Pakour Boy

We showed the boys some free running and building jumping on youtube. Weston was inspired. Donovan was too, but he's so pale, he could hardly muster putting his robe on to go outside and watch.

Suddenly our whole back yard was an obstacle course to explore. He climbed everything he could see. He jumped and leaped and rolled and bounced and he never wanted to come in!

We filmed him and snapped photos, but he never seemed tired. Once or twice he'd fall kinda funny and look up with a real serious look and then put a smile on his face and say, "I'm OK!" He loved it. He was so inspired. I was too. These guys throwing their bodies through the air... It seemed incredible, and yet the way their bodies moved seemed right. Like we have an inner knowing of human physics, or that we were intended to move so instinctively and fluidly... so trusting of our strength and balance.

I wasn't too worried for Weston, although I realized he doesn't quite know how to roll forward or backward very smoothly, only sideways. It made me wish I could enrol him in gymnastics nearby. Then in sadness I realized I would be a fool to demonstrate. I mean, I would if I had to, but I knew hitting the ground rolling for me would have been hard.

We finally watched the highlights of the U of O/USC game and were so thrilled. I kept saying, "That's right by where I grew up!" Grandma and Grandpa were there!"

Donovan drew a football picture in honor of the ducks.

When Weston would not come in after numerous promptings from his Parkour running, I finally agreed to let him run his "pattern" as he called it for some spectators. Travis, Alysa, Cassia and Leah were coming out of rehearsal and they obliged. They treated Weston like a real champion, even providing an underscore.

Yeah Weston.

I hope I can overcome my obstacles as well. Rather than seeing a wall, or a daunting task, I hope I can find a creative way to dance, leap, or crawl my way over it.

A Time of Passing

Today was the awards ceremony at Rosebud.  David was the MC.   A time of recognition and a time of passage for the grads.

With each scholarship there was a story given by the presenter, usually in memory of some talented family member who had died.  I cried eight times.

I got to laugh some too, and enjoy some slideshows and fun music.  David did a good job as MC and made me laugh.  That's fun; when I don't know what's coming.

My dried flower bouquets actually looked quite nice.  (Although I'm sorry to whoever has to clean up all the little seeds.)  Once Heather put in the red roses, they looked stunning even.   Our little ensemble singing "Butterfly" was a nice offering.  Now I'm glad Bill made us have so many rehearsals.

I was a bit flustered for my "presentation" as I didn't know what I was supposed to say until I got up there and read the sheet, so I kinda hammed up my moment in the spotlight and kept stepping into the diva in a way that was hard to step out of.  It was silly, but overall the afternoon really felt important.  I'm so sad to see all the grads leave.  I hope the new students will be inspired to live full lives here so they, too, can have a testament when they leave.

Guys like Travis... and Aaron.  They're such an important part of the fabric here.  --What will we do without their leadership?  John finally graduated and I hope to see more of his writing come out in plays -- soon.

Well, that'll have to be all for today.  More profundity tomorrow, I hope.  Both the tomatoes and the boys are blanketed in bed, ready for the frost.