Lessons on Tuesday.

It is no secret that hubby and I take seriously the privilege, responsibilities, and blessings that come with each child we have been given. I am not too proud to say that they honestly have taught me more than I probably ever have them. You'd have to ask hubby if he is... (just kidding) Oh, Tuesday.... lessons on tuesday...

Our family had started off the day by hanging out at the house together. I had received a call asking for help with Healthy Kids due to a friend's grandmother passing away. It was a privilege to step in for her. Hubby had also agreed to take another one of the sites. We were doing Healthy Kids as a family. The boys really thought this was really cool.

The boys and I have a favorite site that we go to. We have really started developing some precious relationships with the children and a couple of parents/relatives as well. Little Laura just comes running when she sees us. Her uncle told me that they had wondered where we were last week. Oh.. there were other people there with Healthy Kids to feed them.... just not us. When I told him that we were at VBS, he replied, "Oh, about that... We didn't know where to turn the permission slip in at for the kids to receive a free ride. They could have come." OUCH! Austin looked at me and said, "Mom, we should have followed through with making sure that was taking of." He was 100% right. That didn't stop us from enjoying our time with them and the promise of more times to come. The playground being fixed is always a part of our conversations.... It was even more so since the kids were wanting to play on it. We will follow through on that. Our own kids will hold us accountable on that one.

After hugs and tickles were given... we headed back to our local church building and on to eat as a family. After we were finished eating - the younger boys needed haircuts... so off we went. Since we were right next door to one of our whole family's favorite stores - we popped on in. Little did we know we'd be buying school supplies then. A certain Ms. Schoolteacher came in and told us about a great bargain taking place. We couldn't help but buy school supplies with that knowledge in hand. Austin made a point of saying to me, "Mom, maybe we should buy some school supplies for the kids we've gotten to know through Healthy Kids." Oh... got me again. They will indeed be getting some school supplies too. Our own kids will hold us accountable on that one too.

It came time to go to a movie together as a family. Okay. Now one thing you must know about my hubby and I is that we are exceedingly strict about what our children are or are not allowed to watch. Austin tried several times to tell me that he did not think the movie we were going to see was appropriate for his younger brothers and probably not for him either. Knowing hubby usually really researches movies first - I assured him that it would be okay. WRONG! Hubby hadn't really check out the movie but was trying to enjoy all five of us hanging out together the whole week day.

Long story short..... We should have never gone to see that movie. It was inappropriate for many reasons. We should have walked out of the movie when we first realized it wasn't going to suitable for our family. We didn't. We sat there - each one of the five knowing we needed to get up and walk out. OUCH!

When leaving the movie, Austin, said to me, "Mom, I tried to tell you but you kept shhhhing me. I was just trying to help the family. I knew you and dad really wouldn't be okay with it if you knew what I did about it." And yes, I apologized to our sons and my hubby for not really listening to him. Had I let him finish one sentence - we would have never set foot inside that movie.

There were lessons learned on Tuesday in more ways than one. Being a parent is a tremendous privilege, responsibility, and blessing. And sometimes we parents make mistakes and it is the child that truly teaches us. This too can happen even when that child is a teenager and his mom has to look up to see his face when talking with him.

Signed,
Always a student