Virtual Vlasaty

It is hard to believe Connor is already 15 years old.  Along with that comes the privilege of getting a permit and driving.  Connor took and passed his permit test on Monday, March 21.  He isn't as excited to drive as many teenagers are.  He is cautious and very aware that driving isn't a game and has consequences if it isn't taken seriously.  He has gotten some time behind the wheel driving in the neighborhood and non-high traffic roads.  He does a good job.  He has also gotten more confident each time.  At first he was quite nervous.  The adventure begins.

Cody is in his last year of elementary school.  It is also that time of year when the 5th graders will learn about family life and human sexuality.  Oh boy.  I had to sign the permission slip yesterday for Cody to return indicating that we are of aware of the information that he will be learning about.  As parents, we are encouraged to have open communication with them regarding this if they happen to have any questions or concerns.  I asked Cody if he had anything he wanted to ask, and he quickly responded "No!"  I said, "that's okay, you can always talk to your dad about it too" to which he replied, "yes, man to man."  I said yes, like that.  He cracks me up!  

Both boys are now finished with the "regular" hockey season.  They both had successful seasons, and each had new players on their teams. For Connor, a lot of the players he knew or had played with before.  It was his last year of youth hockey and next year he will play as a John Marshall Rocket. For Cody, most of his teammates were people he didn't know.  It was also the first year he was one of two goalies.  He and his goalie partner are great friends and are two peas in a pod.  We couldn't ask for a better teammate and friend.  He had a very busy season and traveled a lot.  It was a great experience. Of course our hockey season really never comes to an end.  Connor will be playing with the Jr. Hawks this spring/summer and Cody will be with the Med City X-rays.  Good thing we like hockey!

Cody's 5th grade class had the opportunity to take a trip to Eagle Bluff February 29-March 2, 2016.  It was the first time that Gibbs Elementary has offered this kind of opportunity for 5th graders.  The trip gave the students an opportunity to work together and learn some life lessons along the way. I decided that it would be a good experience for me to be a chaperon on the trip.  The trip was filled with activities from breakfast time to "lights out" at 10 pm.  Needless to say, the trip was exhausting, but I also learned a lot.  It was fun to see the students do things that were at times out of their comfort zone.  I also learned that it can be challenging to work with so many different kids who have different personalities and attitudes.  God Bless teachers! I am glad that was there to witness my son's experience and am proud at what he accomplished on the trip including a high ropes course that ended in a zip line.  Way to go Cody!

You would think that our home was filled with plenty of animals with two dogs and two guinea pigs, but there was something still missing from our family...a cat.  One of Travis's coworkers had a cat that took residence in their garage last winter.  They already had a cat and a dog and thought they would like to find a nice home for the cat. That is where we come in.  I had been looking at possibly adopting a cat, but since this cat showed up and was free, we thought we would give cat ownership a try.  We are glad that we did.  After we brought Ellie home, she was a bit unsure about our dogs.  The dogs were good and didn't chase her, but every time they got near her she hissed at them.  After she figured out that they weren't going to hurt, she was feeling comfortable enough to come out more and not hide. Now, she loves to play with Shadow at times and rubs up against both of them trying to get their attention.  She is a good addition to our family.

It is my goal to start this blog again.  It is hard to believe that it has been so long since my last post.  I now have a 5th grader and a freshman in high school.  I am sad about the things I have missed blogging about along the way, but excited to start again to track their accomplishments and also track us as a family.  There are so many things going on with my boys and I want to remember each and every thing they do because time goes too fast. Connor is currently in driver's ed classes and will turn 15 in two weeks.  Both Cody and Connor are still playing hockey and are doing well.  Connor has finished his youth hockey career and will play high school hockey next year.  Cody is playing at the highest level in his age group and is having a great time playing goalie.  I am so proud of both of them.  I will post some photos in future blog posts.