Grant has had a wonderful month. He's been doing so well going to school daily and is truly back to his old happy go lucky self! Lacrosse has been such a joy for him this past season and he's so good at it! He is an amazing player and Blake and I are thrilled that he's enjoying another sport so much. It's fun to watch! His coach had some nice things to say about him-- we couldn't attend the end of year party, but his wife sent the notes. Grant is always up for fun-- whether it be hopping in the pool after school with Luke to chicken fight (Dave brought these floats for us!) to playing his heart out all weekend at his soccer tournaments, to putting on an amazing show at school! He is working really hard to learn his lines and dance moves for his part as Tin Man in the Wizard of Oz. It is a highlight of these last few weeks of school. Grant also performed ASL for "What a Wonderful World" in front of the whole school with his little buddy. So sweet. Though Grant was not up for being in the chorus this second semester, he was a superb page turner and I was so very grateful for his help! He was so confident and focused and I couldn't have done all the performances without him! I know that may seem like no big deal but with page and pages of music and so much pressure not to miss a beat- it really was a big deal and I loved having him as my little assistant at the piano. A couple days after Anna cut her hair, an older boy in the carpool said- "oooh..... turn around--- you are so ugly with your hair cut I can't look at you." You better believe Grant whipped around so fast and though the kid was two years older than him he said: Dude, don't talk to my sister that way. That was really rude." He was so angry. It made me so proud that he would stick up for his little sis like that. Love that kid. The other day picking up a child for soccer practice, this huge dog came barreling out at Grant and I. I was a little nervous and Grant could tell. He used his body to shield me before I even knew what was happening and said-- hurry mom-- go that way! Seriously??????? He is such a little sweetheart.
Dane has had a rough go this month. His dang throat is still killing him and it spills over into every facet of his life, as you can imagine. Poor kid. I ordered a new humidifier and air purifier and I'm hoping this will ease some of the discomfort so he can sleep better at night and wake up without as much pain. Man, it's been three and a half years of him feeling bad on and off. We've explored every option from Gastro to ENT to Allergists. We've taken out his tonsils, adenoids, done surgery on his esophagus. No one has any answers. It's discouraging. This past weekend he missed most of his big tournament due to the discomfort he was experiencing. I can't imagine that this is just how his life will be!?!?! As his mom, what can I do???? I won't give up but the two of us are definitely discouraged. Despite all of this, Dane continues to work super hard at school. He enjoys school and his friends. It was a joy to help out at the 6th grade Olympics and watch him compete and hang out with buddies. He knows the cool kids but is particular about not wanting to be a part of their group because of all the crass talk and swearing that happens. He has a few friends he enjoys spending time with and is kind to everyone. He is self conscious and very self aware. I wish he were a little less serious and less afraid to make mistakes. But I admire his sensitive and kind nature and am so grateful for the wonderful person he is. I love spending time with him and can't believe what a hard worker and amazing helper he is. Love this boy!
And last but not least is Evelyn- who has had a VERY BUSY month! With projects and presentations due, tech week and promotion rehearsals, she's been a little on the cranky side! But I get it. Being a teenager is hard! I admire her determination and ability to perform under pressure. This month Evelyn sang in church for Mother's Day-- a solo verse from the song "More than Enough". It was so incredibly sweet and I was so grateful as she typically fears singing in church. She did an amazing job as Glinda in Wizard of Oz and had a fabulous time with the CYT crew. She won the Spark Plug award for leadership in her calm and quiet manner. She worked hard weekly with her three friends- perfecting their piece- "You will be Found" from Dear Evan Hanson. Of course, they also dared each other to jump into the freezing cold pool fully dressed!!!! But that was after all of the hard work. Evelyn went to Disneyland a few more times with her buddies Emma and Caylie. They are super close and it's going to be tricky to start a new school without them. It frankly, breaks my heart. PLEASE HELP her make new friends- is a prayer I offer daily. Evelyn has been more interested in boys lately- she talks to a few on-line and has more of a movie-star crush on a boy in the area who stars in a bunch of plays and is a very talented actor/singer. She still enjoys staging photo shoots and has rekindled her friendship with Reha! She posts on Instagram only very occasionally but I loved her question and answer story and snap shot a few of the questions she responded to. We met with the Poway High Counselor and decided she'd take Spanish and Chorus for her electives! Love this girl and so excited for all that lies ahead at Poway High!
