A Ton of Fun in 2021: Week 46 Recap

This week was exciting as my bestie from high school came back into town and asked if she could spend some time at my house during her stay. I learned that she appreciates the morning WAY more than I.  Her bedtime is also before I get home with the kids from their fifty million activities! But it was sure great to see her and catch up on life. She even came to ONU to my classes and interacted with my SM strategies class who got to hear her story and ask questions. I wish I had pictures of her and the kids playing some mad games of UNO in the evening. 

On Wednesday I was up early and off to the Toledo with PRSSA students to industry tours that had been schedule. Our stops included Toledo Metro Parks, Hart, Imagination Station and Owens Corning. We had lunch downtown and alumni Emma Prusha was able to take a break from her graduate classes at Toledo and join us.  I was upset with how many students bailed day before/day of and didn't attend, but the students who did got so much out of these visits. So informative and so fun to hear all the different journeys that led the professionals to their current positions.

Thursday was Veteran's Day and Kel was being honored at our high school as the Hometown Hero. Complete with a brunch and a ceremony, I had been invited back to attend. Yet, Thursday is my teaching day so I told Kel there was a REALLY good chance I wouldn't be coming back.  But that morning as I was getting ready, I taught my 9:30 class from Zoom as I headed back to Attica. I decided I'd never regret cancelling two classes to head back and join in honoring Kel. Best decision ever, as not only did I get to hear her talk about her experience, but I also was asked by our HS basketball coach to actually present her with the medal. WOW, I was moved to tears of how amazing she truly is and always has been. It was also really nice to see high school teachers and classmates who I haven't seen in years. 

This weekend found us all finally at home swim meet--The Lima Fall Fiesta. A huge invitational, the kids were excited to swim a regular meet at home, and maw was excited to finally attend a regular swim meet. Last year all our meets were live streamed and posted to YouTube. No one else does this, but because it was home and we still have the capability, Poppy and Grandma Julie were finally able to watch a meet online too! The kiddos did pretty good at the meet too. Isaac got 4th in the 200 free, 10th in the 100 free, 13th in both the 50 free and back, and 3rd in his relay, Olivia got 3rd in the IM and breast, 2nd in the fly, and her relays won both the 200 free and 200 IM (which means she came home with 5 medals!), not bad for the 9 year old in the 9-10 year old category!  Stay hungry, stay humble.

A Ton of Fun in 2021: Week 35 Recap

August 23, 2021. First day of ONU Classes. I don't teach on M/W/F but I still go in to get work done and hold office hours. I'm starting my 14th year at ONU as a professor.  I'm never ready to give up summer, but since this year my real kiddos don't go back to school for three more weeks, it's especially difficult.  Once I get back into the classroom, everything falls back into place, and I get excited to have a fabulous year. 

Monday night at 5 pm I signed up to participate in the pasta contest at the fair.  I read the directions and it didn't say it had to be a pan full, so I just took a bowl (everyone else had 9x14's). It was too expensive with chicken, bacon, shrimp so I refused to take a big pan to share. We ate the rest of the pan and took a bowl.  Penne Rustica won first prize.  Yahoo! Phil and Deb stayed and watched the judging as I had to drop and go with Olivia to volleyball practice. Always too many irons in the fire. 

On Wednesday we went out to the fair in the afternoon to collect the kiddos 4-H fair premiums. Because both kiddos took 2 projects, they both received $14.  They were so excited to collect their premiums, even though that didn't put a dent in what it cost Olivia to make her PJ's. Oh well, they felt like they had won the lottery!

Oh my goodness how can my Bubbers be 11? I can't believe it. I went to Meijer and bought cupcakes (ironic, I know, with my recent best of show submission at the fair with my cupcakes) for Isaac to take to the last day of summer reading camp. The teachers were kind enough to snap a few pictures of them eating and celebrating his birthday even though I was at work. 

For our first PRSSA Meeting of the year, we invited our professional adviser Hannah Brown. It was great to have her back on campus. She graduated 5 years ago already, but I feel like she barely left campus. I'm so excited to have her to work with throughout the year for PRSSA.  She has graciously agreed to allow Amanda McKelvey also serve as a professional adviser to the chapter, just not as the one of record. So lucky to have so many great alumni help our our program. 

This year was a dilemma of whether or not to allow Olivia to do a dance solo. We already fork out nearly $3000 for her to be on the competitive dance team.  She does hip hop, lyrical, tap, jazz, production, ballet, and acro dance.
That is 7 dances to learn with teammates and 7 costumes. It costs an additional $300 for solo choreography and that's not the $120-$150 per competition to perform. So we agreed to allow her to do a solo if she convinced her three grandparents to each pitch in $100 to sign up. Because she is incredibly spoiled, all agreed.  So here we are with her solo and she is OVER THE MOON excited to perform and have no one to blame but herself for a less than perfect performance. She started learning the moves this week and that will continue well into October. 

We decided to host Isaac's 11th Birthday Party on Friday night.  I 'donut' believe it....Isaac is 11! was the theme. Lots of family and friends were able to make it and celebrate the evening with TJ's pizza, chips, and of course, donuts! The kids swam in the pool as it was a super hot evening and the adults just chilled.  Isaac's best buddy Brayden spent the night and was so excited for him to test out the remote controlled boat he gave him in the pool.  All in all, it was a great party with lots of laughs. 

How many people get to see their High School BFF, Maid of Honor in the Wedding type of friend complete in the Olympics?  Well that's exactly what I got to do on Saturday night. Kel made her Paralympic debut in the triathlon. I was so excited to watch her compete at age 42 and just rock it.  While she got 7th overall (in the WORLD mind you) she wasn't able to bring home hardware, but what an amazing experience. She had to compete up a level, which means had she competed with others on here level, she most likely would have won GOLD because she currently sits #1 in the world in her division. I was busting with pride for Kel.  All the trials and challenges she's endured with this amputation, she has always held her head high and done and amazing job. Here is her interview. 

Sunday finished off our insanely busy week with the Dedication of Elida Elementary School. Finally opening its doors to the public, we were so excited to get the first look into the new school.  The dedication ceremony was so sweet and we got to hear several of our friends kiddos speak about what they were most looking forward to.  After the cutting of the ribbon, we got to roam the halls and the amazing playground to check everything out! It's a beautiful facility and I'm so grateful that both kiddos will get to enjoy the AC and their own lockers (Olivia's most anticipated part).