A Hannah Montana Kind of Day

So Reagan came home from school yesterday and told me that Oliver from "Hannah Montana" had been at her school. Of course, not believing her, I said, "Oh, you mean he was on TV or something? You watched something with him in it?" But she said, "No. For real! It was him! He was there!" Well, she did have some flyers with his picture on it (he's the spokesperson for the "Clean Hands are Cool Hands" initiative), so I thought it was possible...but I still kinda doubted it.

So, today I was at the school for a room parent meeting, and all the moms were talking about it. Sure enough, he had been there. In fact, it even made it on the news last night (but, of course, I missed it).

Then, on top of seeing an actual star in person, Reagan got a call from THE Hannah Montana last night to remind her that she had dance class! (This was a special "back to school" promotion by Wal-mart, where you could sign up for a phone call online.) We have saved the message and played and played and played it! Reagan was so excited. It says, "Hey, sweet niblets! This is Hannah Montana calling to remind you that you have dance. What would you do if you didn't have me to remind you? Have a great time..." etc. You get the point. Reagan thinks it's really funny that she calls her "sweet niblets."

All in all, it was a very Hannah Montana-filled day of fun!

The Funny Things She Says...

Presley is changing every day--learning new words and putting complete sentences together. Just yesterday, she was standing behind Reagan as big sis played a computer game. Apparently, the seating arrangement was not to her liking, because Presley said, "I can't see bery (very) well. Moob (move) a li'l bit."

Other favorite sayings:

• "Dat cool, Mama?" ("Is that cool, Mama?" This usually comes after some gymnastic stunt.)
• "I got it!"
• "I go wishoo." ("I'll go with you.")
• "I know." (This actually means "I don't know." Very confusing, but we figured it out.)
• "Help me, Mama!"
• "I go kin'garen wif Reagan." (Do I need to explain this? She wants to go everywhere Reagan does--including kindergarten.)
• "Dayee may me mad." ("Daddy made me mad." So she came running to Mama.)

Why I Wish Ronnie Were Still President

"America was founded by people who believed that God was their rock of safety. I recognize we must be cautious in claiming that God is on our side, but I think it's all right to keep asking if we're on His side." --Ronald Reagan

Kindergarten...the First Week

We're coming to the close of the first week of kindergarten for Reagan, so I thought it would be appropriate to share a few thoughts. First, I must say that I was apprehensive about Reagan's teacher who was (and still basically is) a stranger to me. My first impression of her was not great. She was quiet...seemed a bit frazzled at the parent meeting and, quite honestly, I thought she might be a control freak too. But the more interaction I have with her, the more I believe that I was wrong. I think Reagan will have a great year, and both Mrs. Willhite and her intern, Mrs. Mills (who is very energetic and fun!) will have positive influences on Reagan.

On Reagan's first day, Scott and I (and Presley) walked Reagan to her class, got her settled (I cried), and then stayed for a reception with the principal. Pickup was at 10:30, so we arrived back at school at 10:15. By then the car rider lane was backed up and Reagan couldn't find our car, so she cried. :( (Keep in mind that the kids are always under adult supervision--the teachers walk with them until they find their car. Nonethelesss, I now get there 30 minutes before the end of school). Tuesday was better--another half day for kindergarten. I walked her in again, and I arrived at pickup in time to be on the front side of the school (Presley watched a movie and ate lunch while we waited). Wednesday was again chaotic. I walked her to her class that morning, but pickup was complicated by a full day of class for the whole school which meant an especially crowded car rider lane. (Again, Presley watched a movie and snacked; I crocheted.)

Then there was Thursday. Reagan insisted that she wanted to be dropped off at the door--no more walking in with Mama. What? Already? Are you sure? Yes! So, against my will, I arrived just before 7:45 (when the doors open), pulled up as close to the entrance as permitted, and let Reagan hop out of the car alone--alone!!! But, fortunately, there are lots of staff members on hand to open doors, hold hands, and usher kids safely into the building. I tried to watch as I was pulling out of the drive, but I wasn't able to see if she walked into the building...I just had to trust that she did. (Then I cried on the ride home.)

A friend of mine who also has a kindergartener explained it best: Up until now, there has always been a hand-off. You go to church, hand your child over to a loving nursery worker, and get your card that identifies you as her parent. Or, you go to preschool, sign your kid in for the day, then hand her over to the teacher who will nurture and watch over her. In big kid school, you just let them out at the door and hope they all get to where they're supposed to. (And sometimes they don't!!! Just ask my mom about her school losing a kindergartener for a while this week! Don't worry, the story ends well.) So, forgive me if I feel a bit apprehensive about letting her take on these big kid duties. We've both been through a lot of growing up this week!

Today is Friday, and once again I let Reagan out at the door and watched her walk toward the entrance. The good news is that in just a few minutes I'll be going back to the school to help out in the lunchroom--so I can see with my own eyes that she did, in fact, arrive safely. Then I'll do my 30 minutes in the car rider lane this afternoon. I didn't realize that kindergarten was going to take over my life...but it kinda has. I thought I would actually have more time and freedom to accomplish things, but the opposite has really happened. Not only am I a prisoner of the car rider lane, but Presley now requires so much of my attention because she misses Reagan! But it will get better on all accounts, I'm sure. And whether or not we're ready for it, this is what growing up is...for both of us. All of us.

Reagan's First Day of Kindergarten

Bright and early this morning (7:15 a.m.) we all (Daddy, Mama, Reagan, Presley) piled in the car and took Reagan to her first day of kindergarten. The area surrounding the school was so crowded that we had to park on a neighborhood street across the road! Hundreds of students and their parents were milling about, checking out classrooms, catching up with old friends, and filling out more paperwork. (I seriously think I've filled out about a ream of paper's worth just for Reagan.)

When we got to her room, Mrs. Willhite was there with her camera to take a photo of the whole family. (We took a few pictures too.) We dropped off Reagan's classroom supplies in the bins, and then Reagan found her cubby and put away her backpack. Each child had a container of Play-doh at their desk, so their morning got off to a fun start. We stayed for a couple of minutes and then said our good-byes. Reagan smiled and said, "Bye! I'm going to have a great day!"

The rest of us went to the Media Center for a reception with the principal, then we had to see the school nurse about Reagan's Epi-pen. Finally, after 8:30, we were on our way home.

It seemed like the day went very well for Reagan. She told us about reading time and named a few of her new friends. But the day came to a sad end. As we were waiting in the endless car rider line, I could barely see the kindergarteners being marched outside by the teachers. We were so far away that Reagan couldn't see us. (We arrived 15 minutes early, and we barely made it into the parking lot. Within about a minute of our arrival, traffic was in the street and through the intersection!) I had warned Reagan that she might have to wait, that there might be other cars in front of me, but apparently that information didn't sink in. By the time she was led to our car, she was in tears.

Even though pick-up didn't go so well (and, really, it was just a crazy mess out there), I do feel a bit better about sending her to kindergarten, now that she has her first half day under her belt. I know she's going to have a great year--after all, she's smart and funny and totally loveable!

Love Is...

Remembe those "Love Is" cartoons from the 70s? You know, they had that naked man and woman (only, for some reason, nobody seemed to care that they were naked) who always looked starry-eyed and shared sentiments like, "Love is... teaching the baby to say 'Daddy' first" or "Love is... giving him the last cookie."

I vaguely remember buying a book of those cartoons when I was a kid (at a book fair, I think, because I doubt if my parents would have approved the purchase if they had been with me). I recently found the book (got a new bookshelf--you find a lot of things when you re-arrange your books), and Reagan has been asking me to read it to her. This got me thinking about my own "Love Is" list for my kids. It goes something like this:

Love Is...

...letting your daughter pour you another cup of invisible tea, even though you've had approximately 658 cups already.

...trading her your seven-layer burrito for her plain taco--even though that's what she ordered--because she likes yours better.

...taking the morning off work so that you can both take her to her first day of kindergarten. (That one is Daddy, actually.)

...letting her help you cook, even though it takes twice as long and requires more clean-up.

...reading Little Mommy one more time before bed.

...loading the "Story Time with Belle" CD-rom on your computer, even though the last kid game you loaded caused your computer to crash six times.

The list could go on and on. The things we do to show love to our kids is endless. Sometimes it's also at the other end of the spectrum: sending her to time out so that she learns to be respectful...making her drink her milk so she'll have strong bones...even sending a little defenseless five-year-old into a big, scary school so that she can become more independent and gain knowledge. (That one is happening within the week, by the way.)

Sometimes I ask Reagan if she knows how much I love her. Surprisingly, sometimes she says "no." (I'm afraid she's a bit of an emotional manipulator--she knows that kind of stuff will get a reaction from me.) But I know that when she grows up, she may look back and see things she wishes I would have done differently (who can do it perfectly?), but she will know, without any doubt, that she was and is loved by her family.

Can I Have Five Minutes to Myself, Please?

So, I had just settled in for my five-minute shower (yes, five minutes--if I'm lucky) when the door flew open with reckless abandon as Presley stood--with absolutely no concern for my privacy, I might add--holding a pencil. Here's how it went:

Me: Presley, close the door.

(no response)

Me: Presley, why are you holding a pencil?

(no response)

Me: Presley, put the pencil on the sink and close the door.

Eventually, after much more discussion along the same lines, Presley leaves with the pencil in hand. Within a minute, Reagan bursts through the door.

Reagan: (in her sing-song, tattle-tale voice) Presley just wrote on the wall!

Seriously, can I just get five minutes to wash myself? My personal hygiene is at stake here. To make an already long story a bit shorter, I'll just say that Presley got to scrub the wall in the bonus room (glad we chose the semi-gloss paint that washes well!), and it was actually a pretty normal morning. In fact, if I get to take my shower alone, I consider that an unusual morning.

Oh, the joys of parenting.

Pray for Ashley

Many of you know our former neighbor, Ashley Holmertz, who discovered she had bone cancer when she was a vibrant 17-year-old varsity soccer player. Ashley has had her ups and downs, miracles and setbacks, but throughout this journey, Ashley and her family--especially her mother Judy--have never wavered in their faith. Now Ashley's fight has reached a critical point, and unless the Lord intervenes (which He has done before), Ashley will go home to be with Him.

I've attached a portion of her mother's email update below so that you will know how to pray. Here's a link that tells a brief version of Ashley's story. It's from the website of the foundation she and her family established to help others who are facing cancer: http://ashleyshand.org/story.html

July 30, 2008
Dear Friends and Family,

I write to you with heavy heart because of our news last week. As I watch Ashley walk today, my heart fills with sadness and memories. Her walk is so different than when she ran down fields of green to place the ball into the net or assist a teammate. Her nickname was “The Force!” Rightly named because of her intense determination to make it to the goal no matter what or whom she plowed down in the process.

Today, Ashley is running a race for her life. The PET-CT reports last week show very advanced tumors (new ones) in her body in the sacrum area. We were shocked that so much had changed in only 7 weeks. Vanderbilt doctors and Hospice have given a limited time for Ashley to be with us. BUT the final WORD comes from our heavenly Father – God Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, healer of our souls and body. God gently reminds me that she was His daughter first. And He loves her even more than I do. He has a plan…

Right now, Ashley wants to fight. So to honor her wishes, we turn to the Oasis of Hope Cancer Hospital in Tijuana, Baja California. (Her doctors at MD Anderson and Vanderbilt have run out of options.) We have visited Oasis of Hope twice, so we know and trust its oncologists. They feel they have some new treatments to offer. They do not promise a cure, but feel that their plan coupled with Ashley’s hope can go a long way, especially when the Lord is in it. I agree. However, our insurance will not cover the approximately $30,000 for the 24 days of treatment. We ask that you pray diligently for God to provide the money for Ashley to go. Allison, her sister, will be traveling with her so that I can have surgery for my breast cancer which is scheduled August 14th.

Any donations may be mailed to:
Judson Baptist Church
4900 Franklin Road
Nashville, TN 37220
(Make checks payable to Judson Baptist and memo for Ashley Fund.)
If Ashley is unable to go due to health or available funds, donations will go toward hospice care and to create a special memory with family.

Please continue to pray for God’s healing miracle in Ashley’s life. I hold closely the verse in Hebrews 10:35, “Therefore, do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward.” God is a rewarder of those who believe and do not doubt.

As always, thanking God for you,
Judy

Ladies Who Lunch

Doesn't Presley just look like one of those "ladies of leisure" who spend their afternoons playing tennis and lunching with friends. Love that she has her shades on and her cell phone at the ready!

Reagan's Neverland Party

Here are a few pics from Reagan's 5th birthday party. The theme was Neverland, and all guests were sprinkled with pixie dust upon arrival. We made a craft, opened gifts from family, and ate cake and drank punch.

Reagan requested no gifts from her friends, since she got plenty from her family members. Instead, if guests wished to contribute, we had a donation jar for the Haiti Starfish program our church sponsors, which provides school lunches for children in Haiti. With what we've collected so far, we can feed two kids for the entire year!

Here are a few pics from the party:

Wendy & Tink

The cake, made by Mama, had beads to make it sparkle!

All the kiddos in their costumes

Opening her gifts

5th Birthday in Neverland

Reagan had a Neverland party on Saturday. She, of course, was Tinkerbell (along with most of her other little girl friends) and Presley was Wendy. We also had a Lost Boy and Peter Pan present, along with miscellaneous fairies. Here are a few pics:

Mama made the cake, and added a few beads for sparkle

Tink

All the kids in costume

The girls at the craft table

Reagan with her two true loves, Curry (Lost Boy) and Tyler (Peter Pan)

The Girl with the Curl

There was a little girl who had a little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead.

And when she was good, she was very good.

And when she was bad, she was horrid.

That pretty much sums up our sweet Presley. . . she can turn on you in a second! But she sure is cute, isn't she?

Allergy Warning

Today Reagan was making all sorts of "food" for me with homemade play dough. After a burger and some fries, she asked if I would like some cookies. I said, "Sure." She replied: "They have tree nuts in them. All of my cookies are processed with tree nuts." Her exact words.

Now, this might not seem so unusual, except that Reagan is allergic to certain tree nuts, and we've cautioned her on eating foods that don't necessarily contain tree nuts but might be processed on equipment that also processes tree nuts. In fact, she didn't get to have a cookie from the Fresh Market last week because all their cookies are processed on shared equipment with those that contain tree nuts.

My point is, she's learning! And she's using that knowledge in role play, which will serve her well in a situation where she really should avoid certain foods. Wow, sometimes she just seems so grown up!

Sticky Situation

I meant to blog about this a couple of weeks ago when it happened, but I got busy and forgot.

One afternoon, I was letting the girls watch a DVD and "rest" while I did some work on my computer. They were being pretty quiet/calm, so I must have relaxed a bit and stopped paying attention to them. A few minutes later, Presley came over to me with her finger up her nose and said, "Ticker." I took that to mean that perhaps she had a "bat in the cave," so to speak, so I did what any other mother would do: stuck my pinky nail up her nose to try to get it out. Only when I did, I felt something hard up the canal of her nose. That's when I realized what she was trying to tell me--that she had put a sticker up her nose.

So...I took her to the bedroom and got her horizontal on the bed. With a trusty flashlight in hand, I instructed her to close her eyes--didn't want to blind her in the process. I could see that the sticker was indeed in her nose, and quite a ways up there. I fetched the tweezers and made a valiant effort before realizing I might hurt her, since I didn't know what I was doing. I resigned myself to calling the pediatrician who, no doubt, was experienced at extracting foreign objects from the noses of preschoolers.

We were in danger of being late for Reagan's dance camp, so I figured I'd drop her off on the way to the doc. I had dialed the phone and was waiting to push 2 to talk to a nurse, when Presley stood before me and sneezed loudly. Out came the sticker! Woohoo! Trip to the pediatrician and a $25 co-pay averted (not to mention much embarrassment for being the parent of "that kid who put the sticker up her nose").

My Little Helper

I just love the fact that I can ask Reagan, "Does Presley have a stinky diaper?" and she will sniff her for me and answer with authority one of three ways: (1) "Yes," (2) "No," or (3) "No, but she pee-peed." That is a service I would gladly pay money for, but am lucky enough to get free from a four-year-old.

Indy

We took a quick trip to Indy over the holiday weekend. First, my parents (along with Scott and I) took the kids to the Indianapolis Children's Museum.

Getting in costume for the bluescreen show.

In a giant Dino-nest.

Water play in the exhibit sponsored by Indiana native David Letterman.

Afterward, they took the kids home with them and Scott and I stayed in Indy for the night. We stayed at the Canterbury Hotel downtown in the Circle Center. We actually had access to the mall directly from our hotel. We were also next door the the famous St. Elmo Steak House and within walking distance to dozens of restaurants. Just a few blocks away was Indy's landmark Soldiers and Sailors Monument.

On the way out of town, we stopped to take a few (dozen) pictures of the new Lucas Oil Stadium where the Colts will play next year. As you can see, it dwarfs the current stadium. Pretty impressive.

Indianapolis Children's Museum

Here are a few pics from our recent visit to the fabulous Children's Museum in Indianapolis:

Reagan Poses with the Museum's Own Superhero

Super Girl Reagan in the Comic Book Exhibit

Driving the Bulldozer

Surprise!

Indianapolis Children's Museum

Here are a few pics from our recent visit to the amazing Children's Museum in Indianapolis:

Presley plays a game as Lightning McQueen.

One of the many play areas.

Hangin' out with the Couch Potato.

Presley & Curious George: buddies for life.

Asbury Reunion

With all that's been going on lately, I hadn't had a chance to post anything about my, ahem, 15th college reunion. (Serioulsy, am I that old? 'Cause I still feel like a kid sometimes.) Anyhow, we had a fun but brief trip to Wilmore last Saturday. I must say I'm a wee bit disappointed in the number of classmates who decided not to show up (many of whom, I know, live much closer than I do). But those of us who were there had a fun time catching up and reconnecting. And, thanks to Facebook and, hopefully, the new Asbury online community, we'll stay in touch between reunions too. Here are a few pics from the event:

Matt Atkins, Jana Bracken McCracken, me, Tiffany Switzer Harper

Neil Brenner, me & Presley, Melinda Jones (don't know her new last name)

Neil and I spent ten weeks in a van together with four other vocalists on summer tour in college.

Holly Schopmeyer Law, Jana, Melissa Kuhnell Davis, Amy Turkelson (don't know her new last name), me & Presley, Tiffany

Me, Chad Crouch, Presley

Chad and I went to Jamaica on music teams together several times.

Do you see a recurring theme here? Presley just couldn't stay out of the pictures. Reagan, on the other hand, had made a new friend in Caitlyn, Jana's daughter (we were both pregnant at the last reunion), and was off doing her own thing.

I loved seeing my "old Kentucky home," but we had to return to Nashville early Sunday morning to visit with Scott's ailing granny. She passed this week, and we celebrated her homegoing yesterday. Granny was loved by many, as was evident by the full chapel at her funeral. We'll miss her, but we know her suffering is now over and her joy is complete.

Kid's Biz

Reagan just completed a week-long song & dance camp, Kid's Biz, with her Kinderdance teacher, Ms. Donna. In just one week (less than 5 days, actually, and only 2 1/2 hours in each session), Ms. Donna teaches a group of about eight girls, ages 3-6, more than a dozen song and dance numbers, complete with costumes and props. This year's theme was, "Reminisce," and featured songs such as "I Enjoy Being a Girl," "You're a Grand Old Flag," and "Someday I'll Be Miss America." The girls perform the show for a group of residents at an assisted living facility, and, of course their adoring families. Here are a couple of pics, along with a video of Reagan's solo on the mic (she was the only one with a solo!), "A Bushel and a Peck."