Trying to Keep Up

The year is already flying by. Jamie had been out for Christmas and the New Year. He's now taking some classes in Oakland and finding an academic/career path for himself. With Martha's help, Christopher landed an apprenticeship with a HVAC company and he's doing marvelously well at it. He gets up early every morning and is out the door by six thirty. If he keeps it up he'll rise in the ranks, make some very respectable bucks and have a solid road ahead of him. It was because of this new job that we had to leave Chris behind when Martha, Patrick, Nate and I went to Park City, Utah at the end of February.

It was our first trip west to ski and despite the warmer than usual weather, we had a wonderful time. Patrick has already been the lead in a school play - The Crane Wife - as a lead character. He's also done his first Shakespeare; A Midsummer Night's Dream - and is now in the high school musical, Legally Blonde. He just did an interesting p.r. stunt at Dulles Town Center to build attention to it. He continues to advance on the piano and has now gone through two more teachers trying to find the right direction. Nathan went through a season of basketball - house league - and they won the 'championship' though it was colored by a ball hogging player who was the coach's son. He's since started ice hockey where he's struggling. He's never done it before. It's cost us some big bucks, so he better stick with it. He's also doing lacrosse and is part of a team with all his buddies. He's also been invited by his music teacher to become part of The Immortals - the premier band in the school. He's torn because it would take a lot of time and compromise his sports. It's his decision, but we've been trying to point out that in high school his sports opportunities will be more limited. So maybe becoming a better drummer is something he can aspire to. Marth is now in Florida with her mom and the boys and I are being decadent for a few days.