Well.
This was a day all right. I'm typing in my sleep, just so you know.
(Not really...but it's close.)
This morning we (the kids and I) headed to church for Sunday School. I was helping in Eliana's class, so we needed to be there fifteen minutes early. This is a feat. I am known to be late for 11 o'clock worship, so getting there at 9:15 was an accomplishment, especially with all three kids. I almost made it, too, except I had a small conversation with one of the music directors for the children's choirs regarding the upcoming musical.
After a little Crowd Control Duty, I met up with my big kids and went to worship where they sang at the beginning of the service. Once they sang, they headed to the fellowship hall for a few final scene rehearsals. One thing they wanted to be sure to go over one last time was Goliath's entrance. Let me tell you, it was something, and unfortunately, my pictures do not do it justice.
Mike and Christian came in to Bad Guy music, marched slowly up the center of the room, and faced off with David. It was great. The terrifying part was the fall, though. Mike had to go down to his knees and then basically lean Christian forward. Christian put his hands out to brace himself, and then they both crashed down. Every single time I saw them do this, my heart leapt up to my throat. During the actual performance, the fall was the best one yet.
All of the kids did a great job. There are some talented young people at our church with very nice voices, and it is a delight every year to watch the musical which they have worked so hard to put together. It is always, always amazing to see how beautifully it comes together between Friday's rehearsal and the Sunday performance. Amazing, I say!
Right after the show I darted out the door to race home and grab something that Mike needed later in the afternoon, and this is where our day got A Bit Crazy.
I drove home, got Mike's bag, drove back to Christian's ball practice (that is where they went after the show), picked Michaela up from there, headed back home and began putting together not one, not two, but three lasagnas to take over to the college minister's home for their Sunday dinner. (Each week, they host the college students for supper, and a different family brings the food.) (Obviously I thought it would be a great idea to sign up for the Sunday with as much going on as possible.) I mixed up the meat sauce and the ricotta cheese mixture, set out my pans and noodles, and started layering.
Mike headed home after Christian's practice, but stopped to pick up dessert for the college students (I am sad to say that I did not have time for a homemade cake). He also snagged some pound cake. That was good since it turned out to be his birthday cake.
Happy Birthday, Mike!
He was home for a blip before he headed back to church for a meeting and to drop Eliana off for her choir. They had a dress rehearsal tonight. I, of course, forgot about that with all the Goliath business, and when Mike reminded me and asked for her costume, I stared at him as though he were speaking another language. He dug through the emails (digitally speaking) and discovered the one regarding her costume. She needed a biblical (as in Old Testament/Moses' time) outfit. I dashed up to the dress-up bin; I dug through it (literally this time) and came up empty handed. I yanked the lid off of my Random Stuff bin. There were old sheets, old curtains, and a bit of fabric from Michaela's Nancy Drew skirt a couple of years ago. I also found a strip of bright pink fabric; I just know the ancient Israelites wore bright pink sashes with their tunics! It worked for us.
I folded the fabric over and it was exactly the right size for a tunic. After folding it, I cut off about half so that it wasn't as wide, cut out a neck hole, and stuck it on Eliana. Perfect fit! So when she left with Mike, she actually had a costume. Making it took much less time than making Goliath's, for the record.
While the lasagnas were in the oven, I washed and cut lettuce, got bread ready, and prayed that the lasagna would have cooked long enough. I called the big kids to the front door, loaded up the car, and headed to the college minister's house.
On the way there I remembered that Michaela was supposed to have softball practice tonight at 6pm. This was bad timing, but even more so in light of the fact that it was 5:20, Eliana's choir was over at 6, and Michaela was wearing strappy sandals. We were also missing key items such as a bat, a glove, and a helmet. These things are important for softball, you see.
At this point I wanted to cry, but instead I turned up the radio, for one of our favorite songs was on: "God's Not Dead." I shouted the words to this song (in my head...I didn't want to scare the children), and then almost burst into tears when the next song came on. It was "Worn," by Tenth Avenue North. Y'all. This is one of the songs that speaks to my heart. And it speaks what my heart is crying out. They got inside my head and my heart and wrote this song, is what I'm saying. As I drove down that oh-so-familiar road between our house and the church, I sang this song as a prayer. And as it ended, I pulled up to the house to deliver the food with a smile on my face.
The kids helped me take everything in, and it was lovely to visit for a minute or five with the guy who does the college ministry, as well as with the folks who show up to help serve meals and have fellowship. Then the kids and I loaded back up in the van and drove back around the corner to park the car at the church and go get Eliana. Michaela asked to stay for the girls' Bible study that is on Sunday evening (and which she is missing since softball started). Since she was there, and there was no chance for softball, I said,"Of course." I dropped her off, picked up Eliana, and let Mike know that Michaela was at the church. He would bring her home.
I raced home, took our family's lasagna out of the oven, prepared bread for us, and sat down to take a breath. Once Mike got home, we had dinner, and it was very nice. The last two weeks have been beyond crazy, and I am looking forward to tomorrow being a day with Nothing Major To Do.
This might be the first time in my life that I am looking forward to a Monday. Ever.
While we do not have any huge event on the calendar, we do have our regular things to attend to, and for that I must be prepared, so in light of the theatrical and the dramatic...
I bid you...(dramatic pause)...adieu!
Wednesday, May 1, 2013 at 7:57PM 
