Owens Christmas program

Heartbreaking loss

Yesterday Milton schools informed us of the passing of a schoolmate. Maria Dorn age 17 a band student and fellow flute player with Grace. Grace knew her but not closely. She does have a sister that is a freshman as well. Even though we didn't know her or her family closely it is so heartbreaking. 

Last year Grace had a band concert I attended by myself. I arrived early to get a good seat. I sat next to a lady that I realize now was Maria's mother, Alita. We ended up talking for an hour before the concert started after we figured out that our girls were in the same grade. We talked about the start of the school year and how it was for our girls. I had mentioned that Grace was having some trouble with a teacher and it was causing some anxiety with her work she brought home. At that time she would have some moments at home where she would get really overwhelmed with her homework and shut down. Almost as though she was having a anxiety attack. I had mentioned that I had thought about taking her to see someone. Alita started to tell me that her older daughter which happened to be Maria has had many issues of anxiety, depression and was overcoming an eating disorder. She gave me some advice on where I could start and how insurance would cover certain places but not others. She was the most wonderful person to talk with and the nicest lady. Her husband Michael is a teacher at Milton high and one of the nicest guys. 

Thinking back about this conversation with her and hearing her struggle then reading Maria's obituary hit me hard. Maria commuted suicide by overdose. Her obituary states her life was tumultous. By talking with those who were close to her there were many more factors that went into her struggle. She was a cutter and also realized she was gay. I just can't imagine having so much pain as a young girl. Life is hard enough at that age I can only imagine putting your own struggles on top of that. 

I will indeed be hugging Grace a lot tighter today and we will have a mom daughter heart to heart about Maria and her struggles. This is just so very hard to swallow. 

http://www.whitcomb-lynch.com/book-of-memories/2306370/Dorn-Maria/service-details.php

What's with all the old posts?

Logging into blogspot I saw I had a few posts that never uploaded. Sorry to overwhelm you 😉

Homework Nights

Is it possible that you can be burnt out with school and it's only 2weeks in??? Owen has 2 pages of math work plus 20 minutes of reading each night. This is proving to be not only a lot for him but for us as well by having to walk him through each story problem. This is seeming to take over an hour each night. Seems like so much for just a 3rd grader! Just got a note home that spelling words will be coming home soon too!

Grace is needing help with math just about every night. Thank god Aaron is able to help with that! Not to mention all the other events between two kids!

I have a very high needs special Ed student I am with most of the day that can turn into a ball of furry at a blink of an eye which adds a lot of stress.  However, I have to toot my own horn. I have been able to get this kid to both science and his art, gym and music classes for the last 2 weeks with no problems! This was not able to be done last year hardly at all.i am so proud at how well he has been doing!

Anyway, it's only September??? I'm just hoping that we get in the swing of things very soon! 

12-3-15 happy to report we have got over the homework hump! Both kids are settling in well to the school schedules!

Socialite Grace King

Here are a few pics I caught via social media of Grace this week. 

The first set are pics off Miltons Twitter page;

Here are some from her snap chat

Homecoming week

What a fast week it was!! Won our football game by 2 points with a great ending! Weather was beautiful all week in the upper 70's and no rain. Grace had a great time getting ready for the dance with her friends and looked beautiful! 

This last photo taken from graces Instagram sums it all up 😊

Owens greatest day ever

What a day for our little man! Started out with his first hockey game in Madison. His team played a great game with several goals and one scored by Owen! He skated so well and in just a month we have seen great improvements in his skating ability!

Later on in the evening was his Cub Scout pinewood derby night. Owen took home the second place trophy for his bear pack! He was so surprised and excited! As I tucked him in for bed we talked about his day and all he could say was how he couldn't believe he won his first trophie! 

Whoa

I came across this picture today....

It was taken just 3 years ago. I am dumbfounded as to how little the kids look. It made me very happy and sad. Happy because I see the joy on their faces and think about how special this moment was starting the elf on the shelf tradition. I had begun dreading the return of the elf this year. It's always when I'm tired and ready for bed that Aaron reminds me that we have to move the elf and I started to regret the thing. But, when I saw this photo and the morning the elf returned this year and Owen began remincing about his antics it made me so very happy! Knowing that these are memories he will carry forever I knew then it was all worth it! 

The reason I feel sad? Well, look how big these kids have grown in just 3 years! Grace is in a kid body in this photo and now she is in an adult body!! No wonder she's so out of whack sometimes, look what she has transformed into in just 3 years! I also think about how naive she is here to the elf and now she joins me in the joy of creating the next elf antic! She had saved me many times last year by moving Buddy early in the morning after I had forgot! It is just so crazy how 3 years brings about so much change. This will be one of those moments where I have to say... Thank you social media for stopping Father Time and taking me back to a wonderful moment of Christmas past!