VBS

Colin just finished up a week at Vacation Bible School at our church. I signed him up for it for three reasons.
1. To give him another experience of listening to a "teacher" without a parent around.
2. To help him realize that new situations don't have to be scary. They can actually be fun!
3. To meet friends that he'll be going to Sunday School with in September.

He had a very good experience. Here's how it all went down:

Monday: I stuck with him for an hour or so while his group played on the playground and then went to listen to the Bible story (the theme was about Babylon and Daniel and the lions). Then I told him I was going to sit upstairs and I'd see him at the end, and he said, "Yeah." So I left him and actually went home for a little bit but he never knew that :)

Tuesday: I sat with him for the opening part and then left after 10 minutes. He cried and one of the adults had to hold him back :( He was upset because I was going home.

Wednesday: I dropped him off and didn't stay for any part of it, and he cried when I left. When I came back, I watched him in the pew and saw him actually participating in the hand motions for the song!

Thursday: I volunteered to help with snack and he did a great job! I got to "spy" on him while he was at our snack station and also at the craft station since it was in the same area. As a teacher, this was fun for me. He's quiet but sociable, he listens, he's a little bit spacey, and he's messy with food :) He'd look at me and be so happy and give me the cutest little grin from across the room. When we were walking to the car afterwards, he said "I had so much fun!"

Friday: Again, I was there helping with snack. Same as Thursday.

Being there but not being with him was a perfect compromise that I hope will carry over to Sunday School when he's with his class but we're up in church. He'll know we're there and he'll be familiar with the environment. I hope. ;)

VBS was good for me too because I also got to meet some people and observed some amazing middle school and high school role models. I was quite impressed.

We got a CD of the music from the week. I put it in this evening while I was doing dishes and he listened to the songs over and over and over again and danced and did the hand motions and knew the words :) So cute.

And he has been especially sweet this week too.

So very good.