Live Bloggin' It, Dinner-Style

4:45 - enter the house after a three hour shopping trip with three of the children to Game Stop, Target, the Dollar Store (lots of green/orange items for my newly painted preschool classroom!), and to pick up Bandit the hedgehog from his pet sitter

4:50 - finish unloading everything from car to hear screams of distress that Bandit's cage has dumped out all the care fresh (rife with poop I'm sure, but I can't handle thoughts of that right now) and it's "HIS FAULT!"

4:51 - send vacuum upstairs to the offending party with reminders that it was an accident

4:55 - head upstairs to help reassemble the cage and cut felt for the bottom instead of care fresh, because "none of the scissors will cut the felt"

4:56 - successfully clean up/reassemble the cage

4:59 - look longingly at the couch for a rest since I woke up inexplicably at 5:45 am, but head to the stove to start dinner instead.

5:01 - pour myself a glass of wine and eat some cheese and crackers while I work on dinner

5:05 - whilst making dinner, guide a discussion with my daughter about what she needs to take to college

5:06 - suggest she make a google doc

5:07 - listen to intense teasing from my oldest two about how late I am to the game of google docs, and how I want to make a google doc for everything

5:08 - laugh till I'm in tears

5:09 - switch laundry while hamburger is browning

5:10 - listen to the children laugh/talk/dance in ridiculous ways and realize just HOW LOUD my family is

5:12 - listen to the boys in the basement playing their newly purchased video game

5:15 - remind one boy for the third time that he can't shoot his brothers with Nerf Rival bullets

5:20 - finish dinner prep and sit down at the island, everyone engaged in something and the house now quiet

5:21 - realize just how much I love the craziness of our home

New York, New York!

My 18 year old daughter and I just returned from a trip to the Big Apple, and it was fabulous.  We took in the sights, rode public transportation, ate NY food, and had a great time together.  A few of my thoughts:

• NYC and NJ transportation can be stressful.  But my competent daughter had all the apps (I did too) and led us confidently all over the place.  We learned a few things  1.  a Metro unlimited pass cannot be used by two people, unless you want to wait 18 minutes between uses,  2. if you don't wave a NJ city bus down, even if you are standing directly by the bus stop sign, it will fly past you without a second glance,  and 3.  it is amazing how many people can be packed onto a subway or bus.
• Broadway shows are unbelievable.  We saw two - Come From Away (the story of the diverted 9/11 planes to Newfoundland), which was funny, poignant and full of talent; and The Play That Goes Wrong, which was a hilarious slap stick show complete with a collapsing set.  Both shows took place in impressive old theaters, full of history and Broadway tradition.  We loved them both!
• Our NBC tour and taping of Late Night with Seth Myers were highlights for my daughter (along with Come From Away).  She watches SNL and 30 Rock, so it was really cool to be in that building seeing so much of what we've seen on TV.  I was hoping for a chance sighting of Jimmy Fallon or Al Roker, but no such luck.  We did have our tours done by NBC pages, which made us think of Kenneth (they were not as funny as Kenneth, sadly).
• We ate at Shake Shack and a couple of other NY places, but we really didn't spend much time or money on food, oddly. We were focused on seeing what we wanted to see, and neither one of us needed a big sit down meal during the whole three days.  So we ate here and there quickly, in between all of our walking (and walking and walking!).
• There are a LOT of people in NYC.  Of course we knew that already, but Times Square after our Broadway shows let out was insane!  I wouldn't want to be in that kind of environment all the time, but it was fun for our few days!
• A "quick" trip to IKEA on the way home netted lots of college gear too - BONUS!

The best part of our trip was simply spending time together.  We laughed and talked and laughed some more.  I am thankful for the time we had there!

The Week(ish) In Pictures

A little summary of the last couple weeks, photo-style:

This is a picture of our stairs, lined with Bath and Body Works Limoncello Body Cream.  This stuff is the best consistency and the best scent ever made.  And since I love the scent, it was destined to be discontinued (read more about that here).  I was in BBW with the kids (if you haven't been to BBW with multiple children, you haven't lived, btw) and saw they were on clearance.  I bought as many as our budget would allow, and some jokester lined them up when we got home.  I may keep them there as new decor.

This little cutie sits in my spice cabinet, full of cinnamon and sugar.  When I was a girl, we had this very kind of shaker for our cinnamon and sugar, so when my mom found one, she snatched it up for us.  Every time I get it out for one of the kids, I am taken back to the 70s and my happy childhood.

Two pictures from my daughter's graduation party.  We had a chalkboard theme and I looooved it.  After a few weeks of buying decor for the party, I had to give myself a little lecture about overbuying cute chalkboard items.  We had chalkboard stuff everywhere - it was so fun!  My 16 year old son didn't think so, though.  He wandered through the dining room during the week of the party, saw the chalkboard paraphernalia being lettered and prepped everywhere, and proclaimed humorously, "All this chalkboard stuff is obnoxious!  There is no way we are having a ridiculous theme like this when I have a party!".  He cracks me up.

(And for the record, we will be having a theme for his party. :)

The other day I was at the eye doctor with three of my kids.  Our appointment was scheduled for 3:30, and we had to be at a baseball pregame practice by 5:00.  I knew time would be tight and I had prepped my son's coach that he might be a little late.  As we sat in the waiting room, a nice gentleman across from us struck up a conversation.  We talked about sports, hedgehogs, pet rocks, jobs, school and vision problems.  He was very friendly and after we had both been waiting for 30 or more minutes, he asked which doctor I was seeing.  When I told him, he said, "Oh, you must be scheduled after me".  With an inward groan I looked at my watch, knowing that we were going to barely make it for the start of the game.  A few minutes later, the nurse came out and called the man for his appointment.  He called her over and said he'd like to switch appointments so we could have his.  "I'm retired", he said.  "I'm not in a hurry."  I was so touched and thanked him.  Back in the exam room as we waited longer, I wrote him a little note and left it with the girls up front when I left. Such kindness and thoughtfulness to a stranger!  We were blessed by his generous heart!

Graduation Reflections, Part Two

Our girl has graduated high school.  It has happened.  Between Baccalaureate, Graduation, prepping for her open house, and hosting her open house, things have been a little crazy over here.  A few thoughts:

• Upon hearing Pomp and Circumstance, I was instantly taken back to my own high school graduation ceremony and it felt quite impossible that I was not, indeed, 18 years old myself, but was watching my own 18 year old daughter enter the theater with her class.  
• The only time I got choked up the entire weekend (can you believe it??) was when she and her class were instructed to move their tassels to the other side of their caps, indicating that they were now alumni of Marian High School.  Alumni!
• Prepping for a graduation party is a lot of work.  We decided to do all the food and cupcakes for 100+ people.  But - I enjoyed all the preparations with my daughter, mom and mother-in-law.  Thanks to google, we were able to calculate how much of everything we needed (and even though we had more people than we expected, we still had leftovers).  We browned hamburger, baked cupcakes, shopped for decor, bought taco toppings, and generally had a great time doing it all.
• We went to church on Saturday night so we could prep on Sunday morning for the party that afternoon.  All the girls and moms sat at the island, laughing and icing cupcakes.  My dad blew off the deck and sprayed for mosquitoes.  Everything ran smoothly and I thoroughly enjoyed the time we had together as we pulled it all together for our girl. That morning's preparations will remain embedded in mind as some of the best memories of the weekend.
• Extended family arrived and with them, two of my dear friends from college.  They drove 8+ hours to come and run the kitchen for me during the party.  Yes - that was their purpose in coming - to celebrate our daughter, and to work. And work they did!  As people arrived, my husband, daughter and I stayed near the front door, greeting everyone, while my friends worked tirelessly, refilling food, drinks and cupcakes.  And looking fabulous while doing it!  I was beyond moved by their generous outpouring of love for me and my family. I guess I was wrong above, because I cried for the second time that weekend, when they left to head back to Missouri.  How grateful I am to have such friends as they are!
• After everyone left, and all the dishes were washed, and the chairs and tables returned to church,  we sat down with our immediate family while our daughter opened her cards and gifts. After awhile we sent the younger kids to bed and it was just us with her.  And the emotions of the weekend caught up with her.  As she read everyone's kind words of support and love, she was overwhelmed.  What a blessing to feel overwhelmed with such things!

And now, as things are shifting from graduation into summer, we are able to rest again a bit.  What a beautiful week/weekend it was, watching her take that step toward college and adulthood.  She is ready and equipped for it.  There is so much ahead to look forward to!

End of Year Reminders For Senior Parents

The title above is the subject line of an email I received this week.

Lemme break it down, because all of those words are Alarming.

End of Year - what the heck?  Just the other day I was sending my children off to the first day of school -- taking pictures of them on the front porch, and wishing them well with their new teachers and classes.  I was welcoming my sweet little class of preschoolers into my classroom, teaching them about Jesus, and also how to sit on the rug for circle time.  It's incredibly hard to believe it's the end of the year already, especially this year, as the end of this year marks the end of all I have known for 18 years (too much?  perhaps.  or maybe not).  End of Year = End of an Era.

Reminders - I have a lot of reminders this season:  in my head, on my (multiple lists), in my emails, at school, in my children's Friday folders, about medical information, in details for my daughter's graduation and open house, from my children's coaches. . .there is a lot this old girl has to remember right now.  And as I've written before, sometimes I rock spinning all the plates, and other times, well, not so much.  I'm somewhere in the middle right now, dropping a few, rocking some others.  Overall, my brain is pretty much at full capacity, and we haven't even begun to account for emotions, which, as you might have guessed, are running high.  Reminders =  Mild to Moderate Overload

Senior Parents - Ummm - who?  You can't possibly be talking to me, high school administration.  I am the mommy to many small children, some of whom are still in diapers and go to preschool.  My children still want to sit on my lap and need me to help them get in their carseats.  Wait, what?  Those years are past?  It seems they are, and I don't know how they disappeared so quickly.  I am now the mom to drivers, and employees and Academic Award winners.  I am the mom to nearly-adult children who make me laugh hysterically.  Thankfully, I am still mommy to a few youngish ones yet (I am so thankful God knew my mamma-heart and provided me with so many years of parenting!), and they are able to fill some of the voids my older children have left as they have grown up.  So, unaware I am of how it happened, it seems I am a Senior Parent (and only for a few days longer, to boot!).  Senior Parent = Parent In Disbelief

So, high school administration -- I have no idea how your email got to me so quickly.  How my little baby, my little girl, has become a beautiful young woman, on the cusp of graduating from high school and leaving home for college.  Most of me feels unprepared for this new era which is upon me, but then I look at my girl, and I see that she is ready.  She is ready to take on this new adventure and see what God's plan is for her.  And because she is ready, I am ready too (or will be, incrementally!).

Look out world!  It's the end of the year, and my senior is ready to take you on!

The Week in Pictures

A little snapshot of a few things that have been happening over here in the last week:

This week I had my Mother's Day Program in my classroom.  All the children were so excited to have their moms and grandmas in our room.  They sang for, laughed with, and hugged and kissed those special gals.  It is one of my favorite moments of the school year.  I shared with the mammas something I had written a few years ago - a reminder of what an amazing job they are doing. What a joy it is to teach these little people, and also get to know and love their families over the year!  I will miss them all so much in a couple of weeks!

My daughter's graduation party is coming up in a couple of weeks, and I have been cooking, baking, planning and buying (we are having a chalkboard theme and I've told myself I can't buy anything else chalkboard related)!  I can't say I'd want to do this all the time, but I have really been enjoying getting it all ready.  I'm not exactly ready emotionally for the big event, but I hope I will be ready for the party!  

Oh my goodness, the yanny/laurel debate.  We are a house divided.  Some people hear laurel and very firmly feel that anyone who doesn't hear laurel has clearly lost their mind.  Others (me) cannot in a million years imagine hearing laurel from a word that so clearly sounds like only yanny.  The science behind it all is pretty interesting and has sparked many conversations about sound and hearing.  So I guess it's a win, because science?  

It has been a week of awards for my high schoolers. . .academic, theater and scholarship awards.  Three nights and three different ceremonies.  It has been every bit of awesome to watch my two oldest be honored for their achievements.  I love them fiercely and have been weepy more than once this week (I'm sure you're so surprised by that!).  I am grateful for the gifts and talents they have been given.  To God be the glory!

Graduation Reflections, Part One

Ok, it's kind of weird to entitle a post "part one", when one doesn't have a real vision of what parts two or three will look like.  BUT - given the subject of this post, I just have a gut feeling that over the next month I will have many graduation reflection feelings (pride, tears, joy, tears, happiness, tears. . . you get the idea).  So - the first of probably several thoughts I will have on my daughter's upcoming high school graduation:

About January/February of my daughter's 8th grade year, my husband and I had a moment.  He had spoken with two good friends whose children had attended nearby parochial high schools, and he suggested we consider touring some instead of just assuming that our nearby public school would be the right choice for her.  Oddly enough, since I had only ever attended parochial schools my entire schooling career, I felt anxious about this plan.  The schools we were talking about were 30 minutes away, cost a lot of money, were full of people we didn't know, and were just plain unknown.  But - I did agree that we should check out our options before truly deciding what was best for our daughter. Our girl, who had been thinking she would be attending the public high school with most of her friends, was a little emotional, but mature about it all.

And so we visited the first school on our list - Marian.  Very soon into our visit, I knew this would be the place for her (and her brothers and sister).  My daughter felt it too -- she said it was just like our Lutheran grade school - only the high school version.  We were impressed with the students we encountered, the staff we talked to, and the curriculum we were shown.  But most of all, I remembered being drawn into the integral goal of the school -- to help form Godly, moral Christian people, and to get them into heaven above all.

Though our daughter felt all of what we felt, it was still a bit of an emotional mental switch for her.  We told her (and she understood), that we would listen to our children's opinions about where they would like to attend high school, but that as their parents, we would ultimately be making that important decision. And very soon, we knew that Marian was indeed our choice for our children.

We told our daughter that we weren't "afraid" of public education -- that choosing this parochial high school was not an alternative to public education or somehow a safe zone, shelter or oasis.  But -- that Marian would work in tandem with us as parents to do the following:

• To continue to teach our children to know and love God
• To give them a solid moral formation and foundation
• To show them how to love God with their entire being, which would therefore spill over into every aspect of their lives, including how they would conduct themselves in all circumstances

My friends, Marian felt like home.  Marian's mission felt like that of our Lutheran grade school, and all the things we valued in it were valued there as well.  The teachers at Marian want to touch young people's lives in just the same way I want to touch my students' lives in preschool and grade school.  The teachers in both places want the core of everything they do to be Jesus.  To show children Jesus, and bring them closer to him.

As our daughter's time at Marian is coming to a close, I am so incredibly thankful God led us there.  My daughter (and my son, behind her) has received a top-notch college-prep education, but more importantly, has continued to have her faith fed and nurtured on a daily, hourly basis.  And those lessons will last an eternity.