Did I really send my 13 year-old off to California this week?
Without me...or Jim...or any other immediate family members?
I did.
Really, really.
Did he really fly on an airplane,
with his school group,
share a Bible verse with all of them,
go to Alcatraz,
the Exploratorium,
Pier 39,
Stanford U.,
the GGB,
and Monterey Bay Aquarium?
Did he
manage his money,
buy his own meals,
keep track of his wallet,
manage not to lose any clothes (or other necessities),
buy souvenirs,
take good notes,
shoot some pictures,
learn a lot,
make good memories,
and store up
great stories to tell?
We'll find out at 1:30 AM tomorrow.
We'll see if (and how) he did it.
I CAN'T WAIT.
Really, really.
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
I Can Get Used to This
Guess where I was at 8:10 AM today?
At home.
Uh-huh.
Normally I would be in the car with my two eldest kiddos, en route to school.
But I wasn't yesterday...or today...nor will I be most days between September and June in the forseeable future.
This is the really good part about your kid getting their license.
The car left, headed for school, and I wasn't in it!
Weird...but oh, so cool.
I think it took me all of 13.5 seconds to get used to the idea.
I've always liked bringing the kids to school and picking them up afterwards, and I thought I'd be feeling pretty melancholy about missing out on that.
But, surprisingly, like I said...13.5 seconds, give or take a second.
I'm just seeing this as sibling bonding time now. :)
When my 3 kids were age 4 years and under, this day wasn't even on my radar.
I thought I'd be taking them everywhere, forever.
Yeah, I can get used to this.
At home.
Uh-huh.
Normally I would be in the car with my two eldest kiddos, en route to school.
But I wasn't yesterday...or today...nor will I be most days between September and June in the forseeable future.
This is the really good part about your kid getting their license.
The car left, headed for school, and I wasn't in it!
Weird...but oh, so cool.
I think it took me all of 13.5 seconds to get used to the idea.
I've always liked bringing the kids to school and picking them up afterwards, and I thought I'd be feeling pretty melancholy about missing out on that.
But, surprisingly, like I said...13.5 seconds, give or take a second.
I'm just seeing this as sibling bonding time now. :)
When my 3 kids were age 4 years and under, this day wasn't even on my radar.
I thought I'd be taking them everywhere, forever.
Yeah, I can get used to this.
Thursday, March 13, 2008
Not In the Driver's Seat Anymore
Our firstborn is not only 16 -
as of 1:12 PM Pacific Daylight Time today,
she's licensed to drive.
Yep, she did it. First try.
I wish I could've bottled the glow she had when she came through the door. Her 100-watt smile lit up the DOL.
So Jim and I aren't the only ones in the driver's seat anymore.
And, yes, I mean that in the many-layered way it can be interpreted.
Our girl is growing up.
One more step of independence.
While waiting for the examiner to come to the car, I looked at Cami's learner's permit and read the fine print that said "Age 18 on 12-15-2009". Yeah, yeah, whatev...WHAT??? Hah, hah (nervous laugh). That can't be right...that would be NEXT YEAR. Uh, yeah. Next year - next December - Cami will be 18 and halfway through her senior year of high school.
Not the only ones in the driver's seat.
It's reality.
I don't know how it happened - she was JUST in second grade!
And now...
she's talking about junior AND senior year classes,
talking about college,
delivering job applications and resumes,
splitting time between schoolwork, friends, home and Jacob.
She's beginning to carry the weight of her own choices and decisions,
studying God's Word for herself,
and figuring out what's important in this world.
Cami's driving.
Jim and I are splitting navigation duties with God.
And we're cherishing the moments -
From the passenger seat.
as of 1:12 PM Pacific Daylight Time today,
she's licensed to drive.
Yep, she did it. First try.
I wish I could've bottled the glow she had when she came through the door. Her 100-watt smile lit up the DOL.
So Jim and I aren't the only ones in the driver's seat anymore.
And, yes, I mean that in the many-layered way it can be interpreted.
Our girl is growing up.
One more step of independence.
While waiting for the examiner to come to the car, I looked at Cami's learner's permit and read the fine print that said "Age 18 on 12-15-2009". Yeah, yeah, whatev...WHAT??? Hah, hah (nervous laugh). That can't be right...that would be NEXT YEAR. Uh, yeah. Next year - next December - Cami will be 18 and halfway through her senior year of high school.
Not the only ones in the driver's seat.
It's reality.
I don't know how it happened - she was JUST in second grade!
And now...
she's talking about junior AND senior year classes,
talking about college,
delivering job applications and resumes,
splitting time between schoolwork, friends, home and Jacob.
She's beginning to carry the weight of her own choices and decisions,
studying God's Word for herself,
and figuring out what's important in this world.
Cami's driving.
Jim and I are splitting navigation duties with God.
And we're cherishing the moments -
From the passenger seat.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Things That Make Me Happy, Valentine's Edition
A Happy V-Day card that looks like a word search (perfect for a word-lover like me).
Candles (good-smelling).
Watermelon Jelly Bellies (green on the outside, pink in the middle; my favorites).
A heart-shaped tin of chocolates (yum).
A Barnes and Noble gift card (I could LIVE in that store).
A splendid basket, lined with a fluffy soft, vibrantly red hand towel, and containing all of the above.
The time and care my husband took to create such a personal, thoughtful, perfect gift for me.
The smile on my husband's face when he saw how much I loved this gift.
God's good plan of one man for one woman forever,
Or as one human said...
"The game of love is never called on account of darkness or rain."
I am one blessed lady.
Candles (good-smelling).
Watermelon Jelly Bellies (green on the outside, pink in the middle; my favorites).
A heart-shaped tin of chocolates (yum).
A Barnes and Noble gift card (I could LIVE in that store).
A splendid basket, lined with a fluffy soft, vibrantly red hand towel, and containing all of the above.
The time and care my husband took to create such a personal, thoughtful, perfect gift for me.
The smile on my husband's face when he saw how much I loved this gift.
God's good plan of one man for one woman forever,
Or as one human said...
"The game of love is never called on account of darkness or rain."
I am one blessed lady.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Follow-up
Thanks to all of you who took time to read and comment on my post about Nate's adventure to the chess tournament. Many people have asked how it turned out, so I thought I'd give a follow-up.
Nate did indeed travel with the team to the tournament in Ferndale.
He got checked in and then settled his backpack into a spot at a table in the rec area.
And then he waited. (We found out there's a lot of waiting in a chess tournament.)
The thing is, Nate did a lot of waiting ALL BY HIMSELF.
Yeah, no other 6th grade teammates made it to the tournament...
and all the other team members were competing in a different division...
in a completely separate building on the campus...
and the coach was otherwise occupied as a "floor judge" for...
you guessed it...the upper division in the other building.
(Oh, the things moms are glad they don't know beforehand!)
And yet, Nate just handled it.
By the time I came to watch at noon, he'd played 2 matches (lost one, won one), eaten all his snacks :), and spent his long waits between matches reading his book. What a good kid!
The competition was being held in a cafeteria where about one-third of the room was set up with the chess sets. The students would be in that area during their matches. That end was open to the rest of the room where competitors sat between matches, along with coaches, parents, siblings, and whatever other assorted people happened by. There were probably 90 or so total competitors in the K-3 and 4-6 divisions. Needless to say the "rec" area was very lively and noisy with all the people hanging out there. In and of itself, Nate's ability to tolerate that environment is a huge testament to his growth. And to manage it by himself...awesome!
After all the waiting throughout the day, we decided to forgo an extra 2+ hours of waiting for the completion of the upper division and for the awards ceremonies. We headed home with Nate having finished with a record of 1 win and 4 losses, with some hard-fought matches in the process, and with the winning and losing met with equal grace.
It was a day with much to be thankful for. But for me, as the mom, there was one thing that particularly stood out about that day; something I felt God did just for me. You see, out of the 60 competitors in Nate's division of 4th-6th graders, Nate knew exactly ONE other student. Guess who Nate's first round "randomly chosen" opponent was?
Yeah. The one kid Nate knew.
I don't know that that mattered much to Nate,
but I felt it was God's little message to me,
"See how much I can do, Megan?
I've got it ALL under control."
A friend who has watched Nate through all his years, and who read the chess tournament post said he was reminded of the Ephesians verse that talks about "Him who is able to do abundantly more than we could ask or imagine". Our God is the giver of ALL these good and perfect and compassionate gifts. He is the One who loves and nurtures Nate more than Jim or I ever could. He is the One who has given our family the hands and smiles and voices of so many dear ones through whom Nate has felt His warmth.
We're grateful to Him, and grateful to you.
And we're oh, so proud of Nate.
Nate did indeed travel with the team to the tournament in Ferndale.
He got checked in and then settled his backpack into a spot at a table in the rec area.
And then he waited. (We found out there's a lot of waiting in a chess tournament.)
The thing is, Nate did a lot of waiting ALL BY HIMSELF.
Yeah, no other 6th grade teammates made it to the tournament...
and all the other team members were competing in a different division...
in a completely separate building on the campus...
and the coach was otherwise occupied as a "floor judge" for...
you guessed it...the upper division in the other building.
(Oh, the things moms are glad they don't know beforehand!)
And yet, Nate just handled it.
By the time I came to watch at noon, he'd played 2 matches (lost one, won one), eaten all his snacks :), and spent his long waits between matches reading his book. What a good kid!
The competition was being held in a cafeteria where about one-third of the room was set up with the chess sets. The students would be in that area during their matches. That end was open to the rest of the room where competitors sat between matches, along with coaches, parents, siblings, and whatever other assorted people happened by. There were probably 90 or so total competitors in the K-3 and 4-6 divisions. Needless to say the "rec" area was very lively and noisy with all the people hanging out there. In and of itself, Nate's ability to tolerate that environment is a huge testament to his growth. And to manage it by himself...awesome!
After all the waiting throughout the day, we decided to forgo an extra 2+ hours of waiting for the completion of the upper division and for the awards ceremonies. We headed home with Nate having finished with a record of 1 win and 4 losses, with some hard-fought matches in the process, and with the winning and losing met with equal grace.
It was a day with much to be thankful for. But for me, as the mom, there was one thing that particularly stood out about that day; something I felt God did just for me. You see, out of the 60 competitors in Nate's division of 4th-6th graders, Nate knew exactly ONE other student. Guess who Nate's first round "randomly chosen" opponent was?
Yeah. The one kid Nate knew.
I don't know that that mattered much to Nate,
but I felt it was God's little message to me,
"See how much I can do, Megan?
I've got it ALL under control."
A friend who has watched Nate through all his years, and who read the chess tournament post said he was reminded of the Ephesians verse that talks about "Him who is able to do abundantly more than we could ask or imagine". Our God is the giver of ALL these good and perfect and compassionate gifts. He is the One who loves and nurtures Nate more than Jim or I ever could. He is the One who has given our family the hands and smiles and voices of so many dear ones through whom Nate has felt His warmth.
We're grateful to Him, and grateful to you.
And we're oh, so proud of Nate.
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