BEST. SUMMER. EVER!

The kids only have 6 days left…the first day of school is looming. School supplies have all been bought. Schedules have been received and double checked. And I, while ready, have been reminiscing. We have been blessed with an INCREDIBLE summer!

We kicked our summer off with a family trip to the beach…

We had a wonderful time, with family, extended family and friends. There was no drama. Just fun, sun, sand, surf and harmony…except for that one minor night…but hey, no hard feelings, right?

When we returned home, it was time for Vacation Bible School. I had not volunteered to help this year, but when I took the Maggie and Liam on Monday, Sam and I were drafted to help out. That too, was a great week.

After VBS, we rested for a few weeks, our only quiet weeks of the summer. Well, rested as much as is possible with 2 boys playing baseball. Liam kicked arse individually this year, but his team did not achieve anything wonderful. Which was a shame, they had a lot of talent. But not such a great coach, so the season amounted to not much. Sam, on the other hand, went ALL THE WAY!

They were the BEST Pony League team in two counties! It was stressful, exciting, exhilarating even!

Two days after Sam’s baseball season was over, we were on our way to spend a week in Buffalo with Jon. After 7 months, we finally had a free enough schedule to spend some time there with him and go to Niagara Falls.

Why on earth we had never gone before, I cannot say. Ignorance, plain and simple…I did not know what I was missing.

It was WOW!!! I was so impressed, in fact…

that we decided we were going back the next week. Then I called Dad and told him that given the fact that he and Anne were coming the following weekend anyway, it would really be to their benefit to come a couple days early and go with us. And what do you know? They did!

Then, we came back and met up the next day with the rest of the clan at The Ohio State Fair!

I’m sure I’ve missed a few things…but all in all, I think you can see that we were blessed with many memories, much family…could not have asked for a better summer.

Now, Jon has started a new contract at Chase, here in Columbus, the kids are headed back to school on Monday next and I am looking forward to some normalcy. Just for a little while.

I love you all!

SCORE!!!

Early last week, we received the kids achievement test results for the 2010-2011 school year.

My children are smartypants!

Sam scored advanced in reading and accelerated in math and science.

Maggie scored advanced in reading (a darn near perfect score) and math as well.

The big story is Liam though. Last year, he did not meet the state standards for the 3rd grade. In the 2009-2010 school year, Liam carried decent grades…but he had to REALLY struggle to get them. We all did, many, many nights of tears and study and frustration to accomplish passing grades. When I received the phone call from the school principal suggesting we hold him back to repeat the third grade I was actually relieved…worried about the social ramifications, but relieved nonetheless. When I received his test results last summer they reflected that struggle. He did not meet the state mandated standards for the 3rd grade.

Liam sailed through the 2010-2011 school year with ease…he was happy, well adjusted, carefree in regards to school for the first time in his life. So I ask you to just imagine my delight when I open his test results to find that he scored ADVANCED in reading and accelerated in math!!! Not proficient…he didn’t just meet the standards…he beat the heck out of them!!

I cannot thank the teachers and staff of Highland Elementary School enough! For the first time, I am looking forward with no reservations to a school year…confident in my children’s chances of success!

That, my friends, is a very nice feeling!

I love you all!

Big Doin's…

We got big doin’s goin’ on in the Garrett household these days. Last Sunday we wrapped up baseball, and promptly packed our bags and went with Jon to spend the week in Buffalo.

We had a great time, spending our days poolside while Jon was at work. Then going out to supper or to sight see when he was home in the evenings. Jon has lived in Buffalo for seven months now, and we FINALLY made it to Niagara Falls…it’s a full 15 minutes from his apartment in Tonawanda. Ridiculous, eh? What can I say, they all seemed like good reasons to put it off at the time…

It was absolutely gorgeous and I felt remiss that we had not dragged the kids there sooner.

We were able to ride the Maid of the Mist…

which was stunning.

And were also able to tour the Cave of the Winds…

which was exhilarating. Or wet…depending on your mood, I suppose.

We enjoyed all of it so much that we’ve decided to do it all again this week.

Tomorrow, my Dad and Anne are driving up from North Carolina and will be joining us on a short trip to Buffalo. We will see the falls and move my hubby back home! Then Friday, it’s time for the Ohio State Fair. Man, I love the fair, second only to Christmas…

But, in recap, because I haven’t posted in so long…

1. Jon got a job in Columbus!!!!! It is a 6-18 month contract and it’s at Chase…that's

2 strikes

and I ain’t lyin’. But, it’s at home, he will be home, we will have him home, EVERY NIGHT! So, we’ll take it and be pretty darn happy!

2. Sam’s baseball team took first place in their league. They had a 2 county Pony League Tournament 2 weeks ago and they won the whole dang thing! It was purty exciting, if I do say so myself.

And finally,

3. Last but MOST IMPORTANT!!!! My baby boy Liam Murphy turned 10 last week!!! How can this be happening?? 10 years old? Please, stop…I want to get off! My baby’s keep getting older…I want off this ride now!

Dang, he is a cutie!!! Just like his Daddy.

I love you all!

Odd Ball Boy

I recently told Liam that he really needs to start sleeping in his own bed.

He is almost 10 years old, after all.

I'm not really sure what the problem is with that boy. He just HATES sleeping alone. He would rather sleep on the floor with a sleeping bag in Sam's room than sleep in his bed alone in his own room. Liam has happily slept nearly everywhere in this house, EXCEPT his room. He has slept in Sam's room, and Maggie's room...while Jon is in Buffalo, he sleeps with me every night. When Jon is in town, he sleeps on the couch or loveseat in the living room.

Last week, I said, "Liam, you are almost 10 years old. It's time to buck up and sleep in your own bed."

To his credit, he didn't argue much. He willingly went to his own bed and said prayers and was asleep in mere minutes.

Then, when I woke the next morning...

 

...he was in Jet's bed on Jon and I's bedroom floor.

I give up.

I love you all...

An Accomplished School Year

The 2010-2011 school year was a good one for the Garrett children. Last week, on the last day of school, I attended Liam and Maggie’s awards assembly. I’ve attended the awards assembly in years past, and left with a sad heart. Sam is so smart, but such a lazy underachiever, that he never received any awards…and he really could not have cared less. Then, last year, Maggie was not eligible for the awards due to the grading system, but Liam was. He was eligible and if there were an award for effort he would have been a shoe-in. Unfortunately, there’s no award for giving an A+ effort and getting C’s and D’s. As I’m sure you all know, Liam repeated the 3rd grade this year. It was an agonizing choice and the source of my most “worried” summer ever. It turned out, thank you Jesus, to be the best thing ever for Liam. And THIS YEAR, he received awards!!

He received a medal and certificate for Merit Roll, all A’s and B’s ALL YEAR!! AND, he got a reading reward!

A HUGE thank you to his teachers, most especially Mrs. Thompson, for the school year he had. Watching him blossom and excel was wonderful. The difference in his confidence level alone has been such a joy to me.

Maggie too, received Merit Roll and reading rewards. Poor Maggie, she wanted the Honor Roll SO BADLY! But, one B in the first quarter stomped on her dreams.

She seems to have recovered…

This year, when I left the assembly, my heart was glad. It was a good year.

I still have my lazy underachiever…who ended up getting one C. The rest were A’s and B’s though, and he accidentally did REALLY well on some test and got a Presidential Academic Achievement Award, for being in the top 10% of test scores in the nation for both Math and English.

I am no longer working, I’m once again at home with my babies…so hopefully, I will do a better job keeping up with the blog now. And with cleaning my house. 8)

I love you all!