First Day of School 2014

Michigan Ave with our 6th and 3rd graders!
August 2014

1st Day of School 2013-14

Mini Me = Grade 2
Motor Mouth = Grade 5

Daniel Burnham

I've been meaning to blog this for months. 

Motor Mouth did an AMAZING job presenting on Daniel Burnham.

Motor Mouth built the display and memorized the details he researched. 

A Fine Line

I work at my kids' school. As a staff member, there are things that I am not privy to because I am also a parent. I strive to differentiate between parent and staff. Sometimes, it can be a fine line. It may also be hard for others to know where that line is. It is important for me and my colleagues to be attentive to the line. When I explain the "Scenario" you will understand why.

Parent/Staff Distinction - Example 1
I am the admissions and marketing director. In my capacity, I should have access to the financial aid (FA) documents to ensure they have been received in a timely manner and work with the financial aid committee to determine acceptance of FA requests. However, as a parent, I should not know who is receiving FA and certainly not how much. To maintain parent confidentiality and retain impartiality a non-parent on staff handles this.

Parent/Staff Distinction - Example 2
We have a great staff and faculty that I love dearly but they are are not my Facebook friends. Our school policy (and my personal policy) is to refrain from social media contact with students and alumni under 18 years of age and it is advised to refrain from social media contact with parents. I am not even FB friends with my principal whom I consider a friend.

School Environment
Our school teachers, classrooms, staff are very open and accessible within the school environment. If kindergarteners are working on a project to find and name purple items, they freely walk in and out of any classroom or office they need to. It sounds chaotic but there are controls and checks and balances in place - i.e. kids walk around in pairs, closed doors are off limits, etc. Our school is a safe environment for students to gather knowledge.

The Scenario
I returned to my desk to find a note from a student. The note said that my son had yelled in her face in after school care and could she please discuss it with me that day. I was livid! If I were any other parent, that student would not have been permitted to walk across town to my office and leave me a note. I put the note aside and went about my busy schedule (6 tours, 3 meetings, and lots of projects due).

At my first opportunity, I asked my principal if I was wrong to think the school should deal with it first. She agreed with me. I said I would reach out to the teacher.

Bad Timing
To compound matters, my son's class was out of school from 7:30 am to 7:30 pm on a Learning Excursion to our state capital. Under normal circumstances, I would have been able to ask the girl's teacher to pull my son out of class and work on conflict resolution. Under normal circumstances, I would have asked my son about it when we got home. As it was, we got home at 7:50 pm and he was in bed by 8:00 pm.

Work It Out
It is a private Christian school that adheres to biblical principles when dealing with conflict resolution. This means the offended party goes to the offending party and tries to work it out. Our teachers are amazing at helping our students voice their feelings and concerns and allowing an opportunity for forgiveness and grace. If the situation cannot be resolved student to student with teacher direction, the teacher initiates next steps. Throughout, students are learning valuable life skills.

The Dad
The girl's father approached me the next morning at my desk. He wanted me as a parent to know what had happened and for us to resolve the situation. Dad said my son had apologized at the time but that his daughter did not think the apology sincere and that she was distraught over the situation all long weekend and much of the school week.

I explained Parent/Staff Distinction, Bad Timing, and Work It Out. Told dad my son needed an opportunity to rectify the situation without parent involvement and that I would discuss it with my son afterwards. Dad hugged me and left.

Rock and Hard Place
This dad and I have worked on committees together and he is an active, involved parent. The 10% that you can always count on to step up to volunteer. If I screwed up in this parent situation, I could cost my employer a great volunteer and a tuition paying student.

Teacher
The teacher read my email and came to me. She apologized for not reading the girl's note first. Had she read it, she would not have allowed her to come to me. It was just a rare oversight on the teachers' part. Teacher said she would get the two students to talk it through. And she did. And it was resolved student to student. You see now why I love my kids' teachers and this school?

The Whole Story
The kids were playing dodge ball. Motor Mouth explained to Girlie that she was out. While that was going down, Motor Mouth yelled something to the effect of, "Aw man! Holy crap!" because a dodge ball almost hit him. Girlie thought he was yelling this to her and up close in her face.

All They Can Say Is "No"

The kids' school does very low key fundraisers. This is the second year they have done a flower fundraiser. It's real flowers - flats, pots, hanging baskets, for less than you can get them at Home Depot.

This year, I took the kids with me around our condo complex. They gave the order forms only the neighbors we know by name. About 14 neighbors. Of those, 4 neighbors placed orders. That's 4 more than their school would have had if they hadn't taken 15 minutes out of their evening playtime.

The kids had a blast! They got to visit their friends and walk around the building visiting their friends' dogs. And by friends, I mean adults. When the orders started coming in, the kids were ecstatic!

J thought I was insane but then when he saw the orders rolling in, he began to catch the excitement.

I think it is important to teach our children the importance of going outside their comfort level. To teach them that the worst someone can say is "no." To teach them the joy and excitement that comes from getting that "yes." To teach them to give back to their school. To teach them that they can make a difference. To teach them that they can leverage their sphere of influence to make a difference or to create change.

All those life lessons from a handing out an 8.5" x 11" color brochure with pretty pictures of flowers. 

The Littles

Do you remember reading "The Littles" when you were a kid? I LOVED the Little family. I used to wish we had tiny humans with mouse tails living in our walls.

In fact, one time, we had a 2"x2" hole in a wall by the baseboard and I told a friend that the Littles lived in the walls and used that hole to get in and out. In hindsight, she probably thought we had mice. No mice. Just my very vivid 10-year old imagination.

I'm always in search of book series' to grab my children's interests. (I got them hooked on Lemony Snickets "A Series of Unfortunate Events" and Motor Mouth hooked on "39 Clues.") Needless to say, I was extremely happy when the children jumped on board and got excited about me reading The Littles to them. Did you know that there is value in reading aloud to children right through middle school and beyond? Reading to your children should no stop once they can read to themselves.

I found the first Littles book in the series at a Barnes & Noble in town. I found 6 more in the series while hanging out in-store at www.Open-Books.org (great organization, check them out). I ordered two more from Scholastic through school. Now I'm on the hunt for the final 3 titles I'm missing.

We are an excited family!

First Day of School - 2011

School started about a month ago. 

J was in town to take first day of school photos. 

J took the kids under the El tracks just down from the school 

for an impromptu photo session.

He dropped the kids off at school. Then he was off to the airport.

This was the first day Mini Me was a student at Motor Mouth's school. 

She absolutely loves it!

Wordless Wednesday - Rabbit Ate My Homework!

For real.

The Kids Are Alright

Through a series of events, our children will be spending the summer in Tulsa. Here is a glimpse based on text messages to me from J's mom:

June 12
Mini Me started crying last night and said she wanted her mommy. We told her maybe we could find a bus in the morning and send her back. She wanted to know who would be with her. We said she could go by herself. She went into "Miss Instructor" mode, informing us that children can't travel by themselves. They have to have an adult. She still missed her mommy and her mommy sings lullabies to her. We sang "You are my sunshine" while Grandpa pulled on her legs. She was his sunshine. That made her giggle. Then we sang "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" and with that her head rolled back and just like that she was out.

They did swim vigorously for about an hour and a half. Grandpa had to carry her upstairs. We had been singing and rocking in the rocking chair. The girls are still asleep. Boys have been up for awhile. Planning our day. It is rainy here. [Branson, MO]

[pic of Grandparents and 4 grandkids in a water ride at Sliver Dollar City]

American Plunge. First time. Second time Grandpa Fly Guy chicken out and videotaped us. Third water ride today. We are soaked!!!

June 13
Just got home and the van is completely unloaded. Kids are fine. They've all been running from room to room, getting reacquainted with the house.

June 15
Have been closed in with 5 little ones, watching "Night at the Museum."

[Later that night]
We've been at the farm. On our way home now. They've been on the trampoline, riding the 4-wheeler (slowly) and playing with the puppy and kitten. They are worn out.

June 17
Motor Mouth and I were talking about an hour ago about his reading and looking for his books. I'm sure they are here....Packing to go to the farm for the next 2 nights.

There are several bird nests here at the house and I taped a hand mirror to a broomstick so we could see in the nests. One was empty. On had an egg and one has 5 baby birds. Very little, eyes not open yet. Motor Mouth thought they were so cute and funny. We could hear their parents making angry noises.

Grandpa Grandpa gave Motor Mouth a fishing pole for his birthday. Grandpa and Jazz had bought some bait and went over to Grandpa Grandpa's pond. They caught several fish and when they moved an old boat to see if it worked, there was a water moccasin under it. Grandpa killed it. Motor Mouth thinks they are going to stay up and fish all night. He has his heart set on catching a great big catfish. That would make his summer for sure. I told him we needed to get him a summer journal so he could keep track of all he will have done. With spaces for drawings and pictures that we print.

Found 2 books. Diary of a Wimpy Kid. Star Wars Jedi Quest.

June 22
All kids are watching "Astro Boy." We have yours, 2 of Faith Chick's, and Cousin M.

Mini Me had a bloody nose last night. Really bloody and drippy. She and Grandpa were tossing her boot and it hit her nose. She's okay. I think Grandpa was pretty shook up.

June 25
We are on the way home from Cousin K's [cattle farm in western Oklahoma].

Kids all fished at Cousin K's friends' pond. Cousin M caught 4 perch. The pond is overstocked with them so he catches and throws them away up on the bank. Mini Me sees this. Hikes up the bank. Brings it back to the edge and chunks it in. Then she had to wash her hands in the water.

A little bit later, she brought a grasshopper to Cousin K. She told him "I caught it all by myself." Little pause. "And I squashed it all by myself!" I thought Cousin K and I were going to fall off our bench - after she walked away!

The kids are alright.

Tough Questions Kids Ask

What is with our kids asking ALL the tough questions this month????? 

 Tonight, Motor Mouth asked if Santa is real. 

They asked what sex was. 

We told them the truth. 

They asked what gay was. 

We told them the truth.

They asked how to get pregnant. 

We told them the truth.

They asked how the doc can tell if it is a boy or girl.

We told them the truth.

They asked why they don't live with their birth moms.

We told them the truth.

They asked if Santa is real. 

"Yes, Santa is real!!!"

It's NOT The Stork!

J and I had "The Talk" with our kids on Saturday. My plan was to wait until June when school lets out. However, Mini Me just had far too many questions that were being answered one at a time. It was obvious she was ready. It is important to us to be the "sex experts" in our kids' lives. We want to be the resource they go to for answers. We want to be foremost authority - not some kid in their school.

A few weeks ago I asked our local librarian for books to help with the talk. She gave me "It's NOT the Stork!" by Robie H. Harris. To be honest, the book sat on the floor of my bedroom, unopened and unread by me. But when I found myself answering yet another sex question on Saturday morning, I knew I had to crack the book open.

This book is AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!! Beyond awesome!!!

If you look back a blog entry or two, you will find my growing list of sex talk topics I was going to have to cover. Robie Harris covered ALL of these. Quite well. Thank you Robie!!! 

It was a major relief to be able to have one comprehensive, well-written, age and language appropriate resource. I thought it was going to be weeks of dinner conversations to cover all the topics. Nope. Just a 20-minute book read as a family on our master bed. There were only 3-4 pages I didn't want to go on into for my kids at this time. I paper clipped them so it was easier to skip. 

Afterwards, Mini Me had several follow up questions. Motor Mouth's question was "Can I go play Star Wars now?"

How Do You Get Pregnant?

J and I were in the kitchen while J was prepping for dinner. J had just asked me to cut the veggies when Mini Me cut in to our conversation to ask: "How do you get pregnant?" Fortunately me for me, we have this little rule where the children must ask to interrupt J and I or adults talking. I ignored her and said I was going to go wash my hands in my bathroom. 

What the Hell???? Mini Me seems obsessed with sex these days. (Read my blogs over the last month or so). 

First she is telling me the definition of sex (when a mommy and daddy kiss laying down in their bedroom). Then she is telling me my drink (POM Wonderful) looks like "love potion." 

Next she tells us Motor Mouth Googled "sex." 

Last week Mini Me told me the definition of gay (when two girls get married. Like when your Barbies kiss. Or two boys get married). I did not tell you she said she would like to have two girls when she grows up - and she did not mean two daughters!  

The other day, Motor Mouth asked what "S&M" means (Rihanna's song was on the radio). J told him "snacks & meals" which Motor Mouth was happy to learn of. I froze. I had no answer. Of course, I was busy singing along that "whips and chains excite me" when he asked...

This week, Mini Me told me her and a boy in her class (a really cute one) decided they would get married but he broke his promise and decided to marry another boy so they could be gay (it's always the cute ones...) to which I told her even the best of us ladies have that happen to us. 

Also this week, Motor Mouth asked how the doctor can tell if it is a girl or boy when the baby is born. ("If it is a boy it has a penis. If it is a girl it has a vagina," I said. To which he said, "Oh yeah, that's right! I forgot. That's ALL I want to know, Mom.") 

This is punishment. I know it is. I am being punished for everything I put my parents through and then some. Granted, I wanted to be a stripper when I was six years old, but I have siblings who are seven or eight years older than me. Mini Me is leaps and bounds beyond her eight year old brother in questions she is asking. Why couldn't I have had two boys? Three even. I used to want three boys. Sigh.

So, I washed my hands. For as long as humanly possible. I stalled by Facebooking and tweeting. Finally, I went back into the kitchen. While chopping an onion, I looked at Mini Me and, in my most casual voice, said "You get pregnant when you have sex. Any other questions?" Mercifully, she went back to pretending to be able to read a book.

I was planning on giving the kids "The Talk" in June so that we could be the experts they receive their sex information from first. June so that they would not go to school and tell their unsuspecting and innocent friends (though I'm not so sure any of Mini Me's school friends are so innocent anymore). My list of discussion topics grows.

Ever Growing List of Topics for "The Talk"

- kissing

- marriage

- sex (intercourse)

- Internet porn (as in, don't Google, you might see more than you are ready for)

- homosexuality

- pregnancy

- child birth

- infertility (sometimes mommies or daddies are broken - lots of adoption q's these days)

- touching (bad touch has been discussed but will be reviewed)

- I think I can skip S&M for now but thanks, Rihanna!

- not telling other kids because their parents want to tell their kids when they are ready so keep this to yourselves!!

Clearly, this is a series of conversations that could take all summer. I'm seriously thinking about shipping the kids to grandma and grandpa after school ends so we can delay this...

If you have some good book out there, website, advice on how to do this, funny/crazy/horror/good stories on how you shared this info or received it, or just want to tell me this to shall end, please comment. Rather, HELP!!!

S.E.X. For Kids

A little over a month ago, Mini Me and Motor Mouth told me they know what s.e.x. is. They were pretty aligned that it is when a mommy and daddy kiss laying down in their bedroom. 

About a month ago, Mini Me found this in the fridge and asked if it was "love potion."

Then about a week ago, Mini Me told us that Motor Mouth had Googled s.e.x. Unfortunately, J had taken the parental controls off their computer so they were free to view p.o.r.n. J locked down the computer uber tight once again. 

I googled s.e.x. If they did an image search, we are okay. It backs up the aforementioned definition. HOWEVER, if they clicked on either of the two video links on a regular search, we are in TROUBLE!

Yesterday, Motor Mouth asked me how the doctor can tell if the baby is a boy or girl when it comes out. I said, "If it's a boy, it has a penis. If it is a girl, it has a vagina." Motor Mouth said, "Oh, yeah, that's right. Okay, Mom, that's ALL I want to know."

Today, J did a detailed search of the browsing history on their computer. It seems auto correct can be a beautiful thing. They did a Bing search on s.e.x. and came back with "s.e.x. offenders" and "s.e.x. during pregnancy." Hahaha! Whew! We dodged a bullet on that one. 

Gay Birds and Bees

Last night we went for a walk through the grounds of Buckingham Fountain. Lovely walk. On the way to the car, out-of-the-blue, Mini Me says, "I know what 'gay' means." To which I said, "Really? What does 'gay' mean?"

"Gay is when a girl marries a girl," said Mini Me.

Pretty spot on for a FIVE-year old!!!

Mini Me went on to say that "gay" is when your Barbie dolls kiss and when a boy marries a boy.

Motor Mouth seems to be a bit of a homophobe. He was appalled at the definition of "gay."

We explained to the children that some people are born gay and that it is normal. That we love and respect gay people. We shared the names of people we, as a family, love that are gay. It helped the children to see that it doesn't matter if someone is gay - we love them.

I was thinking we would have the heterosexual birds and bees conversation in June, after school lets out. Now, that conversation for our 5 and 8 year olds will be more encompassing and a bit more detailed than I had initially thought.

Homework

Mini Me came home telling me she had homework. I did not help her with it. My four-year old does not need homework.

My kids are in school about seven hours a day. If their teachers can't get it together and teach them what they need in that length of time, they should be fired. Think about it. When you are at work all day long, do you want to bring home an hour or more of work? My kids are...children. They need to be children. The job of a child is to play. Children learn through play.

Here is something else to think about. If your child starts doing an hour or two of homework every night in second grade, where do they go from there? When does it end? When does your child get to love school and love learning?

If in elementary school your child busts their butts with homework, are up until 1:00 am in high school doing homework, with more of the same in college, by the time your kid hits the work world, he/she is burned out! And they missed their childhood.

I love the way the kindergarten teacher at Mini Me's school next year does homework. First, reading 20 minutes/day to your child is the most important "homework".  A homework sheet is sent home about once every 3-4 weeks. On it, there are about 18-20 items, of which the students are asked to do about 15-18 of those in a 3-4 week period. Things like: "Count to 100 by 10's", "Count how many socks are in your sock drawer",  "Draw a picture of the third building past your home".

These are practical activities the children can do on their own without the help of a parent. Activities that take into account what they are learning in class. They do not take an hour. I don't think parents should have to do their kids' homework. We already did this stuff.

I am at peace

Today is the deadline for applying to Chicago Public Schools (CPS). I have received e-mails and verbal confirmation saying that due to recent changes in CPS policy, Motor Mouth would gain entry into Mini Me's magnet school next fall. That this time, he really will get in.

Mini Me attends a public Montessori school that is EXCELLENT. Montessori schools of this caliber typically run $15-20K/year. I am extremely pleased with her school. It is one of the best public schools in Chicago and it is one of the best public schools in the country. Plus, it is tuition FREE.

That said, I want both kids to attend Motor Mouth's private school. It's that good. Not free. In fact, the kids' combined tuition is more than many people's vehicles (per year). I'm not being an elitist who wants her kids at a private school at all cost. If both kids were in public school, I could be a full-time stay @home mom and we could live closer to their school and J's work in a great neighborhood. And I could write more blog posts.

We are making lifestyle choices to ensure our children are in a learning environment that we believe will strengthen their character, sense of self, and sense of community and provide them with a true Christian worldview where they learn about other faiths. When I look at the 8th grade graduates from Motor Mouth's school, I see the kind of character development I want to see in my children.

Motor Mouth's k-8 curriculum is outstanding but where I make the differentiation between the two schools is in middle school. I believe that the resources, experiences, materials and methods used at Motor Mouth's school will better prepare our children to excel at a high school and at a college level.

So now, on the deadline to apply to Mini Me's school for Motor Mouth to get in, I am at peace. I know we have chosen the best educational option for our children. I know that whatever happens, we will make sure our kids get to be educated at Motor Mouth's school through 8th grade. And, I don't feel like I have to apply to Mini Me's school 'just in case'. I am at peace.

Should Kids Have iPads?

I think so. There are a lot of educational applications (apps) you can download for children. 

Motor Mouth waiting for me while out 

Our kindergarten teachers use an iPad in their classroom. Later in the school year, the children will use the iPad for sending e-mails to their parents during the day (kindergarten has a letter writing curriculum component and emails are a modern version of letter writing). But at this point, they use the iPad for things likes practicing letter shapes by tracing the letters on the iPad's touch screen. 

See this drawing below here? Motor Mouth figured out how to draw on the iPad without anyone showing him how. Wait, let me rephrase this. We did not know you could draw on the iPad without downloading an app. Not only is the kid creative and talented, but he is resourceful as well.

Super Mario masterpiece.

Motor Mouth created this by drawing on the iPad with his finger.

Not convinced my 7-yr old did a good job drawing Mario? 

Here is my kid in his Super Mario costume.

Stage Parent

Motor Mouth has been asked to join the swim team. I've been taking him to swim class for two years because we wanted him to be safe in the water.  A few weeks ago, his new instructor approached me and said how well Motor Mouth is doing in swim class. Then he asked if Motor Mouth could join the swim team. If my child is being promoted, I'm not going to hold him back. We are going to take this swim team thing as far as we can this season.

My goal is to NOT be the stage parent. I am hard wired to be 'that' parent and I know it. To counteract that, I work very hard to be the opposite way. Signing my kids up for every activity under the sun is part of who I am. But I don't want to pass that on to them.

I don't want my kids to be over-committed because it is not healthy for them. I want them to enjoy school, enjoy their activities, and to enjoy life. With other things Motor Mouth has going, this makes 3 after school commitments. Family time is important. Simple things like eating dinner together, reading a bedtime story, and the kids getting 10-12 hours of sleep each night are more important to their growing bodies and developing minds than extra-curricular activities.

Other children will be counting on Motor Mouth as he will be on a relay team. We'll take this one swim season at a time. I'll make sure he gets to have play time in the pool before or after practice. We will be supportive parents and I will do my best not to be 'that' parent.

Race to Nowhere - MUST See Documentary

I have viewed the documentary 'Race to Nowhere'. Now, I'm telling everyone I can think of because we HAVE to help our children. Parents and educators MUST SEE this documentary that talks about the dark side of America's achievement culture.

This remarkable new film shines a light on the price young people pay for this 'race to nowhere.' High-stakes testing has replaced meaningful teaching and learning. Cheating is commonplace. Stress-related illness, depression, and burnout are rampant. Many young people arrive to college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired. Become a part of the grassroots phenomenon that is feeding a groundswell for change.

Watching this movie made me happy our son attends the school he does and made me wish every school in America and Canada would put learning - not memorizing and not teaching to the test - at the front and center of their curriculum. School should be a place of learning, fun, and where creativity and expression run rampant. School should not be the source of stress and anxiety for elementary school children! And not a place where cheating and stress are the norm for high school children.

Attend a screening of 'Race to Nowhere' in your community. In Chicago, Daystar School has a screening on Tuesday, October 26 at 7:00 pm. Tickets are available for purchase online at: www.racetonowhere.com for $10 (plus $1.54 svc fee) or at the door $15. The documentary is rated PG-13 and is not suitable for young children. 

If your city does NOT have a screening of this film planned, talk to your child's principal or your religious group. Screening information is available at www.racetonowhere.com. This is a MUST SEE documentary that everyone should see if they are a parent or educator.

End of an Era - GCS

Motor Mouth's first school in Tulsa is closing it's doors after 32 incredible years. This was a private Christian school set on a beautiful and sprawling campus which once served 700 students in grades K4 through 12. Academically, this school was top notch and won competitions every year. Graduates of this private school went on to college and many are successful business owners and professionals who had, in turn, sent their children to the school. 

I knew most of the teachers as I had been on staff at the church the school shared a campus with. I knew of many of the students as I had attended church with their parents or rocked them to sleep in the nursery on a Sunday morning. So it hurts me to know that these great people are out of a school for their children and out of jobs. It's hard to fathom that this once formidable institution is just, over. No more alumni games, no more homecoming. No more children laughing and playing on the playground or walking up and down the halls or having P.E. in the gym during the day. 

Of course the school will live on in the hearts and memories of the many who attended. But as a parent who once thought her children would form lifelong bonds with fellow students and would graduate from this school, it's hard to take. There was a public school almost literally in our backyard that we did not know the name of because we never planned to send our children anywhere but to this school. 

For the past year, I've worked at a private Christian school in downtown Chicago. My job is to market/promote the school and increase enrollment. I know first hand how difficult it can be to think of creative ways to bring new families to your school. From time to time, I would think of how the school in Tulsa sometimes advertised by hanging huge banners on either side of one of their school buses and parked it on the front lawn where lots of cars drove by. That was genius. More than once, I wished we had a bus here!

My heart goes out to the pastor of our former church. I can't imagine the torment he went through in making (or approving) this decision. In addition to the families and teachers affected, his children are graduates of the high school and his 4 grandchildren were attending the school. It wasn't just about the financials for him.

As I was writing this, I came across this Alexander Graham Bell quote: "When one door closes, another one opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us." So true! 

I was feeling really sad but I should celebrate 32 wonderful years of great memories and rich history. Celebrate an independent school being around for 32 year and all of the great that was accomplished. 

Celebrate great friends we made through the school, like Jennifer, a teacher, who gave me a scripture verse to stand on to believe we would have children. And Babette, another teacher who knew the exact thing to say to comfort me when I was going insane before Motor Mouth's arrival. And the teachers and administration who cried tears of joy with us when we brought Motor Mouth to staff devotions 2 days after he was born. 

I will always remember Motor Mouth's very first day of school ever. And the great friends he made - like Gabriel who traveled with his family to visit us in Chicago last year. I don't think I'll soon forget me volunteering to read a story to Motor Mouth's class and their parents at the class Christmas party - which turned out to be the longest storybook ever written!! Hahaha! 

Congratulations Grace Christian School on 32 years of teaching children to love God, treat others with gentleness and kindness, to give to their community, to be good stewards, and for providing academic excellence.