CRCT

These last several weeks have been filled with all kinds of emotions....

Joy

Anticipation

Disappointment

Frustration

Shock

Anger

Relief

And I'm not just talking about school ending and all that brings with it. I'm talking about taking the CRCT and waiting for the results.

This has been the first year the State of Georgia has implemented the new curriculum in Math and Social Studies and with the new curriculum came all of the emotions described above. Working in the school has allowed me up close access to the teachers....how they teach...what they experience...and how they handle different situations. It's been a wonderful opportunity.

The students took the State mandated CRCT in April...and the anxiety surrounding the test was so thick, it could be cut with a knife. Teachers weren't sure how the kids were going to do....and the kids weren't sure how they were going to do.

The results came back a couple of weeks ago and the numbers were surprising to say the least. The 6th and 7th grade Social Studies test scores had dropped so significantly, parents, teachers and administrators were up in arms....demanding that the State review the test and the standards and investigate the problem. To give some background information....in 2007, 83 percent of 6th graders passed the Social Studies portion of the test. In 2008, only 29 percent passed. Huh? In 2007, 86 percent of 7th graders passed the SS portion....in 2008, only 24 percent passed. This historic drop is what caused the State to stand up and take notice.

As a result, the scores of the Social Studies test have been completely invalidated and the curriculum and test will be re-evaluated this summer.

We received our kids scores this week and since I have both a 6th and a 7th grader, I was most interested in how they did.

I must have children more brilliant than I thought, because both of my middle schoolers met the standards set by the State. And Daniel was within a dozen points of Exceeding the Standard on the Social Studies test. Wow.

All four of our children exceeded the standards in several of the subjects....or came within a few points of exceeding and met the standards in everything else. All of their scores were well above average. Praise the Lord!

I am humbled by this....With as busy as our kids are...(I have been criticized that we are too busy)...our children still excel in school.

And it is all for the glory of the Lord.

His grace truly is amazing!

Symphonic Band

My precious second child. His name is Joseph. But we call him Trey. He's nice looking. Smart. Funny. Athletic. Talented.

Sounds like an ideal kid, huh?

He's close. But he does have his faults. One of which is skating.

No, I don't mean ice or roller-skating. Although, I don't think he's very good at that 'sport' either. The skating I'm talking about is when he does the bare minimum and expects the highest result.

That.....he's actually pretty good at.

For his entire life, Trey has heard comments like, "Trey, you're so smart." "Trey, you're so cute." "Trey, you're so gifted. I love hearing you play the piano." "Trey, you're so much fun to be around."

And, at times, he's been caught believing his own press. But a couple of weeks ago, the unexpected happened.

Every spring, at the middle school, the band director holds auditions for Symphonic Band. This is the audition-only premier band at the middle school. They are very good. Have won competitions and have played in a couple college football bowl games. It's a big deal to make Symphonic. If a student auditions and doesn't make Symphonic Band, he or she will be placed in Concert Band. A very good band as well....it's just not Symphonic.

Trey auditioned for Symphonic Band, along with everyone else. He expected to make it straight away. He practiced.....some. But not as much as I would have preferred. He had the prepared piece down, but his scales were a little shaky. But he was confident.....After all....he's first chair.

He went in to audition and the rest of the family cleared out of the bandroom. He's like his mama. No audience necessary. But I hung back. And what I heard was not the Trey I know. He did not play with confidence. His tone was not clear. He made some mistakes. After he was through, he came out of the room and made it clear he wasn't happy. He knew he bombed it.

Results didn't come out for over a week...and each day I waited for his text. Finally, it came.

He didn't make Symphonic Band.

I had the chance to talk with him about it....and because it had been several days since the audition, he was over his initial unhappiness. But the good thing is....he could re-audition the last week of school. And he did.

Yesterday.

Trey has learned a lot through this.

He's learned that if he wants something, he has to work for it.

He's learned that life is not always going to hand him everything on a silver platter.

He's learned that being prepared pays off.

He's learned that practicing actually makes him a better saxophone player. (Duh!)

Today, the results came back.

He made Symphonic Band. And according to the director....he 'creamed' the rest of the kids who were auditioning for the ONE spot available.

Way to go, my darling Trey. I am so proud of you.

Orientation, Honor Bands, Rehearsal and Recital...

The third weekend in May. Every year. Without fail. Is the absolute busiest weekend of the year.

And this weekend...the third weekend in May...followed the same path at it's predecessors.

And I wasn't even around to enjoy the ride.

I am not someone who likes adventure. Nor do I enjoy trying new things. I am a rut dweller. I like the comfort of my home. My car. My schedule. It's the same. It's predictable. It's secure.

Which is why I do not drive into the City very often. My thing is....if I can't find it where I live, then I don't need it.

So, my driving to UGA....by myself....two hours away....for an Orientation for the Special Ed program I'm starting, was definitely a big-time prayer opportunity. I had originally planned on leaving this morning for the orientation, but Joe....knowing me as well as he does....advised me to go ahead and go Friday night, so I could find the hotel....not be rushed, and drive around campus, find parking and find the building I was supposed to go to.

He's so smart.

Orientation was from 9:00 - 1:00 today and it went well. Nothing earth-shattering in terms of information...but the opportunity to shore up my knowledge on how to access my online classes was good. I left right at 1:00 and headed west back toward the city.

But while I was in my meeting....here is what went on with Joe and the kids, during this third weekend in May....the busiest weekend of the year.

9:00 a.m.--just as I'm beginning, Joe is dropping Josh and Trey off at the high school for their respective Honor Band rehearsals. Joshua was one of only 5 or 6 kids from his elementary school band to be selected for Honor Band. And he was the only percussionist. And he got to play timpani....something he's wanted to play for a long time. He's been taking drum lessons for over a year, but he's never had the chance to play timpani, until this weekend. I got to talk to him last night...after his first rehearsal. The joy in his voice is something I'll never forget. He was so excited. And he made this mama so proud.

Trey was selected to Honor Band because he is 1st chair saxophone for his 6th grade band at the middle school. And the Guest Conductor wrote a piece just for this weekend. It was very special and Trey had a great time.

Noon--Just as we're starting the second part of our meeting, Joe is dropping Julia off at her dance recital. Four costumes, with tights, shoes, hair accessories, earrings, makeup, hair brush, bobby pins and hair freeze. Joe and Julia walked in with all the stuff....Joe handed Julia off to a room mom and off she went.

And off Joe went. Back to the house to collect Daniel for his 1:00 soccer game. Now, I'm leaving the building and heading to the parking deck a couple of blocks away to get the truck and begin the drive west. Joe drops Daniel off at the game, then heads to the store for dog and cat food. He and I are talking...chatting....having a nice time. My drive seems to go by fairly quickly. He picks Daniel up at 1:45, so they can head to the high school for Josh's 2:00 Honor Band concert.
2:00. I'm driving along. At a pretty decent clip. Making great time. I'm listening to the Mets/Yankees game on XM. It's a beautiful day. Joe said to go ahead and drive through the city, since it's the weekend....and head straight to Fairburn for Julia's dance recital. I've already missed the 12:30 show, but would make the 3:30 show...no problem.

Suddenly, a wall of cars appears in front of me. All 7 lanes. Turned into a parking lot. Well, not exactly a parking lot. We weren't completely stopped. My speedometer said I was traveling at a nice, easy pace of 2 miles an hour. Yes. 2 mph. It was crazy. Apparently, the DOT thought that the middle of the day on Saturday was a great time to re-pave 75/85 and I and 10,000 of my closest friends all decided to navigate this mess at the same time.

Needless to say, I missed the first part of the recital.

2:40--Joe calls. I'm still sitting in the disaster known as 75/85. Josh's concert was fantastic. Now Joe is heading to the house so he can drop Josh off, give Daniel a chance to change clothes, then get him to church for his Crossroads rehearsal.

3:15--Joe calls again. I'm still sitting in the disaster known at 75/85. Daniel gets dropped off and Joe begins the drive back toward the high school for Trey's 4:00 Honor Band concert.

4:00--Trey's concert begins. I've finally moved through the disaster known at 75/85 and am heading toward 92. I arrive at 4:15, just in time to catch the tail end of their tap dance. It was good. The rest of their dances are fabulous, too. It's wonderful to see the fruits of all their labor.

4:50--Trey's concert is now over....It was wonderful, of course. Joe is now taking Trey to the church for the tail end of Crossroads rehearsal. He texts me at 5:16 that he's heading home....and he's zonked.

6:14--Julia and I are in the car following her final performance of the day. We begin heading south. At 6:35, we arrive at the restaurant for dinner. I'm famished. And exhausted. Joe is not as hungry, but probably more worn out than I. It's been a crazy day. And it's not over yet.

Daniel and Trey both had their Sunday School parties tonight after Crossroads rehearsal. Joe just got home with them. It's 10:01 pm.

It's the third weekend in May.

But honestly, I wouldn't have it any other way. God has blessed us with four children who are gifted musically. God has blessed us with four children who are bright and do not struggle in school. God has blessed us with four children who are full of life....not wall-flowers or soft on what they believe in.

This weekend....the third weekend in May....is a glorious opportunity to see our God at work. To see His handiwork. To acknowledge His greatness. To thank Him for His blessings.

Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow.

A day in the life....

Whew! I'm whooped. This has been a day and a half....to say the least. And I know I'm one of a billion people who have a lot going on, so I'm not looking for any sympathy. We've done it to ourselves....and the whole 'it's the end of the year and we MUST have a recital/party/concert' is our just dues.

The first thing on the docket today was Julia's dance competition. The biggest part of being in the Company class is going to competition in the Spring. The kids have been working on these dances since July...for 10 months....in preparation for today and it was a big deal. We received our schedule on Tuesday....Julia's class was dancing at 8:52 and 9:19 this morning. That's A.M. At the PAC. And we had to be there an hour early. Yes. An hour early. That's roughly 7:45 A.M. 30 minutes away from where we live.

I am not a night person. By 10 o'clock, I'm starting to fade away. I'm not really a morning person, either, but I do much better in the morning once I'm out of bed. On Saturday, I don't set an alarm unless I absolutely 'have' to. And today, I 'had' to. 5:15 A.M. Yes....5:15 does in fact come on a Saturday morning. Honestly, I thought 5:15 only came 6 days a week...and Saturday wasn't one of them. But today, it did. And I got up. Begrudgingly.

Joe got Julia out of bed at 6 and after she ate her french toast, I proceeded to put some light makeup on her beautiful face and gel her hair. There are very specific 'rules' we have to follow in competition. All the hair off the face. No bangs. Hair tied in a low ponytail with their crystal gemmed ponytail holder.

When Julia made company last summer, I asked her to look around at all the big girls at the dance studio. To a girl, they all have long hair with no bangs. Julia has always had bangs, so we decided we would try and grow them out for dance and see how she does. We've made it through that awkward stage, finally. She can almost tuck them behind her ears. But, they still get in the way. Knowing I had to get them completely off her face, I bought a can of hair glue. Yes. Hair glue. Actually, it's a freezing spray. Recommended by a church friend who has a daughter that dances.....and wow does this stuff work.

Julia's hair was absolutely perfect.

She had to go to the PAC with her costume on and makeup and hair completely ready. I think she looks fantastic. Her team performed their tap routine first...then their jazz. The tap was absolutely awesome. My jaw literally dropped at how great they were. For their teacher to get 17 8-9 year olds to work in sync like that is just unbelievable!

The jazz number was great, too...and in fact, won first place for their age group and category! Their tap number won second place. Not bad, huh. Two dances. First and second place. Way to go Petites!

From there we ran to the soccer fields to watch the end of Daniel's game...grab him and head home. I dropped off Daniel and Julia and picked up Trey to take him to his ball game....and boy, what a game it was. Trey's team, the Braves, was playing the Indians....who just happen to be coached by a very good friend of ours. Their son, Cory, has been friends with my boys forever....really, ever since we moved here. They've been in Sunday School, Kids Choir, and VBS together for years and they always have a great time together.

Trey had a great game.....on base three times and made some great defensive plays as the second baseman. He even earned the MVP Game Ball.

Josh's game was right after Trey's, but thanks to some thunder, lightning and a whole bunch of rain...the game was called after half an inning. So, my long day got a little shorter. We came home and collapsed. Julia has fallen asleep twice since we've been home and has now gone to bed. Joe is putting the boys to bed now...and then we're going to sit and watch an episode of Bones we missed.

And the hero throughout all of this is Joe. No, he didn't do the running around, although he did bring the kids to the field at 3:00 for Trey's game. While Julia and I were gone this morning, he straightened up our bedroom (which was a flaming disaster), had the boys sweep the garage and clean up the guest suite, revamped the kitchen a little bit...swapping the Tupperware and some pots and pans, did three loads of laundry, and mowed the grass.

Who knew Mother's Day came on Saturday, too?

Thank you, dear. I love you very much.

He's 'finally' married...

I haven't written much of my brothers...mostly because they live so far away and we don't talk as much as I'd like.

I am the oldest of three. I have two younger brothers. Rob is 34. He is married and has a son, Ethan, who is 6 weeks older than Julia. Robbie, as family calls him, is in the military and has been to Iraq. He is a military policeman and one of his responsibilities while overseas was training Iraqi troops. Now, he's a recruiter in Texas...and is not enjoying it as much as he would like.

And then there's The Randall. Yes, he is The Randall. He is 32 and has a very cool job. He works for a company that produces some of those ESPN specials called SportsCentury. They do other things, too, but Randy has been involved in several SportsCentury profiles. Andy Roddick, Pedro Martinez...just to name a couple. And because of his awesome work...he earned an Emmy last year. Yes, my brother is an Emmy winner. How cool is that?

Right now, he does the Tiger 360 episodes for the Golf Channel. Yes, I have some pretty neat brothers.

Which brings me to this last weekend.....My youngest brother, The Randall, finally got married. At the age of 32. Ever since high school, he has always said he wasn't getting married until he was 30. I, for one, never really took him seriously. Randy is cute. He has alot of personality. He has a good head on his shoulders. Everyone loves him. Why on earth would I believe that some sweet, young thing wouldn't come along...and make Randy change his tune.

But no. It didn't happen. It doesn't mean that Randy didn't have his share of girlfriends. He did. But none were anyone he could see himself settling down with.

Randy lives in Tulsa. Apparently...and I might get this wrong....he was on the east coast on business a couple of years ago, either NYC or Philly. At an ESPNZone, I believe, waiting for some people.

At the same time. In the same restaurant. Was Valerie. Who lived in Cleveland at the time. Waiting for some people, as well. They got to talking. And never made it to what they were there for. Two people who live in completely different parts of the country...on the East Coast on business...meet and totally hit it off.

The rest, they say, is history.

Thus began a long-distance relationship...which only made them closer. She finally moved to Tulsa so they could be together.

Randy proposed in a most romantic way. She had taken a trip and was flying home. Randy met her at the airport...only he wasn't alone. He had several friends in cahoots with him...and as she walked off the plane, she saw three signs. 'Will' 'You' 'Marry' ....Randy was holding the fourth, "Me." It was so sweet. He got down on one knee and presented the ring to her.

She said Yes.

Randy is at least 6'3". Valerie...is pretty darn close. They have a standing joke that when they get their picture taken, she has to either wear flats...or take her shoes off. What Randy gives to Valerie in the way of his sense of humor....she gives right back. He jokes. She jokes right back. He adores her. And they are perfect for one another.

And this last weekend, they got married. In Cleveland. It was absolutely fantastic. We had a ball hanging out with family we don't see very often. Almost everyone was able to come in for the wedding. All the aunts and uncles...and most of the cousins. We couldn't have asked for a more perfect weekend...except for maybe a couple more days of spending time with one another.

The wedding ceremony took place in a beautiful, Catholic church. Then the wedding party took a couple of hours afterward to go take pictures in various scenic parts of Cleveland. The rest of us went back to the hotel to hang out. The reception was a typical northern U.S. affair. Buffet dinner. DJ. Dancing. etc..... It was so much fun. They picked some of the best dance music. Even my father...all 65 years...was on the dancefloor, not only dancing a nice romantic, slow dance with my mother, but also the Macarena and the Chicken Dance.

Dad.....don't quit your day job!

Mom and Dad...you were awesome! You really know how to throw a rehearsal dinner party.