Some thoughts from here..

It's been a very long week. Saturday's dawn was a most welcome sight.

Work was busier than ever. Not the usual, so not a huge deal. I worked over the weekend and launched into some longer hours on the weekdays.

A viral friend decided to bust its way through my airborne and echinacea fences sometime Sunday. Wednesday morning brought a fog of aches and stuffies. Hope made her own breakfast and bought lunch. I'm still not sure how I made it the 30 miles to the office without offing another driver in my stuffy fog. The headlines would have read, "Woman runs cars off the road. Found moments later with kleenex stuffed up her nose and the faint smell of Vicks...asking for a hot cup of tea." Nice. At one point during the day, Shelly very delicately called over the cube, "Don't be afraid to use your sick leave. You don't sound good....and I don't want your germs." I caved and stayed home on Thursday.

Thursday brought the most interesting...albeit slightly eye-opening moment at Hope's new public school. Long story short, her class is learning about India - which is lovely. They are acting out a "fairytale" from India. I'm okay with that. Each class is acting out a different part of the tale. Hope's class has been selcted to portray the temple worship scene - as the group seeks direction from a buddhist god. Ugh. We used to go to church with one of the little boys in the class -- his Mom caught me on my "sickday" Thursday. At my stuffy, makeupless worst, I ended up in joining her in the principal's office to find out a little more about this tale.

After reading the script, the tale wasn't the big deal. I could have flown with that. It was the temple worship and meaning of the song the kids were singing. They were worshiping a buddhist god and I wasn't okay with that. So Hope and her friend are doing an alternative activity for the next week during that segment of the day.

Crazy, eh? I knew when we launched Hope into public school, we'd have some things to face. Just didn't think it would be too soon. The principal was very nice-- both during the meeting and around the halls of the school afterward. It was all very friendly and I hope the "respect" they are seeking to give "all religions" in the school is extended to us as we choose to protect our beliefs a bit. And it brings me to a place with Hope--of helping her understand that not only do some folks not believe in God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit--they actually believe in something very contrary to that. We haven't come up against that until now.

As a result, we're starting a Moms in Touch group...just the two of us for now. It's an organization of moms gathering to pray for their kids in public schools...and the school as well.

Hope has been sick for a few weeks. Thursday also brought a visit to her asthma doctor, an antibiotic and a two-week inhaler. She hasn't been sick or had an asthma attack since June...so we'll take it.

Hope and I are taking a small trip to eastern Oregon in a few weeks to visit my Dad/step-Mom (and my sister!). New tires for the buggy arrived today. Lee ordered a "heavenly bed" through the Sheraton for our guest room ... .should be here today. My fatherinlaw is coming for two weeks at Christmas and will be spared the torture chamber of years' past. And finally...we have some pumpkins to carve..in anticipation of the trickortreaters comin' our way.

And Monday is...the hannah montana concert! Lee and I are taking Hope and BFF Lyssie. You get the best of both worlds..... :) ( reference lost on anyone without a HM fan in the house!).

Be blessed!