Smith Family Update

Well we have been keeping totally busy here. I feel like I'm a senior in high school getting ready for college. I'm totally stressed all the time. Fortunately, Isaac doesn't know the meaning of the word. He is so relaxed about everything. Oh to be young.

School is still going well, with the exception of one teacher who does not like Elyssa. I can't prove that she is giving Lys demerit marks unfairly yet, but I think I'm close. Lys has had 2 demerits in the last two years of school and I can't think of any before that and this year she has racked up 10 all by the same teacher. Laughing in the hallway or in class for any reason will get you a demerit mark. I think like 6 of the marks are from laughing. It's going to be a rough year considering Lys laughs at everything!

Cross country is going well. Isaac did have a little "tussle" with a guy who tripped him and made him fall to the ground and then tripped him when he was getting back up. I had to remind Isaac that cross country is not a contact sport. Softball is not going so good. Elyssa has possibly the worst coach ever. Why do people coach that have never played the sport? Somethings I just don't understand. The season ends this month so the agony will be over soon.

We recently got back from a family reunion in New York. It was Mark's mom side of the family and they were kind enough to pay for our lodging which was awesome! I found super cheap tickets (we just had to drive an extra 2 1/2 hours) so it was really worth it. You can check out all the photos on FB. It was great to get away with the entire family!

Isaac has a big wrestling tournament coming up this weekend (if he can make weight). I think his days of wrestling at 145 are over. Someone he thinks he'll be wrestling that all year.

The major events this month are Elyssa's 13th and Isaac's 17th birthdays. I can't believe Elyssa is going to be a teenager! I'll keep everyone posted.

Love you!

Back in School

Well the kids returned to school on Friday, August 6th. They go back so early here and to start on a Friday is really weird.

I went to back to school night at the high school as usual and it was packed this year. Normally there is like me and one other person on BTS night, but this year there has been major moral drama and the county superintendent resigned like a week before school started so everyone came out. By the time I left there I only had 10 minutes at Elyssa's school so I only met 2 teachers. Then I waited in line for 45 minutes to make sure she is on the right bus since we moved.

So far school is going well. This is the first time in Isaac's 13 years of school that I haven't gotten a phone call or email during his first week of school and we're on week 3 now! I'm so proud of him! He really seems to be buckling down and trying to do his best to get ready for college. We have had more and more colleges show interest in him, which is so exciting, but we both agree on his first choice Northwestern College in Iowa. Isaac is doing cross country this year to keep busy and is doing well. He had to quit last week because he didn't have a ride home anymore, but the coach called and asked him to come back. She told him they would find him a ride everyday so he has first meet tomorrow. Meanwhile we are studying for SAT's and ACT's again and trying to teach him to drive a stick so he can get his license. Never a dull moment!

Elyssa is liking school as an 8th grader, but has gotten 2 merit marks already this year. I think that is as many as she has gotten in her whole life. In her defense they are way too strict at school now. One was for talking and the other was for laughing in the hallway! Can you believe you can't talk in the hallway? Isaac would have been suspended by now with those kinds of rules. She is on the softball team and we are all not thrilled about that like we thought we would be. Gotta say I don't see eye to eye with the coach and he gives us no information and doesn't return my emails or phone calls. I had to get the schedule off the website after asking for it several times. One of the emails he didn't return was for directions to a game! Oh well, Elyssa is learning how difficult it is not to quit and to stick things out even when you don't get along with someone. Having said that, she gets along great with the girls on her team and enjoys wearing her uniform on game days.

Meanwhile I am struggling to keep it all together. The thought of Isaac going off to college makes me burst into tears every time. Don't get me wrong I want him to go, but I just can't imagine my life without him. In fact, its like I'm losing him already. With everything going on I hardly see him anymore. However, I'm doing my best to let him grow up and use this time to have more one on one time with Lys.

Til next time...........

Too many dr. appts!

So Isaac had all 6 of his wisdom teeth removed last week. The surgery went well and the doctor and nurse were amazing. Isaac was totally drugged up though. He never takes medicine so he was so loopy for days. In fact at the doctors office they told me to go ahead and pull my car around to the front and he'll be ready soon. Then 45 minutes later! they called me back and he was still totally drugged. They asked him if he knew who I was and he said "no". That's when I lost it. I was crying and had to be removed from the office. I was like "What did you give him that he can't remember his own mom?". They told me he just had major surgery and this was normal. Finally he came a little more to and said he knew who I was and reached for my hand. After another 30 minutes we wheeled him out to the car. He was so hungry but couldn't eat because he mouth was so numb and he couldn't stay awake long enough. Fortunately I was able to translate what he was saying to Elyssa and Mark because they couldn't understand a word he said. We just had his checkup yesterday and he is doing great. He has been on solid foods since day 3 so he never even lost weight.

I took Elyssa to the orthodonist the next day to get her expander in. She hates that thing. Everytime I turn it she moans. We have to go back to the doctor again in a couple weeks to get it checked out.

Mark had a doctor appointment with a total quack two days ago. Let's just say he was not happy. Now he's got an appointment to see someone else next month. Then he got a spider bite and had to go to the doctor again yesterday. I think that he's convinced you dont' need training to be a doctor.

Let's just say that I'm so tired of going to the doctor's office!

All the Smith's are home again!

Well as of Monday at 10pm the whole family is together again!

Elyssa had a great time in CA and enjoyed spending time with her grandparents, cousins, "Auntie" Bambi, Uncle Bruce and friends. I'm glad she had so much fun, but I'm so glad she's home. She is definitely having a hard time with the time change. I mean she goes to sleep at like 3am and wakes up at noon. Monday night she never went to sleep then went to Endurance Camp at church all day. She did end up passing out last night so I hope I'll be able to get her back to her school schedule by time school starts!

Isaac had a great time at the Virginia Tech camp and enjoyed hanging out with all the college kids. Again everyone gave him the nickname "Georgia". Why can't people call him by his name, Isaac? I will never understand.

After VT camp we drove to Maryland for the US Nationals. It was probably the worst run tournament ever! The tournament started at 10am and most tournaments begin at 8am. We showed at 8:30am to warm up and the doors weren't even open yet. Isaac didn't have his first match until 1:45pm. What's up with that? Then the worst part is that he didn't place. He just doesn't wrestle the same without a coach. Its almost like he doesn't want to win enough for himself, he wants to win for the coach. I hope he gets over this soon.

We did have a good time in MD though. We saw Toy Story 3 and I cried liked crazy. Best TS yet! It was good just hanging out together knowing that next year at this time he'll be off to college. I miss him already.

Mark went out to Oregon to help his friend at a BMW Rally and he worked so hard, but came up with some great ideas for the future.

Isaac had his last wrestling camp with the team as well. They went up to Appalachian State University in North Carolina. It's funny because people refer to it as ASU, but its not. I mean c'mon......ASU stands for Arizona State University. He had a good time at camp and won the tournament.

I had such a busy summer I really needed a vacation. I got 3 days to myself at home while everyone was gone and it was heaven. I bought two kids meals (bogo free coupon) on Friday and had them for dinner of the weekend. I rested, cleaned, watched movies and I was ready for everyone to come home.

Isaac gets his wisdom teeth out on July 28th. Elyssa gets her expander and the top bar to her braces on July 29th. Then school starts back on August 6th.

I can't wait to have everyone on some kind of schedule again!

Summer Happenings

Well Elyssa is in CA having a blast. Somehow sitting on the couch watching Land of the Lost with her cousin Bruce isn't boring like when she watches it at home. Thank goodness for Facebook so I can keep up on everything she is doing.

Isaac has had 2 wrestling camps and a tournament so far. He is getting ready to go to the Youth Forward Conference over the next 3 days. Tonight he'll get to hear Third Day play......totally fun and this will be his first concert ever! Then Sunday we head out to Virigina Tech for his next wrestling camp. So much driving!

Mark is home again and it is so great to have him back! He is still losing weight and has lost a total of 41 lbs so far. I am so proud of him!

Today is also my mom's birthday, but she is in Tennessee so I won't get to see her.

That's my happenings in a nutshell.

The Smith Happenings

Well Elyssa had her last softball game this past Saturday and they won. It was sad that there will be no more softball until late July when the school team starts. She ended the season with some pretty good stats.
.296 batting average
4 homeruns
10 walks
13 RBI's
I didn't keep track of her runs scored, stolen bases, or people she threw out on base because it would have been a lot. She'll continue practicing this summer since the school team plays in the summer/fall. I love it and can't get enough so I'm ready.

Elyssa also just got braces last week. Let's just say that it was not what she expected. She is just finally able to eat regularly again and we have already had our "talks" about brushing and flossing. I have to say that everyday she looks less and less like my little girl, but the braces make her look younger. Her cheeks have puffed out and she looks adorable. I just want to squeeze her everytime I see her.

In a week she will be heading out to CA to visit family and I think she is counting down the minutes! I'm going to miss her so much, but she is ready to be with her Aunt Bambi and cousins. I remember summers with my cousins and it is all good memories.

Isaac was terribly sick last week. Poor guy never gets sick and it was a sad sight. He had the flu and I don't think he has ever had the flu before. The last time he threw up he was probably 5. Then his 6 wisdom teeth - YES 6 - wisdom teeth really started bothering him. Between him and Lyssa there were no solid foods in the house for several days.

Isaac took the SAT's this past Saturday and for snacks I had to send him with Ensure's because he couldn't eat anything. His clothes still don't fit right. He weighs less now than evening during wrestling. He feels fine, but I think his stomach shrank and he still is very careful when he eats.

Today Isaac left for his first wrestling camp of the summer. This one is really great because even though he will be staying overnight all week its only 45 minutes away. He is rooming with one of his teammates from school so I know he is happy about that.

Mark has been doing a great job eating right and exercising and has lost 32lbs already. He looks amazing and I'm so proud of him! We have all begun exercising so hopefully we're all getting more fit and healthy.

Maybe this summer we will all be able to actually do something as a family. Of course this will require us to all be together at the same time. We'll see...........

My 2 Athletes

Well it has been very busy around my house lately with tryouts, practices, softball games, SAT/ACT tutoring, and the end of the school year. I am totally ready for a break although I don't see one in sight. At least there is no more homework and I don't have to wake anyone up for school.

Elyssa made the softball team at school this year! Last year she tried and didn't make and was very upset. This year she almost didn't try out for fear of not making the team, but I made her do it. I made her because I knew she loves to play and would eventually be upset if she didn't try out. I also made her because you can't not try for something for fear of failing. If I let her start now she would continue to do it and it is very unhealthy. I have personal experience in this area.

So she has decided that she no longer wants to be catcher which is a little bit sad for me because this is the position I played. She just stated that she was tired of being hot, getting hit with the bat and having to do so much. She made this decision after catching 6 games in 3 days, which also included playing in the rain for 3 of the games.

Elyssa tried out for centerfield. She said she wanted to rob people of their home runs and thought it would be super fun. She is an excellent outfielder. After making the team she found out that she didn't make centerfield, the coach is putting her at 2nd and 3rd base. She wasn't too thrilled about this, but she is excited to be playing. Obviously, she doesn't give herself enough credit for being a solid ball player. With her speed they want her to be a slap switch hitter. They have also given her a list of things to work on over the summer since softball will begin for them at the end of July.

One of Elyssa's greatest strengths is how fast she runs. She has to work on sprinting and uphill running. The other day I took her out and she is just so amazing. She looks like she should be on a Nike commercial. God has truly blessed this girl because that skill did not come from us!

Yesterday she played a rough game and made some amazing catches behind the plate. She also played another game because a team didn't have enough players. She and another girl went for the same ball and the ball popped out of the girls glove and hit Elyssa in the eye. Today she has a black eye, but she's toughing it out.

Isaac has been practicing his wrestling in the off season to stay sharpe and also he has tournaments this summer. His first tournament was yesterday. He is wrestling a weight class up since he only practices twice a week and is eating like crazy. He is averaging 150 lbs which is only 5 lbs over his season weight of 145 lbs. Well we went to the tournament and there was some real hard competition and since he's not wrestling his weight we weren't expecting too much, but Isaac ended up placing 5th and qualified for the national tournament in Maryland in early July. This is a huge deal and will look amazing on his resume!

There was a photographer at the tournament and you can see/download the photos at the website below. Isaac is in the red singlet wrestling the kid in the black and yellow singlet on pages 9 & 10.
http://wawareagles.smugmug.com/Sports/NHSCA-GA-State-Champs/12280874_KKkzT#875988597_JdpJY

I couldn't be more proud of the kids. They are doing so well in their sports AND their studies. I have drilled into them that one cannot be done without the other. Elyssa's report card was all A's and B's and I haven't got Isaac's back yet, but he may have gotten straight A's so we'll see.

Well thanks for reading about me brag about my babies. I have to call them my babies even though they are going into 8th and 12th grade. It reminds me of how little time I have left with them in the house. I think I'm going to cry.