What a difference a week makes or an hour. We are just home from the long weekend in Indianapolis. Baby traveled well, we were safe, Aliza did not move on from Semi-finals and we learned a lot! As in saturated brains, and fried bodies. The time differences really make a difference when baby doesn't adjust much. I did a lot of sitting in hotel room alone and watching Aliza and Greg sleep.
Before we left the thoughtful girl that asked John to prom also made a sign for Aliza. What a happy surprise it was.
We flew out bright and early Friday morning. The Indianapolis airport is rather large. We spent a lot of time there.
One of Greg and I's favorite things is to learn about other people. I joked when we got home we really don't talk to each other much instead preferring to learn about other's lives and histories. We had plenty of opportunities for that this weekend. Here we are waiting for the bus and interviewing a legion lady.
Andrea loved being an only child. The constant holding and attention were perfect for her. We got many comments that she never made a sound. She didn't have time too all my focus for physical care was on her. Being home and being divided again she is not a happy camper.
The other parts of the country we saw were so flat. We sure missed the comforting safety of the ever present mountains in the west.
This is a deceptive picture of her laying down. Her legs are not that chunky but she is growing. She moved out of 0-3 mos clothes for the trip. She is too long. Her new 3-6 mos clothes were cute.
The speaking room. The night before during the run through the moms replaced the carpet. The hotel is apparently under renovation but supplies have not arrived and thus the rooms were torn apart and unfinished. The moms fixed this room to make it look nice and to muffle sound. This is the contestant returning to the room after they had all spoken. I was so confident at this moment that Aliza was going on. I had her and the girl in front in purple as going on. For style and content they were the best in my mind.
Meeting the contestants and their families was an unexpected delight. These are smart kids who are going places. I was impressed with the diversity and yet commonalities we share. We were the only blue collar workers we met there. People were of course shocked at how many children we have. Overall we share love for God, country, and family. Most kids are in private, charter, or homeschool. There were only about 5 out of 48 in public school. One kid even came from France as there are many post's in Europe. The contestant from Hawaii is stationed there her father is a professor at University of Pittsburg and commutes 2x a month.
It was fascinating to hear the speeches and arguments made about the amendments. Many of the kids are also debaters and it shows. We were delighted to meet our people in the contestant from New Mexico. She shows pigs and is in FFA. In fact both her parents were advisors her school is small as is her town. We visited with them again and again. Another couple from New Jersey were also favorites they were so sweet, they came from Haiti. The family from Colorado and Indiana were homeschoolers and so delightful. A interesting Indian man from Wisconsin shared his life story and thereafter always gave us a smile and wave when we passed in the halls or airport.
After sticker shock in the airport over $16.00 for a sandwich, and the reality of not enough workers causing dinner to be a real question. My dad suggested peanut butter and bread via text. Greg talked with the front desk and the shuttle driver took him to a local grocery store. He stocked up on fruit, some frozen dinners, muffins, cold cereal and milk. We were set for the weekend. He spent 50 on 3 meals and we spent the same on delivered pizza for dinner that night.
After Aliza missed going on to the next 2nd round she took a nap and we went via Uber to the speedway. I was impressed with how massive the complex is.
We enjoyed the museum and thought we would be on our way to the next. However without a carseat the next two Uber drivers refused to transport us. I was getting panicked when we tried a taxi. The driver had no problem with our patronage. I went to the hotel, Aliza was woke up and she and Greg went to the war museum.
Most of my time was this view if we were out and about me far behind and them striding ahead.
After it was all said and done a final picture on the stage. Defeat is really hard, especially when you have been prepped and praised all along. There is nothing wrong with that it is important to personal growth as well, but learning to loose is really hard. She is processing through it being back with siblings, and today at school with friends will heal what couldn't with just worried and frustrated mom and dad. It's a real shock for any of us to shrink down to micro family from the huge hustle and bustle that is our norm. There is a lot of soothing just in the bump and bumble of lots being together.
We asked questions, we observed, we talked and we thought about what we observed. There is room to improve. The door is open for our other children if they are willing to learn, listen, and work in a different way than they have in the past. Namely preparation. Aliza wrote her speeches on Monday and gave them Thursday. Granted she had read for years prior and studied the amendment questions in the next week but the whole process for her was in about 3 weeks or writing and memorizing. She polished and solidified her memorizations in the next 3-6 weeks.
Other contestants talked about working on the speech in the summer, and fall. Months of thinking, re-writing, studying would make a difference. I'm committed to getting this and FFA speeches started and on paper by fall. There is a difference in taking time to think and process. As I edit papers with Addie the more times we think and go through the better the paper becomes.
A sample of the many contestants and their parents.
In the vein of preparation, Aliza is unique in her ability to develop herself without years of coaching, classes that supported, and a general culture of academic rigor. There is a difference between country kids and city in what they are expected and offered in their respective classrooms. People are not en masse going to and graduating from college and of higher degrees. There are few if any lawyers, doctors both medical and academic, and or scientists coming from our town. The higher education careers are rarely if ever dreamed or worked for. I'm changing my kid counseling to suggesting these things. Learning is definitely possible with work and effort. I'm also pushing more information based literature.
Farming is not a dumb fall back, I've been shocked at all the chemistry and biology let alone meteorology and faith that go into farming. There is a lot of sweat work but so many decisions are based on high technology offerings in seed, fertilizers, genetics, and then the farming implements are a bundle of high technology mechanics.
People were instantly starry eyed when we shared that we farm. "Oh I'd love to live on a farm. It's such a great place for kids." I responded bluntly it's a lot of work!
We did not forget the baby and made sure to pack her up as well as all the other necessities we had brought.
It's hard not to go Tiger mom demanding more excellence, more rigor, and more effort. I'm always met with stiff resistance when we get too many expectations. Agency is a real thing, not sure how that practice works maybe only one kid so not so outnumbered? Trying to find the small things we could improve on to do or become better? Trying to harness the whole team, or even one? Reconciling our realities- farm, mechanic life with what I would hope. Seeing pictures of home were so heart warming as we sat and observed humanity in the airport waiting for hours for a flight plan to open up all I wanted was home.
Being home and dealing with all the expectations, messes, work, being behind and lots of people making choices away sounds pretty nice. Mostly just some sleep to not be so overwhelmed is the best answer life is always better when I'm not so tired.
Right after this picture of Greg and I was taken, Andrea covered me in throw up! The plane was about to pre-board which works so much nicer with her, so I hurried to the bathroom new shirt from Aliza in hand. We had to spend an extra night in Indianapolis due to cancelled flights and all of us were tired and lacking clean clothes. I found the bathroom and changed Andrea. Then I realized I too needed to change and didn't want to take my shirt off in a crowded bathroom. I asked a mom with a baby to watch her while I slipped into a stall. Quickly I changed shirts and rushed out to gather Andrea along with a thank you to the helper lady. Thankfully we were quick enough and got our pre-board opportunity.
We learned and enjoyed the people from the drivers to the people we shared benches with to the people we ate dinner with. All have stories that are fascinating our world is so transitory these days people really move around and for so many traveling is just the way their weeks roll. I'm thankful to be more like a tree rooted to one spot. I'm thankful for the time to learn and observe and to support Aliza. I worked to be supportive, encouraging, loving, and patient. We are blessed and I'm so thankful for such a stubborn and supportive husband who is the beginning and finishing touch of much of the success at our house. It's always good to spend time with him. Life is good.
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