Acquara Independent School

So, kids have not gone to any church in approximately a year with a couple of exceptions. We went to Downtown church in September and then didn’t go because I thought we were staying and we would try to reconnect to our church out here. But that didn’t work out for a variety of reasons and then I thought we were going so was less inclined to make the effort. Now, we may be staying/may be going, so I decided enough is enough. Life has to go on and what am I going to do about this? Shit or get off the pot? So, I really don’t think I am going to go back to our church out here. (Not like I’d never set foot in it or anything, nothing that ominous.) I’m just much more motivated to go downtown. I like the vibe down there, there is SO much to do, and it seems to work much better for Avery and the kids are ok with it.

I saw yesterday that they have a K-2 grade choir that mostly does music games and stuff, doesn’t really perform. It is more of a “training choir.” It meets about 45 minutes before service and so that is so easy I thought we should try it because I really don’t do much musical with them. I thought Naim might get a kick out of it because it goes along with performing and drama. Wasn’t so sure about Aaron, but I thought I’d throw him in, too and see how it goes. I had Nik stay with them and I took Avery to the nursery. I had to stay with him in the nursery for the first 20 minutes because the staff was changing shifts. But I think it worked out well so he could get used to the place. But both the last time he was there and this time, he has had no problem being there himself. He has a TERRIBLE time at the church out here (and also sometimes…the gym nursery.) I was always getting called out. And he just seems relaxed and fine at this one. I have no clue why. It is different staff. The only thing that I can think of is that it is a much bigger room with more to do, and they keep the two doorways half blocked (with a half-door) so he is not closed off from the rest of the building. Like maybe he thinks that I’m just right around the corner since he is not closed in? Who knows. But when I have to walk past after taking the kids to their class and then when I walk up to pick him up, he just seems completely happy there.

Naim liked choir, Aaron hmm/hmm maybe not so much. Although he came running out of the room excited because they made a “sound machine.” In their regular class they made candles, and I guess next week they are going to make chalices, and Aaron was excited about that. They seem to like that church and seem glad to be there even though it is so much bigger than the other one. They were very into figuring out the social/coffee hour and where the snacks were, where the “honor jar” is, what to do with your cups after wards, etc.

After that we went to the big Multnomah City Library at Aaron’s request. (he wanted to go to Powell’s, but we were too far away to walk with Avery with no stroller, so I suggested the library.) I don’t have a card there, so we can’t check out books (I live in a different county.) But I thought, I have so much trouble getting to the other libraries that I do have a card for, and yet I pass this one on the train all the time. Like a million times a year. It would be so much easier if this could just be “our library.” I wonder if they would make an exception or if I can use someone else’s address or something. And then I thought, it was not too crowded, maybe Sunday afternoons would be a good time for the Children’s librarian to help us if I set that up in advance. Avery was a pain in the ass there. It is an old stone building and really echo-y. So he ran around screaming and trying to make it echo. I could not easily read to big kids and try to chase him down. And Nik could not read to big kids, and watching him and Sully try to chase Avery down was rather hilarious. I think we were the librarian’s nightmare family of the week (or maybe year.) What I would like to to is to turn A and N over to the librarian for like, a half an hour and have her help them find books and maybe read them a story or two. And then I would contain Avery. I did manage to read a book about castles to Naim and a book called “Painter and Ugly” to Aaron. Avery and I looked at a book about Monet that had little doors he could open up to see part of a painting. So that contained him for maybe 5 minutes.

So, I’m thinking…it is a lot of work to go down there just for one hour of church. But if we do choir, church, maybe lunch somewhere, and then a library trip or a trip to the art or history museum or Playdate PDX or some other downtown thing, it makes it a nice, worthwhile downtown day. So maybe we will start having downtown Sunday.

FINALLY, punched all the letters out from Scrabble Jr. and played tonight. Kids got the hang of it so next time will be smoother. But Aaron killed us. He got 12 points (12 words completed), Naim got seven and I only got six. I think I went around starting words for them to finish because other wise they were taking forever trying to finish words and never starting any new ones. If I wouldn’t have just started forgetting about MY score and starting words, we would have taken HOURS to get through it. But I think they get it now and next time will be more “competitive.”

Along those lines, I downloaded the “Wheel of Fortune” app on my iPad and Naim LOVES it. And he CAN”T even read! It is rather funny to watch him just botch the whole thing up. But when we work as a team, he does pretty well.

Filed under: Fieldtrips, Language Arts, Music, Social Skills, Spirituality | Tagged: Choir, Church, Games |