Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Saying Goodbye

Today was an emotional day for me (first of many I am sure). For the past four years - minus a little time off when I had Connor - Preston and I had been attending Bible Study Fellowship on Wednesday mornings. When we first moved to Dallas I didn't have any mommy friends and I was eager to find my place in this big metropolis. Fortunately my mother-in-law suggested that I find a local BSF chapter and join. Preston was only sixteen months old, and discovering that they didn't offer childcare until the age of two I was forced to wait patiently (or not so patiently) until September. Preston had been two for exactly one whole day when we started BSF together in 2006. And even though I was a bit nervous leaving him for those couple of hours, Preston walked right into the classroom and never looked back.



The great thing about BSF is that the little ones learn exactly what the mommy's are learning - age appropriately, of course. They don't just babysit or "watch" your child; they teach, interact, and love on your child. That first year we were blessed with two of the best teachers - Mrs. D and Mrs. S. These were two of the most loving and generous people I have ever met. They not only instilled the word of God into Preston's life, but supported and encouraged me as well. When Preston went through his biting phase, they reassured me that he was normal and that he would grow out of it. As we approached potty training they offered advice and reassured me that he'd get it eventually. And he did. On both accounts.



As the next three years passed Preston had different teachers at BSF, and each one of them was special in their own way. But it was that first year with Mrs. D and Mrs. S that made all the difference. Even though he was no longer in their class, Preston always stopped to give them a hug on his way to his own class. I never had to prompt him, it was as if he realized just how special they were as well.


Today was Preston's last day with Bible Study Fellowship. Of course Connor (they now offer classes for under two) and I will continue in the fall, but Preston will be starting kindergarten. In honor of this last day, we made a small token for each of the teachers who had touched his life along the way.

















And yes, I'm going to miss seeing Preston run down the sidewalk to enter the church and praying he doesn't fall and skin his knee. I'll also miss watching him search for his name badge outside the classroom door. I'll especially miss the coaxing necessary to convince him it was time to go. Despite the bittersweet emotions, I can rest assured that the lessons and love poured into him will one day spill out onto others.

Monday, May 10, 2010

The Finished Product

Remember this?



That's right. The weird box looking thing that I planned to give my mom for Mothers Day (or is it Mother's Day, whatever). Well with my box of misfit tools in hand my boys and I headed to the garage for a little makeover magic. Or at least a little demolition which is always good for the soul.


With just a little bit of effort and a hammer I was able to remove the sides. I used the saw for the bits that just wouldn't come off - that was some kind of special glue they used there! The sandpaper was for the even smaller bits that refused to budge. And voila! All that's left is the bottom and a few scraps. You'll see what I did with those scraps in a minute.


Preston helped me paint the edges and those mysterious scraps white and the flat part a pale blue. Connor supervised. He's not really good at that though - too many coffee breaks, sheesh!



With the paint I had on hand (no pun intended) the boys left their mark. Just FYI, five year olds are better at this than one year olds. How Connor didn't end up rainbow colored, I'll never know. Then Preston helped me paint the grass.



I used the left over pieces to fashion a little fence and then added a few artistic details. And there you have it. A little sign for my mom's garden from two cute grandkids and one kind of crafty daughter.

Happy Mothers Day, Mom. Hope you enjoyed it.









Tuesday, May 4, 2010

In Progress...

Happy Mother's Day Mom!






Seriously, Mom. It's all yours. Do you like it?



Ok, ok it won't exactly look like this when you get it.
Preston, Connor and I have been working hard to transform it into something else.
Unfortunately, one of them had to go take a nap so hopefully we can get it finished in time.



And for all my other readers - if there are any - I'll be sure and post
a photo of the completed project. After Mother's Day.