My Summer Fun

Well, I've been having a great time with my summer.  I dragged out the boxes of pictures of my children that I've neglected for 30 years and have been sorting through them.  I'm having a blast. I noticed, however, that I have to be careful about how long I spend going through them.  I tend to get melancholy.  I start to miss my children so much, and then I start to think about things "I wish I'd done differently".  Not productive, let me tell you.  The best part of the whole thing is that I've gone to a couple of crops at Archivers and done a few scrapbook pages AND I've scanned a bunch of pictures and posted them to an online file.  I feel so good about this.  It means that the pictures are safe from destruction, (a lot of pictures were lost in the fire in '91) and it provides a chance for my kids to enjoy them.  They certainly haven't done anyone any good sitting in those boxes.  Bill and Stephanie taught me how to do a video conference so we've been able to do a couple of those and visit with my grandbabies.  Seriously fun.  Technology ROCKS!  Anyway.  the other thing I've been doing with my summer is tending my garden and canning the proceeds. The garden is a mess the weeds have completely taken over the herb sections and the pumpkins are literally growing right through the gate and across the lawn!  Monte keeps saying "just cut it back, we only need ONE pumpkin anyway.  Far too late for that and I'm fascinated by the thing.  It's really amazing.  The cucumbers and zucchini are producing well, too.

It's About Time to Update

  I can't believe the last update I wrote was in May.  I told myself I'd have more time in the summer but the list of things I need to get done this summer is indeed long.
  First, at the end of the school year Anoka-Hennepin School District closed 7 elementary schools.  I was blessed (and darn lucky) to be retained in the same school I've worked at for the past 6 years.  It did not mean, however, that we got off without upheaval.  The second to last day of school was officially "moving day".  If you were not personally moving into or out of a classroom you were assigned to go help someone who was.  I had to move out of my classroom a week before that so that my classroom could undergo renovation to make it functional for the new Autism program moving in.  On moving day I was required to move out of the temporary spot I'd gone to and into my "new" room for next year.  The next day I spent the whole day trying to organize sped files that had been moved and discussing placement for sped kids for the coming year.
  The day after the last day of school I got on a plane for Salt Lake City.  My newest grandaughter, Elodie Vae Oelkers, had been born and I couldn't wait to hold her!

  It was a really brief visit but lots of fun.  We had a cookout at Anna and Stan's house and a potluck at Bill & Stephanie's, went to a movie with Mom, Derek, Xavey, and Daevius, and even had a visit at Dad & Diane's.  I took lots of pictures which I have posted in my Mobile Me gallery.  http://gallery.me.com/joelkers

  Next, I taught summer school. I had 11 4th graders (10 boys and 1 girl) and was part of a pilot program using a specified curriculum.  We worked really hard, but the kids were great fun.  They were each so unique. I had one who hardly said a word until week three, then he decided I was okay and spent the next 3 weeks telling me all about himself.  Then I had 2 who talked nonstop about anything and everything that was running through their heads.  One of them was interested in Transformers so I got to hear all about "his universe" and how he doesn't really belong in this universe anyway.  He did tell me, however, that I was the "Queen of this Universe" and he would do what I told him. (Which he mostly did,  if given sufficient advance warning that I was going to expect something.  The girl loved crafts of all kinds.  She showed up for the first time the day before the 4th of July weekend and was REALLY good at the beadie buddy we were making for the occasion.  She finished hers in record time and was able to help some of her classmates with theirs.  We also had some additional visitors during our time at school.

This family of ducks was the third one to be moved out of the central courtyard.  They were so cute!

A couple of days before the 4th of July, Scott and Sue and their son Marc came to stay.  They brought Scott's friend Russ with them and the men did the usual round of golfing while Sue and I had a truly grand time making a large and complicated cake for the 4th of July Party.  The cake was a hit and the party was a blast even if it did rain.  It was a riot to watch all of the kids playing in the pools and on the slip and slid in the rain.  The potato chips were all soggy, though.

Sue and my castle creation.  Everything is edible except the foil flags on top and some foil in the top of the turrets.

       

My friend (and sister) Sue hard at work.

Daughters

My daughter, Brenda, turned 30 on Monday.  This is an event that gives a mother pause under any circumstances but this was also the day I received the news that one of my students was in the hospital and not expected to recover.  The two events should not necessarily be linked but in my head they most definitely were.  I'm so incredibly grateful for 3 decades of association with my sweet Brenda.  Let me tell you a little about her.  When my first child was born I loved her so intensely that I couldn't imagine ever having as much love for anyone else.  I was actually worried when I discovered I was expecting again that I might not love this child as much.  So I chose to name her  Brenda, "the warrior".  Brenda was named this because I knew in my bones that she would have to be able to advocate for herself.  I also chose the name in honor of my older sister (also Brenda) who has always been my advocate.  Brenda is the original "tough chick".  Like her mother she is a study in opposites.  As a child she was my little princess all in pink, lace, and rhinestones and the first one to eat the bug or jump in the pool.  As an adult she is a tree hugging, vegetarian, Air Force Reserve soldier girl, mom. I'm proud of my baby.  Not the kind of pride spoken of in the scriptures where I take any credit for or claim any glory in connection to the person Brenda has become; but the heart full of joy kind of pride I feel as I have watched this unique person define who and what she wants to be.  She has not made all of her decisions in the directions I would have her but she always, always takes responsibility for her own choices.  Brenda is loving, smart, and constant.  She throws herself completely into every responsibility she accepts.  My son in law and grandchildren are lucky to have her. (I suppose I could be biased).
   Now for the rest of this observation.  My student passed away on Thursday.  She will be buried next Saturday - on her 7th birthday.  She was born with Cerebral Palsy and has been in discomfort, if not outright pain all of her life.  Her parents will not know the joys I've experienced as Brenda's mother.  Yet their expressed desire for her memorial service is for us to celebrate their precious daughter's brief life.  We are each given very different tasks to accomplish in our time on earth.  Could it be that Brenda and I have so very much more to learn than my little student did that her mission on this earth could be accomplished in a mere 7 years?  Either way, I'm grateful for having known her, too.