I should probably get the kids up for church, but it was such crazy week, I'm going to let them sleep. Friday was the end of the 3rd nine weeks at school, so needless to say it was a busy one. I think some of Matt's teachers were short on grades, so all of his classes had not only a big test last week, but also one (or in a couple cases -- two) quizzes. Needless to say, there were lots of late nights studying. He is especially glad to be finished with "To Kill a Mockingbird." I think Bassam is, too. He read it (I never had), so had taken the reins for reviewing it with Matt for quizzes and tests.
Incidentally, I am finding I am one of the only people I know (around my age) who hasn't read "To Kill a Mockingbird." I'm left to wonder, am I lucky? Should I read it now? Was my public education in the western suburbs of Chicago seriously lacking?
Speaking of books, we closed up book fair on Thursday morning. For three days of work, we did pretty well. I still miss the excitement of book fair at elementary schools. And in middle school you don't get the kids who come in to buy books with a ziplock bag full of pennies, nickels, dimes and quarters. Next week is going to be even busier with Teacher/Staff Appreciation Week, but after that it's SPRING BREAK, so I just need to make it through Friday!
This weekend Gracie and I drove to lovely Milan, TN (2.5 hours west of Nashville near Jackson) for a baton competition. Since it was an early start on Saturday, we left after dinner on Friday stayed in a hotel. The last 45 minutes of the drive is decidedly off the beaten path, which wasn't ideal since it was pitch dark at the time. Also because we lost our GPS signal multiple times. But we finally made it, both exhausted and ready to sleep. I never sleep well in hotels--too loud. But the pillows were comfy (always a plus) and they had a free breakfast, so I won't complain.
The competition was a LONG one. We arrived at the gym at 8 am and left at 5 pm. A long day for Gracie twirling and a long day for me sitting on the bleachers. Ouch!! It was a big competition, especially in the morning when the teams were performing. Gracie was thrilled that her pal, Callie, who we met last year at a competition and then became friends at twirling camp last summer, was there, too. Better yet, they weren't competing against each other since Callie is in a different age and division. Biggest highlight of the day was Gracie's NO DROP solo at the very end of the day. It was her first of the season and the last of 5 solo performances! The biggest disappointment was probably dropping her baton during one of her struts earlier in the day. In a strut, you march with high knees and she hit her baton with her knee and it literally flew out of her hands. She picked it up and recovered beautifully (noted by the judge on her evaluation, not just the opinion of this mama), but disqualified her. Since it was a part of a title event (the biggest one of the day, no less) it took her out of the running and landed her squarely in last place.
Having said that, the day was otherwise successful. She left with three other titles for her division, Hall of Fame Solo Champion, Strut Queen and Miss Majorette, plus 3 first places and a second in open events.
We don't compete again until late April. The next one is an NBTA competition, a different organization than today. It doesn't allow any tumbling/gymnastics, which is one of Gracie's specialties. Needless to say, she has to spend the next month revamping her routines to remove tumbling and add other skills. It's also a state competition, so sure to be even bigger!
But for today, we rest.
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