Tag: Grace Page 9 of 20

Firsts

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On August 22, 2011

In Other

I’ve had a lot of roles during the 8 years we have served at HOPAC (though not all at the same time, of course!)

  • 5th grade teacher

  • 6th grade teacher

  • 6th grade homeroom teacher

  • 6th grade Bible teacher

  • Coordinator of after-school activities

  • Recruitment

  • Graduation Committee

  • Strategic Planning Committee

  • Member of Parent-Teacher Association

  • Substitute Teacher

  • Student Council Advisor

  • Teacher Care Coordinator

  • Accreditation Committee

  • Weekly Elementary Chapel Speaker

  • Secretary to the Chaplain (that would be Gil)

  • Youth Group leader

Yet there is one role I have never had until this day…..

PARENT!

She woke up this morning, shot out of bed, and said, “I can’t believe it!  It’s finally here!”

So yes, you could say she was excited. 

This really was her first day of school.  She did a couple of months of pre-school last fall, but it turned out to be a kind of traumatic experience for her.  And since none of the teachers were speaking to her in Swahili (which was the whole reason I enrolled her), we ended that situation pretty quickly.  So I’ve done pre-school here with her at home, which means this is her first really real time away from me. 

Sniff. 

But I’m so thankful she gets to go to the best school in the entire world.  There’s no other place I would rather her be.   

We love working at HOPAC.  But to know that my daughter is getting Christ-centered education with dedicated volunteer teachers who are willing to come to Africa to invest in my child is quite an amazing thought.  To know that Grace will play every day with kids from a multitude of ethnic, religious, and cultural backgrounds is just wonderful. 

With Miss Redfield, her fabulous teacher

(Josiah, looking forlorn)

But what I love even better about becoming a HOPAC parent is that it takes my relationships with other parents to a whole new level.  We’ve always wanted our ministry at HOPAC to be holistic to the whole family, and this gives us that chance. 

And to top off our very exciting day, Grace lost her very first tooth on her first day of school.  How do ya like that???  She was devastated to find out that she would be missing her second and third day of school, but she is also pretty excited about her little sister coming home.  A lot of excitement for one day in the life of a five-year-old. 

And this is only Monday! 

The Sublime and the Ridiculous

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On June 3, 2011

In Other

When walking to the tailor:

Grace:  Mommy, why are all the kids saying ‘mzungu?’ Is that another way of saying Hi?

Mommy:  No, it means ‘white person.’  They are saying that because I am white.

Grace:  Oh.  We don’t mind that you are white, Mommy.

————————————————————–

Grace:  When my baby sister grows up, I hope she doesn’t speak Italian.  Because then we wouldn’t be able to understand her.

————————————————————–

Mommy:  What was that thumping I heard in your room a little while ago?

Grace:  (with great emotion)  Just the beating of my heart.  Because I hurt my chin this morning. 

————————————————————–

Josiah to Grace:  You are spitting at me! 

Grace:  No, I am laughing.

Josiah:  But you are spitting!

Grace:  (indignantly)  Laughing makes the spitting come out! 

————————————————————–

Mommy to Maggie about college life:  You might want to request a women’s only floor.  Would you really want to live with guys?

Grace:  Yeah, that would be stinky.

————————————————————-

Grace was doing a princess puzzle.

Josiah:  I like Belle.

Grace:  But she doesn’t have any superpowers.

Josiah:  I know; I like her face. 

Mommy:  Why do you like her face?

Josiah:  Because she is awesome.

This Is Why Kids Need a Dad.

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On May 11, 2011

In Other

Because Mommy says, “Stay in the shallow end with your floaties on and within two feet of me until a professional trained experienced swim instructor can teach you how to swim.”

Daddy says: “Pshaw…throw ’em in the deep end. I can teach them to swim. And dive. And do front and back flips. At age three.”

Ages 5 and 3

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On March 16, 2011

In Other

Grace just took her kindergarten assessment test, loved it, and was very disappointed that she still has six more months to wait.  She is starting to read and SO ready to start school.

Yeah, yeah, yeah…I know he’s cute.  It’s a good thing, too, so that he will live to see four years old.  He ain’t so cute when at lunch and told to eat one carrot stick (which he happens to like) and he screams bloody murder at me, “YOU ARE NOT MY FRIEND; I AM NOT GOING TO PLAY WITH YOU!” (which is his ultimate insult—and duly disciplined as such)….or when he hurtles a toy across the room when told to remove his socks (which is his ultimate punishment) because he has hit his sister.  (But it is pretty cute when he then tells me the rest of the day, “My feet are cold; I need my socks” and its 90 degrees outside.)

BOTH tell me they are VERY ready for their little sister to join us!

Miaka Mitano (Five Years)

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On January 7, 2011

In Other

We celebrated Grace’s fifth birthday at Lushoto.  It was sort of a “come one-come all” sort of deal, which meant that I didn’t know half the kids’ names who were there….and that meant everyone got a really small slice of cake.  Next year, I’ll remember to make two cakes.  (Since we already made our booking for next year!) 

I’m excited about Five.  I was an elementary school teacher in my other life, and I taught kindergarten for a couple of years.  I know Five.  Grace is very excited about it too.  I think she was disappointed, though, that she didn’t get to start kindergarten or lose her teeth or ride her bike without training wheels the very next day, since she knows all those things come with Five.

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