September ended much more calmly than it started, thank goodness. Nicholas was in his last primary program ever. The practice on Saturday was a disaster. I didn't know how they were going to do on Sunday, but I can now say I believe in miracles. The program was amazing the spirit there was very strong. The kids really pulled through in a pinch. Good for them.
Jeremy and Nick's school won the contest for most spirit by getting the most votes online. They were rewarded with a pep rally from the local news station. It was fun to watch all the kids have such a good time cheering and playing games. The cameras were rolling the whole time and there were several clips on the news the next morning. I love this school!!!
Jeremy finished the fire ring for his Eagle project. He has been working so hard to make sure everything gets done. I am so proud of him.
At the elementary school the kids are awarded for good behavior with "bees". It goes along with their school motto "Be safe. Be respectful. Be responsible." When the class accumulates different amounts of bees they are rewarded with a fun day. Naomi's class earned enough bees to have pajama day and wacky hair day on the same day. The kids LOVE it!
October 10th we had a great Relief Society enrichment night. We had a fireside with a real fire and s'mores and wassail and all sorts of fun goodies. There were speakers and musical numbers all around finding peace in our lives. It was great. I definitely left there feeling more peaceful than I have in a long time. I love our ward!
October 12th Naomi is taking violin lessons! Long story short, she has been begging to take violin lessons for about a year now, but the price of lessons is high and I didn't know if we could fit that into the budget. I wasn't supposed to be able to go to the enrichment night because of a meeting at Lake Norman Charter which got changed at the last minute. At the enrichment, Sister Gullion played a violin duet and it was beautiful. I called her up and asked if she would be interested in teaching lessons. She was thrilled that I had asked and I was thrilled that she accepted. Her rate is within our budget and Naomi already loves her because Brother Gullion is Naomi's primary teacher. Sister Gullion helps out occassionally. This is the definition of a win-win-win. We had her fitted for a violin and we are all set.
October 13th Nicholas was having a really hard day because his molars were coming in. On in particular was giving him a tough time. I almost dropped the flashlight when I looked in the back of his mouth. The gums were so swollen and red it was scary. We had him in the dentist office first thing the next morning. Dr. Neidan had to scrape and pull the skin away from the tooth so it could grow in properly. No wonder Nick was in so much pain. He feels much better now.
October 17th was Parent Teacher Conferences with Nick's teachers. He has all As and one B. For anyone who knows Nick they will understand just how hard he worked to get those grades. Since there was no school during Parent Teacher Conferences, Nick got to spend time with his buddy, Matthew. They played at Matt's house one day and then spent the night here and played all the next day. It was a heavenly weekend for him.
October 18th I met with Jeremy's teachers. They all said he was doing great and were impressed with him as a person. Those are the things a mom wants/needs to hear. He has a tough load this year (4 of his 7 classes are Honors) and he is handling it all very well.
October 18th was also movie night at the elementary school. Each month a different grade sponsors the movie night and they get to keep all the proceeds to go towards things they want to purchase for their grade. Since it was the second grades night, we let Naomi go. She was so excited when we dropped her off. A whole night with her friends. When I picked her up at the end of the night she said she had fun but she didn't want to do it again because all the kids were so loud she couldn't even hear the movie. I told her that was part of the fun, but she didn't agree with me on that point.
October 19th was Naomi's first violin lesson. SHE LOVED IT!!! This is going to be a good thing.
October 21st Nick was notified that he had made Honor Roll. He was so excited about it he grinned for at least a week afterwards. He is working harder than ever to get on the honor roll again. Way to go, Nick!
October 24th I had my Parent Teacher Conference with Naomi's teacher. Ms. Rosales was very pleased with Naomi's work and progress. Naomi's test scores on the proficiency test from the beginning of the year placed her in the top 1-4% of students nationally. She has been identified as eligible for the Talent Development program. We are both thrilled. This means that next year she will almost definitely get her two favorite teachers in the third grade. Way to go, Naomi!
Since we didn't get around to carving pumpkins last year we made it a top priority this year. The kids had a great time pulling out the gunk and creating their masterpieces.
October 28th Nick had his Skills Day for Mallard Creek Optimist Basketball. He had to play in a scrimmage game while all the coaches were watching so he could get placed on a team. I thought he did a great job considering he hadn't really played in a scrimmage before. He is going to be a force on the defensive side. Watch out!! Since the skills day he has been practicing any time he can.
Halloween preparation is fun and yummy! Our friends joined us for a little cookie decorating.
October 30th was a Court of Honor and Nick was awarded his First Class. He was the first in his little group of friends to get there. He is a great leader.
Ridge Road Middle School follow-up. I was not the only parent that wrote a letter to the superintendant and as a result there have been a lot of changes made at Ridge Middle. Dr. Menan, the vice principal over the 8th grade, is no longer there. He was replaced with the completely wonderful and personable Mr. Beavers who used to be the vice principal at the elementary school. They have also instituted an in-school suspension program at Ridge since so many of the referrals were coming from Ridge anyway. They are trying to improve the image of the school which has been on the decline for the last several years. I am glad to see these positive changes. Just goes to prove that your voice can change things if you are willing to open your mouth.
Halloween 2013
There was a full moon that night. AWESOME!!
Jeremy hid in the bushes all dressed in camo to scare people as he handed out candy. He had to be "not scary" for the little kids which meant taking off his mask and standing by the door instead of hiding in the bushes. The older kids I let him have fun with. He had a grand time scaring everyone. A couple of teenaged girls came to the door. He heard them talking as they walked up the sidewalk. One of them was talking to the other and said, "I love their scary decorations. I have been dying to come to this house!" Jeremy quietly stepped out of the bushes and said, "Are you sure you are dying?" The girls started screaming and running down the street. Their dad was on the sidewalk laughing and telling Jeremy that had made his night. When the girls calmed down they came back and gave Jeremy a huge hug while telling him that was the best scare they had all night. "Mom, this was the BEST HALLOWEEN EVER!!! Hugs from girls are much better than candy!!"
Candy Coma!!!!!
