It Pays to Prepare

After a week of not-so-great parental experiences, I was determined to start this week fresh. My determination was fueled by a beautiful concert I went to last night at my parents' church, which was one of their BEST. (Some people go to their kids' concerts. I am blessed to go to my parents'.) I'd like to post some more thoughts about the concert later...it was just that good.

I'm a teacher, right? And what's one of the biggest keys to success? PREPARATION. State the expectations and rewards clearly, give lots of positive encouragement, have creative content, and be ready to improvise.

So today I had a BIG agenda which did NOT include kid-centered things like a trip to the zoo or Science Center. I had flat-out errands to run, and I had to take the girls. So I went into teacher mode. I made behavior charts, with a block for each of the four stops we were going to make. I stated the expectations for each stop and said if they met those expectations they'd get a sticker in that block. 1 sticker= hugs from Mommy, 2=candy hearts, 3=Princess snacks, and 4=ice cream. Then we were off.

Stop #1, the Post Office. My prayer for a short line was answered. There was one window open, one lady at the window, and one lady in line. Perfect. Until I watched the lady at the window do what I'd never seen done before (and I've been to the Post Office a LOT)--she mailed over $1,000 worth of packages. I let the girls play "surprise me" (they "hide" beside the display and "sneak up" on me) and "snake" (they hold hands and "snake" their way around the room. This only lasts as long as there are few--and good-natured--people in the room.) With gentle reminders and re-statements of the expectations, they maintained good behavior and good moods. Hugs from Mommy!!

Stop #2 was CVS to buy a card--a breeze. Nobody was there, that was done and sticker #2 was earned. What I hadn't prepared for was in-the-car behavior, requiring improvisation. They'd earned candy hearts for 2 stickers, but Evelyn lost hers for repeatedly attacking Amelia with her blanket en route to stop #3. (Who knew that yellow blanket could be a weapon? Mothers of boys are saying, "Tina, ANYTHING can be a weapon!")

Stop #3--I can still hardly believe we did this one. My good friend Tamara, PE teacher, was a finalist in Baltimore County's Teacher of the Year search, and the awards ceremony was this morning. It was a packed room full of TV cameras (every major network & the education channel), lots of people in suits, and local politicians & celebrities. What was I thinking??? We sat in the back (of course), where Amelia enjoyed turning around and waving at the cameras and smiling while eating her bag of candy hearts. I'd brought my own (literal) bag of tricks and it is of the Lord that it lasted the length of the program--over an hour. I was even able to enjoy the inspiring speeches, which were definitely worthy of the ovations. My shining moment? When cousin Kate's mom Barbara, (who is the Director for the Office of Professional Development) hugged me and said, "I didn't even know you all were here!" The girls ate some food, hugged Aunt Tamara, and added sticker #3 to the chart.

Finally, stop #4, (doesn't THIS sound fun) the Office of Vital Records. I needed copies of both girls' birth certificates to register them for pre-school. The office is in a mall, and of course, the line was OUT THE DOOR. More improvisation. We played "I spy", "Race to the ____ and come back to Mommy," and I untied the sashes on their dresses and let them take turns "driving the horse." They played "Ring Around the Rosie" and I made up a guessing game using the cards in my wallet. I was feeling empowered by this point, and I KNEW they were going to get that ice cream. And they did. There was a Rita's in the mall, and as they sat their eating their kiddie cups, I felt like I'd just aced an observation. I also felt in love with my kids. Did I mention we did all this in the pouring rain? :)

So, five hours after leaving home, we returned, Amelia took a nap, and Evelyn helped me prepare dinner. She and I watched the Disney version of "Annie," and when Alan came home we ate our family dinner and bragged about how they earned their rewards today. After dinner we worked on the Letter E, played dollhouse, read books, and read on the Starfall website together. Sigh. I didn't do any work for my "job," but there's tomorrow, and right now I am feeling incredibly thankful!

The pictures here? They're from about 10 days ago when our cherry trees were still in full bloom. We were blissfully eating dinner on the porch swing and feeling pretty much the way I feel right now--so I thought they were a good pairing.