Win the Day

There is a sign in one of the work-rooms here at Vantage that says (I'm paraphrasing) "No matter what happened yesterday, today is a new day.  Move forward and take advantage of your new opportunity."  That sign comes in handy from time to time when a day doesn't go as I may have hoped or expected.  Heck, it's the main reason I continue to watch my Cincinnati Reds almost every game.  While their record might not be the greatest this season, they haven't given up (just ask the Chicago Cubs and Detroit Tigers), so why should I?  Each day is another chance to "win".  No one will "win" every day, but it's a lot more fun for everyone if we try! 
Whether it be a workday where it just seemed like nothing went right, or a challenging night at home with the kids, we've all had our fair share of tough days.  I know what you're thinking...how could a house with a 3 year old, 2 year old, and 4 month old ever have challenging nights!?  And you're absolutely right.  I enjoy EVERY night at home with my wife and kids.  However, as I'm sure most parents can attest, some of the nights just present slightly different attitudes and situations from time to time.  For example, you might imagine that a 3 year old and a 2 year old might have their difficulties getting along.  And again, you'd be imagining correctly.  However, there are a lot of times when they do get along.  As a parent, those times are SOOO rewarding.  They make me feel like I'm doing something right as a dad (speaking of which, a very Happy belated Father's Day to my dad and all of the dads who have helped us all every step of the way!). 
When my kids are getting along, my wife and I often will even say things like "Look how well they are sharing!" or "I love listening to them run and laugh together!"  Those proud moments might even allow us to "relax" a little bit and give some much deserved attention to our 4 month old.  As we're quickly finding out, though, relaxation in those moments can often lead to those "How did this happen?" moments shortly thereafter.  Like when you find a pile of a sparkly substance on the floor of the pantry and two of the sweetest little kids in the world pop their glittering/sticky faces in just as you've found the mess to say "We found the sugar!" (in the cutest voice ever, mind you).  You can't help but laugh as you think about the new mess that's certain to be tough to clean up.  Anyway, I digress.  The point is, sometimes we have days/nights where those little messes and accidents happen seemingly over and over again.  After a few of them, it can become frustrating and we start to think about other "messes" we might be looking at in our future, or what we could or should have done to prevent them.  To a point, this type of reflection can be a good thing! 
I try not to focus on the messes, though.  I try to focus on not only the lesson my wife and I can hopefully teach our kids about being more careful and "Never going into the pantry without asking mom or dad"; but also on the positives to take away from the situation, like the fact that our kids played and laughed together for a half-hour without fighting, or that they ran to the broom closet as soon as they heard us say the words "clean up" (they may not have helped much, but the thought was there).
You have to find the good things in life.  They're not always going to jump out and introduce themselves to you, but they are always there.  The challenges are there to make us stronger and help us appreciate the good times even more.  With just under 2 months before our students return, I hope the Vantage classes of 2019 and 2020 are getting more and more excited about the challenges and opportunities that await them starting August 20.  These students will come to us from many diverse backgrounds, and will have all faced very different obstacles along their paths to Vantage.  Considering the amazing track records of each of our home-schools in helping students navigate these paths, I'm certain our new students will come prepared to treat each day as the new day it is, and our staff definitely looks forward to helping them take advantage of every opportunity! 
Vantage will focus on the assets that make each of our students unique, while building on the lessons we'll learn together to enhance skills and prepare you for success.  While each of us may not "Win" every single day (like the Reds have been recently...again, sorry to all Tigers and Cubs fans reading), I sure do look forward to trying with our new group of young people!  Have a safe and enjoyable 4th of July (be sure to say a big Thank You to all active duty military, veterans, and their families for the freedoms they've earned for us), and have a FUNomenal rest of the summer.  See you in August!