When life gets in the way of living…

I feel out of control of my life at the moment and yet when I analyze it, I think most of the stresses are in my head!  Storms have been pretty scary in this part of the world recently.

The pressure has given both Jojo and I ‘Barometer Head’.  It’s miserable having a headache that is only relieved by a thunderstorm passing.  Bruce Willis is modeling exactly how Jojo and I are feeling , think of Imogen as the approaching thunderstorm…

squeeze!

The school Summer Band Concert was wonderful!  Obviously when you are talking about a band composed of every 10 and 11-year-old in band class regardless of their ability – ‘wonderful’ is the mother in me talking!  You are lucky that I did not manage to get any video!  But here are my maestros (maestras?).  See Niamhy’s medal – that is her Super Musician medal, yay!  Only 6 kids out of about 70 actually achieved this award, so I think I can be forgiven for boasting a little… 

Niamhy being acknowledged by her Band Instructor for her achievement

More kids became Master Musicians along with Jojo but I still cried when she stood up to rapturous applause at her achievement…she doesn’t understand happy tears and was really confused.  I was in the front row of the audience and she was in the front row of the band so she was actually able to ask me why I was crying in the middle of the concert without leaving her seat.

Yay Jojo - Master Musician

Tara over at Sticky Fingers posted a great theme for her virtual gallery this week and I really wanted to take part.  However that was yesterday and I don’t know if being a day late to the party is ok.  The theme was the world we live in inspired by Secret Britain.  I could post all sorts of stunning vistas and amazing show stopping scenery, America has it in abundance.  Instead I was going to post about an American high school tradition that has just passed.  The proms were this past weekend.  I think everyone knows about the prom, but until I came to the States I had no idea about the Junior/Senior Wars that happen in the few weeks leading up to the prom.

shaving foam on driveways acts like bleach and the message stays...

 

Starting at the end of spring break, for one or two weeks in April upperclassmen venture out late at night and “roll” each other’s houses with toilet paper.  At least that is what happens in our neighborhood, mainly I think because the school steps in and ensures that the juniors and seniors involved understand that is as far as it should go.  Other schools say that after 3:45pm it is a parental responsibility thing and the kids pour trash on each others’ lawns, paintball the front of the house, put detergent in the swimming pools.  I know of at least one girl who has been permanently blinded in one eye because of a direct hit with a paintball…

But I like the mild version – I do!  It makes me smile to see who’s been hit and who hasn’t, who’s parents have the kids out there before school tidying up and whose parents allow them to leave it a while.  Of course this was when I thought it was just jocks and cheer leaders – this year I learned that it is within your group and musicians will ‘roll’ other musicians too…hmmm.

that's a lot of TP

Finally Susie at New Day New  Lesson asked us to think about how often and when we say please and thank you.  This one was a bit of a non starter for me because I am very strict with my children and their manners and I lead by example, or do I?  Jojo told me off at the restaurant the other day because I failed to say please to the waiter when giving my order…she was quite cross with me, definitely a the-child-becoming-the-parent-situation!  One of my favorite expressions is, ‘If a person is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, they are not a nice person.’  Oops, again I am resolved to do better…