Sleeping In, The Park and our Almost Teen

Today was one of our wonderful Tuesdays.

I got to catch up with a couple of work colleagues from home (thanks TJ and John!) and my sister-in-law (thanks Lynne!) which is always nice. This is my sixth week of the semester and I've got to switch my focus a bit from teaching to research in order to meet some of the goals I have for our time here.

I posted my midterm and have gotten a few panicked emails. I really have no idea what these students can do or what kind of curve is expected but it is good to set high expectations... I can always lower them!

While at work I was getting regular updates from Sheila that Johnny was sleeping in and could I email the principal to let him know...? He slept in until TEN a.m.!?!?

I headed home after work and Sheila and I walked over to the park and watched the end of the boy's tennis lesson. Sheila said that Johnny said he didn't really like it but he was excited to show us his "top spin." Pearce and Oscar (I've been spelling Pearce wrong this whole time and Dervla is in fact Dervla!) have been playing for a while and so I think Johnny just has a case of feeling like the beginner... I hope he likes tennis because it is definitely something he can do this summer at home.

I love having the park so close. The boys just leave us behind and head home on their bikes. Johnny knows to watch for cars and can navigate the few short blocks back to our place.... By the time Sheila and I round the corner they are already in the house comparing Match Attax cards and grabbing a snack.

Before we knew it the door buzzed and another kid (the older soccer player from an earlier post who visits his grandma-Josh) was at the door calling for Johnny. All four boys headed back out to play soccer while I walked up to Clark's to grab some apples. By the time I got to the park they had laid out goals (Josh's tie and Johnny's sweater on one end, the actual posts on the other) and were embroiled in a match.

I jumped right in!

Somehow playing outside at home isn't quite as easy as it can be here (at least when it is not sleeting). Maybe it's the park and our proximity to the park. But maybe it's also just that we are too busy at home and kids aren't running around. In any case I will miss it. And soccer is way more fun than it looks!

We came home and the three boys went upstairs to "do their homework." In actuality I would hear moments of quiet punctuated with rowdy roiling around the room and yells about lost pencils, being done first with this or that and then more roiling. I love the boy energy.

Dervla showed up with dinner in hand and Sheila made her now famous sweet potato egg rolls before heading out to her class. I picked up a pie at my favorite Butlers Pantry and we had a fantastic meal.

Maggie seems to have turned a corner after a somewhat difficult weekend. She really misses her friends back home and sometimes it is hard for her see the forest for the trees. A package from her Aunt, a little love and tenderness from us, and a huge birthday on the horizon and she has come out of her shell a bit.... Even drafting another blog entry! We are starting "celebration 13" this weekend and plan to continue it well into St Patricks Day!