the bowling trip

The bowling trip did finally happen but there were a lot of stops and starts. They made a motion but didn't know that it had passed so they sat through the next school meeting waiting for the motion to come up and then had to make another motion because the first motion had a specific date that came and went while they figured out what was going on. One staff member helped them call the bowling alley and get the pertinent info and make up a sign up sheet. We finally went on Feb 15th. (the day after the Valentine's day potluck also organized by Amelia and her friend) I drove, along with four other parents and all together there were 24 people. Not bad. They had had more sign up but 4 kids didn't bring their permission slips. And Des and 2 of his friends, seeing that most of the computer room regulars were going on the trip, decided to stay at school and play the game that they are into right now.

Letting Des stay was a sort of mini test for me. I found myself really wanting to push him to go on this bowling trip because he had signed up. Part of me thought, well he signed up, that's a commitment and he should follow through. Then I thought, he's 5 and its a bowling trip, nobody was counting on him to be there. It is so hard to let go of an image-of how an event will turn out, how a relationship should be,etc. Fortunately the universe gives us many many opportunities to retrain our minds.

The bowling trip was great. A lot of the little kids needed some help at first, I had forgotten my stroller and had to hold Finn, but luckily another mom came along at the last minute and she was a huge help. One kid is a real wanderer, he could have cared less about the game. The older kids in my car said they liked the arcade more than the bowling. Amelia bowled every frame like it was a tie breaker. As the ball would roll down the lane she was standing there, windmilling her arms as if to will the ball into the pins. She had a great time and she and her friend who put the trip together with her were so pleased with themselves. I was proud of her. I was proud of them both.

I have to admit that I do use the bowling trip as "proof" that great things happen at HVSS when people are skeptical. I don't know, does that mean that I am less confident than I should be that kids can succeed outside of a formal academic setting, that I have to offer up some evidence of what students do there? No, what it really means is that I love to brag about my kids!