Schools Out

The kids are out of school. I’m doing my early summer deep breathing. Everyone is finding a new routine minus afternoon swimming until it gets warm enough and stops raining. Eli is euphoric, in a great mood on summer break, relaxed and for once not in a hurry. Sidney is literally crying to go back to school a couple of times a day. She loves her class and socializing with her preschool peers. Wednesday was preschool graduation.

Happy 11th Birtday to my Star Wars loving, fact telling, not in a rush, awesome Eli!

Mom choked back the threatening lump in her throat as she came around the corner in her cap and tassel hanging loosely on her head. She was every part performer as she carefully executed walking on the white line of the gym. What a ham. She loves being in front of people. As I sat watching her speaking into the microphone three times for a one line sentence “G is for…..G is for…..G is for gate,” I was aware that she not only liked hearing the sound of her own voice echoing through the gym but how much she’s grown. Frankly, all I could see was the little Chen Ningxia sitting on the bench waiting for her new life to start. And what a beautiful life we're all living.

Two goofballs!  Using our porch to sit outside while the rain is about to start again. Our community is flooded.

I am so blessed to watch both kids grow and change. This week I have faced the reality that my kids are getting big. As I'm getting ready to type my next meaningful sentence... What??? I hear this conversation taking place. Tom says, “I think we should go to Alaska and become subsistence living people.” Eli chimed in, “Dad I’m not going to skin a 1,000 pound moose.” Then Sidney chimed in “They eat it that big Dad?” Oh my. I think it’s time to get on to my Saturday.

I can't share pictures from the graduation. There were other kids. I don't know their parents, so I won't show them on the blog or facebook. We've been outside as much as possible between storms.