They Always Win

I'm late to work every day.  Every. Single. Day. That may not come as a surprise to anyone since I'm well known as being a bit tardy.  My principal at South, Mike, used to always say as I walked into faculty meetings, "Well Jen's here, now we can start."  I get it. I deserve any criticism when it comes to being late in most cases, but not in this case.  I wake up in plenty of time to leave for work, battle the highway, and plug my teacher # into the computer right on time.  But I don't. Instead my drive is a hurry-and-go-switch-lanes-watch for cops kinda drive.

And this daily #@* of a drive is because, well, because no matter what - my kids win in the morning.  If I fly around the breakfast table giving kisses and wishing them a good day at school, my intentions are to leave the house.  But, with just one whiny, but sweet, "fix my hair, mama" and seconds later I'm brushing hair and searching for ponytail holders.  I can't seem to leave them.  I can't seem to get out of the door.

I think it comes down to this. I don't want them to ever think that I put work before them.  But as much as I want that to be true, I still have to miss their morning rush and afternoon fallout.  What will they remember when they are 15, 20, 25-years old and looking back?  Will they remember those 7 years I stayed home and volunteered for every job, was present at every event, and was around for pretty much everything that ever happened to them?  Or will they remember that one year when mom decided to get a J. O. B. and she always rushed out during breakfast unable to chauffer them on that long drive to school like the old days. And even though we've been working through these changes for seven months now and we have the schedule down pat, it's still not easy.  It's not easy to give those minutes of their time to someone else.  Those minutes right after they walk out of school and have three thousands things to say between them, to someone else's ears.

But we've all settled into the routine, and I have my role, K has his, and the kids have theirs and no one is the worse for wear, but ya'll, it's tough.  And if you know how to do it, how to erase that g u i l t thing, I'm all ears.  Because I want them to win. Every. Single. Time.

The End of an Era

Some good things must come to an end.  Tonight I'm pondering all the many things in my life that have found their ending. Some of those conclusions came without fanfare, but most of the time, almost all the time, for me, endings come with fear and hesitancy, and a little bit of sadness.

Earlier in the school year, I had to come to terms with a major ending in our life - the ending of all things preschool -  no more daytime preschool rec classes, no more Tuesday morning library time, Mother's Day Out and preschool - done, and any other daytime activity created with a stay-at-home mom in mind. I think the moment I first recognized that that era was really over was the first day of Sunday School for this 2013-14 school year. Since 2005, when Elijah was 2 and started SS classes, either me or Kenny have walked one or two kids down the preschool hallway.  When I realized all three were now in one building, in one hallway, it actually made me tear up.  I had no reason now to visit with the teachers who taught preschool, or apologize to them for our kid being late.  That stage was over.  I now have all elementary-aged kids, all grouped together.  And while I don't want to jump the gun, in just a few years, we will again be straddling two age brackets, two school buildings, two school schedules.  

It's just enough to make me run kicking and screaming from all this growing, all these new beginnings and sad endings. 

And now, speaking of sad endings, my entire reason for writing tonight was to give praise to two great coaches (Kenny and Coach Jon), and 5 years of coaching boys basketball through UPWARD. Five years of working together, of getting to know one another, and for a family to build a friendship together. They took 4 and 5 year-old preschool tikes and through the years have helped them develop into boys, both in faith and basketball skills. Our boys are now in 4th grade, and if all goes well, Elijah will try out for the Lutheran South 5th grade boys' basketball team next year and will give up those two month's of Saturdays playing UPWARD ball with some wonderful, and amazing faith-filled families.  

Coach Jon will always be Elijah's favorite coach (not counting his dad, of course) and we are thankful to UPWARD for putting Elijah on coach Jon's team so many years ago.  That one year when Kenny told Jon, a mere stranger, "Hey, I'll help out if you need me" turned into another year, and then another, and another, and another. Now, these two guys coach like the best of them and I will greatly miss getting to watch them in action, their enthusiasm, their fun, and their kindred spirits. 

Thank you UPWARD -- we are so grateful to you for our friends, and for making the months of January and February so much more exciting & busier than they ever would have been. 

It has been our pleasure. 

But never fear ---
We Still have Lydia -- and coach Kenny has found a new niche - coaching girls.