Rachel's First Day - Thirteenth Grade

Rachel is a freshman, again.  She's attending Arkansas State University - Beebe.  ASU, as it's called, is a pretty big university with four campuses; Beebe is the closest and the smallest.  Her apartment is about ten minutes from school and Tasty Freeze is working around her schedule - class every morning until about noon, then she works every afternoon/evening and doubles on Saturday - 'cause she's doing this all on her own.  You know you raise your kids to be individuals, problem solvers and independent.  Then, they actually do it.  I filled out the parent portion of the financial aid applications, but, she did all the leg work, supplied her transcript and shot records and tax forms, registered, applied for grants and loans, and set her own schedule. 

Her plan is to finish her core classes here locally and then transfer to get her degree in American Sign Language.  There are two universities in state that offer her program - one about forty-five minutes south - in Little Rock at the University of Arkansas - and one about two hours north - in Jonesboro at ASU Jonesboro.  She says Jonesboro is too far from home/work/friends and her boyfriend.  But, two years is still two years away.  For now, she's staying local and making ends meet - with the occasional grocery trip and tank of gas from good ole' Mom and Dad.  Go get 'em, Rae.

First Paycheck

Samantha has always been bold.  She speaks her mind; she has opinions; she knows her mind.  Every time I go to the store she gives me a list.  Every.  Time.  She needs mascara, makeup remover wipes, contact solution, a watermelon, gatorades, gum for school, another mascara, hair straightening spray stuff, starburst, deodorant, a certain shampoo, another mascara....you get the idea.  The others just tell me what they want for suppers next week, or maybe ask for a certain school snack to take to class, but, Samantha's list is always very specific and involved.  She usually gets it, too.  She keeps her room decently clean, she's good about chores and she's otherwise busy with school, homework, dance, and now we can add work to her list.

But no more - or at least not as much - she's discovered the big upside of having a job - she gets a paycheck!  Now let's see how quickly she goes through those makeup remover wipes!

First Day - 2016 - 2017

 The obligatory first day of school pictures were different this year for two reasons - one significant, and one bothersome.  First, the bothersome - it's raining!  We have never had a rainy first day of school before and it made pictures more complicated - though they still turned out great, I think - and it made traffic beastly.  Buses were late, people forgot how to drive, parents dropped kids only at the doors of the school and not in the whole line - it was a mess.

The second difference is that we are down by one - Rachel graduated and I will have pictures of her beginning college when that happens later on.  For now, we are four.....Samantha is a senior and she is not happy about it.  She has decided being an adult may be hard and she, bless her homebody heart, is cherishing these last months as a student and big kid.  Charlotte is in eighth grade and for the first time in her life she is not playing a sport.  This year she joined choir and is shinning.  She feels a little behind the curve because all the girls with her have had voice lessons and previous training.  But like Samantha with six years on dance team and never had a class, Charlotte may just take over choir with her natural bravado and confidence.  Josephine is in sixth grade and at the top of the middle school food chain.  She's in some advanced classes and gets to move independently for part of her school day.  She likes her team and has some old friends in her classes, but, she is making new friends, too.  Her third grade teacher is also in the sixth grade now, so she has Mrs. Eastham again for language and literacy - her favorite!  JMichael is in the third grade and school is still so fun for him.  He says he is the fastest kid in his class and his best buddy, Malachi, is also in his class.  He already, after a week of class, has a girlfriend - his old flame Harper - and so he is back in his old swing - third grade is friends and fun, with a little math - his favorite - and some reading thrown in, because they make him do it.   (His dysgraphia and dyslexia classes are helping, but, reading is challenge.  He's doing great and his teachers are amazing.)

The Ball Team - academic year 2016-2017!

Tasty Freeze - the Dynasty is born

Rachel has been at Tasty Freeze for well over a year now - and when Samantha turned 17 I told her it was high time she got a job too.  So where do you apply when your sister is the shift leader at the local hang out burger and shake joint?  Yes, Tasty Freeze.  Samantha applied and interviewed and they actually work really well together.  The owner asked Rachel before hiring Samantha if they get along.  Rachel replied, well we shared a room for 17 years.  We get along just great.  And I'd love to be her official boss.  So far it's working out fine.  Samantha likes working, loves tips, and they can run the store.  It's kind of amazing to me - working the grills, handling money, dealing with customers.  I'm very proud of them both.  My big ladies - making their way in the world.  Charlotte and Josephine, by the way, fully intend on working at Tasty Freeze, too.  Fine by me.  On a side note, the owner doesn't hire boys.  He only hires girls.  So JMichael will be on his own!

Splash - July 2016

Our July splash is patriotic, huh?  In keeping with the birth of this great nation, we decided that fireworks would be appropriate.  I grew up in Maryland and fireworks were illegal.  There was always a fireworks display for the town on the Fourth of July, and shows after baseball games, or on special occasions at the beach, but, you wouldn't just go to the store and pick up fireworks for your own personal afternoon recreation.  Here in Arkansas, it's practically encouraged.  Tents pop up literally overnight, like mushrooms after a rain, just in time for New Years, the Fourth and Memorial Day.  We are in the habit of picking up the half price ones on July 5th so that we can have some on hand for birthdays and random afternoons.   James lit these TNT look-alikes on the Fourth out in our street.  Don't try this at home!

Samantha is 17

Samantha is our second daughter.  She is opinionated, blunt and very set in her ideas.  She has no idea what she wants to "be" when she grows up and it's stressing her out.  She works at Tasty Freeze after school and weekends.  She's a senior in high school and she has been on dance team for six years.  For the past year she has been dating a boy in her grade named Jonathan Pace.  He says he wants to be an EMT.

Samantha loves doughnuts, so that's what she got for her birthday cake.  She could live on fruit and hoards watermelons and strawberries in her room .  She is smart (loves math, hates English).  She is brave, kind and helpful.  She keeps her room decently clean (it's cleaner now that it's only her in there) and she is responsible as far as respecting curfews and getting assignments finished for school.  She is beautiful - a whiz with make-up, even though she doesn't need it.

Of all the kids, she is the one that wants to stay little.  She's in no hurry about being an adult, even though the "adult" stuff seems to suit her - job, responsibilities, punctuality.  She will be amazing once she decides what she wants to do.

Dance Team 2016-2017

Meet the 2016-2017 Cabot High School Dance Team.  Samantha Marie is pictured on the front row, fifth girl in from the left.  She is holding an envelope which is her invitation to dance at the Liberty Bowl, in Memphis, in 2017.  This means she made the All-American cut.  Wow.  Never had a lesson.  Literally.  Never been to a class, never danced for a studio.  She has always only been on the dance team and learned everything at school  Way to go, Samantha!