That's a wrap

As of 1:30 this afternoon we are ALL on summer vacation 2013!  Yippee.  I always talk a big game about how I'm not ready to be on *full-time* duty.  Having school aged kids is really nice.  And I enjoy a little me time each day.  So I like to whine and complain starting about May 1st.  But can you keep a secret?

I LOVE summer vacation.  Not that we sleep in.  Or relax.  But we swim.  We play.  We enjoy the parks and the sun.  It is so fun to be together.  Except for when it's not.

 

I'm not going to pretend like this year has *flown* by.  Parts of it have.  Other parts (like the winter, cold, dreary and depressing parts) did not.  However, I can't believe that I as of 1:30 today I have a 2nd grader and two Kindergartners. 

 

August 2012

 

May 31st 2013

 

1st day of 1st grade

August 2012

 last day of 1st grade

May 31, 2013

 

 Last day of Pre-School

May 23rd, 2013

 

Me?  I'm just trying to hold on to my sweet kids just as long as they'll let me.

 

Now, who is ready for some summer fun?

Great!

 

Let's go to Los Angeles!!!!

Well I'll be dog-onne

I was volunteering in Olivia's class the other day.  One of her friends, Alexia, started off the day telling me that she was feeling sad.  When I asked her why, she told me she didn't want to tell  me in front of the other kids (for good reason, there are some rather *insensitive* kids in there... to put it mildly.)  So I pulled her aside to chat.

She had tears in her eyes and told me that her puppy was sick.  My heart went out to her.  She was obviously very upset.  I asked her what was wrong with her puppy.  "He had a heart attack.  They are going to take his heart out and fix it."  Oh, wow.  That seemed pretty serious.  Quite frankly, I didn't know they did that for dogs. I asked her when they were going to fix her puppy's heart?  Right now.  "My mommy is there with him now."

So, putting on my best mommy hat, I scrolled through my head thinking of what I might say to Olivia in this case.  Or what I might want a caring grown up to say to her.  "What is your puppy's name?"  She told me her puppy's name is Juan.  I smiled as I thought of how much I like it when people give their pets people names.  "That's a great name."

"What does  your puppy look like?" I asked, thinking if she could picture her puppy and have a chance to describe him it would somehow help.

"He looks Mexican,"  she answered thoughtfully.  She then went on to tell me he has brown hair.

And then she told me he is pretty tall.

Wait a SECOND.  "Alexia, did you say your POPPY is sick?" 

"Yes.  My mom's dad."  And then the tears began to flow.

Oh crap... I had just had a 5 minute conversation about her grandfather who was in the hospital having open heart surgery and the WHOLE STINKIN time I thought she was describing Juan, the puppy.

She must have thought, "Why does this crazy lady want to know what my sick grandfather looks like?  Sicko!"

I was able to give her a hug, remind her that God is in control and let her know that Olivia and I would be praying for her Poppy and for her.  She wiped the tears away and was ready to go back with the rest of her class.  With my pride a tiny bit tarnished and my super hero mommy cape tucked between my legs, I too was ready to back and join the rest of the class.

However, I still think Juan would make a great name for a puppy!

Animal House we ain't!

Have I  mentioned that TWO WEEKS from today (June 3rd) we will be stepping on an airplane bound for L.A. (as in California)?

We'll be in L.A for three weeks.  Living in a fraternity house.  On the USC campus.  All 5 of us.  In ONE bedroom.  With 50 other people.  Did I already mention 5 of us in one bedroom at a frat house?  Yep, I thought so. 

We will be staffing an urban outreach for college athletes.  The staff and students will all live together in the fraternity house (one room per family, thankyouverymuch) as we experience life, community and outreach in the context of life in the city.  We will focus on several principals of urban renewal-- reconciliation, relocation and redistribution.  It is going to be an eye-opener for us as a family as well as the college students coming from across the country.

While we are there we will have an opportunity to discuss and experience topics like homelessness, racism, urban youth outreach and others I am probably unaware of right now.

I am particularly excited to gain experience, knowledge and understanding of these things in context of where we live here in Dayton and our public school experience in a *not so desirable* school system.  Although I have LOVED our school experience thus far and have been an involved parent at my kids' school,  I know the system is flawed and at some level will trickle down to my kids' experiences.  And yet, I am sure I have NO CLUE about what we will soon observe in a city like L.A.

Our family is about to receive the education of a lifetime.  In areas we can't even fathom.  There will be some super fun things and some super hard things (like 5 Koproskis in one room!)  That alone will be a great education for us on how much of the world lives.  We don't even know how spoiled we are! 

I hope to be able to post pictures and stories from our adventure. 

In the meantime there are still 9 days of school left for Olivia, 3 for the boys, Memorial Day, cleaning of the house, packing of the bags and other things that you just know are going to come my way.  So for now,  you can rest assured I'm going to enjoy every last hour of my kid-free bedroom. 

A frat house with my husband and 3 kids... now THAT'S something my 19 year old self never imagined.  God is funny like that, isn't He?! 

Busy living

It's a vicious cycle, I tell 'ya.  And by *it* I mean blogging.  Or life.  Or perhaps both.  I guess I'm not exactly sure.  I want to blog.  I need to blog.  I don't blog.  I feel overwhelmed.  And all of a sudden it's too much to blog about.   But then I remember that blogging is for me.   I just don't want to forget these fun days of childhood.  Therefore, I pull myself back onto the blog train before it leaves the station.  For good.

 Over the past few weeks my friend, Susie, finished up her chemo treatment for a brain tumor.  We celebrated her.  It was a surprise and a great reason to celebrate.

 

 Another great reason to celebrate was 10 years with this guy.  Steve's mom came and watched the kids for two nights so that we could get away.  We went to Columbus and enjoyed undisturbed time in a fancy hotel.  We had time to read, sleep, talk, laugh and remember that day 10 years ago that sealed our fate.  It was a great couple of days.

 There has been time to be silly with my kids.  Have I  mentioned how much I REALLY enjoy my daughter??  She is SO MUCH FUN to hang out with.  (except, of course, when she's not.)

 Steve's cousin, Matt, got engaged and we went to Kalamazoo, MI over the weekend to celebrate.  It was a family reunion of sorts.  Cousin fun is so awesome- and important.

 Overall, the past few weeks have been really great.  It never hurts that my windows are open, it's 84 degrees out side and the sun is shining.

 I  might be a bad person but I'm not a baby lover.  I am discovering I am an older kid lover.  I find so much humor in my kids (when I don't want to wring their necks.)  These three make me a total nut job at times.  But they also bring me a million smiles.

I am so thankful for a season of purpose, peacefulness and *normal.*  I guess that is why I've been too busy to blog.  Not a bad reason when all is said and done.  I just don't want to miss the chance share the joy along the way!

Catching up

 

May 13th... how did you sneak up on me so fast?  It seems like it was yesterday that I was lamenting the fact that March would never end, the weather would never turn and that this was the winter that would never end.  I guess it went ahead and ended and as it did I have gotten so caught up life here that I've neglected recording it.

Which is really quite sad.  Because along the way Steve and I celebrated our 10th anniversary.  And Mother's Day.  The kids have gone on field trips and played outside.  So much great stuff that should be here.  But its not.

The boys have 2 weeks of school left and Olivia has three left.  What a whirlwind.