Webelos Extreme where he passed off a lot of requirements.  We also hosted a soccer party for his team at our house Saturday-those were the highlights of his week.  However, on Tuesday evening, he was getting ready for cub scouts when he noticed something very sad.  He came running upstairs very upset and weeping.  It took a minute for him to manage to speak between sobs-his bird, Henry, was dead.  I ran downstairs and sure enough, there lay Henry at the bottom of the cage.  Usually parakeets last a lot longer than he did and there was no indication at all that anything was wrong!  Henry was chirping happily just that afternoon!  Needless to say, Ethan was devastated.  He thought maybe that he did something wrong-I explained that sometimes things happen and we don't know why.  We held a tiny little service for him and buried him next to Michael's tree in our front yard.  We all miss Henry and think he must be with Michael waiting for the rest of us!

Clarissa is happy AND sad to be out of school for the summer.  She just finished the first grade!  Clarissa has been a little author this week.  She has some dolls that she plays with often.  She usually is either their mom or their school teacher.  This week she decided to do an activity that she did in her own class at school.  Each child got to write and illustrate a story and then share it with the class.  Clarissa spent hours writing and illustrating stories-one for each of her dolls (each one was apparently written by a different doll).  The stories are very unique and I am amazed at what goes on in her mind!  Ethan and Clarissa also participated in the annual dance festival at Deerfield-she really got into the Twist!

Zachary loves being outside now that the sun is finally shining!  He loves to dig in the gravel and "pretend" to play basketball! (He thinks that he is doing what the other kids are doing!)

Of course with all the end of school stuff going on-we decided that we needed more craziness!  We put in new carpet in the bedrooms upstairs-finally- and have lived in a disorganized mess all week.  But that's not all!  We decided to add even more craziness and are doing a patio which will help us enjoy the backyard a little bit more!  Right now, we did get the inside of the house put together -but our backyard is still a mess and probably will be for a little bit-so our lives have been "topsy turvy" this week in more ways than one!

My "moment of joy" this last week came when we were at the cemetery visiting one of the graves of my grandparents.  Each year we like to take our children to visit the cemeteries that my grandparents and Travis' grandparents are buried in.  At each headstone we like to tell the things that we remember about each of our grandparents.  The last one we went to visit was my grandma and grandpa McMillan.  I told some of my memories about them and I felt so grateful for each of my grandparents and the good influences that they have had on my life.  They each contributed in a good way to the person that I have become!  As I was talking, I reflected on my memories and I had a moment of happiness that they were part of my life!

Cathy