the cold and the disappointment

Well, we are having another windshield advisory day today, with temperatures so low the school is cancelled again.  We've had more snow days this year than we've ever had and it feels like the kids are barely learning anything.  Today I am wishing I had the teachers' lesson plans so I could do it at home with the kids.  They're saying the kids will have to make up days they missed in June, but really that will not help them with learning because by then they're not tackling any new lessons or anything.  So I need to find my own work sheets and ideas for them to do.  Mostly, we all just want it to get warmer so we can be outside, not to mention so we don't have to put all our extra money towards heating.  It is getting pretty bad for some people because there is shortage of propane, the prices are way up and just yesterday they were telling people to use the minimum of the natural gas because there was an explosion in Canada and now they don't have enough gas for everyone.  So a really fun winter for everyone. :)

Kade's basketball got done this weekend.  That was the regular season and they were going to announce the "traveling" team yesterday which is a big deal because you get to have more practices and games until March.  It just blows my mind that they have 13 boys on the team and they cut 3 of them out so they only have 10 for the traveling team when they could easily just take turns playing the game.  But despite that, Kade was doing so well this year.  Yes, he's one of the shortest kids but he's fast and athletic and at least 5 boys were evidently worse players than him and several boys are about the same as him.  So he was so excited about having a chance of being in the traveling team and I was excited for him because last year they didn't pick him.  So the time came when they announced it on the web site and I could not believe my eyes.  Kade was eliminated again!  I was so upset, way more than Kade actually. :)  I just could not understand and still can't how the coaches can be that unfair.  Anyone that has eyes and watched those boys play a game could see that Kade belonged in the team.  I have no words.  This basketball group is made of volunteer coaches which are the dads of the kids in basketball and pretty much if your dad is not a coach or are not good friends with the coach, your chances of getting into a team are very slim.  And that is so sad and makes me really angry at the same time.  But, there's nothing we can do.  I let the coach and the main person know about how I felt at least and he did not deny that it wasn't fair so they know it too and don't care.  My heart just breaks for Kade who tried so hard and could see he's better than those boys yet he didn't make it.  How do you explain it to a 10 year old?  Life is not fair and never will and I'm just praying that this is a good lesson for him to learn.  In the end, I really hope he never quits trying.  I hope he keeps fighting for what he loves doing and for what he believes in.  Even if nobody out there believes in him.