Willie is at Skills USA Welding Competition

This weekend is the state competition of Skills USA.  Because of Willie's 1st place at the Kenai competition he now finds himself staying at the Hilton, Downtown with a couple other kids from Homer participating in the event.  (PS I lost my good camera snow-machining last week.  Now this blog is picture free)



When he went to the Kenai competition I didn't know he was going.  I told him that I felt disappointed because I want to have the opportunity to cheer him on.  He said, "If I come in first place I get to go to Anchorage."  I said, "OK, if you come in first place Marina and I are going to anchorage to support you in the competition!"  Well, guess what?  Marina and I are now in Anchorage and we are going to spend the weekend popping in on Willie!  (I wonder if he realized what a downer it is to have your mom popping in and out on you while you are on a weekend away in Anchorage.  hee hee hee)

Marina and I arrived at the Hilton just in time to see him waiting in the line for the interview portion of the competition.  He was sitting in the conference hall with a white shirt and tie waiting his turn.  Right as soon as we hugged him he got called into his interview.  I liked what I saw.  He smiled, shook hands with the people and went in.

Marina and I are staying with our friends, Sophi, Kari, and Ryan.  When it was time for baby Sophie to go to bed Marina and I headed out to Chuckie Cheese for a late night video game run.

Parenting Tip of the Week:  If you ever doubt your parenting skills...if you ever do anything in which you are sure will end with your child in therapy later in life...take your kids to Chuckie Cheese at 8pm on a school night.  Whatever you did, whoever you were at that moment, probably was not as lame as the kind of parenting on display at Chuckie Cheese at 9pm on a school night.  Here are the dads who have their entire butt hanging out of there belted jeans.  Here are the moms who are filling soda into the sippy cups for their three year olds.

Today Willie welds.  We will go check in on him at UAA.  Tomorrow is the award ceremony.  Send positive energy and prayers to Willie!

Marina and Falcom at the McNeil Canyon Talent Show

The McNeil Canyon Elementary School Talent Show and Pie Auction marks the beginning of our families 'Performance Season'.  This year Marina didn't want to do much participating,( except in the ROYGBIV skit) until Falcom's co-singer told him she could not drive from Diamond Ridge Road to perform with him on a school night.  In Falcom's mind who was the next best candidate for this job ?  His sister Marina.

This might come as a surprise to many readers, but like every pair of siblings, these two argue a lot.  They argue and argue and it is usually within my earshot and drives me crazy.  When they came to me and to Cherish and explained their plan I said, 'Sure, Whatever...'  and Cherish said, "I will not be doing anything half way and unprofessional so you will both have to commit to coming and practicing with me."

Guess what happened?  They practiced.  When I watched them practice it was amazing.  There was no drama like Falcom has with other friends at school.  Marina is not intimidated by his talent.  He would correct her or point out her error and she would say, "Of course Fal!  I have to learn it, stop it!"  There was none of this, 'Falcom is good and I am not', self talk.

Instead, Falcom told her how good she was.  And he meant it.  Trust me, he does not hold back when someone's singing is not up to snuff.  You can ask Mema and she will tell you.

When I watched them sing together it was like a mother's dream come true:  Sweet, beautiful voices working together to make something lovely.  After the show I was approached by many friends who all said the same thing, "We expect that from Falcom, but we had no idea that Marina had such a wonderful voice!"

Thank you Falcom, Marina, and Cherish for making my heart sing!

More Great News

 Willie won first place in the Kenai Peninsula Borough Skills USA welding competition!  He will now be heading up to Anchorage to go for the 10,000 dollar grand prize scholarship!  We are so, so proud!

Andy

Sunday evening we received a call, today I received the following email

To all cast members,

Congratulations to all of you who auditioned last week for "Annie".

The directors have decided to change the main character to "Andy".

And everyone 8 years and older, who auditioned last week, has a part.

So welcome to the cast of "Little Orphan Andy".

Thank you all.

This will be a wonderful adventure!

Gail

Yes, Falcom is Andy.

One Month

 One Month...I can not help but wonder how I let this happen!  Oh, right...15 graduate level units.  Practicum teaching and a full on family.  One month...  Here we go...

 Willie turned 19.  The older the kids get the less dramatic the birthdays are.  Willie is now a 19 year old man.  His friend was here celebrating with us.  We love you Willie!

I let the kids get library cards...I let them...They let me drive them to the library and sign my name under theirs.  Good thing because now I can't find mine!

Just in case you have forgotten, I am a force to be reckoned with, especially when I am teaching electricity at school!

Check out the reproduction of Humphrey Davey's first light bulb!

 The Tustumena 200 sled dog race had a check point at the kids school.  For those of you unaware, this is like, well, if the Tour De France came through your neighborhood.  Anyway, it was about -20 that day and blue beautiful skies.  DT became a race official and had a great weekend hanging out with the mushers and the dogs and the neighbors all working together to make this race the success that it was.

I made it about 20 minutes and then decided I preferred warmth. 

I came home and watched the beautiful night sky from my squishy round couch!

 This month it continued snowing.  This is Beezer's house covered and surrounded up to halfway up the window.

The kids had a dance recital.  Falcom learned some swing.  Totally great!

It snowed some more...

 The Girl Scout Troop 584 went to Seward for an overnight science trip to the Sealife Center.  It was great!

 If I do say so myself!

 Marina got to dissect a squid and learn about it's important features...

And there is a very brief update of the month...very brief... Stay tuned for the big news tomorrow!

After the Second Storm

and before the third.

The Perfect Storm

 Who suffers most on a snow day?  The kids who get to stay home from school?  The mother who does not have a plan for the kids who are now staying home from school?  The chickens and ducks who spend the night tucked into their coop wondering if they will be left alone to die after their coop is completely engulfed by snow?  Or is it the 'outside job' members of the family who spend the day digging and plowing...

The kids were not as excited about the snow day as one might assume.  Tuesday is art day and Marina wasn't going to get to do that.  Once the anxiety was off to get to school, Falcom fell back to sleep and did not emerge until 9am.  I have enough activities in my back pocket to entertain the children with that I had no problem.  Art, robotics, typing, book reports...I am an endless supply of ideas. Usually, this just makes them avoid me.

The chickens were relieved to see me shoveling them out.  Their crowing and clucking grew louder and louder the closer I got to their coop! All ducks ran right outside when they had the chance.

That means that the burden of the blizzard fell solidly on the men and their heavy machines.  Vince spent the day plowing with Jason.  The truck got stuck only once, way down the road since there was no way to back up and no way to turn around.  Valda had to snowshoe out of her house to come see us.  She had to have Jeff Middleton come over with his bulldozer to clear her drive because there was no way Vince could do it. The children spent over an hour trying to shovel the trampoline. DT and Willie were in town shoveling snow for Joe O'Malley.  They could not get home because our road did not get plowed until after 6pm and by that time they were so tired from the hours and hours of shoveling they did, they just wanted to pass out.

While everyone was outside, busy with their combustible engines and shovels, I baked bread and cookies.  I relished in having everyone home, busy and safe, while I prepared carbohydrates for them.  Yes, I believe that, for me, it may have been the perfect storm.