OH, Hail....

Living in the mid-west presents its challenges. One challenge, is severe thunderstorms producing tornadoes and hail.  This morning, as buses of kids arrived at school (about 8 am), a humongous hail storm unleashed on us and continued for about an hour.  I snapped a picture out my classroom window and only realized later the screen really showed up in the picture making the hail look like snow.

I was waiting for the tornado sirens to go off.  Luckily, they didn't sound off.  My already freaked out students didn't need to take cover on top of the pounding hail and booming thunder.  After I took my students to specials, I stepped out the doorway to snap a photo of the river running down the drive.  I checked the weather report and we received 2.5 inches in under an hour.

After lunch I went to check on my car.  It is hail damaged.  My car is silver and the dents appear as water droplets, although there are some water droplets on the lower right side of the picture.  The dark colored cars showed the dents more prominently.

A principal at another school a short distance from ours took pictures of the hail in case we needed it for insurance documentation.  Pretty big, eh?

Currently, we are under flood watch, severe weather watch and possible tornado threat.  I am praying tonight is uneventful. Tomorrow appears to be more exciting with a forecast of tornadoes, more hail and high winds.  I think I'll move to Australia.

Catching up with Brayden

Age:  15 years and 8 months
Height: 6 foot 1 and something
Favorite Food:  Just about anything.  He will eat it and love it. Tacos rank up there pretty high, though.

Brayden has been a busy boy.  He scored a perfect score on his geometry End of Course test.  He was supposed to be recognized at a school board meeting but the Superintendent's father died and it was cancelled.  He got his award at a big MAP (Missouri's big stakes tests) awards thingy.

Then, this spring he got to be a part of Academic week.  He has a hefty GPA and went to an honor's banquet dinner.  He earned his academic letter.  He now has one for academics and band.  He refuses to get a letter man's jacket until he can add cross country running to it because in his words, "Is just tacky...quirky."

 He has his driver's learning permit and now expects to drive me everywhere.  He drives us from seminary to school every day.  He drove us into St. Louis the other day and did a great job.  We survived, so did the car and Mom only slammed her foot on the imaginary brakes once, maybe twice.

At the reptile house with his sisters

On the stilts at the Nauvoo pageant last summer.  I think Brayden actually knocked his dad down.

Mothering Twins

One thing I haven't talked a lot about is being the mother of twins; non-identical girl twins.  When I was laying on the table at my 17 week appointment, in the ultrasound room, and the tech told us she saw two heads.  My first worry was if the heads were connected.  They were not.  Lynn and I soon decided we'd better find out if they were girls, boys, or one of each.  The tech soon informed us they were girls. Lynn promptly sighed, ran his hand down his face and said, "What are we going to do when one of them gets asked to the prom and the other doesn't?"  He didn't know how prophetic that comment would be for the girls.

Ever since I first saw them lying in their incubators it has been a battle of balancing fairness, feelings and making sure they both feel loved. Incidentally I cried, because one baby was perfect and unblemished and the other had a dent in her forehead and nasty bruises everywhere from paving the way out.

I am constantly making decisions of intervening or letting things play out as they will.  On MAP (Missouri's big grade level tests)  one scored advanced in reading and math and the other advanced in reading and proficient in math.  One was tested for gifted and talented, the other was not. Now, they've both taken an algebra placement test and one got into algebra and the other has to take pre-algebra. I have to fight the urge to email the principal to let the left out twin test because her sister did, or to retest because she barely missed the cutoff.

They're both up to be library aides and we haven't heard if they both made it.  Heaven help us if one makes it and the other doesn't.

I have to keep telling myself they are individuals.  It's OK if one of them succeeds in an area the other does not.

Luckily they are different enough most thing balance out.  One is a cheerleader.  One plays volleyball. Luckily they have no interest in competing in the other's sport. One plays a flute and the other plays percussion.  They are content to let each other succeed in their own thing.

Abby and Elise

Abby during volleyball season

Elise on her way to cheer at a football game

Mothering twins is a fine balance act between compassion, allowing individualism and telling them this is life.

So now I think...what am I going to do when one of them gets asked to the prom and the other doesn't?

It's a good thing I have a big lap and they can both fit. :)

Good Intentions

I have good intentions.  Last January I didn't foresee being called as a seminary teacher.  That coupled with teaching 2nd grade, having teenagers and my husband being gone on externships have made for a busy Becky.

Lucky for me and you, I am off for 5 glorious days of Spring Break!  After I sleep in until at least 7 am (More excited for this than you know!), go for a walk, and force my children to do some spring cleaning, I will be playing catch up the blog. 

Anything you wanna hear about?  Send me a line.  I'll see if I can fit it in.

The Kingdom of Callaway

We live in a kingdom.  Yes, in the 1860s it was it's own country.  People here are proud to have once seceded from the Union.  I personally get a kick out of it all.

I found this on a link from the Historical society. http://www.kchsoc.org/legend.html

"Callaway County becomes the 'Kingdom'

Early in October of 1861, six hundred (600) Federal troops began converging at Wellsville, Montgomery County, Missouri, on Callaway County's North-East border. Their mission was to subdue "Rebel Callaway". The lawyer and former State Representative, Jefferson F. Jones, with the help of many subordinates, quickly gathered six hundred (600) troops to defend our county from the Federal invasion.

These troops congregated at Brown's Spring, in North Central Callaway County to train and prepare. Equipped, with mostly shotguns and small caliber hunting rifles, they did what they could to present the appearance of a well trained army spoiling for a fight. They went as far as to paint logs black and hide them in the brush with wagon wheels to give the appearance of artillery.

After receiving reports from Union spies on the activities in Callaway County, the Federal commander, postponed his invasion. Afraid that his troops would be annihilated, he waited for reinforcements to arrive.

Meanwhile, Colonel Jeff Jones sent an envoy with a letter to the Federal commander. Though the envoy's primary mission was to apprise Jones of the status of the Federal troops, the letter stated that Jones' force was formed in self defense and that if the Federal Army would not invade Callaway County, nor molest or arrest any of its' citizens, Jones would disband his army.

The Federal Commander, General John B. Henderson, agreed to the terms rather than risk a loss in battle to this "well trained and armed" force of men. In essence he allowed Callaway County to negotiate a treaty as a sovereign state with the Federal Government. This treaty recognized our independence and granted Callaway its' own right to govern itself.

Callaway County became "The Kingdom of Callaway" in October of 1861. After the war was over the 'Kingdom' still refused to be reconstructed and be governed by outside forces. The right of the people was still our supreme law. We were proud that we had faced adversity, had stood strong against it, and had won our right to be who we wanted to be."

Being Right Doesn't Always Feel Good

Moving to Missouri was almost a traumatic experience; except when we got here everything fell into place and it sure feels like home.

The traumatic experience has been with trying to sell our home.  We finally agreed to have people in there as a lease option.  They would come up with financing in October.

Wouldn't you know it...as soon as we moved out things started breaking in the house.  We fixed them, leaky pipes and all.

Then after a contractual dispute over who should continue fixing things, they abandoned the house and want their money back.

We called a lawyer and found out the courts would most likely side with us.  Mostly small claims stuff, but huge when you are living on a teacher's salary and student loans.

I still feel awful that we had a disagreement. They abandoned their dream house, and they had less than optimal living conditions.

Nope, being right doesn't always feel good.

A new Goal

I spend so much time correcting papers, searching the Internet for ideas for lesson plans, getting Relief Society lessons together and just plain old doing laundry. 

I've made a new goal for myself and we'll see if it comes to pass.  I've held my family digitally hostage.  Yep.  Their pictures are stuck on a hard drive and no one sees them.  I no longer scrapbook.  It takes too much energy. Sooo..... I'm going to go back and blog the things I've missed the last year or so and catch up to where we are.  My kids are doing such amazing things I don't want to forget. Wish me luck, and cheer me on.