One More Slice From Bill

As parents we do the best we can to raise our children to be well behaved, respectful, polite, have strong character. Every day we hope and pray that we choose the right times to teach life lessons. We try to balance the lessons with love and encouragement, we hope that we aren't too long winded. Through all of this we watch our kids grow and mature, we see signs of success and failure, we see our children turning into responsible young adults making good choices but still capable of youthful mistakes. My son Steven is finishing his junior year of high school, and speaking as a proud father, he is an amazing young man.

Steven is a volleyball player among many other things, but it's through volleyball that his mother and I have seen the strength of his character shine. He picked up the game in 8th grade, sort of on a whim after playing at church camp over the summer turns out he has a real passion for it. Steven has played many sports and done well at all of them, he is sort of a natural athlete and very coachable, but none of them sparked his interest like volleyball. He began focusing on the game and getting much better even played for a club team in the off season where he really developed as a player and leader.

Steven doesn't have the volleyball pedigree, no parents involved in the program, no older brothers paving his way to the high school program, no political connections to the athletic department at his high school. What he has is a work ethic and desire to achieve things. He earned a spot on the freshman and JV teams his first year and started for the varsity his sophomore year, no easy task at Hilliard Darby High School, a Central Ohio men's volleyball powerhouse. In the off season Steven was asked to play on the top team for his club, this would mean he was playing with boys a year older and stronger than he, but he looked forward to the challenge. Through it all, the lovely Mrs. Prosser and I stood back, offering advice when asked, observing and pointing things out as much as we could. Steven took it all in and grew, as a player, but more importantly as a person. He took great pride in the fact that all of the accolades he was receiving were due to his hard work and dedication, he got them the old fashioned way,
"he earned them!"

In February he began complaining about his back hurting after a particularly strenuous practice. We took him to a sports doc, who recommended a bone scan, which revealed a stress fracture in the L5 vertebrae. Diagnosis? Volleyball was over for between 8 and 16 weeks. Steven would miss the last two tournaments of the year with his club team and some if not all of the upcoming high school season in which his team is one of the favorites to win a state title. The lovely Mrs. Prosser and I were sad, tears were shed, anger vented. Steven on the other hand was strong, obviously there was disappointment and frustration, but throughout it all his character shone through.

He continued to go to practice, encouraging the young man who replaced him on the floor. This young man just moved to Darby High School from Virginia and just happened to play the same position as Steven. My son has a strong religious faith and instead of looking at Corey as a threat, he saw him a God's solution to the problem.

"That's why he had to move here." was his direct quote. As his coach said, "Heady stuff from a 17 year old."

We traveled to Penn State with the team in February even though Steven couldn't play, plans were made and it gave us an excuse to see Happy Valley. Steven was on the sideline all weekend, cheering, and encouraging, and laughing, and sending a positive vibe to his team. Never once did I see him looking sad or depressed even though on the inside I know he was wishing he was on the floor digging and passing.

School season has started, and Steven is attending every practice, knowing that he won't be playing at least the first week of games. He shows up and encourages. He helps another player with his homework. He makes the new players feel welcome and important. He has started his rehab and physical therapy, the fracture has healed enough for that. Soon he will go for another doctor visit with hopes of being cleared to play, but if he isn't able I know he will be fine, sad and disappointed, but strong because as I said before, he is an amazing young man.

My Parental Pride is Showing

As parents we try to provide our kids with opportunities to learn and grow. Sometimes the opportunities help them discover some new talent or skill. Other times the opportunities provide time to improve at things they enjoy. It's exciting when one of these opportunities reveal a real passion in our kids, but sometimes, unexpectedly, our kids provide us with experiences that will never be forgotten. The lovely Mrs. Prosser and I have had two such experiences this summer, both provided by events our 16 year old son Steven was involved in.

The first came over Memorial Day weekend. Steven is part of the Hilliard Darby Symphonic Choir, a select choir at his high school. The group was chosen to join several other choirs from around the country to form a 300 voice choir that would perform with the U. S. Army Symphony at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D. C. I won't lie, as the trip grew closer there was some grumbling in my house about the cost, the timing was bad, we were missing graduation parties for some very dear friends, and Steven wasn't getting to play in the state championships for volleyball. We weren't sure the trip was going to be worth the sacrifices we were making as a family. However, it was paid for and Steven had committed, so there really wasn't a choice, we were going to D. C. over Memorial Day Weekend.

We toured the city and enjoyed the company of some friends whose daughter was also singing and on Sunday made our way to the Kennedy Center. The performance hall where the kids sang, was amazing, just walking in we felt we were going to be part of something special. When the concert began the host of the event was a Congressional Medal of Honor winner and later the guest conductor was a D-Day survivor. Our son Steven has taken an interest in WW II, thanks to the movie Saving Private Ryan, and was completely impressed and excited to share the stage with these American heroes. As the choir sang and the symphony played, there was not a dry eye in the house. When the groups launched into a medley of the Armed Service theme songs, and audience members stood as their branch was saluted, it hit me why we did this, and how important it was for Steven to be a part of it, that hour in the Kennedy Center was one of the most moving things I have ever been a part of. After the concert we met the kids in the hallway and I could tell from the look on Steven's face that we had made the right choice, he was in sort of a daze and when I hugged him the first thing he said was, "That was awesome!" I couldn't have said it better myself!

The second experience just happened last weekend, over the 4th of July. We traveled with Steven's volleyball team to play in the USA Volleyball Junior Boys National Tournament in Minneapolis. Our kids are a high school team that really have only played together for about 3 months. Two of the boys have only played with our team for the last month to prepare for this event. They would be playing against some of the best talent in the country, teams that have played together nearly year round for several years. Many of the teams were from California and Puerto Rico, two places where the kids grow up on the sport, that's not the case in Ohio, most of our kids don't pick up the game until middle school, so strike up another disadvantage for our boys! As play began our Darby Panthers realized they weren't in Central Ohio anymore! In Central Ohio, they dominate, in Minneapolis, they were scrappy and hung in with some amazing teams, never quitting and always playing hard.

On the afternoon on the second day, our boys were placed in a pool with a San Gabriel, CA team who started the tournament ranked 5th and would end the tournament in 4th
place. It was an incredible match! In order to win a match a team has to win 2 out of 3 games our boys won the second game and only lost the third by a couple of points. It was so close! After the match the San Gabriel coach was so complimentary of our team and how athletic our boys are, but my favorite comment (proud parent bragging alert) was when he singled our Steven out as a "stud" at his position! Our boys won their next match against yet another California team in what I have to consider one of the most exciting volleyball events I have been a part of.

It was obvious after losing such a tough match the kids were having a tough time getting excited and up for the last match of the day, so the parents took it upon themselves to get them fired up. We weren't the largest cheering section in the arena, but for that match, we were the loudest! We chanted D-A-R-B-Y until we didn't have any voices left, moms were running up and down the crowd high fiving everyone who had a hand out, moms were even chest bumping and our boys responded. As the match went on, the crowd around our court began growing and soon the Darby Panthers had a HUGE cheering section, including our opponents from San Gabriel! The boys in red and their parents were cheering just as loud as we were and the Darby Panthers quickly became the talk of the town, for at least that day! What a moment! When the boys walked off the court victorious, words cannot describe their smiles and our pride. Later, while talking to one of the parents from San Gabriel, we learned that they were so impressed with our kids, not only because of how they play the game, but because of their obvious camaraderie and friendship. It was clear that the boys on this team enjoy being together. As a parent, that's why we want our kids involved in these things, friendship, working together, cooperation, sportsmanship, perseverance, all things that will take them places in this world. Our boys finished 25th out of 49 teams, moving up 15 spots from their original ranking, and even though Steven was disappointed that they didn't finish higher, the lovely Mrs. Prosser and I know he and his team mates came out with something more than medals.

The Quiet Ones Might Just Surprise You

As a teacher I've had my share of quiet students.  The ones that are great kids, do their work,  always give their best effort and are kind to others.  They don't really stand out as the leaders or followers, just really nice kids that I knew would be fine and successful in the end.  As the years pass I would hear things from other kids or parents about those quiet ones, how they had blossomed in middle school and were now the class leaders who were involved in everything.  The beauty of it was, in most cases, they were still the same person they were in elementary school, great kids who still were kind to others and took care of those in need.

Our son Steven fits this category.  As an elementary student Steven was a kind and gentle soul.  He followed the rules, laughed often and took care of others.  He wasn't the kid being chosen for the student council or the Choose to Lead program at his school.  He was chosen as student of the month several times and every teacher said the same thing, "He's such a nice boy, concerned for everyone and always happy."  In first or second grade he surprised us all by stepping up for a solo at the winter music concert, and he nailed it, not one bit of nervousness showed.

We saw a glimpse of what was to come beginning in fifth grade when, at the end of the year talent show, he did voice impressions.  The lovely Mrs. Prosser and I knew Steven was funny, in a quiet, witty kind of way, but we had no idea the level of confidence he really had.  He took the stage doing Mickey Mouse, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Elmo and his specialty, Donald Duck.  The crowd went crazy and our Steven, our quiet Steven, commanded the stage.

He continued to branch out in middle school, playing various sports, participating in choir and drama and doing well in school.  As we attended events we began to have teachers and coaches begin to say, "Ohhh, you're Steven's parents, what a great kid!" 

It was in high school that we saw Steven really begin to show his true talents.  He continued his sports focusing on his new love, volleyball.  He continued performing in the choir and on stage in the Darby productions, but now he added a new wrinkle, he began taking a leadership role in all of these things.  He was chosen as a captain of the volleyball team, he was elected as an officer in choir and served in the freshman student council.  He began talking of his future plans as a leader at his school.  He had a real vision of what he wanted to accomplish in his four years at Hilliard Darby.

In his senior year, Steven could not have done anymore for his school.  As class president he lead the student body in a way that changed the culture of the school.  Now the lovely Mrs. Prosser and I had teachers and total strangers coming up to us telling us how much they loved Steven and what he had done for his school.  The beauty of it all is that it wasn't just Steven.  He maintained his humility through it all and gave credit to his fellow class officers and those around that helped create an amazing school year for all of the students.   He also kept his kindness, making sure that everyone felt welcome and included in everything,  he was till taking care of others, and laughing a lot. 

At his graduation party his kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Cassell looked at the table set up celebrating Steven's accomplishments.  Shaking her head she said, "I never would have predicted this.  I knew Steven was a good boy and would do well, but I never would have thought he would have accomplished all of this.  You must be very proud."  Yes, we are.

On Sunday we will pack Steven up for his freshman year at Ball State in Muncie, Indiana, he's moving in a week early as part of a leadership program.  I've known a lot of kids who say they will re-invent themselves in college, become the person they wished they had been in high school.  I don't think that's true of my son, I think he and everyone around him like the person he is.  That doesn't mean he won't try new things, he's never been afraid of that.  It just means that he will continue the progression he's been working on for the last 12 years, being all he can be, and taking care of others.  I know there will be lots of tears shed on Sunday, the lovely Mrs. Prosser, his sister, Meredith, and I will all cry for most of the 2 hour drive home, but in the end we will all be excited to watch what  he does with the next four years.

Watch the quiet ones, they will surprise you.  As my mother used to say, "Still waters run deep."

Second Justin Case Story Just as Fun as the First

As I mentioned in my last post from a couple of weeks ago, I was in Dallas for the Junior National Volleyball Tournament.  The boys did well, 19th over all and it gave me lots of time to read.  One of the titles was Justin Case: Shells, Smells and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom by Rachel Vail.  I was a big fan of the first Justin Case book, School, Drool and Other Daily Disasters which Karen reviewed here and was excited to find volume 2 on my library's shelf of new stuff.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Justin, he's a worry wart of a kid, always nervous and trying to figure out the social scene of elementary school.  In Shells, Smells, and the Horrible Flip-Flops of Doom, Justin goes against his better judgement and decides to attend Camp Goldenbrook.  It's camp where Justin thinks he will learn to be more of a "rough and tumble kid" instead of such a worrier.  Instead of doing experiments and scientific investigations every day, Justin will be playing dodge ball and learning to swim, two things that are definitely out of his comfort zone.

In order to get ready for camp, Justin must come to grips with changing clothes in a locker room in front of other people.  Other campers teach him the trick of holding his towel in his teeth so nobody can see anything.  He must learn to deal with having no real friends at camp.  He knows several sporty kids who attend Camp Goldenbrook but they're not kids he would normally spend time with.  Along with many other hurdles, including a bully of a counselor, a mean kid who takes advantage of the less athletic and eating in a place the call The Mess where they serve hockey pucks and bug juice, Justin has to get used to the "flip-flops of doom."  Actually he just needs to get used to that little thing that goes between your toes and rubs your skin raw. I feel his pain, I never liked that little thing!

In the end, Justin discovers a lot about how strong he is and stands up for himself.  At some point in the story, I thought I had it all figured out, but Justin not only surprised me, he surprised himself and really expands his horizons.  I know kids like Justin who want to try new things and move beyond where they are, I think this book might help them figure a few things out.  I'll definitely be recommending this book to my 3rd graders in the fall.  Fans of Alvin Ho will enjoy Justin Case.

A List of Things

So it's been a while since I last posted, and I wish I had a really good excuse. You know... world travel, solving the energy crisis, writing the next great novel. But I don't. Oh I've been busy and it's been a good busy, just not Earth shattering busy. Here's the list:

Watching Steven play a LOT of volleyball.
These guys are good!
Weeding the fiction section of the library. There were some really bad books in there.
Creating a video to honor our school nurses.
Getting ready to go to Boston...twice...in June.
Moving Meredith home from her first year of college. Time flies it seems like we just took her!
Reading a little, not enough.
Setting up the second Museum of PIT Artifacts.
And there are probably more things to add to this list but that would make for a really long post. I just needed to put a few things down so everyone knows I'm not being lazy and slack. Now, with only 10 that's right 10 days of school left I've compiled a new list. A list of things I've wanted to get into for a while but haven't had time. That list looks like this.
So stop back and see how I'm doing. Summer reading time is just around the corner and I'm going to do a better job of writing about my reading.

Spring Break: Counter Point

So I've been reading my friends' emails and blogs from their beautiful Spring Break locales, Hilton Head, Siesta Key, Savannah, Georgia, and I thought it was about time for the rest of us to respond. While I'm happy that my friends are away relaxing and enjoying ocean views, wonderful restaurants, and glorious sunrises, I must admit, I'm a bit jealous too.

One of the drawbacks to teaching in a different district than where I live is that my Spring Break and my kids' Spring Break don't match up most of the time. Fortunately, we've enjoyed the same week for about three years, but not this year, so my kids were home last week and I'm home this week. No trips to exotic places for us, no, we're spending Spring Break in the Spring Break Capital of the World, Hilliard, Ohio! What!? You've never heard of it!? All the cool kids are going there, Hilliard is the new Fort Lauderdale, for cryin' in a bucket!

Let me explain:

While my friends are enjoying beautiful ocean views, I got to see the inside of Great Clips, PNC Bank and a number of grocery stores!

While my friends are dipping their toes in cold ocean water, I waded through the pile of paperwork that goes with filing taxes!

While my friends are watching groups of dolphins swimming, I watched 2 guys hang six new blinds in 10 minutes, it would have taken me 10 days!

See what I mean? You better book your rooms now, Hilliard is selling out months in advance.

Honestly, even though I wish we could have gone away as a family, especially since it's my daughter's senior year in high school, there have been some memorable moments so far.

I 've gotten to see Meredith's excitement of her first "real" job at Panera. She's still in the training phase, but you can expect to see her behind the counter soon!

I got to see Steven's first volleyball match as part of the Darby High School team. A match they won with a 9 point comeback sparked by his awesome serves and enthusiasm on the court in the third game.

I got to enjoy a nice Italian dinner out with the lovely Mrs. Prosser, just the two of us. Something we better get used to with our kids getting older.

All in all, it's been a pretty relaxing week, and I've read several good books that will give me material for the coming weeks, but right now I've got to get to Kohl's, Steven needs some new shirts and socks.

MAN!! THE FUN NEVER STOPS AROUND HERE!!

Looking for Newbery: Day 12: Also Known as Harper

Sorry for the late post, I spent the day in Cleveland watching my son play volleyball and forgot it was my turn! So that means I'm going to post a post from a while ago about Also Known as Harper.

I know we are a week away, and I'm not sure the official day that Karen and I will post our Newbery choices, but count on this, Also Known as Harper, Ann Haywood Leal's first novel, will be at the top of my list. I love this book. I'm looking forward to hearing it called on January 18, but I think I'm even more excited about our Grand Discussion of it on January 21.

Other reviews:
Semicolon
Diane Chen at School Library Journal
Read, Read, Read

The Hop Made a Good Read for My Second Bus Trip

On Monday I finished my second student trip to Boston.  I have to admit that doing two trips in a span of about 3 weeks was tiring, but it's nice to have them done with my whole summer ahead of me.  Well almost, Steven and I will be flying to Dallas on Friday for 5 days of playing volleyball in the Junior Nationals.  Anyway, the 14 hour bus ride gives me plenty of time to read and this time I chose the book The Hop by Sharelle Byars Moranville.

There's a lot going on in this book, a grandma with cancer, two parents who are busy with work, a young girl who wonders if her parents have time with her, and urban sprawl taking over a woods and wetlands.  The thing is, as I read it, even though I knew there was a lot going on, I never felt overwhelmed by so many plot lines, they all blended together so well that I think kids will enjoy it too.

The author goes back and forth between a toad named Tad and a girl named Taylor.  Both have similar things going on in their lives.  Tad discovers something special about himself when he wakes from his winter sleep.  He's not really comfortable with it and he tries to hide it from his little toad friends who live in Toadville-by-Tumbledown.  When he reveals the fact that he had dreams during his winter sleep to the Seer, a wise old toad who also dreams, Tad is identified as the toad to save Toadville-by-Tumbledown from The Rumbler.  When the earthmoving equipment known as The Rumbler shows up to destroy Toadville-by-Tumbledown, Tad sets out on a quest to find Reno and kiss the queen.

Taylor is a young girl who enjoys spending time with her grandma, Eva.  Eva lives in the country and plants gardens of flowers and vegetables.  Taylor adores her and her country place with the pond and the tumbledown shed.  Taylor and Eva spend so much time together because Taylor's parents are busy being successful.  They are tied up in meetings and on phone calls and answering texts so Taylor and Eva spend time planting and roaming the countryside.  It is revealed that Eva has cancer and isn't able to do as much as she once was due to the chemo treatments.  We also learn that for one week every summer, Taylor's parents go to Reno for the Old Time Rock and Roll Fest.  It turns out that they play in an oldies band and Taylor has never taken an interest in it, she prefers to spend that week with Eva every summer.  As the earthmoving equipment moves in to destroy the forest and pond by Eva's house, Taylor wants to protest and save the trees, but her parents and grandma inform her that this year she will be going to Reno because Evas will be in the hospital unable to care for her.

The two stories come together in Reno.  Even though I predicted what would happen in the end, Sharelle Byars Moranville does a wonderful job of keeping the reader in the story.  I wanted to keep reading to see how she was going get us to the end.  Part magic, part social awareness, part fairy tale, part family love, The Hop by Sharelle Byars Moranville will be enjoyed by readers 3rd and up and would make a great read aloud with cliff hangers and predictions and imagination.  I liked it.