Back to school and Pirates take a loss

The kids headed back to school this week - woohoo! It went pretty well despite the heat kicking football and XC practices back to the evenings, sore muscles, and missing the bus. Yes, yes - we live the life! Last year of school was a struggle with grade monitoring for Brenner so I have committed to not check in on grades (it is a battle I don't have the energy to wage - he is capable but has to want it on his own). Couple of reflections to perhaps help other parents out there. 1) My parents never knew what my grades were EVERYDAY - online gradebooks now allow this and promotes the parental hover. 2) Each teacher uses the grade book differently so a "0" can mean many different things. Save in the inquisition and thus argument. 3) Relationship over GPA. B says I put pressure on him (which is likely true as I do have high expectations) but he also puts pressure on himself. BUT me asking about grades gives him the excuse to blame me for the pressure. 4) I really want B to find out what he is passionate about - and perhaps that isn't sitting in a class. 15 is still an immature age for boys so I am hopeful that passion will come in the next couple of years. 5) College is expensive. I would rather not him figure things out now than flunk out of college his freshman year. Note I don't think that would be the case, but I feel this is his chance to figure out some balance. Okay - enough on that. We are 4 days in, and I feel good (taking it a day at a time!). I will update in future weeks but putting it here may hold me accountable to the 3 people that read this blog lol! 

I made Matt pose for a first day of school picture on Monday! He started his 7th year at the CTC at State Fair Community College. 

The XC team had breakfast after practice Monday morning. Nola has been really getting into it! 

First day of sophomore year for Brenner and 7th grade for Nola. Nola said the first day was good and proceeded to take a nap. Brenner said "it sucked". He got home and was dripping with sweat as their bus doesn't have A/C. I found him downstairs to catch up after I was done with work and he was just sitting in a towel (he hadn't showered but just had a towel on to cool down). I laughed and laughed but did NOT take a picture!

My steamy office window from the awful heat. 

How many cicadas shells can you see?

They are so loud during the day it is hard to hear anything else in the yard!

Nola laughing at her XC uniform. The shorts are - um - let's just say she won't be wearing them! Under Armor shorts arrived on Saturday! Her first meet is about a week away yet. She is in advanced PE with mostly 8th grade boys at school. She seems to enjoy it but is sore. She benched 75 lbs and squatted 95 lbs this week - more than some of the boys. You go, girl! Don't be afraid to be in classes without your friends!

\We traveled to Pleasant Hill (~1.75 hrs) for the football opener. Delayed start from heat and then a rainstorm - we finally got rolling around 8:15 pm. Pretty sunset.

Pre-game prep talk from coach. We didn't expect a win (the Roosters tend to stomp us every year)!

Waiting for coin toss.

We lost the toss and Brenner opened up the game with the kickoff. Nothing has changed from last year- onside kick. Now we did recover it which was exciting but then a ref overturned the call of another ref. Rooster ball. 

It was a long tough game with our boys not holding things together. 

We finally got on the board in the 4th quarter so Brenner did get to kickoff again. He is stepping it off here. 

Grandma Val, Matt, and I did some cheering. We dropped mom off around 12.30 am and got home ourselves around 2 am. We definitely slept in Saturday morning! 

Nola wanted to play Jenga on Saturday. She didn't go to the game because she came home in tears about being so sore and tired from PE and XC. So we left her at home and had the neighbors check on her. Less angst for the long car ride for mom and dad!

I friend had this posted on their facebook feed. I really liked the reminder - and hope that we all live this way - not going with the masses but carving out our own path.

Central New York

I spent the week in central New York around Syracuse attending the Tribal Lands and Environment Forum. It was a great week reconnecting with friends, making new ones, and learning a lot. Syracuse was interesting....some colorful characters that you find in any city - but the pooled blood outside of my hotel Thursday morning was a new one for me. Yikes! 

I joined a fieldtrip Tuesday morning to the Skä·noñh—Great Law of Peace Center on the shores of Onondaga Lake, the center of the Haudenosaunee peoples. Note that Haudoenosaunee is the more appropriate term you may have learned for Iroquois. 

View of Onondaga Lake from the Center. It was considered one of the most polluted lakes in the world at one point - much manufacturing lined the lake.

Painting depicting part of Haudenosaunee history. They have a beautiful tradition of starting gatherings with the Thanksgiving Address. Learn more here.  

Beautiful weaving - the top is the flag.

Details on the nations and clans of the Haudenosaunee.

The center walked through the creation story of the Haudenosaunee, the impacts of the Doctrine of Discovery (including the Sullivan-Clinton Campaign of 1779), and stereotyping. This poster was from the last exhibit area. 

More from the stereotype exhibit. Makes you think of what we were taught as kids - playing "Cowboys and Indians". Cowboys were always the heroes, right? Or all the old western movies and how they portray indigenous peoples. One of my fellow attendees asked how we can help indigenous peoples in general. Our guide said start by talking about the center and what you learned - so that is what I am trying to do. 

My friend Amy, who is a local, took a group of us to Clarks Reservation State Park for a hike past the cracks! These geology was really impressive. 

Our little federal employee hiking group - we had a great time before heading for yummy dinner at an Indian restaurant. 

I stumbled across this Methodist church involved in the Underground Railroad on my Monday morning walk. 

The church remains - fascinating history to read about. 

As I continued down the street I had to chuckle at the massiveness of the Catholic (right) and Baptist (left) churches that literally took up a city block each. It was like they were battling for the biggest building. Back behind the green stop light is the Methodist church. It made me think about the impact we should be striving for as a church.

Thursday area Amy took me to one of her favorite spots - Labrador Unique Area. We kayaked around Labrador Pond, talking about plants, parenting, etc. It was wonderful weather to boot!

So peaceful after being in the city for a few days.

We had dinner in our kayaks. Amy is the best hostess! 

Meanwhile at home, Nola had XC practice and did a trail ride one evening. 

Matt worked on cleaning up the toolbox on Brenner's truck for his upcoming elk trip.

Huge thanks to Grandma Val who helped get Nola to 7th grade registration Wednesday night. I was out of town of course and Matt had back to school night and couldn't get her there. How lucky are we to have family and friends so close to help out!? She also helped out with the 6th graders as part of her StuCo duties.

I made the executive decision to remove this closest (disguised as a chair) from Brenner's room over the weekend. I found him sitting on it outside and got a chuckle!

Nola spent Saturday reorganizing her books. She did this to avoid doing the dishes!

So much green for mid-August. I am impressed - hopefully the rains from the last several weeks will help sustain us as we are currently in a brutal heat dome.

The last weeks of summer

The kids pretty much whole up in their rooms. Books lead me to believe that this is "normal" for the adolescent brain - wanting to break away from their parents while still in the security of their own homes. I understand it is a part of life - and that we don't want our kids living with us when they are 30, but it still makes me sad. Ironically, Nola will come into my office every 10 minutes if I would let her but disappears when I "clock out". Hmmm. Brenner was very sick Sunday evening through Tuesday - missing some football practices and work. Luckily, he was back to normal by Wednesday AND no one else go sick!

Nola played 9 holes with a couple high school girls on Tuesday morning. According to Matt, it was rough but it was her first time. We kept reminding her not to give up so easily - it is your first time out after just doing driving range and putting. Matt she did really well on the greens. 

Wednesday led them to a bike ride on the Katy Trail. 

My friend sent me this picture of Air Force One landing in Tusayan. She drove in the motorcade when President Biden announcement the Ancestral Footprints monument on Tuesday. Pretty emotional/fascinating as I have been working on projects related to this area for 14 years (pre-Nola!). 

Brenner was thrilled to have us at registration Thursday night. Sophomore year is upon us.

I wouldn't have dreamed of embarrassing him by taking a picture inside the building. He did humor me with some pictures outside the car. 

Saturday was the football parents meeting and then mom's clinic. I try to keep it honest here. It sucked. Brenner was so rude and disrespectful to me I wondered why I even bothered. I still fume a bit over it. I wonder where I went wrong to have a kiddo that says the things that he does. I know the age - that whole adolescent brain - but I actually write this for someone else that may read. You are a good parent. You are doing your best. You are not appreciated enough. You keep your head high. Your kid knows exactly what they are saying to push your buttons. 

(BTW - I caught all of my passes but one and it was a bad throw. Yep - that's me. Competitive. One of Brenner's coaches said I could catch better than him.....that likely didn't help his mood.)

Saturday evening Matt and I had dinner with friends at the Fred- it was a wonderful time catching up with them!

All the recent rains have brought out the fungi. Pretty, right!?

Look how big!!!!

A small pair in one of my pots. 

Brenner playing catch up on chores that didn't get done while he was sick. Boy did it need it! B did a nice job.