Tuesday, February 9, 2016

February 9 – “What are you doing here?”

Cailyn was in a performance at school last night.  It was the usual PTO monthly meeting where one grade level entertains the crowd before the president makes whatever announcements are needed.  It’s a great tradition that is apparently a Southern none.  When we were in Denver I went to the first PTO meeting at Josh and Nathan’s school.  After all, I had been the PTO president for a brief stint in Mansfield.  When I finally located the meeting, I was asked, “What are you doing here?”  Just like that.  No pleasant greeting.  No “Glad you care about our school.”  Just “What are you doing here?”  Not exactly a welcoming bunch.  They let me stay, but they obviously didn’t want me anywhere around while they talked about what was “best” for my children in that school.  They learned to expect either me or Chris, though, whenever they had any kind of meeting that we felt like we deserved input into.  And that experience, combined with a myriad of others, led to … the next year we started home schooling. 

So … we went to the PTO meeting at Cailyn’s school.  The gym was packed out with parents and grandparents and siblings.  All of the first graders filed into the room and up onto the stage.  We located Cailyn.  It helped to be sitting next to her Mommy.  Who better to hone in on her own daughter than a Mommy with a movie camera, right?  The kids did a really great job.  The theme was A Salute to February.  Songs about Groundhog Day, President’s Day, Mardi Gras, 100th Day Day (That would be the 100th day of eth school year, I’m pretty sure), Chinese New Year, and for some strange reason, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.  Not sure how that one snuck from January over into February’s program.  It just didn’t fit.  Maybe there weren’t enough holidays in January to make up an entire program so they had to do something else.  Maybe they didn’t have a program in January.  Other than that, I’m pretty well set on all the February greatness in America.  Nice job, kids.

After the program we got to “officially” meet Cailyn’s new American Girl doll that looks a lot like her.  April did give us a sneak peek before the program started.  Not that she was in any way kind of excited about carrying around a doll in her huge purse.  As I told her last night, if you carry a big purse, the whole point is to fill it up.  That’s the immediate perspective of a husband and a child, so she needs to expect it, right? 

Spoiler alert … The big news about this particular doll was that it wears glasses.  Get the connection?  The doll wears glasses so it can look more like its owner.  There it is.  Cailyn just found out that she needs glasses.  I’m glad she found out before softball season starts.  They will help immensely, even with that big old ball.  Can’t wait to see her sporting them.  She seems excited as well. 

1 John 3:23 says, “And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”

Father, watch over Cailyn when she gets those new glasses.  Help her to remember that you (and we) love her just the way she is … just in case someone out there makes fun of her.  I’ve been there.  It hurts.  Amen

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