Viva!!

"Viva" is what is screamed each day at Vacation Bible School whenever the bible point for the day is mentioned. Jesus is our Friend; Jesus is our Life; Jesus is our Leader; Jesus is our savior. I wonder what tomorrow will be???? (seriously, right now I can't remember) Emma and Audrey seem to be having fun at VBS again this year. The theme is Fiesta! We have Sing and Play Ole, Grande Games, Hot Bible Adventures, Chadder's Theater, [mucho] [macho] Munchies, and Cactus Crafts (that's me). Part of me misses not being a crew leader. As a station leader I get to see most of the kids every day, but I don't get to find out what's going on with the bible adventures or Chadder's theater. But it is fun to excitedly ask the kids attending crafts what is happening in other areas that day. They sure get a kick out of telling me. So far everything seems to be going well. A few obnoxious kids but not as many as I swear I have encountered in the past.

What else has happened this week? Monday afternoon Takayo and the other students cleaned up the Skagit County Fairgrounds. Tuesday was Holiday day. The students learned about different (American) Holidays and then we had a surprise birthday party for them. When we did the initial sign-ups for activities I signed the girls and I up for that one. It was quite fun. On the sign up sheet it listed that the host families would be bringing a $10 or less wrapped gift for their student that day. I remembered that. More or less. But we didn't hear anymore about it until Monday. And since I have busy mornings and another host mom is dropping off Takayo I don't get any written reminders until 4:00 pm. Obviously, even if you get the written info it doesn't mean that the host family reads it right away. I wonder how many families were thrown into a panic Tuesday morning when they were asked about their student's gift? That's another thing for me to try and remember for the evaluation. Let us know before the weekend if we need to buy something. I hate shopping with crowds---and that includes weekday evenings. I'd like to do that kind of thing during weekdays. Also, I assume that some working families would have appreciated knowing that they need to buy something prior to the weekend. But I digress, don't I? Or is it "I bitch, don't I?" Either one works I think.

Overall, the birthday party went well. There were a few games outside and a pinata. Everyone got to play--and eat! I got some really good pictures of everyone. Before my camera batteries started dying...... The girls and I had lunch with Justin at A&W after VBS and before heading to the birthday party.

Wednesday. Takayo went to Seattle---Space Needle, Seattle Center, and Pacific Science Center. Emma and Audrey went to a birthday party at the neighbor's. I stayed for a while and then left to pick up Takayo. I brought her back and we hung out at the party for a while before going home. Justin was in Ephrata, so dinner was, once again, a very casual affair.

And today is Thursday. VBS in the morning, and the Skagit County Fair with the Okinawa students in the afternoon. I decided to go ahead and go to the fair--and then we woke to rain this morning. grrrrrr Do I really want to do this? Hmmm....I'm not fully committed so who cares whether or not we go? Um, Emma and Audrey do. Fortunately the weather cleared up before noon. This is a pretty darn small fair. I saw a couple exhibitors I know and a few other fair-goers as well. I think Emma, Audrey, and I will go to the fair in Lynden on Monday. We didn't quite see everything at the fair today, but enough. And it was enough to make me think we should go ahead and go up to Lynden next week.

I bought Mexican Jumping Beans!!!! Did you know they jump because there are moth larvae inside the bean? Kind of creepy.....

Tomorrow is the final day of VBS. Yay! Or is it awwwwww? Not sure which emotion holds more power here. Takayo has half a day---only school in the morning and then home with us in the afternoon. We'll be packing tomorrow afternoon for our weekend in Silverdale with Justin's mom and step-dad. We'll stay with them and on Saturday we'll go to the Olympic Game Farm. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! However, I realized this morning that I did not pre-approve this particular weekend trip with Compass USA. I am supposed to email the coordinator who will then contact Japan officials who will then ask Takayo's parents if it is OK for her to travel outside of the Seattle are with us. I'm assuming they'll say yes, but we still need that info before we go. Maybe. But it's not like we're going that far....... We'll probably go no matter what. It's only 50 miles from Seattle. As Kim Possible would say, "no big".

Next Friday night is the Farewell party for the Okinawa students. Wow. Can't believe it's almost over already! Emma said today that we should have an exchange student every year. We'll see about that!

Time to go to bed so I can be up early for VBS. And everything else I need to do but never seem to actually do when I should. Ack! I think I am too filled with hormones and self-loathing to write this tonight! Definitely time for bed.

Some praise the Lord for Light,
The living spark;
I thank God for the Night
The healing dark.
Robert William Service, "Weary", first lines