Five more minutes

Is it considered cheating if your solo trip to Home Depot was his idea? I think perhaps the gift card purchased indulgent chai tea and alone time in my car may elevate it as such. 

How many creative ways can I explain a normal week in our world? We are an active family and our days are rich with family meals, multiple appointments, school days, a long standing Tuesday night Bible study, homework, parenting, grocery shopping and house work. I fall into bed early, by everyone's standards and I refuse to apologize for it. Sleep restores me and equips me for another day of the same. 

Some attitudes were addressed. Some were ignored. I'm choosing battles carefully in these final school days. The boy wakes lamenting his countdown of single digit days as if the entire year remains and I simply cannot hear it anymore. This is my white flag of surrender because I have a full week more than him and am just as ready. We limp across finish lines every year except when pandemics are in full panic mode apparently, because the abrupt ending last spring broke my heart. This year though? I am all done. Now.

The boy fell and hurt his arm. He was convinced this bought him a day off school and lamented my unwillingness to concede. To further exasperate the poor lad, I also refused him a brace to support his "almost broken" arm. But his teaching assistant patiently waited while he wrote test answers with his left hand moments after suffering through a game of dodge ball on the playground. She is a Saint. Miraculous recovery took place less than 24 hours post injury when a tempting game of basketball broke out in the driveway. Lord help me.

I completed my 365 day reading plan through the Bible this week. I cannot recommend this decision to anyone during a pandemic, in that I have made more uplifting choices. As it turns out, the extent of what I will continue to wrestle with God is not limited to Job. But I learned and grew despite my sometimes childish attitude.

Ty graduated from elementary school today. The presentation made me tearful as the background was a song about having just five more minutes. It took me back to kindergarten and each of his following years. He has grown in confidence and so much of that is a credit to his current teacher who has loved him well. I am grateful for her investment into our son. He is in the graduating class of 2028 and I know all too well how quickly these next few years will pass. 

When Grandma and Grandpa attend graduation, you get to celebrate with ice cream.