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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 »

Are You Ready for Some Football?

Posted on September 7, 2010 by auburnchick

What can be better than watching your favorite team play a great game of football?

Well, listening to the band that pumps up that team, I say!

The Mr. might say, “For shame!” Nothing should upstage goal-line stances!

But, being a Drum Line Mom, I think I just might have to beg to differ.

Last Friday night, Rooster’s high school played its first home football game.  The band was in the stands, pumping energizing music into the stadium and encouraging the team to work harder.

Honestly, before last year, I never paid much attention to the band.

In fact, dare I say that the band was a teensy bit annoying at times?

Now, don’t you start throwing drum sticks at me!

I’m just being honest.

I’ve gotta tell you that now, I am mesmerized by the band.

I don’t know if it’s the music or the kids.

I guess it’s a combination of the two.  All I know is that I love watching the looks on the faces of those participating.

The kids are having fun, plain and simple.

I especially enjoy watching my Rooster’s face as he leans over and looks at the other drummers as they are playing.

I have no idea if he’s playing the music correctly.  All I know is that he is having a great time jamming out with the kids he has spent hours upon hours with.

I love watching the drum line as it stands on the track and plays various cadences while the rest of the band files into the stands.

I love watching the kids line up and await their turn to play the much-practiced halftime show.

I especially love, after the game, looking back at the pictures I took, never realizing the concentration it takes to play well.

Rooster’s face said it all (wish I could show you).

And after the game, I love riding home with Rooster and getting his take on the evening.

It reminds me of riding home with Chicky after soccer games.

I’ve learned to ask a few questions but mostly to listen.

So yes.  It’s almost Fall, and, thus, it’s football season.

More importantly, it’s Band Season.

Let the fun begin!

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

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 »

One Week From Today…

Posted on July 31, 2010 by auburnchick

…I will be home after taking Chicky to college…

and leaving her there.

Throughout the day, several routine things have reminded me of this fact…

  • Walking down the hallway and seeing the stuff that she has been buying for the last three months…

She’s been moving these items out of her room…inching them ever closer to the garage door.

  • Setting up the “About Me” bulletin board in my classroom…adding pictures of the family…

As I carefully arrange them…one by one, I am taken back to the exact moment when I snapped each one…

    • Chicky and Rooster – an Olan Mills photograph…1998…oh so sweet and best pals…
    • The “First Day of School” picture from last year…Rooster towered over Chicky by at least five inches…
    • The “Make a Crazy Face” picture of the entire family (Coupon Queen, Grand Pooba, Super Sis and her family) during Christmas…
    • An action shot of Chicky on the soccer field…
    • The lovely picture of Chicky all dolled up to walk across the football field as the Homecoming Soccer Candidate…
    • Chicky in her graduation attire.
  • Receiving her text that is letting me know she is on her way home from work…her last day of work until she comes home for Christmas vacation.
  • Filling up her daily pill container…making sure I haven’t left out any of the vitamins or allergy pills she has been mandated to take.

One week from today, my oldest baby will leave the nest.

Sure, she’ll return home every now and then, but things will never be the same.

One week from today, my Chicky will spread her wings and fly.

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

Chicky is a Graduate!

Posted on June 2, 2010 by auburnchick

It’s 12:36am, and I really should be in bed.

I do, after all, have to sub in seven hours.

However, I am still decompressing from the highlight of the school year…

Chicky’s graduation…

But let’s back up a bit.

A lot of stuff happened before the cap-throwing moment shown above.

First off, Chicky got up and went for a run.  She’s working out every day to get in shape for college soccer.

Afterward, she went to the pool to cool off and relax.

I ran errands, getting $29.95 worth of BBQ pulled pork for free and two cans of shaving creme for $1.02.

Cha Ching!

The day progressed…Chicky did the usual girlie things to get ready for the event that would mean lots of photo ops.  She straightened her hair and dressed up.

Of course, what graduation is complete without a little drama.

I had a breakdown, and no, it was not a “I’m sad because my precious child is graduating and leaving home soon” kind of cry.

No, it was just my usual self, having a melt-down after being stressed.  Chicky tends to pick up on my stress, and between the two of us, there are fireworks when I’m in this kind of mood.

I got “emo,” as the kids like to call it, had a good cry, and called a friend (thank you, Rabbitrescuer).

Then, I pulled up my big girl panties, wiped the tears from my eyes, and fixed grilled cheese sandwiches for my nephews, who had just driven in with Super Sis, Super D, and my mom.

I left home early to get in line at the stadium, and I learned a lesson.

When Rooster graduates, I’m leaving an hour earlier.  The line snaked away from the stadium through the parking lot.

Chicky’s best friend met me there, and when administrators made an announcement that they were opening a side gate, we made a run for it.  She later confessed to Chicky that I was leading the way (Chicky figured I had been left in the dust).

See, I knew where I wanted to sit.

I’d done my homework…scoped out the land and knew how things would be set up.

Plus, I needed to save a mere 14 seats.

Yeah.

It got a little ugly.

It’s one thing to save two or three seats, but quite another to save two entire rows of a football stadium.

I emptied out my purse/knitting bag of everything imaginable to represent bodies, and then BFF and I guarded our spots.

Finally, the rest of the family arrived, and we began stretching out, as more members of the group arrived.

Now, graduations should be happy times.  We’re all happy for each other, right?

Some lady must have eaten something that did not agree with her, because she gave Coupon Queen, who is among the sweetest, most Southern ladies around, a hard time!

The woman did not want our stadium seats to knock into her legs, and she demanded we leave the seats in front of her vacant.

For real?  This is like church.  You cram together, and you don’t complain.

Well, as I later found out, the woman went so far as to accuse Coupon Queen of acting like a kindergartner.

Real mature, eh?

To his credit, the woman’s husband seemed embarrassed and was most apologetic.

Nevertheless, I moved my party slightly over.

Anyhoo…

We kept ourselves busy, admiring the setup on the field…

Finally, at 7:30, the seniors lined up, waiting to take the field…

The speeches were short and light-hearted, which surprised my crew, who expected much more serious words of wisdom.  The graduates sat politely…

Finally, we got to the part of the program that offered my main reason for being there…to hear my Chicky’s name called out.

As she lined up, I got my camera ready…

And then, just as her name was called, a man who had been sitting near me, got up and walked right in FRONT of me!!!!

I could see him coming, and as I recorded, I said, “No, no, no…”

But yes, yes, yes.  He sure did.  Blocked my view, got me disoriented, and when I tried to resume filming, I lost momentum.

Or rather, I lost my Chicky.

But it took me a half a minute to realize it.

In the meantime, I started filming the wrong child.

I followed a girl all the way down the stage’s stairs, and when I saw her shoes, I realized my error.

Chicky had purchased high wedges for the event.  This girl had dark flats.

I heard myself exclaim over my mistake (and the video clearly captures my oopsies).

I tried to find her, panning over the students, before finally, finally spying her, coming back my way…toward her seat on the field.

All was not lost.

People, seriously, check around you before getting up during a ceremony like this.  Make sure it’s not a bad time for someone else.  Throw up in your shoe of you must, but do not, I repeat, do not cross in front of a mama with a camera when her baby is about to cross the stage at graduation.

Consider yourself warned.

After the names were called, a couple more short speeches were given, and then the class sang the alma mater for the last time, gathering together in front of the stage…

And then it was over.

We found Chicky and took a couple of family pictures before saying our goodbyes to Super Sis and her crew.

Then, I played the part of Chicky’s Personal Photographer and followed her around, snapping photos with this friend and that friend (and her back, just for fun)…

I had wanted a semi-profile shot for the blog, but she wasn’t cooperating.  Instead, I got you a full-on back view of her graduation cap hair.  See the line across the back?  heehee

We ended our evening by eating at Bonefish Grill…

The food and service (even at the late 10pm hour) were wonderful.

Chicky is, at this moment (of writing, that is) at Project Graduation.  This is the safer alternative the school provides for seniors…instead of having them attend graduation parties after.  The school buys and gets donated goods to give out as prizes throughout the night.  It’s like a lock-in.  The doors lock at 12pm and runs until 5am.  If the kids leave, they’re done for the night.  But, there’s incentive to stay later as the best prizes are handed out right before the party is over.

Chicky is hoping for a good prize…maybe a mini-fridge or a television set.

I’m headed to bed.  I will be subbing for the Senior class sponsor, who is actually working Project Graduation, and I will have three Spanish classes to tend to.

I’m afraid my hola will be spoken in a tired, but happy way.

Oh, and for the record, I did not cry during the ceremony.  I had no desire to!  It truly was a light-hearted, fun event.  Plus, after my pitty party earlier, I was cried-out.

Just thought I’d share.

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

Top Ten Chicky School Memories

Posted on May 28, 2010 by auburnchick

I think it is more than fair to devote a little extra blog-time to Chicky, given the very important milestone that is at hand.

Last night, after posting my thoughts about her first and last days of school, I started remembering things she had said and done at school over the years.  I want to share my top ten memories with you.

  1. 1st Grade – Chicky has never forgotten the day I made her walk to school in her pajamas.  We had been battling about her getting up on time, and she had been warned.  The crossing guard asked if it was Pajama Day at school.  Nope.  It was a life lesson.  I had packed regular clothes in Chicky’s backpack, and I asked her teacher to allow her to change during recess.  Chicky always got up with her alarm after that day!
  2. 1st Grade – During a parent/teacher conference, Chicky’s teacher wrote, on her permanent record, “I have every confidence that Chicky could run the class if I weren’t here.”  Um, yeah.
  3. 2nd Grade – As I approached her classroom (a portable) to volunteer, I heard the following chant:  “Go Chicky, Go Chicky.”  I wondered what was happening, and when I opened the door, I saw the students playing Musical Chairs.  They were urging her on.  She was competitive even at that young age, and she was quite fast.  She had already won a game or two.  She was a BEAST!
  4. 4th Grade – Chicky joined the Football Club at school.  A neighbor found out and asked, “Oh, is Chicky cheerleading?”  My response?  “Neighbor, you obviously do not know us very well.  Chicky would never put on a cheerleading outfit.  She’s on the football team!”  She would up playing wide receiver and running back.  Those boys could not catch her!
  5. 5th Grade – Chicky and a couple of friends rode bikes to and from school.  One afternoon, they got chased by a few boys.  Chicky pedaled as hard as she could and came in breathless and scared.  She was brave enough, though, to report the boys, playing a huge role in them leaving others alone.  I was so proud of her!
  6. 6th Grade – We had just moved across the state, and Chicky started a new school.  When I picked her up that first day, Chicky got in the car and announced that we HAD to go shopping.  She needed a new outfit, a purse, and “lipstick.”  I said ok to the first two, and we compromised on the third, getting clear lip gloss…just a little something to put in her purse.  This was the first major sign that my baby was growing up.
  7. 6th Grade – At the end of this first year in a new school and a new town, we attended the awards ceremony.  Chicky was awarded the Principal’s Award – the highest honor bestowed on a student.  She was floored given that she had much such an impression in such a short time.
  8. 9th Grade – Chicky made the varsity soccer team as a freshman…a rare thing.  She got hurt halfway through the season and had to endure surgery.  Despite playing only slightly more than half the season, she was awarded the Coach’s Award.  Her good attitude and devotion to her team was evident early on.  I bawled my eyes out that night as I watched her hobble up the stage’s stairs on her crutches, touched by the coach’s kindness and Chicky’s perseverance.
  9. 12th Grade – During Chicky’s high school soccer team’s Regional Final game, Chicky scored the last goal.  Defenders do not get moved up much and hence do not score often.  To see her pump her fist in the air in joy brought a huge smile to my face and made me almost lose my voice as I cheered for her from the stands.
  10. 11th or 12th Grade (I can’t remember which one) – One day I walked into the Media Center during lunch.  I saw Chicky, sitting at a table with other friends.  I started to speak to her but stopped myself when I saw everyone’s heads bowed.  They had been having a Bible study and were praying together…right there…in the middle of the school library…at prime social hour.  THIS is my favorite memory of all.

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

Chicky’s Last Day of School

Posted on May 27, 2010 by auburnchick

Today was Chicky’s last day of school.

As I drove in to sub, I couldn’t help but compare it to her first day of kindergarten.

Parents were allowed to walk the kids in on that first day.

I remember looking at those tiny chairs and looking at Chicky, who was a tiny thing herself.  She would be entering a room of total strangers, and I felt bad.

Would she make friends?  Would she eat the lunch I packed?  Would she be able to find her way to the bathroom?

I waited eagerly in the car loop line that afternoon, and when I saw my baby emerge from the school, I saw a huge smile on her face.

Her day had been wonderful.

Her second day was almost as traumatic (for me) as the first day.  The school administrators cut the parents off cold-turkey, requiring us to drop off our children in the car loop.

Oy!

But, there were older students standing there, acting as monitors, assisting the younger ones as they tried to make their way to classes.

It was a huge lesson in trust, as I let her go…into the still-somewhat-unknown.

Thirteen years later, I stand poised to do the same again.

Contrary to what most people expect, I do not think I will cry.  I did that already at the soccer banquet.

No.

This time, I will let her go a bit easier, knowing that she walked out of that school today as a confident young woman.

She knows that the most valuable friendships aren’t necessarily with the popular girls, who wound up treating her the worst during the last two years.

Most importantly, Chicky has a faith that most young people do not have at her tender age.

Her priorities seem to be in order.

It’s almost time to let my Chicky fly.

Filed under: children | Tagged: , | 4 Comments »

The Angst of Yearbook Signing

Posted on May 21, 2010 by auburnchick

The students at Chicky and Rooster’s high school received their yearbooks this week.

No matter what decade you’re in, some things never change.

I’ve watched these kids carry their books from class to class, the same sentence repeated over and over:  “Sign my yearbook, and make it good.”

I overheard one girl tell another about the stresses of signing the books.  She said that she had to “be in the yearbook signing mood.”

I’ve watched others explain how they are saving “these two pages” for so-and-so, and “they better make it good.”

Yesterday, one girl recounted how her boyfriend said the sweetest things, “only misspelling three words.”

Sigh…I’m aflutter with emotion.

Gag.

I’m sure we all remember our own yearbook blurbs.

Mine went something like this:

“AuburnChick, you’re the best friend a girl could ask for.  You always tell me when I have boogers in my nose, and you never let me leave the bathroom with toilet paper stuck to my shoe.  I’ve even forgiven you for pulling the chair out from under me during the middle of lunch [yes, I really did do that].  Call me this summer, and we’ll put baby oil on and get burned to a crisp together.  BFF4EVR”

Yeah, right.

I don’t remember getting a phone call, and I am positive that said people and Your’s Truly were never BFF’s, nor did we stay that way.

Still, at that impressionable age, teens get caught up in the moment, thinking this is the pinnacle of their lives.  And it is.  So far.

Both their innocence and cattiness (talking about how much they hate so-and-so and then writing BFF messages the next class period) cause me to chuckle…and remember back to a time when I did the same thing.

Filed under: children | Tagged: | 1 Comment »

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