And we press on...

Other than being a little angry that our school system told the kids
they were not allowed to talk about what happened at Chardon in school
(I sent a strongly worded email that may, or may not have had certain
parts of it typed with the caps lock engaged!), we are trying to start
the healing process. It's going to be hard, but it needs to start.

Anyway, our hive doesn't really know what to do with ourselves. Rec
basketball is over and C's tournament at Chardon this weekend has been
pushed back two weeks. Other than her practice Thursday, we have had
NOTHING going on in evening. It's weird. I have been *gasp* cooking
real meals! The kids have been playing with their neighborhood
friends, and everyone is overall pretty happy. Other than the kids'
mom, that is. She has been starting her crap again and I even had to
go down and file a police report last Monday on her for harassing
phone calls. I'm really not surprised though. Things have been quiet,
and dare I say peaceful as of late. I knew something was brewing.
*sigh* Oh well.

The weather is supposed to be really nice today. It's rained most of
the day, but the sun is out now and it's almost 60 degrees! Maybe I
can get out and take some fun pictures tonight with my "precious" ;)
Couple more weeks and it should be like this all the time! YAY SPRING!

Aftermath

Well, it's been 24 hours.

My heart is so heavy, I feel it may collapse.

While it did not happen at my kid's school, we are a neighboring town
and kid's get all emotional and do irrational things. Therefore, as of
yesterday at 9am, our schools are in lockdown as well. There were at
least 4 or 5 police officers milling about at the high school where I
dropped J off this morning.

As time passes, more and more information is made available. One child
passed away yesterday mid-morning. Another was placed on life support
yesterday afternoon, and pronounced brain dead around 4pm yesterday.
This morning, his parents made the hard choice of taking him off the
life support. He died shortly there after. We have just heard a 3rd in
in critical condition and things don't look good.

I was heart broken after Colombine 13 years ago. Now? As a parent? I
am devistated. I can't help think "What if it were my kids? Our
school?" and then I don't want to let them out of the door. But, I
have to. I have been praying non-stop for Bee and his brother who both
graduated from Chardon and are taking this very hard. Most of our
friends are either from there, or still reside there raising their
families. I have been praying for all the citizens of Chardon who are
now have their sleepy, safe little town forever on the map. Their
community has been rocked to it's foundation. I pray for the families
of the victims who's children will forever be changed, and for two
families, will never come home from school. I also pray for T.J. Lane
(the shooter) and his family. They too, have suffered a loss. Their
child will not be coming home from school either, but for a different
reason. They must suffer alone as a community comes together.

I am wearing my black and red in support, today....

As for my kids. Little man is for the most part, unaffected. They did
not tell the little ones. I am assuming today they will talk about it
a little bit since they have all had a chance to come home and talk to
mom and dad first. C, was upset and a little scared, but had questions
most of all, and J...well she was most upset. I figured as much, since
she is older. She also tends to hang out with loner types and I think
it may have hit home for her. She was upset for another reason as
well. Her best friend is a student at Chardon. When she finally got a
hold of her yesterday, T told her that she was sitting at the table
right next to the table the shooter was sitting at. She was sitting
facing him, so when he stood up, drew his pistol, and started
shooting, she had a front row seat. T is not doing very well. She
can't sleep. Can't eat, and can't stop crying. Her brother, was good
friends with the young man who was just taken off life support today.
He would have been sitting next to him at that table had he not made
it all the way to the cafeteria, only to have to turn back because he
had left something in his locker. He made it back in time to see the
boy stand up and shoot his friend.

My kids are good kids. My kids live in a good neighborhood and attend
a good school. Just like Chardon. In fact, it is a LOT like Chardon.
They shouldn't have to be afraid to go to school. No kid should.

Tragedy

About 8 minutes down the road from me is a sleepy little farm town
called Chardon. It's a beautiful little town with an old timey town
square where the Maple Fest is held every March (they are known for
their Maple trees), old victorian homes, farmland, and a great school
system. In fact, both sets of Grandparents of my kids live there and
Bee graduated from there. When we moved two years ago, we almost moved
there. It was a quiet and safe community.

Until today.

At 7:30am two armed kids walked into the cafeateria and fired 5 shots
before fleeing. 5 kids were hurt. 1 is currently in stable condition,
while the other 4 are in critical condition. As of now, both shooters
are in custody.

This rocks my world on several levels. One, I was a senior in high
school when colombine happened. I remember crying in my 8th period
class. So close to summer and graduation and some would never get to
expierence it. Two, as a parent, my heart hurts for any parent whose
child goes there...let alone the victim's parents. Three, as the
parent of a child who is..different...and not "popular" and tends to
surround herself with loner trenchcoat type kids, my heart breaks for
the parents who have to get that call that their child..their precious
baby, caused all this. Especially, in a small town.

However, today's events only futher enforce my belief that we need to
keep score at peewee soccer and football games. Go back to making kids
try out for teams instead of just allowing anyone to play. Give real
grades to kindergardeners. Parents neex to STOP stepping in and
resolving their children's conflicts. Kids NEED to experience
injustice ans unfairness early on because guess what? Life is unfair.
At 18 you are an adult and the world is a brutal place. Kids grow up.
Kids tease. Kids bully. It's natural. I am certainly NOT saying it
should be left uncheckecked, but some is normal and some is ok. It
teaches our children conflict, how to deal with and process it, and
how to get over it. Right now, we are sending them out into a world
without a thick skin and the proper tools to deal.

And then some kid brings a gun to school and shoots up the place.
And we blame the media and musicians.
We are directing the blame to the wrong places....

Do me a favor. Hug your kids extra tight. Love on them and kiss them,
and tell them how special they are.....and tell them "no" from time to
time....even if there is no reason for it.

As Bee tells our 3 all the time, "being fair only means everyone is as
equally miserable"

Splish Splash!

Little man waited very patiently, and finally..FINALLY we had his birthday party! I know we are two months late, but I was out of town for a week, we were busy, and the pool was booked...but finally the date arrived!! I'd say he had a great time ;) As of now, him  and his bff are sleeping in the mudroom under their sweet tent :)

"Epic"

I have three kids in my house. 18, 11, and 9. New trends often start at the top. The high school kids start saying or doing something, and then it filters down. Usually, to siblings, who then take it to school and start saying/doing the "new" thing with their friends, who pick up on it and so on.

About 8 months ago, my 18 year old started saying everything was "epic".

"That was soooo epic!" "It was be really epic if I could get my own car"  "It was, Epically, the best day of my life!"

Then, the 11 year old (who is "popular") picked up on it and all of her and her little girlfriends started saying it too. All you would hear at the basketball games and practices was how this was epic, and that was epic etc, etc..

Now, waay after the fact the the older kids have deemed "epic" so last month!"  it has made it's way to my 9 year old's age group. Just like all things, 9 year old's are not too good with judging when they are overdoing it. Every other word out of their mouth is "Epic", and it annoys the other kids who tell them "You don't even know what epic is!"

It's an  Epically Epic situation....  ;)

Technology Hates Me..

Now my phone won't let me post either....GAH!

I am working on it...

Until then...

REC Basketball is done!!! C's team was the 5-6th grade girls Champion!!
Little Man's Team made it to the Semi-Finals!

Now we just have travel....and Hockey...and Football....and Flag football...and soon, Soccer ;)

I have not passed on...

So, here's the thing.... I hate with the powers of the heat from 1000 suns, this new blogger setup. I am busy, busy, busy and can update mainly from my work computer. However, the new setup is not compatable with my work browser.....and I can't update the browser. Soooo my little blog is suffering.

I have a ton of stuff to say, tons of pictures to upload, and I just generally miss my blog. Right now, I haven't been home for more an hour at a time because of basketball for both kids, travel basketball for C, flag football for Bee, Hockey for Bee, and now semi pro is gearing up. Basketball is coming to an end, but we get two weeks off before soccer starts.

I don't mind being busy, at all. In fact, I like it! However, it doesn't leave a lot of room for downtime at home. Until I get the browser thing figured out, I am going to try and post from home...or at the very least, from my phone like I am doing now. Who knows, that,might work out even better than before! My life is already spent on this phone as it is haha! Until later....

My Precious!

I got my new camera!! I love it! It's a cannon EOS Rebel Ti1.Now, I can take the good quality pictures I have always wanted to :)