Life and Times of the Sharp Family

I had been hearing about this trophy for weeks. Apparently, at All Around Gymnastics, they give all of the girls a trophy at the end of the session at a special event called "Parents Night".  The gymnasts showcase the skills they have learned and at the end of the night are presented with an award. Dharia was so excited to get her trophy.  For weeks, she would ask me if she was getting it at each practice she attended.  Each time, I would have to tell her how many more weeks until the big night.  Between having to explain this each week and having to pay $10 extra in tuition for this trophy, I had a decidedly less enthusiastic view. When I sat down in my seat tonight, however, all the negativity and frustration I had about the trophy disappeared.  I was so proud to see my girl with a look of fierce concentration and beaming confidence at every event.  And when she finally received that trophy with her name on it, she held it high.  She exuded pur...

Today after school I was feeling decidedly unproductive.  Instead of forcing the issue, I packed up at 3:40 and headed out to the buses to pick up my son. As usual, he was not thrilled to see me.  Any time I pick him up after school, he gets irritated because it means he doesn't get to go to Grandma's house. I don't see this little guy nearly as often as I'd like, however, and I was just in the mood to spend some time with my buddy. As soon as I got him strapped in the seat, I made a decision.  I had five bucks in my wallet.  We were going to Frosty Boy. When I asked him if he'd like to go, his stormy face broke into a sunny grin and he replied, "Can I have chocolate?" He politely ordered a chocolate with sprinkles (bonus!) and I got a Strawberry Dole Whip (it's vegan...and delicious!).  We sat and talked and my cup was overflowing as I spent some quality time with my son. Thank God for a spontaneous Frosty Boy date! Lord, thank you for m...

Tonight I'm thankful for how proud of AJ Dharia is always is. Whether it is going potty in the toilet or coloring within the lines, Dharia is always quick to praise her little sister. Lord,  thank you for our super positive little girl. In your name I pray, Amen.

Today I ran with Goose for the first time.  Colby had taken her out yesterday while I worked a triathlon in Kalamazoo and bragged about it to me all evening.  I was insanely jealous and couldn't wait to take her out today.  I took her out for a two mile loop in Albion and was astounded at what a natural runner she is!  She not only kept up, but appeared to be grinning as she bounded by my left (farthest from traffic) side.  I dropped her off at home after the first two miles and found myself missing her as I went back for 13 more. I feel like we bonded through those two miles and I hope that this is the first of countless runs we spend together. Thank God for running with Goose! Lord, thank you for my dog and for the momentous occasion we got to spend together today.  Help it to be an activity we can enjoy together for a long, long time.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Today all three kids silent some time on the swings in the backyard. We've had our swing set for 2 years now, and the kids seem to play on it more and more every day. Lord thank you for giving is such a nice backyard for our kids to play in. In Your name I pray, Amen.

I got home very late tonight from setting up for the Seahorse Triathlon with 3Disciplines.  It was quite the long day, and by the time I stumbled into my house I wasn't ready for anything but bed.  I spent a little time running stuff up and down the stairs, getting ready for a very early departure tomorrow (3:30 am will come all too soon, I'm afraid), when I noticed my AJ sleeping awkwardly in our recliner in the living room.  When I came over to kiss her on the cheek, it was obvious that she was out cold.  When I picked her up in my arms she mumbled to me, "Momma, I just want someone to rock me for a little bit."  The poor thing wanted to be rocked so bad that she found the rocking chair and waited for someone to find her.  As I tucked her into her bed, brushed her wild hair back from her sweet face, and kissed her forehead, I was thankful to be able to see her tonight in such an adorable moment. Thank God for wanting to rock a little bit! Lord, tha...

Colby's dream is to see a Detroit Tigers' pitcher throw a no-hitter. Well, he almost got to see that tonight, as we were at Comerica Park watching the Tigers come within two outs a no-hitter. We had a blast cheering on our Tigers. Lord, thank you for giving us the opportunity to spend some much needed quality time together.

It feels nice after a couple of warm muggy evenings to be back under a warm blanket this evening. Lord, thank you for the cool evening. In your name I pray, Amen.

Everything was going well during tonight's tball game, and then the rain came. It came down in buckets, and it sent Breslin and Dharia and their teammates making a mad dash to their cars. It was fun to see them experience their first ever rain out. Lord, thank you for giving us a little extra family time tonight after the rain out. In Your name I pray, Amen. 

Colby grilled us some veggie burgers tonight and made some sweet corn that he had picked up from Meijer.  It was our first sweet corn of the season and it was delightful.  We each devoured a savory piece and the kids pleaded for more.  It was a welcome sign of things to come (not the whining, but the corn--we're all set with whining).  Pretty soon we'll have lots of days eating off the grill, munching on fresh fruits and veggies, and enjoying each other's company.  We're so close!  This was an encouraging reminder to finish strong. Thank God for sweet corn! Lord, thank you for the strength to finish this year.  Thank you for your reminders that rest is near at hand and for the encouragement of blessings to come.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I'm not really a girl who gets to wear pearls all that often. It seems that pearls have a connotation associated with them--they are fancy, classy, elegant, timeless. On a normal day I am disheveled, frumpy, and a hot mess. These are not adjectives for pearls. I have one set of pearls. My mom let me wear them at my wedding. Today, just to be different, I decided to wear them with a navy blue and white polka dotted dress. My pearls helped me to feel more together all day long. I got tons of compliments, and I even got to reminisce a little bit on my wedding day just by having them on. It's amazing what one little piece of jewelry can do. Thank God for my pearls! Lord, thank you for he small things in life that give us a lift. Thank you for the chance to feel a bit more out together today and for the opportunity to remember a very special day. In your name I pray, Amen.

The day of the MSU Art Fair is probably my favorite day of the year.  I get to hang out all day shopping with my mom, essentially.  To top it off, after we are done shopping or out of money (whichever comes first), we always head back to Bob's house for grilling out on the deck.  We spend the evening enjoying each other's company, sipping on wine, and reminiscing on the day. So, we've established that it's my favorite day of the year...which was yesterday. I didn't post about the art fair yesterday, because I was so pooped by the time that I got home, I fell asleep.  My husband pinch hit for me, which is funny because the post ended up being about baseball.  You could probably tell it was him because of the 2 sentence post.  But, I am still thankful for the art fair today, one day later, regardless.  I love the smells of the vendors, from patchouli homemade soaps to waffle cones at the MSU Dairy.  I love the colors and the craftsmanship that a...

Dharia has been all about taking batting practice this week. It has been fun to see her take a liking to baseball. Lord, thank you for allowing Dharia to discover new passions. Help me to support her and love her in all that makes her happy. In your name I pray, Amen.

I love lilacs. They are my favorite scent of spring. I love running or biking by a tree on a roadside somewhere and catching a hint of their airy, enticing, floral aroma that somehow seems hopeful and optimistic. Lately, on the way home I have been stopping to pick massive bouquets on trees and bushes that don't cause me to trespass on private property. I know they won't last much longer, so i stop at every opportunity I get. The result of my maniacal collecting is a smorgasbord of vases full of lilacs scattered throughout my house. Tonight I'm thankful for the chance to fall asleep inhaling the fresh scent of lilacs next to my bed and for this time of year that bursts with hope and promise. Thank god for lilacs! Lord thank you for the beauty you infuse into everything. Thank you for this season and for the new life you breathe into us. In your name, Amen.

Ever since Dharia came home from the Tigers game Monday night with my dad, she looks at us and says, "Kiss Cam!" whenever she wants a kiss from us. Apparently, the part of the game where the cameras zoom in on a couple and they kiss for the fans really had an impact on her. Regardless, it's really cute and a ton of fun.  It makes me giggle every time and I'm enjoying all of the extra kisses I'm getting as a result. Thank God for the kiss cam! Lord, thank you for my sweet girl and for all the fun she had with her grandpa on Monday night.  Thank you for her desire to be affectionate with us.  Help us to remember these moments someday when she is a surly teenager.  Or even better, help us to help her avoid becoming a surly teenager.  Either way.  In your name I pray, Amen.

For the past four weeks, I have had students in my room during my normal class times, as always.  But I have also been piloting a couple of new things that mean I have a larger number of them hanging out in my room than normal. . First, I have led a Power Play session called "Reading Doesn't Suck" where once a week for 45 minutes, I help students pick out a good book, feed them snacks, and just let them read.  If they don't like a book that they've picked out, I encourage them to put it down and try a new one.  There was a lot of reading done in my classroom, which is not necessarily normal.  But, I really liked it and the kids seemed to as well.  It was a very positive atmosphere and I loved being able to share my passion for reading with students. Secondly, I have started a student-led study session on Wednesdays after school.  I sought out tutors from my chemistry classes who were willing to volunteer their time for 45 minutes after school on Wedne...

Today I took Breslin's Mother's Day present to school. It sat on my windowsill in my classroom in my direct line of sight. It made me smile all day. It reminded me of my son, his crazy sense of humor, and a little bit of Wilson from Cast Away. :) I look forward to seeing it again tomorrow. Thank God for Wilson! Lord, thank you for my son and for his cute present that makes me smile. In your name I pray, Amen.

AJ has this thing about sleeping alone.  Ever since she moved in with Dharia, she doesn't do it.  So, when Dharia is gone, she has an extraordinarily difficult time falling asleep. The past couple of weeks, Dharia has had to spend the night away for one reason or another.  Tonight, she is at a Tiger game with my dad.  Last week, she stayed the night with Mimo. Adorably, AJ figured out that if she couldn't spend the night in our bed, that her big brother didn't mind her snuggling in with him.  In both instances, we have found her curled up at the foot of Breslin's bed, sleeping peacefully. The AJ-Breslin relationship is not one that gets explored too much around here.  The oldest-youngest combination seems to be a bit gentler and a bit less volatile than the two girls' interactions.  It's sweet to see Breslin act as big brother and, in this case, watch out for his little sister. I am thankful tonight that these two get to share some sweet moment...

Three very important things my mom taught me: 1) Being spontaneous is a gift.  There is joy in the unplanned. 2) It is important to consider how other people feel in all situations. 3) Let your kids be who they are. I would be way too emotional to elaborate more than this, so I won't try tonight. But I will say that I am so thankful for my mom this mother's day, and all of the things she taught me.  These three things stick out tonight, but there are oodles more.  She is one special lady. Tonight, I am grateful for these three truths that she passed to me and who have become a part of who I am.  I feel so blessed to be my mother's daughter. Thank God for these three things! Lord, thank you for my mom and for all of the things she taught me.  Thank you for blessing me with her in my life.  In your name I pray, Amen.

Breslin made this Mother's Day card for me in school. He knows me so well. Lord, thank you for my amazing son that loves me so much. In your name I pray, Amen.

This year, we invited the members of our school board and administration to eat lunch with our student council officers.  The idea was for our members to be able to share all of the amazing things that they accomplished this year with the board.  I ordered lunch, invited the board members, and organized our team of student council to present. It was such an amazing event.  The board members listened attentively and gave our students their sincere appreciation; they showered them with love and encouragement.  You could see the glow radiating off of our students.  After working hard all year with little to no recognition, it was a blessing to see them get this affirmation from our board members. I was so grateful to those board members who took time out of their busy schedules to celebrate our student council. Thank God for the Board Luncheon! Lord, thank you for an excellent event.  Thank you for the hard-working team I got to be a part of on student...

I learned about the mantis shrimp tonight. Don't ask. But it amazed me.  It also made me laugh.  A LOT. You should visit this website to learn about the mantis shrimp too.  And maybe laugh a lot too.  And maybe buy a mantis shrimp t-shirt.  Because, let's face it.  I want one now. Thank God for the mantis shrimp! Lord, thank you for your creativity in your creation.  Thank you for laughter and for silliness.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I just made homemade guacamole. As in, from actual avocados, which I have never, ever purchased before. And you know what? It's freaking amazing. I feel blessed that this new adventure in veganism is causing me to eat delicious, nutritious food and that is is inspiring me to take new risks in the kitchen. Okay, guacamole isn't exactly a difficult thing to make, but never in my pre-vegan days would I have ever dreamed of making it from scratch. I'm pretty proud of myself. Now, I'm going to sit on my couch, watch a show, and eat some chips and guacamole and think to myself that life is very, very good. Thank God for some (homemade) guacamole! Lord, thank you for simple things that bring us joy. Thank you for opening my eyes to new opportunities around me. In your name I pray, Amen.

This morning I was muttering to myself as I was putting a pile of clean clothes away at 5:45 am. I stopped for a moment and realized that just a couple of weeks ago, my washing machine wasn't working.  I was buried under piles of dirty clothes with no hope that they'd be clean any time soon. I stopped feeling sorry for myself and felt grateful to once again have a functional washing machine and a pile of clean clothes. It's all about perspective, people! Thank God for clean clothes and a working washing machine! Lord, thank you for a dose of perspective this morning.  Thank you for our now-working washing machine and clean clothes.

In my litany of blunders and obstacles the past couple of weeks, I twisted my ankle mid-run today.  It was painful, but luckily I was able to at least get back to the school on it; first hobble-running, than somewhat-normally jogging.  Tonight, it is less painful than I imagined it would be, although it is still definitely stiff and sore.  The swelling seems to be minimal as well. All in all, it wasn't too bad -- absolutely not as bad as it could have been.  I can still run and walk on it and I wasn't stranded in the middle of nowhere.  God looks out for me in the midst of crummy circumstances, and for that I am grateful. Thank God is wasn't too bad! L ord, thank you for looking out for me.  Thank you for being good when my circumstances aren't.  Thank you for all of your blessings.  In your name I pray, Amen.

I really meant to post this yesterday, but for some reason it slipped my mind. My Dharia is really turning into quite a little soccer player.  Yesterday she played on a U6 team with another little girl and together they whooped on the three little boys they were playing against. It was definitely a demonstration of girl power at its finest. Dharia scored a total of five goals in the 32 minutes.  But perhaps what was more exciting was to see her budding tenacity and her skill with and around the ball.  She is just fun to watch.  I was one proud momma. I managed to get one short video of a goal that she scored.  I was thankful for the opportunity today to relive the fun and excitement of her game today. Thank God for my soccer girl! Lord thank you for my sweet girl who makes me so proud in so many different ways.  In our name I pray, Amen.

Today I went on my long run after a horrible week. The last few weeks my long run has proved to be miserable.  I have felt sick, or dizzy, or the weather has been uncooperative. It was a beautiful day, so I figured the weather would be a non-issue, but I was a little hesitant still. After what has proved to be one of the most difficult weeks of my life, I really needed to have a good run. It wasn't a great run, but I didn't feel awful.  In fact, when I made it home, I felt pretty darn proud of myself for making a good, healthy decision.  My legs ached, my lungs burned, and despite every ounce of me rebelling against it, I went out and conquered that run anyway. I am thankful for this chance to clear my head and for the emotional lift it provided. Thank God for a good, long run! Lord, thank you for my run today.  Thank you for giving me the strength to go out and do it, despite the way I was feeling.  Thank you for the turn around it provided to my day ...

Today on the way home from school Dharia very proudly sang the songs she is working on for her pre-school graduation ceremony. She was so darn cute. Lord, thank you for my amazing and wonderful daughter. Please help her last five weeks of daycare to go well. In Your name I pray, Amen.

The hot topic at our house lately is the baby chicks at daycare. They hatched earlier this week and it has been a lot of fun hearing Dharia and AJ share stories each night about the chickens. Lord, thank you for providing us with the means to be able to send our daughters to such a wonderful daycare. In Your name I pray, Amen.

I got my schedule for working with the triathlon crew of 3Disciplines this summer.  I was worried that I was going to be scheduled to work a race on May 18, which is the East Lansing Art Fair.  If I had to miss the art fair, I think I would just wither up and die.  On the other hand, it would be sort of awkward to ask to be removed from a race weekend after just being hired. Luckily, this was a moot point.  I was definitely not on the schedule for the weekend of May 18, so now I can just relax and look forward to spending the day with my mom on what is always one of my favorite days of the year. Thank God for some good news! Lord, thank you for some good news today.  Thank you for the joy found in the anticipation of fun things.  In your name I pray, Amen.