Wednesday, July 14, 2010

VBS


A few weeks ago, I enrolled my kids in Vacation Bible School at a church that Matt and I have visited a few times and we really like but we haven't made up our minds about.
They had a VBS program centered around the Veggie Tales and it was running from 6-8:30 every night this week. What can be bad about that?
Enter my newly five-year old son.
(I will write about his amazing birthday tour later)
But he is not the best about transitions or "new" things. I know that might come as a shock to many of you because he is so social. But any time I drop him off ANYWHERE, he acts as though I am the worst mom in the world and as though this is his idea of social tortue. I have no idea why he does this or how to make this better.
But I have tried everything I know how to do.
So the night before, I tried to give him lots of warning that we were going to VBS and it was going to be fun and instead he cried the whole day prior.
At the time when I had to leave; he bawled like most 18-month old toddlers.
Of course when I picked them up, he asked if they could come back the next day.

Last night, I decided there would be little to no talk of VBS just dropping them off as quick as a wink. Not a lot of hugging or build up just to see what the reaction would be. He still welled up, but moved on. His teacher told me that he stuck close to her the whole night and did everything but had a hard time warming up. She even used the phrase "unique" to describe him. As in:
"He sure is a 'unique' child."

Note to all people doing anything with children everywhere:
Do not use this phrase with mothers.
I was awake from 3-5:30 this morning obsessively worrying about how kindergarten was going to go based on these two little Vacation Bible School days. I worried over riding the school bus, the cafeteria, etc. I was reading websites, what books we should be reading, etc. I became a nut job.
Thanks to my "unique child."

And he is unique. He is just a slow starter. Now that he is warming up, I am sure he is going to own VBS and they are going to wish for him to be shy again.

But besides that, VBS is the greatest gift known to man. Matt and I dropped the kids off and went for run, ate dinner together at home and then went to Lowes. Is this what life is like with kids when you live with family in town? It was so lovely and quiet. We thoroughly enjoyed the "normalness" of something so simple. It is so rare that I can hardly believe it.
I can't wait to drop my kids off again tonight.
Also, they are singing the memory verse all day long:
"I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength." So so sweet.

1 comment:

Ed said...

Leslie, Jack is "unique" in some of the same ways (which is to say, neither of our boys are actually "unique"). VERY cautious about new things, and we had similar experiences with VBS in the past.

That said: he did just fine with first grade this past year, and made all the adjustments without any real problem. I'm certain y'all will be fine. DON'T let it get you stressed out!