Our first "Time Out"

My little boy came home from school last week, was barely out of my friend's van and confessed "I got put in time out today Mom." I must admit, this is a first for us. He gets put in time out many times here at home, but never have my boys been put in time out at school. Leave it to Jason to crash through that barrier! As I was asking him in my non-threatening, non-I'm going to die voice about what happened, he insisted he didn't know. He just kept shrugging his shoulders and saying "I don't know what I did". Yeah, right. So I asked him to tell me where he was when he got put in time out. He said he was standing in line talking to Zachary. Well, there you go. I asked him if he was supposed to talk in line and he said "I guess not, because that's why I got put in time out. But Zachary kept talking and I couldn't hear the teacher, so I didn't know we were not supposed to talk". Of course the next time we went to school, I asked his teachers about it. I really just wanted to make sure he understood what he did. His teacher got this sad little look on her face and said "Oh Sherri. I absolutely hated to put him in time out. You know how much I LOVE him. But since he and Zachary were both talking, I had to put them both in." Of course I understood this and wasn't questioning her decision at all, but her reaction to me was comical. To be honest, I'm surprised it hasn't happened before now. I mean, the kid is in constant trouble here at home! Anyway, I had to mark this day. I hope this isn't the start of things to come!

Happy 40th Rick!

My dear husband turns 40 today! We'll be spreading the celebration out over 2 weeks with dinners and nights out and as usual, I am struggling with what to get the man who "has everything he wants" (according to him). Still - 40 - I have to get him something good! I am so thankful to have him in my life. He has been my best friend for 22 years and the best father our boys could ever wish for. He actually is having lunch with David at school today and playing football on the playground with the boys at recess. That is where he wanted to spend his birthday lunch! How awesome is that? Happy Birthday Rick. I thank God every day for you and all you mean to me.

A bloggy slump

I haven't blogged in a while. I'm of the mind set that if you don't have something good to say (or funny), don't bother. So, I haven't. Still don't have a whole lot to say. Been busy trying to keep up with all the BSF homework, 3rd grade homework, and holding the boundaries with my 4 year old. Oh, yeah, my husband turns 40 this week!!! I'll be posting more on that later. I did have lunch with a friend last week that got me thinking. She, like me, does a lot of service for our church. I am taking this year to refocus and reconnect with my Lord. She does a great job of balancing it all, but she did make one comment to me that struck me. She's struggling with trying to cut back and turn stuff over to other people. But, in her words, she finds it's just easier to do it herself. I can relate. It is easier, on the front end, to just keep doing what you are doing and keep serving in the way you've served. The only drawback to that is, someone else misses out on the blessing. Yes, it might be easier to do it yourself, but what if we took that approach with our children? It's easier for me to tie my boys shoes instead of nagging them to do it, but they still have to learn to do it. And where is their sense of accomplishment if I always do it? This conversation struck me because I am like her. It IS easier for me to do it (that's my type A coming out). Looking back, turning over my service duties to someone else was hard. VERY hard. But someone else is being blessed by it now. Looking back, I am grateful boundaries were set that only allowed me to do 2 years of service in a certain area. I miss it like having a child go off to college that never calls. But God is allowing that void to be left empty for a while so He, and only He can fill it. Not service, not stuff, just Him. Wow, that's been different! But good. I look forward to seeing what God will do in my life, and hers.