coming this thursday: awana awards night. the year is wrapping up (no tears in anthony's eyes. aka "mr. super cubbie daddy helper"). it is scheduled for THIS thursday. as in like 5 more nights.
five. MORE. nights.just saying.not that awards ceremonies are all that high on my list of fun things to do.that is, unless i'm anticipating my little perfect first born getting recognized for all of her hard work completing 4 books in a 6 month time period.
FOUR books. pretty big deal. even if i am just a proud mom.so i pictured myself sitting there, proud (possibly smug), maybe teary eyed, cheering, photographing... while they announced to the shocked and completely impressed audience how amazing my daughter is.there would probably be a standing ovation. maybe autograph requests. bible college recruiters.so this past thursday (yes, this PAST thursday) imagine my shock when ella comes home with a trophy.ummm... what did you get a trophy for? is this just preparation for next week when they give you a pure gold medal and rename the city in your honor?i was so confused. everyone knows awards night is NEXT thursday.so i interrogate her. me: so why did you get a trophy?ella: because i did the first book. then i reviewed it. then i did another book. then i did another book. then i did another book.me: but... umm... so... did they give this to you in front of everyone?ella (big smile): yeah.me: like... was it a big deal?ella: well, i kinda don't think the other kids cared, but everyone clapped real hard. and everyone else seemed excited.me ("everyone else"????): um... but... i thought awards night was next week. i'm so confused. why did they give it to you this week?ella: i don't know. but you could have come and taken pictures like all the other moms.me: WHAT?!? all the other moms? who told them but didn't tell me?ella shrugs, and really doesn't seem to care.me: did anyone else get a trophy?ella: just one girl. she's in second grade.me: but... was her mother there?
so i'm so upset with myself and i apologize to ella over and over again. how could i miss this? she keeps telling me its really no big deal. how do i explain its a big deal to ME and my motherly pride!?!please tell me, why on earth a trophy is not passed out on awards night? anthony tells me its because awards night is more to honor the entire awana group and pass out awards to high schoolers and kids who have memorized like the whole bible or something. they don't have time on a night like that to recognize all the individual kids.please. like a i need a practical explanation when we are talking about my daughter.anyhow, all my capitalizing might indicate to you how upset i still am about this.
usually, anthony would have been there. cubbies is over by that time and he and bennett hang in the back of the room for the bible story and flannel graph fun.but not this week.
and let me tell you why.
bennett got recognized for his birthday. they sang to him, gave him a fun birthday hat, and an awesome bag stuffed full of goodies... with his NAME on it.
and some evil little child who may or may not end up in prison some day, stole it. sure, it could have been an accident. he (or she) could have accidentally moved bennett's cubbie bag and craft and mistakenly thought the birthday bag was for them... even though it wasn't their birthday and their name isn't spelled B.E.N.N.E.T.T.but i doubt it.so anthony and the other leaders scoured the place searching for bennett's bag while he desperately fought back his tears. and this all took place during ella's trophy reception. where everyone else was there to cheer her on because not only did she accomplish a pretty significant fete by memorizing so many verses, she was apparently able to do it with absolutely no parental involvement whatsoever.and to think, i was at home putting mason to bed early and watching season 3 of gilmore girls.i'm such a failure.
happy mother's day to the amazing godly woman who made my childhood pretty terrific, became my best friend for life, and can make a perm look totally hot.
i love you, mom.
the only thing i miss of living in phoenix: people.and specifically for this post, my sister and her family.
i don't get to watch my niece and nephews grow up (on a regular basis). no more meeting in the middle at a park or air conditioned mall. or convenient family barbecues. or sitting and chatting with my sister about anything from homeschooling to parenting to how our mom used to torment us as kids when she kicked us out of the van at the corner by the high school making us walk ACROSS THE INTERSECTION instead of pulling in the parking lot to drop us off like civilized human beings because we were so late...so, when i was informed my sisters family was planning a trip to southern california, i jumped on the opportunity to crash their vacation!
oh what fun!
the kids have so much fun playing together. (minus that little detail about mason constantly picking on josh and pulling his ears) 
and we have so much fun sitting in the beach chairs and watching them.as a child, i wondered why my mom never wanted to jump the waves with me. i mean, why was she missing out on all the ocean fun and just sitting and talking to other grown-ups. how b-o-r-i-n-g.yet another mystery solved now that i am older and wiser.
one of the really great things about hanging out with my sisters kids is the simple fact that we both came from the perfect family and as a result are raising perfect families and therefore, our kids will never be a bad influence on each other.ever.
and these two girls:
peas in a pod.
i love watching them together. they get enough time together to enjoy the benefits of sisterhood without actually having to share a room, fight over shotgun, or argue who is going to put the milk away. so while hanging out in our room one day, ella finds the gideon bible in the drawer. ecstatic joy upon this discovery as she exclaims, "mom! the people here believe in Jesus!"
so with the bible on the table, conversation turns to other things. like the motel phone.grace: "wouldn't it be funny if we called up people we didn't know?"(giggles)ella: "yeah! we totally should! and then we can read them the bible!"grace (jumping out of her seat): "yes! and then everyone can know about Jesus!"ella: "we can just start at the beginning... 'in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth...' and we'll keep going until they believe in God!"grace: "this is such a good idea!"squeals, screams and jumping around in circles...(and no, i didn't let them.) i'm so proud of my little over zealous evangelist. we've come a long way from "is your refrigerator running?"
"A nation that fails to honor its heroes will soon have no heroes to honor." -Winston Churchill
and what better place to continue contemplation of our heroes than the beach.
notice the hand-holding? i love it.
self-induced rest time.
who knew this kid had an off-switch?
or at least a pause button?
happy memorial day. thank you to those who make our freedom possible.
FOUR books. pretty big deal. even if i am just a proud mom.
so i'm so upset with myself and i apologize to ella over and over again. how could i miss this? she keeps telling me its really no big deal. how do i explain its a big deal to ME and my motherly pride!?!
happy mother's day to the amazing godly woman who made my childhood pretty terrific, became my best friend for life, and can make a perm look totally hot.
i don't get to watch my niece and nephews grow up (on a regular basis). no more meeting in the middle at a park or air conditioned mall. or convenient family barbecues. or sitting and chatting with my sister about anything from homeschooling to parenting to how our mom used to torment us as kids when she kicked us out of the van at the corner by the high school making us walk ACROSS THE INTERSECTION instead of pulling in the parking lot to drop us off like civilized human beings because we were so late...
the kids have so much fun playing together. (minus that little detail about mason constantly picking on josh and pulling his ears) 
and we have so much fun sitting in the beach chairs and watching them.
one of the really great things about hanging out with my sisters kids is the simple fact that we both came from the perfect family and as a result are raising perfect families and therefore, our kids will never be a bad influence on each other.
peas in a pod.
so with the bible on the table, conversation turns to other things. like the motel phone.