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What a Week!

Posted on November 13, 2010 by auburnchick

I’m not quite ready to blog about my latest week in teaching because I am exhausted from my non-teaching activities!

High school soccer season officially started a week and a half ago.

I eagerly drove to the first girls’ game, even though it was raining cats and dogs.

I was eager to see “my” girls and the parents.

I went home that night wet from the knees down but happy as a lark.

The girls had an away game a few days later, but I chose not to go because I had a lot of work to do at home.  I also had a band booster meeting to attend.  I guess that’s the advantage of not having a child on the team.

However, I did go to the next home game, which was on Wednesday night.  The girls were playing one of their former arch enemies.

We beat the team soundly.

It was a little strange to see the girls huddled after the game.  My Chicky wasn’t there anymore.  In fact, someone else is now sporting her number.

Time moves on, and I am happy for that.

On Thursday, I attended two more games.  I made sure to arrive in time for the JV game.  I wanted to take pictures.

I don’t know why, but I cannot seem to separate myself from my camera when attending such events.  I think it’s because I want to make sure every child gets photographed so they will be included in the slide show at the end of the season.

Both teams won their games, and I walked off the field satisfied.

On Friday night, I attended the last football game of the season.  I was eager to see the half-time show, which the band had only been practicing for two weeks.

It was different from the show that was presented during FBA (band competition).

Because I had been at practice on Tuesday, I knew that it was going to be good.  One of the school’s teachers used to be in FAMU’s famous marching band, and she had choreographed part of the routine.

During the game, I almost didn’t care what was going on down on the field.  It was half time that I cared about.

I, along with most of the band parents, walked to the other side of the stadium (we were the guests) with five minutes left in the first half.  I managed to find a prime spot to stand so I could take pictures.

The show began.

Oh.

My.

Word.

The ride the band took us on was better than Disney’s wildest ride.

I screamed like I was on Space Mountain.

It was thrilling…especially the part where the players collapsed on the field and were resuscitated by the beat of the drum…

See, the crowd had assumed that the show was over.

But the best was still to come.

As the band members were “revived,” they sat up, to the beat of the drum, and bounced their way, in a sitting position, around to face the crowd.

Then, they played the rest of the song they had been playing when they had “passed out.”

They collapsed one final time.

It was magnificent!

Because the game was against a cross-town rival, it was especially satisfying.

Although we lost the football game, our band out-played the other school’s.

I took a bit of video from the drumline’s sequence…

Rooster’s hands are the ones right in the front of the video.

Because it was the last game, the band director allowed the band to play in the stands an extra thirty minutes after the final whistle blew.

The parents went nuts.  We were all dancing, and many of us had our camera out.

Rooster and I left, both pumped up with adrenaline.

I told Rooster that I felt as good as I ever did watching one of Chicky’s soccer games.

I stayed up until 2am culling through the nearly 2400 pictures I had taken.

Yeah.  I’m hard-core.

I must have been exhausted, because I slept until 12pm today.

What did I do when I got up?

I attended two more soccer games…boys games.

I’m crazy.

I know.

I took another 1700 pictures.

I wonder if people think I’m a little weird going to games in which my children are not playing.

I suspect that people may feel sorry for me, assuming that I’m hanging onto the past.

I’m not.

What drives me?

A love for the kids, simply put.

I never, in a million years, would have guessed how tight the bonds would be between me and the kids that I’ve come to know over the last few years.

I love watching them grow up, mature, and gain confidence in themselves.

Be it band or soccer…these kids are finding themselves and discovering who they are in respect to the rest of society.

I am so thankful to be able to be a part of this.

It sure does make for a crazy week though!

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , , | 1 Comment »

A Suprise for AuburnChick

Posted on November 6, 2010 by auburnchick

Today was one of those longgggggg days.

Oh, it wasn’t bad, mind you.  It was just one of those days that found me leaving the house at 6:50 and not arriving home until almost midnight.

I had gotten asked to chaperon my first away football game with the band, and boy was I psyched!  I was also reminded how extremely grateful I am to have a job in which I get off early on Fridays (and a wonderful principal who allows me to slip out twenty minutes early in addition to that).

Folks, I was IN MY ELEMENT on that trip!  Being with the other chaperons – the new friends I’ve made this year – made me so happy, as did being around the kids.

I happily skipped with two of the students from the bus to the mall, where we had stopped for lunch.

Yeah, I’m a little weird.

Whatever.

The band played their hearts out during the game, and although Pondunk, USA School did not win, we left knowing that we’d tried.

The way home was interesting.  Strangely, the kids were more hyped than the trip to the game.  I had the unfortunate pleasure of sitting in front of a gal who decided to sing, off-key, the ENTIRE way home.  It was a long hour and a half.  Rooster, who had been on a different bus, later asked me why I didn’t ask the student to stop.  I told him that I was trying to be nice.

Oy.

But, that’s life, and if that’s the worst thing I ever have to endure, then I’m a lucky gal.

On the way home, the Mr. called me twice.  “When are you getting home,” he wanted to know.

I figured he was concerned…especially the second time because it had been a good thirty minutes since I had told him we were fifteen minutes out.

We got home, and Rooster and I wearily climbed out of the car, each eager to climb into bed.

The Mr. greeted us at the door and announced, “I was bored, so I decided to rearrange Chicky’s room as a surprise for when she comes home for Thanksgiving.  Come see what I did.”

I muttered, under my breath, “If you were so bored, you should have cleaned the house.”

I’m nice that way.

Then, as we made our way to her room, I continued, “Chicky is going to kill you when she sees whatever you’ve done.”

I opened her door and turned on the light.

I glanced at her bed, expecting to see it across the room from where it was originally located.

Oh.

My.

Word.

There was a person sitting on the bed.

It took a moment for things to register in my brain.

The person on the bed was my Chicky!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I screamed in surprise while she grinned from ear-to-ear.

I hurried over to hug her, tears filling my eyes.

It had been one month since I’d seen her last, and I’ve been longing to touch that silky, blond hair and wrap my arms around her.

I glanced at the Mr.  He looked quite pleased with himself.

He had known she was coming home since Monday.

Chicky had not posted anything on Facebook in fear that I would find out.  I’m addicted to Facebook, you see, and not much gets past me.

I think it’s safe to say that I will not be getting much work done this weekend.

Oh, she has plans for the morning, and I’ll work then.  However, the afternoon is mine, and I plan to use every second to catch up with my baby girl.

I must mention that it was Guy Friend who brought her home to me.  He had parked his car in a neighbor’s driveway so I would be surprised.

He entered the house after the cat had been let out of the bag.

He was smiling.

I gave him a huge hug that relayed my thanks for having brought my baby home to me.

They each brought home friends, so I have the opportunity to get to know some other young people.

I am so incredibly happy right now.

My girl is home.

This is bliss.

This picture really has nothing to do with my post, but I love it so much that I stuck it here.

 

Filed under: children | Tagged: , | 6 Comments »

Why Can’t Boys…

Posted on October 29, 2010 by auburnchick

…find the toilet when they are sick?

I ask this question because this morning, I awoke to the sound of Rooster calling out, in a weak voice, “Mama…”

It was 6:25, and he was not at the kitchen table, as is the morning routine.

This was not looking good.

I warily opened his bedroom door and poked my head in.  He lifted his head a couple of inches and announced that he was sick.  In fact, he had been up all night…throwing up.

That’s when I saw it…

On the floor…

One of the things that grosses me out more than anything else…

Puke.

Not just any puke, but someone else’s puke.

Sigh.

What was my first thought, you might wonder?

You might be surprised.

My first thought was that the first thing I’m going to do when Rooster leaves for college is replace his carpet, for you see this is not the first time this has happened.

It has, in fact, happened quite a few times.

I wish that each child came equipped with a road sign, similar to what you see when you travel:

Warning, sickness is five hours ahead.  Put a bucket by this child’s bed and go to bed early in preparation for the long night ahead.

Sigh.

Why, oh why can’t boys make it to the toilet when they feel the need to puke?

Chicky never upchucked in her bed or in her room, for that matter.  Somehow, she dodged a vanity and dehumidifier in her haste to eliminate her waste (upwards, not downwards, but that too).

Sigh.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , | 3 Comments »

The Chicklets are Reunited

Posted on October 14, 2010 by auburnchick

I never did get a chance to blog about last weekend.

Well…it was FABO!!!

Why, you may wonder?

Well…because my chicklets were finally all together…in the same place and at the same time!!

The Mr. had driven to Lakeland last Thursday and watched Chicky’s game.  Coupon Queen and Grand Pooba had also attended.

After the game, the Mr. went back to his parents’ house and waited to meet up with Rooster and me on Saturday.

We drove down together, and that, in itself, was delightful.

Rooster is getting older, and it’s getting more difficult to coordinate his schedule with everyone else’s.

Plus, he’s simply an enjoyable child to be around.

And yes, I realize he’s a teenager, and I used the word “enjoyable” to describe him.

What can I say.  Let’s just chalk it up to the mama/son relationship.

Anyhoo…

My church’s youth pastors also made the trip down, toting a few of Chicky’s friends.  They were eager to watch her play.  Guy Friend, who also grew up in the church, had a game immediately afterward, so it was like getting two for one.

One of Chicky’s BFF’s made the drive from a college nearby.  It was good to see her.

We had so many people, that we took up half of one set of bleachers.

REPRESENT!

I took my customary team warm-up photo…

And, of course, no soccer weekend photo collection would be complete without a picture of the GORGEOUS Florida sunset…

 

Sunset over a soccer field...does it get any better than this?

 

Both teams fought hard but lost by one goal.

Everyone had worked up an appetite, so we went out to eat.

Rooster, Chicky and I rode with her BFF, and I will admit that it felt a little strange to see the girls, so grown-up, sitting in the front, trying to navigate the car to the restaurant.

The conversation went something like this:

“Do you think I need to stop at the gas station, or do you think I can make it.”

“Doesn’t matter.  Make a left turn.  Oh wait.  The GPS is taking us to the toll road.  Stupid GPS.”

“I’m really worried about running out of gas.  Should I stop?”

“Now make a right turn.  Rats.  Stupid GPS.”

heehee

We did stop for gas, and we resumed our drive.

Rooster and I held our breaths, praying we’d make it there in one piece.  It was all I could do not to say anything.

I did casually mention how strange it was to be driven around by a child I’d known for six years.  The first time I met her, she was not much over four feet tall and the only thing she was driving was her sister—insane, that is.  Gotta love sibling rivalry, eh?

We made it to the restaurant, BD’s Mongolian Grill, and cheered on my Auburn Tigers as they won a very close game.  We ate and celebrated Alabama’s loss (if you’re an Auburn fan, you root AGAINST Alabama, the “other” school in the state).

I sat, content, as I watched my Chicky converse with the friends who had held each other accountable the last few years.

Then, it was time to go.

We jumped in the AuburnChick caboose and took Chicky back to her dorm.

I had both of my Chicklets in the same place…breathing the same air.  It was divine!

Then, it was time for goodbye.

My least favorite part of these trips.

Sigh.

I hugged her.

She took turns hugging the Mr. and Rooster.

I grabbed her and hugged her a couple more times.  I wanted my arms to be the last she felt around her.

I’m selfish like that.

And then she walked away.

 

I won’t see her much for the next few weeks.  There are no more home games, and she’ll be on the road quite a bit.

 

She’s also getting ready to take mid-terms.

 

Please pray for her.  She is very stressed about her English Lit class (she did not inherit my English genes).  She’s also come down with either an allergy attack or a virus, so she is not feeling up-to-par.

 

I am already counting down the days until Thanksgiving, when I can shower her with more love than she can stand and when I can pamper her until she begs for mercy.

Filed under: children, soccer | Tagged: , , | 3 Comments »

Growing Up and Making Choices

Posted on September 2, 2010 by auburnchick

Who doesn’t like Facebook?

It’s a wonderful tool and has led to many a happy reunion.

I was hooked from the moment I got requests from long-lost friends.

And what has been even more fun has been connecting with friends of my friends…people we all know.  Facebook makes the world a much smaller place.

One interesting thing that has also happened is that as I’ve connected with the friends I made while living in South Florida, I’ve been able to look at pictures of their children…my own Chicky and Rooster’s friends from long ago.

Gosh, but that’s when you realize how fast time is flying.

Of course, the way I remember these children is not always the way they are now.

The boys have grown facial hair, and the girls…

Well, the girls have changed too.

I got a couple of surprises yesterday when I innocently clicked on the links for a couple of my children’s friends.

And these weren’t the best surprises.

Looking through the pictures made me go, “Oh really?  Do your mamas ever look at your Facebook pages?  Does they know who your friends really are?”

A glance at the kids’ profiles revealed interesting religious views.

Coming from my conservative, Christian perspective, I am saddened.

I still love these children.  They left their marks on my heart years ago when I first met them.

They are growing up and making choices that concern me.

I am also grateful for having my Chicky and Rooster…children who, for the most part, make well-thought-out decisions.  They are involved in church and, more importantly, have a relationship with God.  In fact, they would rather spend time at church with their Christian friends than at parties where who knows what goes on.

Perhaps it was a good thing that I took a peek into those other lives.  I know where I need to direct some of my prayers.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , | 1 Comment »

Muscle Man

Posted on August 31, 2010 by auburnchick

Tuesdays and Thursdays are Rooster’s band practice days.

These are the days when I pick him up from school at 5:30.

Oy, but what fun.

Actually, it is fun.  I get to see many of the students I have subbed for over the last two years, and now that I am teaching at another school, this is a good chance to reconnect with them.

The only bad thing about these afternoons is the funk that accompanies such reunions.

If you were not in the band or never had the pleasure of being a band mom, allow me to explain.

See, marching bands have to practice their halftime shows for the football games they will be playing at.

To do this, they need large spaces to practice their formations.

Large spaces exist outdoors.

In Florida, this means practicing in heat and humidity.

By the time students walk off of the field from practice, their clothes are drenched in sweat.

Their bodies don’t smell all that good either.

To keep cool, a lot of the kids roll their sleeves up to their shoulders.

Hey, every little bit helps, right?

Today, I got to the school early, so I waited in the band room (a huge thanks to the mom who let me in).  It was way cooler inside.

Finally, the kids began arriving to put their instruments away.

It took a few minutes before Rooster entered.

I almost did not recognize him.

He is right at six feet tall now, so he stands above a lot of the other kids.

But it wasn’t his face that caused me to take a second look (although I did notice the new glasses he is sporting these days…very fine indeed).

No.  What caught my attention were his upper arms.

I looked again to make sure I wasn’t seeing things.

Nope.

You guys…my skinny minny boy has the beginnings of deltoids.

What are deltoids?

Deltoids are the muscles that sit at the top of your shoulder blade and run down to your biceps.

Not only does Rooster have discernible upper arm muscles, but I think I might have seen the barest hint of a bicep…

Ok, so that picture is not Rooster’s body, and it is exaggerating the size of the muscles I saw.

But still…

Try to imagine a beanpole.

Now, imagine a beanpole carrying around a set of tenor drums…

Psych!

Gotcha!

Bet you thought that was Rooster!  heehee

Alas, no, it’s not him, but that is the type of drum set he carried around all summer during band camp.

It’s no wonder he is becoming a muscle man.

Someone, please stop time.  I want my little boy back — the one who, when his “muscles” were flexed, only showed his bones covered in skin.

Oy!  What’s a mom to do?

Actually, I know.

I’m going to get Mr. Muscle Man to start doing all of the heavy lifting around here!

Now that’s using my brain muscle!

Filed under: children | Tagged: , | Leave a comment »

Life – Post Heartbreak

Posted on August 8, 2010 by auburnchick

Here I sit on the Sunday following the Friday in which my heart broke.

The Mr. and I spent that Friday evening lost in our own thoughts.

Or rather, I spent the time blogging, and he watched a show about sharks.

There obviously wasn’t much on TV.

Saturday, we arose at the crack of dawn so we could get an early start home.

When the alarm went off, my first thought was of Chicky who was, at that moment, on the soccer field enduring her first fitness test.

My poor girl had to wake up at 5:15 to have enough time to eat.  That’s 4:15 Central time, which is what we’re on at home (yes, parts of Florida are in the Central time zone).

The Mr. and I wearily got in the car for the long drive home.

As we left the parking lot, the GPS instructed us to “follow the highlighted route.”

“Make a left at blah-blah street, then make a right,” she chirped in an upbeat voice.

“Sounding a little too chipper this morning,” the Mr. mumbled back.

Ugh.

Can I tell you how hard it was to leave Lakeland behind?

I didn’t leave in one piece because half of my heart was still there, at that college, with my baby girl.

“Drive 101 miles on I75,” I heard GPS lady say.

“101 miles away from Chicky,” I said to nobody in particular.

Grrrr…

Away we went.

I pulled out my much-neglected knitting and was soothed by the rhythmic motion of knits and purls.

We listened to the radio as we drove.

Big mistake.

Do not ever listen to the radio when you are sad.

The Radio Gods have a conspiracy to play songs to make you even more miserable.

Changing stations does not help.

Christian, Country, and Oldies know what you’re thinking, and they play songs accordingly.

It was like a bad movie.

Like Transformers.

Where the car plays songs to communicate with Shia.

The first song to bring on the tears was George Strait’s, “I Saw God…”

Here are the lyrics, with the part that made me boo hoo in bold…

I just walked down the street to the coffee shop
had to take a break
I’d been by her side for eighteen hours straight
I saw a flower growing in the middle of the sidewalk
pushing up through the concrete
like it was planted right there for me to see
the flashin’ lights, the honkin’ horns
all seemed to fade away
in the shadow of that hospital at 5:08
I saw God today

Chorus:
I’ve been to church
I’ve read the book
I know He’s here, but I don’t look
near as often as I should
Yeah, I know I should
His fingerprints are everywhere
I’d just slow down to stop and stare
opened my eyes and man I swear
I saw God today

I saw a couple walking by they were holding hands
Man, she had that glow
yeah I couldn’t help but notice she was starting to show
I stood there for a minute takin’ in the sky
lost in that sunset
a splash of amber melted in the shades of red

Chorus

I got my face pressed up against the nursery glass
She’s sleeping like a rock
My name on her wrist wearing tiny pink socks
She’s got my nose, she’s got her mama’s eyes
My brand new baby girl
She’s a miracle
I saw God today

—————————————————————————-

I wiped my face, and we drove on.

We stopped for gas and a bite to eat.

I don’t remember the next song that hit, but it was a Christian song.

Oh my gosh.  Would this never end?  Just when I thought I was okay, I realized I wasn’t.

To make matters worse, we were hoping to hear from Chicky.  We longed to find out how her fitness test had gone.

We had planned to stop in Tallahassee to eat lunch with Super Sis and Super D.  About an hour out, my phone rang.

It was Chicky!

She had me put her on speaker phone.

She sounded wonderful!

She had scored a 99 on her fitness test!  The players were expected to make a 90 or above.

All of her 6am summer workouts with her sports trainer proved worthwhile.  He had prepared her well.

She was so happy!

Our hearts sang with joy, and after hanging up the phone, we could not wipe the smiles off of our faces.

Until we hit Tallahassee, and I saw my sister.

The tears that lurked right below the surface threatened to come out.

Actually, I think they did, because I excused myself to run to the restroom.

Ugh.

We had a wonderful lunch, though, at Bagel Bagel.  The Mr. talked with his brother about work stuff, and Super Sis and I chatted about my classes.

I shared the story of Rooster’s Mohawk, and they laughed with us.

It was a wonderful time of sharing and took my mind off of Chicky.

Then, it was time to begin the final leg of the journey.

I called Rooster to give him a heads-up.

It felt strange pulling into the driveway without Chicky.

I gave Rooster a HUGE hug when I saw him.

I don’t know why, but the last couple of weeks of “stuff” unloaded themselves from my shoulders.

I was struck with a sudden urge to straighten the house.

Rooster helped out.

I cleaned out the Jeep…the vehicle that Chicky’s drove.  She did not take it down with her because we cannot afford to buy another car.  With Chicky gone, Rooster will have more opportunities to practice his driving before he gets his license.

I carefully removed her graduation tassel and the cross she received from the Chrysalis retreat she attended a few years ago – items that were hanging from the rear-view mirror.

I found a large, silver key on a white key chain in the middle console.

I found earrings, t-shirts, and towels in the back seat, along with a pair of sneakers.

I began collecting some of the things I found into a pile to mail to her next week.

I handed Rooster the Jeep key and told him to remove the fobs he did not want.

Yeah.  I think all of the girlie stuff went away in a flash.

Sigh.

It felt like a changing of the guards.

I know that Chicky hasn’t completely left, but it feels like she has.

My afternoon went on.

After the house was back to my liking, I sat down to watch TV.

Rooster and I watched the news and saw a clip about the owl video that is getting a lot of hits on YouTube.

A couple set up a video camera to record the comings and goings of a family of owls, and we saw footage of the baby owls leaving the nest.

Yeah.

I teared up.

Rooster chuckled at this.

You guys.  If you’ve never said goodbye to a child, let me tell you that the sadness hits when you least expect it.

Like this morning, when I was getting ready to leave for church.

Out of habit, I went to Chicky’s bedroom and opened the door…

Only to face an empty room.

At church, I signed the attendance sheet…

Three names instead of four.

Sigh.

Life, post heartbreak, is different from before.

It will get better.  I know this.

It is the adjustment period that, quite honestly, sucks.

Strong words, I know.  Please forgive me, but the thesaurus just doesn’t have a word that better describes the feeling.

Anyhoo…

I thank God for providing the new adventure that is my job.

I thank Him for blessing me with a wonderful family and sympathetic friends, both in real life and online.

And I thank God for being with my Chicky…helping her clogged toilet to “magically” fix itself that first night.

Life, post heartbreak, is, well, LIFE.

You go on.  You drive each mile.  You put one foot in front of the other.  You check your phone hourly to see if certain “people” decided to grace you with a hello.

You keep on breathing, and you keep on doing.

As one of my favorite heroines would say, “Tomorrow is another day.”

And so it is, and so it is.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , , | 2 Comments »

What Do We Do Now?

Posted on August 6, 2010 by auburnchick

Eighteen years, seven months, and two weeks ago, the Mr. and I brought home a 7lb, 14oz bundle of joy.

We were young.

I was 21 3/4, and he was 26.

We did not know how to be parents.  All we knew was that we felt incredibly blessed.

We put her in the bassinet between our respective living room chairs.

And then we sat down.

We looked at her, laying so peacefully, and then we looked at each other.

We asked, “What do we do now?”

That’s when the fun began.

It wasn’t long before Chicky exercised her lungs and told us exactly what we could do with her.  From Day 1, she always knew what she wanted.

Over the years, we’ve asked ourselves this question many times.

None was tougher than today.

This was the day when, instead of bringing her home for the first time, we dropped her off somewhere…to stay…without us.

I’m no dummy.

Well, at least I thought I wasn’t.

I mean, I knew this day was coming.

Because Chicky and I haven’t been getting along very well, I figured I’d wave goodbye and do the happy dance back to the car.

The heavens must have laughed at me.

For a mom of 18+ years, I proved how ignorant I truly am.

Folks, I’ve been crying like a baby.

It started yesterday when we were getting ready to leave the house.

I could barely stand to look at Chicky’s room.

I did, though, snapping photos with the ole blog in mind…

As the Mr. and Chicky got in the car, I had to take a moment to collect myself.

Oh, who am I kidding.

I bawled my eyes out in the bathroom.

The thought of her leaving the security of my house did me in at the last second.

Coupled with the PMS I’m going through (thanks a lot, God…You could have planned this a little differently…), I was having a very rough time.

So, not only was I letting my baby go, but I was feeling chubby and bloated as well.

Yeah.

I know.

TMI.

Just sayin’.

Anyhoo…

The Mr. had rented a large SUV for the trip.

Thank goodness.

Chicky filled up every square inch…

Then, we hit the road.

We stopped in Tallahassee to see Coupon Queen and Grand Pooba.  They treated us to a deli sandwich lunch and cookies.  Chicky picked out a couple of towels and washcloths to take with her.  You know grandparents.  They have loads of this stuff.

They gave Chicky a goody package as well.  It was wrapped in plastic stuff, so she had to wait to open it.

After taking pictures, we left.

The rest of the drive was fairly uneventful.  At one point, I took a peek back at Chicky, only to find her asleep.  This was monumental because Chicky never sleeps in the car.  She was exhausted from all of the packing and excitement.

We arrived in Lakeland later in the evening and decided to eat at B D’s Mongolian Grill.

Oh my gosh.  What a wonderful restaurant!  You get to pick out your meat and veggies, make your own sauce, and the cooks grill everything up for you…

YUM!!

After that, we went back to the hotel.

It felt strange…almost like we were about to attend a soccer tournament.

But in the backs of our minds, we knew the truth.

Chicky and I shared a bed, and I don’t know if it was because it was cool in the room or because she knew she would miss me, but she unconsciously let me snuggle with her.

When you’re 18, it’s way not cool to snuggle with mom.

I found comfort in the closeness.  I needed this after the months we’ve been at each others’ throats.

Before I knew it, the day I had dreaded dawned upon me.

Chicky looked very happy.

Duh.

She was a little nervous, though.  She begins pre-season practice tomorrow, and of course she wants to do well.

As I took a final picture of her in the hotel room, I couldn’t help but think about how, in less than 12 hours, I would be returning to this room…without her…sitting in the same chair that she was, at that moment, occupying.

So sad…

I fought back tears.

We drove to the college, left her at the gym for a new player meeting, and walked around, looking for a place to eat.  I snapped a few photos of the campus…

Chicky's dorm

The main walkway between buildings

The cafe

The courtyard

The lake (don't know the name)

We wound up eating at the cafe on campus.  I had the Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Sandwich.  Oh my gosh.  It was DELICIOUS!  The next time we come down, I will definitely be ordering it again!

Then, it was time to meet back up with Chicky, who was undergoing her physical.

Once that was done, we headed over to her dorm to check her in, get her room key, and move her in.

We had approximately four hours.

We needed every second.

We met Chicky’s roommate, a sweet girl who is a sophomore at the college.  She and Chicky hit it off when Chicky visited the college a few months ago.  It’s so great that Chicky has a ready-made friend.

We helped Chicky unpack and organize her room.  Actually, she told me where she was putting things, and I obeyed…

This will be how things will roll from here on out.

Oh, who am I kidding.  This is how things have rolled for a long time now.

The room is actually larger than what I expected.  You can kind of see in the following picture…

I took more pictures so you could get a better idea of the layout of the room…

Two dorm rooms share one potty and shower. Each room has its own vanity.

We decided to run to Walmart for a few last-minute supplies…fruit, snacks, and paper products.  I also needed to get a screwdriver and hammer to put together her TV stand.  I just couldn’t leave it still in the box…

Back to the dorm we went, a bit in a hurry because we were going to be late for the pizza dinner and parent meeting.

I put the stand together in 20 minutes…

Then, I left the tools in Chicky’s desk drawer.  She thinks she won’t need them.  Girls ALWAYS need tools!

Meanwhile, the Mr. was rushing me.  We were already late to the dinner.

But, I wanted so badly to dawdle.

If I took my time, I figured I’d get to see Chicky that much longer.

No can do, folks.  The coach told us when it was time to say our goodbyes.

It felt like being in the military.

Chicky walked us to the car.

Now, I ask you.

How do you say goodbye to the child you’ve been with almost 24/7 for the last 18+ years?

It’s not easy.

She actually hugged us.

Real hugs.

The kind where you use two arms.

And you squeeze.

Yes, folks, I actually felt her squeeze me.

I kept reaching in for more hugs.

She couldn’t pull back.  She was out of excuses.

She knew this was my time.

She finally told us she was walking away because if she didn’t, we’d never leave her.

Oh, but my heart was about to break.

We got in the car and started driving down the lane.

We saw her walking.

I had my camera.

We called out to her, and she turned.

She had a huge smile on her face, and she raised her hand up in a wave.

My heart broke in that moment.

She was happy.

I was sad.

We drove on.

The Mr. and I didn’t speak for a while.

All I could think about was that she was about to experience new things, and I wouldn’t be there to share them with her.

It made me feel lonely and left out.

The Mr. and I returned to the hotel room.  We’ll be leaving for home first thing in the morning.

I went into the restroom, where I broke down.

I had done so good in front of Chicky.  I’d only shed a couple of tears in that final moment of separation.

But once I was by myself, I cried and cried.

All I could think about was that moment 18 years ago when she was all mine for the very first time.

Ultimately, I realize that she hasn’t been mine all along.

She is God’s child, and He has plans for her life.

I feel so privileged to have been a part of that plan.

When I exited, the Mr. and I looked at each other and asked, “What do we do now?”

I really don’t know.  I guess we’ll just get in the car in the morning and leave, like we’re supposed to.

Meanwhile, I comforted myself with this…

…along with the knowledge that Chicky is in God’s hands.  He knows her every need and desire.  His is always with her.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , , | 7 Comments »

One “Mo” Crazy Day

Posted on August 3, 2010 by auburnchick

So, you know that yesterday was my first day as a teacher.

I shared the emotional highs of the day.

What I neglected to mention was how my day began and ended…

Chicky had just taken my picture, and she was about to head out to work with her sports trainer.

I had gone to the garage to start putting stuff in my car.

All of a sudden, I heard loud scratching, followed by the sound of jingling collars…

My precocious fur babies had escaped!

Oh sure…they look all sweet and innocent in the above picture, but believe me, behind those precious faces are wheels that are constantly in motion…coming up with new ways to make me crazy.

I honestly don’t know who is the instigator.  I strongly suspect it’s Molly.  Pele provides the muscle, and the two of them make for a well-oiled machine.

So, they got out and took off out of the garage.

My heart fell.

It was 6:30, and I wanted to be at school by 7.

My pups love a good chase, so it looked doubtful as to if I would be able to round them up in time.

To make matters worse, I had not put on their collars yet.

Sure, they have microchips, but still.

Ugh.

I went back inside to ruminate.  Over the last three years that Little Miss Escape Artist has lived here, we have been through this many times.

I have discovered that part of the fun is in the chase.

I sneak up behind them, they play like they are going to let me catch them, and then they take off as I make a dive, catching nothing but air and a mouthful of grass.

Not pretty.

Anyhoo…

I heard Chicky start the car, so I thought she was leaving; however, when I went outside a minute later, I saw that she had barely backed out of the driveway.

She was standing outside the car, a smile on her face.

The dogs, it would seem, decided they weren’t in the mood to run, and Molly had returned of her own volition.

Yes, folks, if you ever doubted God’s existence, let this be proof.

He had mercy (doesn’t He always) on wee little me, knowing that being late for work on my first day was not a good thing.

We put the dogs inside, praising them all the way, and I left for school.

So, my day went on (I’ll share a cute school story tomorrow).  It was incredibly wonderful.

Meanwhile, Chicky and Rooster had gone on a day-long biking excursion with my church’s youth group.  This is Youth Week, and there are activities going on through Wednesday.  The kids look forward to this every summer.  It is a great way to end the summer and kick off the new school year.

The only bad thing about today’s trip, though, was that I had scheduled an eye appointment for Rooster.  At the time, I did not have the schedule of events for the week.

So, Chicky and Rooster had to drive a separate vehicle and leave a little early so he could get back in time.

I had a game plan…

As soon as school let out, I would meet the kids at the eye doctor’s office.

When I got there, I did not see the kids.  They were running a little behind, so I let the front desk know.  Of course, this was the ONE day when they were actually right on schedule.

Go figure.

I have that kind of luck, you know.

Meanwhile, I kept calling Rooster…”Are you almost here?”

Ugh.  That is a horrible feeling.

I stood and waited…

And waited…

And waited…

Finally, I saw Chicky drive up.  Rooster jumped out and hurried in.

And then I saw it…

My Rooster…

Oh

My

Gosh.

His hair…

Oh

My

Gosh.

This is a story in and of itself.

See, on Sunday, the youth group had its annual scavenger hunt.  It is the big kickoff to Youth Week, and the kids and parents look forward to it.

You might remember my post from last year.  It was the first time I had ever driven, and I had a blast!

Although I had lesson plans to write, I decided that I needed a respite from my work, so I gave myself the afternoon off.

The way the scavenger hunt worked was that we had several items we had to find (and take) back to the church.  Each item was worth a certain number of points.

Then, there was another list of things each group had to do.  The driver (an adult) was the photographer who would snap pictures of the entire group doing the listed activities.  The pictures served as proof that we really did what we said we did.

Some of the items on the list included:

  • Proposing to a random person
  • Serenading a male/female couple in a public place
  • Helping an elderly person cross the street
  • Tossing pizza dough in a pizza parlor
  • Singing to a child in front of Toys R Us
  • Braiding someone’s hair
  • Applying a peanut butter facial
  • Walking through a drive-thru and pretending to place an order

There were a lot of other things on the list, but perhaps one of the most unusual (and most difficult) was to find someone sporting a real Mohawk.  Extra points would be given if the person’s hairdo was dyed.

Uh huh.

You see where I am going, eh?

All of the groups had to meet back at the church by 5:30.

As my group walked in, I saw my Rooster.

Sporting a Mohawk.

With pink, green, and blue sparkly paint to boot.

Oh

My

Gosh.

You might wonder what my first words were.

You would be surprised.

I asked him to let my group take a picture with him.

I like to win.

Remember the chicken biscuit party?

AuburnChick MUST win.

To the point where I hollered, “Don’t let them in,” as my new associate pastor entered Toys R Us with his group.

I’m ruthless.

However, Rooster had other ideas, and they did not include helping his Mama.

He’s ruthless too.

He likes to win.

He gets it honestly.

Well, me being ruthless and all did what all people desperate to win do in situations like this.

I offered him money.

I saw him smile.

How much, he wondered.

Ten stinkin’ bucks.

Deal.

My group got its picture.

We didn’t win though.

We couldn’t find kumquats.

Apparently they aren’t in season, and I didn’t know what they looked like, so I missed the kumquat tree that I passed on one of the roads.

Losing stinks.

But, back to the original point of my story…

The eye doctor.

Rooster walking in.

In that moment, the last day and a half flashed before my eyes.

Rooster came home from church, intending to cut his hair.  I had been hounding him for weeks, so he knew I wouldn’t mind the Mohawk since it meant he’d be halfway done with the hair cut.

However, Rooster had been invited to sleep over at a friend’s house.

I had agreed.

I had forgotten about the hair.

This teaching/working thing has totally taken over my life, because although I had remembered about his appointment, I had forgotten that we never cut the rest of his hair.

So, when he walked in, he looked like Billy Ray Cyrus’s son.

Yeah.

There I am in my teacher dress and new shoes, looking all professional, and there is Rooster…sporting a Mohawk.

In the middle of a very busy doctor’s office…the kind where they have something like 20 or 30 eye doctors…who do all of that specialized surgery along with regular checkups.

Uh huh.

I wanted to crawl under the carpet.

I could only imagine what others might be thinking.

Now, this is not to disparage those who wear Mohawks, because there could be some very fine fellows who make well-thought-out decisions to wear their hair this way.

However, my experience has been that when I see kids wearing their hair like this, well, I do a double-take, and it’s not the kind where I go, “Hmmm…their mamas must be so proud.”

Let’s leave it at that.

The only good thing about Rooster’s Mohawk was that he had managed to wash out most of the paint.

Thank the Lord (again, He was merciful).  Rooster wasn’t sparkling like a girl.

Yeah.

As a nurse escorted us back to an examination room, I made it a point to have a loud conversation with Rooster…

“The SCAVENGER HUNT was fun, wasn’t it?  You were so kind to do this for the SCAVENGER HUNT, weren’t you?”

Yeah, you know those conversations that we have for other people’s benefit.

The nurse came in, ignored the hair, and did her little “Which one is better…1 or 2” quiz.  It was all I could do not to giggle.

When she left, Rooster and I busted out laughing.

Oy.

Rooster decided to get glasses instead of contacts.  He has had one bad eye ever since middle school…the result of a collision with another student in PE.  I finally got him seen about it last year (I am such a good mom, eh?), and he had tried wearing a contact (since it’s only the one eye) but hated it.

Let’s just say that I was a little more than relieved when he told me he wanted to look for frames another day.

He had already outgrown the Mohawk.  It had served its purpose and put $30 in his pocket.

Thank goodness.

When we got home, he cut off the rest of his hair.

My clean-cut boy was back.

Praise the Lord.

And so, another day ended…just one more in the saga that continues to be my crazy life.

Filed under: children, Pets | Tagged: , , , , | 3 Comments »

A Bracelet, A TV, and Freebies

Posted on July 10, 2010 by auburnchick

It’s Saturday, and I feel like being random, so that’s what this post is going to be about today.

First off, let’s talk about the bracelet…

Rooster came home yesterday from a two-week mission trip to a Navajo reservation in New Mexico.  He went with my church’s youth group.

He bought souvenirs for the family, and the bracelet was my gift.  It is hand-made.

The crew took the scenic route, giving them time to visit Arizona, Utah, and Nevada.

Rooster sent me these pictures from the Grand Canyon…

He took two cameras’ worth of film, which I will be getting developed on a CD (once I can find a good coupon code, of course), so I’ll share more pictures later.

While he was gone, Chicky was enjoying being an only child.

Actually, I hardly ever saw her because she is working six days a week…juggling two jobs.

Her goal?

Make enough money for this…

Sorry for the clutter of the animal print towel (her’s, by the way), but this is my nice dining room table, and I am trying my best to keep it from getting scratched.

A funny store about the TV purchase.

She had planned on buying it at Sam’s, and I had to go because I am the one with the Sam’s card.

Of course, the Mr. went.  He’s actually been doing most of the shopping with Chicky as she buys things for college.  I cannot stand to shop (yeah, I know it’s hard to believe given my love for couponing).  So, he was there too.

The Mr. had planned to pay for the TV so he could get rewards points.  Chicky was going to transfer the money from her bank account to his so he could send in the payment right away.

But, Sam’s doesn’t take Visa credit cards…only Visa Debits, MasterCard and AmEx.  So, Chicky and the Mr. were trying to figure out what to do.

She, being the very responsible girl that I’ve raised her to be (sorry…I need to pat myself on the back every now and then), offered to pay for it with her debit card.

Well, the cashier looked at her incredulously and told her there was no way she had a card since she was 12 years old.

Poor Chicky.  She gets this a lot because she is so petite and does look young.

She informed the girl that yes she does have her own account, thank you very much, and that she is, in fact, 18 years old.

Meanwhile, the Mr. wanted his reward points.

Then the cashier said something about her parents paying for the TV.

Chicky stood up straight and informed the gal that she had worked very hard this summer and had been saving for this item.

I think Chicky taught that girl a lesson about not making assumptions.

As for me, I was very proud of her.

She’s not only been working like a fiend, but three mornings a week, while Your’s Truly is comfortably tucked in bed, she’s been rising at the crack of dawn to work out with an athletic trainer who is helping her prepare for her college soccer season.

Ok…enough about how wonderful my Chicky is.

But before I change topics again, take a look at one corner of Chicky’s room…

Mary, go ahead and laugh at the coffee creamer.  heehee

All summer long, we’ve been adding things to that corner.  She’s got enough laundry detergent to get her through most of the first year.  She’s got shampoo and conditioner galore, along with medicine, bandaids, and other stuff from all of my couponing.

Ok, so on to the freebies portion of this post.

One of things I love most about couponing is the free stuff I get.  I spend a lot of time reading couponing blogs and signing up for freebies.  It’s become an adventure when checking the mail.  Here are some of the things I received this week…

The Kellogg’s coupon came within a few days of a phone call I made when I discovered one of my boxes of cereal was involved with the recall recently announced on the news.  The coupon has a long expiration date, so I’m going to save it for a B1G1 sale and score two free items!!

So, that’s the randomness for the day.  It feels good to be a little less organized than usual!

Filed under: children, Saving Money | Tagged: , , , | 3 Comments »

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