Friday Five

1. My plan to keep myself so busy I have limited time to spend in Target while the girls are in school is working.  Between PTA, volunteering in classrooms and occasionally substituting, my days are jam-packed (which is fine by me, but who doesn't need a leisurely stroll through the aisles of Target once in awhile?)

2.  A few of my newest endeavors/responsibilities are requiring me to delegate more and accept occasional help...should have learned how to do that a long time ago, by the way.  One big change has been turning over the piano lesson responsibility to Mate.  It occurred to me, as I was sitting in their teacher's living room, half paying attention to the lesson and half running through all the items on my to-do list, that the wrong parent was in this role. Mate likes to play the piano, oversees piano-practice at home and can actually remember what the teacher teaches from week-to-week.  What was I doing on that couch?!?!? Asking him to take on this weekly responsibility was a HUGE accomplishment for me.

3.  I never thought I'd say this, but it has been so much fun watching/helping Eliana learn to read.  Her lack of interest over the past couple of years wasn't worrisome, as she was developmentally on track, but it was a big change from our experience with Mia and Ava.  I must admit, watching your kindergartener learn how to read is just as AMAZING as having kiddos who magically knew how to!  Hats off to her teachers for adopting and implementing a very effective reading curriculum!

4. I am appreciating my fellow mom-friends/volunteers more than ever.  I am so lucky to be surrounded by women who know how to be supportive and kind, who are just the right balance of encouragement and advice, who know that we are better when we work together.  I hope I can successfully teach my girls to cherish their friendships, as well.

5.  With all new endeavors and roles, there are challenges.  I've had to remind myself more than a few times that my favorite word is grace.  I'm thankful I've put that little fact out into the world because it holds me to my commitment to try to be graceful in life's difficult moments and to extend grace when others are not.  Practice makes practice because there will never be perfection when it comes to living and giving grace.