30 Days of Erica age 14

This was the age that Erica went to High School and was in 9th grade.  She decided that she wanted to do band as her Fine Arts credit.  She was already doing well with her Saxophone so I thought it was a natural progression for her to do band.  But towards the end of 8th grade she came home wanting to try out for Color Guard.
What was Color Guard?   Little did I know that it would be the start of something BIG for Erica.  She came from a dancing background and had learned tap/ballet/jazz/gymnastics and had learned a little bit of baton twirling.  But I didn't know the flag girls in a marching program were part of a group called Color Guard.  After she explained it to me, I figured she would be able to do this with her dancing background.  She tried out and MADE the guard.

What I didn't know was that making the guard meant summer practices!  We always cherished our summers around the pool and lake and taking family vacations to Greers Ferry Lake.  I soon found out that this commitment to Color Guard was a full time commitment.  But.....it really turned out great and she excelled at Guard for the next 4 years.

She received a Saber for Christmas and was so surprised and happy to get it.  For those of you who may not know what all Guard entails....it is huge!.  They spin flags/rifles/sabers/and all styles of novelty props.  It takes alot of practice and upper body work to learn to control the gear and execute the moves with perfection.

My little Freshman was doing so well in Band.  She had a new group of friends at school and they were a fun loving group.  It consisted of grades 9-12 students and the older students took the younger ones under their wings and helped them transition to High School.  3 Juniors took a special interest in her and taught her to enjoy school.  Seth, Ann, and Alan ( yes, Alan Baumer) started doing group things with her.  They dressed up for Halloween and went trick or treating, went to movies, played on the playgrounds, had picnics, and just had fun outside of school.  The band performed at football games and went on competition trips.  She fell in love with all of it and really had a great time. Her grades even went up because of her good morale. Middle school almost did her in so this was a breath of fresh air.
Spoiler:   this was the beginning of the making of a beautiful marriage.

Erica age 13

30 Days of Erica age 13

This blog is more around the day she turned 13.  It was in 7th grade in the year 1999.

At ECS.....the 7th graders took a trip by train to Chicago in January.  Erica's birthday is in January.  So, she actually turned 13 on the train ride home from the Chicago.

That trip was a great trip for Erica and me.  I had the privilege of going with Keith when he was in 7th grade so I was experienced and knew what to expect.    I was excited about my 2nd train ride.  This was going to be Erica's 1st train ride.  We traveled by night so that we were in Chicago by the morning and ready to do all of the sight seeing.  If you have never traveled by train , you should do it at least once before you die.   The train makes tons of stops on the way to Chicago so I never did get a good night's rest.  I woke with every stop.  Also...you have to remember to bring a blanket because they lower the heat while traveling.

Erica had a good group of friends so she enjoyed the trip from start to finish.  The sights included some museums, aquarium, and the Billy Graham Center Museum at Wheaton College.  All were very interesting and the kids were excited until they found out that they had to answer questions at the Science and Industry Museum!  Why would a school field trip ruin it by making the students learn something?  (tongue in cheek)

Like I mentioned earlier, I had done this trip before so I had tips for how to answer the questions easily and quickly.  I told Erica and her friends to split up and divide the questions between each little group.  Then...I told them to meet back at the McDonald's  cafe in the museum for a snack break.  They were happy to do that and when we met back at McDonald's, everyone shared the answers so that they all had answered the entire questionnaire.   Then....we were free to just look and observe without pressure.  I tell you what:   I was the FAVORITE chaperon for that trip.

Erica loved the beating heart display that you could walk through.

You could hear your own heart beat as you walked through the chamber.

The hotel had a pool and a hot tub so the kids really enjoyed swimming in the winter.  Each night was a planned group activity for the students and another one for the parents.  So....Erica totally had a great time with her friends.

The last activity we did before going home was seeing a film in the IMAX theatre.  It was very realistic and made you feel like you were in the middle of the film.  Erica and a few others got a little motion sickness during the viewing.  I went to the hotel gift shop and bought some Dramamine.  Couldn't find the non drowsy version though.

Erica didn't want to take it until we were on the train.  Some of her friends took it right after the film so they were battling sleep!
I had planned a little surprise party to happen on the train right at 8:59 am.....which was when she was born.  Poor thing....she was still drowsy while she opened her gifts.  Her friends were in on it with me and they went in together and gave her a little gift.  I even had a cupcake for her.  I wanted her to feel like it was her birthday even though she was on a school trip.

We did celebrate her 13th birthday later as a family and with her friends.

Erica age 12

30 Days of Erica Day 13

Erica is growing and it is getting harder and harder to pick out which stories to share.  But this one is a great story that involves the entire family.  And it was really alot of fun.

Who remembers Science Projects?

I never had to do science projects when I was in school....(cue the violins).  So....the process of making a science project was enormous to me.  Fortunately for Erica....we learned about the projects and how to do them with Keith.  Title/Hypothesis/Data/Conclusion....etc.  Science projects to me were code words for PARENT PROJECT HOMEWORK!

Erica's science teacher in grade 7 was a very creative teacher and she wanted the students to "think outside of the box" for a project to prove.  That sounded like more fun than the potato battery or growing mold on bread.

So....we came up with "Which  Fast Food French Fries Keep their consistency?"
Larry, Keith and I were the test subjects and Erica chose McDonalds, Wendy's, and Burger King to test their fries.
We decided to use a Saturday and hit those restaurants.  We would buy a FRESH package of fries and each eat one immediately.  Then....5 minutes later..we would eat another fry and describe its consistency.  We did that at 5 minute increments until 30 minutes had elapsed.    After all of that testing and describing.....guess whose Fries stayed the most consistent?  Burger King!!!!!

She earned a great grade with this project and we all had fun participating in a science experiment.  Her next project was fun too and had to do with the Best Way to cover bad breath.   But....we won't go in to that one.
Mom ( as usual) made her pose with her project.  I am sure that I totally embarrassed her.
Sorry Erica.....now you have a daughter....so it's your turn to take embarrassing pictures.

Erica age 11

30 Days of Erica age 11

At 6th grade at ECS, they moved to the Macon campus where Middle School was located.   That year was a big change for Erica and all of us at home too.  Keith didn't do Middle School...he went there in 7th grade and it was called Jr High.

For some reason.....the 6th grade teachers got it in their heads that these kids were college bound right now and decided to teach them that high school and college was HARDER than elementary school.   Well of course....they are.  But 6th grade is a transition year.

This was NO TRANSITION year.   All of the teachers piled on hours and hours of homework and made life pretty miserable for us.  Erica was a good student but we were drowning in homework.  Found out that other parents were just as overwhelmed.  We finally had a meeting and shared our woes and they let up a bit.  But that school year was one for the books!  haha

Erica tried out and made the 6th grade girls basketball team.  She was so proud to be on the team.   We were extremely proud of her for going through tryouts and qualifying.  Of course....she was now quite the athlete and really enjoyed sports and did well at Basketball.  She even wanted her own basketball for Christmas.  We had balls but she wanted her own.

But alas...she learned alot that season but she did not see very much  playing time...even though she was at every practice.   I was on the lookout but never did see scouts/recruiters at our 6th grade girls BB games.  That sorta soured her on school teams.  After that....she stuck with playing church ball....where you could still learn alot and practice hard BUT also have fun with the coach and team mates.

Erica age 10

30 Days of Erica age 10

Erica is now in the double digits.  Where has the time gone?  My baby girl is growing up too fast.

As I said earlier....Erica didn't love piano lessons.  She became intrigued with the Saxophone.  She  saw one of my church choir students playing a sax in a song that we did and she was hooked.  The player was a girl too.  She started asking to take sax lessons.
 
I listened to her and thought about it.  We waited out the summer and made sure she really wanted to take lessons.  We didn't want it to be a passing fad....that would be costly.  But....she was still intent on lessons.  So we rented a sax and signed her up for lessons in the Fall at GBC conservatory.  She fell in love with her teacher on the first lesson.  Her name was Ms Jennifer.  Erica practiced every day on her own....no prodding from me.  She started off like most beginners, honking and squeaking, but she NEVER gave up.  She worked really hard and before we knew it she had a pretty tone.

Then....her teacher was transferred out of town.  She was assigned to a new teacher.  She liked this teacher but not as much as her first teacher.  She still worked hard and never lost the passion.  She progressed pretty fast.  So...Larry and I decided to purchase a sax for her.  $$$$$$  When her rental was up for renewal...we checked and they had a great purchase price on it.  It was a BRAND new sax that was originally bought and returned new but they could now only sell it as used.   She had rented it for the fall semester so that money was applied to the purchase.  We had scored a great deal which helped us and her.

She kept getting better and better.  I figured the newness would wear off but it never did.

The following summer....she went to Choir Camp.  They had a talent show and I encouraged her to play her sax.  She decided to do just that.  I made her a "boogie woogie" background track and taught her a lead solo part to the song.  She learned it quickly and was comfortable with it.  So....that would be her talent.

We dressed her up as 50's and she really got into the "character " of the song.  She was the youngest in the talent show at Choir Camp.....and I was so proud of her.

Here is a picture of her "jamming" on her sax.  She got a standing ovation with her performance.  Guess what?   She WON an award.  She won MOST TALENTED CAMPER and received a medal on the last day.  She played really well and won the camp staff over with her performance.  I was so proud of my sweetie.  She set out to do this and she did it.

To this day...she still can pick up her sax and jam when she wants.  I am glad she knew what she wanted and stuck to it.  It gave her so much confidence and trained her ear, which made her a great musician....and she still in a great musician today.

Erica age 9

30 Days of Erica:  age 9

I hope my posts are interesting to you.   I just wanted to honor my girl and give you a tiny glimpse of why I think she is so wonderful.  I did it when Keith turned 30 too and it always makes me realize how great my kids are and how much fun we had together.

Since I am a musician and music is such a huge part of my( and Larry's) life....I wanted my kiddos to have a little taste of music.  Of course.....every child usually starts with piano lessons.  I had mine in those lessons as soon as they were the right age.  Keith liked it but not as much as he like playing sports and doing gymnastics.  Erica really just wanted to take lessons because they were offered at the school during school hours, and she was able to leave class to go take her lessons.  But she got into it and seemed to enjoy it.
As I have said earlier.....she always wants to skip to the performance part without working up to it.  She didn't like having to practice everyday.  But....I made her do it at least 15 min everyday.  She got used to the regimen and didn't complain too much.

Here is her piano duet with her friend Leah.  They were buddies so it was fun to watch them play together.  This was grade 3.  In the fall when she was in 4th grade she started taking Saxophone lessons.  But....that is for another blog.  

 Here is a picture of our family trip that year during Spring Break.  We went to Atlanta and did Six Flags ( we are an amusement park family) and took in all of the sights in that area.  A special place we visited was the Coke Factory.  We absolutely loved that place.  The kids had a blast taste testing all of the flavors they offered.  I just stuck to Diet Coke since I was a DC addict back then.
Erica, later wound up loving the COKE theme and decorated her room that way.

Erica age 8

30 Days of Erica  Age 8

I always tried to do fun/homemade projects with my kids as they were growing up.  My ideas were bigger than my abilities sometimes.  Our gingerbread house at Christmas looked like a tornado hit it.  Our Styrofoam Christmas trees didn't hold the hot glued candy on them.  You get the picture.
But .....we were good at dying Easter eggs.  They always loved doing that together and I did try to experiment with cool colors.

Erica always wanted to mix colors.  This OCD mother had to "let it go" and let her be creative.  In the end....they always turned out so festive and the beautiful outer shell was peeled away to chow down on them anyway.  

 Now THIS picture is one of my very favorite ones.....because of what it means.  This was taken right before both of them were baptized.  I was such a proud mom.  We joined Germantown Baptist Church in April and they were baptized in May.  Erica had made a profession of faith at our former church but we wanted her to wait for her baptism to grow a little and make sure she totally understood the meaning of what she was doing.  Keith had NOT made a profession yet....so when we went down to join as a family.....Keith surprised us with taking Jesus as his Savior right then.  He was in 6th grade at the time.   What a joy it was for me and Larry to now have our family of 4 united in blood and Spirit.
Here's the BEST part:   their baptism was on MOTHER'S DAY...May 8, 1994.  What a gift I was given.   It was the BEST Mother's Day gift I could ever receive.  It was precious that both of my children were baptized together on Mother's Day.  I still get teary eyed just remembering it.  
I AM REALLY BLESSED!!!!!