How it's Going

This week I've been helping out at our church's Vacation Bible School (VBS). I've done this for many years in many churches throughout the nation, and I have hit upon a Universal Truth thereof: Vacation Bible School always falls on the hottest week of the year. It never fails.

So I pack up the baby at 8:00 every morning and we toddle down to church, where he gets to play in the nursery and I get to watch first nine, then 10, and now 11 third and fourth graders. I'm only the assistant, but I still get the perks -- today three kids gifted me with their art projects.

You might think that the heat and the VBS has thrown off my Rhythmball schedule. You couldn't be further from the truth. I took my paddles and balls and taught a couple of the kids to play during snack time yesterday. The kids did OK but our head teacher really picked it up. Last night Darling Husband was out so I cleared the family room of all the baby detritus and practiced right- and left-handed Rhythmball technique. Turns out I've been holding the racquet incorrectly, so I need to relearn how to do that (you keep your palm empty, gripping the racket in a pinch between thumb and index finger, and then your other fingers follow down from that). The new grip is foreign but it REALLY helps with the range-of-motion, so I'll stick with it. I did more than 100 stomach crunches, including some lateral crunches and double crunches (ouch!), and some push ups. It was a great way to watch "Veronica Mars," which I'm trying to get into but there are too many characters and way too many plotlines.

My water intake has gone insane with the heat -- I'm drinking at least two liters a day, sometimes three. I've been at it for a couple of weeks now and it's making a huge difference in my skin's clarity. Glad something is!