Sunday Reflections – 21 May 2017

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Happy Sunday!

While most of you are enjoying a lazy Sunday at home, because lazy and Sunday are synonymous, the Shannon family is scattered today with a variety of activities. Only a few more weeks of this left, and we are all counting down to the end of the school year.

I mentioned on Friday that these past few weeks have held a lot of lasts for both Holly and especially for Connor. He attended his last Senior Night for athletics. He had his last end-of-season banquet for Forensics. He has his last Honors Night. He took his last AP exams. Today is his last parade for marching band. So far, nothing has caused us to be emotional. I think this is in part because he is SO ready to leave and in part because we have so many other things going on that it has not really hit us. Also, none of these activities really meant a lot to him. They were things he felt he had to do (AP coursework, good grades) and things he enjoyed doing (track, Forensics), but none of them got him really excited. On Wednesday, it will be his last band concert, and that will be emotional. Band is the one activity he truly loves. Almost all of his friends are in band, and band events make up some of his happiest high school memories. I suspect there will finally be tears shed on Wednesday as he performs for the last time.

While all of that is going on, Holly has her own lasts. She attended her last track meet a few weeks ago. She had her last band concert of the year this past week. She published her last newspaper article for the year. In addition, costumes are arriving for the recitals, and her dance classes are fine-tuning their performances. Today, we have the tech rehearsal for the ballet, working through timing, lighting cues, prop placement, and the like. It is not necessarily how I want to spend my Sunday, especially since as the main, if only, prop person this year, a lot of the work falls on me. However, it does mean that the props are all done, and that is a relief.

In addition, Jim is having a heck of a time at work lately. New machinery that is not running properly, staffing issues, capacity issues, a trip to Germany – all of this has kept him busy at work and stressed at home. I know he will figure out how to get out of this catalog of issues, but I fear it is going to take some time before he sees any improvements.

As for myself, I am hanging in there. I have my own work issues, but they only cause me to have to go into work early three days out of the week. The rest of the time, I am just trying to keep everyone on task, make sure they get to where they need to go on time and prepared, and stay relatively sane. Finishing the props this week and having added bling to Holly’s solo costume is a huge weight off my shoulders. Of course, now I can start worrying about planning Connor’s graduation party which we are having the Saturday before graduation and the week after all of the recitals. There is not a lot of time and a whole heck of a lot that needs to be done around the house and outside. It will all get done, but I know I won’t settle down until the day of the party.

Here are past posts from the few last weeks in case you missed them the first time:

It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 8 May 2017
Do not miss Missing
Since We Fell is one hell of a ride
Saint Death is as chilling as it sounds
Fabulous Friday – 12 May 2017
It’s Monday! What Are You Reading? – 15 May 2017
Scary Final Girls
Enter the House of Furies
There are better things to do during a Blackout
Fabulous Friday – 19 May 2017

I hope everyone is having a lovely Sunday and relaxing on my behalf. I also hope you all have a stress-free and speedy work week. I’ll see you back here next Sunday!