Vacation Bible School!!!

What a fun week ... absolutely precious and absolutely priceless,.

Jared was able to attend Vacation Bible School last week at Living Streams put on by the fabulous Nissa Bynum and Laura Cash with their amazing team. Jared barely made the cut as he was just about too young. Regarding the age thing, I'm thinking ... no problem. He's dying to go to preschool, he will LOVE it. I am forgetting that my sweet first born requires some time to warm up to new activities.

I liken it to that goldfish you received as a child. Remember your mother telling you? "Just place the open bag in the water until the temperature of the water inside the bag and the temperature of the water outside the bag are one and the same." The bottom line ... DO NOT just dump that poor fish in the bowl or he could go into shock by the sudden change.

Among other things, VBS was a good reminder to me that, for Jared, I am that bag.

Will, Jared, and I showed up Monday bright and early for VBS. We were all pretty excited. Jared was thrilled to go to Vacation Bible School (even though I am pretty sure he had no idea what VBS was) and I was emotional thinking about how big he is - already doing his first VBS week. Such a big deal!

I was planning on staying to help Monday wherever I was needed. Sweet Nissa walks Jared in to the sanctuary as I was chit chatting with friends. By the time I go to check on him up front, he is sitting on some sweet girl's lap ... absolutely hysterical. I totally forgot to keep him with me and let him warm up. The combo of hundreds of kids, loud music, and dim lights in an unfamiliar setting with total strangers was just a little too much for him.

Given the meltdown, they let Jared slide into a group with his friend, Sammy Sinclair, which was led by Sammy's big sister, Taylor (whom by boys both adore). At this time, I'm thinking this group change will be a good since he knows them and would be comfortable ... I'm planning on dropping him off the next day to go to work and I wanted him to be with someone he knows - even if I was needed elsewhere.

Didn't quite go according to plans.

Although, Jared had fun most of that first day, he REALLY wanted his mom. By the end of the day, when I find him (I was assigned to a different group), he is totally falling apart again. Poor baby!!

The next day, Tuesday, is my work day. Jared decides he wants skip VBS and stay home since I wouldn't be able to go with him. He asks me several times, "Mommy, why weren't you in MY group?" We agree that wherever I am needed for the rest of the week, Jared can be with me. Jared double, triple, and quadruple checks, "Mommy, you are going to be with me in my group now, right?" I reassure him, "right".

Wednesday rolls around and I was able stay with Jared and help with the "Spiders" ... a really sweet group of 3-5 year olds led by a trio of amazing high school/college age kids. We had such a great time and Jared totally warmed up. We kept Will with us part of the day since he wasn't too crazy about being dropped off in the nursery. Will is one happy camper when he gets to be with his "Bubba".

Our days opened with the large group worship time in the Santuary. Turns out that Jared loved jamming out and dancing to the music. They had skits and a fun mascot - a HUGE dog named Ralphy. The kids had to chant, "We love Ralphy!" to get him to come onstage. Will was so funny - after seeing this one time, he would chant all day long, "We wuv Rawfy!" He is STILL talking about Ralphy today ... totally unprompted. That dog made quite an impression.

After our opening session, the days were split into snacks, play, arts & crafts, and teaching times.

Pretty much a 3 year old's best day ever.

By the end of Thursday, Jared was totally acclimated. I stayed home with Will on Friday because he was coming down with a runny nose. Jared was totally fine. Dropped him off ... no problem.

Good lesson for me to learn (again) ... I am that bag. Give the poor kid some time to acclimate. and he should do just fine.

Opening Session ... "We Love Ralphy!!!"





















Jared and Taylor Sinclair at craft time on Monday:








































The "Spiders" at craft time Wednesday ...


















Jared - totally focused on the turtle ...





















Closing session for the preschoolers was in the gym. This picture was taken Monday and Will was with me. Meanwhile, Jared was in the sanctuary and starting to really worry since I wasn't there. By the end of the week, this was one of Jared's favorite times as he was able to worship and dance in a little lower key setting.





















Sweet Gracie Sinclair ... those Sinclair kids - always looking out for the Barrett boys - love them.



















Thursday was WATER DAY! The kids had a blast. Here is Jared & Javi with Nissa:





















VBS rented a HUGE water slide. Having learned my lesson about sending Jared into unfamiliar and potentially scary situations alone, I enlisted Dylan Sinclair to take Jared up (and down) it ... aren't they so cute??





















Making the ascent - this thing was really tall! ...





















heading dooowwwn ...



















Total joy face ... do you think Jared liked it???





















Will checking out the sprinklers ... he really wanted to go up that slide, but I wouldn't let him.



























I did, however, enlist Meghan's help to take both the boys through the water gauntlet - which they loved ...




















Will getting a helping hand ...





















Loved this girl - what a sweetheart.





















All in all, it was a fabulous week. The entire thing was so well thought through and so sweet. All of these kiddos recieving love and learning about Jesus - some of them for the first time... I know the efforts of everyone who put so much time and love into VBS week at Living Streams will bear good fruit in the lives of these lucky kids.

Amazing.

So glad we got to be a part of it.