Wow - It is the middle of February and I have failed to udpate the Blog. Let me see if I can backtrack30+ days. We have been having friends over often to see our new home. I am trying to use the new double oven but it is just so much easier to do carry out! Little by little we have been decorating the space and it definately feels like home. The extra space is just blissful. Todd has been feeding the wildlife in our backyard.
TJ 's school basketball team (CKS TIGERS) completed a great season. Coach Neighbours is retiring after 19 years. Here is an excerpt from his final email to the team parents. "Considering the emotions of my 'coaching transition', I thought I was fine last night until............Then I made eye contact wtih Dek, Then I tried to start talking to a 7th grader who I will not be coaching next year. I was a little overwhelmed." TJ was the sole 7th grader on the 8th grade A team. We had mixed emotions about him not playing with hs classmates but the 8th graders accepted him and made him step up his game. I think he made his coach(es) proud, gained much basketball knowledge and improved tremendously.
Despite the hours on the court, he made Academic High Honors and he placed 10th in the school science fair. This was a father/son bonding experience. I sat back and watch the fireworks at times. LOL
7th grade is the year of the projects. TJ has been working dilegently on his Culture Fest Project which consist of six typed pages of instructions and weekly due dates. Country assigned: Mozambique. He even reached out n Facebook to find a pen pal from the country to gather info. The homework load this year as been unbelieveable. TJ's time managment skills are great for a teenager but even he struggles to stay ahead.
Dad (Papa Bruce) underwent lung surgery. In the end the diagnosis/biopsy was negative for cancer. The sewed him up and he will back to his old self in a few more weeks.
TJ joined another basketball team (Northside Ballers). They played thier first tourney game this weekend and won. I will update with final results and hopefully a full team photo with a trophy next week. He just started practicing with his AAU travel team. He loves to be on the court.
I had the privledge of traveling to Florida with Kirstine, Lucy, Diana and Patty for long weekend earlier this month. The laughter with friends and the sun shine on my face was awesome. I am going again right after tax season with the BFFBs. Yep, I am spoiled.
Oh - and TJ is currently 5'7 tall and 115 pounds. I am officially jealous of his height and weight!
Wow - It is the middle of February and I have failed to udpate the Blog. Let me see if I can backtrack30+ days. We have been having friends over often to see our new home. I am trying to use the new double oven but it is just so much easier to do carry out! Little by little we have been decorating the space and it definately feels like home. The extra space is just blissful. Todd has been feeding the wildlife in our backyard.
7th grade is the year of the projects. TJ has been working dilegently on his Culture Fest Project which consist of six typed pages of instructions and weekly due dates. Country assigned: Mozambique. He even reached out n Facebook to find a pen pal from the country to gather info. The homework load this year as been unbelieveable. TJ's time managment skills are great for a teenager but even he struggles to stay ahead. 
While the rest of the world went south for their new Fall Break 2 week schedule, TJ and I (along with my Dad) went west to St. Louis for TJ's 2 day Fall Break. Atleast we had one and someplace to go. the plan was for TJ to take along a friend but said friend did not do so well in one of his classes and managed to get grounded for life the day before we left. So.....I pulled my hair back and put on my tennis shoes for an afternoon of climbing, sliding and banging my head off metal structures that I am too curvy to be crawling through in the City Museum. The place is awesome even at my age. At one point, Dad and I followed TJ up 10 flights of stairs to only be able to come down a very winding slide down 10 floors. I was dizzy for the next hour! Needless to say, I was curled up in our hotel room fast asleep too early to admit to. The next day, we ventured to the zoo. It may be one of my favorites and we have been to many! Back in Indy, armed with flashlights, I took TJ and two friends, Jared & Jaden to a corn maze! They had much fun and I had to have my car cleaned today to remove all the mud, corn and hay. To finish off the weekend, the Colts won! Back to work and school tomorrow as we count down the days to our next break - Thanksgiving in Florida!
We have learned Lea is not a fan of wood steps (ie. the deck steps) and therefore we are grateful we did not splurge to fence the backyard! However, this new task of having to walk her several times a day is getting old quick! She still loves to be outside and spends time on the deck. However on this particular morning she was a bit undecided whether to be inside or outside so she opted for both! 
