BRAGADOCIOUS MOM

Jeff gave me a great new camera for my birthday. I did manage to take it on my trip to Hawaii and look at the instructions a bit on the short 8 hour flight over the ocean and back. I used it a bit...I think it's good. But then I got my first real chances to use it at Tyler and Chase's school functions and of course where did it sit, safely at home in the drawer. That is usually where it remains during any event that is truly scrapbook or memory worthy.

That being said...I need to brag a bit on my boys. I don't have pictures to prove it all but I promise it's a true!

First off Tyler! At the end of last year he insisted he wanted to sign up for band. I did my best to discourage him and talk him out of it like any horrible mother would do. But to no avail. He signed up to play the clarinet. Well when we went to the Christmas concert I was dreading the horrid sound that I had heard from most other middle school bands in my life. But to my surprise they were actually pretty good, Jeff and I were actually a bit taken back. Then right after Christmas Tyler tells us he made first chair and has preceded through out the end of the year to keep taking first chair every time there is a test. So we go to the spring concert a week ago and all of a sudden they are giving a couple awards out and Tyler is given the "OUTSTANDING WOODWIND FOR 2008" award. We were completely in shock. First of all that he actually ever practiced all year long and secondly that he is actually liking it and enjoying it. We may have a band geek in high school. But for those of you who are reading this in any other state besides Texas, band is a serious sport in this state! You know it does go hand in hand with football so they take it pretty serious. They even have "two a day" practices in the summer like the football players. Anyway, way to go Ty, we are very proud of you!

Now on to Chase. You all know he is into tennis in a big way. He plays probably on average during the school year a good 15 hours a week. He tried out for the Varsity team as a freshman this year and barely made it at the number 12 spot. There are a lot of really good kids on his team (they went to state this year). Well in the fall he preceded to "challenge" 7 players in front of him and by the season in the winter he was playing the 5Th spot in his team. So when we went to the awards ceremony last night he was awarded the "MOST IMPROVED WAKELAND BOYS PLAYER" 2008. He also as a side note was awarded by the district "NEW COMER OF THE YEAR" and also took 2ND in the district, 4Th in the region and had a really great year as a freshman! We are really proud of you Chase.

Now the sad thing is, because I do not have a great picture of either of these events, my boys are now under pressure to achieve greatness again next year so that maybe their mother will remember the camera. So get working on it already boys!