Dancing In the Aisles, What I Know For Sure & #iPPP

"Be nice to each other!  Didn't we just spend a week learning about Jesus and being nice!," I screamed at my kids yesterday.  

Oh yes, it's that time of year again, time for Vacation Bible School (VBS).  

For years my kids have been attending VBS at our church for one week every summer.  They love it.  They sing, they dance, they craft, they learn about Jesus, they play games, they make friends, they reconnect with old friends.  And by the end of the week they are completely exhausted, especially the younger kids.  

My relationship with church and faith is sometimes sort of complicated.  I question, I doubt, I disagree, I wonder.  

But one week every summer I am reminded about some of the things about church and faith I love deeply. Things that I truly believe in.  I believe in kindness, service and dancing in the aisles.

This year, Peyton was old enough to be a "youth helper."  He and a group of seven other 6th- and 7th-grade boys helped run the games for all the kids (along with an adult leader/organizer).  It was the perfect blend of opportunity for independence and  being a role model.  The boys knew the little kids were watching them, wondering if they were too cool to dance in the aisle or sing.  So, those older boys danced.  And the little kids danced more because of it.

During this week, it's not just the kids that get to reconnect with old friends.  I've been running the kitchen for the past six years.  I originally chose this volunteer job because of the limited interaction with children.  (I love kids, but I also unabashedly love breaks from them too.)  

My BFF Steph and I never get a chance to hang out anymore, so it makes this week even more special.  Jan and Tom have volunteered with us since the beginning and we love them so much.

Did I mention we get to use a mic?  At snack delivery time, Steph and I get to pretend we're really important, and funny.

In the kitchen we talk about everything---how big all the kids are getting, who has let their kids have an Instagram account and who hasn't, why foam cups are worse than plastic when serving water to 200 kids, why more husbands don't want to get involved at church, who watches Scandal and how we miss new Mad Men episodes, why every Real Housewife on Bravo is in some sort of legal trouble, vacations, back to school and more.*

*It is probably important to Tom that I mention he only had a conversation about the cups and vacations, not the other stuff.

I've compared it to camp for grown ups.  We get to wear the shirts, sing the songs and dance in aisles too.   

All week we (the kids and the grown ups) live the most basic elements of church and faith--being kind, connecting with others and feeling joyful about life.  It's all kinds of appreciating the good, the now. 

So yes, my kids are tired and bickering a little with each other by the end of the week and I am yelling a little.  There is that.  But there is also so much kindness and dancing in the aisles and it's  amazing, I know that for sure.

Here's what else I know for sure this week:

• Wade is incredibly cute as Mr. Incredible.  I love this age where they put on a suit/costume and they really believe they are a superhero, even on a scooter.

• This graduation speech from George Saunders that was featured in the New York Times this week fits with my post today, he talks about his biggest regret being "failures of kindness."  It's all about being kind!  click here to read the whole speech, it's really, really good.

• I'm gettin' my groove back.  This week, after a long time of not feeling like myself, I sort of felt like me.  It was in the car and I was dancing to Digital Underground's Humpty Dance.  Yeah, that's right, I'm steppin tall ya'll and I like my oatmeal lumpy.

• Puppies are crazy.  Look at Cosi, looking at me like "yeah, what?" as I interrupt her digging a giant hole in the back yard. I guess I mean is my puppy is driving me crazy. 

• My obsession with the show Scandal is still very real.  We are four episodes away from finishing the second season and each episode is leaving me on the edge of my seat.  

• I haven't been very good at social media this summer, but I'm getting back in so come play with me.  Like my Facebook page & follow me on Twitter.

What do you know for sure (this week)? C'mon, we're friends, share what you know. Leave a comment here or on the Facebook page.

  Please come play with me on Instagram @jumpingwithmyfingerscrossed.

I'm linking up today with my friends Greta from  Gfunkified.com and Sarah from SundaySpill.com for the #iPPP link up.  They host a link up where they encourage people to share "your funny, your yummy, your heartfelt, your favorite photos of the week" from our phones. 

Check them out.