Facebook Help or Hindrance inOur Social Lives. . .

A dear friend of mine from high school teaches third grade right here in my backyard.  We had found each other on the almighty Facebook but we had not physically seen each other since high school graduation (I could tell you how long ago that was but I want bore you with dinosaur history)  That is sad. Facebook can connect us to people far and wide but we lose that physical connection to those closest to us.
My very sweet friend reached out via Facebook and asked her friends and family to adopt her third grade class and supply each child with a book and a note of encouragement for that first day of school and prayers throughout the year.   I was thrilled to sign up for that since bringing snacks and surprises for the kids is frowned upon for the Sophomore year of high school.
We decided to schedule a lunch date so that we could catch up and I could bring her some goodies for the class.  It was great to see my friend and find out how she wound up here and to tell her how I wound up here, funny thing was, they were very similar love stories. 
We laughed and cried telling each other our terrific love stories.   We have vowed to keep in touch personally and not just with Facebook.
So back to my title of this post.  Is Facebook a help or a hindrance?  I think it is a hindrance, we like a post and comment here and there and you think you are keeping up with your relationship with that friend.  I think Facebook is driving a wedge between friends and family with all of the political nonsense and all the hate that is publicized that before Facebook we would not have heard about.  I do not delete people for their posts but I might hide a post or two if it is offensive to me.  I have been deleted before and I am not really sure why this person deleted me, I am not political and I do not argue with anyone on Facebook because that is useless.  Arguing with someone on Facebook is like arguing with my Basil, there is no point.
So what do you think about Facebook, help or hindrance? 

Stay tuned, prepping this week for taking Sprat to school. . . .

Lake Pictures . . . More Celebration. . .

Continued from my last post and our Lake celebration of Sprats graduation: 

The hubbs had to get in on the act. 

Big T making a birds nest in his line. . .

Fishing was a little slow but to my crew any day fishing is a good Day!!

Stay tuned more celebratory pics to come. . . 

Random Pictures. . . Lots of Celebration. . . .

They honored our Seniors at Church, we celebrated with the hubbs family, and there are plans to celebrate with my family and to celebrate with friends soon too.  Sprat has been playing HOT Lax these last few weeks and this weekend he played against college teams in a pick up tournament.  He is running daily to get in condition to go to Boston and play. 

Church Recognition 

3 back to back Lax against college teams and a quick lunch at the lake.

Celebratory lunch after Church with milkshakes 

This is my handy work, you cannot tell since my picture is so bad but...

it is a shadow box with Sprats letter and tassel.  Neither of my boys wanted Letter jackets so here is my answer to that.  It really is very neat, I still have to add his pins for Lacrosse from Jr and Sr year and I think he has at least one more star.  The shadow box I found at AC Moore and it has hinges so you can add to it through the years.  You can hang it or you can stand it up on a shelf. 

I am the Slacker Mom. . . But, I do Love my Kids. . .

I am a slacker mom, I have one good picture of Sprat in his cap and gown and not one good one of he and I together.  I must say, I am a little jealous when I see these moms with these great pictures of their boys and their tux at prom and their cap and gown at graduation.  I am just never able to capture those moments, I have other moments but never these perfect moments.
I have this one halfway decent picture of Sprat:

As you can tell, this was a quick snap as he was coming off the stage after receiving his diploma.  He hates having his picture made and that does not help when trying to capture these precious moments. When he was little I could hold him hostage and snap away but, now that he is grown up he is harder to hold on to to grab those special moments.

This is one of my favorites, I love those chubby little cheeks and that smile is contagious.  He has always had such a great smile and was always such a happy little fella. Not many things upset him.

I challenge you to look at these pictures without smiling.  He is just so darn cute!!

So many adventures ahead for this guy, I cannot wait to see what happens.  Stay tuned as Boston is getting closer and closer.  Who knew there was so much paperwork involved in going to College?  I do not remember this much.

College Tours. . .

Went on another college tour yesterday, to my Alma mater.  We have plans to go to the hubbs Alma mater next week and one other school and that is all we have.  Sprat wants to go somewhere small, where he want be in an English class of 300+ students.  He is a lot like his mama, even if he does not want to admit it.  I picked my college because at the time I wanted to go to pharmacy school and I wanted small classes.  Obviously I did not go to pharmacy school but, I did like the small class size and the small campus and I think I am doing ok with my biology degree.  I must admit, I felt proud to be back on campus and I felt proud that my son may attend my college.
It was funny, on the way home Sprat fell asleep and the hubbs and I were talking and the hubbs got a little misty at the thought that our oldest is growing up and will be moving on.  I do not think he has thought about it seriously before yesterday.  It hit him right in the face as we were riding on the golf cart across campus looking at all the buildings, touring the library and the dorm.  Our baby is growing up and will be going off to college in a year.  Oh Boy!!  Did I really just say that?
This was an interesting visit, I do not think I went on a visit before I attended.  I just applied and went, the kids now get to interview prospective colleges to see if that is where they want to go.  I did a drive through on the way to the beach with my parents and said, yeah I think I would like to go here and then applied.  I like the interview process, the college sort of helps the student find them selves and sometimes figure out what they want to major in.  Our interview yesterday may have helped Sprat really decide what he wants to do.  I was very impressed with what they have to offer in the way of helping the student find work after graduation and the opportunities that will be available to him while he is there.  I think this college moved up to number one.
We have two more to do in a week or so and then I think he will be ready to make up his mind.  Oh, and let us not forget the Prom in four more weeks.  Stay tuned.. . .

Looking at Colleges. . .

We went to the parent meeting last week to see what our kids have to do to apply to college.  This was the basic when to start looking and when to take the PSAT, SAT, and the ACT tests.   We got the break down on what test scores they are accepting and how much it costs per year.   It was quite eye opening since this will be my first experience getting one of my own ready to go off to college.   Everything has changed since I graduated, in the dark ages, as my kids would say.
They are encouraging the kids to do everything earlier than when I was gearing up to go.  They also are offering more advanced courses than when I was in school.   I never went on a college tour either. My brother graduated from the Citadel so we visited there for parent weekends and my sister graduated from NC State so we visited there various times of the year.   I knew I did not want to go into the military and NC State was too big for me, so I ended up at Campbell University.    I loved my science classes so I graduated with a BS in biology.  The hubbs also majored in biology and minored in chemistry at Elon.   We both love science and neither of our kids really like science.   Not sure what either of my boys would like to do when they grow up, if they grow up.  I am pretty sure it will not have anything to do with science, unless it is geology. 
I hope they will both find something they can earn money doing that they enjoy.  My dad always says,  if you enjoy what you are doing you will never work a day in your life. 

A Little Something for the Kids

I know today is supposed to be crafty but, this is creative and pretty cool.   I am not sure where  I got this idea, it is not mine but like everything I do I have tweaked it. 
I have started writing notes/letters to my boys.  When I first read about this, they said write a letter every year.  I have been writting more often than that.   I started writing when they did good things, things I was proud of.   I also have been writing to tell them little things about their childhood.   Once I have written I also throw in some money, $10 or $20 and seal the envelope.  Keep them all together and you give them  the envelopes when they graduate high school. 
I thought it was a cool idea because you are giving them  your thoughts about them at particular times in their lives.  It is also nice for them to have a little extra cash maybe for that beach trip after graduation. 
The boys and I had a tiff yesterday and so I wrote about that and told them that I loved them no matter what.  Yes, they will not see these for a couple of years but, I still want them to know that even though I was angry with them that I did and do love them. 
I guess I just want my kids to know that even though I fussed and hollered that I always loved them.   This seems like a pretty neat way to let them  know how important they are.