A Mental Health Day & a School Performance

I think this week has probably been one of the most difficult weeks of school for both kids. And I think it's probably my fault. I prayed for wisdom, so I guess I was given some circumstances in which to use it. The dust hasn't settled yet, so I don't know the final outcomes, but I have to admit that I feel like God has given generously, just like He promised. I was just hoping the occasions to use that wisdom wouldn't be so difficult.

After asking the kids to shoulder as much as they possibly could, I decided they needed a break from the emotional stress. I gave them a mental health day and kept them home from school. We went to the park, looked for salamanders, and played on the playset. Then we went home and had a picnic in the family room while we watched a movie. We hung out and took it easy, and I hope it helped. I realize I can't shelter them from reality, and they have to learn to deal with stressful situations; however, they are 7 and 9 and have tried their best to cope. There are times when we all need a break from the world. In my opinion, just because they are children and don't have to worry about paying bills or dealing with a boss doesn't mean they don't need a break sometimes, too. If you don't agree, don't tell me.

This evening was the 1st grade "Informance" - a program to show the parents some of the things they've learned in music this year. This evening also happened to be one of the nicest evenings we've had since last fall. Attending was painful. In fact, Tyler was pretty sure it was going to kill him. Danielle did a good job and the kids were cute. The program was too long, though, and the kids were all fidgeting by the time they were done. I took a video of the last song and caught Danielle mouth "watermelon", which is our trick for looking like you're singing when you don't know the words or don't want to sing. She was looking at me and smiled afterward, so I'm pretty sure that was for my benefit. She was tired and stopped singing after that. She did the motions, but that was it.

When we asked her about being tired afterwards, she said that in addition to being tired, she was annoyed. She said the boy beside her kept farting and kept warning her - "be prepared, it might stink in a minute".