Sunday Reflections - 23 September 2018

Happy Sunday!

The sun is shining. The windows are open. The temperatures are fall-like. Jim is home and is on dance duty. The chores are done – well, except for laundry, but that doesn’t count. Football will be on TV later. Groceries are ordered and will be ready for pickup later today. Wisconsin won. Iowa State won. It is a great morning.

Holly has settled into her freshman year of school with the grace and aplomb we expected. We had many conversations before the start of the school year about expectations and the importance of time management, as well as the consequences should she fail to meet our grade expectations. It is still early days yet, but she is handling the strain of her courseload (all honors classes), her Poms duties, and her three to four hours of dance each night reasonably well. Granted, she is exhausted by the weekend and asks for nothing but to let her sleep as long as possible, but I think we can all appreciate that.

This upcoming week is Homecoming week for her, and it is so much fun to see her so excited about it. Unlike Connor, who thought the whole week was a joke, she has given some serious thought to each day’s theme and selected each outfit with care. I hope to get a picture of her every morning because she has some great costumes planned! She also has two pep rallies at which to perform and a parade as well as the big game. She will round out the week with a long morning of dance rehearsal and then an afternoon getting ready with her friends for their first Homecoming dance. I am excited for her.

Connor seems to be doing well. His school has not had the greatest of semesters so far. First, there was the campus-wide lockdown for the BB gun prank. Then, this past week they had to come to grips with the tragic and senseless death of one of their student-athletes. What little I saw of yesterday’s tribute to that student was beautiful and poignant. It made me shed a tear or two, so I cannot imagine what those students are experiencing. He keeps busy with two jobs and his classes, so I have not been able to talk to him as much as I would like. I reconcile my disappointment at that to the knowledge that he is happy and exactly where he belongs.

As for Jim and me, we keep plugging along. Jim has had several business trips lately and will continue to have them about twice a month as he seeks cost savings opportunities around the country. He loves his job and always has an anecdote about something at work – usually one of the dogs. Cletus loves going to work too, and he always comes home exhausted from a hard day of playing. It is so fun to see. I have been busier than usual as my company looks to switch over to a new ERP system at the end of the month. Between that and a new facility, budgets, customer demand outpacing production capacity, retention difficulties, and kicking off a new training system, it has been a bit hectic, a lot stressful, and plenty of fun. I have a great group of coworkers now that work hard but know when to play too. I know more changes are coming soon also, so these we all help each other stay sane when it would be so easy to succumb to the insanity of work right now. It makes going to work a lot easier when you know you will be working with friends.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend and enjoying these first few days of autumn! Whatever your plans today, I hope they are fun and relaxing. Have a great week, and I will see you here next time!

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Here are past posts from the last few weeks in case you missed them the first time:

6 Comments

Lisa Sheppard on October 11, 2018 at 5:44 PM

There’s a possibility that my great-nephew will be heading to Iowa State next year to play football. If he does, we’ll likely head to Ames on some Saturdays. It would be great if you guys happened to be headed that way the same weekend and we could meet!

Michelle on October 18, 2018 at 1:30 PM

That would be lovely!
Reply

Brandie on September 24, 2018 at 12:51 PM

One of the things I have always loved about my job is that I’ve always been surrounded by friends who I adore. It does make each day easier. I’m fortunate to have amazing bosses and co-workers.

I loved Holly’s picture today!! What a fun week! I’m glad things are going well for her and Connor. And glad you had a good weekend, too!

Michelle on September 26, 2018 at 9:12 AM

Thanks, Brandie!
Reply

Ti on September 24, 2018 at 12:29 PM

I know you guys are heading into a busy week but you will get through it, you always do.
My daughter had homecoming over the weekend and she was asked the day before but it was a carnival theme and pretty casual so an outfit was not an issue which I thought it might be with such late notice. They had a blast. She has a really good group of friends this year.

This week I have a few things going but nothing that’s stressing me out. We’ll see what the Girl gets callback for. She is thinking the Witch will be final cast and not callbacks and that she will be on it but I have a feeling she will be called back. Volleyball is over 10/9. Not sure when the banquet will be but it’s not planned by me so if we can’t attend then so be it.

Are you guys starting to think about what it will be like when the kids are out? My daughter and son are hardly home now and this weekend my husband an i seemed a little lost. We had dinner out, on homecoming night and so did the entire population of teens and I felt so old.

Michelle on September 26, 2018 at 8:08 AM

Holly is going with her girlfriends. I think for her first Homecoming she will have more fun with her friends than she would with a boy. I need them to pin down their plans, so I know where we have to be and when. It doesn’t help that she has rehearsals the entire morning before the big event.
How were callbacks?

I have given a lot of thought to being an empty nester. On the one hand, I think about all of the free time I will have and how I want to fill it – exercise, cleaning, and cooking at a leisurely pace. On the other hand, I worry about Jim and me. We have been like two ships passing in the night for so long purely out of necessity that I know we have changed. Will we be able to come back together as a couple again? Time will tell, I guess.
Reply

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Lisa Sheppard on October 11, 2018 at 5:44 PM

There’s a possibility that my great-nephew will be heading to Iowa State next year to play football. If he does, we’ll likely head to Ames on some Saturdays. It would be great if you guys happened to be headed that way the same weekend and we could meet!
- Michelle on October 18, 2018 at 1:30 PM
  
  That would be lovely!
Brandie on September 24, 2018 at 12:51 PM

One of the things I have always loved about my job is that I’ve always been surrounded by friends who I adore. It does make each day easier. I’m fortunate to have amazing bosses and co-workers.

I loved Holly’s picture today!! What a fun week! I’m glad things are going well for her and Connor. And glad you had a good weekend, too!
- Michelle on September 26, 2018 at 9:12 AM
  
  Thanks, Brandie!
Ti on September 24, 2018 at 12:29 PM

I know you guys are heading into a busy week but you will get through it, you always do.
My daughter had homecoming over the weekend and she was asked the day before but it was a carnival theme and pretty casual so an outfit was not an issue which I thought it might be with such late notice. They had a blast. She has a really good group of friends this year.

This week I have a few things going but nothing that’s stressing me out. We’ll see what the Girl gets callback for. She is thinking the Witch will be final cast and not callbacks and that she will be on it but I have a feeling she will be called back. Volleyball is over 10/9. Not sure when the banquet will be but it’s not planned by me so if we can’t attend then so be it.

Are you guys starting to think about what it will be like when the kids are out? My daughter and son are hardly home now and this weekend my husband an i seemed a little lost. We had dinner out, on homecoming night and so did the entire population of teens and I felt so old.
- Michelle on September 26, 2018 at 8:08 AM
  
  Holly is going with her girlfriends. I think for her first Homecoming she will have more fun with her friends than she would with a boy. I need them to pin down their plans, so I know where we have to be and when. It doesn’t help that she has rehearsals the entire morning before the big event.
  How were callbacks?
  
  I have given a lot of thought to being an empty nester. On the one hand, I think about all of the free time I will have and how I want to fill it – exercise, cleaning, and cooking at a leisurely pace. On the other hand, I worry about Jim and me. We have been like two ships passing in the night for so long purely out of necessity that I know we have changed. Will we be able to come back together as a couple again? Time will tell, I guess.