Jeff and Mike's pictures from Pebble Beach

Pebble Beach June 2009 Jeff and Mike's Pics

Pebble Beach June 2009

Click on the picture above to see a slideshow of Pebble Beach pictures courtesy of Jeff Houser.

Pebble Beach June 2009

Pat and I were able to watch intermittently when our guys hit the 18th green at Pebble Beach. Here are a few pics I snagged from the webcam. I will post Mike's pictures as soon as they're available. In the above pics all I know for sure is JY is the guy with the white pants.

Looks like the perfect end to what has been described as a perfect day.

It's been a blast

As a parent at Holy Angels, the past 16 years have been spent in a Groundhog’s Day–type of experience, each year yet another opportunity to get it right. Or at least do it better.

 

Many dances and field trips and projects and book reports and class parties and teachers and principals have come and gone.

 

Some things have not changed: no matter how many remodels my house is still too small; my car, no matter how big, is still too small; the drive to Holy Angels still has too many four-way stops and the traffic light in front of the church is the longest ever.

 

On the other hand, my family got bigger and so did the list of friends made. And the world changed; coverage of 9-11 was watched in the teacher’s lounge, we’ve gotten through four presidential elections and babies are now heading off to high school.

 

When my children were younger, there was more than one free dress day that was I was completely uninformed of until we arrived in the parking lot. Lucky for us, our habit of NEVER cleaning out the van had the benefit of providing clothes to put on in the parking lot.

 

I had the honor of watching all of my children participate in many, many class masses. The most famous was in 2000 when my then 7^th grader feinted in a pew, resulting in yet another trip to the emergency room. The important lesson of how to properly stand at attention was learned that day, a skill that has served him well in adulthood.

 

I will never forget the joy of watching Christmas programs that were actually about Christmas, celebrating the birth of Jesus. I thank all the teachers and parents who dedicated themselves to that production each year and for your patience in dealing with Yenny children who unfortunately inherited their singing voice from me.

 

Many teachers have come and gone and I thank every one of them for their dedication and compassion. And I guess I should confess that I never did get your birthdays straight; more than one flower for your birthday bouquet was “borrowed” from the church garden. (And thank you, Father Mike, for providing not only wonderful leadership but also that garden.)

 

Managing the logistics of getting children to school was at times challenging but provided two points of pride: I never got a ticket and I was ALWAYS in a carpool. Cheri Crowder and I must hold the record for longest-running carpool; I thank her and all the parents who carpooled with me, and the many kids who provided not only entertainment but valuable information about what was really going on at school. And their patience at the end of the day while they waited for Mr. Kristoff and me to discuss which ever current event demanded our attention.

 

Regarding the carpool, I’ve always been quick to say that I’m a good Catholic; not a great one and that all the kids in my van are not my own. But I’ve changed my mind: I would be happy to claim each and every one of them as my own.

 

These last years have had the “benefit” of cell phones added to my children’s arsenal of how to communicate with me. I still can’t understand what they’re saying and now I can add the fact that I can’t understand what they’re writing. Someone, anyone … please, write a dictionary defining the language they are using when writing text messages.

 

And to Sam, who always thought he only had to mumble once to convey important information and is extremely impatient at having to repeat himself: I feel your pain. No one in this house is listening to me, either.

 

The school has added a website and a principal’s blog to their arsenal of communication; lucky for me Kathleen and Sharon never stopped answering the school office phone because I never did manage to keep practice times and games and short day dismissals and field trips straight.

 

I hope all you parents have at least one child who participates a talent show. And if you don’t, go anyway. There’s nothing like watching a 6-year old boy impersonating Frank Sinatra, little girls enthusiastically belting out “I feel Like a Woman” or your own child having the courage at an age that you never did.

 

Getting two children (so far) through high school certainly put into perspective the challenges and frustrations of children in grade school: to parents, my own kids and their teachers past and present, I apologize for any over reaction on my part. And to the teachers and principals were in a position to judge various less-than-ideal behaviors on the part of Yenny children, I thank you for NOT over-reacting.

 

We thank everyone at the Holy Angels School and parish who have graciously allowed the Yenny family to be part of your community. We feel truly blessed. It's been a blast.