Post by TarNOLE on Oct 15, 2014 8:35:58 GMT -5
I've been in lurk mode for awhile, but do read often.
Gus turned 14 last month! On the whole, his first year as a teenager was smooth sailing. He is a GREAT kid, and I am so privileged to parent him. He is in the 8th grade now. There were weeks during 6th grade that I though we wouldn't get through middle school at all. And a few times I over the last two years that I considered selling him to they gypsies. He decided over the summer that he would like to play Lacrosse in college - and his coaches (both school and summer league) have been hammering the importance of making the grades so that he will be eligible. His hockey coach is also stressing the importance of doing well in school. So glad to have these role models echoing what Mike and I have been saying for years. He is setting his sights high (e.g. Johns Hopkins) and we will support him in that dream. He started playing Lacrosse this past summer and loves it.
In August 2013, my parents took the entire family to the Turks and Caicos - it was a big year - Dad turned 80 in January, Mom would turn 70 in December and they celebrated their 49th anniversary while we were on vacation. We chose not to wait until their 50th for the trip as Dad has been battling cancer for nearly 6 years now - so every year is a celebration.
Gus is active with the Boy Scouts - and we spend a weekend in June hiking on South Mountain in western North Carolina. He bounced back after 15 miles over three days and spent a week at hockey camp. I could barely move...
This summer we celebrated my parent's 50th anniversary at a beach house in Florida. Gus enjoyed the week with his cousins who are now 3 and 5 - so hold actual conversations with him while tagging along like ducklings. He spent the week tagging along after my sister Beth and her boyfriend (an ex-Marine who is GREAT with the kids too - though Beth describes him as what Gus will be like in 20 years... a big kid at heart).
We are now into ice hockey season. This is his first year at an elite level - playing AA - and everyone is faster. He is used to being one of the fasted on the team, so it has been a bit of a shock to him. But he is taking on the challenge and figuring out how to improve his strength and speed. Last week he played in Pittsburgh in a tournament where his team finished 3rd. The only loss of the weekend was in the semi-final game to the team that went on to win the tournament. Saturday we will drive to the DC area for three games. Then we are home for a few weekends - and he can do things with his Scout Troop - and then we hit the road to Chicago for a HUGE tournament the second weekend in November. A few more weekend trips around NC and Virginia and two more tournaments for the year - to ring in the New Year near Fort Myers, FL and President's Day in Nashville, TN. Fortunately I have vacation time stored to be able to travel with him.
In other news, my husband's second book is being published next month - at the printer's now. He writes for the academic audience - the first book is "The Communication of Hate (Language as Social Action)" and the new book is "Hate on the Right: Right Wing Political Groups and Hate Speech (Frontiers in Political Communication)" His recent research and teaching focuses on breaking the cycle of hatred. It makes for heavy reading and interesting discussions around our house. This summer, he was asked to write a second edition of his first book - and will likely start on that after the holidays.
Finally - after over 12 years working in the Division of Infectious Diseases, I changed jobs in March and now work for the School of Pharmacy. I am so much happier. I am working with a great group of people, and the Investigators I work with now make a point of saying thank you and recognizing the work we do as administrators. Even with a huge cut in pay, the change in quality of life equally huge. I'm also active with the Boy Scouts and trying to finish some projects and get certified by BSA as a trainer. I haven't spent as much time quilting as I'd like - as I spend much of my free time driving Gus to Raleigh and beyond for hockey.
Gus turned 14 last month! On the whole, his first year as a teenager was smooth sailing. He is a GREAT kid, and I am so privileged to parent him. He is in the 8th grade now. There were weeks during 6th grade that I though we wouldn't get through middle school at all. And a few times I over the last two years that I considered selling him to they gypsies. He decided over the summer that he would like to play Lacrosse in college - and his coaches (both school and summer league) have been hammering the importance of making the grades so that he will be eligible. His hockey coach is also stressing the importance of doing well in school. So glad to have these role models echoing what Mike and I have been saying for years. He is setting his sights high (e.g. Johns Hopkins) and we will support him in that dream. He started playing Lacrosse this past summer and loves it.
In August 2013, my parents took the entire family to the Turks and Caicos - it was a big year - Dad turned 80 in January, Mom would turn 70 in December and they celebrated their 49th anniversary while we were on vacation. We chose not to wait until their 50th for the trip as Dad has been battling cancer for nearly 6 years now - so every year is a celebration.
Gus is active with the Boy Scouts - and we spend a weekend in June hiking on South Mountain in western North Carolina. He bounced back after 15 miles over three days and spent a week at hockey camp. I could barely move...
This summer we celebrated my parent's 50th anniversary at a beach house in Florida. Gus enjoyed the week with his cousins who are now 3 and 5 - so hold actual conversations with him while tagging along like ducklings. He spent the week tagging along after my sister Beth and her boyfriend (an ex-Marine who is GREAT with the kids too - though Beth describes him as what Gus will be like in 20 years... a big kid at heart).
We are now into ice hockey season. This is his first year at an elite level - playing AA - and everyone is faster. He is used to being one of the fasted on the team, so it has been a bit of a shock to him. But he is taking on the challenge and figuring out how to improve his strength and speed. Last week he played in Pittsburgh in a tournament where his team finished 3rd. The only loss of the weekend was in the semi-final game to the team that went on to win the tournament. Saturday we will drive to the DC area for three games. Then we are home for a few weekends - and he can do things with his Scout Troop - and then we hit the road to Chicago for a HUGE tournament the second weekend in November. A few more weekend trips around NC and Virginia and two more tournaments for the year - to ring in the New Year near Fort Myers, FL and President's Day in Nashville, TN. Fortunately I have vacation time stored to be able to travel with him.
In other news, my husband's second book is being published next month - at the printer's now. He writes for the academic audience - the first book is "The Communication of Hate (Language as Social Action)" and the new book is "Hate on the Right: Right Wing Political Groups and Hate Speech (Frontiers in Political Communication)" His recent research and teaching focuses on breaking the cycle of hatred. It makes for heavy reading and interesting discussions around our house. This summer, he was asked to write a second edition of his first book - and will likely start on that after the holidays.
Finally - after over 12 years working in the Division of Infectious Diseases, I changed jobs in March and now work for the School of Pharmacy. I am so much happier. I am working with a great group of people, and the Investigators I work with now make a point of saying thank you and recognizing the work we do as administrators. Even with a huge cut in pay, the change in quality of life equally huge. I'm also active with the Boy Scouts and trying to finish some projects and get certified by BSA as a trainer. I haven't spent as much time quilting as I'd like - as I spend much of my free time driving Gus to Raleigh and beyond for hockey.
