VBS Week!!!

We had a pretty uneventful weekend. Friday night, the kids stayed the night with Nana and Papa, I went out with the girls, Shane had a Golf Tournament Dinner to attend for work. No parties =(, but it was nice to have a slow weekend. I actually started and finished a book (I highly recommend any novel written by Sophie Kinsella, HILARIOUS).

Right now, our main focus in the Brown house is VACATION BIBLE SCHOOL!! As some of you know, Claire has never been too keen on "school". She stays with me and Mom during the day, and has never had to stay with "strangers" or "not her people". As this is an awesome thing and I am extremely fortunate, it is had made for an extremely hard time getting her to attend activities such as Sunday School or Children's Church, without us staying. She has an extreme case of separation anxiety. Yes, we have tried just leaving and she literally chases us down the hall, no joke, after a complete and utter meltdown. She has gotten better as she gets older, but it is still an issue. It literally makes me sick to my stomach when I think about leaving her at school one day, but we all know, including Claire, that it is going to happen. To prepare her (and me and my Mom =)) for school, she is going to attend preschool this fall, half days a few days a week. Our main focus all the time is getting her to attend classes at church. We have not been totally successful, but she does at least enjoy them and we just have to stand in the back, rather than sitting in the story circle or on the tiny chairs during craft time (such a sight to see Shane =)). Our goal for the summer: Get her to go to VBS!

So, being the good grandparents they are, Keith and Becky (aka Nana and Papa) volunteered to help with VBS and are the guides for the 4 year olds, Claire's group =). Now, last year, I had to attend the entire VBS week with her, as she was terrified. So, with Keith and Becky helping, we were going to leave her. We really did not know if this was going to be a positive step for her or not because she was not really going to feel like she was on her own with her grandparents there, but at least we were not with her. She was very excited all day, ready to go to "Bacation Bible school" =). We get there, still excited, sign in, and take the long walk, all the way to the front of the auditorium, to her fun group of 4 year olds, her hand getting tighter and tighter on mine. I am still not worried, she loooooves her Nana and Papa, this will be just like any other day. We get to them, I lean down to give her a kiss and put her name tag on...she freaks out. Keith had to take her from me, crying and I had to run off. (sorry so long, this is what blogging is for, right?) Shane and I stayed until she was okay, which was about 10 minutes, after Keith took her out in the hall and calmed her down. We left to a very happy scene, Claire holding onto the rope with the rest of the kids, going to her first room for a story...lets all take a nice sigggghhhh of relief!

This is such a big deal and HUGE step for us!! Even though we were leaving her with her grandparents, she still felt uneasy and had to be brave and stay. I have prayed and prayed for her to get through this "phase" and start enjoying things other little boys and girls do her age. I prayed specifically last night that she would stay, have a good time, and know that we would come back for her when it was over....my prayers were answered!! She was so happy to see us, to tell us all about her night and what she learned!! First thing she said this morning, "I can't wait for bacation bible school tonight!". We are going for round 2 tonight!!!

Here are a couple pictures we took of the kids last night. Owen was upset that he could not stay and attend!!

Owen did not want his picture taken...

Big girl!

Still doesn't want his picture taken =)...

Owen at VBS with uncle Chad's glasses on...

If you look really close, you can see a man in middle of the pic with a white shirt on, that is Papa, holding Claire...I know it is dark, but that was when she was still nervous...