The end of an era

As Jacob finishes 9th grade, our family will no longer be represented at

 Olympus Junior High School

We started there in 1995 just after we moved into our home on Melodie Ann Way and we've been gracing the halls ever since.  So here are the memories that stand out the most.

Tay:

 Pulling up on the first day of school and having Nathan say,

 "we can't leave him here!  These girls have boobs!"

Taylor meeting his best buddies Cody Flamm & Jack Stringham & 

 endless hours of jumping on the tramp and eating quesadillas

Lot's of math study groups at the kitchen table.

Whitney:

Violin performances.

8th grade class officer.

Jazz band  pianist and being the only girl, earning her the title of "Princess"

Getting a 4.0 for the sole purpose of the $100.

Abbie:

Adjusting to the change from the Reid School.

Spending most of her waking hours (non school hours) dancing.

Balancing homework and dance like a pro.

Looking for new friends :{

Curtis:

Having EVERY teacher say that they love him,

 but he needs to stay in his seat and not visit so much.

Tackling the hearing problems.

Helping tons with homework.

(Me dreading parent teacher conference.)

Jake:

Tons of friends.

Class officer in 9th grade.

Being the child that we went from asking

"What homework do you have tonight?"

 to- "You don't have homework tonight, do you?"

Not helping AT ALL with homework.

The picture above is of 3 banners that hang from the ceiling by the lunchroom in Oly Jr.

I think they are absolutly beautiful and empowering.

Contractor needed, please apply.

It looks like I need to install a new front door.  Abbie moved back home today and Curtis just got a new job and is moving to Oregon in a couple of weeks.  Our house is full of boxes and baskets and I'm not sure what is coming and what is going. All I know is that we're in a state of transition!

If I've said it once, I've said it a million times...

...but is it mommy clean?

Don't break your neck!

Do you have any homework?

Bring me up your dirtys please.

Will someone please unload the dishwasher!

What do you want for dinner?

Be careful!!!

Please turn down the TV.

Did I just hear a naughty word?

"Curtis, you little shit!"

Say Cheeeeeeeese!

Hurry! We're going to be late!

Say excuse me.

I LOVE YOU!!!

Sleep tight, the Sandman is coming...

When I first became a mother, I sang to my babies. But it didn't take long before they figured out that if they placed their little hands over my mouth, that horrible noise would stop. Thus, my lullaby days were numbered with each child and I had to creatively find another bedtime ritual. So each night when I would tuck my children in, I would ask them- "What was your happy today?"

Then, in an attempt to prolong bedtime and to capture just a bit more undivided attention, they would insist on sharing their sads, their sillys, and finally, their mads. Taylor's mad would always start with- "When Whitney..." Whitney's mad would begin "When Abbie..." and Abbie's would of course begin with "When Curtis..." (Poor Curtis!)

Curtis never really had a mad. Or a sad. He would just stand on his head or hang off the side of the bed or jump or flip until he fell deeply asleep. I remember one night I tried to snuggle with Curtis and he rejected me and said "Mean moms can't snuggle me up. I want Ne Ne!" (Whitney)

By the time Jake came around, I think I was done tucking in. At that point "Whitney mommy" would lay down with Jacob and teach him the fine art of "silking" on his blanket. They both loved the same kind of blanket- the ones with the silk around the edge. She would carefully fold the corners into tight little triangles and tickle his ears, nose and mouth, and in between his fingers. Eleven years his senior, she had it all figured out and would patiently tickle him to sleep.

                                                                                                                    

Why the trip back to memory lane? Because I am inspired by all the amazing bloggers in my life and I want to become one of them! But overwhelmed by where to begin and what is worth blogging about kept me from jumping in until one day I was thinking about these sweet memories and decided that I could launch on an old, old family tradition...

"What was my happy today?"