What A Difference A Day Makes

Yesterday, I took my youngest on a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch.

Today, she made snow angels in the snow.

Yesterday, I mowed the lawn to rake up the leaves in the front.

Today, my front tree went into shock and starting dropping leaves like crazy. I think it was afraid it missed fall.

Yesterday, we all went on a Hay Rack Ride and Roasted Marshmallows by an open fire.

Today, the kids huddled together under blankets and warmed up with Hot Coco and Redi Whip.

Yesterday afternoon, the kids played kicked ball in the backyard.

Today, they built a snowman in the middle of the backyard.

Yesterday, I cut back my mums to allow for new growth.

Today, they were covered in snow and wilted like crazy.

Yesterday, I lined up our three pumpkins and prepared the new "pumpkin patch pumpkin" for display on the porch. I didn't get it out there until after the snow. Thank goodness A said it would not have been happy this morning.

Today, the pumpkins had a blanket of white stuff on their tops.

Yesterday, the kids were throwing Hay at each other and their Uncle while bouncing down a country lane.

Today, the kids were throwing snow balls at each other.

You might have guessed that Old Man Winter Made A Surprise Visit This Morning To Our House. Yes, I realize the calendar might only say October 10th, but obviously that doesn't matter anymore.

Oh, please don't say this is a sign of things to come. A Winter filled with snow, cold and lots of "inside" time.

I'm just glad I thought ahead this week and got out all the "snow gear".

We have all the coats, gloves, hats and snow pants we could want. All that's missing are some new sleds.

I was thinking that Santa could bring some new "snow" things. Looks like by Christmas, we'll have had plenty of time to use them.

Gotta Love First Days

It was another "first day" around here. Sure, we've had plenty of first days of school, sports teams, staying home alone, confirmation, new ballet classes etc. We've got plenty more first days ahead such as driving, dating, and college. Dating will of course come after college! Each of these days is special as it represents a new challenge, a new experience, and another step in the process of growing up.

Today was A's first day of Preschool. Her Redshirt Preschool Year. She was psyched. She was ready. We got the new school shoes yesterday and forgoing all previous years, I allowed her to wear them yesterday! Third child, what can I say, I'm slipping.

We picked out the cute dress that perfectly matched the tennis shoes, had the backpack all ready, and I'd made the "poster" for picture time.

Dad was even going into the office late today so that he could be part of the first day drop off. M even got to ride to school first with Dad which is a rarity that got him a huge hug this morning. We were so ahead of our game this morning that we arrived at preschool about 15 minutes early!

By the time it was time to say goodbye, A pretty much left us in the dust. She walked in all confident and happy, found her "spot" on the circle rug, and away we went. I did slip back in to get a picture and say goodbye, but I'm thinking the phrase on her mind was "don't let the door hit you on the way out".

When I picked her up at the end of class and asked how it went, she was bubbly, thrilled and so talkative about all that had gone on. They said the "Pledge," you know the one with the flag, talked about the weather, played outside on the cool playground, practiced cutting with scissors, made a bag for show and tell on Friday, and had a snack.

She made friends with two girls that are twins. She knows their names and thinks that maybe they might have the same birthday! Imagine that, twins born on the same day.

You Gotta Love First Days, So Much Fun!!

Then as an added bonus tonight, she played her new favorite game in the backyard. She plays "catch" with the Frisbee. She acts like a dog and crawls after the Frisbee and brings it back between her teeth. She even wants to be called, "Pumpkin" when she's the dog. I know some would say maybe we should consider a real puppy for the family. My thought is that we have the perfect pet right now and as a bonus, she's potty trained.

Restoring Joy

Today was a day of affirmation for our family. A day that I wept for joy over the fact that God was affirming a decision we had made about A's education and that he was giving us even more than we had asked for.

Deciding to Redshirt A this year from Kindergarten had been a decision we wrestled with for months last year. There were days I was convinced we had to send her. Days I knew that I could not send this young child off to all day every day school at barely 5 years old.

I think part of the reason I struggled so much with the decision was that we had made one poor educational decision already for Kindergarten years ago with our oldest. We'd sent him off to all day Kindergarten at a school that was not the right place for him. It was very tough year.

Thinking that I would make a poor decision again almost stalled me from choosing. But in my heart, I kept hearing nudges to hold her out one more year. Who cares that she's tall, it doesn't matter how smart and sharp she is today, this is a long term decision.

Decision made after much prayer, consultation and discussion. Redshirt and send A to Preschool one more year. Today our decision was confirmed with red flashing lights and fireworks.

Today was meet your Teacher Day at Preschool. A has Miss Judy for Preschool. The same teacher that our oldest had eight years ago. Miss Judy, the teacher that saw so much potential in C and nourished that potential, praised his little personality and made C love school. A is going to be so blessed this year.

Our experience last year at Preschool was not stellar. We had rushed into a new school for the ease and comfort of this being our third child. We didn't do our "Due Diligence" or see if the school met our needs or that of our child. It didn't. So many of the memories we've made as a family with our Preschooler were absent last year. No "Show and Tell," No "Letter of the Week," No "Thanksgiving Feast with Pilgrim Hats," No Christmas or Valentine's Day Party, No Fall Festival or Pumpkin Patch experience, No Mother's Day Tea.

I felt like our child was just passing time. She didn't love her teachers. She never talked about the classroom or the other kids. No playdates. We just didn't have the experience I was hoping for. The only thing A really got of Preschool last year was the routine of the school experience.

I'm convinced that had we sent A to kindergarten this year it would have been a struggle for her to get excited about it. She wasn't loving school. She was just going.

Thank You God for Today. She was bubbly and excited. She was thrilled with the cool sink to wash her hands, the art center, the kitchen to play house, the circle time rug filled with color. The teachers who were so excited to see her. She glowed. She was happy.

The first thing today we walked in the room and Miss Judy gave me and A a huge hug. She said when she saw A's name on the list she wondered if she was C's little sister. She remembered all the little things about C. His love of airplanes, his funny personality, his cute smile. She said A looked just like him. How thrilled she was to have her in the class. My little shy A went right over to the art center and started to color a Veggie Tale picture. She said, "I'm going like it. Do I start today?"

Thank you Lord for restoring joy to our little preschooler's heart. To getting her excited for school for Show and Tell, for Art Centers and Field Trips to Pumpkin Patches. To Teachers Who Love You Lord and Love Our Little Girl without even knowing her yet!

There is a Bible verse that talks about restoring days/eaten away. Renewing the time spent with joy. That's what God did today. He's restoring last year with a fresh start. He's giving A a redshirt year that will build her up for the future. We are going to create great Preschool Memories this year. She's going to get on the right foot for Kindergarten next year. She might have been ready today intellectually, but now she's for sure going to be right next years socially, spiritually and intellectually.

A can't wait for next Wednesday when school actually starts. We can't wait either.

Joel 2:25 and 26 (paraphrase)

I will repay you for the year the locust have eaten ...you will praise the name of the Lord your God who has worked wonders for you.

Lions and Tigers and Bears Oh My!! The Preschool Field Trip

A at the Butterfly Pavilion


Today was the Preschool Field Trip to the Zoo. We are blessed to live in a city with a world class zoo. Top Notch Zoo Really.

So popular in fact that people from all over the region come to visit.

April and May are Field Trip Chaos at the Zoo. There are buses and vans from school districts, daycare centers and preschools everywhere. In fact, I think last April/May I went on two different field trips to the Zoo in a two week period. The 2nd Grade trip and the 5th Grade Trip.

In three more weeks, I'll return with a 6th Grade Science Field Trip.

Now I love the zoo. I love having a membership so that I can take the kids and go for a few hours, see a few exhibits, and go home. There is lots to see and looking at the animals through the eyes of a child can be amazing. Just don't expect me to see all the animals on the same day.

Today, when I woke up and saw that it was chilly damp and threatening storms, I was a little sad. While I was sad that rain might dampen the Field Trip, there was a small part of me that was thrilled that I wouldn't be expected to trek out to Pachyderm Hill to see the Elephants and Rhinos. It also meant I could skip the hoofed animal exhibits and the Petting Zoo that freaks me out. In fact, I always make my husband take the kids into the Petting Zoo. This is a far cry from my college days when I thought I would be a rancher's wife. Now the smell and close contact with the animals wanting to eat out of my hand is more than I can stand. So much for rural life!

A had a wonderful time. The weather didn't dampen our spirits at all. We made it to all the key indoor exhibits; the butterfly pavilion, desert dome, aquarium, lions and tigers and bears (oh my) and the gorillas. We even got to witness up close a gorilla picking his nose and eating his findings. The kids roared with delight.

When the rain started right at lunchtime, we gave up the idea of a picnic and instead A ate her sandwich on the way home. All the way talking about how much fun she had. How even though she'd been 100 times, this was the best time ever.

I had the most fun watching one of A's teacher witness the zoo for the first time in over a decade. She was amazed at all the new buildings and exhibits.

I'm sure we'll be back at the Zoo a number of times this summer. We'll pack a lunch and visit the animals in the morning while it's still cool. We'll ride the train and I'll hold my nose while the kids hang out in the petting zoo all the while I'll be hoping they'll pick the Carousel instead of the Elephants.

I have a strange feeling that if we see that same gorilla next month on the 6th grade field trip and he's still picking his nose, the roaring laughter will be the same. Some humor knows no age.