VBS and the Eclipse Fiasco
All summer long, I tried to relax and enjoy the days as they went by.
Unfortunately, against my will, every day was so chock-full of business, I have a hard time enjoying it. Instead, I just tried to survive.
Okay - well this day at the park was nice. I enjoyed a walk with my kids and dog. It was a beautiful day, but it was blisteringly hot. I was trying to fit in some fun before an hour-long practice with my VBS kids worship team and another hour of practice for our skits last Wednesday.
In spring, I scheduled our church's Camp Out VBS mid-August, thinking this would give me a leisurely amount of time to plan, organize, and execute VBS. How hard could it be? After an entire summer of shopping, meetings, planning, decorating and stress...I have decided to try again next year, only in June. I will say that God blessed my feeble efforts with over 20 willing volunteers and 27 wonderful children who came to join in the fun. They heard that Jesus is the light of the world, and that is something to celebrate!
That being said, I am truly glad it is done. I needed some rest.
But wait! The next day, I was back to work until 12:30. I raced home to scarf down lunch, planning to quickly assemble some eclipse viewers out of boxes, aluminum foil, index cards, and tape, like that one Facebook Boy Scout video described. We watched a 3-minute Dr. Binocs video about the eclipse while finishing lunch, then got to work.
This should have been a piece of cake. First, we had to launch a whole-house search to find a roll of scotch tape.
We made the first viewer in record time.
Unfortunately, as we were testing out our first viewer, just 20 minutes from the maximum eclipse, Hulk Boy comes running out of the house in a panic. He is so panicked he can't spit the words out. "The toilet's water keeps getting higher and higher!" So, instead of calmly putting together our viewers, I was plunging the toilet. "Thucka thucka thucka Pop!"
OK - I now had 7 minutes and thirty seconds to assemble 3 more viewers so we could view the eclipse!
While assembling the second viewer, my big orange-handled scissors broke. The handle snapped right off. Who does that happen to? Me. When I'm in a hurry.
I pitched the scissors and hunted for a new pair. 5 minutes to go. I whip viewers 2 and 3 together and send the kids outside with them. Whew - I congratulate myself on a job almost done.
Oh no! Our dog was barking at our elderly neighbor's dog. Retrieved dog and put him in the house.
2 minutes left.
I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. Ack! I'm out of scotch tape! I carefully cut the last 2 inches of tape into four sections to scantily adhere my foil and index card to an instant potatoes box so I have a chance of seeing this amazing phenomena and dash outside.
Art girl has totally lost interest and is digging up grubs in the yard (an annual fall activity at our house),
Shop girl is harvesting a carrot from the garden "A perfect eclipse snack!," she quips. I have to say - this was the biggest and best carrot we've ever grown. It was pretty great!
Hulk Boy, whom I thought would have the least interest, has been sitting outside watching the eclipse for 10 minutes. Wow!
At 1:22, we all aimed our boxes to view the eclipse and...I couldn't believe it! Clouds covered up the sun. We sat there for minutes on end, but our chance had passed. And then it started to rain.
I gathered up the boxes, tail between my legs, and we trooped back inside. Ah well...we tried!
This is how many of my "great ideas" pan out.
I hope that, one day, despite my failed attempts at fun activities, my children will grow up to be parents who try to do things with their kids, because sometimes the fun is in the trying.
We also tried planting a garden this year. Some things died, but some others turned out really nice. This sunflower opened up on eclipse day to share its' sunny personality with us.
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