That's In My Book

VASE

Raising children is an ever evolving, keep you guessing, one-new-things-after-another endeavor. This is especially true of raising an oldest child. Each cross roads is new and uncharted territory. So when Helmut was planning his schedule for his senior year, I was somewhat at a loss. He begged me to let him take an early release period. He didn't need the credit for graduation, but I didn't like the idea of him coming home early for no good reason. Plus, he is Josh's ride home from school, so the logistics didn't really work. That left some big holes in his schedule that he was free to fill with whatever looked interesting to him in the course catalog. So he chose Art I: Drawing/Painting.

I think he has really enjoyed it, for the most part. I have heard some murmuring. Something about, "I don't like someone else telling me what I can and cannot draw." But overall, I think he likes it. His most recent assignment was a painted abstract sculpture to be entered in the Texas Art Education Association's competition, the Visual Arts Scholastic Event. He worked on it for weeks and weeks, including some really late nights painting it (and he HATES staying up past his bedtime!). At the event Helmut would be interviewed and his piece would be judged. If his sculpture received a "4", it would move onto that area competition. Helmut not only entered a piece, he worked at the event all day. His sculpture received a four! It didn't make it past the area competition, but he came home wearing a snazzy medal. And who doesn't like a snazzy medal?

 

 

 

11 red

Well, it has begun. And by "it", I mean club sports. Samantha started playing club volleyball for Willowbrook Sports Complex this season. I have shied away from club sports until now, they are expensive, time consuming and usually play on Sundays. But Sam's passion for volleyball has only grown over the past three years and it was the obvious next step for her. A bit expensive, yes. Time consuming, yes...but I have loved watching her practice (5+ hours a week) and thoroughly enjoyed the tournaments (which are all day long). And as for the Sunday thing...ends up the club has been really good about that. I let them know that Sam can't play on Sundays before I signed her up. The administration and her coach have both been supportive and understanding. They have tried their best not to schedule and games on Sunday. I'm not saying this attitude will last forever with them, but I am grateful for it none the less.

Sam has chosen to play the setter position, which is good since she doesn't have tall genes working in her favor. It is a tough position to play, but she gets better at it with each practice. She plays on 11 RED, a team of ten and eleven-year-old girls (and one nine-year-old prodigy). They are a dynamite little team (their motto is "tiny but mighty"). All of their games have been against twelves teams, but they have done great. They have only lost two of their seven games.

I am so glad Sam has found something that she really loves. And the look on her face in this next picture makes all the time and money worth it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

When it is her team's turn to ref a game, Samantha is in charge of keeping the books. She keeps meticulous track of substitutions, points, side-outs, rotation, time outs and serve order.