Lex's Tooth...

I got back from school last Friday and Lex was very excited to show me something...actually, she just stood in front of me and smiled...

She lost her first tooth...it had been loose for awhile now...

The best part for her was that she lost it while at school and she got the 'tooth holder' thing that all the kids have liked...there was a collision while scooting around on some scooters in gym and the tooth popped out.

She said it landed on the ground and that she jumped off right away to get the tooth...she didn't care about winning the game...she just wanted the tooth...

Lex also seemed pretty happy that she lost the tooth when she was going to be with me because "you know what to do with lost teeth."  A good day for her...

Lukie's Basketball Season...

After having practice every Tuesday night since December, games on Saturday's (and a few on Tuesday nights) and a couple of tournaments as well...Lukie's basketball season came to an end on Saturday...

Lukie has called basketball his favorite sport over the last few months and I know he's had fun playing...

Their team was a mismatched group (there were no team color scheme for shorts or pants) who just started playing ball this school year.  There were some learning curves to be had, but they had a good time, especially at their season ending tournament in Annandale...

Delano Girls Hockey...

Lex has really enjoyed watching the girls play hockey this winter, she said to me a while back while watching a game "girls can be tough" and I passed that along to several players...

This past Tuesday was the Tigers first section playoff game (they were the #1 seed and received a first round bye) and Lex really wanted to go...so Luke was off to basketball practice and Lex/I took off for Delano....

She really gets into the game and is caught up in the excitement...more so than any of the other sporting events we've been to...

The picture below was a goal (but was in the process of being called off when I snapped the picture)...Lex didn't care, she was screaming...

What's cool is that Lex actively cheers for two schools, Central and Delano.  She's got parents and students from both schools who recognize and speak to her when she goes to games...good for her...

The game was tied 1-1 going into the 3rd period and things were pretty tense going into a time out...Lex was concerned...

But a three goal rush in that 3rd period sealed the game and Lex was happy...one of those goals was by #12, Lex's favorite player...she was excited...

I told several players the next day or two that I've taken Lex to all sorts of sporting events and I don't think I've ever seen her as excited as she was during that 3rd period...all the players seemed to love it...

Unfortunately, the Tigers lost Thursday at Gustavus during the section final and won't be going to state...

Lex was disappointed when I told her, but she said "there's always next year."  And she's right, we'll be back...

Hockey Games

So we go to a lot of high school sporting events, not hard to see, last week we went to two girls hockey games...

Friday night, I gave Lukie & Lex the choice of going to a Central girls BB game (in Norwood), a Delano girls hockey game (in New Prague) or staying at the house.  They chose the hockey game...albeit, they knew we were going to a basketball game Saturday night...

They've enjoyed the 4-5 hockey games they've been to this winter...if Delano had won the game, they would have won the conference title, but they unfortunately lost (it was a close game)...

Lukie talked to a couple of my students, Lex talked to a couple of mothers of past students...they had fun.  It was the last regular season game for Delano and sections start this week.  They got the #1 seed and a first round bye, so playoffs don't start for another week...my guess is we'll be there.

They've got a great shot at making the state tournament....

Academic Achievement Award

You might think that after the 210 days (in which I've been with Kieran 7 hours total and none since August 19th --- yeah, I keep count) that my son was taken from me...that I'd have moved on and forgotten...but that's not how true and good parents work...

Over a week ago this happened...

And I was damn proud...I reached out to K and told him exactly that...especially considering how the first six weeks of school went, as I watched from afar as his grades slipped (two failing grades and a C- at the mid-quarter mark) because no one was paying attention to his education...

Knowing how these achievement awards are chosen, he undoubtedly received it due to the fact that he was struggling so much early in the year academically, his new teachers at the MS assumed he was a kid who struggled and has pulled things together now after adjusting to the school...good for him, nice work...he's always done a great job academically (until this fall)...

Kieran is an awesome kid...and he is coming home to me...soon...I can't wait...

Nice job K!

***FYI --- I've received a couple of e-mails in the last month or so....they were the quickest deleted e-mails I've ever deleted...so if you're thinking of sending e-mails to me, you should ask yourself "do I think he'll open my e-mail?"  And if you think that...I'm not going to open it...I don't care what you have to say...

Lunar Eclipse

Wednesday morning was the full moon and this one came with a total lunar eclipse (it was also the second full moon for the month (a blue moon) and the moon was at perigee in it's orbit (making it a super moon).  After a quick inch or two of snow overnight, the clouds cleared and Lukie/Lex got a great view of the eclipse...

Lex said "it looks like the moon is bleeding...."

So in a matter of months, Lukie and Lex have seen both a total solar eclipse and a total lunar eclipse...not bad...