Trip to Notre Dame--September 25-27, 2015 Sophomore Parents' Weekend

After volunteering this past week for the World Meeting of Families,  on Friday afternoon, I rushed and picked up Matthew and Timmy from school,  so that we could begin our trek to Notre Dame. First, we took a train to the airport, and then a plane into Chicago, and then, after traveling for 7 hours already, we took a 4 hour shuttle bus trip to get to Notre Dame.  We were trying to meet up with Anna, Lily, and Chris, who drove out to Notre Dame on Thursday to meet up with Jack for Sophomore Parents' Weekend.   By the time we arrived, it was almost midnight, and we were exhausted.

We woke up the next morning, had breakfast at the hotel, and then drove over to Notre Dame.  I hadn't been there since April, when it was a quiet Easter weekend, and it was the first football weekend I had ever attended.

I must say that now I understand why people are so crazy about Notre Dame football.  I realized as we were sitting in our seats (in the most uncomfortable seats I have ever sat in....), that this was the first football game I had attended in 35 years!  I,  obviously, am not a football fan.

But, my son, Jack,  goes to Notre Dame, which makes me a Notre Dame football fan.   But more, I guess, I am a Notre Dame fan.  The whole place.   The whole place is really fabulous.  I can't begin to tell you how happy I am that Jack is able to have this amazing opportunity to have that type of college experience.

Blogging from the World Meeting of Families all week....

When they announced a few months ago that they needed volunteers for the World Meeting of Families events, I jumped right on it.  This is the week-long event, which culminates in the Pope arriving in Philadelphia on Saturday, and the Papal Mass on Sunday.   I signed up to attend several events as a volunteer worker.

In addition, I got an email a few months ago asking if I would be willing to be a volunteer attorney for the WMOF for the week.  Frankly, I thought this was a joke. Who needs a volunteer attorney at an outdoor event with the Pope saying Mass?  I said it was like needing a volunteer astronomer.....more later!

I Met Mayor Nutter today (and the Pope!)--September 19, 2015

Today was the first day you could volunteer for the World Meeting of Families.    I went down to the Convention Center to pick up my uniform (this is it...a bright orange shirt), and work a 3 hour shift handing out the uniform packets, when the woman helping me announced that Mayor Nutter would be arriving in 10 minutes.  Which meant only one thing....I was going to get my photo taken with Mayor Nutter: 

 He was very pleasant, although he did tell me he thought I was bossy--I kept on making him take photos with people, including the  people in the back, etc.

 This is Denita, who I was working with--she thought I was a riot.  This is her trying to stop herself from laughing too hard!!

James, another guy, and I took our photos with the pope (print out). It really does look good.  And when did I get to be looking like this????  Oh Lord...

First Day of (2 New) Schools--5 Children in 5 Different Schools! September 9, 2015

Today was the first day of school for my children.  Well, technically it was the first day of school for the youngest three, because Anna did go to school for two days last week, and her first day of school was yesterday, but we have been all calling this their first day of school, so I will treat it as such!

This year was a year of big beginnings for all my children.   Jack is now a sophomore, not a freshman, at Notre Dame.   Anna is starting her last year in school...she is a Senior.  She says it hasn't hit her.  She remembers seeing the Seniors when she was a freshman at her school, and wondering how she would feel, but she says she doesn't feel the way she thought she would feel.   I love Anna.

This is her leaving for school today:

Timmy started at a new school--10th grade at Abington Senior High School, which for us, means he started high school.  Every other school district around here has the high school beginning in 9th grade, but in Abington, it begins in 10th.   Typically,  Timmy was not the least bit worried.  It helps that he actually went to the Senior high  all last year on the Senior high bus,  and took 10th grade math, and then walked over to the Junior high and took the rest of his 9th grade classes.   He already knows the school, and has lots of friends who are older than him.  That is Timmy--very easy.

This is him leaving for school, and hoping we get the golf clubs on that are at the bottom of the photo:

Matthew started his first day at a new school, Ancillae Academy,  and he is going into the 7th grade.    I am so excited for him.  This is exactly what he needs, and I am thrilled he is getting this opportunity.   Other than figuring out the bus (he waited for 20 minutes), I am sure this will be a great transition for him.

Chris always takes off to get them off on the first day of school. 

I couldn't do this last year with the Abington kids.  This bus only has about 6 kids on it....

And Lily, is starting into the 3rd grade at McKinley.  And I am thrilled, because I love her teacher, Miss Livingood.  There is no way Lily won't have a great year!

So, this is it.  The first day for my kids at several new schools, and the end of a fabulous almost three month summer break.  My kids had such a great summer.  There was lots of pool, some beach, lots of fun trips with our family, lots of golfing, etc, etc, etc.   And it doesn't help that it is going to be 94 degrees today.  I can remember for a few years, it always seemed to rain on the first day of school, which made it easier for my kids to go back.   See, I would say, it is a miserable day..you might as well be in school.!

I try to say all the right things to my kids about how great it is to go back and see their friends, and how once the weather gets chillier, it is better to be in school than to be with me, and how I am just boring, etc, etc, but the fact is, I love being here with them, and I do miss them when they are gone.

I was talking to a friend last night about dropping off her oldest son at college for the first time, and I asked her how she was doing.  Instead of just saying that she missed him, she said the politically correct thing that she feels she has raised her son to move on, so this is the way it is, etc, etc, etc.    That seems ridiculous to me.   Yes, I am raising my 5 children to be healthy and happy independent people, but that doesn't mean I don't get to engage in some mommy-sulking/feeling sorry for myself, and that I can't articulate that to my friends.    When I dropped off Jack, I was really happy for him, but as time wore on, I really missed him.   Between October, and right before Christmas when he came home, I went 2-1/2 months without seeing him, and I really missed him.  I think you put yourself in a state of waiting, but once I knew I was within days of seeing him, I can honestly say my heart was aching I missed him so much.

So this day marks the end of another summer break, and the beginning of another school year.  Next year will be another different story...Anna will be at college.    And that is going to be really, really hard for me.    But for now, we have the Year of Anna to enjoy (see previous blog post!!), and lots of busy school days.

The Year of Anna..begins on September 1, 2015

Today begins the Year of Anna.  She doesn't even know it, but it is.  I am kind of stealing that from The Middle, in which the girl character, Sue Heck, declared her Senior year, the Year of Sue.   Okay, I am really stealing it from The Middle.  Sue Heck declared her senior year was a year to celebrate everything about Sue.  And if you know Anna, she is very similar to Sue.  Watching that show, I am constantly thinking about how much Sue reminds me of Anna.

Anyone familiar with the show may think this is not a compliment, but I think it is, especially if you are truly a fan of the show.  You will know that Sue is kind, thoughtful, and compassionate.  She is friendly, and big-hearted.  And she is always enthusiastic and tries really, really hard at everything....and sometimes doesn't get the results she wants, but she always tries her absolute hardest.

So, I have decided this is the Year of Anna, because she starts her Senior year tomorrow, and because that means I only have one year....12 months....52 weeks with her.   And that is something I want to really celebrate, because I want to make every one of those days special.