Happy Birthday To Me

Yesterday, I celebrated my 29th birthday for the 7th time. I don't know why I just said that. I really don't have issues with my age. Let me start again...Yesterday, I celebrated my 35th birthday. Seeing that I promised to be transparent in this blog, let me just say, IT SUCKED! Not because I turned 35....like I said, I don't have issues with my age. It sucked because my husband, who has known me for 13 years, STILL doesn't know that when I say I don't want a gift, I don't mean it!!!

As you can guess, I didn't receive anything from him for my birthday. And I guess I am at fault, at least partly. I tell him every year that I don't want anything. And when the words leave my mouth, I really do mean them. I'm not trying to trick him or set him up for failure. However, when my birthday rolls around and "nothing" is exactly what I get from him....I GET PISSED!!! And you would think that after 13 years with the man, he would have caught on to my pattern. BUT NOOOOOO. So instead of blogging yesterday on how wonderful it was to celebrate another year on this earth, I pouted like a 4 year old. I'm not above poutting....and I can admit it.

It wasn't like I didn't give him plenty of ideas. I've been asking for a pressure washer for a couple of months now. I've show interest in golf clubs. I have mentioned that a carpet cleaner would be a helpful tool in keeping the house looking nice. I even let him know that I needed some work out clothes since I'm hitting the gym again. Nevermind the fact that we can't afford much of anything because the house in Reno is still for sale which means we're forking out an additional $1550 a month that we never know from where it will come. And yes, he is completely right in pointing that fact out and telling me that he holds off on gifts because he knows that I'm stressed about the house. But that didn't make me feel any better. I was acting like a four year old...I knew it...and I was not going to let up. I wanted a stinking gift to open on my birthday. Waa...

I don't know why I get this way. I really don't care about the actual gift. I think I just want to know that he is paying attention to the things that I tell him. Producing a gift proves that he has been paying attention. I guess I'd be fine with a note from him detailing out everything that he wanted to do, but didn't because of the house. At least I would know that he had something planned. And he did say exactly that. He had plans, but didn't execute them because of the financial strain we're under. My first thought was, "Bullsh*t....if it were a baseball game, we'd have tickets in hand." But I didn't say that. And I'm sure that I'll get the cold shoulder once he reads this...but hey, I promised to be transparent and I'm writting from the heart.

Ok, enough about how disappointed/hurt/angry I was yesterday. After I took a nice long nap, I spent the rest of my day with the boys and that was fun. We really didn't do much. Just hung out and spent time together. In the evening, we headed out to the front yard to play a little catch. However, that didn't last too long before ANOTHER rainstorm hit us. But instead of going inside, the boys asked if they could play in the rain. My kneejerk reaction was to say no, but then I thought, "Why not?" So play in the rain they did. They had a blast too, as I'm sure you can see from the pictures. It wasn't until Keegan slipped twice on some sort of gooey slippery fungus thing in the gutter did the fun stop. After that incident, we headed inside and dried off.

I capped off the evening by watching a bad movie (Stomp the Yard) while sipping on a nice mixture of iced Starbucks liquer and milk. I guess it made the movie a little more tolerable. After that, I turned in and read for a while. The boys decided that they "needed" to sleep with me, so I let them. And I guess all in all, they are the best gifts that I could ever receive. They give me life and inspire me to be a better person. Yeah, they are definitely the best gifts ever....although a pressure washer would have been nice.

Dialogues with Dallas

Last night as we were saying night time prayers (it's been a while for the boys), Dallas mustered up the courage to say his prayers out loud. I didn't think he would do it. Night time prayers usually consist of me praying over them. But I'm trying to encourage that personal relationship, so I nudged him. He claimed that he didn't know what to say and I told him to just talk to God like he was talking to a friend. That seemed to work for him, so he began to speak from his heart. I would like to believe that God was most pleased to hear his unjaded words. They were so precious to this mother, I bolted to the laptop to type in what he said just after "Amen" came out of his mouth.

Dear Heavenwee Father,

Fank you for this nice pwanet that you made for we can wive on.
Fank you for the woof over our head.
Fank you for the food we get to eat.
Amen.
Oh yeah, one more thing...fank you that I get to watch Sponge Bob every day.

Dallas really does have the cutest things to say quite often. Especially during prayer time. On another occasion when it was his time to bless the food, his prayer went exactly like this....

Dear God...fank you for this food......except for these yucky vegetables. Amen.

I guess this is a prime example of why I started blogging. It's moments like these that I never want to forget. I find myself so often half-listening to what he is saying. Other tasks scream for my attention while the truly important ones whisper. He is definitely a whisperer. He is my gentle soul...my court jester and my quiet thinker. I love watching his personality continue to unfold and develop. And after moments like last night's prayer, I am reminded once again to slow down and enjoy the blessings that my children truly are.

Summer Travels

Father's day weekend for the last three years has been pretty special. Three years ago, our small group in Reno decided to venture out for a father-son camping trip. To keep that tradition going, last Friday we packed up some clothes and the boys, boarded another flight back to Reno, and set off for the weekend.

Not long after we landed, Kenny gathered up the boys and wisked them off to the wilderness along with his closest friends and their sons. As much as I'd love to detail out what happened in their 48 hours, I can't. They never seem to come back with many details. The most I get out of my boys is that their favorite part is roasting marshmellows and eating s'mores.

However, marshmellows and s'mores barely scratch the surface of what is really happening out there. The purpose of these camping trips is to let each child know that the men have pledged to stand as father figures for them and will assist when needed in raising them up according to Christ's teachings. In fact, during one camping trip, each of the fathers gave their son(s) a compass with Proverbs 3:6 written atop it; "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight".

What a blessing that my husband participates in something of such magnitude. He has bonded in friendship and brotherhood with a group of men who value their roles as fathers and are active participants in parenthood. In todays society, we see fathers portrayed as bumbling idiots, hen-pecked and inadequate. This is a far cry from what the truth is when describing the group of men who Kenny camps with every year. They are men of integrity and character. They are loving, intelligent and family supportive. Most importantly, they are God-honoring and God-fearing men intent on raising their boys up to walk in their footsteps.

So, even though I know that my three sons are out in the woods with not enough hand sanitizer and are most likely attempting to see who can burp the loudest, I trust that this is all part of raising boys. And that is just what Kenny is doing...actively raising our boys to be God-seeking men. What a blessing that is.

Happy Anniversary

Yesterday, June the 8th, my mom and dad celebrated their 36th wedding anniversary. In between a baseball scrimmage and dinner, I managed to call them on my cell to wish them well. I didn't really get to talk to them for long due to poor reception and lots of background noise. Anyway, they were doing the usual....relaxing and unwinding after a full week of work. They told me of their intention to celebrate 36 years of marriage by going out to lunch today and catching a matinee showing of "Ocean's 13". And of course, Dad, as always, sent Mom a beautiful bouquet of flowers.

Although I didn't get to talk with them much, I've been thinking about them all day and pondering what it takes to make it through 36 years of marriage.

Kenny and I have been married 11 years. At times, it has been storybook bliss. At times, it has mirrored "War of the Roses". Graveyard shifts, children, personal struggles & unhappiness, financial stress, the busyness of life....all of these reasons and more have grabbed at Kenny and I both in an attempt to separate our oneness as husband and wife. And to be truthful, there have been times when our marriage has come close to dissolving. We have been through marriage counseling, we have been spiteful and neglectful with each other....we have entertained the idea of throwing in the towel and living a life apart.

But neither of us come from divorced parents. And I guess we're just to stubborn to give up when the going gets rough. When I took Kenny's hands and looked into his eyes on our wedding day.....when I said my vows.....I distinctly remember the emotion that overcame me. I knew that every word that I was saying, I meant with every fiber of my being. I wasn't going through the motions. I....meant....every....single....word. And I guess for that reason, I have never given up on us.

A very dear friend of mine, my mentor mom in MOPS, Reno, told me and a group of women that no one else will fight for your marriage. Having been there herself, she encouraged us to fight for what was ours and to not let the world succeed in its separating endeavors. At times, she said, it will seem like the world is against your marriage...and YOU will have to fight for it. No one else will engage that battle for you....YOU must fight for your marriage. She fought for hers and reaps the benefits of a Godly marriage today. I do so admire my mentor mom, Christy Turner.

A couple of years ago, I called my parents to admit to them the difficulties that Kenny and I were having in our marriage. As I cried and asked my mom if there were ever times when she wanted to leave my dad, she told me, "HELL YES!!! Almost every year!". And then before she was overcome with emotion, she said that had she left my dad, she wouldn't be enjoying the fruits of their labor today. I'll never forget that.

I guess those two examples stand out in my mind the most when the going gets rough between Kenny and I. I've always been stubborn and determined....and I suppose those are good traits to have when it comes to the longevity of marriage. Plus, the bottom line is that Kenny and I have always had something worth saving. He is a good man; no...he is great man. A loving and involved father, a wonderful provider, always willing to work on problems as they arise, sacrificial, selfless, and handsome to boot. I do love my husband dearly. Even when he picks his feet. And I look forward to celebrating every anniversary that our lives allow with him and him alone.

My grandmother (who tried to run off my dad when he was courting my mom, Dallas at two months old, my mom, my dad and Jason at 2 years old.

Happenings

As the summer comes, so does the chaos. And it's my intention to not let these added distractions take me away from my blogging. I desperately do not want this to be another venture that gets abandoned due to less important tasks calling for action...such things as housecleaning, groceries, etc. Hey, who needs to eat when you've got blogging to do? Besides, I've still got those extra pounds to lose, so I guess it's a win-win.

There has been so much going on in the last few weeks. I've been to Reno twice to work on the house and to hire a new realtor. After having renters in our house even for the short amount of time that we did, it was in need of some paint and a good scrubbing. And based on the recommendation of our new realtor, I laid down some playground bark in the backyard around the playset. Hopefully, this in conjunction with yet ANOTHER price reduction will get it sold.

Spring baseball has ended for Jason and Dallas. They had their team party this last Saturday to celebrate their all-defeated record. Poor little guys...they tried so hard and came close to a win on soooo many occassions. They just couldn't pull it off in the end. Their hitting was always phenomenal; their fielding...umm, not so much. Anyway, the good news is that Jason made the 1st team in his league's All-Stars. However, he wanted to play with his Red Sox teammates who also made All-Stars (Carter, Boston & Jonas), so he asked to be moved down to the 2nd team. I think over the next month, he'll have a few tournaments to play and based on Coach Bobby's opinion, this 2nd team is pretty decent. Should be exciting!

Sandwiched in between my Reno trips and the Red Sox team party, we spent a few days hanging out with Dave and Emily & Zachary. He is on leave right now and decided to make a road trip out here. That was especially nice. It's always great to get the boys together with their Uncle Dave, his tickle bugs, and their cousins. Anyway, I enjoyed watching Emily, Zachary and the boys all play together knowing that they were creating memories. We even managed to squeez in a trip to Six Flags. Not that that should be a surprise...I don't know of many occassions where Dave and I get together near a theme park and not take in a roller coaster or ten. All in all, it was a nice visit....a bit short, but there will be more opportunities for summer visits in the years to come.

I think that about covers what has been going on over the past few weeks. I know that this post just glosses over the details, and I'm going to try to get back to posting at least once a week so that I can better record this crazy life of mine. Until then, bring on the summer.

The Turning Of A Page

But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31


I feel like the winds have finally changed. I feel as though we are getting over the hump of our hardships. Thanks to some encouraging words and nudging (thanks Fred), I finally stopped participating in my own pity party.


The first thing that I did was look up another MOPS group. At this time of year, MOPS is coming to an end, but I figured that I could still register for next fall and have something to look forward to. Most importantly, I wanted to find a church that hosted it where my family could worship and fellowship again. Up until a couple of weeks ago, our family continued to feel as though we had not yet found our home church. We had visited many in our area, but had yet to find that one.


Once I found Cross Timbers Church via the MOPS web locator, I knew I found a place worth trying. And one after one visit, I knew we were finally home. Everyone was casual, welcoming, and most importantly, real. There was no stuffiness or rehearsed feeling about anyone or anything. So, I signed us up for a small group knowing full well that we needed to jump right in and begin to finding our place.


Our first small group meeting was this last Sunday and to say the least, it was awesome. In fact, I know that we are exactly where God intends us to be. Our conversations went something like this.... (note that this church is about a 15 minute drive from our house.)


Gail (Small Group Leader): So, where do you guys live?
Me: We're in the Villages of Woodland Springs community.
Gail: Oh, we are too! We're around the food streets...we're off of Macaroon.
Me: You're kidding me?!? We live on Macaroon!
Gail: Oh my gosh...we're on the corner of Macaroon and Rum! Where do you live?
Me: On the corner of Macaroon and Angel Food.
Gail: You're the house with the big blue truck. I see you all the time. Your boys are constantly outside playing baseball. I drive the red Sunfire convertible.
Me: Oh my...I'm constantly pulling out in front of you as I take Jason to school.
Gail: Yes, that's right....I see you too and think, "Oh good, at least I'm not the only one running late!" [insert laughter]. Well, most of our small group actually lives on Macaroon too. In fact, here are Don and Terry-Jo.
Me, upon recognizing Terry Jo's face: I know you! I met you at the pool last summer. You were pregnant with your third child...you have two girls and I think one of them shares the same birthday with my oldest son. I remember being so excited to meet a potential friend, but then we never saw each other at the pool again. I was so bummed.
Terry Jo: You live by us?!? Oh how weird is that?
Gail: These are the big blue truck people on the corner.
Terry Jo: Ok...you're the ones with the boys who are always outside playing baseball.
Don (Terry Jo's Husband): Oh yeah, you guys are the ones with the two dogs. They got out one time and I called you but you were out of town. I talked with your husband about how they got out and how I was going to fix the fence for you cause you were in Arizona or someplace like that.
Kenny: That was you? Oh man, I've been wanting to personally thank you for that but never knew where you lived....how weird is this.
Me: This is a bit beyond coincidental, don't you think?
Don, to Kenny: So what do you do, man?
Kenny: I work over for American Airlines...I'm a mechanic.
Don: Ok, so you know (forgot his name) across the street from you?
Kenny: Yeah, I do...but he works out of DFW and I'm at AFW.
Don: Alright....yeah, I know someone who works out of AFW, but they work back in the corner by the test cells. (AFW base area is similar to 20 city blocks.)
Kenny: Yeah, that's where I work. [insert more boring conversation about aviation]
Don: I'm actually in the Navy with about 2 years left before retirement. I'm almost done with my degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry Riddle.
Kenny: I was in the Navy for 8 years, but got out when Heather and I got married. I went to Embry Riddle too...in fact I have the same degree that you're going for...but mine is an Associates.
Gail: Hey Chris (another Macaroon resident), this is Kenny and Heather. They live on Macaroon too. They're the big blue truck house. They're joining our small group.
Chris: Oh yeah, you guys are the ones with the boys who play baseball outside all the time and they're always running around in their underwear.
Me: Yes, that would be us. (Make mental note to check for clothes before children run outside in the future.)


And so went the evening. More puzzle pieces were connected and all in all, the evening was too perfectly orchestrated to be chalked up as coincidence.


As we left, I felt as though an elephant had finally been lifted off of my chest. All I can do is praise God for a crystal clear answer to my many heart-cried prayers.

Dressing Room Reflections

A handful of days ago, I was almost done with a post when my stinkin' laptop crashed and I lost it all. So, let's see if this goes any better. Same subject, just more material....

I don't know which flaw is more detrimental to my well being: the fact that I am a horrible procrastinator or the fact that I am completely OCD with a dash of ADD. Today, I'd like to ponder my OCD/ADD tendencies and how they came into play with my weight loss goals.

A few months ago, I had unwavering determination to lose 25 pounds by this month. I knew that this was the month that I'd most likely be shopping for a new swimsuit and did not want to purchase the same size suit that I purposely threw away three months ago. So I set out with knowledge, determination and a fool-proof plan that would deliver me to my goal. And had I stuck with that plan, I probably wouldn't have had to experience the self-loathing that I did as I purchased my swimsuit last night. I don't think I need to tell you that I haven't lost any of the weight that I set out to.


I was actually doing quite well for the first month. I was exercising regularly, had toned up quite a bit and really felt great physically. Then my parents came into town for a visit. Next thing I know, one day of missed exercise and healthy eating turned into two which turned into seven which turned into sixty-plus.

This is where the OCD/ADD comes into play. You see, I will obsess over any one thing for days...even months, as long as nothing else comes along to detract me from that one thing. This is a mixed blessing. It makes me good at anything that I set out to do....that is, if I complete it. You see, that dash of ADD usually kicks in and sets me on a detour. So, if I'm on an exercise regime, I'm usually good up until something else comes along that captures my attention and obsession.

I'm hoping that the horrific dressing room reflections that have been burned into my memory will be enough motivation to get my obsessive tendencies focused on my health once again. I know this is something that I can accomplish and that I need to do for my own sanity's sake. I just hope that the small ADD tendencies that I have don't kick in and............oh look, a chicken!

Stuck in a funk

I've been in a funk for the last month and can't seem to snap out of it. I can't pinpoint one exact reason for the foul mood. I know that the house still not selling is a major stress point in my life. That combined with the fact that I am extremely home sick are probably the major contributing factors. Anyway, I'm tired of being in this funk and wish that I would just snap out of it.

Our house in Reno is still on the market and we still have the same potential buyers on the line. Apparently they are very interested in submitting an offer, but can't do so until another offer that they submitted on a foreclosure gets cancelled by the bank holding the note. All the while, we wait on pins and needles wondering if these are the people who will actually purchase it.

I don't know how much longer we can ride this out. Kenny, on average, is working 60-70 hours a week. The ripple effect is that by the end of his day, he is exhausted and I am at the end of my rope from handling the boys and the house. He comes home and tries to help out...he's such a good husband and father. And I repay him by either withdrawing emotionally from him or by lashing out over piddly items that aren't worth bickering over in the grand scheme of things.

Proverbs 13:12 says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fullfilled is the tree of lfe." Right now, I can completely embrace this truth as absolute. My heart is sick...very very sick. Hope for us has been deferred for over a year now. And I feel like everything hinges on the selling of our house.

I don't really go out and make attempts to foster new friendships. That fact alone has been poison for my attitude. For my sanity's sake, I need the fellowship of friends. However, I have no desire to make new ones here. I feel myself holding back....almost in fear of cheating on my friends in Reno. I think somewhere deep down, I feel as though if I make new friends here in Texas, I will be lessening the value of their friendships. Ironically, one of my best friends (I have four: Raquel, Cyndi, Kristen and Erin) sent me a beautiful and uplifting card telling me how much she longs to hear that I have made new friends. That thought alone brings tears to my eyes....she is so selfless.

I guess the bottom line is that I'm lonely here and have been throwing my own little pity party. When I take a step back and look at what God has blessed us with here in Texas, I just want to kick myself for complaining......We are sitting at the cusp of having the opportunity to buy a home close to outright. The schools that my children will and are attending are top notch. I now have family in the same city...something that I have desperately wanted for years. Kenny has a great job with fantastic benefits. I have the opportunity to open my own photography business. This area is culturally rich. We still fly for free and can always go back home to visit our friends. There are so many blessings sitting in my lap.....so why am I so miserable? Someone, please slap me!

Not In Kansas Anymore

I was looking forward to getting away by myself for the weekend. No kids, no husband; just me and my thoughts. It would be a good time to catch up on some web work that I have drastically fallen behind on. Most importantly, it was a chance to get a much needed break away from everything. Such was the plan when I boarded the plane to Phoenix on Friday.


Robb & Marie asked me a couple of months ago to come out and help cover a show for them in Phoenix while they were away in Missouri at another show. I pretty much jump at every chance to help them do a show since I really do enjoy the work. It's hard physical work, but I love it. Anyway, the show was slated for Saturday...just a one day show. That gave me plenty of down time to work on their website and some of my pictures that I need to get ordered.

After I got settled in at Robb & Marie's house Friday afternoon, I tackled the website. I'd like to say that I got a lot done, but I didn't. This PHP language is not as straightforward as HTML. And I hate coming in and editing something that I didn't write myself. It's almost easier to just start from scratch, which is the idea that I'm toying with right now. Anyway, my intentions of knocking out a lot of work on the website didn't come to pass as I had hoped they would. I spent much of Friday afternoon and evening taking 1 step forward and 2 steps back. But hey, it was still productive considering the learning experience.


Saturday was the day of the show. Considering that I was in Phoenix, I was prepared for the heat. I knew it would be a scorcher. I had heard earlier that they were expecting triple digits. So I was very pleased to find that the pop up tents that we brought along provided much more shade than the flimsy tents that the show's promoter had offered. Score one for us....not only would we benefit personally by having extra shade, it would most likely bring in more customers as the heat drove them to find refuge.


After laboring for 3 short hours to get our store set up, DJ and I patted ourselves on the back for a job well done. It actually looked like we knew what we were doing. And so, right on time, the gates opened and the concert-goers began to populate the stadium. We were expecting about 3,500 people; a small show by some standards, but more than enough to hopefully clear out the inventory so as to make room for the new line.

Traffic into our booth seemed pretty steady. As DJ began airbrushing tatoos onto young kids, I manned the register and helped out on the floor. It appeared as though the day would be seamless...until.


One of our customers had mentioned that it looked like rain was heading our way. So, I poked my head out of the tent to take a look at what was behind us. I was not expecting what I saw.


It was almost as if there was a was a distinct line that seperated the blue sky from the black clouds that were heading our way. There was no transitional grey color....just blue sky and then black sky.


I pulled DJ out so that he could see what I was looking at and we both decided that the best thing to do would be to bring the outside gear inside the tents to protect them from the inevitable rain. Just as we got that completed, we glanced again at the sky only to find that the black color had turned to brown and we were in the direct path of a dust storm.


No sooner had that realization hit us when the actual dust storm did too.


Along with DJ and several customers, I grabbed a tent support pole hoping that the strength of the storm was not greater than ours. However, once the aluminum support poles on the roof began to twist and rip apart, I knew that we would lose the battle.

At one point, the torn aluminum poles came very close to impaling our customers. That was quickly followed by grid panel lined with clothes falling at the legs of another customer who was desperately trying to help us keep everything together. It was then that we told everyone to drop their poles and let the storm have its way. There was absolutely no sense in taking the risk of injury for articles of clothes.

Yet, those who helped us did not abandon us at all. Instead, everyone teamed up to pile the clothing in the center of what use to be our store while others broke down the remaining support poles and gathered the tent material. I was moved by the amount of help that we received. People were getting sand blasted by the 51 mph winds, yet still determined to not abandon us.

After the dust settled, no pun intended, I chuckled to myself at the thought of what it must have looked like from the outside. Here were several of us, basically holding onto a parachute hoping beyond hope that the wind would not move us or destroy anything. That obviously wasn't meant to be.

While other vendors packed up and went home, we decided to stick it out. We no longer had tents or anything that resembled a store front. But we made do with what we had.

I wish I could say that business wise, it was a good day....but I don't believe that to be true. Out of the 3,500 expected concert-goers, I'd be surprised if there were more than 500 total.

However, deep down I know that the gear that we sold is bound to speak volumes to people. And even if one person has their life altered even in the slightest after wearing or reading an article of clothing that we sold on Saturday, it will all have been worth it.

Return to school

As I went to bed last night, I was convinced that I broke my foot and would be spending today at the doctor's office. Such was the reason that Kenny opted to dismiss 10 hours of OT and stay home to help me out. Being the wonderful husband that he is, he even took over the morning ritual to allow me some extra zzz's.

When I finally roused from my slumber, I was relieved to find that my foot was in much better shape than what I suspected it would be. After putting some weight on it without any mishaps, I knew that my day wouldn't be so bad after all. So when Kenny told me that Jason requested that I come to his book fair at school, I was in. More so, I thought it would be a nice surprise if I also brought along lunch and joined him with his friends. Sounded like a good plan, so that's just what I did.

It's the first time that I've had lunch with Jason at school; something that he has invited me to several times. As I arrived with lunch in hand, I was thrilled to see the look on his face. It was evident that he was proud to have me there...something that I'm sure will fade in another few years. Note to self: must remember to enjoy these moments while they last.

I'm sure that one of the reasons that he was so proud to have me there was due to the fact that he automatically became Mr. Popular. It seemed as though every student in his class asked to be selected as his "lunch buddy". (When a student has a parent come in for lunch, they can invite 2 other students to join them.) To ward off any hurt feelings, I decided that I'd sit at the main lunch table allowing as many of Jason's friends to sit with us as possible.




I admit that as we all settled in and my eyes began to dart around the lunch table, I started to label those whom I thought would in a few short years blossom into the popular ones, the class clowns, the wall flowers, the outcasts, the brainiacs and the jocks. I know what you're thinking; and you don't have to tell me how politically incorrect I am to classify a group of 6 & 7 year olds based on my own life experiences. Yes, I am shallow.

However, the kids didn't do anything of the sort. It's funny; at this age, they don't see color or financial class or any of the other knee jerk stereotypes that so many adults do. They just accept their classmates and others around them based on character. For example, more than one child confided in me regarding their dislike for a particular classmate. Their reason for their disdain: he calls others nasty names and hits people. And once again, I am judging this poor kid as abused, neglected and on the road to trouble. How I long for the innocence of a child and to quiet my own voices of judgement and jade.

Once I was able to put myself in check, I started to notice things beyond our lunch table. And I've come to the realization that not much has changed since I was in grade school. There is still a crabby lunch lady with smoker's lines in her face. Kids still trade the contents of their lunch. They still knowingly push the boundaries with the substitute teacher. Recess goes by way too fast and there are still boogers under the desks.

After spending a few dollars at the book fair and sitting in on Jason's music class, I decided it was time for me to head home. As I left, I noticed (mostly by odor) the older classes who had began to line the halls with their presence. They were there to welcome a returning 4th grade class who had spent the day at some sort of academic contest. The faculty wanted to give them a hero's welcome, which I thought was a very nice gesture. As I exited the main campus door, I could hear Kool & The Gang singing "Celebration" as the 4th grade class returned through another door. "Celebrate good times....come on, let's celebrate!". Yes indeed, these are the days to celebrate. I wonder if these kids know that.