milestones and missions to mars

sigh.  lily is now officially a kindergartner.  where did the time go?  i know that everyone says how fast it goes, but you never really believe it until you’ve experienced it for yourself.  i once heard someone say that life is like a toilet paper roll.  at the beginning it seems like it will go on forever . . . but soon you realize that the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.  i’m no where near even the mid-way point, but already i’m wanting it to slow down!

anyway, she is wrapping up her second week of school and is loving each and every day.  i knew that she would.  she was ready.  admittedly, i was ready too.  lily is a smart girl and i knew that she would flourish under instruction from a dedicated teacher.  i couldn’t be happier with our choice of school too.  tom mentioned to me the other day how impressed he was walking around the halls and seeing signs on the doors reminding boys to hold the door for the girls.  this school will not only academically challenge my kids, but also build their character while emphasizing a relationship with the Lord.  i couldn’t ask for more.

one thing i am noticing though is just how stressful parenting a school-age child can be.  i knew there would be some work involved for me.  i wasn’t ignorant and thinking i’d have to do nothing.  however, i guess i wasn’t ready for it to hit me all so quickly!  nightly homework (ok, so they’re only handwriting and coloring pages, but getting her to sit and do them is a bit of a chore!), weekly memory verses, and then all of the extras too.  these things add up!  for example,  i was notified last weekend that today (thursday) would be “career day” for the kindergarten class.  each student was asked to come dressed as what they want to be when they grow up.  simple, right?  sure, if you are a parent of a little girl who wants to be a ballerina or a princess.  (both of which were in abundance, or so i’ve been told by my girl)  not my lily though.  no.  she wants to be an astronaut!  so of course, i start to panic about my limited costume choices.  i quickly put the word out on facebook, but couldn’t find anyone that had a spacesuit i could borrow.  luckily, a friend did have a helmet, so i lucked out there.  anyway, i immediately went into hyperdrive figuring out what i was going to do.  thankfully, my bestie suggested finding a buzz lightyear costume.  those should be in abundance since he’s popular and i basically live in disney’s backyard!

huzzah!  i did find one and in her size!!  now to alter it to look like a real astronaut instead of a pixar cartoon.  well, after a trip to joann’s fabric and staples, i was ready to take on the challenge.  after a failed attempt at painting it (who knew you can’t easily paint on pleather?) and shedding some tears about how it wasn’t looking “right”, i did finally finish.

here is the before and after . . .

overall, i learned some things during this process . . . like how great duck tape is . . . expensive, but worth every penny in a pinch.  also that sometimes stickers work just fine, not everything needs to be sewn on to make it look “authentic”.  finally, and most importantly, if your child is pleased with the end result, leave it be!  it’s for them to wear anyway, not for you.  even if that means you have to push the perfectionist feelings way down deep . . . don’t lose sight of what’s really important . . . like your daughter happily saluting you as she goes off on her mission to mars!