Snippits of Life

I'm sorry it's been so long since I've blogged. Blogging seems to come and go in waves, and right now I'm at low tide.

However, let me share with you a few snippets of our life the past couple weeks.

Swimming lessons: Both kids are busy with school and swimming lessons. DeeDee is taking a Tiny Tots class, the first class in which young children are in the pool without a parent. She has a classmate, about a month younger, and the two have really it hit off well. DeeDee's little classmate is doing very well in the water; already developing the beginnings of an organized dog-paddle. DeeDee is finally jumping into the pool with minimal help.

Tony is in level four and doing well. He desperately wants to pass four and go into level five. He's been in four for a couple of sessions and really wants to move up. He has a hard time accepting the fact that the higher he moves up, the harder it is to pass.

Choir: Tony is in the throes of preparing for the spring concert season. The concert schedule is pretty dead right now, with everyone learning new music, but that will change by April. Already, the choir organization is planning for the spring concert which will happen in May. Alex, my Kindergarten student is interested in joining the choir as a "prep" boy, so I'll be getting some information from the choir to pass on to his mom.

Tony and his choir mates are choosing up tour partners for the upcoming tour.

School: Homeschooling is on a roll; Tony is down to about 60 days of school left. He is looking forward to the end. He has worked hard and has learned much this year. I don't let him get away with a lot of nonsense, so his hard work has shown plenty of results.

DeeDee has greatly benefited from Alex's lessons this year. She is reading simple short-vowel sound words and is learning to recognize long-vowel sound words. She writes her name and knows all her letters and their sounds. Not bad for an almost-three year old, is it?

Life: I lost a dear family friend this week. She was mom's age, but has been close to our family for many years. I almost titled this blog entry "Pie, Perms and a Positive Attitude" for that is truly what she was.

Aunt Dorothy's husband once asked my mom if she wanted some apple pie. My mom agreed, but was startled to hear Aunt Dorothy gasp, "Jim!" It turns out there was no apply pie to be had, something that Uncle Jim knew. He simply asked if Mom wanted some.

Aunt Dorothy was handy with hair and gave me countless perms through my growing up years.

I don't remember seeing her discouraged, even when her leg was in a full-length cast after badly breaking in slipping on some ice. Even when her husband started suffering mini-strokes and after she herself was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. She was diagnosed with shingles a couple weeks ago, and ultimately her body's inability to fight it off is what laid her to her rest early yesterday morning.

Today, my prayers are with Uncle Jim, who; we all feel will soon follow her to the grave. He won't know how to live life without her, and his health is too poor to take the stress of being a widower.