Well, hello again. I know it's been awhile since I've posted anything, and for that I'm sorry. Apparently, LIFE happened, and I just can't even deal. I'm a wimp, I know. But now school is back in session, fall is just around the corner (or, for us hopeless Texans, we're dragging it around the corner by the scruff of its scarf-laden neck and cramming pumpkin spice lattes down it's throat while we light ALL THE FALL CANDLES in hopes that it will hurry up already! Help us), and I have some kind of routine again.
Except, we have a new routine.
Ladies and gentleman, we've crossed the threshold into KINDERGARTEN.
Zachary is doing great, thanks for asking. I on the other hand, might fail. Ya'll, kindergarten is hard. I mean, who knew parents had as much homework as the kids!? Read this book. Sign that paper. Fill out this form. Pack your child that. Come to this meeting. Download this app. Respond to this message. And don't worry if I forget, because MY FIVE YEAR-OLD WON'T.
DAY 3: (2 seconds after he gets in the car) "MOM! You forgot to put my folder back in my bag!" (Wags his finger at me for emphasis).
DAY 7: (1.6 seconds after he gets in the car) "MOM! You forgot to pack me a SNACK for today! (Looks at me with a disapproving glare).
DAY: 12: (30 seconds after he gets in the car) Z: "MOM! Today we got an orange folder. It's the Tuesday folder." ME: "Oh, okay. So do you bring it every day and just get stuff on Tuesday? Z: "No, we bring home papers on Tuesday. Just Tuesday." ME: "Yeah, but do you take it every day, or leave it at school, or what?" Z: "MOM! You're not listening to me! I bring the green one every day, but you just keep the orange one at home and bring it back on Tuesdays and I bring home work and stuff..."
Kindergarten is hard.
But in all of our effort to prepare Zachary to have the best kindergarten experience ever (which I think we succeeded in doing), we kind of forgot to prepare his little brother to be alone with no playmate. #parentfail
I praise Jesus from whom all blessings flow that Zachary and Isaac play so well together and enjoy being together the way they do. It's something I pray for them often, and speak over them constantly. (Sidenote: a friend recently commented that as Christians we use the phrase "speak this over them" to make what in actuality is plain and simple brainwashing sound much more holy. This may or may not be true.) However, I did not adequately prepare to become the replacement for Isaac's missing playmate, nor do I love listening to him whine incessantly when I refuse to give in to his every wish and whim.
Suffice it to say, we're still adjusting.
And yet, many a family and sibling have survived kindergarten and the new routine, and I'm pretty sure we will too. Also, thank you God for putting two drive-thru coffee stores down the street from the school. I might lose a few dollars or gain a few pounds, but dang it, I'm keeping my sanity.
It's sometimes hard to believe that my sweet, blue-eyed firstborn is big enough to don a backpack and join a sea of kiddies for a whole 7 1/2 hours, but he has done so well and I am one proud Mama. During these first few weeks, he has informed us that even though he is the only one, he bows his head and prays silently before eating lunch each day. When I asked him one night if he thought his teacher was a Christian, he quickly replied, "I don't know, but I'll ask her tomorrow!" And he did. I know it's a small thing, but isn't it the little things that add up to be big things? I believe as we celebrate the small wins, we are slowly building contagious witnesses who will set the world on fire. That makes me smile.
Every day as we drive to school for drop-off, we pray for Zachary to have a good day and to be a light for Jesus. Sure, he'll learn how to read and write and add and subtract, but if he also learns to stand alone even when it's not popular, to live boldly for Christ because he's falling in love with Jesus in his 5 year-old way, and to love and respect others in order to be a blessing, then I say, you get an A+, kid.
And as for Isaac and me, well, we'll get there...one vanilla latte at a time.