News From the North
Snow, snow and more snow! Please stop the snow. More importantly – let’s start having some warm weather. Even the 40’s would be a good start. Is it just me, or has this winter lasted a long time? And this is Minnesota, so we really aren’t in the clear until May. It gets really discouraging when family from Ohio start talking about the tulips and daffodils beginning to bloom, and I have to say to them, “Please speak up. The snow plow outside is making it hard for me to hear you.”
I shouldn’t complain – the snow is beautiful. Our home is surrounded by big pine trees, and it is awesome to look out the window (from inside our warm home) and see the trees full of snow.
Basketball is winding down. Luke and Bella are done. Jake begins the sectional tournament on Thursday. The team is seated first in the sub-sections. Although it will require solid play, the team really stands a good chance of getting to the state tourney. That would be awesome, and a first for the school (in basketball).
Now don’t be mistaken. The end of the basketball season just means the beginning of the AAU basketball season. Isabella will be playing on the MN Charity Warriors Elite 8th grade team. It is a competitive program that competes in tournaments across the Twin Cities, as well as a few out-of-state tournaments. Jake will be playing for the MN Comets 16U Elite team. They compete in 10 tournaments through-out Minnesota, as well as out-of-state tournaments (including Las Vegas). This team is a “by-invite” only team. They saw Jake play in a varsity game. He was approached by three other AAU teams, but the Comets program seems to be the most competitive and well-coached of the four. Both Bella and Jake are excited about playing on these teams. They love basketball!
Luke who is in 2nd grade has been having some discipline issues at school. When this happens, we receive a slip from the school explaining the behavior problem – we are required to sign and acknowledge that we are aware of the offense. So far Luke has received three of these slips, plus a call from the principal, which ended up as a half day of in-school suspension. Now don’t get me wrong, Luke is an ornery boy and he gets in his fair share of trouble at home. We had great angst when Luke started first grade, fearing that his inability to sit still, and his aggressive (sometimes border-line violent) behavior was going to be a problem. In first grade – no issues – perfect student! Well this year here’s what he has done: 1) scraped some decorative “snow” off a door, 2) erased a girl’s name on her name card, 3) “bullied” a boy by calling him by his middle name (Mark), 4) grabbed a boy around the neck - which the school later confirmed Luke’s story that he was just fooling around with a friend. First let me say that the school Luke attends is great. The teachers are passionate and creative. When you walk into the school all the kids are well-behaved and respectful. It is great learning environment. I am supportive of the school, and Luke was grounded at home in addition to the in-school suspension … but don’t some of these offenses seem a bit petty? I guess you have to keep order, but when I was in school the teacher would just have scolded the kid and moved on. Times have changed.
I am excited about NCAA basketball this year. The Ohio State University is #1!!!! As a Buckeye fan, success in basketball has been sparse. In the history of Ohio State basketball they have only won one national championship, and that was in 1959/60. Fred Taylor coached Bobby Knight, Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek. On three other occasions the Buckeyes finished as the Runner-up (two of those were the Knight, Lucas, Havlicek team – 1960/61 and 1961/62). In the last few years we TOSU fans have had some hope that we can be more than just a football powerhouse. The Wall Street Journal ran an article in which it said, ”The Ohio State Buckeyes, who took over the No. 1 ranking in both polls this week, loom as college basketball's next potential power program.” I can only hope! What a recent run with Greg Oden & Mike Connelly (06/07 – NCAA Runner-up), Evan Turner (09/10 – Sweet 16), Jared Sullinger (10/11 – currently ranked #1). Go Buckeyes! … in the Big Ten Tourney which starts on Thursday, and then on to the Big Dance!
Lisa called me today to tell me that Eli just told her that his throat hurt. She asked why, and he told her it was because he swallowed a rock. She asked him how big the rock was and he held his hands as far apart as they could go and said, “This big!” ... That’s gonna hurt coming out!
Love,
JR
PS – Sorry about the Ohio State rant – I know most no one cares – but I couldn’t help myself.
Snow, snow and more snow! Please stop the snow. More importantly – let’s start having some warm weather. Even the 40’s would be a good start. Is it just me, or has this winter lasted a long time? And this is Minnesota, so we really aren’t in the clear until May. It gets really discouraging when family from Ohio start talking about the tulips and daffodils beginning to bloom, and I have to say to them, “Please speak up. The snow plow outside is making it hard for me to hear you.”
I shouldn’t complain – the snow is beautiful. Our home is surrounded by big pine trees, and it is awesome to look out the window (from inside our warm home) and see the trees full of snow.
Basketball is winding down. Luke and Bella are done. Jake begins the sectional tournament on Thursday. The team is seated first in the sub-sections. Although it will require solid play, the team really stands a good chance of getting to the state tourney. That would be awesome, and a first for the school (in basketball).
Now don’t be mistaken. The end of the basketball season just means the beginning of the AAU basketball season. Isabella will be playing on the MN Charity Warriors Elite 8th grade team. It is a competitive program that competes in tournaments across the Twin Cities, as well as a few out-of-state tournaments. Jake will be playing for the MN Comets 16U Elite team. They compete in 10 tournaments through-out Minnesota, as well as out-of-state tournaments (including Las Vegas). This team is a “by-invite” only team. They saw Jake play in a varsity game. He was approached by three other AAU teams, but the Comets program seems to be the most competitive and well-coached of the four. Both Bella and Jake are excited about playing on these teams. They love basketball!
Luke who is in 2nd grade has been having some discipline issues at school. When this happens, we receive a slip from the school explaining the behavior problem – we are required to sign and acknowledge that we are aware of the offense. So far Luke has received three of these slips, plus a call from the principal, which ended up as a half day of in-school suspension. Now don’t get me wrong, Luke is an ornery boy and he gets in his fair share of trouble at home. We had great angst when Luke started first grade, fearing that his inability to sit still, and his aggressive (sometimes border-line violent) behavior was going to be a problem. In first grade – no issues – perfect student! Well this year here’s what he has done: 1) scraped some decorative “snow” off a door, 2) erased a girl’s name on her name card, 3) “bullied” a boy by calling him by his middle name (Mark), 4) grabbed a boy around the neck - which the school later confirmed Luke’s story that he was just fooling around with a friend. First let me say that the school Luke attends is great. The teachers are passionate and creative. When you walk into the school all the kids are well-behaved and respectful. It is great learning environment. I am supportive of the school, and Luke was grounded at home in addition to the in-school suspension … but don’t some of these offenses seem a bit petty? I guess you have to keep order, but when I was in school the teacher would just have scolded the kid and moved on. Times have changed.
I am excited about NCAA basketball this year. The Ohio State University is #1!!!! As a Buckeye fan, success in basketball has been sparse. In the history of Ohio State basketball they have only won one national championship, and that was in 1959/60. Fred Taylor coached Bobby Knight, Jerry Lucas and John Havlicek. On three other occasions the Buckeyes finished as the Runner-up (two of those were the Knight, Lucas, Havlicek team – 1960/61 and 1961/62). In the last few years we TOSU fans have had some hope that we can be more than just a football powerhouse. The Wall Street Journal ran an article in which it said, ”The Ohio State Buckeyes, who took over the No. 1 ranking in both polls this week, loom as college basketball's next potential power program.” I can only hope! What a recent run with Greg Oden & Mike Connelly (06/07 – NCAA Runner-up), Evan Turner (09/10 – Sweet 16), Jared Sullinger (10/11 – currently ranked #1). Go Buckeyes! … in the Big Ten Tourney which starts on Thursday, and then on to the Big Dance!
Lisa called me today to tell me that Eli just told her that his throat hurt. She asked why, and he told her it was because he swallowed a rock. She asked him how big the rock was and he held his hands as far apart as they could go and said, “This big!” ... That’s gonna hurt coming out!
Love,
JR
PS – Sorry about the Ohio State rant – I know most no one cares – but I couldn’t help myself.