A trip back to the 70s

It's winter break, so the girls have the week off. 

 

It's so nice to enjoy a relaxing morning.  Bridget loves to play dress up.  The Cinderella costume is one of her favorites, but we are just as likely to see her wearing a ballerina costume or a colorful gypsy like outfit.  The accessory that is a must, however, is the pair of plastic sleeping beauty high heels.

Today we went roller skating.  The rink looks just like the one I used to skate at in 1978... no updates.  We had a good time.  The girls wobbled a lot at first, but it didn't take long before they were away from the rails and gliding more confidently.  And yes, I was right out there with them... also away from the rails and gliding along while repeating in my mind, "I will not fall.  I will not fall."

The Parenting Promised Land

Today in Sunday School I sat in on Belle's class (note to our family: we are no longer practicing Catholics.  We have joined the family friendly Episcopal church in our town).  We learned about God's promise of offspring to the aging Abraham and Sarah and their travels to the Promised Land (you can read the rest on your own).  

Then the kids wrote on their crosses what they would want to see in the Promised Land.  Belle touched my heart with Gigi's name and the names of our pets who have died.  She hopes to see a world without hunger and war and instead filled with Jesus, kindness, and health. What a teary-eyed and proud mom I was.

Then she turned on me. ATTITUDE, about not liking to go church! Can you believe it?  After making that beautiful cross?

We came home and she had an extended time out while I calmed myself by looking at adorable pictures of her throughout the years. All is calm now. We hugged, and all the tears are a distant memory, at least in her mind.

But this evening I am really looking forward to the peace that comes after children's bedtime.

Jenny and NPR made me do it.

So Jenny has her blog "Our very happy family" and has been bugging me to make my own blog. I resisted until I was convinced by some guy on the radio in one of my few moments of quiet time in the car. This NPR guy whose name I can't remember (being an English teacher I should be able to properly cite him, but my brain is too full to remember details like that) talked about transparency and the Internet. Basically he says we shouldn't worry about making our lives too public because by the time our kids are adults everybody will be public - and anyone who isn't will be thought to be hiding something. So quick...we are becoming public.