Wacky Week

It is a tradition at our school that the week before the last week of school is a "wacky week." This means that the seniors get to decide the dress code for each day that week, and plan a school activity.
This year, there were pirates vs. ninjas on Monday . . .
My boys?
Argggg, mateys. Pirates, of course!

 Tuesday was buddy day. Each of our grammar school kids has a buddy in the upper grades. There was no crazy dress code that day, but all the kids had a field day with their buddies. It started off with a chapel together and there were outdoor activities like a scavenger hunt, a balloon toss, a game of capture the flag, and a picnic lunch. During the afternoon, all the kids had popcorn and watched Planet 51.
Daniel rode his tractor all around the school grounds, happy as could be. That boy is happiest on a John Deere. He just is.

 Wednesday was pajama day, and we had the pizza party for the winners of the writing and art contests.

Yesterday was wacky day. The wackier the get-up the better. Isaac went in "normal" clothes, because he figured on a day when everyone would be dressed in silly attire, the wackiest thing he could do was dress in plain ol' everyday duds.
My sweet Daniel stealing a kiss from me at my desk.

Today was 80's day.
Look at these guys . . . .

I went to high school with guys like this!

Talk about flashback . . . 

Joe played "Born in the USA" for the boys at breakfast, to get them in the spirit of things for the day ahead. I was singing along, bobbing my head. They looked at us like we were crazy.
Daniel has been napless for four days now. Is it the end of naps for him? He gets so tired, but he hangs in there, though he's pretty cranked out around 5:30ish.

Now, wacky week is over. Our last week of school waits on the other side of this weekend.
And then.
Then, it will be SUMMER BREAK!!!
The long summer days will stretch out before us like promises no one has made to us yet.
I feel like a kid.
I can't wait!
Summer dreams fill my head . . . I wonder when we will see the first firefly . . . I imagine cook-outs with friends . . . I think about long trips and friendly visits and days spent at the park . . . I picture us reading out under our shade trees . . . and cutting through the sun-glazed blue pool water . . . I conjure the smell of the coconut oils in the gobs of sunscreen we will use . . .I can taste the countless glasses of icy sweet teas and lemonades  . . .
Yes.
I am ready for Summer.

Lists . . .

I'm a list person.
This means, I like to make endless lists of things to do, places to be, things to read or watch or listen to, meals to cook . . . the list goes on, you get the picture.
Lists are one way I keep the jumbled mess of information in my mind straight.
Lists are straight-forward.
Succinct.
 Which is why I love verses like this one I read this morning:
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." Romans 12:12
A list!
Believe it or not, the Bible is full of them.
And granted, while this list involves a bit more heart and soul work than just "feed the cats, make the beds, do the dishes . . . " it is still a simple set of instructions given by an equipping Father who does not leave us in the dark about what we are to do and how we are to live out our Christian lives.
These list items bring more than just cleanliness of home, but a clean spirit, they provide more than food for the table, but nourishment of the soul. There is not merely a sense of impermanent accomplishment with the ticking off of these "to dos", but rather a peace and wellness of heart, mind and body when we remember "to do" these things.
So . . . top of my "to do" list today?
Be joyful.
Be patient.

Be faithful.

What the sun does . . .

after a stormy day, is this . . . .

Pink sky sunset. This is how yesterday made its exit. Stunning.

What the sun does after a stormy night, is this . . . .

Glory you can see. God's fingertips reaching down, touching earth with just a glimpse. Makes me giddy to witness. This gift. Heavens open. Split-second shekhinah.
Unfortunately, the sun made only this brief appearance today.
We had a school track meet which was met with a damp, cold rain most of the day.
All our kids were troopers, though, and most of them played through the weather.
Josiah and his good buddy Nathaniel were at it again, winning something together. I don't know . . . I'm starting to see a pattern here. These two seem to be born to win together. I really do believe there is a kindred spirit that they share.
Their first event was a three-legged race, and they worked together and crossed the finish line with speed and ease. It was so awesome to watch!
Josiah also participated in the running long jump, the 50 m dash and softball throw.
Isaac did the high jump, the 400 m and the shot put.I'm not sure yet how they placed in all their events. I think they both placed in everything they participated in though. We'll find out next week at school.
By the time we got home, we were chilled through, but some hot pasta e fagoli  and tales of victory around the table at Grandpa's house were just what we needed to warm our bones.
Here are some pics from the day.

Our day was full, and long, but it was so good.
We are home now.

And we are warm. Inside and out.
The boys are eating oatmeal cookies and drinking hot cocoa.
There is sleep hanging like heavy curtains about to close in their eyes.
But there is something else too.
There is victory.
Accomplishment.
There are dreams which became memories which will be dreams again . . . in just a little while.