As April comes to a Close...

The past couple weeks have become more eventful.  The kids have both started baseball and softball, and they had their spring program at their school, which they call their Multicultural Night.  Both of their grade levels got to perform songs from different cultures, which was awesome.  There were very few pieces of music that were sung in English.  I love the diversity that their school has.  Following their performances, several classrooms had activities to do which encompassed some of the different cultures in attendance at their school.  The kids both loved getting to play the drums and watching dances.  People brought different foods from their native countries and shared facts and artifacts about heritage.  A performance involving Japanese puppetry was done, which the kids were very entertained by.  Gracie and Owen also had their names written in Arabic by a woman who came to the US from Libya.  My mom came up to watch, as well, so she was able to partake in the event!  I have also been able to volunteer at the school on a couple occasions, helping with fundraisers.  I have tried to get into the school once a week to eat lunch with the kids, as well.  I figure, I might as well do this while I can.  I think the staff at the school are starting to know who I am. :)

                                  

Gracie and Owen at Cosmo Park.

Another picture at Cosmo Park.  They have started to request this park because it is pretty awesome.

Softball and baseball have started up with practices and games will start next week.  Gracie was moved up to kid-pitch minors little league after being evaluated by the director of softball.  Gracie had gone to two practices with a coach pitch team and seemed to be a bit more skilled than the other girls (and a lot bigger).  Gracie even admitted that she wasn't throwing or hitting hard because she didn't want to hurt anyone.  Nick took the liberty of setting up a meeting with the director of softball to see if Gracie needed to be moved up.  Her first practice with her new team was last Saturday and it was much more structured and challenging for her.  I think she will learn a lot more in this division.

Practicing at the batting cages

Gracie has also decided that she wants to try to pitch.  I have told her that catching is way better, but Nick keeps encouraging her to learn to pitch.  Maybe I'm a little biased. She went to a free clinic with her coach last weekend and was the youngest player there.  I guess it won't hurt her and she can always change her mind.  

Owen waits for a turn.

Owen loves his baseball team!  He is doing coach pitch this year and seems to be doing great!  His first game is next Wednesday.

Here is a picture from one of the classrooms during their multicultural night.  Gracie and Owen stayed in here "learning" to play the drums for probably 20 minutes before moving on to the next activity.  What a fun night!

The first burn!

We finally had the perfect night to burn a pile that has been growing for the past few months.  We had a great day of playing at our neighbors, too.  Kerry and I tried to find mushrooms (unsuccessfully) and the boys went fishing for awhile (also unsuccessful). I did find a turtle in their creek and lots of ticks.  They decided to join us later that evening at our place for s'mores!

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We drove up to Rocheport on Sunday, which is west of Columbia on I-70, to try the Katy Trail on our bikes.  Gracie and Owen had to be reminded that it's not a race and you have to stay on the right side of the bike path.  I guess they're used to not having to worry about anyone else while riding in their driveway.  It was a good day and the town is pretty neat with a population of just over 200, I think.

Gracie getting ready to head out.

We rode to the underpass of I-70, right next to the Missouri River.

Owen taking a break.

Gracie ready to head back.

I can't believe it's Thursday already this week, and that April will be done in two days.  Where does the time go?  Teacher appreciation week is next week, and I will be helping out with some of the events at the school.  Mostly providing food for the teachers, which I enjoy and am somewhat good at.  It's hard to believe that there are just over four weeks of school left in the year.  However, I have signed them up to do summer school throughout June, so their routine won't change a whole lot.

I'm looking forward to ball games, which start next week.  There is an opening bbq at their ball park next weekend, which looks like a big event.  The only thing I'm concerned about are some of Owen's games that don't start until 7pm.  He is going to be a bear in the mornings with those late nights.  Luckily there are only a few before school is out.

Nick will also be in charge of most of the operations/facilities stuff for graduation at MU, which takes up the entire weekend of May 13.  Then the following weekend we will be heading to Iowa for Zachary's wedding.  May will fly by just as quickly as April did!  I think we have activities going on every weekend!  Luckily, there are no scheduled games on weekends after May 7.

It has been nice being able to go outside now, and have gotten into somewhat of a (very flexible) routine.  I'm starting to enjoy not having to arise at 4:30 am to run and I am learning to be thankful that I get to spend so much time with Gracie and Owen right now.  I know that it won't last forever and life will again, at some point, resume it's choas of endless activities and not enough time to do everything.

When I was doing substance abuse counseling, I took two things away from that (probably more), which I remind myself, almost daily.  I learned so much more from my clients and mentors than I could ever teach them: the Serenity Prayer and the Acceptance Passage from the Big Book were components of our program and remembering these two things can help with the uncertainty that life brings.  For those who don't know these:

AA Big Book page 417:

Acceptance is the answer to ALL of my problems today.  When I am disturbed, it is because I find some person, place, thing or situation - some fact of my life - unacceptable to me, and I can find no serenity until I accept that person, place, thing or situation as being exactly the way it is supposed to be at this moment.  Nothing, absolutely nothing, happens in God's world by mistake.  Until I could accept my alcoholism, I could not stay sober.  Unless I accept my life completely on life's terms, I cannot be happy.  I need to concentrate not so much on what needs to be changed in the world as on what needs to be changed in me and in my attitudes.

While I am not an alcoholic, these words can have a strong influence on my life, and while helping adolescents in treatment we studied what this really means, alcoholic/addict or not.  We used to have kids copy this for consequences.  Ha! ha!

Here is the serenity prayer, which is probably more familiar:

God, Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.

I don't usually bring philosophy and counseling into my posts, but I have to remind myself that life can be a lot easier with faith and acceptance.