The Pool is Done but so is Summer

The pool is done and ready for us to take a dip, but unfortunately, even with the heater, it is already too cold to swim. Our eight week project turned into a three and a half month ordeal. 

In August we got the retaining wall built after three weeks of no progress and miscommunication among us, the pool company, and the rock guy. It was worth the wait! I absolutely love the limestone.

Then in September they completed the coping and spread the gravel for the concrete. I pretended I was on vacation in Mexico while I listened to the music of the stone masters laying the brick. 

After a week of rain, we finally got the concrete poured. 

The mound of dirt was finally leveled in the backyard and Wes added grass seed and straw in the hopes we would get something to grow. It has worked, too! 

This week the heater was connected and the lights were turned on. It’s 47 degrees. We got it finished just in time to close it. Next summer will be grand!

It Must be Monday Night

It must be Monday night. It’s almost 1000, and Evan is on the front porch wrapped in his Cowboys blanket, guzzling caffeine, and reading - just as he has done every Monday for the past two months.

He has AP Lit tomorrow morning and has forty pages to read in “The Kite Runner.” He’s only known since last Thursday, his last day of class. He chose not to read in the hotel this weekend, he chose not to read once he was home last night, and he chose not to read when he got home from early dismissal today. 

40 pages?!?? Cramming is always better! Just ask him. He must take after his dad. 

Art Class

Keagan’s favorite class this year is his art class. He says drawing in a quiet room with relaxing music is a great stress reliever. On his first week of school he was super excited to show us his drawing of an astronaut floating in space. He and art class have had many misunderstandings for many years; they have never gotten along. We thought for sure this was going to be a stick figure next to the clouds. 

We were actually surprised at how good it looked. 

I bought him a sketch book, and every week he works on a new project including some aspect of art the teacher has presented. Last week it was shading. 

Then he was tasked with demonstrating perspective by drawing his shoe. He spent a considerable amount of time on it and was super proud of his final product. He even took a picture of it to show us at home. He was so excited to turn in his first piece of stellar art. Imagine his surprise when he found he had earned a C! 

That day he went to the teacher and said, “I know you’re the teacher and all, but this is the best drawing I have ever done in my whole 16 years of life. Surely you missed some of my details.”

She responded, “You forgot to shade. You have a C.”

His lowest grade this year will be art class. 😂

Weekend Travels

Evan’s soccer team played in Montgomery. Alabama this weekend. While there are no soccer highlights worth mentioning beyond the win, we spent Sunday morning on the Civil Rights Trail in the downtown area. 

I’m currently teaching a unit on Rosa Parks, and her famous bus scene is part of our discussion. I was super excited to be able to see her arrest site and museum - even if it was just concrete with a sign. Evan was not nearly as thrilled with this morning stop, but he did it with no complaints.

We also made a stop at the church MLK, Jr pastored.

Then we headed to the Civil Rights Museum. Of course nothing was open, but we got out of the hotel and got a chance to soak up the last of the summer sun.





Evan and I got home last night at 9:30. We are stumbling through the first day of a new week already looking forward to next weekend and sleep. 

Scrubs Day

Keagan is in the health science program at the high school, and for extra credit, he can wear scrubs to school. Today was scrubs day. 

He’s rockin’ the look, y’all! I can’t get over how cute he is with that smile!

Senior Pics

Today was senior picture day for the yearbook. No drapes or tuxes were allowed to be shared and worn by students due to Covid, so the kids were asked to wear street clothes. I picked out a shirt for Evan to wear and came home to find another shirt discarded in his room. I asked him to shave, but I was at work and I have no idea what he did to prepare for his 15 minute window of time. No parents were allowed to enter the photography session, so I’m going to be really surprised when I see the yearbook next May. 🤞🏻

Senior Night

Tonight’s football game was senior night at CHS, the opposing high school just down the street. After four years of cheer, Evan and I went to see Makinley walk across the field. The theme for the event was Patriot’s Day, so it made perfect sense for Evan to wear his Trump shirt. (Just like he does the other three days of the week that he wears it.)

There are so many lasts coming our way, but I barely have time to think about them for planning and coordinating the next last event. 

Somethin’ Bout a Truck

Because of CoVID, the local DMVs were booked months out for new drivers’ tests when they finally reopened. We called in July to get an appointment and the first available was today. Keagan missed school this morning, but he’s finally a licensed driver! 

Evan has late arrival M, W, and F. He has early dismissal on T and Th. Trying to coordinate schedules and pick ups was just too much, so he has new wheels to take him to and from school. 

He’s one lucky kid! 

Start to Soccer Season

Three weeks ago I thought Keagan’s travel soccer season was over before it began. Our coach moved out of state. We only rostered 14 players, our best midfielder is out for the year, and then our CB broke a bone in his cheek right before state league competition began. I thought for sure nothing good could come from such a sorry start. 

I mean it’s picture time, and we can’t even wear the same uniform. 

But what I failed to see was the heart of the fourteen players on the field. We won last weekend 3-0 with conservative substitutions that left us with nine players on the field for some of the game. It was hot; the boys were exhausted, and yet they kept persevering.

Saturday night we won 2-1 after the ref dished out two red cards and four yellows. As a result, we are playing down a man tomorrow. And in the hottest part of the day with only eleven field players we won state league game number three 5-2. What a great weekend of soccer! To top it off, we get to do it all over again next weekend!