MUM DAY: a Hoban tradition

Imagine arriving at a high school with over 900 kids and strolling through the halls early that morning and listening to the Sounds of Silence- no not the Simon and Garfunkle tune, but the total absence of adolescent conversation throughout the entire school. I believe this tradition dates back to well over 20 years now, and it is an admirable effort to get the kids psyched about our arch-rival St. Vincent- St. Mary in our annual football game with them; this is one of many events that we partake in during the week leading up to the big game.

Each day this past week had a special theme: Monday's Patriotic Day, Tuesday's Pirates of Hoban Day, Whacky Wednesday (mismatch clothing), and my personal favorite- Thursday's Hoban through the decades. We had kids outfit themselves from everything to greasers, gals in poodle skirts, disco style bell bottom pants, and leggings, swatches, and "boom boxes" of the 80's! (Wouldn't that generation have loved the I-Pod craze of today!) Then, on Friday, all the kids sport their MUM Day shirts to school and practice the fine art of remaining silent ALL DAY LONG! For many of them, this is quite a task. The seniors actually sleep at the school Thursday night decorating all the halls and gym for the big pep rally Friday afternoon. I've chaperoned this event in the past, but the idea of staying up all night long with a bunch of 17 year olds has somewhat lost its appeal to me the older I get.

Go Knights!

The Flight That Fought Back

It's been five years since the attacks, and watching this show this evening brought back all the horror that rocked our country back in 2001. You want to talk about absolute heroism...these men and women on this plane put all personal agendas aside that day and sacrificed their lives to save others...the ultimate outward sign of love for mankind...

I'll never forget that morning. I was in class with my kids when our principal came on the P.A. telling us of the first World Trade Center bombing. With all the classrooms equipped with TVs, most of the teachers turned the sets on only to witness the 2nd plane come crashing into the other tower. At that point, one of the young ladies in my classroom became hysterical because her father was suppose to be in New York that morning on business. Bringing even more anxiety and fear to to all of us, within an hour, our school secretary received an anonymous phone call that a bomb had been planted in our school. Within minutes, the entire student body and faculty were out of the building at one of the ball-fields, awaiting instructions from police. The sight of bomb squad vans and police dogs on the roof was just an incredibly sobering experience- not to mention the pandemonium that developed outside as we all tried to account for our kids.

Shortly thereafter, the police asked for all faculty members to reenter the building and scope out our classrooms and hallways...looking for anything suspicious. Honestly, at first we all thought that they were joking, but as they explained- we knew the school and its belongings better than they, and they wanted us in there to assist them. So off we went...As it turned out, the whole episode was simply a hoax, but nevertheless, a frightening experience. Everyone that day just wanted to race home and be with their families, but we needed to stay with the kids, and we truly felt that it was in everyone's best interest/ safety to remain at school and allow for things to settle down a bit.

Coming home that afternoon, I remember being glued to the TV watching the episode unfold over and over again...thinking to myself, "what could possibly drive someone to such hatred and utter vindictiveness to kill so many innocent people that day?" I would like to think that something like this will never happen again in my lifetime, but I think we all know better. My prayer, though, is that my kids (Marie, Josh, and Sarah) will be able to read about this in their history books one day and truly reflect and feel absolute gratitude for the day that our country fought back...Let us not ever forget.

Hang On Sloopy, Sloopy, Hang On...

Hours before the kickoff of what has already been touted as the game of the year, Josh and I were in the backyard running plays that Jim Tressel and the boys probably would be envious of...

So I sent Cindy to the store with one simple request- get a little OSU outfit for Ms. Sarah. Back she comes with a PINK OSU dress. Where's the scarlet and gray? Oh, well- she's still adorable!

My prediction for tonight's game...OSU 28/ Texas 24.

I can't wait!

Ready or Not...Here I Come!

Well, the little guy began his grade school "career" this morning- bright and early with a 6:00 A.M. wakeup call. Looking out the window at the time, Josh looked up at me and said..."I sure hope my school has lights!"- it was still pretty dark outside!

Josh has really been looking forward to this day- evidenced by the fact that for the past month, he's been asking us daily when his first day of school will be. If only I shared the same enthusiasm as I started back a couple of weeks ago!

You gotta love the Catholic school's dress code- white polo shirt and navy blue slacks. I personally love it. No decisions to make in the morning...and, if I may brag a bit, he looks pretty handsome- even with his slacks being a tad too long. (His legs havn't quite caught up with his waist yet!) However, one of the highlights for Josh, in terms of school shopping, was the purchase of his cool backpack. Now take notice that this is a Spiderman backpack...yet it came equipped with a cell phone holder and an I-Pod sleeve! Needless to say, these two items were not a priority for Cindy and I to buy in preparation for his first day of Pre-K.

After picking Josh up this afternoon, the highlights of his first day appeared to be storytime, potty-breaks, lunch, and recess- not necessarily in that order, I might add. He said he gets to sit next to two little girls in the classroom, but that's "OK" with him...I've trained him well!

Funny...it seems like just yesterday that he was learning how to walk, talk, and ride a bike. Now, he's a St. Matthew's Royal who told the barber the other day to cut his hair in such a way to make sure that he looks handsome for his first day of school. I think Cindy and I are in store for an eventful ride with our son.

I love ya Josh!

Run with endurance the race set before you Hebrews 12: 1

This was fun. The Chapel's Labor of Love Run was the first of two races that I signed up for this fall. Having taken a 10 year sabbatical from running/ races, I started running again back in May and have really been looking forward to this day. All in all, I'm pretty happy with my race. I clocked in around 46:20/ 5 mile run. My goal was an 8 minute mile, but it just didn't happen. I started out pretty well and came around the 1/2 way turn at about 21:00, but I really got tired during the 2nd loop. The downtown Akron area is fairly hilly, and this course had more than its share of uphill terrain.

For one brief moment in time, I really felt good about my time because I finished alongside a buddy of mine (an avid runner) whom I play with in the Chapel Praise Band...however, I was quickly humbled because alongside of him was his daughter and what looked to be a 25 or 30 pound heavy duty racer stroller- both of which/ whom he had pushed for the entire 5 miles! Unbelievable! Let's just say that he's a tad bit better of an athlete than I am...or probably will ever become! Great race, Daniel!

The real story of the day centered around a young lady who has battled cerebral palsy her entire life. She was determined though to finish this race- walker in hand. You want to talk about inspiration! God bless her.

Next up...the Akron Relay Marathon with Maureen, Emily, Dave, and our fearless leader...Kenton. Gotta go run...like to the couch. My legs are killin' me, and a nap sounds great right now.

A Chapel Hop on Pop
(No Dave, No...don't sit on that!)

Now all you need to do is to replace the word "Pat" with "Dave" and the word/ image "hat" with the word/ image "cup of coffee"...and you've got a sure winner for America's funniest home videos...albeit a rather poor effort to keep Dr. Seus' original syncopation and rhyme scheme.

I write about this with a degree of jest because a) Dave is a great sport b) he didn't burn himself...it was a hot cup of coffee! c) I feel somewhat guilty because I was slow in reacting to try and stop him. It was as if the whole episode was in slow motion, and I was stuck in time...only to witness poor Dave come crashing down on his coffee and grimace shortly thereafter- realizing that his entire backside/ underside was saturated with his morning java. But, he persevered and continued playing his guitar as only he knows how to...all the while a number of folks were already text messaging the hilarious event.

We love ya, Dave!

Die-hard Tribe Fans

This has been a trying summer for Indian's baseball. I would have been a very rich man if I had bet the house on the fact that the Indians' would have a kid by the name of Shin Soo Choo starting in the outfield...who'd of thunk?

Marie and Josh still have a few precious summer days left before they start back, but good ole' Hoban (in its infamous wisdom) began last Thursday. So far, so good.

I'm actually pretty excited about this upcoming school year because my principal slated me to teach a course that I truly love- World Literature. I was told back in the spring that I would be given a freshman English section, but over the summer- as enrollment sky-rocketed to over 900 students- they needed someone to fill this course. When I've taught this in the past, I've always organized the class chronologically. We'll start off with the concept of origin myths (specifically the Osiris and Isis myth) and then move to the oldest piece of literature recorded to date- The Epic of Gilgamesh. From there, we'll move into the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), the
New Testament, Ancient Greeks (Homer and Sophocles) and then plunge into the great masterpieces of the Middle Ages, including Dante's classic- The Inferno and Boccaccio's Decameron. And that's just the first semester! I'm not sure if the kids share the same excitement (yet), but hopefully they'll get into the lit as we progress through the year.

Josh headed off to Marietta last night to spend his last days of summer with his grandparents. With Marie being with her mom's till Wed., the house definitely seems a bit empty. I think Cindy is already missing the little guy- and it does seem really odd not having a five year old following you around constantly talking about....everything under the sun! Cindy and I enjoyed a campfire last night with Ms. Sarah and tonight we're going out to dinner ....and we may actually be able to stay and dine longer than 30 minutes!

The race training is going well. I'm up to about 4 1/2 miles at a time, and I no longer feel like I've just been run over by a semi after completing a run. I'm running the 5 mile Labor of Love run in a couple of weeks, and then the Akron marathon is scheduled at the end of the month.

Where has the summer gone?

Well, it's back to school tomorrow, which brings an end to my Mr. Mom duties this summer. Back in early June, I would be lying to say that I didn't have a little anxiety about watching an infant all summer long...not to mention a five year old and a "pre-teen"...but, it really was a great summer. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, a baby will really "anchor" you down to the homestead, but little Sarah has brought more joy to Cindy and I in her young life that I wouldn't have traded the time I spent with her the past 10 weeks for anything in the world. With Josh, and Marie and times, as the leader of the pack, we've enjoyed the zoo, the metro parks, neighborhood walks, swimming/ slip-n' sliding, McDonald lunches , and trips to the ice-cream stand... and a lot of backyard "chillin" in the swing.

Cindy and I just returned late this afternoon from an awesome tubing trip up in Standish, Michigan. The weather was super, and it was nice to get away one last time before school begins. Our trip began with a Friday night dinner at Cooperstown/ baseball game up at the Jake (they actually won!), then a late night visit/ sleep at Becky and Troy's home in Ypsilanti (sp?)...and then an early morning trek up north towards Standish (near Saginaw). This was the first time that we have been away from Sarah, and Cindy was definitely ready to see her little girl today as we arrived back in Barberton. We are going to have to do some serious babysitting juggling for the next couple of weeks since Josh does not start back to school until after Labor Day. (Which I personally think should be a federal law for all school systems....beginning with mine!) Cody and Adam are planning on hanging out with the little guy through Wed. of this week, and then his big sister Marie will watch him on Thur. and Fri. Then, the following week, he's off to Marietta to spend a few days with Cindy's folks.

I probably should get to bed at a decent hour tonight (no more late-night TV with Jay Leno and Conan O-Brien)...we have three days of in-service planned for the Hoban gang...wow, the excitement about this is simply too overwhelming....I'll have to create my Christmas Break countdown calendar sometime at work tomorrow!

A trek to the Gorge

Well, at the time it seemed like a good idea. The weather forecast for today was 78 degrees and sunny...so I thought I'd pack the kids up this morning and hike the trail at the Gorge Metropolitan Park. The only minor detail that I kind of forgot was that the trail was 2 miles long. Sarah faired pretty well, but after the first mile, let's just say that I would be a very rich man for every time that the loquacious Josh uttered..."my body's aching, Dad!"...the first time was cute, but after hearing it for almost a mile...I too was longing for the van.

I used to come here all the time while in college. Having lived almost 5 years in the North Hill area of Akron...this was the ultimate get-away. The metro park has really improved the trail by the construction of all the wooden platforms and staircases...making it a much easier hike than what it used to be- as I tried to convince Josh during the last 1/2 hour of the walk.

Sarah actually fell asleep in her huggy napsack...which, if you have kids, you know what I mean when I say that sleeping children always seems heavier to carry- go figure!

True Wisdom

Paul Sartarelli asks, "What choices do you have to make? Will you consider using the wisdom the Book of Proverbs can give or will you choose the road of folly?"

For the past couple of weeks, our church has tackled the question as to how to use wisdom in making everyday decisions. Easier said than done.

"Let instruction and knowledge mean more to you than silver or the finest gold. Wisdom is worth much more than precious jewels or anything else you desire." (Proverbs 8: 10-11)

Certainly instruction and knowledge can come from our family and friends, but they too are susceptible to the "materialistic/ it's all about me" society that we all live in. I guess I'm as guilty as anyone when it comes to squandering money. Should Cindy and I be putting even more into the kids college fund instead of buying "stuff" that more than likely will end up in next year's garage sale? Or are we doing enough when it comes to charity and helping those who certainly are not as fortunate with their health and financial situations? I suppose that you could begin to second guess just about every decision in life, but I really think that one of the primary lessons in Proverbs is just asking us to prioritize and make sure that our decisions are not always self-centered, but instead reach out to those whom we love.

Money isn't the only issue here, as well. How about the decisions we make when it comes to the words we speak towards each other? Mike Castelli nailed this topic when he essentially told us that sometimes...it's just best to remain quiet. Words can be hurtful, spiteful, and utterly damaging when we don't truly think about the ramifications that they can cause. What may sound like a harmless sarcastic remark may not be similarly received by everyone else...I am so guilty of this one!

Finally, wisdom certainly beckons us when it comes to our family: the time we spend with them, the counsel/ advice we offer them, and the "listening" that we award them. Josh, who was somewhat of a late bloomer when it came to speaking, now never shuts up. It's truly amazing that a little boy of 5 years of age has so much to say, and after a while, it's kind of easy to treat him as a static radio station...but truly some of my favorite times with my son is when we're sitting outside together on the park bench in the evening and he proceeds to tell me all the things going on in his young, fascinating life- and he knows that I'm truly listening to him. He told me the other day that heaven is a place where you pray to Jesus to help all the "bad people" in the world to behave themselves; it's also a place where, if you've been good, you can just chill and relax (his two new favorite words)...words of wisdom from the mouths of babes.

Choosing among the roads of wisdom and folly...easier said than done.