It was a bit of a tough re-immersion week for our crew.
We returned from our wonderful Colorado adventures on Sunday evening, the kiddos went to bed fairly late (after a jam-packed vacation), and then we woke bright and early at 6:15 Monday morning to launch this year’s…Vacation Bible School!
And though VBS has always been a touch point week of our Summer, and something we always work around, schedule-wise, I must admit that this year just hit different.
For starters, Chicklet’s aged out of participation this year, just like Chica two years back, so it was her first year to serve as a volunteer. Which was both exciting and also a little sad…at least in this first, transitional year for her. Truly, the epitome of a tween vibe. She’s not a kid but not a teenager, and that in-between is a tricky space.
Thankfully, it worked out well for her after a rough first day, but…more in that in a second!
The second reason VBS hit different this year is that I made an active choice not to volunteer, which was a first for me.
I found myself really weary of spirit last Summer, for so many reasons, and my heart was definitely not in happy servant mode. I found myself so tired and a little resentful of my days volunteering, and since that’s not my norm, I tried to listen to my gut and give myself permission to abstain for a year.
That said…it’s not an easy thing to say NO. I was pretty plagued with guilt, but told myself it was for the best because Little Man had requested not to participate in VBS this year so I planned some fun mother-son quality time in my head while the girlies would be there volunteering, and it helped to spark joy and counteract my volunteering guilt.
Welp. Best laid plans, right?
Not long after I made the firm decision not to volunteer, the mother of one of Little Man’s friends was looking for things to keep her son occupied during the Summer, and happened upon our church’s VBS, and…welp. Next thing you know, Little Man was signed up with his buddy, and that was a great thing, but it kind of threw a wrench in my plans.
Still. I was so happy he was in it to win it and had a friend for the week. :)
Truly, buddies make everything better and easier, and I was so happy they were together, and we even tackled some carpooling and happy lunchtimes after VBS wrapped each day, and that part was nothing but positive.
So…the major complication to Little Man’s participation, plus the girlies’ volunteering plus my non-participation?
Four total pick-ups and drop-offs each day (since volunteers come and go at different times then participants), hours spent in my car just being an Uber driver, and the general sense that it probably would have been easier to just stay on our church campus and pitch in. Oye.
I don’t have an answer to this final couple of strange years when I have a few kids who are older and volunteering and one still participating. And I suppose I’ll just have one final year (in 2026) to juggle it all, and then it will be a whole new situation when Little Man ages out, as well.
For now, I’m just incredibly grateful that my girlies ended up having a really solid week of feeling like “older” kids, making friends in their craft volunteering section and enjoying all the perks of being on the flip side of VBS life: helping to make the magic happen.
And I’m so stinking happy that Little Man got yet another year of enjoying the whole hoopla of this massive VBS program that involved over 900 children in attendance. Amazing!
Last final downside of the re-immersion week: holy cow, the early mornings of VBS coming off of the vacation and the one our time difference of Colcrado hit HARD.
This was my girl, on Monday evening, when she was just exhausted after swim team, and just kind of mentally over it and needing a minute to regroup in peace outside:
Then, by Wednesday afternoon, when we had to run a couple of errands, Little Man actually fell asleep in the car on the way home—something that only happens once in a blue moon, or when he’s sick.
Just a very precious reminder that even though we work hard and play hard during Summers, there still comes a point where we need to recharge a bit, and hoping that will happen in small ways, next week!
Again…so many positive things came from this week, and even though VBS hit different due to my non-volunteering and the strange double-shift schedules, I’m still so grateful for all of it (even the Starbucks gift card raffles the girlies won, ha).
So there you have it, peeps.
Our week in a nutshell, and another major Summer activity that’s come and gone.
We’re looking forward to celebrating the hubby tomorrow for Father’s Day, and then I’ll regroup on the blog with more of our plans moving forward.
Happy Saturday, peeps!
Over and out.
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