Last day of school is finally here.     We can’t say “last” to Jackson or he cries.  Yes, cries.  He has loved 5th grade with Ms. Aronstein (Susan) our favorite teacher.  We all have a teacher we remember.  I have my first grade teacher, Mrs. Lora Haney (isn’t that cool that my first teacher had the same name… spelled correctly too!)  I think we bonded over our name. (She never called me Lori or Laura)… I used to go see her each year and have never forgotten how much I loved her class.

Jackson & Shelby have their Ms. Aronstein to love and remember.  Both were lucky to have gotten her for their Fifth grade teacher.  I was lucky to be selected as her room   mom twice!  Other kids may say they loved their teacher, but everyone wanted to be in Ms. Aronstein’s class.  Shelby naturally adored her because she was cool, pretty and young.  Jackson came home almost every day and when asked how was his day would answer “awesome”…When asked how was Ms. Aronstein he’d answer “totally awesome, as usual”.  Some people were just meant to teach and Susan is one of those people.  She really touched my children’s minds and hearts and she cares so much about all her children, gosh you just have to love her.

Let me tell you, teachers don’t get enough praise.  Hey, I was a room mom so I got to know the teachers, knowing that my kids would only benefit from me getting to know their teachers better.  I joined PTA only to be eligible to be a Room Mom.  I knew when Jackson got Susan as his teacher that his year  would  be good because I could talk to her as a friend about his “issues”.  She worked with him so sweetly all year. Her concern for him was so appreciated.  Jackson’s ADHD issues can be a challenge even with the pills.  He is insecure, he can be moody and his social skills are weak, but once kids get to know him they like him because he is easy going and a funny kid.  On the plus side, he is so sweet, funny, goofy, gentle, caring and would never hurt anyone intentionally.  And he’s smart as all get out!  (He just hasn’t realized it yet)

Susan and I have had a wonderful relationship and besides Mrs. Haney, Susan is my favorite teacher too!  ♥♥♥

The graduation was very nicely done (a bit long but we’ve come to expect that).  Here is a video of Jackson receiving his diploma from Ms. Aronstein:

Champions again…can you believe it!  Shelby’s team rolled through the PCBC v. Holy Redeemer VB tournament.  We ended up playing only one HR team, their 4th place team so that wasn’t much of a challenge.  Then we had to play two PCBC teams we had played in the regular season and PCBC tournament and had beaten before.  The games were much closer this time around.  The other teams had improved a lot, but we still were better. 

Our team actually did the bump, set, spike fundamental that makes for good volleyball.  None of the other teams did that.  They may have hit the ball three times, but it wasn’t on purpose.  Lots of balls off the walls, off the ceiling!  But the majority of our girls just did everything the way you want to see an improving team do.  We ended with only one girl who couldn’t serve over the net, but she did get one ball over in one game and made a point so that was very exciting.  If she had taken the game more seriously through the season, she would have achieved it sooner.  The main thing was they played as a team, they encouraged each other on every point.

Shelby was injured in the second game of the championship game.  She went down hard on her knee, I think her knee pad slipped right as she hit the floor.  We didn’t know if she would play any more but she came through and played the rest of the game after a brief break and was there for the tie breaker game.  That set the stage for our “Volleyball Diva” to come out. 

Shelby really punishes herself for any mistake she makes.  She had a lift call made on her that she just didn’t agree with and that set her off.  Add in the injury, it just wasn’t pretty for a while there.  Her coach told me he looks at it this was, Shelby is passionate about her play and that is a good thing, but there is a level where passion can become a detriment to your mind in a game.  When you reach that level of passion and go past it, you can shut yourself down in your head and that’s not what you want.  So while the passion is a good thing in a player, she needs to know when to not pass the line from passionate to petulant.  She is only 13 so she has time to work on this.  Shelby plays basketball the same way, she is her own hardest critic.  So we will work on this issue in the coming years.

Couldn’t end this post about the tournament without some photos of the twin towers.  Shelby & Stephanie did an excellent job at the games and we are so proud of both of them.  Go Double Champion Rainbow Warriors! What a Season!!!!!!

Yep, my baby did it again!  Her team won the Championship at PCBC tonight, this time in volleyball.  Basketball first, now VB!  The team played so well, they pretty much shut the other team down in the second game, I think they won 25-10.  Shelby had a great game, served beautifully and played so well in all positions.  We had 2 girls playing that had not played before this season and they too stepped up their game tonight. A perfect storm situation!   I’m just so proud of Shelby. The team only lost one game and that was because our own coach told our best servers, Shelby & Stephanie, to choke because we were doing so well…and then we lost our mojo and lost to a team who only won one game!!!! (and God help us they had Carolina blue on which drove me nuts). I think our club team would lose if they took on these girls tonight.  That has been my one criticism of the club team…they just didn’t play as a team, they folded every time because they didn’t build up the camaraderie needed to be a successful team at that level of play .  Hopefully the coaching staff will address that in the fall when the teams are formed again.

For tonight, I’ll just savor Shelby’s winning streak. And I’m not forgetting the boys who also did so well this Spring (Jackson won the PCBC BB championship and Clayton’s futball team --soccer is only called soccer in US, we need to join the rest of the world and use the correct name--- won the top spot for U14 and only lost one game) ..I almost forgot I won in my age group in my first 5k…..yeah,baby…. I’m really enjoying these wins for ALL of us as this is a FIRST in the King household and I’d be surprised to see this all come together again any time soon.

You Rock Shelby!    

Today I met Maria Chininis, Asst. Principal at Norcross High School.  I really had to, I just didn’t understand what to do to motivate Clayton for HS.  I wanted to be sure I knew exactly what academic path he would be starting  on  next fall and make sure that it was the right path for him.

Sooooo, when I arrive, she has already printed out the sheet with Clayton’s classes for the fall and she has looked up his test scores.  The first things she said to me was “I think he needs to be in AP classes”.  Oh my, he didn’t get a letter inviting him to take any AP classes like some of the other “gifted” kids at PMS.  Come to find out those letters don’t mean squat. Not with his test scores.  He tests so high that she feels he’s not being challenged enough. Ummmmm, I don’t think that’s the case…come on we all know my Clayton stories.  But she is so enthusiastic about his years at NHS you can’t help but get caught up in her enthusiasm.   (was she a pep squad member or cheerleader as a youth ‘cause she’s good)  Reality, though, is another thing. 

We talked about how he can get plugged in, the different clubs and activities out there for him.  I’ve suggested he try chorus (Glee Club) which before the show Glee would have been a big NO the moment the words left my mouth, but he is considering it. I know shocking, but he’s just “considering” it.   Socially, he can join the Blue Crew which sounds like fun.  He could go totally geek and join the Math Club, but  I have a hard time seeing that, don’t you?  Maria thinks he should try out for soccer, but I still don’t think it will happen for him, it’s such a tough team to make with all the “competition”  from other middle schools.

Maria offered to let Clayton come in next week and sit in on an AP Biology class before his middle school starts.  He said he would like to check it out. Well, needless to say, I was shocked he even considered it, much less said he would check it out.  She did tell me if he takes an AP class this fall, and after about 2 weeks hates it, she will move him into a gifted class.  At first she said he could make up his mind by mid June, then she said even July would be ok.

Here is my question, am I pushing him to take classes he really doesn’t want to take?  It’s not like he does his best at at school to please me, but what if he’s considering this just to make me happy?  That’s not the right reason to take it.  He could wait until Sophomore year and take AP classes then.  Gosh, this is worse than picking out wallpaper!

Now the class schedule Clayton has already been given is all Gifted and it’s a  rigorous schedule.  He is on the hardest Math path available.  Looks like he will take 2 years of French (II & III).  His Freshman elective will be a computer class he wanted to take.  We still have to figure out when to take Health and PE.  But I left there feeling that this could be a whole new world opening up for Clayton if he just takes the opportunity.  Maybe he will finally give in to the “smart side” and allow his intelligence to shine.  Maybe not.  Ahhh, the future is wide open.  I’ll let you know how his visit to AP Biology goes!

I don’t know how your Mother’s Day was, but we celebrated Mother’s Day today, on Saturday, and had a blast.  Of course, the day was dominated by soccer games.  Jackson had his last game of the season and then his team party.  I sent Krispy Kreme donuts and they were a huge hit with the little boys.  Clayton still has soccer games coming up on Mother’s Day, Wed. and the State Rec Cup Tournament next weekend.  But that’s ok, I enjoy watching them play.

The fam gave me a new sports watch for Mother’s Day (how did they know that’s what I wanted!) and took me out to La Parrilla for dinner.  Then I wanted the family to go bowling…and it was such fun.  We really had a good time and I think the last time we went bowling together was when Robbert and Ellen visited from Holland 3 yrs ago.  And even then, H and Robbert didn’t go with us.  So this was great craic. (look it up if you don’t know this word)

Well, let me just tell you up front, I dominated them all!  Hey, it’s my blog so I can brag all I want to. 

My best game was a 146 (way below what I used to bowl) but still decent enough.  I think my weights and resistance training has helped strengthen back up my arms.   We played two singles games (yep won both ) and one X-Y games (me and Shelby v. H & Clay)…yep us girls won with a 111 score.  I think H’s bad knee and C not being able to control his spin helped me/us dominate….along with the fact I’m a pretty darn good bowler (for which I credit that one semester of bowling I took in college).

Shelby has the cutest little skip she does when she starts her swing, she improved throughout the game.



Jackson got discouraged as he just doesn’t have any arm muscle to speak of but thank goodness we played with bumpers and that helped him out.

 

Clayton is more interested in his hair and wearing his new sunglasses to worry too much about his game 

So of course I had to steal those glasses from him….



H really bowled quite well, but not good enough to beat the wifey!    



Silly fun was had by all!



We ended the night getting ice cream for the kids.  Everyone was happy.  Tomorrow they plan on being really sweet to me, but really, I had what I wanted today….a day with my (when they want to be) fun family, no fighting teenagers and ice cream…can’t ask for more than that.  Thank you family for such great evening, fun memories (and photos) …and for my sports watch!!  Best Mother’s Day evah. 

Oh so true!  And I’m not talking about those little girl wanna be princesses, I’m talking about the grown up ones, like me and my princess peeps.  Recently, to celebrate our “princessness” (new word) we took a Sunday afternoon and went to pay homage to our favorite Princess…Diana.  Her travelling exhibit with THE wedding dress came to Atlanta and we just had to go see it up-close and in person!  We headed down to the exhibit in the princess van driven by Princess Paula.  Driving with PP can be fun and an adventure all by itself, but throw in Princess Dawn & Princess Michelle, well it was just a royal good time.

My pretty & SMART princesses brought tiara’s for all of us to wear.  As we were walking to the building a car-load of princesses (from a far off land)  arrived also wearing their crowns and took our picture!  Here we are getting ready to go into the exhibit:

Sooooo, we first must go to the royal throne because PP can’t go more than 20 15 minutes without a potty break ….then we finally enter the exhibit.

The entire exhibit focused naturally on Diana.  Really not much there about her sons or really about Charles (thank goodness…horrid man that he is).  There were lots of personal items of hers throughout her life. Diana was a pretty child, as we saw in pastel drawings and home movies. Earl Spencer raised Diana and her siblings after a traumatic divorce, but in other respects her childhood was uneventful, or as uneventful as someone with that pedigree can have. Diana loved to swim, dive and dance.  On exhibit is an elementary school report that says she had pleasant manners..nothing about her being very smart though.   Her late teenage years were spent as a nanny and assistant kindergarten teacher in London, where she shared an apartment that she owned with friends.

While we did get to see some lovely family jewelry, the main thing we wanted to see was naturally The Wedding Dress.

An ivory mass of  silk taffeta, lace, tulle, sequins and pearls, with a 25-foot train, Lady Diana Spencer’s 1981 wedding gown is the centerpiece of the exhibit.  Up close it somehow looked smaller than I thought it would or thought I remembered.  In photos, the train is being held up so it gives the appearance of being much longer.  We all reminisced about watching the wedding of the century. I remember staying up the whole night to see her arrive at the church.  Even then, the dress was a throw back to a different time and I don’t think it’s style has aged well, but it is gorgeous to see. 

There is a nice room or remembrance for Diana that focuses on her untimely death.  Elton John’s rewrite to “Candle in the Wind” is there and the whole speech her brother read with edits is on display.  Then you walk into the other main attraction, her dresses.  Oh my goodness, they were something to see.  Some were absolutely beautiful, others not so hot.  You can see how her clothing size went down (remember she was bulimic) through the years, but her elegance went UP!  She wore these clothes for special events and she wore them to do her charitable work. Really, looking at someone’s clothing can make you feel so close to them…isn’t that interesting.



The exhibit ends with a wall showing books of condolences from all over the world.  That’s such a testimony on how she was loved, whether she deserved that adulation or not. 

The entire exhibit, like its subject, is intellectually slight, charming, and unexpectedly moving.  As you leave the exhibit you see this famous photo of Diana (oh aren’t those princesses with her awdorable!)  Tiara’s and pearls…simply divine. What a fun outing.