First Day of School Traditions

It’s the First Day of School. I’m not gonna lie. I’m really happy about it. Not the “getting rid of the kids” part - I like them, and I don’t see them enough as it is, now that they are so busy with sports and band and jobs and FortNite :-) But I’m looking forward to the routine. The waking up at the same time every day, going to same place, knowing what to expect every day part of school is what I’m most excited about. Summer is an ever-changing, never-the-same game that is too much for my fragile brain to keep up with. Even with a calendar on my phone and printed out and taped to the fridge, I’m still dazed and confused trying to keep it all straight. I need some consistency.

This pic is 6 years old.
They were so little!

But the start of another school year does have me getting all nostalgic. My boys are getting so old! Two in high school and the little one in middle school! The time has gone so fast! That saying that “the days are long, but the years are short” is so true. It feels like just yesterday that I thought I would never survive Aaron and Luke being toddlers at the same time. I remember telling Drew that it was going to be them or me. Someone wasn’t going to make it :-) They are 16 and 15. We all survived :-)

Do y’all have any First Day of School traditions? We have three - one I don’t mind, one I would take back if I could, and one that started out of the blue.

The one tradition I don’t mind - but the boys could do without is the obligatory first day pictures. You know the ones where you pose at the front door, usually with a sign that says what grade you are in, wearing the new backpack? My boys grumble and groan, but they know the drill. The only fun part for them is posing with me so they can see how much taller they are than the year before. The older two are much taller than I am. The little one is catching me. When they pose with Drew, they all wait until right before I snap the pic and then hop up on their tiptoes (Drew too!) to try to be the tallest in the photo. Men!

The tradition I would take back if I could is First Day of School fresh Dunkin Donuts for breakfast. This idea seemed awesome when they were in preschool. Preschool started at 9am. No one minded running to Dunkin at 8:00am to get donuts. But once they started getting on the middle school bus at 6:40 (AM!!!!!!), I really wanted out of this tradition. Of course, it was too late by then. Please learn from my mistakes! Choose your traditions carefully! Middle and high school start really, really, really early! Beware those "before school" traditions. Can I recommend you google some AFTER school ideas?

The tradition that started out of the blue happened the day that our youngest, Nathan, started full day kindergarten. I was so sure that I would be doing a happy dance when all three boys got on that bus together and drove off, leaving me to myself and my own devices for the first time in 10 years. Drew and I talked about it all summer. He was super supportive of me finally getting some time to myself. I had a million different ideas of how I would fill my time and couldn't wait to get started. Then the big day came. We did the pictures. We did the donuts. We walked to the bus stop and even took one of those “sad kids, happy mom” pictures. Then all three boys got on the bus together to go to elementary school. I watched that bus pull away and just stood there. I was frozen in a “now what?” place. In that moment, I watched as the reason I got out of bed every morning drove away. This is going to sound super dramatic, but be patient with me - I watched as my identity drove off on that bus.

All through college I was forming a plan to become a math teacher. That’s who I was going to be. Then I got married and got that job teaching math. So I was Drew’s Wife and A Math Teacher. Then the boys were born, and we decided I would stay home. After the sleep deprivation wore off, I looked up and realized that I wasn’t A Math Teacher any more. Instead, I had become A Stay At Home Mom. Ok. Let’s do this! So I did. Until they rode off in the school bus. Now what? Since I graduated from college, I had defined my identity by my job. I was what I did. Now I have no job - do I have no identity? It was a scary, sad, bizarre moment as that bus drove away.

The truth is that I had defined my identity in all the wrong ways. Who I am has nothing to do with what job I’m holding at the moment. Who I am has everything to do with who God says I am. I could go on about this for days, but I’ll sum it up and come back to it another day - God says I’m His child, blessed, chosen, adopted, favored, redeemed, forgiven, made on purpose and for a purpose - and none of these facts are based on any job. But I wasn’t holding on to who He says I am. I was holding to who I said I am. Talk about a shaky foundation! Again, lots to talk about another day. 

Anyway, as the bus drove off and I stood there completely lost and shaken, Drew realized that we had a problem and began First Day of School tradition #3 - Dawn and Drew breakfast date. He looked at me and said, “How about we go out for breakfast?” I was almost in tears at that point. I just nodded “yes”, and off we went. The day got easier from there. And the week got easier as I adjusted to my new normal. And I did a ton of soul searching that year to figure out who I was apart from my kids.

Today's FDOS
Breakfast Date
was Starbucks. 

This year, the little one will start 6th grade. Drew and I will go on our 7th First Day of School breakfast date. It’s not a necessity any more. Now it’s a wonderful chance to spend time together and pray for the boys.

If this is your first year to have all the kids go to school, I highly recommend having a plan for that first day. Call a friend, set up a coffee date, schedule a mani/pedi, something! If that first day of everyone in school is in your future, maybe my story will help you prepare for your day. If you are like me, experienced at this “all the kids are in school” thing, let’s reach out to another mom who just sent her baby off to kindergarten. Let’s ask her out for coffee or lunch. Let’s make sure those around us are ok. It can be one more First Day of School tradition.

This Is What I Was Born To Do!

“Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
 - Confucius

I'm back! And I missed you. I can't believe how long it's been since I posted last! Life really can get in the way of blogging sometimes.

Today, I'm dying to tell you about the event we were a part of this weekend. I found myself doing exactly what I was born and designed to do. And that is an amazing feeling!

DH and I lead a basketball and cheerleading league through Upward Sports. We are entering our 7th year of Upward Basketball and Cheerleading, and I absolutely love it!! We run about 450 basketball players and cheerleaders. I'm completely involved alongside DH (the director of the whole program), and our boys are involved too. I can't imagine life without Upward in it.



This past weekend, we held our Upward Player Evaluations. That means that the players and cheerleaders come to the gym to try on uniforms and run drills (basketball players). We use the information from Evals to order uniforms and make even teams.

At Evals, it's my job to be the greeter and "traffic cop" of sorts. I'm the first face that our Upward families see when they come in the door. I stood in one spot for four hours and greeted over 300 players/cheerleaders and their families. Some were brand new to our program, and others have been playing/cheering with us for years. I answered questions about the program, sent them to the correct spot in the building for drills and uniforms, and basically tried to make them feel welcome.

I loved every minute of it!! I saw people I have come to care about, pitched a program I firmly believe in, handled administrative details, and loved on little children.

Here's why my role this weekend was such a great fit for me - 

• Greet people as they came in - God has given me a knack for names. I just remember them. So when the folks came in, I was able to greet many of them by name. I was able to ask about their families and their friends. I could tell them that their best friend just came through and was in the gym or that I had just seen their coach from last year, and he was going to coach again. Remembering details about their lives made our people feel at home and welcomed. I can't take any credit for it. God made me this way. But I absolutely loved being able to use that gift to make people feel cared about.  
• Answer questions about the Upward program - some of the folks who came in Saturday were brand new to Upward. They had heard about us and wanted to give it a shot, but most had questions or concerns that needed to be addressed. Because God has given me a bubbly personality (to put it lightly - I tend to gush about the things I love), I was able to handle any questions with complete confidence in the program. I could look into the eyes of a little five-year old and put them at ease about trying something new. I could tell a dad that his new cheerleader wouldn't be learning anything inappropriate. I could promise a nervous basketball parent that their child's coach would be kind and would teach their new ball player everything they need to know.
• Handle administrative details - because God has given me an eye for detail, I've been able to help DH as an unofficial assistant director of Upward. I'm able to help with the details of teams and coaches and dates and cost. And then when the questions come from the parents, I'm able to answer them. 

Where in the world am I going with this? 

No, this is not a commercial for Upward Sports. They haven't asked me to promote them, and there is nothing in it for me. I do believe that Upward Sports is an amazing program. I would highly recommend that if you aren't involved in Upward (as a volunteer or as a parent of a player/cheerleader), you look for a league in your area. If you've never heard of Upward Sports before, look them up. It's a wonderful program! Click on the image to learn more about Upward Sports.

Here on my blog, I've done a lot of self-analysis over the last few months. I've looked at my strengths and my weaknesses. I'm learning that when I know how I was designed, and when I put my gifts and abilities to use helping others, I'm at my most fulfilled in life. I'm working alongside my family, using my talents, and serving my community. And it's wonderful!

What about you? Have you found a way to put your strengths and abilities to work in a way that brings you joy? I'd love to hear about it. If you haven't found your "thing" yet, don't quit looking! Try something new. If that doesn't work, try something else. Keep trying until you find that "thing" that sparks you - that thing that lets you be the person you were made to be. 

Judging By The Cover Or Waiting Until We Read a Few Chapters?

"Don't judge a book by its cover."
 - American Proverb

They say we shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but I've never understood that. When I go to the library (one of my personal happy places), I choose what books I want to bring home by their covers. How else would I choose? I look at the photo or colors on the book jacket. I try to decide if the title sounds interesting. I wonder if the author is any good. Then I check it out and take it home to read it.

I've been deceived by book covers. Some of the most boring or poorly written books have had the prettiest covers. Some of the most intriguing titles have belonged to books with no plot. And I've discovered later that some of the books I left behind on the library shelves were books I really would have loved - books full of adventure, plot twists, and well-developed characters.

What about the people in my life? Am I judging them by their "covers"? Have I chosen who to invite over for coffee based on the "cover of their book"?  Have I missed out on a really great friendship because the "cover of the book" wasn't appealing? What does the "cover of my book" look like?

I have given a lot of thought to what the "cover of my book" looks like. What do people see when they meet me the first few times? I asked DH to make sure I wasn't completely confused about the image I present to the world. He assured me that I'm not too far off the mark, so here goes.

My "cover" shows a confident extrovert; an open, friendly girl who loves a good party and who never met a stranger. I also come across as a bit of a ditz - gullible and easily confused.

But my "cover" is not all there is to the story. Get to know me (read a few chapters in), and you will discover that I need quiet time alone to recharge after time with people. I actually value my privacy and keep more to myself than I share. And I second guess myself all the time! Self-doubt and I are very intimately acquainted.  And I'm no dummy. God has blessed me with a fairly high level of intelligence which comes as a shock to some people.

My "cover" is not fake. I am the girl my "cover" portrays. But there is so much more to me. I go much deeper than most people realize because they just assume that the "cover" tells the whole story.

So if that's true for me, doesn't it make sense that it would be true for others? Isn't it safe to assume that their "covers" don't tell the whole story?

This last question is really making me pause (even I as type this). I know I'm guilty of judging people by my first impressions of them. And I know I've discovered later that my first impression was wrong. But am I still doing it? Am I still deciding who to get to know better by the "cover of their book"? Is that what I want to do?

Let's flip this for a minute. Do you know what the "cover of your book" looks like? Don't assume you do. Ask someone who loves you. Ask them what image you present to the world. And then brace for honesty. It's possible that the image you present is not one you will be happy with. It's possible that what people actually see when they meet you is not at all what you think it is. So ask someone who will tell you the truth.

Then decide if the image you present is one you are happy with. I'm asking myself that question today. Is my "cover" honest enough? Should I work on matching my "cover" to the whole story? Or is it ok to keep somethings to be discovered as the story unfolds? I don't really have answers. Just lots of questions. But that's pretty typical for me :-)



Linking up with Covered in Grace and Bloggy Moms

Would You Like to Meet My Husband (DH)?

"You're the string to my kite."
 - Me (borrowed from somewhere I can't remember or locate on Google)

Think of a kite. It floats through the sky going wherever the wind blows. Imagine that the kite is lovely and wants to share its pretty colors with the whole world. The kite really wants to make people smile.

But the kite has no string.

Without a string, the kite flies into storms and gets battered. With no guidance, the kite might get hung up in a tree. Without a string, the kite could dip too low and fly right into someone causing pain and turmoil. The kite might even crash.

Now put a string on the kite.
 
The kite still flies. In fact, it takes the string places it never would have gone on its own. But now the kite flies with a little bit more safety. The string can help keep the kite away from storms. The kite might not crash into people on the ground. The string might even help the kite fly higher!

The kite might still crash. It may still run into storms. But with a string, the kite is flying again sooner. It's off the ground faster than it would be if it were alone. The kite flies with a companion that offers safety, some guidance, and a tether to the real world.

DH is the string to my kite.



Linking up with Pour Your Heart Out,  Living Well Wednesdays, Weekly Wednesday Blog Hop, and Whatever Wednesdays, Calm My Crazy, and Serenity Now.