Paddy's Day weekend

March is always a busy month in the Mcginty house...in a 2 week span we have our wedding anniversary, Tim's, Callahan's and Patrick's birthday. At the end of the month is Karrick's birthday.

Today was the district science fair. My Callahan took home 1st place! He came up with an idea to make affordable earthquake proof homes. He found if you construct a home using a tire base, the tire absorbed the shocks.  There are millions of old tires just begging to be used.

The judges were amazed at Callahan's knowledge and background information. Callahan has been blessed with an eidetic memory so he can go on for hours. The judges thought his idea was fascinating, but wished he displayed more of his knowledge on his board. that is probably what knocked him out of  "best in show". he was disappointed, but we were proud.

Below Cal built one balsa wood structure on a base supported by rubber tires and one w/o tires. When he shook the table the non-tire structure collapsed each time.

Parents weren't allowed in during judging so the shot is from practice at home. Cal said it went perfectly

My little Karrick in his 1st science fair ever took home 2nd place. He built a solar car all by himself and ran the tests all by himself. He even directed me on how to shoot the testing shots

Happy Birthday Patrick- 11 years old

 After the science fair Karrick went to a buddies birthday party at extreme trampoline...great day for the new car!

 My Callahan turned 13 yesterday!

He has turned into a teenager right before our eyes! He is growing like a weed almost 5'9, he has become the object of many girls affection. These girls text him non-stop and he meets a few at the mall every weekend

 Last night we went to Harry Carry's in Lombard for Cal's birthday dinner

I am officially the mother of 2 teenage boys...holy smokes how did this happen

they were just like this yesterday it seems

Happy Birthday and Happy Anniversary

photo taken by me at the Chicago History Museum of the Great Chicago Fire 

This weekend Tim and I celebrated our wedding anniversary and his birthday...2 days apart. We spent the weekend downtown and as always has a fabulous time. I was born and raised in Chicago and I love the fact that 47 years later we can find new things to do...always a tourist!

trampoline fun

One step closer

Callahan's passport came in the mail today...it makes his trip to Italy seem more real

Callahan was one of 10 "academically talented" kids selected from his middle school to go on a 10 day educational tour of Italy this June with his teacher. Tim is also going as a chaperone, they will visit Rome, Florence and Venice

Callahan is the 1st one in our immediate family to get a passport. Tim's should arrive any day now. I guess I haven't been out of the country since 9/11. I've been to Mexico, Jamaica and the Bahama's a few times, but only needed a birth certificate. Just aged myself. I will  get the rest of us passports eventually...just in case I win that all expense paid trip to....somewhere

A friend of mine lost her son


The sadness I feel is deep and there are no words


God Bless this family

• FILED UNDER

• News

CHICAGO — Conner Lowry wanted to fight for his country but understood his mother and siblings in Chicago would worry if they thought he was going to be sent into combat.

On Friday, less than a day after learning that the 24-year-old Marine corporal had been killed in Afghanistan, his mother and younger sister remembered how even he was getting ready to leave as he tried to protect them as best he could, even if it meant saying something he couldn’t possibly believe himself.

“I was pretty upset and he saw that (so) he said, ‘Grace, don’t worry, I’m just going to guard some gate in Europe, I probably won’t see any combat,’” 17-year-old Grace Lavin said.

The family still didn’t know the specifics of what happened except that Lowry, a gunner in a Humvee, was killed March 1.

The Department of Defense said Friday Lowry died while conducting combat operations in Helmand province and that the incident was under investigation.

They think “it was just my boy” who was killed, his mother, Modie Lavin, said, but she wasn’t certain of that either. The family waited for answers from military representatives coming to their house, along with details about when Lowry’s remains would arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware.

In the meantime, they talked about the popular boy he had been, and the young man “more handsome than the day is long,” as his mother put it, that he grew to be. And they talked about what he wanted to do with his life.

A lifelong resident of Chicago’s South Side, Lowry as a boy was, like a lot of the city’s kids, a huge fan of Notre Dame sports and he couldn’t get enough of Chicago Bulls basketball star Michael Jordon.

“His life revolved around Michael Jordan,” Modie Lavin said. “He had Michael Jordan shoes, shorts, socks, everything.”

Lowry’s mother said he was a “decent athlete” who grew to be 6-foot-5 inches tall and played football at Brother Rice High School, a prominent Catholic high school on the South Side.

He went to college in Iowa and after a couple of years decided to enlist in the Marines with a couple of buddies.

“He thought it would be good for him, he thought it would be good for his country,” she said.

Lavin said she was stunned at the news, saying that hers is not a military family and that she could think of no one who had served.

“I just told him, ‘Please don’t,’” she said.

And yet she watched him turn into “an outstanding Marine.”

“He got lots of accolades, a big award at Camp Pendleton,” his mother said.

In the Marines since September 2008 and in Afghanistan since last October, Lowry was just four months from being discharged, his sister said.

“He couldn’t wait to get back home to South Side, Irish Catholic Chicago,” and hopefully get a job as a Chicago firefighter, said his mother. “That’s all he talked about.”

On Friday, the principal of Brother Rice, Jim Antos, told the students that someone who once walked the same halls had been killed in Afghanistan — the second student from Lowry’s class to die there in the past two years.

Antos, who got to know Lowry at a school retreat and sometimes talked to him about his own experience in the Army during the Vietnam War, recalled a “good kid.”

“He came to visit (the school) last spring about this time of year to see a few teachers, and I was privileged to be one of them,” Antos said. “He told me he was probably going to be deployed. He was smiling; his life was together.”

| ASSOCIATED PRESs

and the Oscar goes to...

E-Trade Capital Markets

Looks mighty nice in his office with a view

friends

snowflake

Shot with Canon Marco100mm f/2.8

2 steps forward, 1 step back...follow up of a TBI

He looks perfectly fine, right?

 That's one of the problems for people that have suffered a traumatic brain injury. People don't get it...if you look perfectly fine, people think you're fine and they expect you to function  at a normal level. Thank God the high school gets it. They have been incredible...everyone. Every single person says what a wonderful kid TJ is and how he is handling this at such a mature level

After missing almost 20 weeks of school TJ went back 1/2 days for 3 weeks or so.  He seemed to then turn a corner...the switch was flipped as the brain specialist said would happen. I saw my old happy, funny, quick kid again. TJ wanted to go back full time because attending morning classes 1 day and pm the next was impossible to keep up with.

The 1st 2 full days went great...no headaches...nothing

Day 3 and 4 ,TJ had developed a headache mid-day that required him to seek Advil from the school nurse. He also had to seek refuge in "the dark room" a room in the nurses office that houses 8 cots and no lights. Each time TJ recovered in less than an hour.

Yesterday morning at 6:50 am Tj and I had a meeting with the counselor, nurse, psychologist and all of TJ's teachers. It was to see if TJ qualified for the 504 plan.

About 45 min into it TJ's eyes started to get bloodshot and I could see him struggling to stay focused. Of course my tears started flowing...it's just been endless and completely unfair to the kid. After the meeting I gave TJ Advil and he went to classes with a giant headache. He came home after school dying, just in incredible pain. I gave him a Fioricet  which is reserved for only the worst headaches 7 or higher on the 1-10 pain chart. Over use will cause repeat headaches in the future. TJ than slept for a good 2-3 hrs. He woke with a headache and went to bed with a headache a few hrs later.

 This morning I woke TJ for school and he was a bear, just miserable. It is a horrible sign if you wake up with headaches because your brain was in the ideal rest state for 8 hrs.

 He was sent to school with Advil (in his system not pocket) at 7am. At 8:30 TJ called from the nurses office....dying. I didn't want to bring him home because this crap my go on for months and he may have to learn to stick it out. I went to the school armed with fioricet, an ice pack and a diet coke, the coke was for me, but a few sips for TJ as the caffeine helps with headaches. I gave him all his stuff and told him to lay down for 20 min. I waited in the nurses office with the nurse.

she commented to me that TJ was a little confused this morning about his new school schedule that was put in place as a result of our meeting the day before. 

She suggested I take TJ home, that it is had been a long overwhelming week.

I brought him home and he went to bed, I woke him up when I got home from work...still with a headache  Aarrgh! He took another nap around 5 and now he feels better.

TJ had to drop his investing class because he already full filled that credit requirement last year. It would be better suited as another study hall to make up last semesters credits.

TJ was taken out of ICA (college Algebra) and dropped down to intermediate Algebra that works at a slower pace.. He has 3 classes in the morning then, study hall, lunch and PE  which is used as a study hall with credit...the kid played football and baseball on the HS team he deserves a free damn PE credit!

That 3 period,  almost 3 hr chunk of time also serves well to nap in the dark room if necessary. He does 2 afternoon classes than the final period is another study hall to make up 1st semester work. The school has resource centers that have teachers available to help him with 1 on 1 tutoring . Most of the teachers scaled back last semester work...forget the homework assignments just pass the tests...except the English teacher...she would not budge in that meeting. She had an entire page of missing assignments, 3 novel to read etc. The kid just started reading again (words and paragraphs would move...TJ had convergence issues with his eyes) I am not implying that anyone should pass my kid without a proper education, but 3 fucking novels? plus this semester English work...she could have at very least knocked off 1 book... will that really stop him from being successful in life? She was asked by more than 1 administrative personal to scale it back and she didn't budge

It is going to be a challenge even with all the help the school is providing for TJ to make up last semester...he can do only what he can do

So I struggle on how much to push him, when to pull back...it's hard to find the middle ground. Sometimes I get wrapped up in "making up all the work so he can graduate on time) Then I have to check myself...THE KID HAS A TRAUMATIC BRAIN INJURY...HIS BRAIN!!!!

Does it really matter if he goes an extra semester...in the big picture of life who the HELL cares if he graduates at 17 or 18? He'll only be more mature, he only have a little extra time before hegoes to college and then is thrusted into the work force...if he starts his career at 24 instead of 23 will he be destined to live under a bridge?

At the meeting we all sat at an oval table and had to go around and introduce our selves. when it was TJ's turn he goes 

"I'm TJ and I got hit in the head"

It was really cute and everyone laughed

Just my boy

Here's just a sample of  some of the proofs from TJ's photo shoot last week

Here's just a sample of  TJ's proofs

a little reading

So cute  how Karrick twirls his hair when he reads. He just giggles away while reading The Wimpy Kid books. Love that he'll just pick up a book and start reading on his beanbag chair

lakefront

While TJ was at his acting class yesterday, I walked over to Ohio Street beach. I was shooting the waves hitting the snowy shore when this bird walks right into my shot. I have continuous pictures starting with just a foot all the way to the entire bird.

It was actually a very sunny warm day (for Feb). The ice and snow was just along the ledge where the sun doesn't hit and I added the rain for fun.

My three hours to kill have been pretty fun. I get lots of exercise and get to explore different parts of the city. I used to live across the street from Ohio St beach 20 years ago...It is completely different. Outside my old front door they put in a walking tunnel under LSD. I use to have to walk to Illinois and navigate under LSD without being hit by some car. There are high rises where empty lots use to be. 20 years ago the weekends were dead...no one around. Really made me feel old

TJ's class is on LaSalle and Ontario (kitty corner from Rock n Roll McDonalds) and we get all day parking for 9 bucks. 

My new bauble

I got a new car!!!
I GOT A NEW CAR!!!
We finally had to send Bessie aka "the Clampett mobile" to the farm.

HOW FREAKING CUTE IS SHE?

My new ride has turbo and one button to activate the power convertible top.

No more pulling over on 294, 3 or 4 times to restart the van because the transmission would get stuck in a low gear. It went from 0-45pmh in 3 min...no more right lane for me. Will my IDOT men miss me? Just think i'll never have to bang the key with my ipass box in order to turn the key to start the engine again
I can throw away my laminated cheat sheet for parking attendants....maybe that's why they always directed to me to my car instead of bringing it to me 

No more keeping bottles of steering fluid, brake fluid, transmission fluid, antifreeze and oil in the back of the van at all times. Everything leaked, snow melted right away on the black stain.
 I suppose now we can redo the driveway

black stain from Bessie

another warm sunny February day

Act One Studio

TJ started his acting class "Teen Film and Television"   downtown today at Act One Studio which was suggested by his agent. She thinks TJ just needs a little polishing. It is 3 hours every Saturday for 9 weeks. I have 3 hours to kill every Sat, today I walked around in the 15 degree weather and shot some pictures. (bird above)

My biggest concern was TJ not liking the class, it's a long session and there are no refunds.  When I went back to pick up TJ he came out beaming, just beaming!! All the classes are taught by industry professionals with impressive resumes.

Connie is TJ's teacher...needless to say TJ was impressed. She told my TJ that he has Perfect teeth, perfect skin and will look great on film . TJ's fear walking in was that he would be lagging behind the other teens because he lacks professional training. These comments at the beginning of class were all TJ needed to relax and enjoy the class. He even volunteered to be filmed 1st. Turns out he is the only one that has Representation out of the 9 kids in class today

Maybe not being able to play sports isn't such a bad thing. TJ was trying to do both last year and couldn't give either one 100%. He has a better chance of being a professional actor then a pro baseball player...

Now I have to figure out how to entertain myself every Saturday for 3 hrs. Too bad it's not June, I could spend it at the Beach

It was a gift to see a sparkle in TJ's eyes again

Bad mom award

This is what I found in karrick's backpack this morning. One would think that maybe karrick would have mentioned

 "hey mom my shoes are smashing my toes which make me cry in PE"

OR

" Um, Mom, I can't run in PE because my toes are curled under my foot like an ancient Chinese woman" 

OR

" I have to wear my street gym shoes in PE because my toes go numb with my PE shoes"

scratch that last one because

  IF HE WORE HIS STREET SHOES HE WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN CRYING IN CLASS!

finally, if he is crying in class I probably don't need to check the size...right?

Karrick's a Beau

Hinsdale's Got Talent? Babes 'N Beaus Will Let You Know

The article link above was repeated  in today's paper 

Above is my little Karrick after his interview with the owner of Babes 'N Beaus
.
He is officially a Beau 

my little golden boy

Hard to believe we spent the day at the park without coats in February.

Karrick bought himself a beanbag chair with his saved Christmas money.

kick in the pants

I found this on a photographers Facebook page, I'm hoping it gives me the boost of confidence I need to start my photography business

Little Einstein

Karrick is one of 5 kids pulled out of class for advanced math.  He was awarded the Einstein award from the advanced math class. The kid has a mind for numbers and problem solving. Karrick can rip through physics games like no other on the computer.

The icing on the cake was today his standardized test scores came home and my little Karrick scored in the 99th % in Math

A far cry from the little boy that struggled in Kindergarten

Cutie got a haircut