And She's Off!

I am still traumatized over taking Torrey to Kindergarten back in August of 2001.  So, what has transpired this week has left me looking for a therapist.  Because I am not ready for little girl to grow up!

This week IT happened.  Torrey started drivers ed.  Boo.  But, Thursday will go down as the worst day of the week ... because she took her test to get her permit.  And passed.  

Which led to today's fun adventure ...

 Her first official time behind the wheel for a driving lesson with her dad.  Oh, sure she was all smiles as they were leaving the driveway.

Dean?  Not so much!  I sent him with the camera (picture of the day ... remember?)  When I looked as soon as they got home, he had it set to open on this picture first.  Hilarious!

Not sure how either one of them felt about the first time on the road ... fortunately we have a lot of time to practice before she gets her license!

Wash Your Feet Day

I teach at a Christian school.  Which brings me joy.  I have taught at several different Christian schools, but this one is different in that we go to Bible as one of our specials.  There are teachers in our Lower School who only teach Bible.  Do I even need to say that they make it real and relevant to the children?

As we begin the Easter story, our Kindergarten Bible teacher tells the children the story of the Last Supper and how Jesus washed the disciples feet.  And then she washes their feet.  We simply call it "Wash Your Feet Day" ... and I look forward to it like a Kindergartner looks forward to Christmas.

The first time I witnessed "Wash Your Feet Day", I was not prepared ... at all.  They started by putting out one foot ...

 And, criminitely, how cute are Kindergarten feet? But, wait ... it doesn't stop there ...

Because then sweet Mrs. Jennings goes around and washes their feet and whispers prayers over the children.  And, all the while the child whose foot she is washing is listening and grinning and knowing that they are loved.  

My first year she whispered to one little girl, "Jesus loves you so much" ... and the joy on that sweet ones face is a look I will never forget.  Because that little one NEEDED to hear those words.  She NEEDED to know that she is desperately loved by our Savior.  

And what am I doing while all this is going on?  Taking it all in ... with tears streaming down my face.  Every year I pray that my children will be changed by our Bible class ... and I know that I will be changed too.

Burgers, Snow Cones, Strawberries ... Oh My!

When we woke up today we had a plan ... which was a first for us this Spring Break. Spring Break for Torrey and I could be called the "Week of the No Plan" ... and it was fantastic.  But, Dean was home and we had a plan ... partly because we had to cram a whole week of fun into one day.  Dern the "Week of the No Plan"!

We started with lunch at Smash Burgers ... a first for us.

 It was OK ... Five Guys is still our fave.  I got a salad ... which Torrey said was my problem.  Perhaps.


There was then a fun for me trip to Pottery Barn.  There are no pictures because it was only fun for me ... the only thing that kept Torrey in the game was knowing that right after we were finished in Pottery Barn we were headed to ...

 Mam's House of Ice.  Oh how we love!  We discovered this little trailer of icy goodness last summer.  It is only open during the warm months (thankfully MOST of the year in Houston) and the only draw back is the almost hour drive to get a snow cone.  Worth the drive.  And the usual half hour or more wait.  This was our first snow cone of the season ... it won't be our last!


After the snow cone goodness, we drove to my favorite farm stand to pick strawberries.  Seriously.  If you visit me in the summer, I guarantee you will get a snow cone and a trip to Frohberg's.  You may not love either as much as me, but just pretend.

 At this point in the post, I want to throw out there that Blogger is being wonky.  It is allowing some pictures, but not others.  Huh?  I may or may not be to blame.  Whatever blogger.


Right before I took this picture, we passed a group of women and one of them exclaimed, "No one told me there would be sweating involved!"  Which caused us to giggle ... and then Dean got a whiff of manure and this picture HAD to be taken!

 Oh field of strawberry goodness ... I would pick every single ripe strawberry if I had three weeks!  The field stretched on and on and on.  Super fun for this city girl.

 Torrey had been wanting to go strawberry picking most of Spring Break.  At some point we decided to wait until Dean could go with us ... neither one of them had been strawberry picking before.  Huh?  She loved it.

 I loved that I didn't have to pick one single strawberry.  Oh, I kid.  I picked about ten.  The only thing my two strawberry pickers did not love were the bees.  There are some things you don't tell people about until you are absolutely certain they can't back out.  

 In the end, one bucket had 4 pounds and the other one had 3 (slacker, Dean) ... which means we now have 7 pounds of strawberries in the fridge.  Um, anyone know what to do with that many strawberries?

When we left the field we spotted this little beauty ... since we were so close to St. Patrick's Day, we got a good giggle.  Because I'm pretty sure this isn't the "pot o gold" everyone thinks of when they think of a rainbow!

In the end it was a glorious day.  Well, it was glorious in the beginning too.  And the middle.  And the ...

Why We are Adding a Few Locks

Spring Break is two days away.  Two.  If you are quiet you can hear the angel's singing.  It has been a long two and half months.  Very long.

We are staying home this year.  Well, half of us are staying home.  Dean will be in Orlando for meetings.  Torrey and I are pretty bitter about it.  He comes home the evening of her 15th birthday ... which only adds salt to the wound.

With or without him we have plans ... none of which involve me going to see that Bieber kid's movie.  Which is totally contrary to Torrey's belief.  I have bigger plans ... cleaning out our closet (AGAIN ... I think it will have to become a bi-annual event!) and adding some locks to the front door.  Mostly because I discovered these on the camera when I got home ...

The past two weeks have been "Interim Term" in high school.  Which basically means for the past two weeks Torrey has been doing fun things.  The first week is all about service ... she served at a homeless mission.  And loved it.  This week has been a little different.  On Monday she went on a walking tour of downtown Houston ... didn't love so much.  Last night she went to see Billy Elliott on Houston's version of Broadway.  Loved.  

Tonight she was headed to see the Blue Man Group.  They have to dress up a bit ... tonight was more casual.  Dean snapped these for me ... mostly because I haven't really seen her since Monday night since she has been out late.

And, seeing these kind of made me cringe.  And, not just because I posted a picture of my girl standing in front of a huge empty wall that needs to be repainted.

No ... I cringed because cuteness is growing up.  When did this happen?  And how? And who gave permission?  

But, I've got no time to sleuth out the answers ... I've got to go add to our lock situation.  I've got a feeling we are going to be needing them soon!