This year back to school seemed to creep out of no where. Not only did our district start 2 weeks earlier than usual, but we were go-go-going right up to the last second.
Our family vacation to Oregon brought us home the week before I officially had to return to work however, I was asked to help lead the middle school math in-service and we had to meet just days after returning home. Needless to say I was not able to get much BTS preparation done .
I was also at the tail end of training for my half marathon, which meant we were decreasing our miles, but it also meant race day was upon me... This combined with a work week more filled with meetings than actual time to prepare for students sent me into an anxiety attack. I haven't had one this bad in a loooong time. My chest felt like it was squeezing so tight I couldn't breathe, I had a huge knot at my sternum, and my heart was racing. I sent out prayer requests and just kept saying the name of Jesus- it was all I could focus on. Thankfully this was a school inservice day and I wasn't missing out on getting work done. The anxiety alleviated enough for me to function but it lingered through the start of school.
The Saturday before school started (with kids) we were in Ouray CO for me to run the Mt. Sneffels half marathon. We enjoyed our usual stops; Mouses Chocolate, Ouray Hot Springs, and a hike up Baby Bathtubs. My anxiety over school starting and not being prepared made it logical to head home early Sunday morning, and I was able to get some BTS shopping done.
The morning of the first day Madison had VB try outs beginning at 6:00 AM. I was thankful that B was able to go into work late and take her, otherwise it would have been a crazy morning for Maddox and I.
My Freshman:
She reported that the first day was hectic, "there's just so many people!"
My Second Grader:
When asked about his day Maddox replied "It was GREAT!
I wasn't able to catch a first day pic of me- darn it ;). I had no embarrassing spill to share this year, and my classes seem pretty good- which leaves me excited and hopeful.
First week update:
Maddox fell on the playground and got a mild concussion on the second day of school, I had to leave work and get him. I'm so thankful for my MGMS family who volunteered to take my classes. He was back to normal in a 3-4 hours and was able to go back to school the rest of the week. He was so upset that he had missed school, and his favorite subject.... Math! That's my boy!
Madison had VB tryouts M-W until 6:30. Tuesday was the PHS back to school dance until 9:00. She had homework every night and was up past 11:00 each night. Madison made the VB team, and had team building at the ropes courseThursday until 7:00. Then Friday was practice followed by a going away party for one of her close friends, Russell. Welcome to High School Bug!
The fact that I barely got to see Madison this week and that this is going to be the normal for the next 4 years was heart breaking. It's hard for me to realize that my girl is on her way out.
Maddox and I are so very much alike, in fact I've learned so much about what I need by being his mother. On more than one occasion I have seen him exhibit a behavior or reaction and I'm like "that's exactly how I feel! Now what does he need, food? Rest? Physical activity? " Thus determining my own need based on my mothering instincts for him.
Unfortunately we also share this tendency to come unglued, this overwhelming rush of emotions that inhibit all rational thought, and our brains spin out. I despise this part of me and I am wracked with guilt seeing it surface in my child.
I was given a book, UNGLUED by Lysa Terkeurst, that delves into the very heart of this and through some comedic relief and Gods word guides towards "making wise choices in the midst of raw emotions". To be completely honest this book was difficult and overwhelming- and oh so good- on one hand I wanted to devour the words from cover to cover, on the other I wanted to meditate, chew on, and practice. I ended up setting it aside for a few months, unfinished. Just this week it made its way to the surface of my reading pile, just when I was ready and in need of it again.
After skimming the first 40 pages and my personal reflections scrawled across the margins, I began to meditate on the section "Unfinished Sculptures"and how what she shares here speaks to my heart, and would also speak to Maddox's. The teacher in me began to find a way to share this with my son in a way that would engage him.
Thank God for Google! I had images of the statue of David, blocks of marble, and the Unfinished sculptures that are at the heart of this lesson. (Ideally I would have a block of foam for him to create a sculpture with at the end...)
We started with The David, discussing this masterpiece, said to be sculpture perfection, we talked about how long it took Michelangelo, and that for the duration he never left the sculptures side.
Then I showed him the blocks of marble similar to the piece that The David had emerged from. We discussed how and what tools Michelangelo would have used.
Then, the key point: it is said that when asked how he created this perfection, Michelangelo replied that he just chiseled away the parts that didn't look like David.
This is what God is doing with us, chiseling away the pieces that don't look like us. I asked Maddox if we were the finished perfection like The David, and he said "No, Gods still chiseling." (Love this boy) then I showed him the Unfinished Sculptures, this is where we are, still being molded and chiseled into what and who God wants us to be. When we come into difficult or trying situations, God is using them to chisel away the parts of stone that don't look like us. When we feel ourselves becoming UNGLUED, God is showing us an area that needs chiseled.
Then I asked how long he thought it would take for us to become sculpture perfection like The David, two years of constant attention? Less? More? He pondered for a moment and when he spoke, his response showed great wisdom, "I don't think we will ever be perfect, mom. I think that there will probably always be something that needs to be chiseled." WOW!!! I am still, even after writing this, in awe and wonder at the perspective of his words.
He didn't stop there, he went on to tell me how this reminded him of what his grandma told him, that he is God designed, purpose intended, significant, lavishly loved, prince, son of the King of the universe.
He had lots of questions, I suppose they are the same questions we all have: What is he designing me to do? What purpose has he intended for me? How will I know?
In the end we agreed that we would trust what God says about us, choose to walk in love, and continue to pray "Oh God, chisel me!"
Maddox had a phenomenal wrestling season. I was truly amazed with how much he had learned, and his intense focus and determination that showed maturity beyond his years. I am a very proud momma, this pride goes beyond the medals and trophies he brought home this year, and into the realm of his character and personal growth.
Probably my favorite picture of the season,
taken just before his first tournament at GJHS.
First win, via Pin of the season.
Maddox had to wrestle his good buddy and fellow teammate, Teagan multiple times this season.
Maddox is very proud of the smell that permeates his wrestling gear.
He tole me "Mom, that's the smell of hard work."
Maddox learned a new wrestling move and was quick to secure it in multiple matches for wins via pin.
Maddox and fellow teammate Cole have had to wrestle each other multiple times every year. At the Fruita tournament it was Maddox's day to enjoy the victory.
He was especially proud of the first place trophy awarded to him for placing first in the Fruita tournament. All of his other first places are medals.
The Paonia tournament was a tough tournament for Maddox, he ended up taking 3rd, but had been placed in a bracket with 2nd and 3rd graders. One of the decisive matches was a very tough loss for him as the referee didn't give him his escape points, Maddox was more upset with that injustice than the actual loss.
One more tournament at Junction ended up being the tournament we would close the season with. Again he came away with a first place.
This season was a great season for the Little Dawgs, and for Maddox. Some new things were tried, and showed great success. They started some mid week wrestling duels with other clubs, gained a lot of respect of the Palisade community as well as within the wrestling community.
Season Stats:
4 Tournaments, 2 Duels
1st Place: 3 medals
3rs Place: 1
Win via Pin:11
Total Wins:12
Total Losses: 4
As I celebrate the successes of my boy, I have to acknowledge the man behind him, his dad. I am so blessed to have a husband who is in integral part of our childrens' lives and activities. I know both of our children get their hard work ethic and determination from him. Brian helped coach the wrestling team again this season, and though he does it for Maddox, I know there is a part of him that takes personal enjoyment from teaching kids how to wrestle, as well as the camaraderie
(and jesting) between coaches.
For the past 4 years we have traveled to Vegas during the doldrums of winter... for a soccer tournament.
Though the destination screams "PLAY! PARTY!" it typically turns out to be a well needed relaxation trip. Just enough heat to thaw my frozen Colorado bones, just enough sun to tint my winter white skin, and just enough city (restaurants, shopping) to tide me over till spring soccer season.
This year Madison's team played in the LV Mayors Cup; this tournament draws teams from all of the United States and even internationally! There were teams from all of the western states of NV, AZ, CA, but there were even teams from states as far east as Pennsylvania! Madison's team was placed in a bracket that included a team from NV, the #3 team in CA (#15 in the nation - we are #250), and a team from Vancouver Canada! Though the girls didn't win a game they played some pretty competitive soccer against some great teams.
Nevada: Lost 1-2
California: Lost... by a lot... it was incredible to watch this team play! They had some incredible plays, were incredibly fast, technically sound, and at least one of their players were invited to play on the national team!
Vancouver Canada: Tied
Their record earned them a consolation match, which pitted them against another Canadian team, this time from the province of Alberta.
It was a fun experience to play international teams, one of the customs in international matches is to give the opposing team a token from where you are from. Each of the Canadian teams gave our girls pins (which were quickly attached to their soccer bags) from their province. Our girls gave the other teams post cards from Colorful Colorado!
Overall this tournament was one of the best we had played in, it was pure soccer with very few dirty plays - unlike the Colorado league we play in where it is common place to be assaulted and come away with multiple bruises or injuries from foul play.
We did a bit of shopping at the outlets, I got a summer dress, and Madison got outfitted with a summer wardrobe... B got a hat.
We dined at a fancy steak house called the Golden Calf at the very end of the strip on Sahara. From the outside it looks old and maybe a bit shady, the inside is pure "old skool" mob boss! The a la carte menu and enormous steaks (with prices to match), and a bottle of bubbly, set our bill at almost $500.00. When Madison and Tia looked at the bill I think their jaws hit the floor. But- what the heck- you can only splurge like that once in a great while, so why not do it in Vegas!
This may be our last trip to Vegas with Madison's club soccer team. Right now she is pretty sure she will only play school athletics in high school, and not continue with the local soccer club. Which made this trip all the more nostalgic.
My blogging has lagged, truthfully our lives are so full and busy with ordinary day to day living, I don't consider it "bloggable".
I don't know if it's seeing the despondent home lives of many of my students, or if I am awakening to a new definition of splendor. For when I reflect on a typical evening, what once seemed dull and familiar has begun to shimmer with the radiance of extraordinary.
The specific event I ponder could be an excerpt from any of the pages that may document my family's lives: the boys have left for an evening of wrestling, leaving Madison and I with errands to run, and indulging in dinner out and a sweet treat. Then spending the rest of the evening, just her and I, perched on the couch laughing as we play with the Split Pic app on my phone. Our creations, a few of my favorites I share below, are not what lend the gleam to this memory, it's the normalcy in which we spent our evening and its stark contrast to how many of her peers will have spent theirs. We engaged, partook, and connected with each other. Investing the most priceless gift of all, time.
There is a beauty that seems to be fading, like the sunlight leaving the day, its out of my control and I fear it will be lost for ever. This beauty, called family, is being forgotten among the very people who chose to creat it. This beauty called family is disappearing and replaced with complacency and selfishness.
Just as the radiant rays slip over the horizon, there is a moment when all heavenly light seems lost. But then when it is darkest, twinkling lights appear at their brightest, and maybe that is what I am seeing in my life. What was ordinary, maybe even unseen, has become spectacular and extraordinarily beautiful.
It is beautiful, it is rare, my ordinary life is truly extraordinary.
Celebrating the fact that soccer is over for the season (don't worry, winter trainings will start up soon an reclaim soccer's prominent time commitment in our lives) and Maddox is in a lull between flag football and wrestling, we decided to spend our Monday evening enjoying the beautiful fall weather by getting lost in a local corn maze.
Studt's is much more than just a corn maze, and has so many activities that kept us all entertained until the twilight hour fell. From a petting zoo with vocal piggies (my favorite), baby goats (Madison's favorite), skittish alpacas (B's favorite)and the Thanksgiving Turkey fattening itself in preparation for next months feast (Maddox's favorite),
to GIGANTIC air trampolines,
and even a hay bail tower with a massive slide
- getting lost in the maze soon became the side attraction!
Once in the maze we stuck together for a while, but being the competitive family we are we split off into teams with the challenge being the first to find our way out.
B and Madison hurried off in one direction wile the boy and I ran in another. Maddox was so intent on winning that he just took off in the lead; I finally had to tell him that mommy would break her ankle if we kept running over the furrowed field at our current pace. His panic set in when I received a text from B and Madison saying they have made their way out. I finally had to tell him that I appreciated his competitive nature, and wanted him to always try his best and want to win, but right now he was so worried about winning (loosing) that he was making a fun activity not so fun. (I am sure this is a conversation I will have on a regular basis with him.) He pulled it together, and didn't even complain to his dad and sister when we made our own way out of the stalks a few short minutes later.
Before leaving we made sure to have some fun pumpkin head photo ops...
And my favorite photo of the evening...
As we headed out of the parking lot the harvest moon rose above the bookcliffs, providing a picturesque ending to a fabulous fall evening.
It is becoming a tradition for Brian's siblings to gather our families for an evening of jack-o-lantern creating. All the grand kids haul their pumpkin patch finds to their grandmas kitchen. Each jabbering their creative concepts above the voices of the other.
Tastey treats and a warm pot of chili, do their part to tame our bellies.
The aroma of spiced cider hanging heavy in the air in stark contrast to the crisp autumn cross breeze cooling as they work.
Wrinkled noses, oohs, and giggles accompany the removal of innards. Next Sharpies are wielded marking one of a kind designs.
Carving tools, from butcher knives, to battery operated mini saber saws, scattered across the tables are ready to do their part in the metamorphosis from pumpkin to art.
Our final products this year: Harry Potter, Zombie Brains, little Myla Face, a ghostly ghoul, and a Peyton Manning Bronco.
For the second year in a row my mom and her husband planned a fabulous weekend get away for all of their kids and grand kids. This year we went to the Hilltop House in Mesa Colorado. This place was HUGE, comfortable accommodating all 18 of us. 2 grand parents, 4 children and their 4 spouses, 7 grand children, and one friend of Madison's made the trek this year.
My mom and Dan are so creative in finding fun activities for us all to do. The first morning we had a fishing derby, complete with 6 pink Barbi fishing poles, and one yellow-very boyish-pole, power bait, fish eggs, awards for biggest, most, and first fish, and 2 adults for every kiddy fisher... the only thing missing were the fish... not a single bite.
They also hung glow-in-the-dark stars in the bushes around the cabin to provide fun star watching during the Blue Moon weekend. The kids were captivated with a nature scavenger hunt, going on a hike and trying to spot animal poop and prints, flowers, insects, and even some man made items like fence posts and power poles. Dan took the older girls (Madison and her friend Gracey) on a hike up to the flag pole on the summit of Beehive Mountain.
Thanks to Kristen we had a tie dyeing adventure, where all the kids came away with a brightly colored shirt, and us ladies turned our shirts into pretty amazing scarves.
Amazingly all the kids behaved and played really well together for the majority of the weekend, making it a pleasant experience for the rest of us.
Brian had to work so my mom made a cardboard cut out of his head so he could be included in the fun event pictures. We got a lot of good laughs and great entertainment by placing Biran in random photo ops. I was thankful that he made it up after work on Saturday to help me cook dinner, and we managed to get in a family picture as well.
A HUGE thank you to my mom and Dan for putting all this together for us, it is greatly appreciated and completely enjoyed by this Caster Clan!
For the first time in, I don't know, possibly ever, I left the school on our last pre-student work day feeling completely prepared for the masses to arrive early Monday morning.
The extra hours I put in to get there were totally worth it, as I completely enjoyed my last official weekend of summer (post upcoming). But the best part, I was really able to focus on my motherly duties getting the kids ready for their first days. I made the whole family delicious lunches, and got up early enough to make a real breakfast- French toast and scrambled eggs.
Maddox has been begging, hoping and even preparing himself for first grade all last week. He forced himself to get up early, and abstain from naps,"because I am not going to get to nap in first grade mom!" this seemed to work out great as this morning truly was the smoothest in Caster history!
The after school report from both of them, though vague, leave me with high hopes and a positive outlook for the year.
As for me I made a lasting impression on a select few 6th grade students as I slipped in my heals and went flying into their classroom, landing practically on my face and splaying the stack of papers across the room. This was their very first experience of middle school; whether it made them laugh or realize that nothing they could do would ever be that embarrassing, I'm happy to provide them with a bit of humor and confidence. Since this happened first thing I also had a great first day of school horror story to share with all my classes. (and comedic relief for some staff as well.) The only saving grace I have in this is I *think* my dress managed to stay put around my bum and not fly over my head....
Both my kids looked amazing, and all too grown up. And truthfully I'm no worse for wear, my ankle was already sore.... All in all a good memorable start to the year!
Over the years we (the Caster's) have spent many of our 4th of July celebrations with Allsion. Most of which have occurred in the mountains just East of us at a family cabin, where we would roast marshmallows, delight in how amazing beer tastes while camping, and honestly not care that our children were covered in the black earth for the duration of the trip. Before the sun got too low in the sky, we would load both families up in the truck and trek down the hill to enjoy "the bombs bursting in air". We had the perfect perch on the hill just outside Collbran, all of us in awe of the spectacular show that always exceeded our expectations.
It's been a few years since we have celebrated our country's independence, so this year we planned a grand return to the once vibrant tradition. A multi-day camping trip just outside of Gunnison. As will all grandiose plans, the seem great at the time but when reality sets in, you begin to see the flaws: First- the fire ban across Colorado (this year nearly the entire state was burning up- from Ft. Collins to Colorado Springs and even in our own back yard of Debeque.) And what fun is camping with no camp fire to enchant the evenings and warm the mornings? Second: required portable toilette - no more outhouse on the property, instead the new covenants state we have to have a septic or transport our poo out. Third: the remembrance of Allsion and I attempting a week long camping trip with the kids that ended MUCH sooner than anticipated. We had expected a week of non-stop friend time knitting, relaxing, chatting, and perfectly behaved children. What we got was quite the opposite, and just remembering was enough to scare me out of committing to what possibly could be a repeat of that.
The Revised Plan: Collbran pancake breakfast, parade, and a trip up to a quiet little stream to splash the afternoon heat away. This was actually a perfect replacement. Besides the long line for the pancake breakfast, the whole days was a nice little escape. The parade is one of the best I have ever been to, not for the amazing creativity level of the floats, but for the uniqueness and plethora of treats that are thrown to the children lining the sidewalk- can you say OTTERPOPS. Yes we were abundantly supplied with frozen otter pop popsicles and the kids loved it. After the parade we made our way up and around my favorite lake, Atkinson, to the inlet stream. The kids, even though it was cool and cloudy, spent the rest of the afternoon splashing in the creek and exploring, while we adults sat and enjoyed the scenery and company. Our afternoon came to a beautiful close when rain clouds rolled in and had mercy on our dry parched state.
I have never in my life been more happy for a downpour.
In 7th grade middle school students are permitted to play school sports. Madison, being all kinds of athletic, played for our school's A team in basket ball. After 9 years of club soccer (3 of which on a competitive traveling team) this experience was a breath of fresh air! Very little traveling, and the traveling they do the kids are transported to the event, uniforms are provided, the season is relatively short, there is very little drama, and the kids have an absolute blast! So when she said she wanted to run track for the school we were happy to oblige.
Have you ever sat and watched a track practice or meet? Just one and you realize why track is such a popular sport among teen kids. It is extremely social. There is so much time between each of their events that they just meander around hanging out, and yes, sometimes cheering for their teammates. It is also combined age group, so Madison made some new, older, friends. Surprisingly, it wasn't a big deal. I have always thought the world of this 8th grade class (secretly wishing that Madison had been just one year older so she could have been a part of it). The friendships she made during track will be a great foundation for the friendships she will make in high school.
After the first practice Madison knew she wanted to run the 200 meter, but was at a stalemate as to what her second event should be. In a rare moment she sought the wise counsel of her elders aka parents. Madison knew she wanted to do a field even, and her minimal ability at throwing balls eliminated discus or shot put, leaving high jump "I'm too short for that." Triple jump "that looks really hard" and Long Jump. Long jump it was.
She really didn't say much about how she was doing at practice, and we really didn't have any idea of what to expect from her. So at her first track meet, when she jumped a whopping 13 feet 4 inches, our jaws dropped! Later in her 200, she beat the competition by an easy 25 meters, it would be a grave understatement to say we were impressed, and so were her coaches... I'd even venture to say that Madison was even a bit impressed as well taking first in both events at this meet.
She started seeking out her dads tips and running techniques to help shave off some time in her 200, as well and sneek in a few more inches in her long jump. One 8th grader at practice helped give her pointers to maxamize her distance as well.
And she just kept getting better! At her second track meet she jumped her personal best of 13 feet 7 and 3/4 inches. She also shaved off a few tenths of a second in her 200 meter time. Finishing, once again, in first place.
Her third and final meet was the district championships. She had been practicing on her form running, as wells as perfecting her distance from the launch board to squeak a few more inches out of her jump. She had a goal of running the 200 in 29 seconds (this would only be 2 tenths of a second faster than her personal best) and 14 feet in the long jump. She figured she could get the extra inches if she hit the board on the front edge and landed falling forward, as on her best distance she hit the back of the board and dropped her hand behind her in the landing.
As fate, or the intense 90 degree heat, would have it, she didn't reach either of her goals, and for that reason alone she was not at all pleased with her longest jump of the day (13' 4 1/2 "), which earned her district champ in the long jump, or her third place finish in the 200 meter (time of 30.12).
I am so proud of my daughter, not because she is district champion in the long jump, or because she is the 3rd fastest 200 meter runner in our district. . . No, those titles will fade with the passage of time, someone will come up behind her and shatter her records; most people have already forgotten her amazing feats. What brought tears to my eyes and constricted my heart was my daughters pursuit and desire for excellence. The work, the preparation, the focus, the drive, the goal, and maybe most importantly the disappointment of falling short of that goal that pushes her to continue. Those are the things that will withstand time, those are the things that will cause her to succeed off the field, and off the court.. . .
Apparently, not me.... I have so much that I want to record and share but life is so crazy hectic right now and I just can't find the time to do all of these post justice. I'll settle for tidbits and maybe get to pictures and full posts later.
Soccer (aka: DRAMA!! )Madison's soccer club/team has undergone some major changes and there is major drama. We've had coaching changes, girls leaving for another club, coaches turning it into an allegiance issue rather than allowing families to do what is best for them... it's a crazy mess (and for once the Casters are not at the center of it) The season was finished with a great record and we will be moving up a level in the competitive CYS league. We will have (another) new, very young, coach to begin next season, and Madison still has doubts about her decision to stay with her current team. We played in the local GMIT tournament and Madison got a goal, her first in YEARS!
Maddox: he is a major rule follower... his teacher instructed the class to wear clothes over their swim suits to school for water day. I know this was intended for the little girls, so they wouldn't be in their little bikinis all day, but Maddox would not, could not, be convinced other wise. In the end it was easier to give in and allow him to wear his clothes over his swim shorts and rash guard... he looked atrocious! (I'll post a pic when I get a chance.)
10 and 40: Brian and I just celebrated our 10th anniversary, (he got a AR 15, I got diamond earrings). Two days later we hosted a party to celebrate his parents 40th anniversary. I can hardly believe it's been ten years. When I think of how little Madison was it seems like forever ago, but it went so fast.
The school year is winding down, and there is always anxiety about changes for the upcoming year. This year is no different, it is even worse than normal as there are more budget cuts, and the district continues to make decision behind closed doors with the best interest of administration rather than students and the ones that are closest to them. I do know that I have a job next year, I do know that I will get a bit of a raise (step and lane)... but at what cost to my coworkers who may or may not have jobs next yea? (I could rant for quite a while on this...)
The end of the year brings mixed feelings for me, I am so happy to be done and just get to be a mom for the next few months, but saying good bye to my 8th graders this year is tough. We had a great day at the pool party, they literally blew my socks off at the spring fling music concert last night, and for the next two days we get to just play, reflect, and have fun together. This group of kids has something special, and it is sad to see them go, but also so exciting to see them off on their next chapter. I can't wait to see the amazing things they accomplish!
I started reading a new series a few weeks ago and am just finishing it... I'll have to post my review via Goodreads soon. I have a huge stack of books I commandeered from my teammates library for the summer, plus some new ones on the Nook, AND a few that I want to re-read.
I'm headed to Idaho this summer for a week long education conference. I am really looking forward to this time... in more ways than one! A week of being responsible for only myself, as well as getting into so really great courses and walking away with an additional 4 credits! This should give me enough for my GT certification! After this I think I'll take a break from graduate courses for awhile, at least until after my masters degree is paid off.
Maddox had his 6th birthday, it seemed to span several weeks as we were in Denver the day of his birthday, and had a family party before and a huge friend party after. He was spoiled rotten (of course) with a trip to the Denver Aquarium and to see the Avengers while in D-town. Then a HUGE birthday bash at the park with a ton of friends.
Just this took me over a half an hour to whip up, and it is shallow, surface level, poorly written, and doesn't even include pictures. Maybe next week I'll be able to blog again... oh wait... .I've got a two day class, followed by a soccer tournament, followed by two weeks of teaching summer school... dang!
Digging out the mass of books that were piled in my room I happened across our collection of the Magic Tree House series. In a moment of nostalgia I remembered how much Madison had enjoyed them, all the adventures they took us on. I know I had been saving them with Maddox in mind, and wondered if he was ready for this new reading adventure. The moment you change from sight word-picture books, to chapter books is a gigantic reading leap. The transition from using pictures to help bring meaning to the story, to relying solely on your imagination takes a great deal of reading comprehension. Not that he is anywhere close to being able to read the chapter book, but I though he may be ready to exercise his imagination.
Why not give them a try. . .
How fortunate that the first book in the series is about Dinosaurs, every book Maddox has brought home from the library this year has been about Dinosaurs; he was instantly hooked. He loved that we were reading a chapter book, pointing out each new chapter as we read, hanging on my every word. At one point he wanted to see the picture, and I told him that chapter books don't have pictures on every page, that you have to close your eyes and imagine, let the words make a picture in your head. As I continued reading, I glimpse his eager face scrunched up, eyes closed... imagining... "I can see it mom!"
As we drew to the end of our agreed upon 2 chapters, we are left with a cliff hanger... his excitement at wanting to know what happens next oozes out of him, coercing me to read on. Another two chapter later, two chapters filled with exclamations of excitement, surprise, and gasps, I close the book. He cannot contain his eagerness, wanting to read more, when he realizes he won't win another chapter, he offers a compromise of letting him stay up and look at the rest of the pictures to see what might happen, how could I say no.
The next morning he awakes, book in hand in hopes of squeezing another chapter out of me before school. After dinner he brings the book down again, and I agree to read another chapter before the family begins showing up for the party. Then at bed time, the book appears with his huge, toothless grin, begging to finish. What mother could say no to that?
Not me, so we finish our very first chapter book together, and it was every bit of what I hoped. Almost making me come to tears. . . My son is hooked on books, I couldn't be more proud.
I cannot believe that I am going to say the old cliche... but wow, time flies! I cannot believe that Madison is 13! This birthday was particularly difficult for me because it dawned on me I have fewer years with her at home than the the years I've spent with her.
To paint Madison as a budding 13 year old would be one of beauty and vibrancy. I am so proud of the young woman she is becoming. She is beautiful, but her beauty radiates much deeper than just her smile and stunning eyes; it burns bright from her kind heart that is full of integrity and strong character. She has chosen some amazing friends with similar goals, attitudes, and values; which in turn has given us 1 1/2 years of little to no middle school girl drama! She continues to love soccer and plays on the competitive soccer team traveling all over Colorado to compete, they finished their fall season in 1st place in the league with an undefeated record. She is now playing school basketball, and her team is also undefeated. She picked up playing the bass guitar over the summer and has joined the school jazz band as well as continuing to play the flute in the concert band. She has excellent grades in all her classes including both Honors Math and Honors Literacy. She has written some amazing poetry this year, which was published in the local news paper, and given amazing reviews from local poets. She really tries to battle that typical teen attitudes and disrespect and readily apologizes when she messes up. Her brother absolutely adores her and wants to be everywhere she is and do everything she does. Now don't get me wrong, not everything is rainbows and unicorns where Madison is concerned, her room is atrocious, she regularly shows evidence of having no frontal lobe, antagonizes her brother, and thinks that her social life trumps pretty much everything else... but she is a great kid that makes our jobs as parent's pretty easy.
Enough with the sappy stuff....
This year for her birthday she decided to do a sleep over bowling party with her friends. These 8 girls mowed through the food and closed down the bowling ally! They were all very entertaining for Brian and I. One of her friends is a pitcher for softball and for her first turn she did a complete fast pitch wind up with the bowling ball before releasing it down the lane. Her face was priceless when she realized what she had done, and it gave the rest of us a good laugh. Gracy managed to get her finger stuck in the bowling ball, and fought off panic for several minutes before she finally got it to release. For their second game of bowling they did what is called "funky bowl" which included bowling by holding the hand of a partner, pushing the ball down with their feet, and even "Tebowling". They had planned to do a flash mob at the bowling ally, but to their dismay they were one of 3 groups at the ally that late. Our entire living room was covered with mattresses, blankets and girls sprawled everywhere. The record for staying up the latest was not broken at our house (6:00 am), and our latest girl reported only making it to 2:00... must be the Caster house, we just can't stay up late here! I think a good time was had by all, and Madison was welcomed into the teens with a memorable party! Here are some pics from the event:
Learned: If 8 teen girls ate 3 lbs of bbq beef, 2 gallons of lemonade, 1 gallon of milk, 1 package of oreos, 1 bag of licorice, 1 king size box of Jr. Mints, 2 bags of Fritos, 2 cans of bean dip, 10 cinnamon rolls, 1 lb of bacon, and 1 dzn eggs, then we are in serious trouble when Maddox has his buddies over at 13...
Learned: (sappy) As Madison gets older, I am reminded, and my excitement is stirred, in seeing the plan God has for her. I know it is big, I know it is good.
ME: I RAN: I ran at least 560 miles this year. This included training and running my best ever half marathon, The Rock and Roll Denver, in 2 hours and 56 seconds. I READ: I exceeded my Good Reads goal of 24 books by ONE book. My favorite reads of this year would be Cutting for Stone and The Forgotten Garden. I have a goal to read through the entire bible, as of today I have completed through 2 Samuel. I really thought it would be a whole lot more boring to read the Bible, but I am really enjoying it. It's surprising how helpful having read the first 5 books of the Bible has been when reading some New Testament passages...shedding new light on a lot of questions I have always had. Two books that really challenged me to think and grow were Blue Like Jazz and Heaven is For Real. I (started) GROWING UP: I did a lot of self reflection and resoluting to grow up and get over some of my issues... I have a lot to do still, but it feels good to be opening my eyes to the possibility of embracing change for the better. I BECAME A BIT CREATIVE: I made a jewelry art piece for my room, canned jam, and convinced my husband into letting me have his grandpas antique stove and used it as a entertainment stand. I (almost) DIED: discovered the hard way that I am allergic to peaches and now have to cary an epi pen... this caused me some depression, and several dreams where I indulged in peaches, only to wake by trying to make myself puke them up. I JOINED A GYM: joined Allison and hired a trainer for a few weeks of the summer, who pushed me to do some stuff that is harder than running 13 miles. I TAUGHT: started my 9th year of teaching, taught a class on standard based grading at a district inservice, and embraced a lot of top down change with the best attitude I can muster... in truth my students are great and make it all worth while. I GAVE: Anne and I continued to make our monthly meals for the homeless shelter, and this year we took on making gift bags for the ones that would be spending Christmas Eve at the shelter. (In truth ANNE organized it all). But it was great to be a part of assembling and delivering. I PLAYED TENNIS: Finally Jolene and I signed up and played in the Taco Bell Tennis tournament (we've been talking the talk for a few years). We quickly found out that our 3 weeks of preparation was not enough to hang with the big dogs (old ladies who play every day) and win the whole thing, but we did pull out a few wins and didn't get eliminated immediately.
Madison: Madison finished 6th grade still loving school, and started (and continues) 7th grade the same way. She has a great group of friends and is very into the social thing (as evident by her 1400+ texts a month). She started taking bass guitar lessons and is now playing in the school Jazz Band. Madison also took a hunters safety course and earned her hunters safety card, though not in time to get a license this year. She had a Halloween party complete with a haunted house that I had to chaperone (thankfully for me it was cheesy), and at this party they set a goal of saving money to go to Hawaii for their senior trip. Madison got a new soccer coach, and the change in her attitude, confidence, and play is incredible; in fact the whole team did a 180 going from not winning but 2 games, to no losses. Madison also got her braces off, and WOW her smile is amazing! She turned 13, and continues to be a wonderful daughter, growing into a beautiful young woman.
Maddox: Maddox had a year of milestones... he learned to ride a bike, lost his first tooth, graduated preschool and started Kindergarten. We had our first parent teacher conference, where Maddox sat like a perfect angel, and we were informed he is the model student always tries his best, works hard, is kind, and learning like a sponge. I am a bit embarrassed to say that we were surprise by this, and had been expecting to hear that he can't sit still, is a crazy rambunctious boy. He also started his first season of T-ball, and absolutely loved it. Maddox started his second season of wrestling and in the first tournament he got second place. We celebrated his 5th birthday with an ear infection that delayed our zoo trip by a day, but we still made it and he loved it. Maddox has a strong conscience, and is highly compassionate.
Brian: Brian continues to be an amazing dad and husband. He coached Maddox's T-ball team, and his expertise was evident in our teams superior skill and behavior on the field during practice and games. He is also coaching the Palisade Little Dogs Wrestling. He has been working with the older kids, as we have realized that Maddox receives wrestling instruciton better from someone who is not dad. He took Maddox on his first hunting trip, but Madison continues to be his lucky hunting charm and they got a really nice doe that added 80 lbs of burger, italian sausage, breakfast sausage, and steaks to our freezer. He got sick for Elk season, which bummed him out (and me... I love elk meat).
We Traveled: We went on our first Caster Family vacation, driving 18 hours to Northern Idaho, 30 miles from the Canadian border; arriving in Priest Lake ID. This was a magical trip, while we were there my soul felt at home, and since we left my soul has longed to return. We also spent almost a week in Steamboat for a soccer tournament, since we travel so much for soccer, we try to make the trips mini vacations; and Steamboat was a nice little get away. We opted for camping out in the pop up at a KOA type campground, complete with a pool and games. I think we all had a great "camping" experience. Another soccer mini vacation was the annual trip to Vegas, the focus was strictly soccer... though we managed a drive down the strip for Maddox, and a dinner in Cesar's Palace. Brian and I took a weekend trip to Ouray, this may be my favorite "him and I" get away ever, complete with a beautiful hike. We also had a mini family retreat with my mom and Dan and all 4 of us kids... they rented a beautiful cabin between Ridgeway and Ouray, that was so massive all 17 of us slept and lived very comfortably. Dan had a great dinosaur dig activity for all the grand kids to participate in, and we enjoyed playing on the lake and campfires at night.
Major Random Events: Nik and Megan got married in June, the wedding was beautiful, and my kids were perfect, Maddox got hooked on the mother son dance and couldn't wait to dance it again at Brian's cousin, Patricia's, wedding in July. Brian's grandpa passed away, and we had a beautiful service that surprised me with its huge sentimental impact for me. This spurred a massive house cleaning/estate sale to get their house ready to be sold and Grandma moved into a retirement community. My brother had his third little girl, Teegan. My cousin Christa played tennis for the US team in the Special Olympics in Greece, and she came home with some medals too... like silver and bronze... I am so proud! My aunt Pepper moved to GJ, to live with my grandma. This has been such a blessing for my mom to have her sister close, and between the two of them, my grandma is in good hands!
