Still In Denial

Zoe and I are still recovering from a week at VBS.  The concealer I use under my eyes every day is called "Well Rested."  I bought it because I figured if it could have that name then it might actually work to make me look "well rested."  It does. 

That is unless you're working for a week in VBS and you're used to sitting at a desk all the live-long day.  The concealer stopped working about Friday.  After a couple nights of sleep, it seems to be doing the trick again!
I'm hoping to have some pictures from VBS up here in a couple days.  There are about 800 pictures that I have to go through and since I'm still not "well rested" I'm needing some time to actually sleep.

Instead I thought I would share the latest Zoe story.  First of all, I find her very funny.  Secondly I'll likely forget this if I don't write it down.

A couple nights ago I was getting her ready for bed.  N was laying on her bed talking to us.  It's a little family time that we have.  Usually N takes her bear, Coco and has Coco dance or something on her bed getting Zoe to laugh and have a funny conversation with her bear. 

I turned Zoe around so I could comb her hair and she ripped one.

You have to understand, she's standing and I'm sitting, so it was a direct fire toward my face. 

I turned her around and asked the obvious question, "did you just toot?"

Her response, "well, maybe it was Coco!"

48

Zoe has become more aware of the space-time continuum.  I know this because when I ask her to do certain things and she doesn't want to, her response is "well maybe I'll do that when I'm 48."

I thought I would start making a list of all the things she's going to do when she's 48 because it's going to be a big year for her:

1) eat asparagus
2) clean her room
3) have a boyfriend (this made her daddy very glad)
4) drink coffee
5) have a job
6) put her head underwater
7) go to school
8) take a nap
9) try broccoli
10) ride a skateboard
11) start taking showers instead of baths

I'm sure there are many more things that she'll start doing when she's 48 that she's yet to mention. 

Just yesterday I asked if she'd help pick up some toys and she said, "when I'm 47 I will do that."  Maybe she's starting to realize that her 48th year is going to be a bit busy and she should probably have a head start on some things like picking up her toys.

So Blessed

This week is VBS for our church.  I decided to take mornings off so I could help out with the kiddos.  I got the 4 & 5 year old class.  After a rough Monday, I'm back in the swing of things.  It wasn't rough because of the kiddos, it was rough because I'm old and they have so much more energy.  Instead of just having one ball of energy to compete with, I have eight, little balls of energy.  I don't think I've ever wanted a Costanza desk at work more than I want one now.  A nap around one o'clock sounds delightful.

Even though I'm tired, my heart is blessed.  I get to spend 3 hours with little munchkins who sing songs to Jesus, want to pray, want to learn more Bible stories and just want to be in a group with their friends.  How blessed I am that I get to be part of that, for just a few hours of their life.  One little girl prayed for our snack today in front of the whole class.  There was no fear as she quickly raised her hand to be picked first.  I realized I have so much to learn from these kiddos.

I also have the incredible priviledge to work along side my nephew MJ.  He's officially a junior higher now and a helper in my class.  To say I'm blown away by his maturity and leadership would be an understatement.  Our little balls of energy gravitate toward him and instead of being totally unimpressed with the kids, he plays with them, corrals them and generally just wants to be their friend.  Albeit their cooler, older friend. 

To stand back and watch him with the kids makes this aunt's heart swell with pride.  I couldn't be more blessed to spend my mornings with MJ and our VBS kiddos.  They fill a certain part of my day that I didn't realize I was missing. 

Toe-Pick

Ice skating is part of my family.  I started out with season tickets to our local hockey team almost 12 years ago.  My sister, brother-in-law and I would sit to cheer on our Spokane Chiefs and get excited for fights and penalties.

I started watching ice skating when my oldest nephew was barely 2.  My sister strapped on skates because, even at that young age, hockey was his passion. 

I've been at the rink, no matter the season, since.  Instead of hockey this summer, I've gotten to see actual pairs skating.  My middle nephew T-Dog, who is also a hockey player, has recently started pairs skating.  I think part of it is because he's quite good at it, but also because of his partner.

It would be an understatement to say she's adorable.  The girl is absolutely cute and sweet.  Plus she kinda looks like she goes with T-Dog.

Anyway, this weekend they had their performance.  T-Dog invited 21 people to come and see him.  All 21 people showed up.  Zoe and I arrived ready to cheer him on like we would at a hockey game.  He quickly realized how many people 21 people really are and got a bit nervous.  We took up a whole seating section.

When he came out on the ice and they announced his name, the roars from our section were enough to charge the entire rink with excitement.  Then the Mission Impossible theme started and he did things like this:

He lifted her, twirled with her and looked like a pro.  Not once did his toe-pick get in the way. 

Obviously we weren't the only ones to realize how awesome they were.  They got 1st place!

T-Dog, thank you for inviting us to your pair skating debut.  I couldn't be more proud of you.  Neither could Zoe, but she would like to know if she can come over and see the flower she threw on the ice for you.  She would like to share it.

We love you T.  You always make us proud.

She Warms Her Daddy's Heart

Yesterday we were taking N to his friend's house so they could hit the road to their trailer park living near the dam.  It's become a Sunday afternoon routine.  It's not one we like, but we know it must be done.

On the way yesterday N and I heard "ewe, stinky!"  Come from the backseat.  Since I was driving that left N to investigate.

He found his daughter pointing her finger with a boogie on it. 

She went digging for gold and actually got something.  He got her a tissue and then turned to me and said, "she makes me so proud.  I'm so glad I was home to watch her find her first one."

I'm glad he was home too.  I'm still a little grossed out by it.

She Makes Her Mamma Proud

For three weeks we've been waiting, sometimes patiently, for Monday, July 5th to arrive.  It almost made the NO FIREWORKS rule okay.  Almost.

Monday, July 5th was Zoe's first tap class.  We bought shoes three weeks ago when we registered for class.  Two weeks ago Grandma Kathy bought her a dancin' skirt.

That meant for 14 days we heard, "is it time for my tap class...YET?!"  We made a paper chain and she cut one ring off for each day.  Monday that day came.

Oh my gracious, does she look excited?

We got to class and there were 5 other girls waiting.  All in their leotards, dancin' skirts and tap shoes.  Zoe is dancing at the same studio I danced at as a young girl and an adult.  I ran into my former instructor Cami and she just about bugged out realizing we were starting the next generation of dancers.

She did so well.  She listened.  Talked to her teacher, Miss Sarah, when she was asked a question.  She waited her turn.  I can't quite tell if the tap dancing was her favorite part or the mirror that goes the entire length of the room.

Either way, the next class cannot come soon enough. 

I Wanted To Pull a William Wallace and Yell "FREEDOM"

I'd spent all week trying to convince N that he needed to smuggle some fireworks in from Oregon.  Our county has a NO FIREWORKS rule.  I've got to be honest, it almost makes the 4th feel dead to me.  What's more natural than showing your freedom by lighting some sparklers and ground flowers?  So we don't light off the Roman Candles and catch things on fire.  Okay!  I'm just talking about a little "oohh" and "aahh."  Nothing that goes higher than the house.

About 25 minutes into the 4th of July festivities at our house, N and my brother-in-law Jerry had the desire to go to some other county and find some fireworks.  Which gave me my opportunity to use my freedom of speech and mouth an "I told you so" to N.  Which he so appreciated.

It's safe to say our family BBQ was without any type of fire.  However, it was filled with laughter, an impromptu dance lesson, some dress-up, an Abbott and Costello joke, some Wii, some Pop-Its and fun that you can only experience when three boys get together with one girl and entertain the rest of us.

First was some kitchen business.

Then some marching:

The some dress up:

The outside and the ever awesome jumping pose:

Because we didn't have fireworks, each of the kids got a box of Pop-Its.  Also because it's the same weather as Antarctica here, we decided to run outside, throw some Pop-Its and get inside all before the heavens opened up and drenched us.

Don't you just want to "ooh" and "aah" over all the excitement of a Pop-It.  Nothing says independent quite like a little ball of something that makes a small, popping sound.  Sometimes.  They don't always work.

That was until Jerry decided to step up the game a bit.  He gave the boys a target to shoot for.  Oh yes he did.

I've got to say, this was probably one of the highlights of the evening.  Throwing Pop-Its at Jerry's back-side. 

I'm proud to report, one of my nephews, I think T-Dog, got a good one. 

The End.