This marks the 3rd and final installment of my "Happy News" series. This is not because I want any more bad news but because my sarcastic nature and my delightfully witty cynicism isn't really well-suited to this unrelenting happiness. If I'm being honest, it's choking me a bit. :)
So the first bit of Happy News I can report is that ~
SCHOOOOOL'S! OUT! FOR! SUMMER!
I do love my job but I was extra ready this year for a break. I am serving as a summer inclusion facilitator for students with disabilities at 2 area day camps beginning July 6th, but this mini-vacation is doing me gooood. My husband is on vacation too next week so it will be super nice. As I have mentioned before, we never see each other since we work opposite hours. Once we get used to being under each others feet, it's always nice to just sit on the couch at the end of the day and argue about what to watch on tv like normal couples. I like network television with a little Burn Notice or Entourage thrown in. My husband is all about the cable reality dramas...Man vs. Wild, Deadliest Catch, Ice Road Truckers, and a new favorite, Whale Wars. The Happy News is that we can usually come up with a compromise. We both enjoy the hot mess fest that is Intervention.
In other Happy News, the location of opening and closing ceremonies for the 3-day have been announced. Sherri kept saying that she wanted closing ceremonies to be at the same place as last year, and it is! UMass Boston! Sherri said walking along the water into UMass was so beautiful. I am pumped to experience this. What was even better Happy News was that the opening ceremonies are in FRAMINGHAM! They are literally down the road from me across the street from my favorite walking spot! I will post more information as it becomes available. I encourage you all to come hang out with my and Sherri's families at the cheering stations. It should be great fun!
My last bit of Happy News is that Sherri and I have raised over $8000! Thank you all so much. Keep those donations coming. Keep sending folks to this blog. Keep sending your support!
You are such a huge part of this journey.
THANKS. More later...
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Happy News #2
My son turned seven last Friday, which was a big deal. He is one of the youngest in his class and his closest buddies have all been seven for a while. He was beginning to feel like he would never turn seven. A few weeks ago, he proclaimed that "being six is for losers!" Poor guy. Well, loser no more. He is indeed seven! And to celebrate? Miniature golf!
Sunday morning, I opened one eye and cringed as the sound of rain registered in my sleep fogged brain. All morning my husband and I pretended everything was fine as we prayed for a simple 2 hour reprieve, preferably from 1-3 pm. The buckets turned to light rain and eventually to a misting. At about noon, there was even something that resembled the sun hanging overhead. There were a number of times I can remember as a child that snow threatened to postpone my December birthday parties. That level of disappointment is not something a child should get as a birthday gift. So I decided to seize the moment to address what I had been ignoring all morning.
"Hey buddy. Look! It stopped raining!" I said with a wide eyed smile.
Running to the window, crinkling his brow, he said, "Aaawww."
What? Disappointment? Wait a minute.
Duh! He's a seven year old boy. Of course he wants to play in the rain. A chance to stomp in puddles while swinging a club and spraying anyone in the line of fire? Of course that's what he wants.
Happy News - It ended up being the best of both worlds. The real rain held off until about the 18th hole but it was still wet enough out to make it messy. A baseball hat was the remedy for my incredibly bad hair day and we only had one slip and fall - skinned elbow cured by band aid.
Thankfully, I have some great friends who are also parents of my son's friends and enough of them stayed to help out. I had not thought this part through and am eternally grateful. There was some serious cheating going on and having each group with an adult at least made it so everyone cheated equally. In case you were confused about how math works these days, anything equal to or greater than 4 is the same as 4 except when it's 3. Also, sometimes mini golf is more like hockey than golf and dragging the ball is fair as long as your groupmates are on the other side of the obstacle and cannot see you. The golf themed cupcakes were a big hit and green frosting is best when used to make a goatee while eating.
My favorite part was the t-shirts. The amazing career and tech ed teacher and staff in the graphic design department at NNHS, Tom and Jonpaul, invited my son in to make the t-shirts himself. He designed the graphic with me at home and then they took him through the process of making a silk screen (this involved a power washer - sooo cool), setting up the shirts, and applying the ink. His little sister even got to help with her shirt and one for her friend who came to the party. This opportunity to learn how shirts are made might have even made up for the shaky math used at the party.
So the party was a big success and my big guy is really growing up. Speaking of growing up, another bit of Happy News is that my son's photo is being used in Father's Day advertisements at the portrait studio we use. He looks very grown up in the picture. It's really hard to believe he was only six then. My husband and I are very proud. Both kids have had a great couple of weeks!
More Happy News to come...
Sunday morning, I opened one eye and cringed as the sound of rain registered in my sleep fogged brain. All morning my husband and I pretended everything was fine as we prayed for a simple 2 hour reprieve, preferably from 1-3 pm. The buckets turned to light rain and eventually to a misting. At about noon, there was even something that resembled the sun hanging overhead. There were a number of times I can remember as a child that snow threatened to postpone my December birthday parties. That level of disappointment is not something a child should get as a birthday gift. So I decided to seize the moment to address what I had been ignoring all morning.
"Hey buddy. Look! It stopped raining!" I said with a wide eyed smile.
Running to the window, crinkling his brow, he said, "Aaawww."
What? Disappointment? Wait a minute.
Duh! He's a seven year old boy. Of course he wants to play in the rain. A chance to stomp in puddles while swinging a club and spraying anyone in the line of fire? Of course that's what he wants.
Happy News - It ended up being the best of both worlds. The real rain held off until about the 18th hole but it was still wet enough out to make it messy. A baseball hat was the remedy for my incredibly bad hair day and we only had one slip and fall - skinned elbow cured by band aid.
Thankfully, I have some great friends who are also parents of my son's friends and enough of them stayed to help out. I had not thought this part through and am eternally grateful. There was some serious cheating going on and having each group with an adult at least made it so everyone cheated equally. In case you were confused about how math works these days, anything equal to or greater than 4 is the same as 4 except when it's 3. Also, sometimes mini golf is more like hockey than golf and dragging the ball is fair as long as your groupmates are on the other side of the obstacle and cannot see you. The golf themed cupcakes were a big hit and green frosting is best when used to make a goatee while eating.
My favorite part was the t-shirts. The amazing career and tech ed teacher and staff in the graphic design department at NNHS, Tom and Jonpaul, invited my son in to make the t-shirts himself. He designed the graphic with me at home and then they took him through the process of making a silk screen (this involved a power washer - sooo cool), setting up the shirts, and applying the ink. His little sister even got to help with her shirt and one for her friend who came to the party. This opportunity to learn how shirts are made might have even made up for the shaky math used at the party.
So the party was a big success and my big guy is really growing up. Speaking of growing up, another bit of Happy News is that my son's photo is being used in Father's Day advertisements at the portrait studio we use. He looks very grown up in the picture. It's really hard to believe he was only six then. My husband and I are very proud. Both kids have had a great couple of weeks!
More Happy News to come...
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Happy News #1
Thank you to everyone for your kind words, prayers, and all the support you've given the NNHS community. The outpouring has truly been amazing.
Okay...this begins my series on Happy News!
I want to follow up on my May 18th post, I'm so Sick of Cancer. I am HAPPY to report that my friend Tom had very successful surgery and is cancer free. The healing process will be a bit easier, I'm sure, knowing that what lies ahead are happy days. I am sure glad you made my Happy News list, Tom.
More Happy News comes in the form of my daughter's first dance recital. As you can see, she is quite a character and the recital did not disappoint. As a rule, this child walks no where...rather, she twirls, sashays (chasses?), and boogies from place to place. Many of you have seen her YouTube numbers (#1, #2, #3) that exhibit her love of song and dance (the talent will come...she's only 3). She also does not have a shy bone in her body. Her confidence is brilliant, if not a bit frightening.
The night of the show, she came out waving like she was in a parade and then did the whole dance wearing a very serious, game day face. She was thoroughly entertaining. It was great to have all the grandparents and Auntie Kerry there. Her brother even sat still for most of the show. Like any good dance recital, we topped the night off with a trip to the ice cream parlor. Nothing can warm the heart like a chocolate covered "Rockin' Little Angel."
Another piece of Happy News is that training is going well. Sherri was sidelined a bit with plantar faciitis but the Happy News is that she found a pair of non-hideous Birkenstocks and is healing well. I told her I would carry her across the finish line if need be. Whatever it takes!
Weekend walks are getting longer and longer and I fear that there are people driving all across Framingham saying, "There is that lady again. Where the hell is she walking to?" I finally found a route I like that has sidewalks the whole way. There have been a few days where I got myself into some sidewalk trouble. When I map a route online, I try to use the "street level" function on Google Maps to see if there are sidewalks but not all streets can go to street level. My daughter has taken a couple of rides with me to see what the sidewalk situation is. My latest route has a few options, which is good. I can make it a 10, 12, 15, or 17 miler depending how far out I loop. The training has really been worthwhile because the 10 and 12 milers were starting to feel really easy. Fifteen was tough the first time - sore quads - but I did 17 today and feel great! I'm tired but not sore. Besides, I've been tired for a little over 7 years now.
Off to finish cupcakes for my son's birthday. Did I mention he's 7.
More Happy News to come...
Okay...this begins my series on Happy News!
I want to follow up on my May 18th post, I'm so Sick of Cancer. I am HAPPY to report that my friend Tom had very successful surgery and is cancer free. The healing process will be a bit easier, I'm sure, knowing that what lies ahead are happy days. I am sure glad you made my Happy News list, Tom.
More Happy News comes in the form of my daughter's first dance recital. As you can see, she is quite a character and the recital did not disappoint. As a rule, this child walks no where...rather, she twirls, sashays (chasses?), and boogies from place to place. Many of you have seen her YouTube numbers (#1, #2, #3) that exhibit her love of song and dance (the talent will come...she's only 3). She also does not have a shy bone in her body. Her confidence is brilliant, if not a bit frightening.
The night of the show, she came out waving like she was in a parade and then did the whole dance wearing a very serious, game day face. She was thoroughly entertaining. It was great to have all the grandparents and Auntie Kerry there. Her brother even sat still for most of the show. Like any good dance recital, we topped the night off with a trip to the ice cream parlor. Nothing can warm the heart like a chocolate covered "Rockin' Little Angel."Another piece of Happy News is that training is going well. Sherri was sidelined a bit with plantar faciitis but the Happy News is that she found a pair of non-hideous Birkenstocks and is healing well. I told her I would carry her across the finish line if need be. Whatever it takes!
Weekend walks are getting longer and longer and I fear that there are people driving all across Framingham saying, "There is that lady again. Where the hell is she walking to?" I finally found a route I like that has sidewalks the whole way. There have been a few days where I got myself into some sidewalk trouble. When I map a route online, I try to use the "street level" function on Google Maps to see if there are sidewalks but not all streets can go to street level. My daughter has taken a couple of rides with me to see what the sidewalk situation is. My latest route has a few options, which is good. I can make it a 10, 12, 15, or 17 miler depending how far out I loop. The training has really been worthwhile because the 10 and 12 milers were starting to feel really easy. Fifteen was tough the first time - sore quads - but I did 17 today and feel great! I'm tired but not sore. Besides, I've been tired for a little over 7 years now.
Off to finish cupcakes for my son's birthday. Did I mention he's 7.
More Happy News to come...
Monday, June 8, 2009
Too much to take
I apologize that it has been so long since my last post. Things have been pretty terrible lately.
Those of you who have been following my/Sherri's blog know that on 5/27, we loss a beloved colleague, Bob Mitchell, to cancer. This was, unfortunately, not our first loss this year. In November, we lost a colleague, also to cancer. Donna Mandatori was the secretary in the Career and Technical Education Department and a spunky, passionate member of the NNHS community. On May 6th, we learned of the death of a recent retiree, Tom DePeter, an English teacher for 35 years. So when Bob passed, the pain was palpable. We had just begun to learn of the arrangements for a memorial celebration on June 20th and were sharing stories and memories to try to help each other cope. Then the unthinkable happened.
On Saturday, May 30, Ucal McKenzie died after collapsing on the soccer field. He was our 32 year old guidance counselor, soccer coach, peer mentor advisor, break dance club advisor, esteemed colleague and smiling friend (he smiled from the inside out and it was infectious). This tragedy has consumed us. It will not break us. We will become stronger. But the healing will take time. The NNHS community is grieving in the midst of a typically celebratory time. Tonight is prom, Wednesday is graduation, and summer vacation begins in 2 weeks. It is hard to balance the emotions. I wish I could share with you how amazing it is to be a member of the Newton North community. The outpouring of support and the way we have all come together is so entirely uplifting. Students, faculty, staff, parents, family, friends... supporting each other with raw emotion. It is impossible to put words to how that feels and more impossible to explain how you can go from embracing a friend, a student, a parent and wiping away the tears you thought couldn't possibly still come, to reviewing for final exams all in the same morning. How does that make sense? But still we keep moving and keep doing what we do best. But we are tired and spent and ready for summer.
There are many happy things that have happened that I would love to post about - and I will. Thanks for your patience.
Those of you who have been following my/Sherri's blog know that on 5/27, we loss a beloved colleague, Bob Mitchell, to cancer. This was, unfortunately, not our first loss this year. In November, we lost a colleague, also to cancer. Donna Mandatori was the secretary in the Career and Technical Education Department and a spunky, passionate member of the NNHS community. On May 6th, we learned of the death of a recent retiree, Tom DePeter, an English teacher for 35 years. So when Bob passed, the pain was palpable. We had just begun to learn of the arrangements for a memorial celebration on June 20th and were sharing stories and memories to try to help each other cope. Then the unthinkable happened.
On Saturday, May 30, Ucal McKenzie died after collapsing on the soccer field. He was our 32 year old guidance counselor, soccer coach, peer mentor advisor, break dance club advisor, esteemed colleague and smiling friend (he smiled from the inside out and it was infectious). This tragedy has consumed us. It will not break us. We will become stronger. But the healing will take time. The NNHS community is grieving in the midst of a typically celebratory time. Tonight is prom, Wednesday is graduation, and summer vacation begins in 2 weeks. It is hard to balance the emotions. I wish I could share with you how amazing it is to be a member of the Newton North community. The outpouring of support and the way we have all come together is so entirely uplifting. Students, faculty, staff, parents, family, friends... supporting each other with raw emotion. It is impossible to put words to how that feels and more impossible to explain how you can go from embracing a friend, a student, a parent and wiping away the tears you thought couldn't possibly still come, to reviewing for final exams all in the same morning. How does that make sense? But still we keep moving and keep doing what we do best. But we are tired and spent and ready for summer.
There are many happy things that have happened that I would love to post about - and I will. Thanks for your patience.
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