Little stuff and big stuff

Well, that's that for slowed-down summertime! This week, we've amped right back up to normal speed, and I have a full week of errands to run and things to do. This isn't necessarily bad, but did cause me to grab a sheet of paper last night to write it all down before I forgot.

• Uniforms - I'm hopeful that Alex will have at least one pair of correct pants and a shirt, and shoes, for the first week (he has to have all new uniform colors this year for middle school). Eek. Kate needs one more plaid jumper, too - tried them on  yesterday and... nope. I didn't intend to let it go this late, but on the other hand, I wasn't thinking of mid-July as that "late" for planning for the next schoolyear. 
• Pest control. Gotta be done, and it's definitely my turn for serviceman duty at the house. No biggie; I plan to put something in the crock pot (shredded BBQ chicken) while I'm there waiting for him on Thursday.
• Call to schedule Kate's gymnastics class for fall. -DONE!
• Pickup the kids' finished pottery at the Art Camp location - Calling on Shawn to handle this one, please, since it's closer to his office.
• School supplies - Kate and I bought hers this weekend because she saw the printed list and got excited about it (I don't blame her, it's the best part of Back to School), but Alex wasn't home from Scout camp yet. He came home Saturday afternoon.
• Middle School Dance Committee - I forgot I had scheduled a meeting this week of the moms on this committee; really another way of saying "dinner out with my friends," but talking about this volunteer job is going to get me a little panicky, I think. It's a big job as it turns out, and I'm not sure why I agreed to it. At least there are 3 of us.
• Having friends over Friday night! Why not?! They just moved to our neck of the woods and I was hoping to relieve them of having to cook/plan during those first few weeks of unpacking. I remember those nights from our move last year. I really like the couple (...I think our kids like/tolerate their kids), but as it turns out, it's kind-of a crazy week to do this. Oh well! Nothing like anticipating company for a housecleaning motivator.... so perhaps some vacuuming downstairs is also on the plan for this week, wheee!

In other news, I have had several heart-to-hearts with my sweet Kate-Kate this weekend/week --  some triggered by good things and I will leave it to your imagination for how the rest were triggered -- but gosh, do I love that challenging little girl. I said to her last night that being a parent, raising a person, can sometimes be so HARD for parents, and we don't always know what to do. Honesty, right? She was crying over something, and sobbed, "But WHY is it so hard to just RAISE somebody???" Why, indeed. She couldn't fathom. I suppose none of us can, until we do it. But gosh, it IS so hard, isn't it? Knowing what to say, and how to say it? And how not to say it? She's growing up before my eyes, and I know that because even through her fits and stubbornness, she's starting to feel right and wrong, and more important, empathy. She frequently tells me, after an episode, that she's worried she's hurt us, Shawn and me, by being disrespectful. Yesterday I got to tell her, "YOU ARE LOVED, NO MATTER WHAT YOU DO. You can't ruin that or mess that up, ever. Period." ....I can't put into words how honored I felt to teach that big and significant lesson, both in words and in actions. And grateful for the grace of that moment.

It's excellent timing before her First Penance next spring, too. She'll be ready, I think. Age of Reason. Pretty smart, Catholicism.

Also interesting re: Saint Claude de la Columbiere.

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Back to my busy week, I guess, but I'm basking in the big stuff to reflect on, to keep perspective. Grace. Love. We can't mess up badly enough to ruin it. We do make mistakes, but we're still loved absolutely.