Happy Week, Sad Week

This week has been an emotional roller coaster for me this week. Let me begin with the happy times! Travis got the Student of the Month Award for April. We are so proud of him!  Here he is with his teacher (Daryle cut off her head!) and the May Student of the Month.

Last quarter Travis found out about Math Olympics.  These are math timed facts quizzes. He loves math.  Once I explained it to him he was ready to try it out.  The first one he took was 50 addition and subtraction problems in 3 minutes. He did it all and got 100% right on his first try! So this week at our awards assembly he got an award.  Only two kids did it this quarter. Way to go Travis!  Now we can start practicing for next year.  That will be 100 addition and subtraction problems in 4 minutes. I know you can do it! Ahhh, once again I am not sure if it is good or bad to have your mom be a teacher!  haha!

Travis is now ready for Second Grade!  I am so excited to have him be near me next  year. It's kind of funny, he keeps telling me that he wants to be in my class! I told him that is not allowed, Principal's rule!  It is cute he wants to be with me, but we both know that could never work out.  He has come a long way this year and we are so proud of him.  On Thursday we wrapped up the school year with the last day of school.  The week was jam packed with fun activities for the kids.  It seemed to go by quickly. Until I woke up on Thursday morning anyway.

Now begins the sad part of my week.  I woke up early on the last day of school and had some time to check emails, facebook, etc.  I was stunned and shocked to see that my uncle had posted that his son, my cousin, was in ICU and they didn't know if he would make it through the night.  A major amount of chills ran through my body. From what he said this was a drug overdose.  Being that it was 5:30 in the morning I wasn't sure if I should call my parents or not.  I figured I would wait until 6. I was thinking that a ringing phone this early in the morning was going to jolt them so I figured I would let them sleep a  bit more. Plus I texted my dad to see if he was awake yet (he is an early riser) and he didn't respond. Well, I called them at 6 and they knew all about it.  They had gotten a call late in the night and had been at the hospital with my aunt and uncle.  I can't say that this scenario was a complete shock. My cousin Thomas had his fair amount of troubles in his short 26 years of life. Unfortunately he had been in and out of jail and had dealt with a drug addiction for years.  These are the calls you dread and you hope and pray that you never get.  Anyway, I went up to the hospital with my parents that night to be with him and see what was going on. He was completely unresponsive.  Just a shell of a person was lying on the bed.  The paramedics had performed CPR for 37 minutes before they got a pulse. Who knows how long he was laying on the bathroom floor before his "friends" called for help.  Sad. Depressing. Devastating. A parents worst nightmare. I think that being a parent myself has made me look at this from a new perspective. I know once your children get older you can only hope you have taught them right from wrong.  If they go down the wrong path it is very difficult to bring them back. Some people are fortunate to have the love and support to get them through. Others are not so lucky. That was my cousin.  I wish I could have done more to help him. And I am talking about way back when he was just a little kid. I know in my head there was nothing I could have done, but in my heart I sure wish there was something I could have done to help. I just hope he knows how much his family loved him.  Unconditionally.  Yesterday afternoon the decision was made to take him off of life support.  There was just too much brain damage.  I have never been with a person before during their last moments on earth.  I can say that it was peaceful.  Just about a week ago he was released from jail and now this.  Such a shame. Such a waste of a good person.  A waste of a life.  Drugs just take everything from you.  I have so many emotions and thoughts running through my head.  I have to admit, it has been a few years since I have seen Thomas.  This was not the way I had hoped to see him the next time our paths crossed. But I am glad I was there to be with him. It gives me peace to think that our grandparents were there to greet him with open arms.  To meet a grandfather he never knew and to be reunited with a grandmother who loved him with her whole heart and soul.  I know he is in a happier, safer place.

So, I am hoping that the rest of my summer can be devoted to creating more memories with my two little guys. Yesterday was Connor's Gotcha Day. I can hardly believe it has been two years already! It is hard to remember what life was like without him.  We plan on celebrating today.  Here's to a summer of cuddling and PB&J sandwiches!

Peace to my cousin Thomas Scott Melzer, Jr.  Just 26 years young.  May you rest in peace.  Our love and memories of you will live on in our hearts forever.