Independence

It's been busy since we got home.  Last week was Vacation Bible School.  Jake helped with recreation, then got shifted to a class guide.  Annie was assigned to snacks, but was a huge help to me with crafts.  I created, organized and lead crafts.  We all were exhausted.  

Jake's big announcement last week was... he got a job!  Firehouse Subs has a new store in Corbin Park, 135th and Metcalf.  He started last Thursday.  We got to go to the soft opening on Friday night for dinner.  They opened Monday.  Jake was very excited and left the house before 9 a.m. Monday morning. This week he will work almost every day with Wednesday and Sunday off.  Did I say he likes it?  Because he does.  

Annie has been hard at work on her on-line summer class.  Health.  I must say, as a casual observer, it's a LOT of work.  Her first deadline is July 7th at 11:00 p.m.  She got a little stressed out the other night and stayed up until 2:00 a.m. working on it.  I expect her to complete this section today, she's working on it now. And Annie has been babysitting a couple times each week.  She's made enough to pay for several concert tickets.     

The kids stretched their independence wings a bit further last Sunday afternoon when Jake drove Annie to Lawrence to a Battle of the Bands concert.  Annie's friend Jordan's band was playing.  I would be lying if I said I wasn't a little nervous but I was also very excited for them.  Part of Jack's anxiety was valid.  Jake has no sense of direction, doesn't know the names of streets and highways and couldn't tell us how to get there.  We had him look at a map.  And gave him my old GPS.  I know it might sound a little silly, especially since there are only a hand full of turns between here and there once you're on the highway.  It helped that he had a navigator... even if she isn't much better off.  Many prayers were said and Annie called us when they turned onto Massachusetts.  She knew exactly where to go from there... from 23rd Street straight into downtown Lawrence.  They had a good time.  We got a telephone call when they were leaving for home and they were home safe and sound by 9:30 p.m... and Jake was exhausted.  

Jack has decided to take Friday's off this summer.  Every year he has to forfeit vacation days because he doesn't use them all.  Having been with Sprint for so long he gets an obscene amount of vacation.  Last week he played a round of golf at Stone Canyon Golf Club in Blue Springs, Missouri.  I'm pretty sure it was more like the experience he expected in North Carolina.  It was a hard course!  It was busy and it took 5 hours to finish 18 holes.  (I might be wrong on that, but it took a long time.)  Best of all, he is looking forward to playing it again.           

xo