Back-to-School

Yay! History was made yesterday!

Ok. Moving on.

My oldest started college two weeks ago. On the second day of classes he wondered out loud why I wasn't there to take his picture on his first day of college like I was for his first day of Kindergarten. Seriously. You think that the things you do don't matter, or worse, humiliate your children and then they surprise you by the things that do matter to them. It happens to me all the time, and it's always, every time, a surprise.

I was there to photograph my youngest's first day of Kindergarten. Very few things, if any, are embarrassing to the five-year-old. But I would rather have had a camera later in the week to get a photo of the day my college student came with me to pick up the Kindergartner. Our walk to pick him up was like a walk through thirteen years of time lapse photography. You see, the five-year-old goes to the same school that the rest of my children attended. The college student started Kindergarten there thirteen years ago. Tree's have come and gone, residents have grown up and moved, teachers have retired and some have passed. The biggest difference, though, is the tree in front of the kindergarten door. When the college student started kindergarten there that tree was just about as tall as he is now. Today it towers over the school providing excellent shade for those of us waiting to pick up half day students in the noon day sun. We were quite the trio walking home, me with my oldest and youngest. Sometimes it blows my mind. Since I had no camera, I will leave you now with this fine artists rendering of the sentimental scene. Enjoy.

Being Green

Life is all fun and games in Kindergarten. Every morning I wake the five-year-old up and ask him what day it is. He responds with a color. "It's yellow day" or, "It's blue day" Meaning that is the color of shirt they are supposed to wear to class that day. Today when I woke him up his answer was, "It's green day!" So, after dropping him off at school I sang to myself all the way home:
"I walk a lonely road
The only one that I have ever known
Don't know where it goes
But it's home to me and I walk alone"

and so on.

It's funny if you think about it.

Olympic Updates

Beach Volleyball:
How about that beach volleyball huh? Who knew I cared so much. I kept waking up my husband with my nervous spasms every time they missed a point and thank goodness they won or I would have never gotten to sleep.

Usain Bolt:
Are you kidding me? I think he's a computer animation. No way anyone that big is that fast. And speaking of computers....

Our Computer Overlords:
From the opening ceremony to the detection of 100th of a second margins. Could the Olympics even be held without computers. I loved the green line that marked the world record time in swimming. I wish they could use it for track.

Parents:
The parents are killing me. It's not like I'm not emotional enough between hormones and the beginning of school. With every victory they cut to the parents in the stands then I pretty much lose it.

Mark Spitz:
He's still looking good! I kinda miss the mustache though.

I will be sad when the games are over. Then, slowly all the names and accomplishments will fade from my memory . Till 2012 rolls the highlight reels. I can't wait. But for now? On to the next event. I am starting the countdown to the season premier of Heroes

Got Faith?

I'm on pins and needles here wondering who our presumptive nominees are going to choose for their VP's. Not that it will really matter. Unless one of them chooses Michael Phelps, which has the added benefit of another Olympics in four years. Just in time for the next election cycle.

Meanwhile, I've got a question. My husband and I have a friend who is suffering great hardships. As a result this person is also struggling greatly with questions of faith. The same faith that used to be a defining characteristic in their life. It is troubling to watch, but understandable. My husband struggles with knowing what to say to this person and wanting to say the very thing that will "fix" them. I encourage him to just keep being there. It's not like we have all the answers. We do know the One with all the answers though, and I guess we'll have to trust that He will make them known. But, back to my question. If faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see, what determines who will and who will not keep the faith? Time and time again I see people of great faith travel through tragic circumstances and maintain their faith. Then there are those who are, instead, consumed by the circumstances. I absolutely cannot judge those who lose faith since I have not walked in their shoes. I suspect my question is rhetorical but my fearful nature desires an answer because, you know, what if? What if. Part of me wonders if it has to do with why we believe in the first place. Which leads me back to my other over-arching question, which is; why do you believe?

Gotta go ponder.

Multiple Choice

Ah...I can breathe. Summer has successfully been completed and brains have been re-engaged. Well, except for mine that is. I suppose when I have a few days to think about it I will be sad and lonely. No. I don't think so. I'll let you know if that changes though. So now that I have enough time to write something other than a status update on Facebook I thought I'd make up a little quiz.
That reminds me of a joke my mom once told me. A certain teacher enjoyed giving his class short quizzes. He called them his quizzies. One day he told the class that they would be taking a series of short tests. He called them his (...you fill in the blank...)

Oh my, that one made me laugh. Almost as much as the one about the moth balls. What was the deal with my mom?

Ok enough of that here is the quiz. It's multiple choice, don't you love multiple choice?

Question #1. What is that smell??
A. the dog
B. the laundry
C. the garbage accumulated after cleaning the fridge and freezer
D. teenagers
E. all of the above

Question #2. How does one get rid of the smell?
A. Clean
B. leave the house
C. thermonuclear device
D. make the teenagers clean
E. bribe the trash man to make an early pick up

Question #3. The Lucky Guess Method?
A. a method to aid in helping your high school freshman with honors geometry
B. how to determine which day your child absolutely needs gym shoes for P.E.
C. how to determine where said shoes might be hidden
D. how to break a gold medal tie between two Olympic gymnasts
E. A & D
F. B & C

Question #4. What is the best way to spend two hours of free time a day M-Th?
A. Coffee with Shalee
B. Yoga.
C. Working out my middle aged body to Dara Torres like proportions.
D. Lord of the Rings marathon.
E. spiritual and emotional nourishment
F. naps

Here is the answer key:
#1. E and a few other unmentionables as well.
#2. I can't decide on this one, it's a toss up.
#3. Most assuredly E.
#4. Watch for me in the 2012 Olympics.

Dare you to watch this...

...and not smile.


Where the Hell is Matt? (2008) from Matthew Harding on Vimeo.