Happy Sunday!!
It’s been quite a weekend for us. Actually, it has been quite the week. The kids picked up their school schedules and took their pictures. Extra Irish lessons. A weird spell of dizziness. A doctor’s appointment. Plus the regular work, cross country, and dance schedules. You can tell summer is definitely winding down.
On Friday, we left for Dayton, Ohio for Holly’s first feis – a.k.a. Irish dance competition. Jim came with us this time, and we ended up driving with Holly’s teacher (and my friend) plus her 11-month-old son. Connor stayed back to work and watch the dog. It was a bit of a whirlwind trip as we left Friday and were home again by 8:30 PM Saturday night, but it was most definitely a successful trip. The team consists of four girls, and only Holly has experience competing in the dance arena. Two of the smaller girls are painfully shy as well, so honestly, we were not certain how they would do. Plus, Irish competitions are not like regular dance competitions and no amount of explanation by the coach could prepare them for what they were about to experience. In spite of all of that, three of the four girls ended up placing third in their category. The fourth girl received an honorable mention. I don’t think I’ve seen her teacher smile quite as broadly as she did while the girls were receiving their medals. This validates her teaching methods and confirms she has a special thing going with this program, which she started from scratch. Jim and I cannot wait to see this program, and Holly, soar in the future.
Tonight, the cross country teams – high school and middle school – have a start-of-season potluck dinner. Connor is leaving work to attend, as the intent is to introduce the captains and the team at large. It is our first “official” senior year event, so I fully expect to have to hold back some tears.
Speaking of tears, Holly attends the first day of a three-day event designed to help new seventh graders adjust to middle school life. I know she is incredibly nervous about this transition and has been looking forward to this event as a way to help assuage her fears. I hope it proves to be everything she wants and more!
Later this week, I have to go sign Holly up for the 2016-2017 dance season. Of course, she is taking every class she possibly can because that is what she does. I am so thankful our studio has an unlimited category for classes that caps the monthly fee. It makes it so much easier and more affordable to let Holly do what she so loves doing without breaking the bank.
On the site for the past week, here is what I posted in case you missed them the first time:
- It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 8 August Edition
- Killfile
- Dark Matter
- All is Not Forgotten
- Fabulous Friday
- How to Hang a Witch
I hope everyone is having a relaxing Sunday doing whatever makes them happy. Have a great week, and I’ll see you here next week!
I’m sure Holly will love 7th grade. I was so anxious about the transition but my kid is not the kind of kid to roll with stuff. She gets very irked and worked up (like me) and small things turn into big things but 7th grade didn’t ruffle her at all. She’s stressing a little in 8th because at the tail end of 7th her organization fell apart and we had to play catch-up with was not fun. So this time around, we are hitting it harder to not have that happen again but if I ask her if she has homework, I am stressing her out. If I ask her if she has a calculator, I am stressing her out. You see the pattern? If I don’t ask though all her crap is all over the place and not where it’s supposed to be so what am I supposed to do?
We let Connor fail. And then we gave him a MAJOR incentive to make the right decisions and get his act together (major as in his car). I think not stressing yourself out is the most important thing. She’ll learn. And as you found out with the Teen, they do figure it out eventually.
Congrats to Holly and her team!! That’s awesome.
I hope you end up around Cleveland for a competition at some point so we can meet up!
I’m having a hard time accepting Sunnie is going to kindergarten that I can’t imagine how you’re feeling about Connor starting his senior year. It goes so fast.
We have competition dance sign ups tonight. Sunnie is so excited to get back to dancing again!
Thanks, Brandie! I have no idea where we will go this year. I know we are in Michigan around Halloween. After that is anyone’s guess.
Yes, the whole thing is surreal, but I’m dealing with it pretty well. Right now at least.
Fun for Sunnie! You’ll have to keep me posted on her dances and how she does!
Awww congratulations to Holly and her dance team! They must have an amazing teacher — and I hope someone hugged the kid who didn’t get a prize, even if she did get a consolatory honorable mention. Poor little bunny. Are they all psyched to do more competitions in the future?
They do have an amazing teacher! All of the girls got lots of hugs and plenty of cheers. I do think they are excited about the future. At least they have the first one under their belt and now know what to expect. Those first-time jitters can be intense!