Time to take a minute to think about an mention some awesome coaches/adult mentors that have been in my boys' lives. Knowing that these boys have/can be dropped off and left alone, for hundreds upon hundreds of hours in their childhood lives, with other adults who care about them and have made their lives richer, is something to be thankful for. We have a lot of awesome "coaches" in our lives, and I hope your families do, too.
Here are some of the adults in the boys' lives who have been amazing:
-Mark's family. Small, but the boys adore their paternal grandparents, aunt, uncle and cousin.
-Our boys' closest buds' parents. The boys have had(and still have) so many awesome friends to do life with, who have families that are as awesomely imperfect as ours is. It's been such a pleasure to have so many families we trust, when we drop the boys off somewhere for a gathering or sleepover.
-Past teachers. Being able to drop the boys off at the cutest little preschool/kindergarten ever, when they were little, for a few years, was such a comfort. The ladies who taught at that school were (and are) such a treasure in their lives.
-Church leadership. All of the varied leaders from when the boys were younger and attended camps and Sunday School, all of the leaders they meet with weekly now, and the awesome leaders who lead youth group events and camps...what a well-rounded, strong group of individuals who my boys have been surrounded by, as they've developed their faith. Same goes for any of the folks who have led homeless ministries that the boys joined me regularly with, in serving at. Same goes for the AWANA club that the boys participated in, and were dropped off for, for years. So many adults have spoken kind and encouraging words of faith to my boys. What a blessing.
-Fellow Christians. How many small groups/prayer groups/Bible studies have the boys been in/around, where the families were all encouraging the boys to keep walking in the right direction? So many. Wow.
-Piano Instructor. We've had one, amazing instructor, for, let's see...I think it's been 7 years, now. To have an adult be firm and not let the boys get away with slacking, yet kind in her encouragement and authentic joy at their music successes, is one stellar coaching relationship.
-Drum Instructors. My middle guy has had 2; the most recent one who lives closer to us. Both have also been wonderful. What a joy to drop off my kids and leave them alone with some trustworthy adults. Not everyone in the world has such a luxury.
-All of the local Recreation Department varied coaches, from all of the varied teams the boys have been on/tried. From golf lessons, to tennis, to archery, to tee ball/baseball, to basketball, to soccer camps and teams, the coaches for all have been wonderful- the perfect mix. We've had nothing but good experiences with these coaches; all have been great.
-Lego coaches/groups. The boys have loved every one of their Lego BrickMaster classes, as well as the PlayWell camp that we tried. Legos rock, and it seems as though most of the Lego coaches rock, too.
-Co-op class instructors. From the hired instructors the boys have had in classes like in Spanish and Art, to the co-op Moms who teach classes like Science, Mock Trial, and Mixed Class(a varied skills class), the boys have been dropped off for countless hours in the past 7 years of homeschooling, and I get to feel totally comfortable knowing that they are in great care.
-Local library. I wonder how many hours the boys have spent at our local library, being dropped off for book clubs/events? The adults who work there are amazing, and we have a special fondness for the Children's Librarian.
-The boys online instructors. 2 of the boys take courses online with various instructors, and between last year and this year, I have had the pleasure of speaking with nine different instructors. Getting to talk with them about the boys' progress, and hearing the feedback has been so uplifting as a Mom. My favorite thing, though, is when I get to overhear these instructors having chats with the boys during/about their lessons. Teachers do not get enough credit for being everyday Superheroes. I can barely supervise homeschooling 3 boys, so to anyone who teaches and speaks life and encouragement into young kids' lives: kudos. You are amazing, and thank you.
Who have I missed? I'm sure there is someone. The reality is that we have so much to be thankful for- there really are so many awesome "coaches" in this world, and in our lives, personally. If you are one of them, thank you! Gonna keep "thinking about these things" and thanking God for them, today.
