06/04/2013

It feels like summer time is here, although we still have three more days of school.  We're trying to finish strong, though!
Last week was my last week of seminary for the year.  I'm excited for next year teaching the Book of Mormon, and I'm hoping to use the summer well to get ready for that.  I'm still trying hard to figure out a better place/time to meet.  I can't please everybody.  Some kids will always have something that conflicts with any time we choose, I guess.  But, the attendance in my class over the last month or so was really pathetic.  This calling is much too hard and time-consuming for it not to be of real value to these kids, and I just don't feel it happening at 6:15!  One morning last week I had Mosey come in and sit in on my class (he's always up playing on the computer, anyway).  If only my students were all as alert and attentive and eager to participate as my 9-year-old!  :-)
We had a nice weekend.  Friday night found me in bed at 8:30, recovering from my last week of seminary.  Even though our last day was supposed to mostly be a breakfast party, I still wanted to do something meaningful, so at the last minute I came up with a game-- guess the new Scripture Mastery verses (since they are changing this next year!).  So, between getting that ready, and making blueberry muffins, and the general cleaning up and chores that have to happen after the boys' bedtime, I was still up way too late, and then battled insomnia.  I won't miss that part of seminary this summer!
But on Saturday night, Brigham and Mosey and I went to the Austin Symphony's final concert of the season. I love going with these boys!  Ben is not a symphony kind of person, and so it is really awesome to have sons old enough to be appreciative dates for me.  :-)  It was such a great concert, too, with an incredible soloist playing Tchaikovsky's violin concerto.  It was thrilling and inspiring and such a fun thing to do with my boys.  I wish Joseph would have gone!  I really think he would like it, and I'm not sure why he didn't want to go.  But, he and Ben had a good night, going to Academy to buy some tennis rackets, and then going to play tennis at one of the country club courts.  I want the boys to go to a tennis camp for a couple of weeks this summer, because I think it is a great sport they might really like.
This week the boys have a Lego "Battle 'Bots" camp in the afternoons from 1:00-4:00.  This is the first time I have had 3 hours of kid-free time during the day in... I'm not sure.  Years?  Anyway, I spent my three hours yesterday folding laundry, and my three hours today researching curriculum for next year.  I have no life.  :-)
Joseph and Mosey and I went to the library late this afternoon after Joseph's flute lesson and we came home with a stack of books after renewing my card.  Summertime for me as a kid meant library books!  I walked to the library from our house on Chevy Chase and came home with 5-10 books every week, which I would systematically read through until it was time to take them back and come home with another 5-10 books the next week!  I remember sitting on my bed in my cool, dark bedroom, devouring book after book.  No computer games, no internet!  Those were the days.  :-)
I'm listening to an audio book right now that was written in 1992.  I was a sophomore in high school in 1992, which was a long time ago, but still doesn't seem that long ago.  But listening to this book makes me hyper-aware of the massive changes that have occurred in our society in the last 20 years because of technology.  Lots and lots of good, and lots and lots of bad.
Well, off to bed now.  After I go clean up the kitchen.