Mystery Reader, my very last one

One of the big treats, for both parents and kids, during the 1st grade year at Monte Cassino is MYSTERY reader day!  Parents sign up with the teacher for a specific day, send her five clues about themselves and then show up to surprise the kids after they've tried incredibly hard to guess who is coming based on the clues...so fun!  I couldn't wait to do it for Will.  This would be my last "mystery reader" day EVER.  Ever.  Maybe I'd bring a fun snack that coordinated with the book, read TWO books instead of just one if Mrs. Schloss allowed it.  I was making big plans.  Until....the request. 

"I want Claire to come be my mystery reader". 

Me, "Okay." Just a tad heartbroken and just a tad touched that he wanted his sister to come.  Kate even tried to get in the game.  "I'll come be your mystery reader!"  "NO.  I want Claire".

I relented (as did Kate) and gave up my spot as mystery reader.  I helped her come up with some clues about herself and that's how this very last MYSTERY READER day of mine went down.

Truth be told, it was worth it.  The smile on his face when he saw her appear from behind the door - so worth it.  Not the way I envisioned my very last mystery reader day, but absolutely perfect. 

That's kind of how life goes, right? 



I'm a Christian

A few nights ago, Bill was putting Will to bed and I popped my head in to give him a hug and say goodnight.  He was holding his rosary that he made in art class.  It had just been blessed by Father Brian O'Brien earlier that week.  He was pleading with Bill to pray the rosary, pretty adamantly.  Now, it's after 9:00 p.m. already and praying the entire rosary takes some time.  I asked if he'd be happy to just say Our Father with us.  No.  He wouldn't be happy to do that.  He'd like to pray the rosary.  I asked if he'd just like to pray Hail Mary.  Yes.  He would accept that.  Great. 

EXCEPT THAT...no judging please....I'm not completely certain I can say Hail Mary from memory.  I'm a cradle Episcopalian.  It's the only church I've ever been a part of.  I am an Episcopalian.  We do not typically pray Hail Mary, at least within the walls of the two churches I have attended my entire life.  I am married to a Methodist, turned Catholic.  Whew, at least Dad can pray Hail Mary with him without stumbling!  Almost.  My Methodist, turned Catholic, now attends the Episcopal church with us and doesn't get to the Catholic services as often as he used to.  Anyway - we make it through Hail Mary in a manner that is sufficiently pleasing to my 6 year old even though he throws me a look here and there for not knowing it flawlessly.  This begins a conversation about how I am Episcopalian.  What's that?  That's the denomination of our church, St. Patrick's.  Dad is Catholic.  Why?  He chose to become Catholic in his early 20's and connects strongly with the Catholic faith.  What church does he go to?
He goes with us to St. Patrick's because he loves our church too and we all enjoy going as a family.   Is Kate Catholic?  She went through First Communion and she's exploring Catholicism and she also attends St. Patrick's with us so she is learning about what it means to be an Episcopalian too.  Is Claire Catholic?  Same for Claire, she went through First Communion classes and is learning about the Catholic faith but attends St. Patrick's with us. 

                                                  *******LONG PAUSE********

Well, I am a Christian. 


Wow.  Yes, Will, you are.  Brought a little tear to my eye - not gonna lie.  All the Methodist, Catholic, Episcopal talk can be confusing and tiring for a little one or even a big one.  Loved that he processed the whole conversation and arrived at that one meaningful thing. 

Nice job, Monte Cassino.  You are teaching Christianity.
Nice job, St. Patrick's. You are teaching Christianity. 

Many of the rules and rituals divide us, the big picture is what does and should bring us together.  We enjoyed a Pentecost service this past weekend with a sermon delivered by the Bishop, discussing this very thing.  I love that Will just might already get this.

 

 

Will, holding up his rosary. 

Summer Camp!

This year, both of my girls went off to summer camp - sleep away camp - for the first time.  St. Crispin's Episcopal Camp in Wewoka, OK is where they spent their week last week.  This camp is not unfamiliar to me.  I lost my favorite babysitters every summer to this camp, for more weeks than I would have liked!  And just when I thought camp was over for them, I lost them again when they decided to become counselors and serve on staff there.  The stories I would hear from them and many others sealed the deal that this would be the place for my girls when they decided they were ready for camp.  These "babysitters" of mine are now in their mid twenties with real jobs and live in other cities.  What are the chances they would end up at St. Crispin's with my girls last week??  Apparently, not bad, because as luck would have it, they were called in to help with this extra large group of 3rd-5th graders!!  How awesome is that?  They were my secret link into camp - posting little notes and updates for me on FaceBook.  They know firsthand what a helicopter parent I can be!  It was more than fun and so reassuring to hear almost immediately what was going on with them. Cannot thank them enough.

So last weekend, we prepared, packed, talked about my summers at Camp Bratton Green Episcopal camp with my buddies (more stories than they were probably interested in), drove a quick 2 hours over to Wewoka, found their cabin, made up beds, unpacked and left them there.  For the entire week.  Kate seemed just fine, but Claire was very tearful.  Man, that was hard but I am so glad I stayed strong and let them go.   They had a wonderful time, met lots of new friends, had some time to be on their own and know "hey, I can do this and do it well"!  Claire is begging for a second week over there in late July.  Kate can't wait to go back next year.  I hope this is the beginning of a long relationship with St. Crispin's.  I'm a fan.   All in all - it was great.

Will?  Well, he missed them.  There's no doubt about it.  And I realized this week that letting go can be a good thing.  Maybe I can turn my propellers off more often and relax.  I also realize that these girls spend a great deal of time with their little brother.  I should be more thankful for that.  I think we all appreciate each other a little more having spent a week apart.

Now, off to do all that laundry.  This week was an eye opener regarding the laundry too.  I had almost none while they were gone.  How many outfits do they wear every day?!?

See ya next summer, St. Crispin's (unless Claire talks her Dad into another week!)

Drop off day - registering

Finding our cabin

sisters

Sad little brother

One last smile and wave from Claire before we left

PICK UP DAY!  YAY!  

Can't hug you tight enough, Kate!

Claire-EEEE!

Together again!

Love my Claire

Camp songs and Eucharist with the girls

Art from camp

Jennifer!!  We love you!

Kirsten!  We love you!

BOO!!  We love you!  (Camp dog)

Kate and her friend Abby with one of their counselors

Me and my "babysitter"

The girls and Katie, their counselor

Cowgirl

Oklahoma Land Run day at Monte Cassino

3rd grade

 

 

 

Oklahoma, from my point of view

One thing I had to give up when I moved to the pasture was trees.  The big, beautiful, mature ones that produce all that great shade.  We've tried - we really have - to plant lots of trees.  I think two or three have made it and are currently around 9 feet tall.  Not much of a tree to climb or shade to sit under!

The trade off is all of that wide open space, the wide open view of the sky and the landscape.  The sunsets and sunrises can be startling they are so bold and beautiful.  The sky out here at night just amazes me.  I know those stars have been there since the beginning of time, but they look different to me now.  It's just enough darker, more vast - it seems like you can see every single star in the universe.  It's not often I have a minute to look up these days, though.  But when I do, I usually stop right where I am, car door still open, backpacks, lunch boxes and papers from the day in my hands, kids running past me to get inside, Blue jumping up to greet me. I stop right there, head tilted all the way back and just stare in amazement.  I have tried to get the kids to join me, stop them from stampeding inside long enough to see how amazing the night sky is, but they have other things on their minds.  I take exactly three deep breaths, all alone with Blue waiting patiently beside me, and then head inside to join the chaos.

These are some of my favorite pictures.  The first two are recent storms, neither of which were very severe, thankfully.  This is my new interest.  I don't really enjoy seeing a big storm brew, but lately I can't help but grab my camera!  Wish I knew enough about photography to know how to capture some of those starry skies??  Maybe one day.

One of my favorites, by far.
Sunrise on a Sunday morning.  Unbelievable.

Babysitting

I have said it before, Kate is my right hand gal.  Fairly certain I could not function nearly as well on a day to day basis without her.  Both of my girls are helpful, really, but Kate is my go to girl.  She rarely seems bothered or inconvenienced by my..."Hey, Kate?"  Which is always followed by "Can you please....."  Could be anything.  I almost never get anything but compliance.  This is so nice and I am so thankful.  BUT, every once in a while, she just doesn't want to do it.  She's 10, she's got a million other things she'd like to do.  She doesn't want to find Will's shoes, chase Blue out of the pond, help Will put on yet another tattoo, fix something on my phone, chop the carrots for the soup, feed Wilson or find that Lego that has been missing for a week!  She just doesn't.  I usually let her off the hook because for that one thing she doesn't feel like doing, she's made numerous deposits into the Bank of Helping Mom.

Last Thursday, Bill and I were going to a dinner with some friends....a nice, dress up dinner for a great cause, live auction, the whole nine yards.  I had to buy a dress and all the jewelry to go with it.  That kind of dinner.  Claire was spending the night out and I had come home after school with Will and Kate.  My plan, of course, was to get Kate to play with Will while I got ready.  She didn't want to.  Really didn't want to.  I couldn't let her off the hook, had to get ready.  Yes, Kate, you have to.  Sorry.  I need to get in the shower.   Just walk around with him out there and make sure he doesn't fall into the ponds.  G'pa will be here in about an hour. I have got to get dressed.

No words from her - no eye roll - just a look that told me, "I don't want to".  And I looked back at her with a look that said, "You have to."  So, she did.  I watched for a minute just to make sure they were okay. Then I got my camera because they were kind of cute, Will riding his tractor and Kate walking there with him, making sure he was safe even though a little uninterested.  Then I noticed she was showing him all kinds of things, starting to skip rocks, starting to have fun.  So I kept taking pictures. I think these tell a really great story.  They are absolutely two of a kind.  They are the two that were most similar as toddlers...busy, beyond busy!  They were both into everything under the sun except their own toys.  Messy, messy, messy. If there is dirt or mud involved, sign them up!   I see so much of Kate in Will.

I didn't get ready right then.  I took pictures and watched my kids talking, playing and enjoying each other. Totally worth it.

I did eventually get dressed and make it to that dinner, thanks again to my right hand gal.

Not wanting to do this

In charge of Will.  Not how I wanted to spend my afternoon.

Slow down, keep it in the road

Careful...

Visiting Bubbles and Thunder

Keeping him straight

A little small talk 

Hmmm, this could be fun.  Let's see what we
can find to throw in the pond

Let's find a good one

Flinging rocks

This is my favorite one...it's like she's teaching him the art of finding that
ginormous rock that will make the BIGGEST splash!

OOH, good one Will!

Digging in the dirt - this is where you'll find them.