Emmy finished dance this past Wednesday, and at the last class, family members were invited to watch the dancers showcase their new skills. Boomer was busy with the annual YoungLife Golf Tournament, but never fear - Emmy still had quite a cheering section with Grammy, Aunt Megan, and little brother Eli. When we walked in the room, Emmy gave the sweetest smile to the camera. Aunt Megan captured a lot more smiles and dance moves to send to Boomer so he could feel like he was there. I know he hated to miss it. The dancers performed some ballet and then some tap. (Mrs. Lauren is a saint!) Afterward, our girl crew + Eli went out to dinner for pizza, which made for a fun Wednesday evening. We are talking over whether to sign Emmy up for classes in the fall. She really enjoyed it, and Mrs. Lauren said that Emmy was attentive and a good listener. My only hesitation is the commitment from September to May, especially if we are considering other activities like basketball or t-ball. We have the summer to decide, so we'll see how much Emmy talks about it between now and then. If it seems to be a common topic, then I suppose I will embrace my new role as Dance Mom. She sure looks cute in a tu-tu!
Today we had a rare Saturday with no plans. So of course I cooked up an adventure for our little family. We went to High Point City Lake Park which has a large playground, a carousel, a train, and other attractions. Emmy and I took multiple rides on the carousel, and the boys joined us for a ride on the train. We had a picnic under one of the shelters, and after the kids played a little bit longer, we headed home, making a pit stop at Uncle Cheesecake for a sweet treat. No surprise that Emmy picked the colorful one with all the sprinkles!
We are well on our way to checking off things on our summer to-do list. Without further ado, I present the Kennedy 2021 Summer To-Do List:
The Kennedy Ballpark Tour is set to resume again with two ballparks in June. Yay! I've included a few of our regular summer staples: the Science Center, Ocean Isle Beach, and the lake. I haven't written about #13 yet, but it probably needs some explanation since I am officially one week into grad school now. A year ago, I would have said "Grad school, are you crazy?!" I thought for sure when Boomer walked across the stage in 2019, the Kennedys were done with all higher education. But it seems that God has other plans. With my unexpected return to teaching last fall, I felt the desire to get back to the advising and counseling role that I had as a college liaison. I started researching graduate programs in School Counseling, and I discovered a part-time, online program through Liberty University. I will continue to work as I take classes. Unfortunately none of my coursework from my first Masters will transfer, so I am starting from scratch, and it will take about three years. This summer, I am taking two classes: COSC 501 Ethical & Legal Issues in Counseling and COUC 502 Human Growth & Development. I am also taking a 0.0 credit hour orientation course COSC 500. I am somewhat finding a groove of being a student again. I mostly work in the evening hours after the kids go to bed. So far the assignments have included reading, discussion posts, and quizzes. I have a few larger papers due throughout the summer, but I am trying not to look too far ahead, but instead just tackle one week at a time. My prayer is that I can juggle grad school with all of my other roles as wife and mommy. I certainly don't want to miss a thing, just as I remember my mom being there when she too went back to school as an adult. Hopefully I will handle it as seamlessly as she did. Our Sunday School class has been going through a series on "detours," looking at the life of Joseph in Genesis 37-41 as he faced challenge after challenge, setback after setback. Certainly losing my job in August felt somewhat like one of Joseph's detours, but I am having faith that God will prepare the path ahead for the next three years.
"Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it."
- Isaiah 30:21
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