It has been quite some time since my last blog and a lot has happened, so it will once again take several posts to get caught up. I think I will start this one with catching everyone up with where Russell is and what he has been up to for the past couple of months.
Not having him around has been especially rough on me. It is not so much in what he does to help around the house, as just the interaction with him that I am so used to having. He has made all A's and B's for the first two six week terms. He has had a few bumps along the way. Mostly he struggles with consistency in homework in pretty much all classes, and showing his work in Algebra I. He is working towards making Headmaster's List for the Semester, but it will require serious discipline and hard work on his part. Headmaster's List is all A's and one B. Surprisingly he is doing REALLY well in History this year (usually his least favorite subject). He says it is because the teacher makes it fun and interesting . . . imagine that. He is reading the complete works of Poe in English class (on his own). The teacher in English believes in allowing boys at this age to find age and ability level appropriate books of their own choosing. He does not follow an outline of specific types of books to read etc. . . He also has them make their own vocab lists. Each boy is responsible for turning in 5 vocab words a week and they compile the list to make the test.
In the dorms things have been a bit rough. Russell was assigned a roommate from a vastly different socio-economic background and an only child. The difference in temperament was like night and day. They struggled, I believe, just to survive the first term and now they both have new roommates. His new roommate seems like a really nice kid. We met him the first day of school. I noticed that he has a bit of difficulty with social matters but is academically the best in the 8th grade and has excellent conduct. Oh yeah, and Russell says he is a neat freak ALMOST as bad as me. LOL. Anyway, after 3 weeks with the new roommate, Russell comes home for Thanksgiving and the first thing he tells me is: His roommate told him that his father murdered his mother. First he tried to poison her and then, when that didn't work, he stabbed her to death in bed. After his father went to jail his fathers family looted the house to sell off everything. He and his brother (also at the school) are now in the custody of their Aunt and Uncle who use their mothers money to send them to the school. WOW is all I have to say about that. Anyway, they seem to be getting a long really well, but only time will tell. Since they can only change roommates once a year I guess they will have to make it work.
Football season ended. It was a short one this year since two opponents pulled out before the season started, and FUMA had to cancel a home game due to an outbreak of swine flu on campus. Despite it being short it was fun and we got to see every game he played. He had a 2 week break between athletic seasons, and is now on the Swim Team. The swim team coach works them really hard, and he is really enjoying it. He is hoping that it will keep him shape for Lacrosse in the spring.
In Russell's exploratory, he has done chess and weightlifting. I believe this term he is going to do the war movies club. He is also actively involved in their boyscout troop which is the best troop in the tri-state area. They camp out about once a month and he is really enjoying working towards the next rank. He is really enjoying FUMA and looks forward to continuing. We are not yet completely sold on his continuing. This is not for any one specific reason but as always we will have to do what is both in the best interest of Russell and the rest of the family.
Russell has been home on Thanksgiving Break all week. We have played games, camped, watched movies, shopped, chopped down trees, worked out together, run, hiked the C and O canal etc. . . We have had an awesome time, but the weekend is here and we we must take him to school on Monday. I am looking forward to the drive down alone with him. Daddy is going to come home from work early to watch the others so they don't have to spend 6 hours on the road.
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