On the Verge

As if tomorrow isn't significant enough just by being the first official day of this new school year for us, it also happens to be the day we take our entries to the fair!  So tonight was, by necessity, a night of much preparation.

Earlier in the evening, while the rest of the family was at a potluck supper/prayer meeting/light-saber fight (quite the combo, isn't it?) ;-), I did some planning for the first day of school--and all the days that will come after it.  :)  And then, when the minivan pulled into the garage and the kids excitedly burst into the house, ready to make their amazing baked goods that will surely win a ribbon at the fair ;-), I switched gears and put on my kitchen-coach hat.  I think it only took about three hours for me to guide my four sons through the process of making something for the fair!  Why so long?  Because I could not, absolutely could not, focus on more than one of them at a time, so Shav got to go first with his project while the others occupied themselves in other ways as they waited their turn.  Josiah went last which was good because he was the one I needed to coach the least; and by that point, all of us who were still awake in the household were feeling a little dotty, I think.  :)

Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances of 36-week-pregnant woman + bothersome back pain + late night + overall lack of thinking ahead (for example, I discovered tonight that I had NONE of the white dessert-sized paper plates that the baked goods have to be displayed on; but a late-night grocery store run by my Knight in Shining Armor solved that), I think all the goodies turned out OK; and even if the judges don't think highly of my boys' accomplishments, we sure will enjoy eating the leftover fruit of their labor!  :)

While I had the house to myself and was concentrating on academic subjects, this old song that my mother used to sing to me kept floating through my mind, so I tracked it down online and smiled as I heard it again.  I wish I had found it earlier so that my mom could have listened to it when she was here for lunch today; but maybe the next time she's here, I'll play it for her.  :)

And now, a few hours of sleep.  A mighty big day awaits us tomorrow!  :)