Service with a smile

(Can't believe the last time I wrote something was at the end of the last school year and now, we're about to finish the first quarter of a whole new year!)

This past weekend, our church participated in Faith in Action Sunday, where we joined thousands of other churches across the country in replacing our worship time with a service project. In our case, more than 65% of our congregation headed to KCK to help Hillcrest Transitional Housing to clean and refurbish an old dormitory into apartments for homeless families and individuals. One of the clients who is about to graduate from the program (which has a 95% success rate after one year) thanked us. She told us how her life was going to be different and how she now had hope because of groups just like ours that gave our time and talents.

One of the aspects I enjoyed most about this project was that our whole family had the opportunity to serve together. While hubby tackled the manly outside projects in the cold, Olivia and I focused on scrubbing the kitchen in one of the apartments. On the way there, she asked if it was going to be fun. As we were driving home hours later, she said "that really was fun."

Of course, I wanted to pontificate on the character-building value of service, and how God calls us to be servants, and it wasn't supposed to be about fun. But as I watched those little six-year-old arms scrub for several hours with not a complaint in sight, I realized that she got it. She's never worked that hard on our kitchen - she even had her fellow scrubber going back over places they'd missed - she seemed to understand her sponge was working for a higher purpose.

I was so proud of her hard work. Obviously, she was too, as during the middle of her work, she turned to me and said "If I work really hard, can I get a milkshake?" Well, she earned one. We all did. (Sorry - no photos. Maybe a video after this weekend.)

Everything I know, I learned in kindergarten

Seems like just yesterday I wrote about Princess daughter going to all-day kindergarten every day and what would I do with "all" that time. I've managed to find a few things to do and not to do, and now, we're about a week out from completing kindergarten.

Princess daughter had a great year. She learned to read, write, add, tell time, and identify which containers are recyclable, but she's learned so much more about life - about getting along with people who don't look like her, act like her or think like her. She's learning to navigate the rough waters of life with other people. So there really is something to that saying about life and kindergarten.

I spent a lot of time in Princess daughter's classroom. Those sweet children that hugged me every time I passed through the door, the little ones who begged to join Princess daughter and me for lunch are growing up just like her. Soon they won't give a hug; they won't even look my way.

But I realized a new mission for "all" my time. Part of the reason Princess daughter was at this school at this time was so I could be one more caring adult in the lives of these little ones - read to them, check out their library books, help make their parties a ton of fun, invite them to join us when parents didn't come to the Thanksgiving feast, praise their playground feats at recess, and freely give a hug and encouraging word. And it was in kindergarten this year that I learned so much, too.

Ah, summertime

It's pretty much at this time of year - at the exact oppposite of the peak of summer - that we long for those lazy hazy days. I've been gathering info on summer camp options for Princess daughter, so it's caused me to think about it a little more, I guess. That, and the 12 degrees we woke up to this morning. Here in the middle of the country, we start to get tired of all this cold by Valentine's Day. Of course, I need a few more months before I'm confident enough to shed the sweaters for the swimsuit, so maybe summer's coming is just in time...

The funniest kid story I've heard lately

My sporty nephew, Princess daughter, and state-qualified gymnast niece on a warmer occasion.

My 6-year-old sporty nephew and his state-qualified gymnast sister were recently housebound by ice and snow. On the third day home from school, my sister-in-law was going a little crazy and told them to go outside and play. When sporty nephew complained, asking what they would do outside, his mom said "Well, you could build a fort or look for animal tracks in the snow (they live at the edge of woods). Or you could get a stick and knock icicles off the tree branches." To which he disdainfully replied "That may have been fun in the 1990s, but that's not what we do for fun today."

Taste of spring

We've been getting a few warm days lately in the middle of what's turned out to be a pretty cold, but snowless winter. We must have used our snow quota last winter. Anyway, it's brought the kids outside again. On a recent day, Princess daughter and some neighborhood friends couldn't resist a little chalk face painting.

Cinderella Ball

Princess daughter and hubby just got back from the ball. Although she managed to keep both slippers on, it appears they had a wild night of dancing.

Of course, her idea of dancing involves lots of twirling, not quite what Arthur Murray may have envisioned.

She also managed to grab a shot with a celebrity or two.

100th Day of School

Wow - they grow up fast. It didn't always seem like that, but when I see all the things Princess daughter does on her own now, I barely remember that baby in the crib, the potty-training toddler, and the messy, on-the-go pre-schooler. We're actually feeling like sane adults with a life again rather than worn-out shadows walking around in a fog of exhaustion.

On school mornings, she gets up, dresses herself, makes her bed, often gets her own breakfast, brushes her teeth, puts her coat and backpack on, and gets into the car and buckled by herself. I'm thinking of handing over the keys...

I've always enjoyed older kids, but I had no idea I would REALLY enjoy my daughter at this age. I love picking her up in the afternoon and hearing all the tales of the day - who said what, who did what, who didn't do what. I love hearing her attempt at making a joke, and I love it when she tries out new words in a sentence. Her questions are great and although the conclusions she draws from my answers aren't always on-target, it's great to hear her process information and try to apply her understanding of values and character to the situation.

A wedding for the ages

At long last, here are the photos from the wedding.


Princess daughter did a wonderful job as flower girl (if you didn't mind petals being rocket-launched into your face if you were one of the lucky ones sitting along the aisle).


The wedding was beautiful and fun (just like the couple). Princess daughter quickly thought of herself as "one of the girls," even leading the bride and bridesmaids in several rounds of the game "telephone" prior to the ceremony.



Of course, cake was the highlight for a certain 5-year-old.

Uno, you know?

We are in the "Uno" phase of life. I didn't know such a phase existed, but apparently, there is a point in the development of a young child when every waking minute is consumed with the desire to play Uno. Princess daughter is obsessed; so much so that she has changed the rules so that her objective is to avoid giving out all her cards, and thus, delay ending the game. And I often find her dealing 10, 11 cards rather than the typical seven or eight to start with.

She is brutal. She loves to put down cards that contain the word "draw" - she even has an evil laugh that goes along with that action. The funny thing is, we all know exactly what she has in her hand since she hasn't quite developed the dexterity to hold the cards fan-style, but lays them out on the table. It's hard not to develop a little bit of strategy when you're able to see what you're up against.

The minute dinner is finished (which is usually in less than five minutes for this active school-girl) and the requisite request is made for "bessert" (sometimes granted, sometimes not), the Uno cards come out. It's become a nightly ritual. Uno! I mean - so long.