Not Going as Planned

We had a lot of Christmas activities planned, but we've skipped  most of them. All three kids have a lot of undone assignments that need made up. They also have tests to retake. For some reason our district has decided that test  scores must make up 95% of the grade. Thankfully along with that, most of the teachers are encouraging students to retake any tests that are below 70%. Last month I met with just one person for Jasmine's IEP update. No teachers came. We talked about how to get her grades up to passing. But in the weeks since then, it hasn't happened.

Last week I asked for a meeting with her teachers. That took place yesterday, and all but one teacher came. And I am actually very thankful that he didn't. He has no clue when it comes to Jasmine. He told her there was no reason she was flunking algebra again this year. If she'd just have a positive attitude she could do trig. Um. Yeah. Not so. He's not her math teacher, he's her band director--smart and was in all AP classes. Unfortunately Jasmine does not have the genetic gift for that. Then add in the other factors. Not happening. I will be very happy if she does her best and hopefully passes all the required classes.

Every single teacher said the same thing. She's a great kid. No problem in class. They look forward to seeing her every day. But she is not turning in any homework, projects or take-home tests. So we made a list of what has to be caught up.

I went to parent portal and made a similar list for the twins. Kaleb never bothered to complete his science project. He did the experiments, just didn't write it all up and turn it in with his abstract and charts. I gave up on trying to get him to do it and e-mailed his teacher. He has until Monday (two full weeks late) to do it or get an alternative assignment.

 "How does the length of a closed end tube effect pitch?"

So, no tree lighting, one concert on Sunday but skipped the one Monday night. Other things have come and gone. This is not the way I like to do things. But we have Kaleb's concert Thursday night, Jasmine marches in the kids' parade Friday during the school day, another tree lighting Friday night, (Jasmine is supposed to sing twice at a church but doesn't plan to. It's a county choir so no grade and not required), breakfast with Santa Saturday morning, boat parade Saturday evening, something else I can't remember.

On the up side, River is doing more and more each time I see her. I had lunch with her in the mall food court Monday and then she came over to stay with us for a few hours until Hunter was home from work.

At the mall. She's drinking water.

At the house with her new teddy bear.

Waiting for supper to be ready.

Life Now that School has Started

Now that school has started, we are kind of into a routine, and life is pretty ordinary. We still try to get to the pool or beach on the weekends, but it's not the same. Sigh.

Two of the kids have an insane schedule.

Our days go like this:

On school days, Rick and Kayla are out the door at 6:10 to drop Kayla at her charter school bus stop, and then Rick goes on to work. Jasmine, Kaleb and I get up when they leave. Previous years we all had devos and family meeting at 5:40. So it feels different not doing that. We try to read a devotion at supper because despite the crazy schedules, we try to all eat together even if it's at 4:30.

Kaleb does his afternoon jobs at 6:30 a.m. because his afternoons are crazy. He also does his homework before school. Jasmine does her homework in the morning, too.

Either Ty or I leave with those two at 7:45 and drive them to two schools in two very different districts. Jasmine's school starts at 8:30 and Kaleb's at 9:00. She is in kind of a poor school, and Kaleb goes to the rich middle school. It's laughable how different the school are. Sometimes they have club before school. Both twins plan to join Fellowship of Christian Students/Athletes.

In the afternoon, we pick Jasmine up at 3:10. We were going on to Kaleb's school (he gets out at 3:30), but the car line is so long that it was a two hour round trip. So Rick is picking Kaleb up at 4:00 after he gets off. That is about what time we actual got through car pick up anyway. His doing that really helps because we can get Jasmine home at 3:30 instead of 4:45. Kayla's bus gets here about 3:45.

On Monday evenings starting after Labor Day, Jasmine will have County Christian Choir from 6-8:15. This includes a Bible study each year. They will be going on tour to Michigan next summer.
The twins were going to be in the Middle School choir, but the director was just selected to sing with the USAF choir and tour the world. So middle school choir was cancelled. There has been a bit of a fuss over that, so they may come up with something for them.

Jasmine has percussion at 5 and full band at 6 on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There was no way to get her home, fed and back in the days before Rick took over picking up Kaleb.

Kaleb has swim team every night at the college which is about 45 minutes away, a little less if there is no traffic. Thankfully it starts at 6:45 so he has a short time to get home, eat, change and head back out.

We are going to take Wednesdays off from team and all three go to youth group at church. We may take some Fridays off too. Jasmine has football games many Fridays. I would like them to have some unscheduled time too, although the twins need the structure of schedule even if it's scheduled outdoor free play or Wii (electronics are rare around here with the exception of Ty which is pretty much all the time he isn't at work or driving).

Kayla was supposed to start city soccer, but she violated some counseling goals/rules/boundaries, so she will start with either school soccer or city basketball in a couple of months. She will do youth group with the others but is disappointed there is no middle school choir.

So life is a bit crazy around here. If grades fall or kids get too stressed, something will have to go. The problem is that band really stresses Jasmine out, but if you skip a practice, you can't play at the game plus you get an F AND have to write a research paper. That goes for excused absences too, so don't dare get sick! She is going to drop band either after first semester or after the year because of the stress. It also takes the whole summer. This summer we went on a family vacation at the only time we could, and she missed percussion camp. It wasn't pretty. She also missed an evening practice the week of her surgery and couldn't carry her drum during full band camp because of the weight and her recovery. I think kids need the summer off. We do our summer math and reading packs, but also family time and free play.

While the kids are at school, Jessica, Tyler, River and I get time together. Jessica, River and I went to the beach last week.

My Nikon is damaged, and my water camera's battery went dead after these two photos, so no cute water pictures.

Ty is always talking about how I do things with the girls, but that he and I don't share any major activities (our advanced scuba fell through--money and instructor changes), so he and I went to comic con in Pensacola for a day.

This morning before going to the pool, the girls went to Lowes to the free kid's workshop. Technically Jasmine is too old, but that's one advantage of being small. Even though her age is on the registration form, they have never told her she's too old.

They made the last of the Avengers characters they've been making each time. There were six total.

We've been also working on using the jigsaw at home.

So that's kind of how life has been here lately.

Choir Tour

Jasmine is on a ten day choir tour. They left at 7:30 the very first day of vacation. Their first stop was Memphis. 

Here is their itinerary:

June 2, Thursday: Memphis. Tennessee
Independent Presbyterian Church,4738 Walnut Grove Rd.
7:00 pm Concert

June 3, Friday: Wichita, Kansas
Morningstar Church, 11010 E. Kellogg Dr.
7:00 pm Concert

June 4, Saturday: Dodge City to Colorado Springs
Manor of the Plains, 200 Campus Dr.. Dodge City, Kansas
12:00 noon concert (then to Boot Hill!)

First night of tour.

USAF Academy

June 5, Sunday: Colorado Springs
First United Methodist Church, 420 N. Nevada Ave
8:00AM service (then Hiking in Garden of the Gods; etc.)
Forestgate Presbyterian Church, 970 North Gate Blvd., Col. Springs
6:30 pm concert

June 6 -7, Monday and Tuesday: rafting and camp
Royal Gorge Rafting, Canon City, CO
Ponderosa Retreat & Conference Center, 15235 Furrow Rd., Larkspur,

June 8, Wednesday: biking down Pike’s Peak in the morning
Clayton Assembly of God, 1005 S. First St. in Clayton, NM
6:30 pm Concert

Hiking Garden of the Gods

I think they purchased photos of this that they'll get later.

Jasmine hated this. She said she didn't feel safe, so she rode down in the bus.

 June 9, Thursday: Hike in Palo Duro Canyon in the morning

Belmore Baptist Church, 1214 S. Bell Street, San Angelo, TX
7:00pm Concert

June 10, Friday: Sing at a retirement community, tour San Antonio, Texas and then Smooth Night in New Braunfels, TX
June 11, Saturday: travel to Fairhope, Alabama

June 12, Sunday. Fairhope, Alabama to Panama City, Florida
Eastern Shore Presbyterian Church, 23050 U.S. Hwy 98 

8:30 and 11:00 am Sing at morning services (Fairhope)

She will be home Sunday.

As for the rest of us, I've been trying to pack us for a three destination trip. All three destinations require different clothes and supplies. So that has been crazy.

Rick works all the time as usual.

Tyler and I have not been able to get started on our Advanced Scuba yet. If we don't start this weekend, it will have to wait until July.

Kaleb has been working hard at trombone and his summer work. (Yes, the schools require at least reading and sometimes math during the summer)

Kayla has been hard at work to get her summer work done before she leaves for five weeks of camp.

River has been working very hard on rolling over and has mastered it, both front to back and back to front.

I

We built a raised garden, which is something I'd never heard of before a few weeks ago and never pictured myself making, yet I did. I guess I just wanted to play with power tools. You can see it HERE

And of course there was the day they missed the turn and landed a house in the ditch, so I was late everywhere. Only one road out, and this is it.

Who else has been late because there's been a house in the road? When we lived in the Cotswalds, it was sheep in the way.

River has been checking out the family books, and she recommends it to all families who like to have fun or who like animals. 

In fact, she can't seem to get enough of it!

It's about what?!?