Thanksgiving Week

We have a week off for Thanksgiving and frankly, I couldn't be any happier about it than I am. This school year has been rough and momma is tired, both physically and mentally. I left school Friday evening after finding that someone has been stealing controlled substances from my medication cabinet. This is my 11th year as a school nurse and not once have I had an issue with my medications. Our school has undergone construction for the past two years and we are in the home stretch of almost being done. Unfortunately, stealing happens when a school undergoes construction, but not very frequently is it from the clinic. After my police officer viewed a lot of video, it is apparent that workers are going in and out of my clinic every evening and night - up until 2:00am. There are very few things left to be done in my clinic, so the fact that people are constantly in and out is beyond intriguing.  I left work Friday sick to my stomach, frustrated, mad and feeling defeated. Luckily the three parents I had to contact whose student's medications had been stolen were completely understanding. Regardless, it still makes me wonder if they are questioning my integrity. . . 

On Monday, Nana and Papa came and got the boys to take them to Newman's Castle and bakery in Bellville, as well as the Historic Austin County Jail Museum. They had a great time with their cousins exploring the castle and learning all sorts of history.

Newman's Castle

Tuesday morning we headed to Kerrville to spend Thanksgiving with my parents. In the past, the community where my parents live all join together in 'The Barn' and have Thanksgiving dinner. However, due to COVID, that would not take place this year. So mom bought all the fixings for us to fix our own Thankgsiving dinner.

Evening golf cart ride

On Wednesday, Dad and I headed to see Grandma. We were actually able to go inside and visit with her with plexiglass between us, however due to masks and her being hard of hearing, we used a dry erase board to communicate, which turned out to be a great tool! 

Once we got home, the boys, Shane, Grandpa and I went and played some pickle ball. Apparently I am the weak link and no one cares to be my partner. . . 

Later that evening, we received a text from Shane's mom letting us know that she tested positive for COVID. Due to the boys being with her all day Monday, we felt like we should head home so as not to expose my parents if the boys ended up with COVID. After much debate if we should leave then or wait until Thursday, Mom felt like we should stay, eat our Thanksgiving meal and then head out afterwards. I hated that our trip got cut short, but would have felt horrible had we exposed my parents to COVID.

Since I had unexpected extra time, I went ahead and got all of our Christmas put up and now we are ready for Cooper to show up on December 1st and get our Christmas season in full swing!

Some Trying Times

The past few weekends have consisted of baseball and soccer. Work right now for me is very busy and trying with COVID. This definitely is bringing out the worst in some people and I have been told more than one time by parents just what a 'great' job I am doing. (I hope you are reading nothing but sarcasm in that last sentence because that is EXACTLY how I meant it). Now don't get me wrong, some parents are very grateful for the job I am doing trying to keep our students safe, but others feel I am just sending their kid home just to send them home. They have no clue all the video footage I am watching, measurements I am taking and everything else I am doing so that students CAN stay at school instead of quarantine at home. Not a fun time to be a school nurse . . . So I look forward to the weekends where there is some normalcy and we can have fun watching our boys do what they love.

Last Saturday, after Camden's soccer game, the boys and I were able to go and watch Braden and the Bridgeland Band in a Pre-UIL band competition. Before talking about that, let me just say that during Camden's soccer game, he scored off of a penalty kick, which I of course have no pictures of as I was a bit stressed watching him take the PK. It was an awesome kick and his coach referred to him as Sergio Ramos (a professional soccer player).  Now, back to Braden. . .  with COVID, it is really hard to go and watch him do too many things because our school district only allows a certain amount of people at football games and of course first dibs goes to students and families of the teams playing. I am really proud of Shawn and the band as some band directors did not really put their all into this year because of COVID, but Shawn still set his expectations high for his band and it showed.

Braden's cheering section

Later that evening, Casen lost another tooth. The tooth fairy didn't show up until about 5:00am and Casen heard the tooth fairy open his door. He questioned me about it and I could honestly say I didn't know a thing about it, because it was Shane that had actually gone in there. :) 

I am not going to lie, these past few weeks have been rather trying in our baseball world. We have been with his particular coach since last Fall. He has always been hard on the boys, which we have had no problem with because he was still able to show the boys that he cared. This Fall season has been different and we really don't know why. He has called certain players 'dumb' or 'stupid' to their face and also told them that they are lazy. These boys are 8. I can assure you none of them are dump, stupid or lazy and at this point he is totally killing their self esteem and taking the love of baseball away from some of them. It is really hard to watch. In October after one of our games he was so mad he threw his sunglasses in the dugout and yelled, "I am fuc&$#% tired of this sh@#!" That about did this momma in . . .  He then told the kids not to bring their bat bags to practice that next Tuesday (because they would be running) and if they didn't show up they were kicked off the team. No doubt after that we knew we would be looking elsewhere to continue baseball. As the weeks have progressed, some of the kids are on edge and cry anytime they mess up thinking they are going to get their butts chewed out. I tell you . . . 

So this weekend we had a tournament and in the final game for the championship, we had to play our coach's son's team. Now let me tell you, when we play have scrimmaged that team in the past, our coach acts a fool. It is not pretty. In fact, the last one I intentionally did not go to so that I didn't have to watch how he acted. And, tonight was no different. I don't think our boys could ever beat that team, and not because they are not good enough, but because our coach totally deflates the team morale with his words and actions. Shane finally decided enough was enough and let our coach know we are moving on. As expected, several more also left the team. As it stands now, four of the players on our team will be trying out for a Blacksox team that Shane will be helping coach (because you know he has been looking since things have been going down hill).  The main coach of the team is the coach of our flag football team and his beliefs line up with ours - God, family and then baseball (and of course school goes before baseball as well). We are looking forward to a better season! 

Here are pictures from the tournament, our last time playing for this Premier team, and our second place finish. 

His biggest fan!!

Poor Casen got hit by a pitch and has a bruise to show for it. He has been hit several times, but none have left a bruise like this. The first of many I have no doubt.