View from the Prairie Box

Chicken-apple sausage, corn on the cob, green salad and garlic bread. This might just be the perfect dinner to eat in Nebraska in August. Mmmm. We paired it, not with a fine wine, but with Ponyo, which is a totally delightful family film.

Two weeks ago: Is it kindergarten yet???!!!! [bounces around the house with glee]

Tuesday night: Tomorrow I start kindergarten!!!!! [bouncing, glee, etc]

Wednesday 7:02am: It’s kindergarten today!!! [a little less bounce because it’s early in the morning, lots of glee]

Wednesday, 7:47am: Backpack, sidewalk notes, lunch!!! [big smiles]

Wednesday, 8:04am: [The tide turns. Emotions on edge, finally spill over into tears.]
But I want to take my dollies to school! Waaaaah!!

Wednesday, 8:12am: I want to go home. I want to go home. [said in a whisper while clinging to mommy’s leg amongst the millions of schoolchildren and their parents]

Wednesday, 8:13am: Mommy is forced to be strong while blinking back tears of her own.

Wednesday, 8:15am: Child is safely and peacefully walked into classroom. Mommy holds Daddy’s arm and attempts to be brave.

Wednesday, 8:47am: Mommy thinks school is a *brilliant* idea, marvels over the fact that it’ll go on, day after day, until May.

Wednesday, 1:55pm: School was GREAT! My teacher is so kind; she’s not a yeller! [And the giddy chattering commences until bedtime. Seriously, she couldn’t stop talking she was so excited.]

This wasn’t *the* moment before school as it took place immediately after breakfast when Livia slung on the backpack and checked out a dead moth on the front porch. Hair unbrushed, teeth unbrushed and shoeless, but my kid is excited to start school!

We stepped outside to sweet notes on the front and back walks. Who was our Mystery Encourager? Renae! Reneighbor! Love love love it.

A peek in her lunch reveals a napkin and a note from Mommy. I hope she likes the heart.

My friend Joanna runs Ministry of Reality Mondays on her blog, In Search of Lost Time. Another friend, Moriah, as noted in the comments section, runs Fun Mom Fridays. Both are great blogging ideas and I want to feature them here. As it happened, I recently ran a fun idea in the middle of the week and now a moment of reality on a Tuesday. BUT… if I ever do it on the right day, friends, I’ll let you know!

This photo shows my own Moment of Reality after Livia and I went to the zoo on one of the most humid days this month. I felt like a great mom that day: I bought food for the goats! I bought train tickets! I was taking my kid to the zoo on a Saturday even though I hate Saturdays at the zoo! I’m not sure Liv valued my efforts as much as I did, however. She was hot, and sweaty, and tired. So, right outside the zoo gates, she sat down on a bench in the shade and I could. not. move. her. Here it was, a thousand degrees out and my car, my Bastion of Air Conditioning, a mere 50 feet away, and my child quit moving entirely.

My friends, I did not perform well in that moment. I scolded and threatened and eventually moved her bodily onto the sidewalk once more. Inside I was getting more and more worked up. (Let’s just say I can understand the emotions that led to Steven Slater’s dramatic plane exit recently.) My hand propelled her towards the car door and then, get this, she walked away from the car and stubbornly stood in the shade of a nearby tree.

Public setting. Child with an internal tantrum. Mother about to lose it with an external tantrum. Images of myself on the six o’clock news flash before my eyes.

So, with an eye on my daughter, I got into the car, cranked up the A/C, and yelled something like, “Get in the freaking car!” I paused, looked around the car, wondered how to proceed and… picked up my camera. I’ve taken photos for many, many reasons, but this was the first time I snapped a few shots in order to calm myself down. And for the most part, it worked.

I can’t remember when Livia got in the car. I can remember hollering a lecture and issuing discipline at home. I recall the sweetness of air conditioning and how grateful I was to live in a time where air conditioning is possible. I also recall apologies all around, from mama and child alike. Thank God for grace, and photographic evidence.

I plan to pull out this picture when Liv has a rough moment with a stubborn child someday. : )

Waking.
Shooting a senior (in the best way possible) while
Finding adventures along the way.
Reveling in the beautiful weather.
Snapping my shutter over and over.
Downloading.
Editing.
Editing.
Fixing lunch.
Editing.
Drinking (only a diet soda, but a margarita would’ve been nice).
Editing.
Editing.
Backing up the computer.
Blogging.
Looking forward to a Sunday nap and
Worshipping Jesus tonight at Redeemer.

Summer has dwindled into the hot, humid days of August where some of us mommies begin to say, Now, when does school start? The structure and enthusiasm of earlier weeks has turned into something less shapely, where too much television might be consumed and motherly motivation is lacking.

It was on one of these lazy, hazy days that Livia and I emerged from our pseudo-naptimes (Quiet Time in our house) and simply had to find adventure. Here I was, reading all the Facebook statuses about friends being in cool Colorado, and it was high time to entertain myself in the city of Lincoln, Nebraska, instead of merely being envious.

So we wandered through Indigo Bridge Books, picked up the best ice cream in town at Ivanna Cone, and wandered among the trains for a time. Deciding the wandering should be extended, we quickly drove out to Pioneers Park and pet turtles and snakes at the Nature Center. Livia caught—and released—a toad and a moth. I snapped photos and filled up the creative space in my own heart.

I’m still soaking in the fun of the past two days. First, there was the art gallery with my work on display! Here’s just a brief glimpse at the photography series I posted of the Bradley family. I hope to share more with you soon. For now, though, I will say that the night was a success and we had a great turnout of friends and family.

Then, last night was the grand community theater/backyard spectacle of Dr. Quinn: The Musical! This photo was snapped an hour before show time and, as you can see, the audience is getting settled. Go check out Renae’s photos to see what it looked like during the musical and to admire the primo seating one gets when such an event occurs in one’s own backyard! Our gardens have never seen so much excitement, and neither have we. The night was a blast.

A few days ago, Livia told me that I’m very smart, “like a robot with a brain in it.” That’s not exactly how I’d describe myself… but I’ll take it!

It reminds of the this conversation I recorded some time ago…

Liv: Mom, I love you. You’re great! You’re kinda like a servant.
Me: Aw thanks. I kind of am!

And finally, the line that earned her a trip to college and a pony:

Livia: Mom, you have skinny legs.

The End.

Everybody’s favorite honorary aunt, Joie/Jojo/Jojg!