New Year and Life Happenings

So the big hit in the Wiley household is a computer game called Spore. For those who are not into computers or computer games you can go to Spores website here to learn more if you want. This is a mixture of a few different types of games that the guys love all put into one. We got the fancy space one so you can start out as an amoeba and evolve to the point where space travel is possible. It really is quite a fun and funny game - though not one that will be sucking my life or brain cells away any time soon. This is yet another game of multi-tasking, which I can't stand! I guess I do enough multi-tasking in my work life, and home life, that escaping into a multi-tasking game just isn't for me. But the guys all seem to be enjoying it so I think it was the number 1 gift from Christmas!

Alex is Mr. Socialite. We had a goodbye party for one of his classmates who was only in the class for a few months and is now returning to Austria. That was a couple days before Christmas. Then they had another goodbye party for her because two of the classmates were not here when we had our party. Then it was ice skating with K.T. for 3 hours (my ankles shudder in fear of that thought).

Then New Year's Eve both Alex and Jared went to a party to ring in the new year's with some of their classmates and friends - it was a party for families so we were invited as well. But, because our boys have to hang out with us so much of their lives - at school and when we are running and chaperoning the dances - we felt it was best to give them some social space.

So resolutions are always a big thing for New Years for a lot of people. I used to be one of those people but over the years have realized that a lot of the resolutions were to lofty or maybe I just did too many? Then I would be disappointed in myself when I didn't do them all or keep them. This time around I think instead of hitting myself with a lot of resolutions all at once I will just work on one thing at a time - baby step resolutions - to help myself grow and change. I'll let you know how that goes.

My first baby step is to try some volunteering OUTSIDE of our school. Because animals have been a long time passion of mine that is where I'm going to start. The Orange County Animal Shelter is near the school and because basketball is keeping me at school late every night I figured I could be using my time more wisely. Alex says he is interested in doing that as well so we are going to put in our applications and hopefully go to their next training session and go from there.

Only 3 more days and then it's back to the rat race. This has been the first time in 7 years that I have been able to spend the whole holiday vacation with my family and it has been the best! No having to take vacation time to do so or, worse, having to work while they are all home relaxing. I could get used to this! :)

Happy New Years to everyone. More to come later.

Some Fun Christmas Photos

Enjoy!

Merry Christmas to All!

So here it is, Christmas Eve. We have watched "It's A Wonderful Life" and are currently watching "A Christmas Story", which the guys are currently laughing it up, with the pink bunny outfit. If you haven't seen this movie then you have no idea what I am talking about - but it's quite funny!

To everyone who is even reading this tonight. Merry Christmas. We just finished up sugar cookies and icing (thank goodness the boys have much more patience than I ever did, even as a child). Wishing I had some of Grandpa's fudge at this very moment.

We will be having a Mexican Christmas tomorrow - food wise that is. Homemade tortillas, homemade enchiladas, homemade salsa... yum!

"Every time a bell rings an angel gets his wings!"

Love all of you!

Proud Mom

For those parents out there that have teenagers - for as much as you want them to talk to you, and tell you everything - there is somewhere deep down inside, that maybe you really don't want to know, just a smidge of you thinks that, at some point. That some how being oblivious is almost comforting?? Come on... admit it!

Well, there is nothing scarier than your 16 year old son saying the following words, "Mom...Dad...can I talk to you?" with all seriousness in his voice.

But, before anyone gets worried, like we did - there is NOTHING to worry about. Alex is just fine and this had nothing to do with him directly. Just want to get those fears out of your head now so that you aren't skipping to the end of my writing to find out. :)

Me, on the other hand... my heart sank into my stomach and all I could do was repeat in my head, "Whatever it is we'll figure it out. We'll get through it. Don't get angry."

He tells us that his girlfriend has been receiving some text messages from a 15 or 16 year old boy (who is NOT a part of our school ) saying that he had nothing to live for if he couldn't have her and that he was going to kill himself - and then sent an actual image on her phone with his hand holding shotgun bullets. *sigh*

This was last Sunday evening. Shannon and I stood there thinking while Alex continues, "This boy needs help and I want to help him." He also says he's worried for his girlfriends safety, that if the boy is willing to hurt himself who's to say he won't hurt her. Even though he's made no mention of actually hurting her.

This is serious. Not what I expected and not something that either of us are capable of dealing with ourselves. Then a light bulb comes on... we hired a new admissions director at our school, Mary, and I remember on her resume that she did a lot of volunteer work with suicide hot lines!

So we decide to call Mary and see if we can meet with her Monday morning before school starts to figure out what we can do to help this young man. I'm not going to use the boys real name, as it is not important to the story, but I'll call him T.J. so that I don't confuse the "he's and him's" in my writing.

I made it clear to Alex that Mary has a lot of experience in this and that she'll help us figure this out and we will do our best to help T.J. So he was able to relax a little and go about his evening business.

On Monday Alex and I met with Mary in her office and Alex told her what he knew and all his concerns. Mary said the first thing we needed to do was see if we could get his last name. So Alex was going to ask his girlfriend later that morning at school to see if she knew and I was going to go up to the high school at lunch to get it and see if I could find him online.

So at lunch time I went up and Alex got T.J.'s last name and which local public high school he went too. Luckily it wasn't a common name like Smith or Jones - so I got hopeful. I went back down to my office and start googling him.

He popped up as a student at the high school I was told so I decided to do a white pages look up of the last name in the town Chapel Hill to see how many adults I could find. Luckily I only found one set! But there was still no way to be sure that these were T.J.'s parents. So I googled the dad's name, but didn't get any good hits. Then I tried mom and the 2nd hit down was an obituary. I went to it and read all the living relatives - the mom and dad were listed and then, T.J. was listed as a grandchild. Score! I was 100% sure that these were T.J.'s parents.

So I wrote down their names and phone number and I also wrote down the main phone number to the high school not knowing what Mary would want to do. Mary returned from a tour and saw my notes and phone numbers. I quickly went through the process of why I was sure these were T.J.'s parents and then she closed her door to make some phone calls.

Some time later she had me come into her office and said that she first tried the school, but had to leave a message and that just didn't sit well with her since T.J. took an actual photo of him holding onto bullets that he was more serious than if they had just been thoughts. So Mary decided to call the home phone number I found and a man answered. She asked for the mom but she wasn't there so Mary asked if he was "Tom" (the father tho not his real name). He confirmed that he was so and that he had a son T.J. So Mary told him, who she was and what a student from our school had come to her with this morning.

Before I tell you the dad's response can I just say that there could have been so many possible reactions here. He could have been angry, called her a liar, say it was a hoax, deny it...anything. But, there is hope for humanity... the dad's reaction was, "My wife and I have been having this sinking feeling that something was wrong with T.J. He hasn't been acting normal at all these last few months."

WHEW!

So the dad took Mary's information seriously. He asked many questions which Mary answered as best she could. The dad thanked Mary for being willing to make that phone call and also thanked the two concerned students for being willing to speak up, even though they didn't really know T.J. very well, and look for help.

The dad called Mary back about an hour later and told her that he spoke with his wife and that they had removed all the guns they had in the house, and bullets. They have found a counselor for their son to start seeing and that they were seriously considering stopping internet service in their house (which they had just started up a few months ago and thought it might be having some affect on him).

I told Alex all of this and said that the chances of T.J. living were very high because of him and the fact that his parents accepted the information and are being incredibly pro-active (kudos to the parents)!!!!

The dad called back to Mary again the next morning and said that they confiscated his phone, found all the text messages he had sent and the photo - which were live shotgun shells he was holding and that they were going to make sure that the counselor had this information so they know how serious he was. And he once again thanked Mary and our students for having a community that cares - even as extended as it is.

Kudos Alex!!!! This is one very proud mom here!

Basketball Mom

I wish I had written shortly after the first basketball game - but alas, time has passed so my enthusiasm has gone down... a smidge. What I have found is that I have this love-hate relationship with basketball.

So when Jared announced that he wanted to join the basketball team for the high school I was happy to hear it. For a long time I know Jared has wanted to do organized sports but we felt he was either too young or, when he was a bit older we tried to find some opportunities but the few we found he decided he didn't want to try them (mostly because he either didn't know anyone, or because he did not feel comfortable because he hadn't practiced enough).

So this was his first opportunity to play a game he was interested in, had had some practice but was no where truly skilled and had some good friends who would be playing along side him.

So love... happily gung ho for my son to start engaging in something he's always wanted to do.

And the practices started. Every day after school off he goes to learn and practice and chum it up with his friends...every day. By the time he was done and was dropped back off at the school it was 5:45 or 5:50 pm...every day. Oh, except Thursdays! Thursdays he is done at around 4:30 or 4:40pm. Woo hoo! One car family, stuck at school until he's back. By the time we get home it's usually 6:10 to 6:30pm. Much later than we are used too. Plus, with it being winter and all and the nights getting shorter and shorter it's pretty much pitch black before we are home.

So hate...I want our old routine back!

Then comes the first game! We drive to a place called Bahama, NC (50 minutes away from the school, about 25 minutes from home). Jokingly I say we are heading to the Bahamas, trying to find something positive in the long drive. Though, the town itself is not called Bahama (as in the islands) but Baa-hay-ma... go figure... those wacky southerners!

We go inside the gym, settle down and the game is just about to begin (they left right after school ended to have some time for warm up, while we left later so barely got there in time for the game to start).

The other team is massive in size - junior and seniors, facial hair and all! One of them, #44, was built like a brick house - I'm sure he plays football. And here are our freshman and two sophomores ready to start the game - jump for the ball.

So quickly into the game it's obvious that the home team has done this for quite some time. They are organized and aggressive, while our team is still trying to remember the rules and are shocked every time one of the other team members pushes or shoves (when they don't have the ball) or takes the ball from them.

We did quite a few fouls in the first quarter but Jared did get fouled once and had a t wo chance free throw (as you can tell I don't know the technical terms). He missed the first sh ot but got the second - go south paw! Here he is...#1!

For the first quarter the home team was around 20 points with our team only having 3. I realized that being their first game ever that this was really just a good lesson for how this game is played - and for the coaches to see where more work was needed. But I was incredibly proud of Jared as he became more and more confident through his first game.

At some point during the 3rd quarter they started getting more organized and a little bit more aggresive and started scoring more and more. The score ended up being 61 to 20, but those 20 points were well deserved!

As I sat in the audience, cheering on my son and the rest of the team - a team of boys which, at least half of them had never played basketball before, were doing an amazing job! By the end of the game I was pumped up, proud and ready for more!

Love basketball! Go Eagles!

Do Unicorns exist?

This is hilarious!

I just stumbled upon this on my liberal website, www.alternet.org. It is incredibly funny! Enjoy!

See more Jack Black videos at Funny or Die