Bandana's

Over spring break, Sylvia interviewed for a job as a server at the BBQ restaurant Bandana's.

She came out of the interview with a job--starting the next week!

She came home from her second night of work with a story about a literal dumpster fire!  And lots more stories came home with her over the summer as she learned about working in a restaurant, how people treat servers, and how to be gracious to her coworkers and customers.

I did a lot of worrying and praying and checking her location when she worked until closing time. She was even stranded in Bloomington one night due to not being able to get home via flooded roads!

We enjoyed visiting her and watching her in action, and have been really proud of her!

Tonight was her last night for the summer (she plans to work over breaks), so we all went to eat at Bandana's. 

We were her last table of the evening. It was bittersweet for her to say goodbye to her coworkers, not knowing how many will still be there when she comes back for Christmas. 

Though it's had a lot of challenges, Sylvia has learned a lot, grown, and persevered through her 4 months as a server. Thankful for the experience for her!

This afternoon, in his daily COVID19 public address to the state, our governor officially announced that Illinois schools will remain closed and classes online for the rest of the school year.  While we assumed this was coming, the fact that it was put off and we were given false hope for the last several weeks made it more difficult to take.

We have a wonderful new superintendent this year, and he sent out a voice message and this letter to our entire district:

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It is difficult to process all of this.  For me personally, only minor inconveniences:

 *I am not able to work as a substitute teacher. I was supposed to cover a maternity leave teaching HS and JH health from 4/24 through the end of the school year, but now that classes are online the teacher will cover it during her leave (God bless her, with a new baby!)  

*I was also hired in January as the Theatre Club Sponsor for the high school, which includes directing the annual Variety Show...which is now a "no-go."

*I don't know whether or not to even bother planning to direct a fall play.

For Caeden, I think he feels that he will have opportunities to do all the things later, since he is a freshman.  But, he is struggling with focusing on his school work online.  And he really, really misses his friends.  He is thankful for Zoom classes, Fortnite with his boys, and SnapChat to keep him in touch with some people besides the ones in our house! 

Sylvia, on the other hand is missing out on a lot.  This most recent announcement was the straw that really broke the camel's back for her.  She has felt like she couldn't grieve things she's missing out on because she's not a senior, but today she did break down and cry, finally.  

She has (or will) missed out or can't move forward on:

*Performing in Guys and Dolls

*Going to Sectionals with the WYSE team

*Spring concert for choir, vocal jazz, band

*Being part of the induction ceremony for National Honor Society

*Junior Prom and AfterProm

*A chance to perform in the variety show

*Going on college visits

*Taking the SAT and ACT

*Walking as Honor Guard for commencement

*Going back to Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp this summer (closed for the year)

*And possibly the most devastating is that she won't get to perform the Haydn cello concerto as the featured Howard Rye soloist competition winner with the Bloomington Normal Youth Symphony this spring.  It is a really big deal, and we are all really sad for her and pray she will be able to compete again next year. 

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Although the announcement today doesn't change anything specific for Jeremy or Annah, they are both dealing with loss too.

It has been really hard for Jeremy to remain at home.  Not that he doesn't like being at home, but in his job, he thrives on the social interaction with others.  He was explaining to the kids the other day that it's not that he loves the content of his job, but it's the relationships and interactions with others that makes it enjoyable for him.

He also feels that way about going to the gym.  It is his sanctuary! He has cleaned the old weight benches in the basement and is using those every morning, but not having the social interaction at the gym is difficult for him.

Poor dear Annah is just really struggling to get through her coursework online.  Her theology and philosophy honors course is difficult and very time consuming for her. Music is not really something that works online. 

She is working with SIUe on her transfer for the fall and has an advising appointment to schedule classes next week.  However, she is really worried that the university will have to remain online even in the fall and it won't be worth it for her. Then when she thinks about that, she worries that music will be cut from schools for the near and foreseeable future, and getting a degree in music education would be fruitless.  She is very overwhelmed on a constant basis right now, and I am praying hard for her.

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Dealing with so many unknowns right now is so difficult.  Everyone is facing challenges.  People are getting angry.  Some are angry at the government.  Some are angry at the media.  Some are angry at protestors who are angry at the government. 

I am not angry. I am overwhelmed at times.  But I know there is only one person who holds the real truth. So I will look to Him.

Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life.

 No one can come to the Father except through me. 

- John 14:6 NLT

Subbing sweetness

Sometimes substitute teaching can be really sweet.  Last week, I spent a whole Friday in 3rd grade, and several of the little girls made me bracelets and wrote me precious notes.  

Today, I subbed half day in junior high health and math.  When the math class left, I noticed this was left on the board.  I think some of the kids recognize how tough it is to be a sub and basically get very little respect.  It's so encouraging when they say nice things to me. 

Our financial situation requires that I get some more work and income.  A few months ago, Jeremy suggested that I really consider substitute teaching.  It is decent pay, requires few "qualifications," and most of all it is very flexible.  So this summer, I've been working on getting my substitute teaching license and applying at 2 local school districts.  

This week, I attended a great workshop at GCMS for substitute teachers.  24 of us were able to tour all 3 buildings, meet administration, get all the paperwork we need to apply, learn how to run technology, and talk about ALICE (emergency procedures).  It was really great.  I also got my packet for Ridgeview and am officially on the "ready to sub" list there.  

Also this week, I made this Zucchini Crisp with the giant zucchinis Dad sent back with us from his garden.  Caeden and Ryan could hardly believe there were no apples in it; it looks and tastes just like apple crisp.  Yum!

Jeremy went home really early, but texted me mid-morning when he found our rosebush blooming.

The kids are all having fun with the googly balls!

All the girls did their hair in space buns today!  Aunt Erin took them all shopping to find a special dress for Tessa to wear in the Miss Turtle Days pageant.  Such cool little ladies!

Krampa and his boys worked on putting up a fence for his blackberries and changing out the windows to screens in the gazebo.  

Gram has so many pretty flowers blooming!

This afternoon, Erin took Grayson home for a nap, and Bryce snuggled up with Annah for a nap too!

Family swim!

We really want our picture taken right now.

Mom and I noticed we dressed alike today!

We visited Jeremy at work today, and the kids couldn't remember the last time they had visited him at work--almost 5 years ago!

The building looks so much different right now, as the huge atrium is under construction and enclosed with drywall.  It has been that way for over a year now, but should be finished this spring.

 The visitor center has some beautiful new features.

Jeremy recently moved into a new office in order to be closer to his team.  

We enjoyed meeting the people on his team and his boss, Todd, as well.  We had lunch at SalsaRita's, and peeked in the little window in the drywall to see all the scaffolding and construction on the atrium.  It was really nice of Jeremy to take time out of his super busy day to have us visit.  I always enjoy seeing him there. 
When I asked the kids what they thought of his workplace, Annah said, "So fancy!" Sylvia said, "It was very intimidating." and Caeden said, "I was scared to death the whole time.  I didn't want to talk because I was afraid I would say something wrong and Dad would get fired because of me."  That definitely wouldn't happen, but I am glad they could see their dad at work and get a newer perspective of what it is like and what he does for us.

Jeremy will celebrate his 20-year anniversary with the company in a couple months!  I am so thankful for his years of hard work, and to God for this wonderful career that has provided for our family.

Working for play

Anytime we get to have rehearsal on the stage/in the gym, we have 6 heavy platforms and 2 sets of wooden stairs to move down off the stage and onto the floor.  

It's not a fun job, but I'm thankful there are students who are good workers who just get it done quickly and efficiently.

Today we had our last work day.  We didn't have a lot of work left to do, really.  Some of the guys brought a heavy metal desk up from the basement for the police station scenes. We assembled cardboard moving boxes and taped them together in stacks so they could all be moved quickly and easily as one prop for our U-Move-It offices.  We ModPodge'd a map of Wisconsin to a foam board for a prop. We took all the make up and hair supplies down to the study hall where the cast will get ready for performances. We hole-punched and put the crew scripts into color-coded folders for them to use next week. And we painted the other side of the folding divider lavender for Madame Dubois' home.  It was good to tie up a few more loose ends!

Work Day

There was no school today, but the cast of the play spent the day at the school working.

They physically washed the stage on their hands and knees!

They took all the cans of paint from the stage up to the prop/costume closet and organized all the paint on a bookcase.

They gathered and put together props.

We got costumes together.

And for 2 hours of the day, we rehearsed Act 2!

Play Work Day

We had a work day today for the play.  We brought props up from the basement prop closet.

We moved the heavy platforms--again.  We spent time together as a cast.

Cast members cuffed each other with excitement at finding their detective props.

We rehearsed some scenes we had blocked last week when Tyler was sick.

We had fun finding silly (and useful) things in the prop closet.