Junie's School Photo!

 Junie's junior year photo, taken August 31st of this year. 

Homecoming 2023

This is Homecoming weekend for Junie, and it began with her wearing her homecoming 2023 t-shirt to school. 

(I mean, it began long before, with ordering the corsages and getting the nails, but you know what I mean). 

She and her friend Bella got ready at the house

I drove them to Hue, a Vietnamese restaurant where they met up with and dined with Kevin, another of the Core Four. 

Rebecca, one of our exchange student from last year, joined in over the phone. 

 

Then I drove all 3 of them to the dance at their school - during a chilly rainstorm, all the while while nursing a horrible cold I might add (I'm a hero!)

When I picked them up hours later they reported they'd had a great time, and it sure looked like it from the photos!

The First Day of School

I think technically it's "mortuary science" but I might be wrong about that too lol.  Lulu has not only been studying to be a funeral director, she's obtained her embalming license and works an internship at a local funeral home. 

Good luck this semester Lu!

The First Day of the 2023-24 School Year

And then there was 1. How'd this happen? Have the best 1st day as an upperclassman Junie! ❤️  - Lisa 

Forgive the crude edit on the sign. I'm under no illusion that you can't figure out Junie's name if you sniff around this site long enough, but why make it easy? 

Last night Lisa picked up Insomnia cookies as a "last day of summer vacation" treat, and Junie walked us through a detailed tour of her new backpack and its accoutrements.

 She also showed off her back-to-school outfit, but this *isn't* the same shirt. Alas, I'm at work and couldn't inquire about the change. 

For the record, I am NOT happy to see her return to school. I was never happy to see my kids go back, not after Summer break, not after Christmas; I enjoy their company, and I view parents that celebrate the day with a fair amount of suspicion. 

Anyway, I've already shed a few tears over this, so I'm signing off before there's more waterworks. 

Have a great first day of Junior year Junie!

- Dad

Our Back to School Gift

School resumes tomorrow, marking the quickest summer ever, in my opinion, and to make sure the students at the high school started the year off right, Lisa and I went and filled the little library out front with goodies. 

Afterwards, along with Lisa's Mom and our doggos, we drove out to Tastee Twist for some treats for ourselves.

Have a great and productive School year!!

A Middle School Pic and a Happy Birthday to my Sister

 Here's a pic from my middle school years ('86 -1988), obviously taken at a Pizza Hut. We very rarely ate out as a kid so I'm thinking this was a birthday, either mine or my sister Katie's. She's seated next to me in the picture. Wave back to me folks, don't be rude now. 

As today is said sisters birthday (Happy Birthday Katie!) and I had the pic available, it seemed as good a day as any to post it. 

BTW - That's my buddy Erv in blue, turned towards the camera, but his presence was ubiquitous, so it doesn't preclude it from being a celebration for Katie. 

Paint & Play

So yesterday evening Lisa and I (and, independently, YaYa and her BF) went to see Smiley's art show at his school. 

Now I  thought it was to be an exhibition of visual art work - you know, painting on a wall, sculptures on a pedestal. Nope. It was something far better, a combination of art, music, and game. 

A music major would perform a solo piece of classical music, while a single art major would stand in the front of the room, canvas to the crowd, and paint a piece in only the time provided by the music. When it was done, so was the painting. When it wasn't their turn to paint, each art student would complete the same task at their seat, but with dry media. 

Smiley painted to "Watashi No Uno" accompanied by a great pianist who was at our house for Halloween, as she's a friend of Dem's. 

After the intermission the six art students rotated out, and he jointed us to watch the rest of the show. 

After the show each drawing was up for sale for a $5 donation to the school, and we took home 5 - two of Smiley's (the dual faces and the flowers), a sarcastic Shrek work that he thought was hilarious, a drawing by his ex CeeCee (which we gifted to her) and a drawing of a woman in the woods the we all admired. 

Good job man! We're proud of you!!

* some pics courtesy of Yaya

Snow in Lincoln County

Smiley sent me this morning.  He's on a Senior retreat at Treehaven, up in Tomahawk.

As you can see it snowed there, something those of us in SE Wisconsin have happily avoided this fall.  

Still, there's no denying the beauty of a fresh snowfall. 

An Email from Junie's Teacher

Dear Mr. Slap

It is lovely to have a third Slap daughter go through my classroom. You have raised some strong willed young ladies, and I think each one keeps getting "stronger." Junie definitely has her opinions and is happy to share them. In general I take it as a compliment, because even though she complains about every book, film, audiobook, essay, etc that we read, she is knowledgeable enough to be able to critique things, which shows that she is paying attention and evaluating things she hears. 

Her daily work has been getting good grades (Proficient, meaning pretty good, missing somethings). 

She did not do the Analysis essay though, one we have been working on in class for the last week. It is still available in google classroom for her to submit and get a good grade on (until the end of October). 

Thanks! 

Alexander Br-

Pronouns: he/him

MPS's Cellphone Policy

 Is the new phone confiscation policy just my kid's school or all of MPS? 

Note: "Cell phone collection policy" ...IMO in response to student's recording fights and posting ...therefore tarnishing the MHSA/MPS image...which is laughable.

Way to Go!

Congratulations to Junie,  our resident HS freshman, on making varsity in forensics!!

School Photos 2021-22 Junie (Freshman) and Smiley (Junior)