The Fairest of Them All

I may as well introduce you to Lauren first, because if I don't, she'll introduce herself anyway. Everywhere we go it's the same thing, "Hi, I'm Lauren. What's your name?" It doesn't matter your age, your color, or your gender. She is an equal opportunity greeter. I think I taught her that, but deep down I'm pretty sure she was made that way.

 

This child literally kicked herself into this world. I kid you not. The doctor said they don't see that too often. It's certainly not something they mention in the mom books you read while you're pregnant. It was surely a sign of things to come. This child, at 39 weeks and one day gestation, commandeered her own delivery. Clearly, she is predisposed toward leadership. Or dictatorship.

The beautiful thing about Lauren is that she is all of my best qualities times ten. She's personable, she loves to sing and dance, she reads like a first grader, and her perception about everything in life is unbelievable. Then take all that wonder and wrap it in enough sixteen-year-old drama and angst to make your mama faint. That's my girl.

And she is going to change the world.

I love her questions:
"Mom, how do smells travel through the air?"
"When we die and go to heaven, then where do we go after that?"
"Why do cats poop in a litter box?"

I love the way she can make any words into a song. As in:
Little girl from the pool: Ariel does not have a tail. She's the one with the yellow dress.
Lauren: Yes, she IS the one with a tail. She's a MERMAID.
Little girl from the pool: No. She's not.
Me (to avoid blows): Yep, I think she actually is a mermaid. The pretty one is the yellow dress is named Belle.
Lauren (bustin' out in song and finger snaps in front of the girl's face): Listen to my mom cause she knows what she's talkin' about! Yeah she knows what she's talkin' about! Yeah! Yeah!
Little girl from the pool: *swims away*

I love the way she walks on her toes and dances EVERYWHERE. I love the way she can change into a dress-up outfit in under two seconds. And I love that she always, always wants me to sit in her chair for a few minutes while she falls asleep. I know I don't have much more time on that one.

The way that my husband and I came to the decision to send our children to public school was much different than my sister and brother-in-law's decision. Quite frankly, we weren't nearly as brave. My children go to public school simply because I have to work.  The financial aspect and the logistics of it all make it a no-brainer for us. Of course, when I step back and look at this from heaven's perspective, I can see that it's just part of God's plan for our family. Were finances not a piece of the puzzle, I would most likely opt to homeschool my kids. But the catch is, I don't work just anywhere. I work AT MY KIDS' SCHOOL! I have one of the best privileges in the mommy world as far as the work-home connection goes. My kids walk into the building with me at 8:00am and walk out with me at 5:00pm...or 5:30...or 6:00 or whatever it needs to be. They are there and they are never further than a walk down the hallway.

So when that little Lauren walks into kindergarten today, it will be into a classroom with two ladies that I already know and love. And they already know and love her. And at the end of the day her brother will pick her up from the kindergarten room that he just graduated from last year and will walk her down the hall to my classroom. And the tears will come anyway. Not so much tears of sadness because my baby is so big. My last baby is starting kindergarten today. But tears of THANKS for the miracles along a long, winding road that led our family to our school.

God knows what He is doing, even if we don't. And if we try our best to listen and follow his plan, the reward is tenfold. I got this one right and I praise Him for my blessing!

 

Lord, you alone are my portion and my cup;
    you make my lot secure.
⁶ The boundary lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
    surely I have a delightful inheritance.
⁷ I will praise the Lord, who counsels me;
    even at night my heart instructs me.
⁸ I keep my eyes always on the Lord.
    With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

Psalm 16:5-8