Around here we watch Frozen a lot. For those of you who may have seen it before, remember the scene where Anna wakes up the morning of Coronation Day? At first she wakes up thinking it is just another day, but then she remembers that it is a special day. She sits up and says, "It's Coronation Day!" Well that is how I felt when I woke up yesterday morning - I woke up thinking it was just another Saturday when I would have to do all my Saturday morning errands. But then ---I remembered that this was the day we were going shopping - for items to go BACK TO SCHOOL!!!
In the spring, the thought of summer seems so wonderful. Having more free time, not having the strict schedule of school, not having to go to as many activities, ect. But the reality is that I run a daycare out of our home. I absolutely love my job. I love children, and I really feel that God has put me right where I belong. Having said that, I also feel that God has a sense of humor. Otherwise known as my summer.
We always have lots of "Old Babies", which are kids I started watching as babies, who have grown up! I love them all so much and are so proud of them, and absolutely love watching them grow, and getting to spend lots of time with them June - August.
And their are lots of magical times - like the water gun fights and Minecraft wars. Hiking trails back behind our house and running through the soccer field sprinklers in our swimsuits. Making popcorn and spending half an hour sweeping up the popcorn and seasoning mess. Taking an adorable 8 year old to piano lessons on our town square. Trips to the library.
There are also some adventurous times. Like when a 6 year old boy always leaves a lot of pee on the toilet seat. So I told him when he is done he needs to get some toilet paper and wipe it off. He said he would and that was that. Until today his sister caught him using an entire new roll out of the cabinet to clean off the pee with, then placing that roll back in the cabinet. And now our entire group is afraid to use any toilet paper anywhere in the house.
Or playing frisbee as a group, to play "stand where the frisbee lands." That is just asking for trouble. I have stood in the middle of flowers and bees, in a honeysuckle bush, at the very bottom of a hill - alone and certain everyone had run in and left me there.
A preschool aged diva who takes her nap in my bedroom. Every day when we go to check on her, she has gotten into my closet and is wearing a pair of my fanciest black heels. Last week she was all sprawled out wearing my big black boots. She was awake when we came in and she simply said, " I got these."
We have had some cool summer nights. Those are so fun to make a fire in the ole fire pit in the back yard. One night we had a friend over, while I was sitting in the house. A kid (my kid) came in and asked if she could use a jar to catch some lightening bugs. How cute! "Of course you can have a jar!" I said, "Pick out any one you want out of the cabinet." Quite a while went by while I heard her really jabbing the lid with a knife to make air holes. When she brought me her jar full of air holes, very proudly, I realized that she had picked my
very best jar from the jelly stand at the farmers market. With the beautiful lid
just full of holes. I don't think she even caught one lightening bug. Sacrifices.
One day my husband and I loaded up 6 preteens/big kids to go to some parks. We went to several different playgrounds around town and had a great time. Our last park was one small one tucked away in the middle of a residential neighborhood. Their is never anyone there, so I thought that would be a good one to wind them down and segue towards going home. We get there, they get out and play a little bit, everything is mellow. But then, out of nowhere, come a whole gang of 4th grade aged kids on bikes. Whizzing past our group so fast that it made our hair blow back. They rode past the playground, down this hill, past trees, and across a little bridge, around the corner out of our sight, to a mowed area with picnic tables. They brought to mind every 1980's movie featuring kids that get into trouble, and you always wonder where there parents are. "My" kids were completely in awe of this gang. They were perplexed by them.
"Do you think they own this park?" they asked. And.. "Do you think they will tell us to leave?" "What do you think they are DOING down there? Very
slowly they crept past the playground equipment. Through the trees - maybe dodging behind the occasional one. To the little bridge where they very nervously tried to spy on our new friends. A couple of times the "gang" would get a little noisy so I ended up with 4 kids hiding behind me. I don't know how much protection I could offer them against a dozen upper elementary students. Finally, the "gang" rode their bikes out of their grotto to go back to wherever they came from. One of them accidentally splattered a little dirt on one of our kids, and stopped to apologize and ask if our kid was ok. And that is how our group made peace with a gang. Of 4th graders.
I will definitely miss these kids when they go back to school. A little 8 year old girl comes to visit me and loves the movie Titanic. (Who doesn't?) We watch it - while skipping a few parts - on Netflix frequently. So much the boys here who say they aren't watching or listening, can recite parts of the movie. She has an I-Pad, and when they are all playing Minecraft she plays the song "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Deon. Over and over again. Sometimes when I peek in, I see the boys singing along under their breath.
There is no profession I respect more than the teaching profession. Teachers are miracle workers in my book, and deserve to have 3 months off at the end of the year. I will proudly take over for them and care for their students a couple of months. But Finn and I sure are tired. We are looking forward to our slower paced days filled with little tiny ones. But never fail, Christmas break is just around the corner!
So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
Isaiah 41:10
P.S. Note that the big back to school cookie above is misspelled:)
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