Recent History

Why is blogging so difficult sometimes? I can't imagine that I don't have anything to say. I always have something to say. But I guess sometimes I just don't have the mental energy to write it down or to share it with my 5 faithful readers.

We've been through some rough times recently. Richard resigned from The Colony High School under some duress. It was a difficult year with a supervisor. We and many others feel that Richard was treated unfairly and it made teaching a chore. Teaching shouldn't be a chore--at least not every day. But it was. It affected his moods understandably and that, in turn, affected the rest of the family.

But once the resignation was turned in, the heaviness lifted. The burden was gone. He could teach in the way that he knew was right and not worry about someone looking over his head or pleasing them. We've spent the last couple of months knowing that we had a change coming.

At first I was angry. It was wrong. Just plain wrong. I knew it was wrong and there wasn't a thing I could do about it. But slowly, I got past the anger and things began to fall into place for a new position. A woman that he worked with was also leaving and had pull at her new school. Richard's TAKS scores were the highest of any of the math teachers except those who taught pre-AP and AP. This new school is working to improve their state scores.

He interviewed on Monday. The principal recognized his name and said that the woman spoke highly of him. It was a very relaxed atmosphere--very comfortable, Richard said. They called him yesterday. He got the job. He thought he would be teaching TAKS classes, but it turns out he'll be teaching Algebra 2 and Pre-Calculus. That's exciting for two reasons: 1) It's higher level math--more fun for Richard, and 2) it's juniors and seniors. Much different than freshmen and sophomores that he's had in the past.

There is one downside...the job is in Venus. (Not *on* Venus) Venus is south of Dallas, about 15 minutes from Midlothian. But there's a positive aspect to this as well. If he were to commute from here, it would be at least an hour's drive each way. Lots of time, lots of gas, lots of wear and tear on the car. But...his parents live in Midlothian. They live in an airport community and have an apartment in their hangar. They've said that he can stay there during the week.

It will certainly be a challenge for all of us. Richard will miss us and we'll miss him. It will put more burdens on me--I might actually have to cook. Ack! But a positive is that he will have the solitude he needs to work. I have little doubt that it will be an adventure for about a month. Then it will be hard. We will get through it though.

I don't know what the future brings for this situation. I don't know if it's something we'll be doing for the next year, two years or ten years. But I know that, in the long run, I'm not in charge. Heavenly Father is and He has a plan. I can't see that plan with my mortal eyes, but I have faith that He will lead us through this and there will be blessings throughout.

In the meantime, I'll spend my summer lazing around while I can and work on my online farm.

And Then the Other Shoe Drops...

Just when you begin to feel like life is picking up--prayers are being answered positively, you've gotten a new appreciation for fasting and prayer, you've managed to have positive interactions with your children while being a single parent for a week and a half--you're then reminded that you still have to do your part.

I was running errands. I knew that I needed to go by and have my inspection redone since getting the emissions work done. I'd rechecked it once, but the car has to be driven about 80 miles in order for some computer thingy to reset. As I set off this morning, I even thought, "Hey! I should go do the inspection." But I was headed in the wrong direction and decided I would do it on the way home or tomorrow.

Off we headed to Allen to the Scout Shop. Picked up a Webelos book for James and a Bear book for John (and an extra for a friend). This was the only reason we were headed out this morning. To *finally* get the scout books for the boys. Well, guess what was in the same strip mall as the Scout Shop.

Larry desperately needed a new toy. His favorite--a tough, well-loved rubber wrench--had gone the way of all things. It was going to choke him soon because he had finally chewed off most of the handle. But it's one of the few toys that has lasted for him. So we walked down the sidewalk to Petco. And guess what was between Petco and the Scout Shop.

The boys didn't bring their money, but they still wanted to look. No big deal. We didn't have anything planned until later this afternoon, so sure...in we go. They looked around, got some ideas for when they do remember their money, and then it was time for lunch. Guess what was in the same area.

Yay Chick-Fil-A! They even grilled some chicken just for John. Did he eat it? No. He drank his milkshake, decided the chicken "felt funny," and grumpiness ensued. Why, oh why do I even try to feed the boy anything but Trix and Cocoa Pebbles? But it was overall a nice little jaunt...

until...

I saw him in front of me first. I saw him flip a u-turn and start coming our way. I hoped and prayed that it wasn't me. I wasn't speeding. But I had passed right by him--driver to driver--right where he could get a really good look at my expired inspection sticker.

Yep...it was me. Lights flashed. I pulled into a parking lot. Told the boys to be good and quiet. (Hmmm...maybe I should've told them to scream and yell. He might've felt sorry for me.)

Yes sir, I know my inspection sticker's expired. Here's the paperwork where they told me I had to drive it for 80 miles before it would pass.

Officer: Ma'am, the date on the paperwork is July 1st. Your sticker expired April 30.

Yeah? So? (Ok, I didn't really say that. Honestly, I didn't even think it.) I just said, "I know." I mean really...what else can you say? I can't argue the case. I can't say it was someone else or that I was rushing to the hospital--or even the truth which was that I was too lazy or distracted or fearful to take the car to the inspection place myself and get it done. So I just prayed that he would find it in his heart to be merciful and give me a warning.

He didn't. He was very polite, but he gave me a ticket. It's the first ticket I've had in at least 10 years. And the first time I've been pulled over in at least 5. Yes, I went straight to the inspection place to get it redone. It passed with flying colors.

So...I will take all my paperwork and go to court and throw myself on the mercy of the court and hope that the judge is nice and maybe has a daughter or a wife or a mom and understands that sometimes our lives get a bit hectic. I will hope that he or she will look at my really thin record and say, "Do better next year."

And if he doesn't, I have no one to blame but myself and maybe I'll have learned a lesson. Actually, I kinda already have because I've been to the inspection station twice now and I feel like I know the place.

It may turn out to be an expensive lesson, but in the long run I'd rather learn monetarily expensive lessons that eternally expensive lessons. What can you, my faithful 5 readers, take from this? Don't put things off.

There. Now you know. So let it be written. So let it be done.

Fasting and Prayer

As most of my five readers know, dear hubby is currently job hunting for next year. At the end of the last school year, he had a person he worked with (who was also leaving for many of the same reasons he did) tell him that she already had a job lined up and that if he was interested, she'd be happy to hire him. Now...understand that she is a counselor, not a principal, but apparently she has some pull in her new district.

It's been a busy, busy summer. Two weeks of cub camp, a week of scout camp and now a week of High Adventure scout camp followed by a week of EFY. Richard has been involved in both scout camps. Needless to say, not a whole lot in the realm of job-finding has been done.

Yesterday was Fast Sunday. I will admit here that I'm a terrible faster. I just have never gained a real testimony of fasting and I don't like being hungry. I get irritable and sometimes shaky--which makes for a not very nice mom/primary teacher/organist/whatever I'm subbing for that day. I often forget that it's Fast Sunday, and even when I remember I often talk myself out of fasting.

But yesterday was different. I decided that I had a purpose--two purposes actually. Richard's job and my dad's eyesight. So, I fasted. I didn't fast the full two meals and I had a Diet Coke in the morning, but I did my version of a fast. I figure it's a start--baby steps, right?

Heavenly Father recognizes and rewards baby steps. Last evening, Richard checked his email. He'd gotten an email from the assistant principal of the counselor's new school. She said that she had his resume, there is a math opening and she would like him to fill out the online application and call on Monday for an interview with the principal. YAY! There's only one glitch (well, two).

The glitch in the interview process is that the email said that the principal would be there Monday and Tuesday (today and tomorrow). Richard is at another scout camp this week--through Wednesday anyway. But that's a positive thing, right? "I'm very interested in the high school math position, but can we schedule an interview after Wednesday? I'm in my second week of supervising boy scouts at camp."

The second glitch is that the district is south of Dallas. For those that don't know the area, it would be a one-way drive of at *least* an hour. But...that may have a solution in the future. (No...we're NOT moving.)

So, I've come to two conclusions today. 1) Fasting works--even when done in baby steps and maybe not quite "correctly." 2) Heavenly Father rewards us when we even just make the attempt to keep his commandments. I don't know why we're having this particular trial at this particular time, but I do know that it's for a reason. I didn't know that for sure at first, but I do now. There is a purpose in this and we'll be able to see it soon. This I know.

Do I Really *Need* a Car?

I have a tendency to put things off--especially things I don't want to do. I don't like to deal with car issues. That includes oil changes and inspections and all those icky things. I don't like the way people at those places talk to me and treat me as though I'm an idiot. I mean, talk to me like I'm four because I really don't know much about cars--that's fine. Really. But don't make fun of me. Don't give a look that says, "Poor misguided female should've sent her husband." So what do I do? Send my husband.

My car was due for inspection in April. Oops. I sent Richard out to get it inspected today since he leaves for scout camp on Monday. It didn't pass. Apparently there are three leaks in the emissions system that the computer found. Here again I show my ignorance when it comes to car issues. I have no idea what that means electronically or in automobile terms. I fear that I do know what it means in financial terms. It means we're never, ever getting out of debt. Ever. Sigh.

Just. Can't. Get. Moving.

It's one of those days. I just can't get moving today. I had plans. I had a mental list. Walk the dog. Vacuum and mop. Go to the temple. I have done none of those things. Frankly, I haven't done a single, solitary thing except make waffles for myself, drink Diet Coke and play my Facebook games.

Is it just the knowledge that it's going to be extraordinarily hot today? Is it because my timing is off on taking my thyroid medication and so it's not levelled out anymore? Am I just lazy?

At some point I'm going to have to actually get off this couch and shower and get dressed. I have to pick up boys for camp in three hours. I should probably get going now if I'm going to be on time.

Cub Scout Twilight Camp - Week Two

Yes folks, it's week two of cub scout twilight camp. Please remember that I'm really not an outdoorsy kind of person--at least not if I'm going to be hot and sweaty. But overall, I enjoyed last week's Webelos camp. It was well organized and fun.

This week I was supposed to go on Tuesday and Friday, but due to a sudden pang of sympathy for a dad who had gotten home from an all-night vacation drive at 5:30 Monday morning, I offered to go on Monday as well. Which meant that yesterday (Tuesday) was day 7 for me of spending approximately five hours a night outside in the heat and humidity. That laughing you heard that you couldn't find? That was my grandmother cackling at me from Heaven.

One thing that I noticed first off on Monday--the difference between Bears/Wolves and Webelos is gigantic. Like Mississippi River huge. The amount of whining I heard on Monday was...well...way too much for me. Luckily for our little walking den, it wasn't from our guys. Second thing--it's hotter this week. A lot hotter. About five degrees hotter. That doesn't sound like much, you say? The difference between 93 and 98 is surprising. Especially when the heat index is 105. So we're constantly telling the boys, "Drink your water!"

"But I just drank some."

"I don't care...drink some more."

While waiting for opening ceremonies (sounds like the Olympics, doesn't it? It's not. Not at all.) in the blazing sun, we suddenly hear a splutting sound from about two lines over. Poor little guy has just thrown up. And are his den buddies kind and caring?

No...because they are 8 and 9 years old. Here's what we heard:

:::SPLUT/SPLASH:::

"DUDE! THAT WAS MY BUCKET! Man! You barfed on my bucket!"

Along with our giggles, you could hear leaders all over the place--"See? You need to drink your water."

That was Monday. No one threw up on Tuesday, but I haven't sweated that much...well...I think maybe ever. Someone said the heat index was 109 when camp started. But we survived.

And tonight? I'm at home. In the air conditioning. Praying for our little group who are there with four (count 'em--FOUR--I have no idea why) leaders from our pack--three of whom are men. Oy.

I'll be back there on Friday. Richard is going to scout camp next week. The coordinator from the other ward called and practically begged him to go because they just don't have enough leaders. Then he's going to high adventure camp with Chris in July. When did we become a camping family?

Webelos Twilight Camp - Updated

No, the boys aren't hanging out with Edward and Jacob--as one friend so cheerfully asked. It's cub scout day camp--only it's from 4:30-9pm. I must admit that I was really, really worried about this camp. With the formation of our new stake, we are now in a new scout district and so a new district cub camp. The disorganization in the registration process, the disorganization in the orientation meeting, the disorganization in the here's-what-you-need-to-know process, the seemingly no-fun attitude of the packet of rules and such, and the lack of spirit (or should I say The Spirit) at any of the meetings left me with a worry to the point that I almost just decided to not go this week.

James is the only Webelos in our pack. Two other boys were registered with us. One is technically not a Webelos, but that's another story. He's there at Webelos camp. Whatever. The other boy moved to Iowa, so I don't think he'll be attending. ;-)

It has turned out to be a really good camp. They've had good activities, good leaders at the stations, good projects that are helping the boys to pass off quite a bit of stuff. It's been hot, but there's a lot of shade at this particular park. Most of our activities have been in the shade and those that aren't--well, we've been lucky and had those activities scheduled later in the evening. The only activity, so far, that I could really say was a bad idea was the games on Tuesday. It was supposed to turn into a relay of knot tying. Yeah. They never got to the relay part and spent 45 minutes trying to tie knots. Uh-huh. That was fun. So, overall--I've been happy with this camp. And I still am...but something happened yesterday that has upset a lot of people. I'm blogging about it partly because I just need to kind of work through my thoughts on it.



At the end of the last activity yesterday (so about 8:30pm), we were all held in our stations instead of going to the flagpole for awards and flag retrieval. We heard the siren of the medical 4-wheeler. The games activity yesterday was "sponge wars." Basically, it was a water balloon fight with those spongey balls that you use in pools. The boys had a BLAST! I thought it was a fabulous idea. Apparently they've been doing it for years. I'm sure there have been a fair share of injuries. James bonked heads with someone yesterday and got a little bump over his eye. But...they're boys. It's part of the territory. But I digress...sorry.

We could see the medical 4-wheeler over at the games station. Obviously something was serious if they were holding us. Then they sounded the horn for us to return to the flagpole. As we were walking to the flagpole, we could see an ambulance coming up the road. I'm sure we were all thinking--broken ankle, bad heat exhaustion or dehydration. We were all wrong.

At the flagpole, the camp director spoke in a cracking voice and then turned it over to a sheriff's deputy to tell us what had happened. Apparently, in the course of the fun of sponge wars, the game turned ugly for one scout. Tempers flared (I suppose) and one scout was basically assaulted by a group of other scouts. To the point of having an ambulance called. The deputy said, "The law was broke [sic] here tonight. Some of you scouts are lucky. The mother doesn't want to press charges. But she could. There are some scouts here who owe that boy and his mother an apology."

Wow. I mean just...wow. Never in my life would I have dreamed this would happen at scout camp. Injuries--yes. Arguments--sure. These are 10 yo boys after all. Frustrations and yelling and all that goes with that. But there's also fun and frolic and running around in the woods. But for a group of scouts to gang up on one boy and beat him up basically? Shocking and heartbreaking.

The camp director and all those involved in the camp handled it fabulously. As far as I could tell there was no panic. They followed procedures, stayed calm--most of the boys had no idea anything was amiss other than the siren from the medical truck and the ambulance. So even though I'm really sad that it happened and it would be easy to say, "Well, we're never going back to this camp again," I don't think it was the fault of the camp or the leaders--even the leaders in that particular "walking den." Having already done that station, I can absolutely see how it could happen without being noticed in time. Boys are pretty fast when they want to be. And when they're all running around like ants, it's hard to know when something's wrong right at first. Then again...maybe that's the lack of the spirit again. I don't know.

Today is the last day of camp. I think it will be a bit subdued. But I hope everyone will rally around those who tried to help and those who were only witnesses and help them have a good time. I hope a lesson has been learned. I hope prayers were said for the injured boy and for those involved. And I hope the punishment fits the crime for the perpetrators. But I'm not in charge of any of that except for my own boy and my own walking den. We will smile and have fun today. And we will come home from a week of cub camp with lots of lessons--some expected and some unexpected. Sometimes we learn the most from those unexpected lessons. I hope so.


Update: Turns out the boy who was hurt was a junior volunteer. And yes, the incident happened when the games was boys against leaders. And the volunteer alledgely taunted the boys saying stuff like, "Come on! Come and get me!" Well, they did. And it got out of hand. Does that make it right? Absolutely not. Does that make the injured boy less of a victim? I don't think so. But I'm thinking in all of the lessons learned, maybe the victim learned something too. And he's okay. He was back at camp on Friday.