Raining and Raining and Raining ...

What a wet weekend it has been! It rained pretty much all day Saturday ... now today we are getting the remnants of Hurricane Ike. In less than 24 hours, our rain gauge has collected nearly 4 inches of rain ... and it's still raining! Not sure if you can see that 4" mark of rain above, but it's pretty soggy here!

Back in the school routine!

The past week has kept us busy with school, kid and other activities!

Drew is doing really well at college ... getting into the groove with classes and his music activities. He auditioned for and made the Carthage Choir, which is the group traveling to Europe in January. And he was happy with his performance in music theory and piano proficiency testing ... scoring well in the categories he needs to complete his music education major requirements. He also auditioned for and got a spot in the pep band ... so that will mean playing for all home football games, as well as men's and women's basketball games ... and since pep band is an "on campus job" he will actually be paid for all time spent in practicies and playing at games. So that will help give him a little spending money!

Beverly is really enjoying her time at Tremont High School and settling in very well. I have been posting to her blog, Ten Months in Tremont, and she had several exciting things going on the past few days that you can read about there!

TJ is enjoying middle school and the challenges that come with changing classes and getting to know what is expected from you with 7 different teachers. In addition to regular middle school academic classes, he also has Spanish this year ... so that will be a nice diversion from just math, science and social studies!

Abby absolutely LOVES kindergarten! She has done so well in getting up and moving every morning. She has always been a bit of a "sleeping in" kind of gal, and now she wakes up very easily at 6:45 am for mom. Other than showing a bit of being tired at night, she has not had much adjusting to do with the new kindergarten routine. She goes full day, getting on the bus at 7:30 am ... with school from 7:50 am to 2:50 pm. She really thinks it is neat to eat lunch at school and carry a tray!

Heading to College!

On Saturday we headed North with two fully-loaded vehicles ... one Drew will keep at college ... to get him moved into the dorm at Carthage!

We spent the night in Kenosha and took Drew out to dinner at a favorite local restaurant. Then it was up early on Sunday to head to campus for the big day. The check-in process was organized and pretty smooth, and Drew got checked in, received his parking pass and room key all in one place. Then it was on down to Denhart Hall to wait our turn to unload. We followed the crowd and moved everything out of our cars into one shady area under a tree, then moved the cars out of the way for more families to unload. All in all it went pretty smooth and Abby and I guarded the pile while several loads were taken up to Drew's 4th floor room.

He was very happy to see upon entering his room for the first time that he did get a bit of a view of Lake Michigan from his room. He's on the top floor, and it's a coed dorm with guys on one wing, girls on the other, with a student lounge in the middle.

His roommate had not yet arrived so we started moving furniture and getting ready ... feeling it would be best to set up and then the guys can move things around if it doesn't fit their needs. They each have a nice bed, desk and dresser than can convert the bed into a bunk or loft if they choose. His roommate arrived and unloaded a few things, and since he lives fairly close will get a few more things in the next few weeks. So he was not quite as loaded down as Drew was!

We hurried up the final unpacking and getting a few things in place to head to the Chapel for a formal "Freshman Convocation" service. Drew joined his classmates in the new Carthage Class of 2012 on the main floor, and families were ushered to the balconies. The chapel is a beautiful building and used for many of the Music Dept programs at Carthage as well as church services. Speakers included the Mayor of Kenosha and the College President, and some choral music was provided by the Music Dept students. So I guess it's possible Drew will need to go early again next year to sing with the group at next year's Convocation! Drew's class is the largest ever to start the year at Carthage with just over 750 students. We were told that they come from 20 U.S. states and 10 other countries.

Then it was on to lunch on the lawn of the President's home, which sits at the north end of the campus. With 750 arriving freshman and their families, they fed hundreds of people a wonderful lunch set up outdoors in tents and overlooking Lake Michigan.

From lunch we hit the bookstore and stood in long lines to get the necessary books. $651 later, he's all set for classes to start on Wednesday! :-)

Then it was back across campus to check out some Lake Michigan views and to the room for a little more straightening and organizing. Since we won't return to campus until late October and he won't be home until Thanksgiving, Drew needed to take all of his warmer fall and winter clothes, so he had quite a load. We really did pretty well making it all work and fit!

About 4 pm it was time to say goodbye and good luck ... I'd like to tell you that I was very strong and did not cry, but I cannot lie ;-)

Sunday night, Monday and Tuesday are full of freshman activity for Drew, including a block party last night and choral auditions and games/activities in the athletic facility tonight. Carthage is such a beautiful campus ... and we are thrilled to have Drew beginning his college journey at such a wonderful place. We have been nothing short of impressed on every visit, and know he will grow and expand his horizons in a great way here. Even though we'll miss him like crazy at home!

On a sad note, Drew called today to let me know that a freshman student had passed away last night. He thinks it was more of a medical issue than an accident or otherwise, but the news is sketchy at this time. My heart goes out to those parents who dropped their son off and said goodbye, only to get home to the tragic news.

Abby's First Day of Kindergarten!

The big day has finally arrived ... for several years, Abby has been waiting anxiously to get on that school bus with TJ and head off to school ... and today she did just that!

The bus stops just a couple of houses down from our house, and Abby is very lucky to have not only TJ to walk there with ... but also Beverly and our two neighbor girls. They were all so excited to have her join them on the ride this morning!

We saw her off and then Drew and I drove into the school to watch her get off the bus and line up with her class, ha ha. A real "Tremont Tradition" to get the most out of this big day. Her bus first went to the middle/high school to drop off TJ and Beverly (with full instruction from TJ for her to remain seated, I'm certain) and then the bus goes a few more blocks to the grade school. The great thing about a small town is that from our house to the first school and onto her school is probably only about 4 miles total.

We took a quick picture of her with her teacher. Her teacher is very sweet and big on hugs ... and that will suit Abby just fine! Then we gave her a quick hug and we were off so she could start her big day! Can't wait to hear all about it later today!

Now Drew and I are off to finish up his shopping for college and pick up those few last minute items ... and I'm really looking forward to having the day to spend with him, just us, before he heads off to college on Sunday!

A week of big changes here!

Today is the first of many changes for the Tremont Scotts! We have 4 kids starting 4 new schools this week ... including one starting in a U.S. school for the very first time, and one moving away to college!

Yesterday was filled with "orientation" time. First, freshman orientation for Beverly at the high school. We walked the hallways and showed her where her classrooms will be, put a few things in her locker and mastered opening the combination lock. So I think she is all set!

TJ moves from the grade school (K-4) to the middle school (5-8) today. The middle school is attached to our high school and they share some hallways and a cafeteria, so it feels a bit grown up to him right now, which he thinks is pretty cool.

He and Beverly headed off on the bus together this morning. Since the middle and high schools adjoin, they get off the bus together and head to their own hallways. They are really getting along well and having a good time. I think TJ likes the chance to show Beverly around and help her learn where she is going.

Abby's big day comes tomorrow when she starts kindergarten! She will be on the bus with TJ & Beverly, but will get off at the grade school. She is also very excited and looking forward to meeting her teacher and seeing her classroom at her orientation tonight.

After we get these three in a routine ... on Sunday it's off to Wisconsin with Drew to move him into his dorm at Carthage College. He is very excited and ready to begin his new journey at the college level. We will check in and move him in that morning, and then there are a couple of parent/student orientation sessions and a BBQ lunch on the President's lawn. We will head out of there by mid afternoon to drive home, and he will have freshman convocation activities Sunday night, and also on Monday and Tuesday. Classes start on Wed, Sep 3.

So big changes all around ... and a child starting grade school, middle school, high school and college! What a week!

Welcome Beverly!

The newest member of the Tremont Scotts clan arrived about 5 pm last night in Peoria!

She settled right in and bravely ate tacos with us for dinner, ha ha. And even though some lemonade she had was a bit sour to her, she put on a brave face and continued to drink it. Today we shop for 7up, which she said is her drink of choice.

Mitch had a short conversation with Beverly's dad when he called last night to check to be sure she had arrived. We were, unfortunately, over at the neighbors house with her and she missed the call, but we got her set up to email him and we'll work on a phone call today.

I'll update more about her on the "Ten Months in Tremont" blog, but will include her here on regular family/event posts.

The Heebie Jeebies

I came out of work tonight on a beautiful summer evening ... stepped down off the curb in the parking spot next to my car ... and this slimy creature was standing guard at my driver side door

I don't know if you can really see it ... you can click on the picture to see a larger view if you would like to ... but it was a 3-ish foot snake! Kind of gold and brown/black diamond pattern, all zig zagged up and soaking up the sun on the parking lot. I screamed, of course. After taking a couple of pics and standing there trying to decide what to do ... I walked to the business across the parking lot and asked if anyone was "snake friendly" enough to move it away from my door so I could go home. Three guys came over and had a good time chasing it ... it went up against the building and got pretty mad at them, and it ended up coiling up under a garden hose box adjacent to the side door at my office. Great. How many times do you think I will look for that thing now when I come and go?

Cats Love Reading Too

Abby loves to read to our cat, Calvin. She pretends to be the teacher and holds the book out so he can see, just like a teacher would do for their class. And the funniest thing of all is that he actually LOOKS at the book and LISTENS to what she is saying! This is a common scene in our family room about every night!


Only 8 more days until Beverly arrives! TJ and Abby made a new video for her that I'm loading to the "Ten Months in Tremont" blog, but You Tube is taking f-o-r-e-v-e-r to load it right now!

Family Ties

Drew sent me this ... it's a picture that I took of he and Abby at Grant's Farm on a recent visit there. No other words necessary. It speaks for itself for what he's thinking and feeling about his move to college life, and his ties to family. You can click on the picture to see a larger view if you can't read the words.

A Special Package from China!

Today I received a very special package from China! Click on any of the pictures to see a larger view.

Beverly asked if there was anything from China that I would like to have ... and I told her that I had always regretted not purchasing one of the beautiful porcelain figurines that I saw in the shops in Guangzhou. So since she lives in Guangzhou she of course ran right out to Shamian Island and picked out not one ... but two ... of these gorgeous figurines!

She mailed them about two weeks ago and was told the package would probably take about 6 weeks to reach us ... but here they are! It was exciting to get a box with Chinese characters and the mailing label with our info in English and Chinese ... we laughed and wondered if anything from China had ever come through the Tremont post office before! ha ha
What I loved about them was the detail and delicate features. Note the painted fingernails and bangle bracelets in the close up picture. I talked myself out of buying them in China because we already had a suitcase full of special items, and we had lots of people who helped us along the way with our adoption that we wanted to bring special gifts to ... and I decided that these would take up too much valuable luggage space, and were probably far too delicate to pack in our luggage.

There were a few minor casualties of the more delicate parts ... a few fingers, to be exact ... but they are now in tact and beautiful, as you can see. A little crazy glue does wonders! ;-)

Thank you Beverly! Now the only thing we are anxiously awaiting to arrive from China is YOU!!