It is a Co-op Thursday...

...And the rain is coming.

Reminds me of this
day last year.
Hopefully we don't do this again today!

Yesterday was one of those days! You know the kind where the harder you try to get ahead the farther behind you fall? Usually on Thursdays we are slower paced in the morning and kind of gear up for Co-op. Our morning started out that way and then took a crazy turn.
We had planned to go look at a potential building for our church but before that I wanted to stop at Georgia's to drop something off and had told her the night before to expect me. She lives next door!
It was absolutely pouring rain so I decided that rather than run across the yards like normal I would just pull in as we left.
Anyway...about a half hour before we needed to leave, Chelsea came to me and said that she couldn't find her bag of Scrapbooking supplies for her class. She was very upset because the teacher had said at one point, "If you don't bring your supplies, don't bother coming to class." Sounds harsh? I know this teacher, she wouldn't hurt a flea...but the kids got the message loud and strong and Chelsea was terribly upset. We began the search for her scrapbooking supplies and I expected to go to the piano and pick up my music book.
Not There! Not in the living room bookcase! Not in the Family Room! Not in the office by the computer! Not anywhere!
So, the scrapbooking supplies were missing and my music, including background track!, were gone! GONE! My wheels start turning. Hmmm...what did we do last week after co-op. We waited for some friends and then went bowling. We checked the car and van....a couple of times. Nope, not there.
By now it was too late to stop at Georgia's and I had to call pastor Mike and tell him I would meet him ten minutes late and call Georgia and tell her I don't have time to "run next door"!
We were forced to leave without our supplies.
I was thinking and thinking about what we could have done with it. My best hope was that when we were waiting at the Church the week before that we had set it all down and left without it.
With my mind churning hard enough to make butter, we pulled out of the driveway and turned the wrong way! Being strong willed as I am, we kept going the wrong way even though it took us longer to go that way. I wonder why I didn't just turn around? Is it admission of defeat to turn around? What was that?!? Well, I'll have to analyze that another day.
We pulled in to meet Mike about 10 minutes late and it was still pouring. Folks down south, I do not mean to complain about the rain. I know how much you need it but it does seriously factor into this story. Long story short, this building was too small and the owner had a crew there putting walls up to make each space even smaller. No go. So...we stood in the rain a couple of minutes, Mike talked and said that while he was out the evening before his glass shower door had exploded into a million pieces and that was how he found it when returning home. Had he started talking about the weather or even this building I would have felt very comfortable pointing out that it was raining and I am a girl and don't want to go to Co-op looking like a drowned rat...but his shower door "Blew up!" Now this is something that just doesn't happen every day and how was he going to explain to his landlord..."I was out for the evening at friends, watching a show about ghosts, and when I returned my shower door was in pieces." So, I stood in the rain and empathized, really I do...it is terrible!, and got really wet. After the appropriate amount of empathy I hopped into the car and headed...the wrong way! Not my choice. This is another reason not to want this building. It is on a divided highway with no access in the front of the building to the other side of the road.
Feel my blood pressure rising? We have no scrapbooking supplies and I have no music for my two classes. I decide that even though we will be an hour early we will go to the church and see if it is there.
We arrive. It is still pouring so I get a fabulous parking spot near the door. This lot is usually reserved for the gym classes...but they won't be using them on this day. We run into the building and with trepidation I check the lost and found area. Nothing. I go down the stairs to the Moms' Room. Nope, not lying around in there. Our wonderful Moms' Room Coordinator shows up. I ask, with much hope in my voice if she has found a bag of Scrapbooking supplies....YES! She has. They are in the closet. I look to see if they are ours? YES! There is Chelsea's bag. Now to see if I placed my music in the bag... NOPE! Not there.
Up to the music room, no music...well there is lots of music in there, but none of it was mine...down the hall to find the kids...no kids. Back down the stairs. Oh, here are the kids. I tell them that we are going to run home and look again for my music...one half hour each way! They plead with me to be allowed to stay so they won't be late for class. I agree to do this if I can find a mom willing to oversee them. One agrees and off I go.
The rain and wind are now at an all time high. It was unbelievable. I am slipping an sliding because of the water on the road.
Meanwhile...back at Co-op. The fire alarm goes off and all of the people in the building are forced out into the downpour. Wouldn't you know, the ONE time I leave my children there this happens! The fire trucks came...it was chaos. I am oblivious to this, however, and am hurtling myself through major water lying on the roadways and being blown around, thinking about the price of gas, and how upset Warren would be at me for making this extra trip. I am a grown up and should know where my things are! Isn't this what we tell our children..all the time????
I arrive at home and search all of the places already searched. Nothing. So, I did what all addicted bloggers would do. I came down to check my inbox. New comments to the blog! Yeah! So, I guess that calmed my head enough that I thought to check just one more place...the garage, in a bin, under another bin. There it was! Apparently, I had done a quick car clean out and then this bin got placed on top of the one ....oh you get the drift.
Back in the car I go and fly up to Co-op. Everything appears to be normal so I have no clue about the fire alarm and the near drowning of my children. At least that is how they saw it.
I pause at Chelsea's scrapbooking class and her teacher says, teasingly, "Chelsea pulled the fire alarm." I laugh with her and think that this is a weird thing to think of as a joke...right then. Then they tell me that the fire alarm did go off and they were all outside for more than a half hour! Thankfully some friends pulled in and allowed my kids into their car while they waited at some point during the evacuation.
It turns out that the rain leaked through the roof of the church and shorted the fire alarm causing it to go off. Now, this cause was a major relief to us on the co-op committee because one year a student pulled the alarm and it caused us some grief with our host church.
My classes went on, with interruption. The Yearbook editor came and took pictures of the girls in the ensemble. They had to fix hair and makeup...time lost...they sang "flat", the room was HOT! It just was not a good day.
The 4-6th graders were not at their best, either. Here we are with 2 more practices and everyone is falling apart! Oh well, it must have been the day. Lets just hope that on concert day it is not raining and I know where my music is.
Might as well laugh! No sense in raising the blood pressure!

Nope, don't need another day like that...but it is the gold standard of
craziness in days!

Blessings to you!

Becky K.

Thank You....

Thank you for your sweet messages about our trip. Mom is now trying to see if the weather might be cleared up enough to leave Monday morning. We will just have to wait and see. If I go I will take lots of pictures. The decorations are just beautiful in Williamsburg this time of the year.

My cold is improving. At least I have most of my voice back. I sounded pitiful at bowling on Tuesday. But, you know, I still talked the entire time! I guess I must still sound different because our poor dog, Kimmy will bark if she does not see that it is me talking. Funny! Such a guard dog.

Tonight is the Ball at Mrs. Rabes home for the 20 girls in her Pride and Prejudice Class. Chelsea is looking forward to this sooo much. I think Jonathan is excited too. He loves to see his friends even if it means he may have to walk in circles(dance) around the dance floor.

We will be taking cheddar sausage balls, an appetizer, to share. These have been a "hit" at every party they have been served. I believe I got the recipe from Bisquick. I will be looking it up online just to get the proportions right. Other than being very hard to mix up it is worth it.

Well, I am back to the candle factory, aka kitchen.
Have a super day!

A Stretch and a Sigh...life is good!

Did you ever wonder
if this was all there was...
is it enough?
If you were doing what
you were meant to do?
Occasionally, I pause to
wonder...am I on track?
Do I serve those I love
with joy and grace?

Today was the kind of day
that I truly enjoy.
Filled with family and friends.
First a phone call from my
dear mother
who is enjoying a sweet
visit with her brother
and his family.
It was good to hear her
happy voice.
I have become very used
to having her nearby
and miss her when she
is away.

The kids and I trekked
off on an adventure in
a shopping center on
our way to homeschool co-op
today.

We found a pair of shoes
for Chelsea and a
game system for Mikey...
he has been looking for a
Wii and they are all sold out.
We have called
many a store and
researched web pages
galore!

In the end, it was not
a Wii that came home with
us, but a PSP.
I don't know much about it
but the picture on the
screen is nice...
Mikey earned the money and
was willing to spend it on
this system instead of the
other.

Chelsea and I meandered
through our local
Goodwill and managed
to find a leotard for
her gymnastic dreams.
I'm looking through our
budget for the
cash it will take to
allow her to attend organized
weekly classes.
$3.75 for the
leotard was not bad.

We made it to co-op just in the
nick of time.
The joy of being greeted
by
Moms and young folk alike
is sweet!
The fellowship in the
Mom's room is absolutely
a precious gift to
enjoy.

The students in music
worked so hard today!
The songs are coming along
beautifully
...in spite of me!
Having great helpers is a very
good thing!
I overheard two girls at the
end of the day congratulating
each other on the accomplishment
of finally "getting" the timing
on one very difficult part of
a song.
Delightful!
I long for these girls to
grow stronger in their
relationships with
each other and for the
competition and cliquishness
to be at a minimum...
there is progress
on that front!

A spontaneous trip to the
bowling alley...
with dear friends and
students!
It took four games but finally
a respectable 142
was reached by this obsessed
bowler.
Watching my 16 year old son
bowling on a lane with
four sweet girls caused an
internal giggle on my part.
He owes me - big time!
Ha!

Home to whip up a quick
Tuna Noodle Casserole...
enjoyed by all but
my picky son...Mikey.
He is on his own -
Ham and pepperjack cheese
will fill his belly this
evening.

A quick peek on some of my
favorite blogs and reading
messages from new found
but already dear friends,
and one well established friend,
Mrs. Rabe.
What a blessing all of
your messages
are to me. Thank you!

Time with my sweet husband,
who's opinion I value so
much.
Questions asked of him
and answered helped my
aching head feel better.
Sometimes, I just wonder...
am I overstepping my boundaries?
Why do people ask me what to
do next?
Where do I fit in at church?
...at co-op?
In the homeschool
community at large?
Even at home..sometimes.

Just another day of
striving to serve
my Lord by serving His
children and those He has
entrusted me with.
It is enough!
I am blessed to be
right here in the
place that He has put me.
This is me stretching, sighing and
being content in this little
corner of the world.

May God bless you, richly and
give you satisfaction in the
daily journey He has for you.