Ten Things of Thankful time. Even with a relatively dull, but busy, week, there is always so much for which to be thankful. Little things, folks, remember the little things.
1. My friend Melinda and I drove the 180 miles (each way) to see our daughters play volleyball in West Plains, Missouri. We debated whether we were completely insane to drive so far to watch them play for 30 minutes, but I pointed out that we only have four more years of them at home, doing things like playing volleyball, and off we went. Not. Sorry. I also discovered McDonald's pralines and cream McFlurry and strongly encourage you to try one, too.
2. The trip back afforded us a view of a spectacular sunset. I took pictures with my iphone through a bug-splatted windshield (and no, I wasn't the one driving, just for the record). I already posted one of them for Wordless Wednesday, but here's another shot:
3. I got to do a little horse-sitting this week when the twins in my primary class at preschool wore horse necklaces to school and needed to take them off for movement class, so they didn't get bopped in the nose with a horse. I love my job!
4. I think,THINK, there is some kind of baseball game (or two or seven) going on this week, and I really could not care less about it.
5. My daughter played her very last game of the volleyball season. It's been a great year for those freshman girls! They ended the year 15-1 in regular play, 22-3 including tournaments. Look how excited one of the coaches was:
(Coach CLAIMS she was re-enacting the story of one of the pitchers in the World Series game the night before calling a ball then standing there as it dropped in front of him, but we all know she was REALLY unable to contain herself that the freshman team was so awesome....)
6. My parents and my husband's parents were all able to come to the last volleyball game. Not that many kids are lucky enough to have two complete sets of grandparents, let alone have them come to their school activities. And guess who didn't think to take a picture of this event?
7. The choral music department held their fall concert the same night as the last volleyball game, so my daughter and one other volleyball player, also a freshman, had to hustle to change into their show choir costumes and do their hair and makeup. We got the grandparents from the gym to the auditorium (all, fortunately, in the same building) without mishap. My daughter's show choir group, New Expressions, is made up of freshmen and sophomores, and they blew away the other three show choir groups that performed. No lie.
8. After the tornado in 2011, the school kids in our district have had to put up with less than ideal conditions in order to go to school. One of our three middle schools was completely destroyed, as were two elementary schools and the high school. The high school students have been divided into two groups, with the 11th and 12th graders attending school in a converted large box store at the mall and the 9th and 10th graders attending at an old school building that was built in 1917 as a high school, and since then, it has been home to a junior high, a middle school, and an alternative school for kids with special needs. The auditorium, where the choir concert was held, is very cramped. The seats are probably from the 1940s. They are wooden and narrow. The sound and light systems pretty much amount to either "on" or "off". The stage is very small. But those kids got up there and acted as though they were at Carnegie Hall. They are resilient, those kids.
9. The college boy is home for the weekend. And yes, he brought home a mountain of laundry. But guess what? HE WASHED THEM ALL HIMSELF! There is hope for him yet.
10. With the college boy home, we had a family dinner tonight, sitting at the dining room table and everything. My kids are so quick-witted, and we spent much of the time laughing and telling stories. Many subjects were discussed, including some that should NEVER be covered, let alone at a dinner table. But that's just the way we roll.
Now, see all the thumbnails of the other terrific bloggers who have linked up to our TToT? Do yourself a big ol' favor and click on one or all of them. Read their lists. Read the comments that follow, because we do play loose and fast with our comments. And link YOUR TToT entry as well. Ready, set, GO.
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A Fly on our (Chicken Coop) Wall, Considerings, Finding Ninee, Getting Literal, Home On Deranged, I can say mama, I Want Backsies, Rewritten, Thankful Me, The Wakefield Doctrine
I think you and the Hub should swap sunset photos - yours is a beauty for sure and he would love it. He has a thing for fiery-looking sunsets. NO idea where he gets the knack for capturing them because most of his other photography is, well, not as great. People tend to be missing heads and such.
ReplyDeleteWith a sunset like this, I couldn't go wrong, although I'm shocked at how beautiful it turned out. Can't see the smushed bugs on the windshield!
DeleteYou beat Janine!
ReplyDeleteI don't know what day your sunset was but we had a beauty on Thursday night! I was sitting at my son's baseball game in awe and didn't have the good sense to take out my phone and snap a pic. It sounds to me like you had a pretty good week, dull or not! I couldn't help but laugh at #10....our schedules are crazy but I try for family dinners as much as possible and the conversations we have are just insane! Fun, isn't it? Enjoy the last half of the weekend!
ReplyDeleteThis one was Tuesday night. The picture was taken on I-44, just west of Cabool in south central Missouri. I checked the radar to see if there was a thunderstorm coming, but they were just weird clouds.
DeleteIt was a lively conversation, to say the least. My kids are hilarious!
I'm sure it's a bit sad to have the volleyball season end. It looked like an unforgettably fun season.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter played volleyball a couple of seasons. Those matches can be so short. I don't know if I would have driven that far for 30 minutes. I hated driving an hour. We sometimes have to drive three hours for a soccer game, and while it is still ridiculous, at least soccer lasts an hour and 15 minutes.
Wow, shall we just start calling your daughter quick change McGee? That's a whole lot of competition in one night! Glad it was in the same location and the grandparents were able to join in. Lots of fun for everyone.
I'm surprised there are still so many kids without permanent schools. My first thought was the building should happen a lot quicker than that. But then I thought for a second. Yeah, building a new school takes a loooong time for those in charge to accomplish.
Lastly, YAY college boy doing his own laundry and for fun family dinners around the kitchen table.
The good news about school volleyball ending is that the club volleyball season will be starting in a few weeks.
DeleteThe McFlurry made the drive worthwhile.
Oh, she's a quick change artist, for sure. She one time had to change from dance clothes to dress clothes and back to dress clothes as we drove across town from a dance audition to an academic all star program and back to the audition. All done in the backseat while remaining in her seatbelt.
The elementary school and the middle school are supposed to be done so the kids can start in January there. The high school is still just a lot of steel beams. There was a lot of undermining where the high school is being built, and it took them a long time to figure out what to do about it (and don't ask me what they did - just hope the ground doesn't open up and swallow the whole thing some day). The new high school is supposed to be finished by next fall, but I have my doubts. Maybe once they finally get it enclosed, it will go faster.
You have no idea how glad I am that he knows how to do the laundry himself FINALLY. And it was delightful to have a family dinner with all of us there and NO ONE fighting!
Baseball is deadly dull, and anyone who says it isn't is a big fat liar.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter is a pretty talented girl. She works hard at all of her activities, and I HOPE she's sweet and kind, at least some of the time!
He admitted that doing laundry isn't nearly as hard as he thought.
Now that you know what the unsuitable topics were, aren't you glad I didn't list them here?
lol
ReplyDeleteKnowing the conversation that flew around our table last week when my kiddo and his wife came home for their anniversary makes me appreciate what could possibly have been discussed... I was laughing like an idiot through that entire dinner last week.
ReplyDeleteYour daughter is a star! And the college man is exactly that ... laundry?! I think my kid still suffers from this malady and its not cuz he doesn't know how!
laundry, 180 miles, guilt free enough to eat at a McDonalds and just get the ice cream (maybe not so guilt free afterall? I think that's the lowest calories there), that sounds like a damn good bland week... take it and run! Hope this week is great too!
Laughter around the dinner table has to be one of the best sounds in the world.
DeleteMy daughter is not happy unless she is busy. And I fully expected to be doing the laundry for the college boy, so I was overwhelmingly astounded when he did it all himself!
I DID have the snack sized McFlurry. And I wish it were the only thing I ate on the trip, but it wasn't. Let's say it was the healthiest thing I ate and leave it at that.
nice phone camera… I've yet to master the art of quick (but good quality) phone photography (those aliens better damn well wait 'til I'm ready!).
ReplyDeleteI admire the concept of massive drives for short (but valued) events… reminds me of when I was not as old as I currently seem to be… 180 miles one way! whats that, like 2 hours? (I'm picturing the roads as being what I've seen from the air… nice straight roads with fluffy fields on either side of the road, no danger of deer jumping out into the road.)
…about that cake.
lol
You should see how many pictures I discard, Clark! The iphone camera takes good pictures if the subject isn't MOVING. But it's handy. If your aliens are holding verrrrry still, you should be good to go.
DeleteWhile the highway was four lane all the way (and it hasn't been too many years that THAT has been the case), the terrain is gently rolling and the road a little curvy. Pasture land, but no real crops along there (it's the Ozarks). It took us not quite two and a half hours to get to our destination. And we were fortunate not to see any deer. Live ones, that is....
Are you getting yourself primed for jumping out of said cake?
you know the cool, but oddly challenging thing about our little bloghop here is? it's figuring out where everyone 'is' at any given time! lol…sort of like being in a giant empty… school and everyone runs in different directions and you might see recent signs of activity, but then everything shifts… fun but sure is a lot of running
Delete…I believe the correct term is 'pumped'… although 'totally ripped' is acceptable.
lol
Ooh, I always love to hear a choir that performs well! Glad it was a showstopper. And that sunset looks beautiful! Thanks for a wonderful list!
ReplyDeleteDo you have show choirs in Singapore? It's kind of hokey, but the kids have a lot of fun doing it.
DeletePeople watch chess tournaments?! Well, that would be more exciting than watching golf....
ReplyDeleteBelieve it or not, he CAN iron! I don't iron. I am of the yank-it-out-of-the-dryer-and-hang-it-up-quickly method of wrinkle-free (ish) clothes, so his dad taught him how to iron a couple of years ago.
Pretty impressive picture through a windshield. Hope you've enjoyed your weekend :)
ReplyDeleteImagine what it might have looked like without the bug-splatted windshield between us!
DeleteSounds like such a great week, Dyanne! I will NOT let my girls see the horse necklaces, otherwise they'll want to have some ;-)
ReplyDeleteYour family dinner sounds like such a great meal. Kudos to your son for doing his own laundry, and you for raising such a boy! I honestly have to admit (to my shame), that the first time I was washing my own laundry was after I've gotten married...
Hope you have a great new week, Dyanne!
Aren't those cute necklaces? They made them at their sister's birthday party.
DeleteI didn't learn how to do laundry until I went to college, either, and one of my suitemates showed me how to do it.
What a beautiful sunset!
ReplyDeleteCongrats on your son doing his own laundry! Mine was forced to learn after I accidentally (no, really!) washed his cell phone. I was promptly fired from laundry duty.
Washed his cell phone?! WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT!
DeleteI washed (and dried) a piece of gum that was in a pants pocket and nearly killed him over it.
Love that you went to volleyball, in spite of the long drive. AND that your kiddos have both pairs of grandparents alive AND involved in what they're doing. That is fabulous.
ReplyDeleteSo many reasons to be thankful but the McFlurry is, of course, one of my favorites...nevermind the sugar addiction. Continue to turn a blind eye, please. :)
And laundry on his own is just.so.amazing. Does he teach classes on such things, for younger boys, perhaps? We might be willing to hire him, because their current instructor is not having much luck in that department...
Do try a pralines and cream McFlurry. I swear, you won't regret it!
DeleteWhen the college boy FINALLY did laundry by himself at school, he texted me to tell me it wasn't that hard after all. I will tell you that he texts me pictures of clothes and asks for help sorting them....
A pretty sunset and ANYTHING pralines and cream is worth a long drive for sure!
ReplyDeleteYou are absolutely correct!
DeleteI love the sunset picture. Jak and I saw a similar shot this weekend when we were driving home. The photo makes me want to try to paint it.
ReplyDeleteDriving the much to see your daughter's last game gives you supportive fan of the year award. But I know, without a doubt, your daughter will remember these things and appreciate them.
Yes, your children are lucky to have both sets of grandparents around to attend functions and events. I am jealous!
Good job on horse sitting! It looks like those horseys could have caused a lot of trouble (and fun!).
Glad your son did his own laundry. I KNOW he is just thankful to have the free water and soap at his disposal. I know I was (and still am) when I was in college.
I'd LOVE to see a painting you did of a sunset, especially from the picture I took That would be sooooo cool!
DeleteMy daughter is very good about being appreciative that I have been to all of her games. My son was on the tennis team and the swim team, but he didn't want us to come to any of his stuff; it made him nervous. I always figured the other parents thought we were real losers, because we were never there, but it was his choice.
The horses were hardly troublesome. Nothing a shovel couldn't take care of....
Get this - the laundry facilities in my son's dorm are FREE. Free washers. Free dryers. He only has to provide the laundry soap. How much easier can it get?!
Sounds like the kids are running you crazy! Still, one day they'll be gone and you'll find yourself wondering what to do with yourself! lol No, I gotta stay away from McDonalds. Much too tempting and I know I can't stay awake after eating there. I drive by two of them everyday on the way to work and back to home, and have only stopped one time in 9 months. What a battle! lol I've really got my body adjusted to only accepting good food now. I tried a Taco Hell last night, and had a pounding headache an hour later. It's weird how the body tells you what to do at times. I didn't know about the tornado factor. Must have been devastating. Still, kids tend to make the best of things they can't change. They are remarkable at times. Good post!
ReplyDeleteHow long has it been since you had your heart attack? It would be a lot easier to give up McDonald's if I knew it had tried to kill me. It's also harder to avoid fast food when you have kids at home. It's too freakin' easy to stop and get it after games and between here and there when you have someone whining from the backseat that she is STARVING.
DeleteWe lost about 1/3 of our town in a tornado in 2011. It's getting rebuilt, slowly but surely. The administration did amazing work to get the kids into school buildings by the time school started a little less than 3 months after the tornado. You should see the 11/12 center at the mall. It's pretty awesome.
Hi, I gave into McDonalds this morning too. Got a mocha frappe. First time in 10 days. I almost made it two weeks. I need to try to stay away too. What a great kid-themed week. I love those weeks. They fly and then you can sit back and reflect. I don't know what I'd do if my child wasn't so involved. She has a piano lesson today. :)
ReplyDeleteI don't do coffee, but I do stop by there fairly often for the $1 large diet coke! I try not to get food there very often, but sometimes, when you're on the run with kids, it's the best thing going.
DeleteI don't know what I'd do if my daughter weren't so busy, either! Probably have no excuse not to clean the house or do laundry in a timely fashion....
McD's has pralines and cream McFlurry's where you live!!! I actually gasped...out loud! ;P
ReplyDeleteWhat a great list...gave me the warm and fuzzies!
I don't know what kind of pralines they used, but it must have been made by fairies, it was so delish! I think they're for a limited time, just during the fall. You'd better check the menu at your nearest McDonald's stat!
DeleteAh, the little things. That is what life is about, I've decided. Those little things, those relationships with the kids, the grandparents, the concerts and games, the sunsets. Watching someone tell a story with their hands--or whole body! Your kids doing their own laundry, holding horsey necklaces that are like Gold to their owners and McFlurries. What a wonderful, love-filled list. ♥ Gotta see if my local Mickey D's has that flavor McFlurry, girl! Sounds DEElicious! Have a wonderful week--filled with wonderful little things! :-)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Joell! You always know just the right thing to say!
DeleteWhat a sweet, funny, heartfelt post! It's so great to discover new blogs like yours through a blog hop! I love that you drove that far for your daughter AND that you put a dessert in your ten things of thankful. Love that your college boy is doing his own laundry. Gives me some hope for the future. And I love your number 8, it's so touching!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! Kids and dessert should always be high on the list, shouldn't they? And thank you especially for the sweet comment about #8. It's been a difficult, yet somehow rewarding, time.
DeleteOh, I SO know the driving a long distance for a short event. (i.e. driving to Lee's Summit--a 5.5 hr drive--for a 15 minutes marching band performance. Although, we did stay for all the other bands and stayed around for the awards ceremony, but still.... craziness-- 11 hrs of driving for my kids' 15 minute thing). What we do for our kids, right?
ReplyDeleteI love sunsets! Very nice....and I can't even see the bug splatters on the windshield. :)
Love the family supper. Having a sister who has both her boys off to college, I know how she looks forward to when they are all together and sitting around the table together. Great times! Sounds like a fun time... I would probably like to sit around the table with your family. :)
Oh, I remember your trip to Lee's Summit! You win the award on that one, especially since you were outside for your event. (You really need to get Minsky's Pizza next time you're there, though. Trust me.)
DeleteJust tack another couple of hours onto the trip to Lee's Summit, and you can be at my house for supper!
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
ReplyDeleteYour sunset photo is stunning and I love that you drove so far to watch your daughter play volleyball! Love! Also. Your son does his own laundry? How awesome is that??!!?
ReplyDeleteBear in mind that my son has done his own laundry exactly two times: once at college and once at home. I'd like to think this is the start of something new, but I am a bit dubious. Taking it one load at a time....
DeleteThat sunset photo is gorgeous, so I can imagine it would have been even better in real life. Still, 360 miles is a long way to drive to see a volley ball game and a sunset! You and your friend are great moms to do that! And kudos to your for having trained your son so well!
ReplyDeleteThe trip was very therapeutic; we not only saw the girls play volleyball and witnessed that gorgeous sunset, but we solved all of the world's problems in three hours.
DeleteWow, that sunset was just stunning! I love to watch and take pictures of the sky.
ReplyDeleteAlso loved that you were sitting those horses!! The necklaces are so cute!
Those two little girls are the only preschoolers I know who could wear horse necklaces to school and not play with them all morning. I was happy to horse sit!
DeleteUh wrote a response and the internet started messing up and no idea if it went through so I will attempt a repeat post...
ReplyDeleteCongrats to your daughter and the VB team (and choir)! I'm glad you took the time to travel so far to only watch 30 minutes of a game, because I am sure it meant a lot to them. And like your friend said, there isn't a lot of time left that they are around at home.
It really sucks about the situation resulting from the tornado, but it really sounds like the children and community as a whole are making the best out of a bad situation. It would be really easy to keep yourself stuck in a real negative vibe over it.
Kudos to your son washing his own clothes. I had thought you would be stuck doing them still for years on end!
Love that sunset picture!
Oh right, I mentioned to the Ladyfolk about her comment on painting the picture and she seems to be backing out of it :( I think it would be awesome. We will see if I can convince her, but it seems unlikely...
The Cryton Chronicles & Dreams in the Shade of Ink
Oh geez, I didn't say I would never do it... it just might not get done in a timely fashion. At the rate I am gong, I can maybe commit to a ten year plan. *sigh*
DeleteI never knew watching volleyball could be so much fun! If my daughter played something boring like softball, I wouldn't be so exuberant about traveling to see her play.
DeleteThere has been very little complaining and negativity about the tornado. Everyone just shook themselves off and started working.
Don't tell my son, but I actually would have washed his clothes for him....
Use your powers of persuasion on the Ladyfolk Artist. (Note to Kate: I expect to see a painting of that very sunset by November 19, 2023.)