At Eliana’s request, I signed her up today for a character-building program called Girls on the Run at her school.

Starting next week, a group of 3rd-grade girls will meet together twice a week after school. Over a 12-week period, volunteer coaches and mentors will use running as a tool to teach the girls very specific and well-defined social and personal skills. The program culminates in a non-competitive 5K (3.1 mile) run event in early December.

We think it will be a good experience for her.

I walked up to Eliana’s Vacation Bible School class tonight while they were outside enjoying some recreational activities.

When Eliana saw me, she bounded over and started fussing about a boy in her class who she did not know.

She pointed the guy out. He was kinda small. Definitely smaller than her.

She went on and on and on about how he did this and said that and she was about ready to “clean his clock”.

“Honey… don’t sit with the boys! Go and hang out with the girls!”

“But he keeps following me!”

Just between you and me, I’m sure it wasn’t anything THAT serious.

But she was obviously quite aggravated.

“Dad… he told me that he broke a girl’s bone!”, she said all wide-eyed.

And with that, she puffed up like a blowfish.

“He might do that to some weak girl. But he won’t do that to a strong girl like me!”

8 years ago, I was walking around China with Eliana strapped to my chest in a carrier.

8 years later, Eliana is walking around with Sagwa strapped to HER chest in the same carrier.

Poor Sagwa.

For the 2nd summer in a row, Eliana participated in a Children’s Choir Camp which started on Monday and culminated tonight with a concert.

In just 4 days, 140 kids learned and sang an entire musical that they had never heard before.

4 days!

But there wasn’t just singing.

The children also chose an elective which they worked on and incorporated into the production.

There was drama and dancing and puppets and boomwhackers and worship banners and sign language and handbells.

Eliana chose worship banners.

She stood right up in front of a huge sanctuary filled with people and didn’t look like she wanted to climb under the nearest rock.

I was so proud of her.

Now… next year she wants to try drama.

Waah.

Eliana is away visiting with one of my sisters for a couple of days so the house will seem unusually quiet. Sigh.

No wait. Karys is still here.

But thanks to the miracle of Skype, we were able to tell her goodnight before she went off to bed.

I love technology.

I took Eliana to Carowinds today. It was hot but the crowd was surprisingly small.

Many years ago, my father took me to Carowinds and we rode the log ride 19 straight times. The log ride no longer exists so Eliana wanted to try and set a new record with Thunder Road.

Well… we rode it 4 straight times and wimpy dad had to call it quits. That coaster just about beat me to death.

But she forgave me because we rode all of her favorite rides and then some.

This is the face of a happy girl.

I do encourage Eliana to be creative.

But I don’t know what in the world THAT thing is.