What I did on my days off! (and a few days a couple of months ago!)

 

Joel is having his grad party with his 2 best buddies.  We stole an idea from the Cross Country end of the year party and our center pieces will have vases with pictures (in frames (see above)).  I volunteered to make the frames because I have my cool Cricuit machine.  I made a few of the frames a long time ago to see if I could do it and it was true very rewarding.  It really tapped my inner crafty-self.  Anyway, I spent a majority of yesterday and all of today finishing up.  All of these have something cool (I think) on the back side too.  Everyone has a picture on one side, except the candids, they have pictures on both sides.  

To be honest, I didn't think I was going to be making this many, but then one mom sent me 4 senior pictures and then the next one sent me 7! (One is going to just be an extra for them to have because I did not want to make 6 of each boy let alone 7!)  

Initially, I wanted to get them all done because I was enjoying myself, but by the end it was just project-completion motivating me by about 4 today.  I don't have the sticks yet, so I will have to add those.  It should be pretty easy!

So now I just need to make some desserts and buy some drinks and we will be ready to go!

Spirit of the Jaguar

Joel ran his last track meet ever!

  (He originally only signed up for high-school track at the urging of his PE coach (who happens to be the track coach.)  The sales pitch was "you need to condition for cross country".  Joel did a full season in 8th grade (before there was school soccer) and ran maybe 2 races as a freshman, one as a sophomore (before Covid shut down), once as a junior (indoors before soccer season started) and 2 as a senior (one indoors).  Yesterday's meet was in town, hosted by Ankeny High School (the south school in town), so Joel skipped soccer practice and raced in the 800 meters.

I bet he was really glad he did!  He got 2nd in his heat (the winner was on his team and ran in the State Cross Country meet). Joel was 7th out of 63 JV runners and just shy of the slowest varsity in all 11 schools.  Pretty good for only training with the track team before soccer practices.

BUT more importantly today won The Spirit of the Jaguar.

80 kids won this year and Joel was one of 8 kids who was nominated by 2 teachers.  Here he is with the other soccer players.  (The team mom (not me) put this picture together.)

Eighty might seem like a pretty big amount of kids for this award, but there are 1307 kids at Joel's school, so I am a proud mom!

The funny thing was I heard one kid say to his mom (after the presentation), "I AM NOT getting a picture."   I thought to myself, "well, you don't have much spirit of the Jaguar then":0)  

Joel knows me well and smiled without a fuss!!

Mrs. Lawler teaches Joel AP Language and Composition  AND Oral Communication (2nd semester only).  So she seems him a bunch.  Good thing he is respectful (her word) or he could drive her crazy as a hoot owl  being in 2 classes in a day.

Mr. Gettemy is Joel's PE teacher and has coached Cross Country since he came to Centennial.  So he really knows Joel well too!

 

Senior Prom

 Joel had left to meet his friends before Ken called yesterday about his Dad.  I did then see him at the photo shoot, but Ken and I decided not to tell him about Grandpa so that he could enjoy his special day.  He came home this morning after "Post Prom" at 5:30 am.  (You had to stay that long to be in the drawing for the prizes, including car!  I think the goal is to prevent drinking and rule breaking after prom....strange, but whatever - an exceptional chance to win a car and spend the night having fun with friends.  One of Joel's Cross Country buddies won a bike!)  Joel said post-prom was better than prom.

as an explanation.....Karsten (on the right is dating Bailey, next to him), the other girl is Bailey's best friend who is dating neither Joel nor Will.  They are all just good friends.  Bailey and Miranda did come to Joel's Spring Show and brought him flowers.  So they are very thoughtful girls.  Crazy story - I knew Bailey's mom from my Mother's group "Faith and Friendship" about 10 years ago.  I didn't put that together until Prom night.

Will's parent's on the left and Karsten's folks on the right.  We have been through many baseball games (Will only) and cross country (both) meets together!

 Because it was fun....we had the boys jump off a small ledge to get an action photo!

Will (friend since kindergarten), Karsten (friend since 5th grade) and Joel

Here is Anna, literally boxed into the car by food.  She was my partner tonight, taking photos and gathering food for post prom!

Grandpa McCleary

 Grandpa and Joel.

Ken's father died yesterday.  I am sad for all of  us, but I know that he is in a better place.  He had become pretty unhappy (because he knew he had a declining memory) and unhealthy (not sleeping well and falling) over the course of the last 2 years.  He was going to be admitted to a nursing home in the next month (for his own safety) and I know that he would have hated it more than most.

Ken was with his mom and his sister will return to Iowa tomorrow.  She and her husband were with his mom and dad when his dad fell on Monday, which was such a blessing.

Joel's class photo

 Tuesday was standardized test day.  (Previously called Iowa Tests of Basic Skills)  Joel therefore had late starts (because only the seniors didn't take the test).  They had a senior meeting and took this photo.

I didn't realize how big his class really was!  Joel is smiling in the red circle!

Run Like the wind Anna!

It was fun to watch Anna in her first ever track meet.  She ran in the 100 meter (individual) and 200 meter relay!

team photo at the end of the race....we missed this part since she rode home on the bus and we went home for dinner...it was chilly!