The Barclay's

This past week has been a week of changes. We started by changing that tire on the van and it has just been all over the charts since then. Monday, Kevin and I, along with our faithful sidekicks Travis and Bryan, drove back down to Huntington to watch another soccer game (I guess I shouldn't say watch another soccer game, since we never quite made it to the game on Saturday. But, I already said it, and it makes far more sense to just keep typing then to erase what is already here...in permanent pixels. Huntington won again, this time on a PK, shot and scored by my darling daughter Samantha L. Barclay. When I saw that coach was having her take the shot, I threw up in my mouth a little. But, I can't recall ever seeing her miss one (although I'm sure she has...maybe not...I guess I can't really recall her ever missing) Anyway, that just seems like excessive bragging but, what the heck...it is my blog...no one is making you read it for goodness sake. So, at any rate, she took the shot and made it. Travis was standing behind the net when she shot. He was very excited. He ran up to us yelling, "she totally sold it, she faked right and went left.".


Here she is with the ref (we labeled the ref a shim because we were just unsure) and then taking the shot.

After the game we went out to dinner at Applebees. I ate something new, which I will not recommend because, while the ravioli itself was scrumptious, it was covered with nasty things like mushrooms, onions and red peppers which made the delectable stuff too hard to get to. I like dinner to be an anerobic event.

Tuesday was the day to start school For my older three (who still live at home...that would be Erin, Abby and Cole...I know, it confuses me sometimes too) that meant getting up at the butt crack of dawn. This is what that looked like...

It's never pretty...But they clean up nice and they are willing to stand in front of the one pathetic little tree in our front yard and let me take their picture.




This is Erin, she's a senior in high school this year, although she wants nothing to do with it. She is completely ready to move on with her life. I think, regardless of her likely protestions (is that a word...it sounds dirty) anyway, I think what she will like most about college is the potential for blocks of time where she can nap. The kid was impossible to get to sleep when she was a toddler but, she is making up for it now.

This is my Abba Do. On the night before the first day of school, at a time nearing midnight, Abby colored her hair. She was going for dark brown and got black. Moments of drama ensued. Who does this? Only Abby, and that is one of the many reasons I love her. So she started her junior year with black hair...moving on.

One of the things I truly love about my first born boy Coley Woley Henry Barclay is he has an awesome "fake smile for photos" you know how I know this? Because you are seeing it in this picture. There was nothing even remotely worth smiling about for him at this particular moment...except of course because his mom asked him to. I find that endearing. His actual comment this morning of his first day of high school was, "Everybody always looks happy in their first day of school pictures because their moms actually get up with them before school". There are several things about this statement that need to be addressed 1: It is touching, but a little sad, 2: I hope he never realizes that most mothers actually do get up with their children. and 3: I can't remember a third thing but it would have looked odd with only two things.
More irony as I ask them to kiss their baby brother. Abby, who often is in a "hate-hate" relationship with Cole, goes for actual contact. While Erin, who seems to be Cole's hand's down favorite most of the time, goes for the European "air kiss". Life is unpredictable at best!

So, about two hours after the ridiculously early photo shoot for my high schoolers, my homeschool "geeks" are up and in action. This picture pretty much sums up the essence of our homeschool environment. Learn by living with a little bit of book work thrown in. In the above picture they are working on their...aw heck...even I can't make something out of this. They were just having fun! And why not?...they are LITTLE BOYS they were built for fun:-)

Later in the day we went on a "field trip" to Lansing with the Chili's. After a stops at the Christian Book Store, Hobby Lobby and Coldstone Creamery we headed to Preuss Pets where I saw a rat sleeping like this...

I can completely empathize with this little dude. (or dudette...I did not ask).



While this might seem like it's not a very good picture I thought it was worth posting. You see, this is a tarantula and, according to Urban Legend (the girl at Quizno's told me...she had piercings in unusual places so I consider her urban), it is the size of Travis' head. So anyway, the equally pierced employee of Preuss Pets allowed me to take pictures of this allegedly "head- sized" tarantula but the camera would only focus on the dirt scattered on the surface of the cage. Does anyone see the life metaphor here? How often do we focus on the dirty exterior and never take the time to get to see the beauty inside. Of course, sometimes the "beauty" ends up being a big nasty spider...but it's always worth the chance. Because, you see, we also learned more facts about tarantulas that day. The pierced employee, whom I shall from here on out call Pierce, (although he had a name tag on and his name was Michael. I think Pierce is more fun for this story.) Anyway, Pierce told us that tarantulas are not spiders, they are arachnids (I thought that was the same thing but, what do I know). He also told us that they weren't poisonous and to prove it he held one (not the head sized one) and let it crawl all over him. You might be saying to yourself, "but clearly he isn't afraid of extra holes in his body." But I think if it were a venemous hole he would be concerned. Travis asked Pierce why everyone thought tarantulas were so dangereous and Pierce's reply was "because Hollywood sucks". I think this is also a life lesson that everyone needs to learn. So day one of homeschooling produced at least three great life lessons. Don't focus on the exterior, Tarantulas are not poisonous (the jury is still out on this one) and Hollywood Sucks.

Onward... Wednesday included another trip to Huntington with my "little guys" to watch big sis play soccer. It was a beautiful day for soccer and a great game. Samantha scored another goal...although clearly that is not what she is doing in this picture as in this one she is kicking it right at the keeper. I have told her not to do that. Soccer is such an easy sport from the sidelines. I put the other picture of her in there because I just think that is darned impressive.

Feel free to be amazed by her. I am!

Thursday night was JV football at WHS. While Cole is not a huge fan of football practice he does come alive a bit for games. In this particular game he got a solo tackle. Unfortunately, he did not get credit for a solo tackle by the announcer. But I caught in on "film" (in pixels?) for all the world (or just the five readers of my blog) to see.

Cole is the tough looking guy staring the runner down, then he raps him up while that other guy taps on his helmet to tell him, "good job buddy, you go" (at least this is how I imagine it going down) and then, in his delight and enthusiasm he bear hugs Cole! YEAH FOOTBALL! Not sure what the two guys on the ground are doing but, if I were their mothers' I would be embarrassed for them:-) (I'm joking in case those mothers read this..all in fun you know...if you can't take the joke then stay out of the blog).

Another Western JV victory and the team sings the fight song in the end zone. Cole says he sings...I'd like to hear that:-)
Just bringing this little guy back in the picture to sum up the week...sweet dreams and blessing,
JAB