Going, Going, Back, Back to School School!

Did you get my post title, Haahaa if not...keep moving!
Ok- this is a big week. My girlfriends had to hear me whine last weekend because I am having trouble with First Grade. You might recall from last year that I was having trouble with Kindergarten- but half-day Kindergarten feels minor compared to FULL DAY FIRST GRADE!! I am so glad we did half day Kindergarten, it was perfect for us! I was just a little overwhelmed that my sweet baby girl, whom God entrusted ME (and Dave) with, is going to be spending more hours in a day with a complete stranger then with me! I have spent somewhere around 56,000 hours with this precious girl and all of the sudden I am supposed to drop her at the front door of a giant public school, with a teacher I do not know, with kids who will probably teach her yucky stuff, a place where she will probably have her heart broken, her feelings hurt, her insecurity tested, her beliefs questioned, she will probably be embarrassed, bruised, made fun of, teased, tested, she might fail, fall....but then I was reminded of a quote that Beth Moore said in her Inheritance study "Parenting is not ownership, it is stewardship".  Ellie is not mine, she is God's child. So the question is, do I trust HIM, her Father, with her life? The answer is abso-freakin-lutely!!! If I want Him to be her "go-to" in the good times and bad times, I need to release her to grow up and experience life. To experience the good times and bad times in this world will help her to appreciate all that God has done for her and the peace of walking with him vs walking with this world. He needs to mold her, shape her, teach her, use her! So, there are several things I am going to do:
1. Hit my knees: my sister-in-law taught me to set a "prayer alarm" on my phone, every hour my phone alarm goes off (I chose "Father I adore You" as my alarm) and I pray for my husband and my kids and take time to Praise Him!
2. Get Involved: even though she is at school more hours than at home, that won't stop me from showing my face around the school...a lot!
3. Provide positive activities outside of school: I could fill every minute of her time with sports, cheer camps, dance classes, gymnastics, tutoring, music classes...and we are just in 1st grade! I am going to be very intentional about our outside activities (or lack there of) and who is doing those activities with us!
4. Beat the tar out of any kid who messes with my baby....JUST KIDDING! Haahaa
5. I will not live in fear- fear that she will make the same mistakes I made, fear that she will be hurt, fear about the future- the Bible says "Do not be afraid" 365 times, once for each day! I will not fear for her..Trust..Faith...Hope...Blessings...Grace...those are the things I want to focus on.

So..I embrace the first grade! I pray that Ellie will be a shining star for Jesus Christ to her school! Here is a little "School Prep Recap" for you...then Thursday is the BIG day!

{I took Ellie on a date- to a fancy restaurant on The Country Club Plaza in KC}

{My Dinner Date}

{We rode on the Cinderella (horse-drawn) Carriage around the Plaza}

{We shopped: I love her new school clothes, I am going to be so sad when she stops thinking my clothing picks are cool!}

{We met the teacher...she is DARLING!}

{Guess who else loved the teacher!}

Hang on mom, breathe deep, hug big, listen well, love well, pray often, communicate, live life, laugh, cry...and soak it up with the little ones...before I know it I will be dropping my 20-month-old baby at the front door of that giant school....one day at a time! 

To those of you who are struggling with back to school- I hear you...so does HE! 

Hugs!