Wrapping Up Summer 2010

Wow! This summer has zipped by faster than any I can remember. Maybe because my kids didn't have time to be bored. Maybe because I was so busy I didn't have time to notice any boredom. Whatever. Tomorrow marks the first day of school for Ritenour students and I'm relieved. Now the days will have more structure and less "fly by the seat of my pants" feel to them.

Jack didn't do much this summer. He is now officially accepted at Florissant Valley Community College and will finally begin his degree program in computer engineering. He's taking baby steps to this, but it beats sitting in his room all the time playing video games.

Sami, on the other hand, kept me so busy that I barely had time to see my husband and son. She finished summer school with passing grades and went directly into Color Guard practice. We just found out that Ritenour band and color guard have been invited to march in next year's Memorial Day parade in Washington DC. So now the intense fund raising efforts begin. Sami needs $650 to be able to go and we don't have the money. They have already had two car washes and haven't raised a tremendous amount. They will be having pizza sales later and that promises to be a big draw. In the meantime, Sami is looking for odd jobs to bring in money. She has spent the summer walking a dog for an elderly lady and also helping clean her house.

Girl Scout Gold Award Update

It looks like Sami will be painting a mural on the wall of a building located in downtown Overland to be a scenic backdrop for the newly built Erickson Plaza. Ritenour art students are supposed to help with this project, but Sami needs to submit drawings to the art teacher in charge. She also has to present these ideas to the mayor and Overland Business Association. Pretty intimidating, but I know she can do it. Another girl in her troop will be taking an adjacent wall for her Gold Award project as well. Hopefully, the girls will be in sync with their drawings. The whole project is pretty daunting.

Will post updates as the project comes along.


Summer 2010 - Part 2

Sami made a new friend this summer. Well, actually, they have known each other since Sami started dating Trent. The girl is one of Trent's sisters. Tonya came to St. Louis to visit with her dad and I took the girls out to the Butterfly House and the Magic House. They both had a ball. Any awkward feelings between them (Sami and Trent are no longer dating) vanished when they went into the Magic House. I never saw two girls have more fun. Sami had a few "Lucy" moments (Lucy Ricardo of "I Love Lucy") like crashing into a mirrored wall in a funhouse maze and pressing her face into a peg board only to have her upper torso also press through to the other side.

On the way to the Magic House, I took the girls to Kirkwood Farmer's Market to look at the fresh boys, um, produce. Yea, produce, not boys. Produce.

I'm not sure how long this friendship will last since Tonya lives with her mom in Oregon, but they seem to get along great and Tonya is such a terrific girl. Only time will tell if this friendship is meant to be.

Wave goodbye to Summer 2010 and say hello to a new school year. Hope Sami and Jack make it a good one.