If you are an educator you know that once May hits you better just hold on tight, try to breathe, and wait for summer to set in. May for educators is comparable to tax season for accountants, that last mile of a half marathon for my runners, or black Friday for my retail people. I foolishly assumed that maybe this year it wouldn’t be as manic since I’m not in the classroom, but I was SO wrong. May was complete madness for us in all aspects of life; so many changes, so many amazing experiences, and so many tears. I have never been so ready for summer break in my life, but I know that summer will also come with its own set of challenges.
I started out May on an adventure with Kyleigh. She took her first ever trip on an airplane as we traveled to Orlando Florida for her last cheer competition of the season. We had such an amazing time on the trip. Kyleigh and her team worked hard at the competition and had great growth from day 1 to day 2. We enjoyed taking a trip to Cocoa Beach, which was Kyleigh’s first time at a beach outside of the Gulf of Mexico. Kyleigh’s favorite part though, other than the flight, might have been visiting Disney Springs. We went two times to eat, go to the Disney store, and just enjoy all the magic that is part of that little slice of Disney, without going to Disney. After returning from this trip, we got the devastating news that the cheer gym Kyleigh was with was dissolving their cheer program. I frantically called the only other competitive cheer gym in town, and Kyleigh got in the next day for an evaluation. She was placed on the youth level 1 team, and started practice with her new team the next week. While I know Kyleigh will do great, we are so sad to leave her amazing coaches. Dani and Murphy were SO good to not only Kyleigh this year, but to me as a parent. They were amazing as we traversed this incredibly difficult year, and for that I am forever greatful!
The very next weekend I was served a slice of humble pie. A group of students asked if they could come do service hours at my house since they knew it has been a rough year. My principal encouraged me to say yes, since she knew good and well my natural inclination would be to say no because “I can do it myself”. I’m SO glad I said yes. I felt beyond loved and blessed by the amazing group of students that showed up to work. They mowed, cleaned my gutters, cleaned out my flower beds, put in new mulch, took out plants damaged by the freeze and replanted with new ones, and even pressure washed my driveway. It was so fun to get a pizza lunch for them and watch them hang out in my living room with my children eating and laughing together. I could have done it by myself, but it would have taken me MUCH longer to complete, and the love they showed me through their servant leadership filled my cup more than they know.
We also celebrated Zeke’s 4th birthday in May. Zeke shares a birthday with my dad who passed away in 2012. I feel like it was totally a God thing for them to share a birthday, and it is always a special celebration when we get together for Zeke’s birthday, not only to celebrate how far he has come, but to remember my sweet dad. I pray that Zeke can grow up to love people the way my dad did.
“On the night you were born the moon smiled with such wonder, that the stars peeked in to see you. Heaven blew every trumpet and played every note on the night you were born.”
We also got to see some of our friends from our local chapter of Little People of America, LPA. We were able to have our first in person event since the start of the pandemic over a year ago! We had a picnic in the park in San Marcos, and it was SO wonderful. We all got to see friends in the LP community that we have missed dearly over the past year. The best part was getting to meet the sweet little boy from Caldwell who has the same type of dwarfism as Zeke for the first time face to face. I know that Zeke and Kayne are bound to be friends, and I think it is nothing short of a miracle to have someone so close to Zeke’s age with the same rare genetic condition living in our small little town. God is good!
The rest of May was scattered with lots of time spent with friends, which only made me long for summer break even more. I was able to enjoy charity events, an outdoor concert, birthday parties, cornhole tournaments, and time at the lake. I even experienced a few firsts for me with a date night at the races, going to a drag show, and riding on a jet ski. All the fun activities of summer started in May only for the reality to sink in that I don’t actually get to start summer break until June 9th. The even bigger realization is that I only get a month of summer, since I am on the administration summer schedule, instead of the two month summer break I have grown accustomed to! This means time at camps for my big kids while I’m at work, and carefully planning out the month I do have to be able to go on a family vacation with the kids, and to take time for myself as well.
Another pre-summer surprise has been being asked out on dates. Up until this month I hadn’t even considered it, but I let my guard down and said yes to one. I had a great time, but ultimately realized that I’m not quite ready for serious dating. There are just too many emotions I’m still working through, not to mention I feel sorry for anyone that tries, because Chris truly was my soulmate. I just don’t know that I will ever meet anyone on my same level of awkward again, or who can put up with me. I’m a mess; I’m hyper independent, ADHD to the max, type A, an old soul, awkward, stubborn, wear my heart on my sleeve, and tell it like it is. I’m such a mess, but it’s a beautiful mess.
“Now the race is on
And here comes pride up the backstretch
Heartaches are goin’ to the inside
My tears are holdin’ back
They’re tryin’ not to fall
My heart’s out of the runnin'”
Topping my prayer list currently is for discernment, and to let go and enjoy the summer-time as well. I’m praying that I’m judging situations correctly, people correctly, and making smart decisions in all realms. I’m also praying that I savor each moment I have with my children during my new shorter summer break. It is SO incredibly important for me to be able to make all the lasting summer-time memories I can with them, because I know all too well how quickly they are growing up. These summer family vacations and trips to the pool won’t always be the highlight of their summer, and I’m not quite ready for that stage just yet.
Fear is a Liar 
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