Volleyball

Writing these updates with teenagers has become challenging.  When I take pictures now, the kids are quick to follow it up with, Don't put that in the blog! Benson, thank goodness, is happy to share all his photos.  

I was able to see the cross country team run mid-week on my way to pick up Henry.  The picture does not do it justice, but to get back to the school, they have this long uphill climb.  Tough way to end their practices.  

On Friday, Henry wanted to go to our school's varsity volleyball game.  Not to watch the game, but to hang out with his friends.  Caroline, too, wanted to go and watch her friends play in the earlier games.  Josiah was game to go as well.  I took Caroline first and her classmates played very well.  They won their JV game (2 sets out of 3).  Todd dropped off the boys for the 6pm game.  I watched them walk to the student section on the opposite side of the court.  Then I watched Henry's eyes.  He was right.  He came to hang out with his friends, not to watch the game.  Josiah sat with friends and he cheered so hard, his hands were beet red by the end.  Caroline cheered with her friends, but with a lot less intensity.  The varsity girls lost (3 sets out of 5).  We had not even reached the car before all three mentioned how much they enjoyed it and wanted to go again next week.  The home games are played five minutes from our house, so they are very doable.  

Classes are already in full swing.  All three kids have had quizzes in nearly all their subjects this week.  When asked how they did, Henry stated he didn't care how he did on the first quizzes because he's getting to know how his teachers test.  Yeah. I don't know if that counts when you had the same teachers as last year.  Our school's not that big.  

Henry has started the moon project for science class.  It's been an interesting start.  He's supposed to take a picture of the moon at the same time each day.  But the moon is not cooperating with the project.  He got the first two days.  Then it was a new moon for two days.  Today the moon is rising at 8:15 a.m. and setting at 8:56p.m.  We looked all over for it when we drove to church, but never found the moon.  Henry says he can draw pictures, so he may have to go that route.  For Josiah's moon project last year, we literally walked out our door, looked up, and there it was.  Very easy.  

Every morning, Todd walks Benson in the front yard.  Every morning, he has to look up and see which side of the carport walkway our friendly spider has built his web - the right or the left.  Then he moves a big box under the side of the spider, so we all avoid the web.  It is a huge spider and a massive web.   He clearly found a good eating spot.

Todd completed a project this weekend.  Our carport was growing mold on the underside, so he sprayed vinegar all over it before wiping it down.  It did not completely come off, so he went back over it with peroxide.  It looks a ton better.  Henry saw him on the ladder and went out asking if he needed help.  Henry did a two foot section before punching out on his timeclock.  Todd learned after the first spray that what goes up must come down.  After a face full of vinegar, he aimed his sprays a little more strategically. 

We are already on the countdown to Labor Day weekend and the kick off to the cross country races.