The Evolution of a Great Day

5:20 A.M. – Wake up for no apparent reason. Not liking the way this day is starting.

5:50 A.M. – Tired of tossing and turning and trying to sleep, finally get up. Not thinking it’s going to be a great day. Try to find a quiet yet productive activity to consume my time while waiting for the kids to wake up, as they’re supposed to be “sleeping in” this morning so I can take them to school.

6:45 A.M. – After ” sleeping in” a whole 15 minutes, kids are up. Crisana wants to take the bus. The race is on. Not looking good for Mom. I think the bus will win.

7:35 A.M. – The bus wins. Crisana is still eating breakfast.  She cannot take the bus. Mom has, however, managed to feed both pets, pack 3 lunches, 2 water bottles, one snack, prepare the kids’ breakfasts, and burn Matt’s omelet.

7:50 A.M. – See Matt off to work. Step on scale and open mouth in disbelief as the display shows an 18-pound loss in 5 weeks. Recognize that this is the first sign that this day might be salvageable after all. Without the benefit of breakfast, I hop into the shower, knowing it’s a 30-minute sprint to get the rest of us ready to leave on time. The race is on. Again.

8:20 A.M. – Mom is dressed. Kids, notsomuch. Hurry to make beds, get kids dressed in clothes that are clean AND match. With shoes. Manage to brush hair, brush teeth and grab backpacks, book order, and Crisana’s homework project before dashing out to the car.

8:32 A.M. – *Sigh* Leaving a good 10 minutes late. Can we get there before the tardy bell rings?

8:40 A.M. – SCORE! We managed to hit every green light on the way to school and are now on the McGowen campus. Things are definitely looking up.

8:44 A.M. – Crisana marches into Nurse Vicky’s office and proclaims, “I want you to pull my tooth!” So she does. The Tooth Fairy will be making a return visit to our house tonight. The ensuing celebration beats any lottery winner hands down. Within moments, the staff and parents of the McGowen community are aware that Crisana has lost a second tooth.

8:56 A.M. – After seeing Trey off to class and helping Crisana show off her gapey smile to anyone with eyes to see, Mom is finally ready to leave.

9:00 A.M. – Meet for first Moms-in-Touch meeting. Only two of us are there, but our prayer time is sweet, precious, and powerful. We pray for our school, our administrators, our children, and their teachers. We cry, we laugh, we bond. Beautiful. I’ve longed for this for three years. I can only breathe from my heart, Thank you, God!

10:00 A.M. – Head home for a few minutes of down time. Get great response from email sent earlier regarding planning for Neighborhood Night Out in October. Get great response from Sloan Creek Facebook group. Start getting excited – again – about being part of this community and the great people who live here.

10:50 A.M. – Mom shows up for Grandparents’ Day at McGowen. Head up to school for lunch with Crisana. Enjoy great conversation and catching up on news and life.

11:15 A.M. – Lunch with Crisana. She was so surprised to see us! The cafeteria was full of parents, granparents and “grand-friends” for this special lunch. What a great school!

11:45 A.M. – Head to Panera bread to pick up lunch for Mom and me. Person who takes our order and serves us turns out to be a former student of mine from Scofield 15 years ago!! His dad was my dentist and I tutored him after school! I live in such a small world, it’s not funny.

12:30 P.M. – Drive back to McGowen, delicious Panera Bread lunch in hand, for lunch with Trey. Enjoy sitting with Trey’s great friend Alex and his mom and have a great time together.

1:00 P.M. – Take Mom on a brief tour of McGowen, introducing her to Trey’s teacher and showing her his room. Good times of catching up with teachers and friends.

1:15 P.M. – Head over to Kohl’s to help Mom find some jeans.

1:45 P.M. – Mom buys jeans and a matching denim jacket – both on sale. Both very cute.

2:20 P.M. – Arrive home…see Cub Scout Notebook and meeting materials on the table…and remember….I had a meeting at 1:30…that I scheduled…and even sent reminders….and I forgot!!! Hang head in shame momentarily, while checking for blonde roots. Lori, if you are reading this, I assure you, my hair is dark brown all the way down. I only think blonde.

2:45 – Mom leaves, I make brownies for Ladies’ Bunco and Book Swap at church tonight. I even treat myself to licking the spoon. Yum.

3:15 – Christin calls. That’s always fun. She makes me smile.

And now, here it is almost 4:30. The kids are due home any minute now and my crazy, whirlwind life will begin anew. What an amazing journey of grace today has been. Friends old and new, reconnecting. Family. Fun. Laughter. Chocolate. And new clothes.

Yeah, it’s all good. And it ain’t over yet.

Pictures from this great day are below.

Crisana’s very first homework assignment: an All About Me Person.

She helped choose the clothing, draw the face, and make the hair.

Mom had to make the flowers.

The flowers were made with my Cricut (George Flower 2).

I found pictures online to glue on the flowers to represent her:

a Bible, a gymnast, a soccer ball, a girl scout, a piano, a Care Bear.

Her gapey smile!

(She’s carrying the lost tooth in the necklace)

Thanks, Nurse Vicky!

Crisana and Grandma at lunch.

Trey and Grandma at lunch.