Our Big Canvas

Life is a great big canvas, 

and you should throw all the paint on it you can. 

-Danny Kaye

I live with a sense of gratitude and appreciation for living and for loving.  Every day, I see wonder and amazement through my little girl's eyes, and I think to myself,"What a gift I've been given."

The day Sarah stood tall, wearing her Statue of Liberty hat and raising her torch high, the symbolism was not lost on me.  I researched the poem on the Statue of Liberty:

            "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
               the wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
              Send these the homeless, tempest-tossed to me,
              I lift my lamp beside the golden door.

 She's one of those and when I share this moment, I choke up.  To know from where she came to where she is now, what an unbelievable, indescribable, spectacular miracle.

We had more painting, more dancing, and our own preschool version of Stomp!

She has thrown herself into every moment with gusto and reckless abandonment, and my friends have embraced her as well.  The other day, I was frustrated with trying to get her to sit during the story around 11:30am.  That afternoon, I realized that I was not using the tools in my toolbox that I've learned as a teacher.  She was done, and needed to move.  So the next day, we went for a "run" down the hallway, she came back, and finished the art project.  It's those moments that I sit back and realize that she knows her limits, and I can help her be successful when I "listen" to her.

Then, it was Family Night, with a carnival atmosphere.  Sidewalk chalk, hula hoops, face-painting, and Bubbles.  She stood in amazement, wondering what she should do.

The bubbles captured her fascination.  She tasted, licked, and drank the water.  Towards the end, it looked like a bathtub, so in she jumped with clothes and all.  And I laughed, my friends laughed, and we all celebrated Sarah.  My friends love my child like their own.  She is loved.
My friend, Imogen, told me while I was gone, Sarah said "Water."  I was in awe.  She's learning every day.  

What a wonderful, wild, fantastic, beautiful week we had.  She's finding her place, her crayon box, and is throwing paint on her life canvas, fabulatizing it with gusto.  My girl.

Tomorrow, we head to my hometown for our annual cookout.  The first time my extended family will meet her.  Where she'll be included in the circle of love.  Her family:)

What a wonderful, wild, precious life I'm living! Painting my canvas with every color of the rainbow.

Embracing my journey of love.

A Beautiful World

One week every summer has been devoted to Vacation Bible School from the time I was a little girl.  When Andy and I began our family, the tradition continued.  Our family participates and I teach in a classroom.

After our first morning of VBS, I've got Tim Myers "A Beautiful World" playing in the background, and front row seats to watch my little girl's Beautiful World evolve before my very eyes. She blossomed and loved the first times she experienced today.

The theme is Visiting New York, and each child used glue sticks to make "windows" for the buildings in New York City.  Glue Sticks are a new commodity for Sarah, and she felt the urge to see how delicious they tasted:(

Sitting in the circle for Story Time.

Next was recreation and SNACK!!  This girl knows her snack and my friend created taxi cabs out of twinkies.  Absolutely Adorable!!!

Jodi spent a couple hours Sunday making 60 cabs.  Way to Go, Jodi!!

Of course, Ukraine most likely doesn't have twinkies, and it's typically not a staple on my grocery list, so another first for figuring out how to eat the twinkie.  She dipped her head and bit straight down the middle, covering her face in tootsie roll, twinkie cake, and frosting.

Sarah is not a quick eater, so she was still sitting at the table, while her friends were playing.

But, the craziness came when I tried to clean her up.  Our rotation time was over, and she ran around the room, clutching her twinkie for dear life.  They had these "play tunnels" in the room, so she whisked her twinkie inside to hide from me.  Picture a frantic 3 year old, grasping her twinkie, being pulled out of the tunnel by her legs.  My friends were enjoying the comic relief on my behalf!!

Next was the painting project.  Miss Patty demonstrated how they would be making Statue of Liberty hats, but we need to PAINT them green first.  So, Sarah put on her smock, dabbed some green paint on her brush, slid it on the hat, and proceeded to paint her tongue.  Surely, it must taste good?

Once she was finished, she put her hat on her head.  No problem, but the paint was still wet.  So, she had green streaks in her hair, and was not happy that I took her hat away to dry.

We had more gluing with a glue stick, more tasting.  Finally, the end was near so we got out play dough for the kids.  And more tasting by Sarah.  If you've counted, she tasted glue sticks, twinkies, paint, and playdough...all within a three hour window.  I'm excited for the possibilities tomorrow.

Seeing my little girl follow her friends in line, dance to the music, paint, glue, play, and SMILE...

what a beautiful world I see.

The possibilities are endless for her.

***************************************************************

I found my friend, Amy's blog, while surfing last year.  I was drawn to the quotes on her sidebar, and began following her.  Her youngest has Down syndrome, she's crafty, and celebrates togetherness with her family.  Her family is adopting a little boy with Down syndrome from a different country than Sarah.  She's doing a giveaway with some fabulous Etsy prizes.  Check it out.

One Day At a Time

********************************************************

In dreams and in love, there are no impossibilities.

janos arany

A beautiful world, my friends...

Busy, But Blessed!

By far, this has been our busiest week of the summer.  VBS in the mornings, and swim lessons in the evenings, along with another get-together mid-week.  Tired,but worth it.  I always teach with my good friend, Debbie.  In all the years we've taught together, this was the smoothest group we've had.  Our leaders decided to give us a break this year by assigning us mild-mannered kids !!!

It's been a week of celebrations, especially since the theme of VBS was
Jeremiah 29:11:  God has many plans for you!  Isn't that the truth!

Celebrations:
1.  Austin was moved up to beginner in swim lessons because he has made so much improvement since last year and he is swimming pretty good.

2.  Addy is jumping of the diving board on her own, without a lifeguard catching her!  Her next challenge is the HIGH DIVE! Oh my!

3.  Austin jumped off the diving board twice(with help), but still isn't sure of it.   At least he's trying!

4.  Monday, as parents were picking up the children from VBS, a young man walked by and said "Hi."   I heard him ask his sister if that was Mrs. Archer?   He was in my very first class in Dublin 10 years ago.  It wasn't my best year, he and his brother were challenges, yet he was sharing his celebrations with me.  He is going to college, running track, and made Nationals this year.  His brother is playing football for another college.  Amazing the impact we have on individuals, even when we are not sure we are doing a great job!  What a moment for me!

5.  My friend, Debbie has been praying for a teaching job in her old district.  She took many years off to be with her children, but has been trying to get back in this year.  It's not a good atmosphere for teachers who have taught.  Administrations want brand-new teachers, instead of experienced ones.  Anyway, her old principal called her on Monday to inform her that she would only get 5 years, if she were hired.  She was disappointed, yet hopeful for a job.  Tuesday afternoon, her principal called her to tell her she had a position for her.  How thrilling!  She was so excited on Wednesday to tell me.  Guess what our Bible Story verse for the day was:  Jeremiah 29:11:  My God has many plans for you!  She and I were both joyful that day as we sang the songs about God's plans.

6.  I've enjoyed watching Addyson and Austin do the motions to all the songs in VBS.  It's something to watch your own children learn.

7.  I learned how to make a photo montage on the website, and then embed it into my blog.

8.  I learned how to embed youtube videos into blogs.  I've been wanting to learn that for a long time.

What a week!  I'm looking forward to sleeping in tomorrow, and spending the afternoon at the pool.