As a parent, I am AMAZED each year on the first day of school that summer is over & that my child is now classified as a THIRD grader...how did that happen?! I saw all the kindergarten moms leaving with tears in their eyes and my heart breaks for them....it seems like yesterday that was me. I would be lying though if I didn't admit that I teared up while praying with her on the way to school and asking God to watch over her this year. I am turning a new leaf though - I vowed to stop constantly dwelling on the baby I am losing and embrace the young lady that she is becoming. It won't be easy - she is my baby, but I don't want to miss the triumphs because I am always in a state of mourning and sadness.
There is just something special about the first day of school. Everyone is excited and has shiny new backpacks (some even shine from glittered K's), new shoes, and they can't wait to see all their friends again. We all love fresh starts - even children.
Kaitlin loves to bring her teacher flowers in an apple on the first day of school and I figure it never hurts to let her teacher see her big heart before they hear her gift of gab! lol Her teacher this year is Mrs. McSwain and we are so excited and looking forward to a wonderful year. I can't wait to see how much she grows and learns this year - I'll try not to blink....
I received a funny email on responses given by a class of 2nd graders for WHY GOD MADE MOMS . This prompted me to have my Mom ask Kaitlin who was beginning 3rd Grade the same questions. Her answers are in red below:
Answers given by 2nd grade school children to the following questions:
Why did God make mothers?
1. She's the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.
2. Mostly to clean the house.
3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.
Kaitlin = So they can take care of us.
How did God make mothers?
1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.
2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.
3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.
Kaitlin = With his love.
What ingredients are mothers made of?
1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean..
2. They had to get their start from men's bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.
Kaitlin = Love, Kindness, Huggable.
Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?
1. We're related.
2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people's mom like me.
Kaitlin = She was ment for me.
What kind of a little girl was your mom?
1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff
2. I don't know because I wasn't there, but my guess would be pretty bossy..
3. They say she used to be nice..
Kaitlin = to take care of us.
Why did your mom marry your dad?
1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot
2. She got too old to do anything else with him.
3. My grandma says that mom didn't have her thinking cap on.
Kaitlin = because he was sweet and kind.
Who's the boss at your house?
1.. Mom doesn't want to be boss, but she has to because dad's such a goof ball.
2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.
4. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.
Kaitlin = Mommy.
What's the difference between moms and dads?
1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.
2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.
3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power 'cause that's who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.
4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.
Kaitlin = Mommy's are sweter.
What does your mom do in her spare time?
1. Mothers don't do spare time.
2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.
Kaitlin = Wach the View
What would it take to make your mom perfect?
1. On the inside she's already perfect.. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.
2. Diet. You know, her hair. I'd diet, maybe blue.
Kaitlin = Nothing.
If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?
1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I'd get rid of that
2. I'd make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.
3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes in the back of her head.
Kaitlin = to get my way.
Day 3 of our mini vacation was a stay at TbarM in San Marcos - a work competitor so I was very eager to check out the competition. We took a quick trip to Gruene Hall and had dinner at the Grist Mill and then went back to our hotel where we enjoyed an outdoor family movie with popcorn and headed to bed early to get some rest before Schlitterbahn the next day.
I had been one time before, but it was over 15 years ago! Way before there were 2 parks. We started with the tidal waves and Kaitlin loved it - this was her first trip to a large water park since she just got the hang of swimming this year (swimming lessons since she was 3, but swimming was just not her thing). She really liked it and next we got in line to do the large family intertube launch - what we didn't realize was that there was a 2 HOUR wait! As you can see it was worth it to get a shot like this:
We broke for a tailgate picnic lunch and then did most of the main slides and rivers before showering and heading home. It was a lot of fun and I think it will now be an annual trip.
So our sweet friends the Garretts invited us to the Frio for a weekend in his parent's cabin. Who could say no to a sweet FREE trip like that?! Not this family who is always on a tight budget. Even if it meant leaving at 9pm after a final VBS closing and not arriving until 2am - who cares - we're there! Ok, so it took a little coaxing to get Billy to make the haul that late, I bribed him with an extended overnight stay in San Marcos and free tickets to Schlitterbahn which would be our only Summer Vacation this year. (and other wifely things that I won't post here)
We arrived around 1:45 in the am to a house full of friends sippin wine, sharing stories, and kids tucked away in a house clearly built with grandkids in mind. The next day we headed to the Frio. Mindful that with the drought this year - the river would be very low. We set up our shade tent, threw our lawn chairs and coolers in the river and Timmy cranked up the river tunes. Every 100 ft was a tree with a giant rope swing and kids and adults plunging into the cold Frio river. Hesitant, Billy andI decided to sit and chat, I wasn't sure if I wanted to take the plunge or not. We kayaked with Kaitlin, had a picnic lunch, and thoroughly enjoyed the day
Later in the day, I decided that I should try the rope swing - I mean after all this girl did NOT beat cancer to sit around and not take life by the horns right?! Well after the first swing, I decided that I fell in way too fast and it was not because I was 42, no, not at all, it had to be because I could not get a running start...that's it. So I decided the rope down the river looked better with a better take off. So we all ran to it.
I saw some roots and repeatedly told all the children to make sure they swung out to avoid hitting them when they landed. Next it was my turn and I grabbed the rope with a rope extension that some genious had piggybacked onto the main rope so you could reach it easier. Somehow when I jumped, the extension rope coiled around my arm and when I let go...it did NOT let go. There are no printable words to insert here to describe the pain that came next, but the rope on my arm was not the worst part...no it was the tree root that I straddled when the extension rope prevented me from going out far enough. Let's just say I teared up and wanted to pack up my toys and go home.
The worst part was to come later and it looked something like this:
So when we left the next day to go to Schlitterbahn on the way home, Billy begged me to cover it up - hmmm.... somehow I forgot to pack long sleeves for a river trip! So I told him he better be really nice to me all day or I would act real submissive and tell him " I'm sorry honey, I promise I'll be good!" in front of everyone so they would think he did it! lol He didn't see the humor in my threat.
Even with the injury, I am glad that I jumped and that I didn't sit on the sideline. Life is more fun when you go for it - even if you get a few bumps and bruises along the way ;)
I LOVE Vacation Bible School. When we started attending ours at New Hope UMC when Kaitlin was just 3 - I can still remember leaving in tears that year because she was such a "pill" at the age of 3 and I could not reason with her during the lessons. Kaitlin has grown to love VBS as much if not more than I do. I have become very involved over the years and normally handle the decorations and outreach for the summer event.
This year we chose Pandamania and I have to say it was our best VBS ever! We turned our little church into a Chinese bamboo forest! The best part was that we had our best turn-out in the history of our VBS - we had over 40 children attend and they all seemed to really enjoy it. That is a lot considering our regular Sunday School attendance is around 10 children each Sunday.
This year our pastor, Rev Kevin Gilmore, decided that we would raise money for fire victims by having the kids bring coins for eithe him or me and whoever's jar was the fullest got to slam a pie in the other's face. (Luckily I won!)
I can't think of anything better than VBS - the faith of a child is immeasurable and so immense - I love teaching them how MUCH God loves them!
