Tuesday--I Think

Today's high temperature was:  82

Muggy

A small shower this evening

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Bella--I have a bone to pick with you (that's a weird saying, isn't it?)--anyway, I started reading "The Age of Miracles" last evening.  You are right.  2:00 a.m. and I finally made myself put it down and go to bed.  WOW!!  It is a fascinating read!!
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Last Friday was Maddie's last day of school.  Most of the Seniors last day of school--if they had a certain GPA, they didn't have to take final exams.

This is a picture of the Maddie plays in--the Wind Ensemble.  The band director is going to lose her entire Horn section.

Matt is laying down and lookie who is sitting right beside him.  Apparently they are still liking each other. :-)

Sadly, I did not get to the Memorial Day parade uptown.  I would have had to park and walk

at least five blocks and there is no way I could.

            but pictures were posted on Face Book.

There's Maddie--down at the end

Matt, bringing the band to Attention!

...and you want to know how seriously

he takes his Drum Major job?

It is up to him to control all

250 kids in the marching band. 

He never smiles when he is on duty.

Oh--I love this boy!!!

It is a strange pose,

Maddie, stretching for ballet practice.

Her last ballet recital is this Saturday.

I think she might have long legs like Gramma?

...and this is Pure Michigan!

Lake Superior, still filled with ice, while people sun bathe on the beach.

Ah-hh, da Yoopers are weird!

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<if you have been reading my blog for awhile, you know.  

There is no need to use names here>

They have left their church.  Apparently the head minister has been involved in something suspicious, or corrupt or.......

They have also found that the church school was using an old way of testing the children, (Iowa testing) so their grades and GPA's were inflated.  Many teacher's left and now a lot of classes are taught by mother's.  Many families have pulled their children from the school and have also left the church.

The influential families that were paying for the schooling, the wealthy families are leaving in droves, so....the future doesn't look good.

To me this is a real tragedy.  To realize after all this time that you thought your child was getting a superior education only to find out, they are far behind other children their age.  How are they ever to catch up in public school.  

The kids are thrilled to be going to public school this next fall.  Their classes, especially this last year, have been chaotic to say the least.  There has been a large influx of troubled children enrolled.  Children that other schools had refused to take because they needed a different, special atmosphere--for the Autistic, or the developmentally challenged, or emotionally troubled.  

There has been much sadness and shocking news to the family that had embedded themselves and their money and time in the church and school.  As the Mother said, "We have been drinking the Kool-Aid for five years and now we find...it was poisoned all along."

For the fifth time in 14 years, the parents had thought to move and the father to go to work for his father.  The Grandfather is very wealthy.  He has many offices and he has wanted his son to take over the business, but...he won't release his hold. He won't allow his son to come in with new ways of treatment.  Ways that are more modern and have proved to be better.  He still wants control.

Each time, the son has realized this and in the end, decided to stay where he was.  The Grandfather took the son and two of his children on spring vacation to Aruba, where he had long talks with the son.  Promising the son many things.  The son thought, perhaps this time, his father was ready.  He and the Mother thought to move.

Two weeks ago, the Grandfather has started reneging on his promises.  Salary pay was lowered.  Control was back in his favor, so the Father and Mother decided to keep their family here.  With their eldest son starting high school next fall, they wanted to be in a permanent location so as not to disturb the children during their school years.  So here they will stay.

Because the children will be going to public school, the Mother may not have to work such long hours to pay for tuition at a private school--this is a good thing!!

The Mother and her older sister had a long talk last week.  They were in the home alone, so they had a lot of time to talk uninterrupted.

The older sister mentioned, "This minister that you now find out is mentally unstable, is the same one that told you not to forgive your Mom.  That "honor thy Mother," did not come into play." 

The Mother, nodded her head and said, "It probably would be a good idea if I made up with Mom."

The sister agreed.