Saturday, November 21, 1998

Dear Steven, Grandy, Pappy, Grandmother, and Granddaddy,

I never did get a letter in the mail last week, and I apologize for that. Steven, we enjoyed your visit so very much, and I'm glad that you will be home again so soon. Steven looked good--healthy and happy, and I think college life agrees with him. He got in late Friday afternoon and ate dinner with us before going to the Lynbrook play that night. He went out with the cast and another friend (also in college) afterwards and stayed out late, so he slept in the next morning. That was okay because the rest of us had commitments. Steve refereed his usual three or four games, and David and I ran the paper drive route for the scouts. Afterwards, David went to the Hyde Jr. High wrestling tournament. As an alternate, he didn't wrestle, but he helped by being a timekeeper. Steven got a much-needed haircut and met up with us again in the mid-afternoon for a visit and dinner before he went to the play again. That night, his director took him out after the play, and they talked until 3:00 a.m. Needless to say, Steven slept in again Sunday, but we had time to plan his Eagle Court of Honor before taking him to the airport.

Michael barely got to see Steven as he went to a band tournament in Pismo Beach. He left Friday morning at 7:30 and had a great time. The band marched on Saturday morning and won sweepstakes. They were judged number one in both marching and music and beat out forty other bands. Michael was really excited. He was overwhelmed with homework after he returned, however, so he spent most of Sunday shut in his room working. I'm glad that Steven is coming home again soon so that Michael can see him more. I think he really misses you, Steven.

This past week has gone by much too quickly. I'm beginning to panic that Thanksgiving is almost here, and I have done very little in preparations for Christmas. I substituted twice during the week, once for a core teacher and once for a science teacher. I went out to lunch twice with friends, and two mornings Wendy Armstrong and I went to the high school to help the 9^th grade English teachers. They assigned all ninth graders to write an autobiography at the beginning of the year, and these books have been in the library for people to see. Wendy and I sorted them by teacher and then by class (twenty-five classes in all) to be returned to the students. It was quite a job, but it was fun seeing the students' work. I read Michael's while I was there, and I thought it was quite good.

Steve was home this week, but we had a number of evening activities, so that kept us busy. Monday night I went to a Sunday School teachers meeting for the both of us while he went to the high school college information night for freshman and sophomore parents. Tuesday night I went to the scout adult committee meeting (I am now the secretary), and Wednesday night, we took out an H-P friend from Great Britain who was here on business. Thursday night Steve had a church session meeting which lasted from 6:30 until midnight. I was asleep on the couch when he got home, so he had to wake me up and tell me to go to bed. We were all home on Friday night, so we had dinner together and went to bed by 10:00 p.m.!

Michael says he is getting "buff" with all his wrestling practice. His coach calls him the MVF (Most Valuable Freshman), and he was approached by the football coach this past week to go out for the team next year. Michael told him that he is in the band, and the coach told him he ought to reconsider. Michael is off at his last band competition today in Fairfield. He had to wake up at 3:30 this morning to leave school at 4:30. He is expecting to return between 1:00 and 2:30 Sunday morning. I told him he could stay home from church tomorrow because I know he needs to sleep. He has another big project due on Monday that he needs to complete.

David stayed home sick two days this past week. I think that he just had a really bad cold, but I was afraid that it might be strep throat and had him tested. He felt pretty bad, but he spent a good bit of his time doing homework. I brought home his makeup assignments, so he wouldn't get too far behind. He had a match in wrestling at a meet on Tuesday and did well. He lost on points but wasn't pinned. His coach complimented him on one of his moves but said that he just didn't have the experience to know how to capitalize on it. His season is almost over, and I will be glad because it has been very hard for him to get everything done with such a grueling schedule. Today was his last soccer game of the season followed by a team pizza party. The team ended up with 1 win, 2 or 3 ties, and about 6 losses--not the best of records, but David had a good time and was one of the stronger players on the team.

I am hoping to stay home and get ready for Thanksgiving this next week and hope to decline all invitations to do anything else. Steven, we will be at the airport even though we have heard horror stories about getting there. I hope everything goes well with your trip to LAX. What are your plans while you are here? (Besides eating turkey.) David watched the UCLA vs. USC game this afternoon, but I fell asleep--sorry!

We'll talk to you all soon.

Love,