The Brown's Scrapbook: October 2016

Friday, October 28, 2016

School Pictures - Carter, Addison and Delaney

Delaney - Age 3 1/2

Addison - 3rd grade; age 8

Carter - 4th grade; age 9 1/2

*Upload Delaney's real pictures we ordered when we find them!

Friday, October 21, 2016

Carter & Addison Chosen for Lighthouse Team

In early October, Carter came home saying that their new school, Roan Forest was going implementing their first year of the Steven Covey Leader In Me "Lighthouse Team," a select group of 14 kids that represent their school in leadership roles. Carter was honored to have been selected last year in 3rd grade while at Vineyard and we thought it was a once in an "Elementary Life-time" award. Well, hesitantly, we told Carter he could fill out the application. Addison hadn't come home with one that week and I overheard Carter asking her, "Why not?" Addison said she never heard her teacher offer them up so I was SHOCKED when she came home Thursday evening with an application that was due the very next morning. We had soccer practice that evening and I told her there was no way, we would be able to dedicate an hour to fill out the application in time. I used it as an opportunity to discuss being more "pro-active" than the "night-before,"but she was determined to do it. I remember we had a terrible argument but in the midst of it, she stayed focused and stayed up SO late finishing half of it. Then, she took the initiative, to set her alarm 40 minutes early to to 5:45AM that Friday morning and she got up and finished it. I was beyond shocked on her passion, follow-through, her tenacity and determination.

With them both applying, Blake and I knew that there would be no way that they would both get selected. Maybe that was an internal reason I wasn't encouraging her to apply that night, I don't know... but they both were selected for interviews the following week.

We didn't practice... we wanted them to be themselves. The only thing we discussed was shaking their hands when they walked into the "panel interview."

The following Friday, when Blake picked them up from school, we were absolutely beyond shocked to find out that they had both been selected (1 of 2-3 students for each grade level) for the Lighthouse Team. Like jaw dropping, hit the floor shocked!

Saturday afternoon, we received a call from Addison's teacher, Ms. Hernandez, who serves on the Lighthouse Administration team and she filled us in on how it all panned out. When Carter walked into his interview, Mrs. Hernandez, was the only person that connected the dots that Carter and Addison were siblings. With them only being at the new school for 2 months, it wasn't common knowledge yet. She decided to not tell the committee proactively, she said she wanted them to make the choice individually. She said she stayed very neutral and quiet on both Carter and Addison because she wanted the committee to make the decision on the two of them. It wasn't until the very end of the discussions that she clarified the connection and everyone was super surprised yet they ultimately agreed that they couldn't punish one of the them, just because they happened to be siblings from the same family.

The amount of adoration and proudness of these two kids is at an all time high. They are amazingly awesome kids and we are so proud they call us, mom and dad.

We found out at the end of the school year that they get to remain on Lighthouse Team for their rest of the time at Roan Forest. This made Addison and Carter's tenacity that particular busy evening ever more rewarding.