This week is just about nuts. Our 3 oldest boys are heading into their first big speech and debate tournament for the year. It runs Wednesday through Saturday, from 8:00 in the morning to 9:30 at night.
Danny will be competing in 2 debate events and 3 speech events, all as a super-senior (meaning he has graduated high school, but is young enough to come back for one more year). Joey will be competing in apologetics and impromptu speech. And Sam will be doing an original oratory speech as well as impromptu. Most certainly a lot of fun and rigor and stress and certainly not enough sleep.
For some reason, I put off shopping for suits this year. I put it off way too long. Ugh. And so, the last two days before the tournament, we have had Danny rush off to our neighbor's to have his mile-long pants hemmed within the day, Joey try on a friend's suit in the hopes that it would fit, with plans to buy a new one before next tournament, and Sammy - I don't even want to talk about Sammy.
I ordered his suit with the expectation it would be here by now. We waited. We checked the status. It didn't come. So Tuesday, in the cold and the snow, with a van-full of little ones I went out to get him something. He wasn't with me. A word of advice- don't go out to buy a suit if the person who will be wearing the suit isn't with you...But so I don't look too ignorant, you should know that Sammy isn't quite into men's sizes yet, so I was just out to grab a size 16. I grabbed a size 16, ran to another store, still in the snow, still with little ones, and picked up some ink for the boys and some shoes for Danny. Because he let me know that morning that his others were unwearable. And since he would be at Speech club all afternoon, well, could I pick them up for him. Sure, sweetie. Ahem.
Before heading home, we ran into the grocery store. To buy snacks for speech club. Even though it wasn't my week. Because one of my sons was kind enough to volunteer me (two hours before club) to get something since the snack-bringing family wasn't going to speech club that day. I love it when my children are so thoughtful of others.
When we got home, Sammy tried on the jacket. And you know where this is going, don't you. Seriously? It doesn't fit? Can't you just not eat for the next 24 hours, or not move your arms when you give your speeches? No? Sigh. So, after the sun has gone down and the snow is starting to stick to the roads, my wonderful husband drives Sammy and Hannah 45 minutes away to get Sam's suit. And my husband doesn't even fuss. I might have fussed. My husband is the best.
I stayed home that night and finished washing and drying piles of undershirts, black socks, and dress shirts. I hung up neckties and packed mounds of food. I read to my little ones who were already feeling things ramp up. And Sam came home with a suit.
I probably didn't I mention they all needed haircuts too. Out came the clippers, and before I knew it, I had a kitchen full of young men lined up to get a trim. I didn't even know I had so many males in my home! Even kids who weren't competing in the tournament lined up. Dad, too! I snapped on the cape, zoomed off the hair, swept the chair and floor and yelled 'next!' for about an hour.
And this is what the wall in my bedroom looked like, the night before the tournament started. Next post- the rest of Tournament Week.
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