Last Day of School

It's been two weeks since their last day, and there's not as much fanfare because they're big. The most notable occurrence is that I got to drive Evan to school, since Ryan didn't have an exam first thing that day. That was a nice treat, and a throwback to 7th and 8th grade when I drove him to school daily.

Evan

last day of 9th grade

He reports that his highlight teachers were his English and Spanish teachers. He liked them because they were engaging. He worked hard to get the grades he wanted, and actively participated in school activities, like attending football games, running XC, playing baseball, performing in the musical and play, science olympiad, and maybe more that I'm forgetting. He has a solid friend group, and only had minimal boy/girl antics. All in all, he transitioned to high school with ease. 

Ryan

last day of 11th grade

We seem to be in a never ending circular debate with Ryan, trying to convince him to more actively manage his time, and to be on time to school, work, tennis lessons, etc. Notice a theme? But Ryan knows himself, and does quite well. His highlight teachers were Calculus B/C and College Writing. They both have worked with Ryan for multiple years, and have gotten to know him both academically and personally. He continues to enjoy learning, and also actively participates in school activities, like math club, academic challenge/quiz bowl, graphic arts club, tennis, and more. He also has a solid friend group, and began dating this year. He is thinking about college essays, tours, and letters of recommendation. I'm so glad we have e have one more year at home with him. I hear senior year flies by, and we intend to savor  it as best we can. 

cute pic of Artie just for fun

Happy summer!

JV Baseball

Around age 10 it became clear that Evan was a baseball player. Burke and I had a conversation about him participating in travel ball, so he could get experience beyond the local recreational leagues. We strategized that since the middle school doesn't have a baseball team, travel ball is stand in for the school team experience, and hopefully that will be enough to get him on the high school team when the time comes. He also committed to pitching and hitting lessons around the same time. Hard to believe, but enduring the ups and downs of travel ball and mostly Evan's focus and hard work paid off. He played ball this season with the high school JV team. Go Bears!

Games started up in mid-April. Here is his first pitching appearance playing high school ball against Lawton. Strike Out! [video]

 at bat against Harper Creek

[not a video]

His team backs him up for the third out of the inning - against Portage Northern.

[video]

He pitched a great game against Lakeshore, which is St. Joe's big local rival. He gave up five hits and one run over six innings, striking out six and walking two. [Thanks, GameChanger] Also, one of his teammates from travel ball plays for Lakeshore, which was kind of fun for Evan. That kid's dad is one of the coaches for the travel team, so I'm glad he got to see Evan do so well. Hopefully, it earns him some credibility for the upcoming travel season. No pics or videos from the Lakeshore game, but the Bears won both games quite handily. 

Season ended at the end of May against Lakeview Battle Creek in dramatic fashion. It was a close game, and Evan came in as a reliever, which was different - if he was going to pitch a game, he was usually the starter. But that did not shake him at all, and he just did his thing. He earned the win, giving up one hit and zero runs over three and one-third innings, striking out two and walking one. As a batter, he improved throughout the season. He's always been pretty reliable at working a count, making contact, and getting RBIs, even if he grounded out. As the season progressed, he started getting more and more solid hits - singles and even some doubles. In this final game of the season, in the bottom of the sixth, Evan hit a ground ball driving in the tying run. As if that wasn't exciting enough, in the bottom of the eighth inning, score still tied, Evan singles on a line drive to center, driving in the winning run! It was a walk-off victory! The player who scored, his dad was taking this video and shared it with me. I'm grateful to have it for posterity. What a fun end to the season!

Evan really enjoyed playing ball with the friends he's grown up playing ball with on various recreational and travel teams. This is Evan with his good friend and teammate Travis. 

The team really improved as the season progressed, and they were really fun to watch. They finished the season 12-11-2. From my perspective, the season flew by. One of the coaches, a young man recently graduated from St. Joe High School himself, really connected with Evan and the rest of the team, and I think he elevated the experience. He had a maturity and a level of game knowledge that was notable. We, of course, are so proud of Evan. More importantly, we hope he is proud of himself.

On to his travel team season - he'll be playing a few tournaments with the Michiana Repetition. 

Prom

looking sharp for junior prom

Ryan and Layla started dating a couple months ago. 

She seems to be a good fit for Ryan.

She made this lovely dress!

After having dinner out with some friends, a few friends gathered at the beach. I joined the parent paparazzi. 

the guys

Layla is a senior, and will attend U of M in the fall.

At prom - I did not take this myself, as I did not attend prom. It was shared around.

This is one of my favorite captures.

You might think that it is difficult to see our first born dating and begin that whole phase of life, but it's not really. Ryan is thoughtful, kind, and responsible, and so is Layla. I trust them to make smart choices, and encourage Ryan to keep communication lines open. The timing makes sense, and it's a normal next phase as he moves closer and closer to adulthood. (ugh...)

 

Ryan's Endevours

We cannot believe that Ryan is beginning to consider colleges, yet here we are. Over spring break, we checked out a couple schools. 

University of Chicago

Hope College

I am a proud alum, and sort of pushed for a tour. Not sure he would have elected to visit Hope of his own volition. Nonetheless, Burke and I both think Hope (any liberal arts school, for that matter) could be a great fit for him. Evan came along. He gets a sneak peak of the whole process. 

Ryan's Academic Challenge team won the local championship.

He also participated in the Michigan Math Meet competition.

He turned 17!

We've been driving back and forth from Blue Lake for his International Orchestra rehearsals.

This photo is from and April rehearsal.

This is from a May rehearsal weekend. With a cello on his back, he's off from his cabin unit to the rehearsal space. In all the hustle and bustle, he managed to forget his sleeping bag, which is kind of a problem. It worked out okay (though I admit I was quite annoyed when he realized he'd forgotten it). 

Ryan has received a few scholarships to offset the cost of Blue Lake International.

We are grateful for that.

Pins mark the towns he'll visit in France, Germany, and Luxembourg.

We're so excited for him to travel to and experience Europe in this way.

The Parents

For better or worse, with the boys' increased independence comes more time away from us. Ryan drives, has a job at Best Buy, and likes to hang out with friends. Evan is working toward his license, will likely be working at an ice cream shop this summer, and also likes to hang out with friends. They participate in many other activities too: quiz bowl, tennis, orchestra, baseball, cross county, science olympiad, musicals, and more. Busy boys! 

Burke and I are finding ourselves with more and more time on our own. So what do we do with our time besides facilitate the family calendar, pay bills, and take care of basic needs? 

I continue on my professional quest for principal position. Though I'm usually one of the finalists, I find myself losing positions to "internal candidates" or someone with "experience." I try to remain as patient as possible as I hope for my lucky break. While I wait, I am grateful for my current job where I get to attend many conferences, and bring what I'm learning back to the district. 

In March, I attended an educational technology conference in Detroit with a group of colleagues. I also squeezed in a quick visit with my Aunt Sue, cousin Kate, and Kate's daughter Amalia. So nice to see them.

The 8-part Cognitive Coaching training was very impactful.

I worked with Hailey for the last two years, providing intensive literacy intervention. I am so grateful for the opportunity to get to know her! She graduated, and invited me to her graduation party. She has an inner wisdom that many adults seem to lack, and I know she'll do great things!

Burke trained for a half marathon, and despite the weather, completed the run with his friend Josh. 

He's also attempting a garden this summer, which hasn't really happened since we moved into this house back in 2020. He planted all things salsa!

This summer we look forward to a slower pace that includes time for naps, books, and TV. We will also go to the gym; Burke will run; I will do yoga.  We will watch Evan play baseball, and will miss Ryan when he's traveling Europe with Blue Lake International's orchestra. Hopefully, we'll also be able to work on some projects around the house, enjoy some sunshine, and time with friends and family. 

Science Olympiad

I am finally returning to the blog after a forced hiatus. I had been working hard to prolong the life of our 12 year old computer. It was an exercise in patience and tech workarounds. I also wanted to get to a better financial place before we bought a new computer. Well, the day finally arrived. We were able to purchase a new computer, and with an updated operating system and processing speeds, I'm ready to catch up on documenting Our Little Miracles as they continue to grow, learn, and enjoy their lives. 

In March, Evan participated in his first year as part of the high school science olympiad team. This year he participated in four events: Electric Vehicle, Experimental Design, Codebusters, and Disease Detectives. 

He also participated in middle school, and had great success in the vehicle event with his partner, and that partnership and success continued this year. 

Aligning the electric vehicle - precision is key.

They took first place in this event.

He has also been consistently successful with this team in Experimental Design. They took first in this event too. Here they are walking up to receive their medals. 

They took first in Codebusters, as well, even though there seemed to be an error with the test. Disease Detectives they did not do so well. You have to study for the event and hope that what you study is what you're tested on. I'm not sure about the quality and focus on studying that occurred, and how connected he was to his partner. He learned a bit about diseases, so that's good. The study events are not really his forte. 

the 2025 high school science olympiad team

The team qualified for the state science olympiad competition at MSU in April. As you may suspect, the state competition is much more competitive. So we were beyond thrilled for Evan and his partner when they placed 3rd in state for Electric Vehicle. 

I'm not sure why, but I was surprised when Evan first chose to participate in science olympiad. We're so grateful he did, and that he has chosen to continue into high school. We appreciate his varied interests, hope that he feels proud of his efforts, and enjoys the camaraderie.