The Start of Another School Year...OH BROTHER!

The day started off GREAT, as I rolled out of the bed at 6:15am.

If you can call rolling out of the bed at 6:15am GREAT. Most of the time...it's okay. It takes a few cups of coffee to get to GREAT!!!

So by the time 7:15am hit, it had already turned truly stressful.

Such a

Terrible

Rush

Evicting

Summerlyn, Savannah, &

Scarlett

From

U (okay...I don't have one for U)...Their

Loving home

After hollering 4 times that it was time to "fix hair"...we DO have a routine every morning...I managed to get them into the 'burb.

Off we went. Did I mention that I also got ready for work...and got Luke ready...in the craziness? Well...I did!

Being that it was the first day of school, I parked in the "no parking" zone (it's a tradition!), and we headed for class. Dropping Scarlett off was a breeze, as usual. HER middle name should've been "Breeze"...instead of the middle child's middle name being Breeze. The middle child...my precious beautiful rose, Savannah, was NOT such a breeze. By the time we tromped all over Copper Ridge trying to find her classroom (she insisted it was a "mobile unit", which it did NOT turn out to be), the bell had rung. Savannah is NOT the child you want to bring to class after the bell has rung...especially on the first day of school!

She refused to enter...the room, I mean. When I finally got her in the room, she could barely function (with the entire class staring at her!), and refused to sit in her assigned seat because she was assigned to sit with 2 boys. I gave her about 2 minutes before I called her out into the hall.

I have to tell you that her teacher is not only new to Copper Ridge, but he just graduated in May...of 2009. And has only been married for 8 months. If not for his stature, he would appear to be a few years older than my oldest son. Wait...I think he IS a few years older than my oldest son...ANYWAY...I felt terrible for him! Savannah was NOT making it easy. Back to the hall...and I'm warning you...I said a cuss word. That was, of course, just before I headed to my job at the church.

Hey...I'm definitely NOT perfect.

"Savannah!"

"Yes?"

"You WILL go sit at your assigned seat!"

"MOM!!! I'm not sitting with boys!!!"

"God made those boys...and you've just made them feel terrible! Not to mention what your teacher thinks!!!"

"Ummm..."

"Savannah, I'm giving you about 60 seconds to step back in that room, get your pencil, and go sit beside of those boys. If you don't do it RIGHT NOW, I will take you home and beat the hell out of you!!!"

She turned as I opened the door, walked in & got her pencil, and went reluctantly to sit at her assigned desk. WHEW!!!

Of course, by this time, Summerlyn (who had insisted on getting Luke out and coming inside with us), was wrestling Luke out of the big boys bathroom. She snatched him up and we hurried on our way. After all...this WAS her first day of middle school...!

As we pulled up to the light on Norris Freeway, I realized that the middle school drop-off was not going to be a quick one. The traffic was backed up 2 blocks. After 30 minutes, we managed to make it nearly to the door before Summerlyn, teary eyed, said "Mom...I changed my mind! I DO want you to walk me in!". I immediately parked, got Luke out, and in we walked, w/me LOVING the fact that she felt comfortable in asking me to accompany her inside the building! My strong-willed Summerlyn was very nervous.

As soon as she saw her friend Lily, waving her hand from where she was sitting w/some of Summerlyn's other friends, in the auditorium, Summerlyn was fine. She ran down to them with me reminding her of what bus to ride home after school.

Another "WHEW"!!!

Then Luke and I were off to the church (a nice place to repent from my usage of the word "hell"...by-the-way...it's not the words, of course...it's the way we use them).

After school, the kids played on the front porch, during which time Luke decided to pull of his dirty diaper and spread it head to toe! Seriously, WHAT is the temptation in that? I STILL DON'T GET IT!!! After I cleaned THAT mess up...he decided to paint "Lukie-style" w/a purple paint roller from his big sister's room (we're almost done remodeling her room). He enjoyed painting my furniture, the steps (carpeted), and parts of the floor. And all this action was AFTER the school rush!

But I want to share the most important part of my crazy first-day-of-school-day...

I was trying so hard to get a few things done at work. I knew that in order to be at the bus stop in time to pick up the girls from the bus, I needed to leave work no later than 11:15am. It takes between 30-35 minutes from the time the bell rings to go home, for the bus to reach our stop. Lukie baby and I left Grace at 11:21am...I was sweatin', but knowing that my 'burb clock is 7 minutes fast, I knew we'd be fine. About 5 minutes into my journey home, I realized that the bus time I'd figured was based on my Suburban clock's 7 minutes fast time! CRAP!!! That meant that I was 6 minutes PLUS 7 minutes behind!!! I drove as fast as I dared, thinking all the while that my girls would either be dropped at my neighbor and friend's driveway or...? What? What if Erica wasn't at home? What if the bus driver dropped them off at the bus stop and they started walking up the dangerous road to our house?

I was in tears by the time I crested the glorious hill that revealed the behind of the bus in my sight...not yet having arrived at our bus stop...with my precious cargo on board. And then God said...

"I've got you covered"

I cried good, then...wiping my tears as the bus driver pulled to a stop and my girls got out and crawled in the 'burb, relief flooded my soul.

My God knew that I needed to know that He saw me. I needed to know that God saw the rotten morning I'd had. I needed to know that He remembered that I existed. And He didn't let me down, because...

He never fails.

No matter how rotten my morning may turn out to be, God is waiting to soothe my soul. He's waiting to remind me that He sees me and He loves me.

So my spirits lifted.

Enough to keep me fairly calm as I scrubbed purple paint off of my carpet and furniture.

I didn't hollar...
TOO loud...