Welcome Back Robert

Life has taken on a new speed as we wrapped up the second trimester and cruised into the third and final of the 2011-12 academic year. The Chatfield School Open House was very interesting and informative. Ethan is extremely excited to attend and although Ben was resistant initially he has warmed up to the idea. I put both their names in for the lottery that evening, the invitation list will be compiled in April and calls made starting in June and throughout the summer. If they get in they can both play on the middle school soccer team which will save me a lot of running around if we stay in AYSO, time will tell.

Robert returned safely from Germany but since we've both been so busy I haven't even had time to see the pictures he took yet. They visited a cathedral in Cologne and ate very well. He was quite impressed with Schatz AG and learned a lot. The driving there is ridiculous, from what he explained, on the open roads between towns they travel near to 150 mph. Their wasn't much to do around Remseheid where they stayed so it was probably better that I did not accompany him this time plus I ended up being involved in a lot of other things during that week. He is still running on exhaustion and managed to catch a cold so last weekend he spent on the couch trying to recover.

My choir endeavors have been a true delight lately. The last couple weeks we added in the guitar accompanists with the elementary choirs, three electric, one acoustic, all from the Ruth Fox and they are doing amazingly well. The final three songs will be with them and I'm also giving them a feature moment to play a selection on their own between choirs. This week I am also in final rehearsals for the Flint Festival of Choirs featuring LCCC, the Carolyn Mawby Chorale, and the U of M-Flint Chorale & Chamber Singers. Last night we had the first practice with all choirs combined, talk about some energy!! Very exciting. Recognized some faces from when I sang with the Flint Festival Chorus and was
impressed to see one of the grad students who worked with us at that time is now a full professor at U of M, Flint. Our director for LCCC, Garth Starr is a former student of Carolyn Mawby and she was delighted to have him come full circle returning to the Festival as a director in his own right. I just love choir people, such dedication, such fun. Fills my heart with joy.

This is one of the displays in the front of the North Branch Elementary School, too cute for words or what!? Went with Ben's class to see 'The Lorax' today, LOVED the colorful animation. I think they did a good job with it overall, glad I got to go with them. Also saw Ethan's teacher while I was in the building (who happens to be the same teacher Ben had last year). She asked me if I could go on their field trips to TREK and to the Art & History Festival. Checked the dates and both are good. Next week I have a meeting with Pete McCreedy who runs the Willows to discuss helping out during the North Branch field trips and also with planning of Wild Lapeer.

My drama classes are coming together nicely, although we missed class a couple weeks ago due to a power outage in downtown Lapeer. Making it work to my advantage though because our rescheduled class will be on a Thursday night right before our performance Saturday which will act as a regular tech/dress rehearsal. Woot! The older group is working on "While Shakespeare Slept" and the younger class is doing a few different skits because of the variance in reading levels, "Tea Party in Wonderland," "Whoops," "Me & My Shadow" and "Fish School." Alex will be 'subbing' for me this Saturday since I have to be in Grand Blanc to rehearse with the guest conductor for the ONLY time before we perform on Sunday. She is looking forward to putting her director hat on again and working with a motivated group.

My new enterprise, the Academic Enrichment Company is officially up and running with DBA, bank account, PO Box, email, and cell number, last thing will be to create a website and I have a gal that is going to create a logo and some marketing materials for me. There are 16 classes on the schedule for the summer program the last two weeks in June and I have been making wonderful contacts everywhere I go. Tons of class ideas are swimming around in my brain and I can't wait to see how it all comes together.

Report cards are in for the boys and they all did very well except that Ben and Ethan both had a C+ each, Ben's in spelling and Ethan's in science. Won't dwell on that right now, they know what they need to do to ammend that. Fox had all A's except for a B in Geometry. Nice. Track started this week and he was a little sore yesterday but kicked up the supplements and Performance Drink today so he's not feeling quite as fatigued. The Shaklee products are really helping him, much improvement from the start of last season. Expecting the call from Ethan and Ben's soccer coach any day now. Also got Ethan signed up for baseball. The spring sports trifecta is about to begin!

Really enjoying this 70 degree March we're having in Michigan, hope your life is filled with love and light.