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Preschool Preview

We were at the preschool preview this morning where we get to meet the teachers and play for a while to entice the kiddos to want to come back when school starts.  My boys were eager and excited to go (which I took for granted until I watched one mom drag her son by the arm through the parking lot.)  Their excitement only grew when we entered the familiar room that was Griffin’s last year and now it’s Fletcher’s room. And they both settled in quickly to play with the bat man cave and black helicopters with moving propellers.  I was relieved and a bit nervous for the teachers when I learned that there are 11 boys in the class and just a small handful of girls.  Fletcher will do well. Hopefully the teachers will survive.  
I couldn’t help but notice the pack of boys on the floor, each laying on their sides making motor noises and navigating around each other to all get their hands on the bat cave.  And over at the table, the teachers had aspirationally set out cups of crayons and stacks of coloring pages. But lo and behold, several prim and prettily dressed girls with their floral sundresses, sandals and pigtails pulled up a chair and began to color and expertly scratch out their names.  “Oh,” I thought to myself. “I guess I should start working with Griffin on writing his name, these chicks are even younger.”  Then I couldn’t help but smile as I observed Madelyn, who’s name I know because she had written it so nicely, was on the verge of tears when the tip of her new fushia crayon broke.  Her mother reassured her that it would still work but based on the frustration and sheer disappointment written on her brow, I wasn’t sure she’s ever going to recover from this tragedy.  I had to bite my lip not to laugh outloud.  My boyz break crayons for sport! Fletcher just recently stopped unwrapping them and eating them like candy.  Ok, I’m adding the those five little girls to the prayer list who have to endure preschool with 11 little boys.  Fast forward 30 years and Madelyn will be standing over her sons asking them, with all seriousness, “Why did you just break all the new crayons!?”  I guess it’s named Preschool Preview for a reason.

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Mom’s Night Out

My wonderful hubby is always encouraging me to go out and take breaks and he’s right, I should. But I usually don’t because I never know what to do… but last week, a dear friend was in town from Michigan and we got together and went out.  You know I don’t go out often enough when I get questions from Carter like, “Why are you so dressed up?” or Fletcher who noticed I painted my toes and he asked “Why Green, Mommy?” – except they were red.

We had a great time! We met at the fashion mall at 4 o’clock – time to do some serious damage before dinner!  And damage we did. At least, I did.  The hubby had given me a budget and encouraged me to have a good time, so I did!

We started at Crate & Barrel and I used up a gift card left over from Mother’s Day – shows you how infrequently I go to the mall! And then to a store she knew of from Michigan called “Hot Mama” – we both bought stuff there, how could you not?!  Then, after a brief obligatory stop at Kid’s Gap, we spent about an hour at Athleta walking around telling stories and laughing and touching all the clothes and accumulating piles of things to try on. She put a cute scarf around her neck first thing and wore it the rest of the time we were in the store! I found a fun hat and several other items I couldn’t live without. We left with full bags and new resolve to stick to our workout routines, now that we would look cuter doing them! Further damage was incurred at Ann Taylor while Amy was texting my hubby “Budget Schmudget” and “Good thing you have a big closet!”

I confessed to Amy that I haven’t ever done this – a girls shopping trip.  The hubby said it was about 8 years over due. But that’s the thing about a friend.  Shopping is just another task unless you have a good friend to share it with. Then it becomes an outing, an event.  It was about so much more than the clothes we bought or the bags we carried.

We finished off the evening with a leisurely dinner at the Cheesecake Factory – YUM!  We both had salmon dishes and after dinner I was perusing the dessert menu and their list of hundreds of cheesecake concoctions. But the one that jumped out at me was Godiva chocolate brownie sundae.  When I asked her if we should get it and split it she replied, “I don’t know why not!?!”  Exactly.  A perfect dessert to end a perfect evening!

But the other half of the story was the report I got from Daddy-O when I got home.  After he enjoyed the fashion show of my new wardrobe he told me about the line of questioning he got while he was grilling up grilled cheeses for the boyz dinner.

Sounds like it went something like this:
Numerous boyz asked: “Where’s Mom?”
Daddy-O: “Out to dinner with Amy.”
Numerous Boyz asked: “Why?
Daddy-O: “Cause Mom needs a break.”
Carter: “Where did they go?”
Daddy-O: “To the Cheesecake Factory”
Carter: “She’s eating dinner at a FACTORY?”
Daddy-O: “It’s a restaurant”
Kiefer: “They make cheesecake in a FACTORY?”
Much laughter by all!!!

The hubby said it was apparent that I needed to do this more often.  (But probably with a smaller budget next time!)

Evidence of the “Damage” 🙂

I said to Amy,
 “Who knew they gave out these nice reusable bags now?
Show’s how long it’s been since I’ve been to the mall!”

“They make cheesecake at a FACTORY?!”

“Dessert?”  “I don’t see why not?!” 
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Are you my Soul Sister?

Are you like me? Are you soul weary and hungry for more that life has to offer?  Are you spreading yourself too thin? Are you so busy taking care of everyone else in your life that you’re neglecting yourself and your own physical and spiritual and emotional needs? Some women are good at taking breaks, indulging in a little pampering – be it at the spa, the gym, getting lost in a good book or catching up with girlfriends. Others of us are so tired we can’t even think about making plans with a friend and the logistics involved in finding a date, finding a sitter or finding something to wear.  Forget it. It’s easier to text your friends that you’re thinking of them, snuggle into your jammies and go to bed.  Yea, maybe we’re more alike than you thought. You see, I think the last time I got a pedicure was right before I had my fourth baby – over three years ago!  I’m not really a spa kind of girl.  But I prefer to do a little pampering on the beauty that lies beneath the skin. Indulging in a little stillness, as in the “Be Still and Know that I am God.” kind of stillness.  But as the mother of four boys there are few opportunities to be still. I think the Lord knew how challenging stillness would be when he challenged us to do it.  Other interpretations are “cease striving and know I am God.”  That’s even tougher. Cease striving to be the perfect mother, the perfect wife, the perfect volunteer, cease striving for perfection in any area and simply know that HE is God.  I have so much to learn. So, will you join me?  Let’s venture on this journey together into a place that will give us rest for our souls.  You won’t have to find a sitter. You won’t have to do your hair. You won’t even have to shower!  But I promise to write, if you promise to read. We’ll both show up and see where this leads.  Deal? So let’s begin our journey.  Every journey begins with the first step…