Pass the Pineapple: October 2018

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

"You have brains in your head" - Dr. Seuss

We have three in school this year. The first day of school was August 9th - actually later than the past several years so that was nice! But still such an early start date. Summer cut short.

One of us was not ready to get back into the school routine, to see them all go away for the day. One of us did not like being left behind. One of us thought she was very, very excited to start school. But then discovered that maybe she was not as ready as she thought. Two of us were thrilled to see our friends again, but not ready to wake up early again. One of us took it all in stride.

Can you guess who was who?

Surely it isn't a difficult challenge.

Mommy dreaded seeing them off and knew she would miss Felicity terribly. Really, she'd miss all three of them and hated to see school back in session already. Sarah cried for hours after they pulled out of the driveway headed for school. It hurt to have them gone and know they were growing up. Tim handled the transition as a fact of life. Simon missed them, too, but plays surprisingly well on his own! Miriam and Vivian love being back with their friends. They are both good students and were eager to get back into the challenge of school. Felicity was beyond excited for her first day of school. She loved her new backpack and lunch box and shoes. She couldn't wait to spend her days with the fabulous Kindergarten teacher. She was sure the other children would be her instant friends and learning would be so much fun! She hadn't considered how long the days would be away from home and that she might miss her Mommy. And that she wouldn't be the only student in the class for the teacher to dote on. And when all this reality hit, she cried. And cried. For almost two weeks, she cried before, during, and after school. It was heartbreaking for Mommy to send miserable Felicity to school day after day. But a pep talk for the teacher kept us going. And a few innocent bribes.

And sure enough, the crying stopped. And the smiling bouncy little girl was back. She learned her classmates names and the routines of the day. Recess games and calendar and green smiles for good behavior and fun songs to learn just about everything a Kindergartner needs to know! She was back in her happy place.

And while Mommy still misses having them close, she loves watching them learn and grow into the brilliant lights of the world God made them to be.

Monday, October 8, 2018

A Day in the Life of a Wellman Vacationer

So you're preparing for a vacation with the entire family...all 23 of them? Here's what you can expect!

Prepare yourself for beautiful sunrises with the toddler boys! These guys love vacation so much they don't want to miss a minute! You'll be up at 5:30 (at the latest) so why not head out for some morning fishing with Grandpa or start the coffee with Uncle Tom? If you'd like to sleep in a little, the Catherine alarm will have you up at 6:30 with a cheerful song! Not an early riser? Tim recommends bringing your own white noise machine to drown out the racket.

If Uncle Michael is around, there will be time to play on his phone. Or Grandma's Nook. Or watch some Elmo with Elijah.

Then it's time for breakfast! Expect donuts, smokey links, egg casseroles, homemade cinnamon rolls, and every other delicious breakfast option!

It's time to get dressed for the day! Feeling matchy? We were!

Each day will pass quickly! Whether you stay on the property for hikes, wrestling matches, jogging, fishing, boating, swimming, jet skiing, games with Joe and Uncle Ryan, plenty of snacking, or even Divine Liturgy...

...or head out to explore the area on a bike ride, a trip to Mooville with Grandma, or into Kalamazoo you can be sure the kids will keep you on your toes and the ice cream will be flowing like the wine in Cana.