No News

When it comes to camp, no news is always good news.

I can tell from the pictures and the generic daily news that is sent out that JR is on the Spartan Senate this year. 

 He got to do the rope burn to open camp, and from the pictures it looks like the Spartans rope burned before the Atheans, so I know they were excited about that.

Also, if you've ever felt sorry for Jason that JR doesn't look like his child, you can stop.  This carbon copy of Jason's could have any mother in the world.

No news from Reed and no pictures (they don't do that), but since his camp is more relaxed on parent contact, he could call me if he wanted to, so again, no news is good news!

Safety First

I let JR drive the 5ish miles from the "town" of Trinity out to camp for his first time driving with me in the car.

Kyle has a few trust issues with JR, and took matters in to his own hands. 

Camp!

Jason and I had to divide and conquer today to get everybody to camp.

I headed up to East Texas with Kyle and JR for Camp Olympia.

This is JR's last year as a camper, so he is in the nicest cabin and even let me take his picture since this his is it for him. 

Kyle is in the same cluster of cabins he was in last year, but in the oldest group.  He was happy to be there. 

Jason headed over to New Braunfels to drop Reed off for camp at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch. 

Jason said he was excited and happy to be there too.

Most importantly all 3 kids got bottom bunks which always seems to be the highest priority! 

El Jefe

El Jefe is back from church camp.

 He got in about midnight last night and he leaves for Camp Olympia on Sunday.  

2 days at home.  Just long enough to unpack and repack.

Maw-Maw Stuff

Reed finally came home from having fun with Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw.  

When Reed was on the way up to see them I asked him what he was looking forward to doing and he said, "Oh, you know, Maw-Maw stuff"

Well, "Maw-Maw stuff" must include going to 4 movies, eating what you want, and fishing.

He also played his recorder at the nursing home, and was the "special music" at Maw-Maw and Paw-Paw's church playing both Amazing Grace and When the Saints Go Marching In

Nationals!

We had a big weekend at AAU Diving Nationals this weekend.  There were kids there from all over the country, and we definitely learned a lot!  

Kyle and I went up on Friday morning and he warmed up on 1-meter early afternoon and 3-meter late afternoon.  I told him it was important to rest Friday evening and he had no problem in that department. 

Granny Sherry and Jason joined us Friday night and we started bright and early on Saturday morning.  Here's how diving opening ceremonies/National Anthem looks. 

Kyle dove 1-meter on Saturday.  Prelims (5 dives) started at 8:30.  Here he is right after diving in his first Nationals.

Finals were later that day, and he did his hardest 2 dives (1 1/2 and a reverse dive) which is then added to his first 3 dives score from prelims. 

Here are the dives he did.  This is from warm-ups because I am too nervous to video during competition.

AAU boys 10 year old silver medalist! 

The sunglasses were part of his winnings

 He wanted to go to the River Walk to celebrate, but it was so crowded we couldn't even find a parking spot.  He settled for Joe's Crab Shack instead...the menu was perfect for a diving champion.

Jason and Little Jason.

We had big hopes for 3-meter since Kyle has won at his last 3 meets.

After the first dive he was in 1st place, but then it was downhill from there.  He didn't dive the way he wanted to in prelims, but Kyle was able to regroup before the finals.  We reevaluated what his goals would be and decided that he should try to score at least a 20 on both his final dives.  He scored at 21.5 and a 22, and was all smiles.  

Here he is doing his reverse dive during finals.  (Another mom videoed and sent it to me.)  Not the best one he's ever done, but still good .

 

It was an amazing learning experience, and we couldn't be more proud of our little diver performing so well at the National Championships in only his 6th meet ever!

I Had to Cry to Get it

JR got his learner's permit yesterday.

I have been ridden with anxiety over this for a month.  Not because he'll be able to drive a car, but the actual going to the DPS office to get the permit.

I'm not sure if I ever blogged about it, but it took me 3 trips to the DPS to change my Texas drivers license back from a Colorado one.  On trip 2 I almost got arrested.  Granny Sherry was there, it was a total scene.

I made Jason check over the 9 pieces (yes, 9) of documentation I had to see if he could poke holes in anything I had.  The only thing I was worried about was that our 2 proofs of residency had his name on them and not mine.

I made the appointment online and we headed out.  (I was trying to do lots of self talk about how it was going to be okay when they told me something wasn't right, and we had all day to get this done.)

We arrived and this is the line to get IN the DPS.  You aren't checked in at this point, you are just waiting to go inside and check in to wait. 

Since I had made an appointment, we only had to wait in the "appointment line" to go inside.

I made friends with the blonde lady in front of me who was there for her 2nd try to get her 15 year old son his permit.  It didn't help my nerves that she was on her 2nd try.

We waited outside about 10 minutes and then we got to go inside and check in so we could wait to be called.  This is one section of the waiting room, there's another section behind that wall, plus people in rows behind me.

While we were waiting they came over the loudspeaker and said to stop coming up and asking when you would be called  because the wait was 3 hours for people without an appointment. 

They called our number after about 20 minutes, and I was in total panic mode.  Sure enough, they wouldn't except our proof of residency because it had Jason's name on it and not mine.  

 At this point I'd like to stop my story to interject how stupid it is that my own driver's license is not a proof of residency being that I'm standing in an office that gives out driver's licenses!

I started to tear up and get emotional which I guess is how to play the system because she told me to run out to my car and get my car insurance (it would have my name and address on it) and she would look up my voters registration for me...which also goes to show that these people have all the power in the world.  She could have sent me away...which is what I fully expected her to do.

I blessed her many times and Praise Jesus, JR walked out with this permit!

And FYI, my nerves still haven't fully recovered.