going to VBS

Today was Dennis' first ever experience with Vacation Bible School. He is technically kind of young for it, so I volunteered to help out with arts and crafts since I found out they'd let him come if I did. I came one night and helped cut out decorations at church and said how sad I was that he wasn't old enough since this year's theme is Heroes Headquarters (and Dennis is all about heroes these days). The children's minister said I could volunteer and he could come. So we both enjoyed VBS tonight! I attended the opening assembly with Dennis, watching our pastors acting as heroes during the skit (so funny). When the kids adjourned to their various age group classes, I headed off to work in the arts and crafts department. Tonight the younger kids made superhero masks and the older kids made superhero puppets. The groups rotate through a number of stations throughout their evening, and I studied the schedule so that I'd know what Dennis was up to. His age group's schedule: opening assembly, snack, class, arts & crafts, music, recreation, closing assembly. There are over 20 kids in his group, and they come to arts & crafts along with the kindergarten group. It's complete chaos when all 50 of them are there! But all the kids loved making masks, and I loved watching Dennis make his and wear it. He wore it for the rest of the night, and when we left church, he asked to go to the pizza shop because he didn't get enough pizza for his snack! He wore his mask into the pizza place, too, when we went in to get our pepperoni hot-now $5 pizza. His mask was minus an antenna and one of his planet stickers by the end of the night, and he told me a mean kid grabbed that stuff off his mask. He was pretty sad about it, so I promised him I'd get him a new sticker and pipe cleaner so that we could fix it.

He was so happy with his experience, and he was so sad to leave church. I told him it went on for five nights, and he was somewhat calmed with this news plus my agreeing to take him for pizza.