Little dimples..little drama

 Last weekend we spent a little time scouting out an area for Grace's senior pictures, it had been suggested by the photographer.  But ultimately we thought better of the location and suggested a few of our own and the results will be beautiful.  There was a little hic-up, Grace has a pretty packed schedule, and the original photo shoot was conflicting with a different event.  We had the shoot moved, but it didn't make it to the photographers calendar and she double booked.  It all worked out fine and especially the lighting.  Grace had a fun time, multiple wardrobe changes and still made it home in time to not eat, but meet friends on a shopping spree for pajama day and midnight toilet papering of the school in prep of homecoming weekend. One of these pictures is not from her photo shoot; alas dear reader can you spot it?  Also a fun note as a parent, sometimes you find boxes of graham crackers with only a single stale cracker left in the box; because somebody was way to full to eat another one...or way to lazy to open the trash drawer.

The Eagle has Landed!

Thirteen years of hard work and perseverance for Merrick lead to his arrival in Lacrosse on Friday as an official UWL Eagle.  We managed an almost full family dinner the night before making the drive (Ella was in Spain).  We gathered around the indoor grill at the restaurant slathering steaks with garlic butter and spices....well not Sophia; she was battling a waitress for a burger that was cooked thoroughly and preferably with a bun.  Then back home to sit around the table and talk about school, classes, and just laugh a bit before an early night.  Merrick and I hit the road early and drove the meandering route across the state to his dorm.  His roommate had moved in the day before so it was easy to build some dorm furniture and trick out his new pad.  He is more of a minimalist than either of the older girls where, and he has a real comfortable space to call home for the next school year. We made run for groceries...all comfort food and nothing remotely healthy was dropped into the cart.  He had some additional items on his 'mental list' but those were forgotten.  We hit MKE burger to fill up on some smashburgers before sending him off on his own; and I made the lonely drive back home.  Amy and I were able to call him and have a quick chat and everything seems to be going well for him and has a good size group of people to run around with until the wee hours each morning; and has only hit his head on the ceiling a few times as he adjusts to his lofted bed.  His first class this Morning will be a Chem Lab...seems like a good intro to college course work.

 

A Summer Summary

 

Well that is and unofficial wrap to the summer.  Amy and I have headed back to work and the air has a chill in it.  We stayed busy this summer, but not frantic this summer.  Merrick and I sneaked out to play a round of golf, he was polite at my horrible shots including a drive that went 90 degrees off the tee box and directly into a water hole.  We played best ball, so my shots never really counted, but I did get to feel like I was playing.  Sophia and Ella joined us for a great concert at the winery and a campfire the night before.  It was just great to sit around and chat with them.  Ella landed in Spain yesterday for a quick Euro trip before she goes back to school and Grace has been to Greece and back this summer.  Sophia is working on grad school essays and said she feels a little envious of everyone heading back to school, as this is her first fall without that experience.  Grace and Ella spent some time together roaming around Eau Claire.  Merrick is packing up his room and reading himself to move into the dorms later this week.  We toured LaX and RiverFalls with Grace as she starts to consider where she wants to go to school, and she too is working on her entrance essays and starting the application process for her undergrad studies.

CrissCross LaCrosse

 Merrick is heading off to Lacrosse and we spent the day there getting an his courses registered and being given the finer points of admission.  Both him and Grace had their AP scores come in from the spring exams and ..wow, just wow we could not be more proud of their hard work.  It will certainly pay off from them both in college.  From UW-LaX to Summer LaX it has been a full summer.  Grace has her final summer weekend tourney in Chicago this coming weekend, and has a solid list of scouts their to watch her and chat her up about their respective schools.  We spent a weekend in Racine, complete with Italian dinner tradition, and another in Cincinnati.  The drive to Cincy started at 3 am, and ended at Mark's place about noon.  It was nice to have the extra space and creature comforts of a house rather than a hotel.  The whole Cincy family came to the early game on Saturday and Mark was able to make the whole tournament....and it was a crazy drama filled series between an Ohio team...complete with play stoppage for roster checks on the other team for two ineligible players that were playing on 2 teams in the tourney....extra player in 95ish heat makes a difference.  Then the most psychotic LaX mom hollering at the refs to check the rule book...reciting highlighted portions of the rulebook across the field.  Grace won the game but as Mark and I walked over towards the team and were discussing the game we unknowingly past the psycho...she overheard our comments and then it she unleased an profanity laced tirade for all to hear.  Grace's team advanced through the tournament to the championship game, she scored in each game, but ultimately lost in OT...I told Mark all in all we can not provide a tournament with more drama than this.  Sun scorched and sweated out we hoped into the car about 2:30 pm and drove back home....making as good of time as can be made on a nineish hour drive.

Grad Party

The weather was perfect for Merrick's Grad party and the families made their drives from far and wide.  We had smoked pork overnight and set up tables borrowed from work.  Merrick and his buddy were started to shoot some hoops while the adults chatted and ate....Merrick brought down the hoop, rim and post right on his own head.  Him and I left the party for the ER and he would ultimately need 7 staples in his scalp, but no concussion and were back to the party in about an hour.  His friend had waited for him and several other friends arrived while he was away.  This worked out well for Grace's friend how hid upstairs and watch the boys through the bedroom window.  Merrick was a little shaken but rebounded quickly.  His friends started kicking at the remaining post when Grandprize nudged me and said 'hand them a shovel"...the recent grads started digging and rocking the post from the cement, and with the help of a maul, expertly introduced by Grandprize as their enthusiasm was curbing they soon had the remaining basketball hoop free from the ground.  Kory offered to take the post and the remaining backboard, now sans glass, to his shop for disposal and with some borrowed dirt and grass seed from neighbors the whole clean up project was a smooth and fast as possible.  Merrick felt good enough to head off with his buddies to shoot a round a golf and another 2 rounds the next day.

 

Long week-Short Week

 

It was only Wednesday night, but it seems like it has been a long week.  Merrick walked the stage and finalized his first academic chapter.  Grandprize and Grandma made the trip over and we had plenty of last minute rearranging as the weather wasn't cooperating for an outdoor ceremony.  The original plan was everybody watching from the stadium bleachers, but in the end Amy sat with the faculty--she had amazing seats and was able to high five Merrick on his walk back from graduating--Grandma and I were in the back breaking bleachers, and Grandprize with in the plush seats of the auditorium watching a live stream of the ceremony.  We got there over an hour before the start and the place was already packed.  It was and is always great to see so many people supporting the students. After the normal pomp and circumstance the five of us headed over to Greystone to some light appetizers and chatter to wrap up the evening.  Merrick was a little nonplused about the whole graduation, stating that he didn't see the reason to celebrate what he was expected to accomplish.  Grandma thought she had heard this before somewhere.....about 32 years ago.  Be that as it may, Merrick was clearly pleased with the completion and everyone's support.  We headed home earlyish...as the new graduate had a full day of life guarding in the morning....although if the weather cooperated for him he was planning on spending most of it in the breakroom practicing his putting.

Kind of a big weekend

 

Early May is not unlike Early April...a blur of important days.  Anniversaries, Mother's day, and Ella's Birthday.  She hit a bit one, and it is now a little harder to pretend she isn't careening into adulthood.  We weren't with her, but she still spent it with family and met Bob/Nancy at the Joint for a beer, she continued with the mythology that it was her first time there although the bar tender kept calling her out on her BS to the delight of all that were there. With her year wrapped up she loaded up her car and head off to summer to work at a Camp that hosts campers with revolving disabilities.  Putting goodness back into the world.  Grace was playing LaX in MKE and Amy went to cheer her one, while I helped Sophia move out of her apartment in preparation for her graduation.  Hauled a trailer load of stuff back to GB.  This fall we will haul another trailer of different stuff back to set Merrick up in his dorm...ah the wheels of time.  Sophia's graduation and walking the stage was an emotional event and struck me more than I had anticipated.  She was home for only a day before she started her job in town.  Following her heart and helping others where she can. It is these milestones and rites of passage all coming so quickly together. The next day it was a different stage, different kid and all the same emotions.  Grace was inducted into the National Honor Society, complete with one of her friends reading Grace's bio with heartfelt warmth and talking about her volunteer service.  It is emotional to sit in the seats and watch others talk highly of your kids. It seems the kids are more accustomed to doing good things.  Both Merrick and Grace turned down invites to a school award ceremony and picked up their letters and accolades a few days ago without the pomp and circumstance. Grace showed us her big letter for academic performance, we asked Merrick about his.  He replied, "Yea, I got one for academics too, it looks the same as the one I got last time for volunteering."  They all are putting good into the world in so many different ways, but each way is inspirational to me.