There has been at least one person sick ever since the last week of the play. So I feel like we haven't gotten into a good routine or recovery time since then. The boys got sick, I got sick, Malcolm had an ear infection that the first round of antibiotics didn't touch, then a double ear-infection that the antibiotic messed with his stomach so much that he threw up almost every night for the last half of the regimen, didn't want to eat all day, and lost several pounds. Then I got a miserable head and chest cold again, which I still haven't managed to shake all the way. In between these, Thomas has managed to get and get rid of a cold also.
So while Eamon has been sleeping fine for the most part, Malcolm is not. Most nights he is up multiple times, while a few nights he is up for hours. Bad nights make for late morning which in turn stress out parents and Mommy needs a nap instead of getting chores done. The stress bothers Eamon who turns into a little monster causing more distress and headaches (sometimes literal). That has been life for the past month or so.
We have had good days - days where we play, read, get chores done, eat on time, get into bed at a decent time, and only wake up once during the night, but those days have been rare. At the same time, we have only had a few miserable days where no matter what I did, the boys were cranky beasts, and only a few days when I was a cranky beast which wore off on them turning them into little fiends. On these days, Thomas comes home and we either all melt into tears or the boys go play and leave me alone in the kitchen to somewhat recover until bedtime, when we have a stiff drink - or more often, some hot tea.
Most of the days are in between, where we work on the boys obeying and mommy not yelling, where we play together, and kick the boys out of the kitchen so I can get something done, where we have times of extreme fun and excitement, and times of misery and woe, but all in all it is ok.
Little tidbits of news:
Eamon has started calling me what I call him, so yesterday, he called me "Baby," and today he called me "Sweetie Pie" usually in context of something I tell him, like "You can do it, Baby, get those dragons."
He is so confident :-p When I compliment him or tell him he did a good job, he often responds, "I know," or "It was good."
Getting things out is his forte, but putting things away is nigh unto torture for him.
He is getting better at trying food, especially when Grandpa is feeding it to him, or when Darth Vader is in the bite and the imperial march is accompanying its flight to his mouth.
He is completely potty trained and we haven't had a accident, and been completely night dry for several weeks now.
Malcolm is full of mischief. He is beginning to think that all instructions are games, so "Come Here," is an invitation to play. We have been working on saying, "No Game, it's time to Come." He hasn't caught on yet.
He is also getting into stuff, like my cupboards, especially the snack closet, the "pantry cupboard" (where he takes out all the canned goods and puts them on the table), and the lazy susan cupboard which scares me because I am so afraid his going to pinch his little fingers.
He likes little places, like cupboards, boxes, tents, and cuddles. He reminds me of a certain sister who liked to crawl under tables for comfort.
He is also developing a sense of humor and laughs at funny voices, faces, and even gets some jokes.
He likes to eat what he likes to eat, but has a hard time trying new things, but the doctor says not to worry about that too much right now. So we put a piece of food on his tray and let him touch, smell, play with it until he puts it in his mouth. If he likes it, we will give him more, if not, then we count it as a try and let him eat crackers.
We have discovered that apples seem to affect him, the way grapes affect Eamon. A few bites are fine, but too much leads to upset stomach and nastiness.
Also in the news, we have discovered I am rather violently allergic to raw fish (including the smell of fish cooking) and mildly to iceberg lettuce.
Also, Thomas hasn't had a migraine in 6 days and counting.
I got boxes and boxes of material and some patterns and some costumes and some historically accurate costume research and patterns. I feel that an amazing treasure has been given to me. Now I just need some time to sew.
I have several sewing projects to complete before Christmas. When I think of them all it is a little intimidating, but I also am so happy because I love to sew!
That is the news from our corner of the woods. Maybe there will be some pictures soon. :-)
Friday, December 05, 2014
Lady Mommy and the Cinnamon
Lady Mommy was on the phone with Lady Aunty Bug. The noble boys were left to their own devices.
From under Lady Mommy's nose, Young Malcolm stole the honey and the cinnamon and took them to his secret lair, calling for his brother, Young Eamon, to show him his loot. Knowing this activity was not approved of by Lady Mommy, Young Eamon did not join in the fun, but neither did he stop his brother, or call for assistance. Rather he watched as Young Malcolm opened the cinnamon container and dumped the fragrant spice all over the floor. Once there was not more cinnamon to dump, Young Malcolm turned his attention to the honey. He manage to open the flip-top lid and hold it upside down for a little while.
When Lady Mommy came to check on her delightfully quiet boys, she was met with a brown sticky mess and a brown sticky boy, and a slightly less brown sticky older boy. They looked up at her with worried eyes and Young Eamon immediately said, "Look what Malcolm did!" distancing himself from the event. When he realized that Lady Mommy was laughing, Young Malcolm got a very impish look on his face, until the Vacuum Monster was called in to help clean up the mess. Then he felt the full terror of his actions as he was shut out of the room, while Lady Mommy tamed the Vacuum Monster.
After the initial mess was cleaned, the clothes were stripped, the hair and faces were wiped down, and things became calmer, both boys were reminded they may never, never get things off the table again.
From under Lady Mommy's nose, Young Malcolm stole the honey and the cinnamon and took them to his secret lair, calling for his brother, Young Eamon, to show him his loot. Knowing this activity was not approved of by Lady Mommy, Young Eamon did not join in the fun, but neither did he stop his brother, or call for assistance. Rather he watched as Young Malcolm opened the cinnamon container and dumped the fragrant spice all over the floor. Once there was not more cinnamon to dump, Young Malcolm turned his attention to the honey. He manage to open the flip-top lid and hold it upside down for a little while.
When Lady Mommy came to check on her delightfully quiet boys, she was met with a brown sticky mess and a brown sticky boy, and a slightly less brown sticky older boy. They looked up at her with worried eyes and Young Eamon immediately said, "Look what Malcolm did!" distancing himself from the event. When he realized that Lady Mommy was laughing, Young Malcolm got a very impish look on his face, until the Vacuum Monster was called in to help clean up the mess. Then he felt the full terror of his actions as he was shut out of the room, while Lady Mommy tamed the Vacuum Monster.
After the initial mess was cleaned, the clothes were stripped, the hair and faces were wiped down, and things became calmer, both boys were reminded they may never, never get things off the table again.
Wednesday, November 26, 2014
First Snow
It did flurry before now, but this is the first "real" snow of the season. Malcolm was so excited when we looked out the window. I am not sure if it was because I was so excited, or if he was fascinated by the white stuff falling from the sky. Eamon wanted to go out immediately, since he had his hat and mittens on, never mind that he was still in his PJ's.
After naps, we all bundled up and went outside. It takes a long time to get everyone ready to go out. Did you go to the bathroom? Do you have your socks, and your boots, and your coat, and your snow pants, and your hat, and your mittens, and... And if something is forgotten, it often means undressing to take care of it.
Malcolm reminded me of the "Under my hood I have a hat..." poem because when he fell down, he could only crawl. Eamon wasn't sure about all the preparations, but once he got outside, he enjoyed it pretty well, until he got cold. Then everything was miserable.
Now begins the long winter months. Today, I thought it would be nice to have a fireplace. But we sip our tea, read our books, and have lots of cuddles.
Their Daddy was not as excited about the snow, but went out and shoveled the walk and cleared the cars. He is sore now, but did say it wasn't as bad as he feared. He did take the day off, which was good because a part of the road he travels on was closed.
After naps, we all bundled up and went outside. It takes a long time to get everyone ready to go out. Did you go to the bathroom? Do you have your socks, and your boots, and your coat, and your snow pants, and your hat, and your mittens, and... And if something is forgotten, it often means undressing to take care of it.
Malcolm reminded me of the "Under my hood I have a hat..." poem because when he fell down, he could only crawl. Eamon wasn't sure about all the preparations, but once he got outside, he enjoyed it pretty well, until he got cold. Then everything was miserable.
Now begins the long winter months. Today, I thought it would be nice to have a fireplace. But we sip our tea, read our books, and have lots of cuddles.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
9th Anniversary
Yesterday was our ninth anniversary.
The night before, Malcolm kept me awake until 3. I didn't go shopping, so we had leftovers for our "romantic meal." Thomas got me flowers and wine and cheese. I got him a notebook and pen and wrote him a silly song. We sat and talked together for an hour after the boys went to bed - until Eamon woke up. Eamon kept us awake until Malcolm woke up for two more hours. (There might have been some dozing, but I didn't feel like it this morning.) Thomas fell asleep on the futon; I was a Mommy sandwich between two boys, until around 4 when we all got back in our proper beds and slept soundly for 4 hours.
But all that is somehow fitting. Being married isn't only about moonlight kisses and candlelight dinners. It is much more about working through things thick and thin, listening to each other, adapting to the situation, and giving up stuff we want.
When we were dating, we were told "love isn't a feeling, it's a choice." I hated that saying then, and I still do, though I understand what is meant better now. Love is a feeling, but it is choosing to foster that feeling even when I don't feel like it. It is being vulnerable, even when I would rather protect myself. It is giving, even when I don't feel like I have anything left to give. It is laying my dreams, desires, and plans aside so that someone else's dreams, desires, and plans can be achieved. And I love my husband.
But recently I have been overwhelmed with how much he loves me. He laid aside his worries and helped me direct the play. He shares what he reads with me, even if he knows I might disagree. He gets up in the night and puts Malcolm back to sleep when I have tried every trick I know. I am so thankful for his love - the way he chooses every day to show love for me and our boys, even when he has a migraine or hasn't slept well or has had a rough day.
It is incredibly appropriate that our anniversary falls so close to Thanksgiving because it is one of the things I am most thankful for. I love; I am loved. That in turn, frees me to love even more. And if our love is a picture of God's love for us... then I am speechless.
The night before, Malcolm kept me awake until 3. I didn't go shopping, so we had leftovers for our "romantic meal." Thomas got me flowers and wine and cheese. I got him a notebook and pen and wrote him a silly song. We sat and talked together for an hour after the boys went to bed - until Eamon woke up. Eamon kept us awake until Malcolm woke up for two more hours. (There might have been some dozing, but I didn't feel like it this morning.) Thomas fell asleep on the futon; I was a Mommy sandwich between two boys, until around 4 when we all got back in our proper beds and slept soundly for 4 hours.
But all that is somehow fitting. Being married isn't only about moonlight kisses and candlelight dinners. It is much more about working through things thick and thin, listening to each other, adapting to the situation, and giving up stuff we want.
When we were dating, we were told "love isn't a feeling, it's a choice." I hated that saying then, and I still do, though I understand what is meant better now. Love is a feeling, but it is choosing to foster that feeling even when I don't feel like it. It is being vulnerable, even when I would rather protect myself. It is giving, even when I don't feel like I have anything left to give. It is laying my dreams, desires, and plans aside so that someone else's dreams, desires, and plans can be achieved. And I love my husband.
But recently I have been overwhelmed with how much he loves me. He laid aside his worries and helped me direct the play. He shares what he reads with me, even if he knows I might disagree. He gets up in the night and puts Malcolm back to sleep when I have tried every trick I know. I am so thankful for his love - the way he chooses every day to show love for me and our boys, even when he has a migraine or hasn't slept well or has had a rough day.
It is incredibly appropriate that our anniversary falls so close to Thanksgiving because it is one of the things I am most thankful for. I love; I am loved. That in turn, frees me to love even more. And if our love is a picture of God's love for us... then I am speechless.
Friday, November 14, 2014
Dinosaurs
Eamon loves dinosaurs. It is due to a PBS kids show that is called Dinosaur Train. (And for those concerned, he watches no more than 1 hour of videos a day. There are occasions, such as rainy wet days and sick days when he gets more, but he also gets more books and cuddles on those days too.)
The show is actually very informative and they are fairly good at explaining the difference between what is know scientifically and what is hypothesis. Dr. Scott the Paleontologist tells us about the dinosaur that Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, and Don met that day on the dinosaur train. He sometimes makes comparisons between present day creatures and the dinosaurs. He sometimes shows the fossils of the dinosaur in question. He sometimes just gives interesting facts. But he always ends with, "Get outside and make your own discoveries."
So dinosaurs have entered our every day language. A Tyrannosaurus Rex might be outside our house. A Brachiosaurus might be eating our salad. He loves to wear his dinosaur shirts. We read several dinosaur books a day. He might be Mr. Conductor, shouting, "All aboard!" We color dinosaur pictures and do dinosaur crafts. And when we "dig for bones," he calls me, Mrs. Paleontologist, while he is Dr. Scott.
It isn't the only game he plays, of course. He hunts bears (and ghosts, thanks to our little neighbor :-)); he is Tom Thomas, the helicopter driver from Fireman Sam; he plays music; he is Mr. McGregor; etc. But what I especially love about the way he thinks about dinosaurs is the wonder, curiosity, but also the acceptance of unknown things. I don't know how exactly to explain it, but it is fun to watch him play "discovering dinosaurs bones and fossils."
His fascination has made me wrestle with the science and faith of dinosaurs too. I don't think that "God created the heavens and the earth" rules out the idea that the earth has many ages. I don't think that evolution necessarily contradicts anything that is in the Bible. I believe that God could have created the Earth with age; should it then be difficult to accept that He could also have created it using natural aging processes? If Bible scholars can say that there are more ways to interpret scientific evidence, which don't really make lots of sense scientifically, why are we surprised that there might be more ways to interpret Biblical texts, scientifically? and that those interpretations are actually orthodox? There is more to write on this, but that isn't the topic of this post.
Eamon doesn't have to deal with all this yet. He will have to wrestle with it, and plenty of other questions, someday. I hope to be able to help him ask good questions and look in good places to find answers. And I want to give him a solid foundation so those questions don't have to shake his simple faith in God. But I also have to be willing to accept that God may direct him to other answers than the ones I give him. Dinosaurs are becoming a step of faith, both in researching them, as well as in parenting.
The show is actually very informative and they are fairly good at explaining the difference between what is know scientifically and what is hypothesis. Dr. Scott the Paleontologist tells us about the dinosaur that Buddy, Tiny, Shiny, and Don met that day on the dinosaur train. He sometimes makes comparisons between present day creatures and the dinosaurs. He sometimes shows the fossils of the dinosaur in question. He sometimes just gives interesting facts. But he always ends with, "Get outside and make your own discoveries."
So dinosaurs have entered our every day language. A Tyrannosaurus Rex might be outside our house. A Brachiosaurus might be eating our salad. He loves to wear his dinosaur shirts. We read several dinosaur books a day. He might be Mr. Conductor, shouting, "All aboard!" We color dinosaur pictures and do dinosaur crafts. And when we "dig for bones," he calls me, Mrs. Paleontologist, while he is Dr. Scott.
It isn't the only game he plays, of course. He hunts bears (and ghosts, thanks to our little neighbor :-)); he is Tom Thomas, the helicopter driver from Fireman Sam; he plays music; he is Mr. McGregor; etc. But what I especially love about the way he thinks about dinosaurs is the wonder, curiosity, but also the acceptance of unknown things. I don't know how exactly to explain it, but it is fun to watch him play "discovering dinosaurs bones and fossils."
His fascination has made me wrestle with the science and faith of dinosaurs too. I don't think that "God created the heavens and the earth" rules out the idea that the earth has many ages. I don't think that evolution necessarily contradicts anything that is in the Bible. I believe that God could have created the Earth with age; should it then be difficult to accept that He could also have created it using natural aging processes? If Bible scholars can say that there are more ways to interpret scientific evidence, which don't really make lots of sense scientifically, why are we surprised that there might be more ways to interpret Biblical texts, scientifically? and that those interpretations are actually orthodox? There is more to write on this, but that isn't the topic of this post.
Eamon doesn't have to deal with all this yet. He will have to wrestle with it, and plenty of other questions, someday. I hope to be able to help him ask good questions and look in good places to find answers. And I want to give him a solid foundation so those questions don't have to shake his simple faith in God. But I also have to be willing to accept that God may direct him to other answers than the ones I give him. Dinosaurs are becoming a step of faith, both in researching them, as well as in parenting.
Monday, November 03, 2014
Static and In Flux
Just some rambling thoughts...
It is funny how all of life seems to be this balance between maintaining "normalcy" and the constant change. We aren't really doing anything that different from what we have been doing for the past several years, but life now is so different from what it was a few years ago. Not only circumstances, but also character, perspectives, dreams...
Maybe this is too abstract. But I am still me, but I am not who I used to be. There is the same and change. I still get behind on dishes, which has been the case since... forever, but now they are different dishes and more of them as I feed more people. I still make sausage cheese biscuits, and Thomas still loves them, but now I use the oven and real measuring cups rather than the microwave and whatever cup I have handy. And now I kiss him when I give them to him. Static and in flux.
The season change, but the tree still grows.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Some Photos
One Year Photo - I don't know if I will actually use this one, because I have plans to have another session with both boys, and maybe even a family shot.
Malcolm on the big boy swings. He was partially proud of himself, and partly worried, but he didn't want to get down.
Eamon is a master swinger. He especially likes underdogs and going high.
Eamon's birthday trike. I love the little smile on his face. He was so thrilled, his whole face lit up in this grin.
Malcolm's first time painting. We used a special homemade paint and he had a blast.
Meanwhile, Eamon wanted to write a message to me on my computer. He worked very hard on it.
My birthday cake masterpiece. It was fun to make and tasted delicious!
NOTE to those who receive my posts via email. Please do not reply to those emails. I don't get them. If you want to email me, use my email address.
Saturday, October 18, 2014
So, was it worth it?
YES!
I devoted the last two months of my life to a high school play. At times, I neglected my children, my husband, and my house. After some practices, I came home and just wanted to give up. Sometimes I thought it was impossible to get everything done on time. Many times, I gritted my teeth at the lack of help and sometimes even support. But was it worth it?
YES!
I learned so much about Beatrix Potter. She was an amazing woman. Talk about persistence, patience, and vision! She not only wrote children stories, but was a conservationist and gave over 1000 acres of land and an unique breed of sheep to the National Trust (similar to our State Parks). And her stories are captivating. Kids love them, relate to them, and dream about them. Watching the faces of kids watching the stories was beautiful. They loved them! She understood that kids don't want "moralistic little stories", that there is a difference between being bad and being foolish, and that naughty little bunnies sometimes turn out to be responsible and helpful grown-up bunnies, but not always. But I could have learned all that without doing a play. Was the play worth it?
YES!
I love these students. Some of them I taught in Kindergarten, so I have known and loved them for years. It was so exciting to see how they have grown and developed and are now wonderful young men and women. It was fun to "teach" them again, opening up a new world for them, and getting to see their poise, confidence, and imagination grow. Others I have worked with on other performances, but those were several years ago. I loved seeing how those girls have become lovely and talented young women, so full of hopes and dreams and potential. And there were others who I have never worked with before. I enjoyed getting to know them and hope that they will try again and I can use what I learned about them to help them do even better next time.
And then there were the parents and helpers. At the beginning, I realized this was the first play that I have directed that I was closer to many of the parents age than the students age. But by the end, age and experience didn't mattered; we all worked as a team and made a beautiful show.
On top of that, my boys became friends with some of the cast and several of the parent helpers. They loved playing with Ben and Josiah. Eamon was disappointed when he couldn't go play with Mrs. Irvin or Mrs. Danielle. Malcolm didn't mind cuddling Ruth and a few of the other girls. And Eamon also took another step toward independence by staying at a friends house while I was not there at all! The first few times he cried, but then he began to look forward to it.
These relationships are what made all the difficulties and hard parts worth it. For these kids, I would and hope to do it all over again.
I devoted the last two months of my life to a high school play. At times, I neglected my children, my husband, and my house. After some practices, I came home and just wanted to give up. Sometimes I thought it was impossible to get everything done on time. Many times, I gritted my teeth at the lack of help and sometimes even support. But was it worth it?
YES!
I learned so much about Beatrix Potter. She was an amazing woman. Talk about persistence, patience, and vision! She not only wrote children stories, but was a conservationist and gave over 1000 acres of land and an unique breed of sheep to the National Trust (similar to our State Parks). And her stories are captivating. Kids love them, relate to them, and dream about them. Watching the faces of kids watching the stories was beautiful. They loved them! She understood that kids don't want "moralistic little stories", that there is a difference between being bad and being foolish, and that naughty little bunnies sometimes turn out to be responsible and helpful grown-up bunnies, but not always. But I could have learned all that without doing a play. Was the play worth it?
YES!
I love these students. Some of them I taught in Kindergarten, so I have known and loved them for years. It was so exciting to see how they have grown and developed and are now wonderful young men and women. It was fun to "teach" them again, opening up a new world for them, and getting to see their poise, confidence, and imagination grow. Others I have worked with on other performances, but those were several years ago. I loved seeing how those girls have become lovely and talented young women, so full of hopes and dreams and potential. And there were others who I have never worked with before. I enjoyed getting to know them and hope that they will try again and I can use what I learned about them to help them do even better next time.
And then there were the parents and helpers. At the beginning, I realized this was the first play that I have directed that I was closer to many of the parents age than the students age. But by the end, age and experience didn't mattered; we all worked as a team and made a beautiful show.
On top of that, my boys became friends with some of the cast and several of the parent helpers. They loved playing with Ben and Josiah. Eamon was disappointed when he couldn't go play with Mrs. Irvin or Mrs. Danielle. Malcolm didn't mind cuddling Ruth and a few of the other girls. And Eamon also took another step toward independence by staying at a friends house while I was not there at all! The first few times he cried, but then he began to look forward to it.
These relationships are what made all the difficulties and hard parts worth it. For these kids, I would and hope to do it all over again.
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Boys are Growing!
"What did the grandma monster say to the little monster when she saw him?"
"My, My, You Gruesome!"
Today we had doctor appointments; Eamon had his 3 year, Malcolm has an ear infection. But it was a great time to see how much the boys have grown.
Eamon is 2 feet and 11.9 inches. So close to 3 feet! He weighs 29 pounds. Malcolm is 2 feet 9 inches and weighs 22 pounds. They are getting rather close in size. It seems just a bit ago that I put away Eamon's 18 month clothes, but now I am pulling them out for Malcolm. And although Eamon still fits in 2T, I am looking for 3T's when we go clothes shopping because the 2T's aren't going to fit much longer.
Eamon was asked what he was going to dress up for Halloween as. He didn't understand the Halloween part of the question, but when I asked it again without that, he answered, "Mr. McGregor." He went on to say that Daddy should be Jeremy Fisher and Malcolm should be Peter Rabbit. It seems the play has made quite a difference in his life.
The other day, I was putting him down for a nap and he just wouldn't let himself fall asleep. I finally left and told Thomas, "He has been fighting since..." and I looked at the clock to figure out the time. Thomas replied, "since he was born." And it seems so true. He has been fighting since he was born - fighting sleep, fighting for what he wants, when he wants it, how he wants it, fighting for attention, fighting just because. But it was helpful to verbalize it because fighting isn't always bad. He just needs to find a good cause to fight for.
Malcolm fights too, but it looks different and doesn't seem so pervasive. He wants to be just like Eamon and has been picking up many of his habits - good and bad. He is also developing his own little sense of humor. He looks at his daddy and grins after he passes gas. He smiles and runs away when he wants to play. And last night he and Thomas played knocking down the tower of blocks. He would knock it over, then fall flat on his belly on top of them giggling.
Hopefully now that we have this antibiotic, he will start sleeping better and we can get back to a decent sleep schedule/daily life routine. It has been at least a week since I spent more than a few hours in my own bed, and several weeks/months/years since I have slept well. I am beginning to notice the effects of this in my communication and memory. So as they are growing bigger, I am growing old!
"My, My, You Gruesome!"
Today we had doctor appointments; Eamon had his 3 year, Malcolm has an ear infection. But it was a great time to see how much the boys have grown.
Eamon is 2 feet and 11.9 inches. So close to 3 feet! He weighs 29 pounds. Malcolm is 2 feet 9 inches and weighs 22 pounds. They are getting rather close in size. It seems just a bit ago that I put away Eamon's 18 month clothes, but now I am pulling them out for Malcolm. And although Eamon still fits in 2T, I am looking for 3T's when we go clothes shopping because the 2T's aren't going to fit much longer.
Eamon was asked what he was going to dress up for Halloween as. He didn't understand the Halloween part of the question, but when I asked it again without that, he answered, "Mr. McGregor." He went on to say that Daddy should be Jeremy Fisher and Malcolm should be Peter Rabbit. It seems the play has made quite a difference in his life.
The other day, I was putting him down for a nap and he just wouldn't let himself fall asleep. I finally left and told Thomas, "He has been fighting since..." and I looked at the clock to figure out the time. Thomas replied, "since he was born." And it seems so true. He has been fighting since he was born - fighting sleep, fighting for what he wants, when he wants it, how he wants it, fighting for attention, fighting just because. But it was helpful to verbalize it because fighting isn't always bad. He just needs to find a good cause to fight for.
Malcolm fights too, but it looks different and doesn't seem so pervasive. He wants to be just like Eamon and has been picking up many of his habits - good and bad. He is also developing his own little sense of humor. He looks at his daddy and grins after he passes gas. He smiles and runs away when he wants to play. And last night he and Thomas played knocking down the tower of blocks. He would knock it over, then fall flat on his belly on top of them giggling.
Hopefully now that we have this antibiotic, he will start sleeping better and we can get back to a decent sleep schedule/daily life routine. It has been at least a week since I spent more than a few hours in my own bed, and several weeks/months/years since I have slept well. I am beginning to notice the effects of this in my communication and memory. So as they are growing bigger, I am growing old!
Sunday, October 12, 2014
Now the Play is Over
It hasn't completely sunk in that I don't have practice on Monday. I don't need to be sewing costumes. I don't need to be making lists, calling people, or remembering five million things at the same time. But at the same time there is a huge relief and wave of satisfaction in a job well done. Now I have the rest of life that has been neglected to get caught up with.
The house needs to be cleaned. Many people find spring to be a good cleaning time, but these crisp autumn days make me want to open the windows, throw stuff away, and give everything a good scrub down. So this week I am looking forward to indulging that desire with gusto. Maybe I can send the boys outside and do laundry, switch out summer clothes, tidy the house, organize the toys, vacuum, scrub, wipe down and reorganize the cupboards, and even wash the windows! I doubt I will really get all that much done, knowing the way life goes, but it a goal and wish.
I have writing, photos, and videos work to do. Some for the play, some for family, some for blog, some for fun. I have lists of things to write that I have been putting off because I haven't had the time. I have lesson plans and Sunday School plans to work on. And I need to write thank you notes and jot down thoughts and plans for future directors and drama folk.
So right now, daily life is looming large, but like the play, everything that needs to get done, will get done, just little bits now and little bits then and large chunks when I get the chance. Because the first priority for this week is to spend some quality time with my family. They have been so helpful and amazing and put up with a half-mommy/half-wife for long enough. We will read stories, draw pictures, play games, do puzzles, etc. We will learn how to sleep again, how to have quite hour instead of naps, and how to have a conversation without play interrupting. I loved the play, and I will write more on that later, but I am glad to be done for a little while.
The house needs to be cleaned. Many people find spring to be a good cleaning time, but these crisp autumn days make me want to open the windows, throw stuff away, and give everything a good scrub down. So this week I am looking forward to indulging that desire with gusto. Maybe I can send the boys outside and do laundry, switch out summer clothes, tidy the house, organize the toys, vacuum, scrub, wipe down and reorganize the cupboards, and even wash the windows! I doubt I will really get all that much done, knowing the way life goes, but it a goal and wish.
I have writing, photos, and videos work to do. Some for the play, some for family, some for blog, some for fun. I have lists of things to write that I have been putting off because I haven't had the time. I have lesson plans and Sunday School plans to work on. And I need to write thank you notes and jot down thoughts and plans for future directors and drama folk.
So right now, daily life is looming large, but like the play, everything that needs to get done, will get done, just little bits now and little bits then and large chunks when I get the chance. Because the first priority for this week is to spend some quality time with my family. They have been so helpful and amazing and put up with a half-mommy/half-wife for long enough. We will read stories, draw pictures, play games, do puzzles, etc. We will learn how to sleep again, how to have quite hour instead of naps, and how to have a conversation without play interrupting. I loved the play, and I will write more on that later, but I am glad to be done for a little while.
Monday, September 22, 2014
Play Stuff
We are three weeks from performances and things are getting a little crazy. I don't have the help I thought I would have, and although so many people are willing, I feel bad asking the same people to do anymore. But we are all working together to make something really good.
At this point in the process, I am often not sure of the quality of our performance. But this year, I am pretty sure it will be a good play. Most all the lines are already memorized - we are completely off book. Characters are beginning to show, and with each added prop and costume piece, the students can see what I have been trying to get them to imagine from the start.
I am learning a lot about motivation though. Time and time again I have asked, how can I get these kids to get it. Then to find out they know exactly what I am looking for, and they can do it, if they want to. So now I am asking, how do I get them to "want to"? One student is motivated by minutes to end of rehearsal - he gets better if he knows that when he does it well, he can leave. Another is motivated by getting laughs. Another feeds off positive comments. But many of them, I don't know exactly what gets them going.
They are all so talented - such creativity and humor and energy. They are great kids to work with. I wish I could have more time with them so I am not just their director, but someone they can talk to and who will listen to their thoughts. With smaller groups and one on one, I try, but I am still the distant grown-up. It is a different role than I have had before, and it is a little odd to be seen as some one who will tell them what to do, rather than someone who comes along side and brings out the best in them. I am having a bit of trouble helping them understand that theater works a little different than a classroom. I wanted them to be a part of it because they, in themselves, have something to offer - to make the whole better.
My little boys are beginning to feel the stress of the play now too. I am feeling very stretched and pulled by all the things that need to be done and by their need for snuggles and attention. When I give my morning completely to them, it seems nothing gets done. But when I get things done, they don't sleep because they want cuddles. We almost had a balance, then Eamon got sick, now everything is out of wack, but Malcolm has almost slept through the night for the past few nights while I have been up with Eamon. Now we just need to get Eamon all better and maybe, just maybe, I will get some sleep again.
I have just a little bit more work to do before bed tonight - shopping list and menus for next week - then I need to take a look at my play to do list and figure out what has to happen tomorrow.
At this point in the process, I am often not sure of the quality of our performance. But this year, I am pretty sure it will be a good play. Most all the lines are already memorized - we are completely off book. Characters are beginning to show, and with each added prop and costume piece, the students can see what I have been trying to get them to imagine from the start.
I am learning a lot about motivation though. Time and time again I have asked, how can I get these kids to get it. Then to find out they know exactly what I am looking for, and they can do it, if they want to. So now I am asking, how do I get them to "want to"? One student is motivated by minutes to end of rehearsal - he gets better if he knows that when he does it well, he can leave. Another is motivated by getting laughs. Another feeds off positive comments. But many of them, I don't know exactly what gets them going.
They are all so talented - such creativity and humor and energy. They are great kids to work with. I wish I could have more time with them so I am not just their director, but someone they can talk to and who will listen to their thoughts. With smaller groups and one on one, I try, but I am still the distant grown-up. It is a different role than I have had before, and it is a little odd to be seen as some one who will tell them what to do, rather than someone who comes along side and brings out the best in them. I am having a bit of trouble helping them understand that theater works a little different than a classroom. I wanted them to be a part of it because they, in themselves, have something to offer - to make the whole better.
My little boys are beginning to feel the stress of the play now too. I am feeling very stretched and pulled by all the things that need to be done and by their need for snuggles and attention. When I give my morning completely to them, it seems nothing gets done. But when I get things done, they don't sleep because they want cuddles. We almost had a balance, then Eamon got sick, now everything is out of wack, but Malcolm has almost slept through the night for the past few nights while I have been up with Eamon. Now we just need to get Eamon all better and maybe, just maybe, I will get some sleep again.
I have just a little bit more work to do before bed tonight - shopping list and menus for next week - then I need to take a look at my play to do list and figure out what has to happen tomorrow.
Saturday, September 06, 2014
Some Recent Photos
I thought it was time for a photo post.
The weekend the play rehearsals started, we took a family trip to Clyde Peeling's Reptileland. We wanted to do a zoo trip of some sort and decided on Reptileland after seeing a friends pictures of dinosaurs.
The boys enjoyed seeing the different animals. The American Alligator feeding was especially significant for Eamon. Since then, he occasionally crawls around pushing his head along the ground. I asked him if he could possibly go a little faster, and he informed me that he was a crocodile, so no he couldn't.
Malcolm pointed at everything, but liked the butterfly house best. I think his little pointer finger stayed out the entire time.
When we walked into the dinosaur part, Eamon was a little nervous. We tried to explain to him that they were not real, but he was still scared. We made him touch one to see that it felt just like his toy dinosaurs. Then he had a lot more fun.
He was still a little intimidated by the Gigantasaurous, which if we did our math correctly, the model is actually closer to the size of a Tyranasaurous Rex and the Gigantasaurous would have been 2-3 times bigger.
We all had an enjoyable time, though the trip home proved to be longer than we expected since we ran into Little League World Series traffic. But it all turned out OK and the boys did really well in spite of being exhausted and hungry.
Do you see those little feet? Eamon was hiding because he didn't want Malcolm to play with the toy he had. That is our front door mat. I was a little grossed out because of how dirty it was, but I laughed at the effectiveness of his hiding place.
Malcolm saw Eamon put the lion sticker on his head, so, of course, Malcolm wanted it on his own head. This was taken the night he learned to walk! I have some video, but not edited yet.
And finally, we found "Henry the Explorer" books in the library, so Eamon plays Henry every now and again. He has his sleeping bag, his backpack, and his flag, ready to find new discoveries. The lean-to is his quilt from Aunt Mary Kathryn, pinned to a tension rod, stuck in our hallway.
The weekend the play rehearsals started, we took a family trip to Clyde Peeling's Reptileland. We wanted to do a zoo trip of some sort and decided on Reptileland after seeing a friends pictures of dinosaurs.
Wednesday, September 03, 2014
10 Books
Going around Facebook is this: "List in your status 10 books that have stayed with you in some way. Don't take more than a few minutes and do not think too hard. They do not have to be the 'right' books or great works of literature, just ones that have affected you in some way."
I've been tagged twice, and I have mulled over the question since I first saw it on Facebook. But I am terrible at these sorts of lists because there is so much more I want to say. And that is what a blog is for, is it not? First, I am re-wording the question: "What 10 books or series have you been conscious of their effect on your life?"
1. The Bible, specifically the books of Psalms, Esther, Galatians, John and 1 John. I felt that I had to include this because the Bible has shaped not only my choices, but my parents and grandparents choices, which have in turned shaped my life in more ways than I can even comprehend.
2. "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S.Lewis, specifically The Horse and His Boy, specifically the part where Shasta meets the Lion on the pass. I can understand it intellectually, but this story has helped me know with my life what it means to be loved by God and for Him to desire a relationship with us. However, I still find myself realizing, "oh, I think that because of ... in Narnia" so these books have played a huge part in shaping my rational and imaginative mind.
3. "The Great Divorce" by C.S.Lewis, specifically the scene with the salamander on the guys shoulder. I understood this because of the story of Amanda's Dragon from Tales of the Kingdom (see 6) It has also given me the freedom to ask questions and not be satisfied with the answers I know.
4. "Till We Have Faces" by C.S.Lewis. I don't exactly know how this book has changed my life, but it threw my mind for such a turn that I don't think I could have been the same person if I hadn't read it.
5. "The Time Trilogy" by Madeline L'Engle. I limited it to the Time Triology, but really all the books I have ever read by Madeline L'Engle have challenged and shaped the way I think about things, whether it is the integration of science, fiction, and Christianity, or life and death, or the way our history influences us. In fact, probably the reason I put the Bible as #1 was due in part to L'Engle's influence.
6. "The Tales of the Kingdom" Series by David and Karen Maines, specifically the story of Thespia. Amanda loving a forbidden thing and Dirty being loved and everyone becoming Real when they enter the Sacred Flames have also been pretty significant.
7. "Heidi" by Joanna Spyri. This book started the journey of integrating Faith with all of life.
8. "Let's Start with Jesus" by Dennis Kinlaw. Perhaps all my presuppositions were challenged and reshaped while reading this book. Some of it had to do with life situations at the same time, some of it because of the conversations it fueled. Those questions that Lewis and L'Engle had planted in my mind had some place to go rather than just getting stuck in my head.
9. The Works of Shakespeare, especially Much Ado About Nothing, which taught me to enjoy Shakespeare and As You Like It, though this is kind of cheating because it wasn't the reading of the play, but the performance of it that changed my life forever. Merchant of Venice challenges me to love in radical ways. Hamlet challenges me to listen and forgive. Macbeth fuels my imagination. I could go on, but I won't.
10. "The Singing Tree" by Kate Seredy. I read this book 10 times in about 6 years. I still love the characters and I want to be a tree like the singing tree - a safe place where people can rest and sing their song before they face the hardship of the world again.
Honorable Mentions go to Les Miserables, though I discovered its power through the musical first, Crime and Punishment which is an amazing story and made all the stuff I learned in Philosophy classes make sense. I would also like to mention Anne of Green Gables because of the community that formed while reading it. There were a bunch of us girls reading it at the same time and we compared notes and talked about it quite a bit. And finally, Elizabeth Yates' books "The Journeyman," "Hue and Cry" and "The Next Fine Day," all continued the challenges to listen, to look for beauty, and to find connections between everything.
What books have changed your life?
I've been tagged twice, and I have mulled over the question since I first saw it on Facebook. But I am terrible at these sorts of lists because there is so much more I want to say. And that is what a blog is for, is it not? First, I am re-wording the question: "What 10 books or series have you been conscious of their effect on your life?"
1. The Bible, specifically the books of Psalms, Esther, Galatians, John and 1 John. I felt that I had to include this because the Bible has shaped not only my choices, but my parents and grandparents choices, which have in turned shaped my life in more ways than I can even comprehend.
2. "The Chronicles of Narnia" by C.S.Lewis, specifically The Horse and His Boy, specifically the part where Shasta meets the Lion on the pass. I can understand it intellectually, but this story has helped me know with my life what it means to be loved by God and for Him to desire a relationship with us. However, I still find myself realizing, "oh, I think that because of ... in Narnia" so these books have played a huge part in shaping my rational and imaginative mind.
3. "The Great Divorce" by C.S.Lewis, specifically the scene with the salamander on the guys shoulder. I understood this because of the story of Amanda's Dragon from Tales of the Kingdom (see 6) It has also given me the freedom to ask questions and not be satisfied with the answers I know.
4. "Till We Have Faces" by C.S.Lewis. I don't exactly know how this book has changed my life, but it threw my mind for such a turn that I don't think I could have been the same person if I hadn't read it.
5. "The Time Trilogy" by Madeline L'Engle. I limited it to the Time Triology, but really all the books I have ever read by Madeline L'Engle have challenged and shaped the way I think about things, whether it is the integration of science, fiction, and Christianity, or life and death, or the way our history influences us. In fact, probably the reason I put the Bible as #1 was due in part to L'Engle's influence.
6. "The Tales of the Kingdom" Series by David and Karen Maines, specifically the story of Thespia. Amanda loving a forbidden thing and Dirty being loved and everyone becoming Real when they enter the Sacred Flames have also been pretty significant.
7. "Heidi" by Joanna Spyri. This book started the journey of integrating Faith with all of life.
8. "Let's Start with Jesus" by Dennis Kinlaw. Perhaps all my presuppositions were challenged and reshaped while reading this book. Some of it had to do with life situations at the same time, some of it because of the conversations it fueled. Those questions that Lewis and L'Engle had planted in my mind had some place to go rather than just getting stuck in my head.
9. The Works of Shakespeare, especially Much Ado About Nothing, which taught me to enjoy Shakespeare and As You Like It, though this is kind of cheating because it wasn't the reading of the play, but the performance of it that changed my life forever. Merchant of Venice challenges me to love in radical ways. Hamlet challenges me to listen and forgive. Macbeth fuels my imagination. I could go on, but I won't.
10. "The Singing Tree" by Kate Seredy. I read this book 10 times in about 6 years. I still love the characters and I want to be a tree like the singing tree - a safe place where people can rest and sing their song before they face the hardship of the world again.
Honorable Mentions go to Les Miserables, though I discovered its power through the musical first, Crime and Punishment which is an amazing story and made all the stuff I learned in Philosophy classes make sense. I would also like to mention Anne of Green Gables because of the community that formed while reading it. There were a bunch of us girls reading it at the same time and we compared notes and talked about it quite a bit. And finally, Elizabeth Yates' books "The Journeyman," "Hue and Cry" and "The Next Fine Day," all continued the challenges to listen, to look for beauty, and to find connections between everything.
What books have changed your life?
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Saving Mr. Banks
I finally watched Saving Mr. Banks. I enjoyed it and found it very insightful without being heavy handed. Again I was delighted by Emma Thompson's acting. And inspired to reread Mary Poppins.
What was the movie about? The movie begs the question who was she really trying to save and what was she trying to save he/she from. Was she trying to save her character's reputation? Was she trying to save herself from mundane living? Was she trying to save her father from loosing his job, from dying, from his own alcoholism? Or perhaps it is all of the above. Her journey seemed to take her through all these, and we see her deal with the grief that she has carried through her entire life. The grief that she cannot, nor can anyone, make a life that is always happily ever after.
Her response to this grief is to control everyone and everything in her life, even so far as to create a story life where she can control everything. She will not let anyone close to her, but instead prefers to control their interactions with her. She seems to fear vulnerability and when people try to interact with her as an equal, she almost seems to delight in making them feel inferior.
It sounded like someone else I knew. Not that she was quite so extreme in her control, but someone who felt out of control so she held onto everything she could control harder. Someone who made up stories for herself, so that she could be the one who fixed everything. Someone who found a certain delight in making others feel inferior. She sounded a lot like me.
My control freakishness doesn't come out in the same way, but it is there and I struggle with it often. I don't like to be vulnerable and I often slip into feeling when things go wrong, I am at fault. Praise God, I don't do it as often as I used to. He is showing more and more of his love and acceptance of me, so I don't have to feel like I need to be in control so much, but I saw so much of my journey from being super controlling to being less controlling in P L Traver's journey.
But she let go of her story. She let Mr Disney "make a mess of it." She was tired of fighting. I can relate to that to. I know the struggle to let other people make a mess of my carefully thought through plans. I know the fear that if I don't control everything, everything will turn out poorly, and the sense of responsibility for the outcome of my world. But I also know the relief that comes with letting it all go. The acceptance that I did my part, but I am not, nor do I need to be, in control any longer.
So like Mrs. Travers, I am learning that it is better to love and be in relationships than to ensure a perfect world by controlling everyone and everything.
What was the movie about? The movie begs the question who was she really trying to save and what was she trying to save he/she from. Was she trying to save her character's reputation? Was she trying to save herself from mundane living? Was she trying to save her father from loosing his job, from dying, from his own alcoholism? Or perhaps it is all of the above. Her journey seemed to take her through all these, and we see her deal with the grief that she has carried through her entire life. The grief that she cannot, nor can anyone, make a life that is always happily ever after.
Her response to this grief is to control everyone and everything in her life, even so far as to create a story life where she can control everything. She will not let anyone close to her, but instead prefers to control their interactions with her. She seems to fear vulnerability and when people try to interact with her as an equal, she almost seems to delight in making them feel inferior.
It sounded like someone else I knew. Not that she was quite so extreme in her control, but someone who felt out of control so she held onto everything she could control harder. Someone who made up stories for herself, so that she could be the one who fixed everything. Someone who found a certain delight in making others feel inferior. She sounded a lot like me.
My control freakishness doesn't come out in the same way, but it is there and I struggle with it often. I don't like to be vulnerable and I often slip into feeling when things go wrong, I am at fault. Praise God, I don't do it as often as I used to. He is showing more and more of his love and acceptance of me, so I don't have to feel like I need to be in control so much, but I saw so much of my journey from being super controlling to being less controlling in P L Traver's journey.
But she let go of her story. She let Mr Disney "make a mess of it." She was tired of fighting. I can relate to that to. I know the struggle to let other people make a mess of my carefully thought through plans. I know the fear that if I don't control everything, everything will turn out poorly, and the sense of responsibility for the outcome of my world. But I also know the relief that comes with letting it all go. The acceptance that I did my part, but I am not, nor do I need to be, in control any longer.
So like Mrs. Travers, I am learning that it is better to love and be in relationships than to ensure a perfect world by controlling everyone and everything.
Wednesday, August 20, 2014
Play Season
The play season has started; in fact, the first week is over. We have had four rehearsals and have blocked about half the play.
Because of the play, my blog might become a bit of a desert. It isn't that I am not thinking about things, but I am taking longer to edit those thoughts because I have other thoughts distracting me. And my adorable boys are growing and learning and being adorable, but I don't always remember to take a picture.
So I will try to post weekly, but if I don't, try visiting again after Oct 11, and I will begin to get caught up again.
Because of the play, my blog might become a bit of a desert. It isn't that I am not thinking about things, but I am taking longer to edit those thoughts because I have other thoughts distracting me. And my adorable boys are growing and learning and being adorable, but I don't always remember to take a picture.
So I will try to post weekly, but if I don't, try visiting again after Oct 11, and I will begin to get caught up again.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
Malcolm is One!
My baby is one year old! I can hardly believe it has been a year.
But he is still my little baby and gives the sweetest cuddles and smiles.
The Thursday before his birthday, we had is birthday meal at my parents - pizza and a monkey cake. When he saw the cake with the candle in it, he burst into tears. But he was comforted by being able to eat the cake. He couldn't figure out how to get it into his mouth at first, but after a few attempts at eating it like a dog, he grabbed fistfuls and enjoyed the full experience of his cake.
On his birthday we went to a nearby park. The boys had a wonderful time, though it seems that Malcolm might have some environmental allergies. His eyes were red and watery.
Since then, he keeps doing things that surprise me. For instance today it sounded like he said helicopter after we watched one fly over our house and Eamon and I talked about it. He wants to eat whatever is on my plate, and he wants to feed it to himself too. He is on the border of walking, but just doesn't want to try it on his own.
But he is still my little baby and gives the sweetest cuddles and smiles.
Friday, August 08, 2014
Story Continued
"We got the Skeeter. Any sign of the Arial?" The voice of another SF joined in.
Gonzalo scanned the skyline, then briefly glanced down at the construction site. A flash of blue green caught his eye. "Arial sighted." The mind-controlling SF had seen it too. He was calculating the coordinates to tell the SFs in the overlook, as Gonzalo watched its beautiful lithe body weaving in and around the unfinished building. Its iridescence unable to blend in with the tan and brown of the building materials. The head and arms were almost human, but at its waist its body became long and snake-like. As a child Gonzalo had often watched them fly and had tried to imitate some of their movements to aid his own flight patterns, and his former fascination kept him spellbound.
Suddenly, another movement caught his eye. The Binugs were conglomerating. He was about to convey the message to the overlook when one hurled a brick at the Arial. Unsuspecting such an attack, the Arial was unable to avoid the projectile. The brick hit its head and the creature went limp. Hardly knowing what he did, Gonzalo flew to it and wrapped his arms around its shoulders, supporting its head.
Its eyes were closed and blood was oozing from a gash across its forehead. But as it felt his touch, it opened its eyes. Confusion, then wonder, flashed across its face. It smiled and breathed out, "Zalo! how did you...? You were always there." The eyes flickered shut again and its breathing stopped.
Gonzalo scanned the skyline, then briefly glanced down at the construction site. A flash of blue green caught his eye. "Arial sighted." The mind-controlling SF had seen it too. He was calculating the coordinates to tell the SFs in the overlook, as Gonzalo watched its beautiful lithe body weaving in and around the unfinished building. Its iridescence unable to blend in with the tan and brown of the building materials. The head and arms were almost human, but at its waist its body became long and snake-like. As a child Gonzalo had often watched them fly and had tried to imitate some of their movements to aid his own flight patterns, and his former fascination kept him spellbound.
Suddenly, another movement caught his eye. The Binugs were conglomerating. He was about to convey the message to the overlook when one hurled a brick at the Arial. Unsuspecting such an attack, the Arial was unable to avoid the projectile. The brick hit its head and the creature went limp. Hardly knowing what he did, Gonzalo flew to it and wrapped his arms around its shoulders, supporting its head.
Its eyes were closed and blood was oozing from a gash across its forehead. But as it felt his touch, it opened its eyes. Confusion, then wonder, flashed across its face. It smiled and breathed out, "Zalo! how did you...? You were always there." The eyes flickered shut again and its breathing stopped.
Monday, August 04, 2014
Trees and Ocean
But I realized that something else does the same thing. I took Eamon and Malcolm to a park with big trees all around. It had been a crazy day and I was feeling a bit on edge, but being among the trees, I felt myself relaxing and my frayed nerves smoothing themselves out. I didn't have time to just sit. It was a park after all and little boys need to be chased and caught and tickled and pushed on the swing.
A few days later I was at my parents house and had a few minutes to sit and look at their trees, and the same thing happened. It was so green, so calm, so alive and beautiful.
Someday I hope to live among trees, or by the ocean, or both.
Thursday, July 31, 2014
100 Words: Analysis
This is the last day of my challenge. I missed 5 days, double posted at least twice, and did extra long posts to make up missed days. But my challenge was to write more often and I am definitely pleased with the result. I learned some things along the way too.
1. When I write a lot, I have a lot of stuff that isn't really great, but things that I am really proud of come more often than when I don't write at all or write very little.
2. When I write every day, it feels like I actually have something to say, like my thoughts might matter to more than myself and my immediate sphere of influence.
3. I have something to think about all day long. I often begin planning a post in the morning as I think about things, so that by the time I sit down and write, I have already worked out a lot of what I am going to say.
4. I have lots of ideas for future posts and series and reviews. Now I have to figure out if I want to start organizing posts more, like Mommy Monday, YouTube Tuesday, Story Wednesday, Thoughts Thursday, Five Photo Friday, et cetera. But there is part of me that likes the informal, write what I am thinking about style too.
5. I have also thought about expanding my readership and if I really want to do that and how I could do that and how to encourage commenting and how to interact with readers and such.
So what did you think of the 100 Words Challenge? Did you do it? Did you like it? What would you like to see more of on this blog (Dad, I don't know what else to call it; any suggestions?)? I would really appreciate hearing what you thought of this challenge and this blog, or if you think about it at all. Thanks.
1. When I write a lot, I have a lot of stuff that isn't really great, but things that I am really proud of come more often than when I don't write at all or write very little.
2. When I write every day, it feels like I actually have something to say, like my thoughts might matter to more than myself and my immediate sphere of influence.
3. I have something to think about all day long. I often begin planning a post in the morning as I think about things, so that by the time I sit down and write, I have already worked out a lot of what I am going to say.
4. I have lots of ideas for future posts and series and reviews. Now I have to figure out if I want to start organizing posts more, like Mommy Monday, YouTube Tuesday, Story Wednesday, Thoughts Thursday, Five Photo Friday, et cetera. But there is part of me that likes the informal, write what I am thinking about style too.
5. I have also thought about expanding my readership and if I really want to do that and how I could do that and how to encourage commenting and how to interact with readers and such.
So what did you think of the 100 Words Challenge? Did you do it? Did you like it? What would you like to see more of on this blog (Dad, I don't know what else to call it; any suggestions?)? I would really appreciate hearing what you thought of this challenge and this blog, or if you think about it at all. Thanks.
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
100 Words: Story Continued
(encounter from previous post)
The SF ahead of him must be taking his time because Gonzalo could see him and watch his patrol. He flew with a swagger - perhaps more confidence than a particular way of moving - it was obvious to anyone who saw him that he wouldn't let anything get in his way. Gonzalo wondered how well he was actually watching the Binugs when one of them picked up a stone and took aim at the SF. With a swift dive and kick, the SF knocked the stone out of the Binug's hand and backed off, signaling that he wasn't going take trouble, but didn't want to cause it either.
Gonzalo blinked and shook his head. The SF was back in position. Had something just happened? What was it? He cautiously reached out with his mind to the Binug who was standing glaring at them, but there was a confused silence. Then came a shock to his own mind and he found himself briefly staring into the face of the SF ahead of him who had turned around for a moment. Gonzalo flinched and looked away, scanning the area as he had done millions of times before, falling back into his patrol mode. He would think more and try to remember once he was back in his pod. Mind Control was nothing new to him, but he had never seen it used like that by a SF.
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
Update instead of 100 Words
So it has been a little hard the past few days to write. I feel like I ran out of things to say, but I have also been rather busy. Yesterday my grandmother spent the day with us. It was very nice and she only got really confused for a little bit. I made it a baking day, so there was always some thing for her to do, whether it was chop up some walnuts or refill the flour container. She was so pleasant and we had fragments of conversations as she tried to remember things and I told her about the boys.
Malcolm was a little worried by her, until she fed him her cookie. Then he wanted her all the time and even fussed when she and my dad left. Eamon warmed to her too, except he was very disappointed that we didn't get to walk to the park because she was there (and because it rained).
Today we went to the library program down the road. Eamon hasn't liked this in the past because there are so many people, but this time, he did really well. Although he wanted me nearby, he was ok if I wasn't holding on to him and he even walked to the reading circle by himself. He loves making things, as long as his hands don't get too messy, so he enjoyed using the glue stick today. He wore his fire hat and fire boots which got lots of comments, and even an invitation to visit a firehouse.
He is still not very good at independent play, but he is getting better. He wants very much to read and write, and thinks he can, so we have started "school" where we practice coloring in the lines and learning to write the letter E. He tries to do it by himself, but he prefers if I hold on to his hand and help him. Again "the I want help until I can do it right" trait is showing itself. He recognizes quite a few letters. Today he asked for an a, so I wrote a capital A and told him what it was, but he said, "No, Mommy, that isn't in my name." Then I wrote a lower case a and that satisfied him.
The other day I caught Eamon reading to Malcolm. It didn't last long, but it was very sweet to hear his little voice saying the nursery rhymes and see Malcolm listening.
Malcolm is growing and growing. When he gets enough sleep, he is a very pleasant and happy little boy. I have been enjoying whenever I sit on the floor, he gets a book and crawls into my lap. There are two books that whenever he finds them, he will come to me and ask to read them. Today he started begging to be held. He gets up on his knees and reaches up while making "pity me" faces and whimpers. It is incredibly hard to resist his requests, though he seems to want it most while I am making supper. Thomas and I were talking about how Malcolm doesn't have one thing that he just loves, but has lots of things he likes. He likes music - especially vocal music; he likes cars and trucks and trains; he likes books about animals and nursery rhymes; he likes destroying things - ripping paper, pulling apart books, getting things out (and sometimes putting them back); and he enjoys talking with and smiling at people.
He also likes being a big boy. He refuses to eat baby food now, and is quite determined to eat whatever we are eating. So last night he had enchiladas and tonight he had pizza. He still nurses approximately every 6 hours, but is drinking water and getting most of his nutrients from "grown-up food." He has four teeth and two more so close to breaking through. I saw nubs for two more today, so we take whatever breaks from teething to get a good night's sleep. They seem to sometimes give him so much pain he just cries and can't sleep unless we give him ibuprofen.
So that is our update for now. I know it is too long for my challenge, but I can't seem to give a good update in just 100 words, so I am altering the rules, because I made them.
Malcolm was a little worried by her, until she fed him her cookie. Then he wanted her all the time and even fussed when she and my dad left. Eamon warmed to her too, except he was very disappointed that we didn't get to walk to the park because she was there (and because it rained).
Today we went to the library program down the road. Eamon hasn't liked this in the past because there are so many people, but this time, he did really well. Although he wanted me nearby, he was ok if I wasn't holding on to him and he even walked to the reading circle by himself. He loves making things, as long as his hands don't get too messy, so he enjoyed using the glue stick today. He wore his fire hat and fire boots which got lots of comments, and even an invitation to visit a firehouse.
He is still not very good at independent play, but he is getting better. He wants very much to read and write, and thinks he can, so we have started "school" where we practice coloring in the lines and learning to write the letter E. He tries to do it by himself, but he prefers if I hold on to his hand and help him. Again "the I want help until I can do it right" trait is showing itself. He recognizes quite a few letters. Today he asked for an a, so I wrote a capital A and told him what it was, but he said, "No, Mommy, that isn't in my name." Then I wrote a lower case a and that satisfied him.
The other day I caught Eamon reading to Malcolm. It didn't last long, but it was very sweet to hear his little voice saying the nursery rhymes and see Malcolm listening.
Malcolm is growing and growing. When he gets enough sleep, he is a very pleasant and happy little boy. I have been enjoying whenever I sit on the floor, he gets a book and crawls into my lap. There are two books that whenever he finds them, he will come to me and ask to read them. Today he started begging to be held. He gets up on his knees and reaches up while making "pity me" faces and whimpers. It is incredibly hard to resist his requests, though he seems to want it most while I am making supper. Thomas and I were talking about how Malcolm doesn't have one thing that he just loves, but has lots of things he likes. He likes music - especially vocal music; he likes cars and trucks and trains; he likes books about animals and nursery rhymes; he likes destroying things - ripping paper, pulling apart books, getting things out (and sometimes putting them back); and he enjoys talking with and smiling at people.
He also likes being a big boy. He refuses to eat baby food now, and is quite determined to eat whatever we are eating. So last night he had enchiladas and tonight he had pizza. He still nurses approximately every 6 hours, but is drinking water and getting most of his nutrients from "grown-up food." He has four teeth and two more so close to breaking through. I saw nubs for two more today, so we take whatever breaks from teething to get a good night's sleep. They seem to sometimes give him so much pain he just cries and can't sleep unless we give him ibuprofen.
So that is our update for now. I know it is too long for my challenge, but I can't seem to give a good update in just 100 words, so I am altering the rules, because I made them.
Sunday, July 27, 2014
100 Words: Rest
It all started a week ago when Eamon threw a fit at breakfast Sunday morning and we realized he had a fever. We had thought Malcolm's crying just teething and fatigue, but so we checked him and found that he too had a fever. When I got the fever on Wednesday I realized why they were so miserable. Nothing in particular hurt, but everything was awful. So we had a week of tears, trials, and tempers.
It was a rough week. Many days Eamon would tell me, "Mommy, I'm having a bad day," and "Mommy, take care of me." Malcolm wanted to be held pretty much all the time, especially when Eamon was being held. Fortunately, both boys did take really good naps, so I was able to sleep in the afternoon too.
But on top of the illness, there are plenty of things that unsettle my heart. From disobedience and defiance, to planning and re-planning, to compassionate worries and concerns. Today I needed rest. And God is providing it in little bits and pieces. We had an outside service and picnic which was so pleasant. We got to talk with some of our friends and Eamon got to play with their girls and has been talking about them all evening. Eamon enjoyed the "excavator park" but didn't throw a fit when we had to leave. I got the dishes done while Thomas read to me. I got to learn and research a bit about amazing animals tonight. And now I am going to read a play before I go to bed.
Rest is not just lack of activity, or an activity that I enjoy, but it seems to me to be an attitude or state of being. I want to take it with me into this next week and see how much I get done while I am resting.
Friday, July 25, 2014
100 Words: Immanuel
As I lay on the couch with a sick child on me, I started to sing. The song that first came to mind was:
God is with us. He is not far away. He is not aloof. He is not dead. God is with us. He relates to us. He speaks with us, comforts us, and understands what it is like to go through the things we experience. But he also strengthens and encourages and makes us better - more like Him - so he can be revealed in us.
God is revealed in us. What a scary and beautiful thought. It is scary because I can be such a bad reflector. But what a beautiful thought because that doesn't matter to him. He will shine through shattered pottery and broken vessels. He will speak through stammering lips and stuttering tongues. He will be seen in hurting and confidence. And he will take those broken things and make them whole and new and lovely.
He is Immanuel - God with us, revealed in us.
Immanuel,The middle two lines stuck in my head and replayed themselves for the next few days. God with us, God revealed in us. There is the heart of the Incarnation, the Resurrection, Pentecost, and the entirety of the Gospel.
Immanuel,
His Name is called
Immanuel,
God with us,
Revealed in us,
His Name is called,
Immanuel
God is with us. He is not far away. He is not aloof. He is not dead. God is with us. He relates to us. He speaks with us, comforts us, and understands what it is like to go through the things we experience. But he also strengthens and encourages and makes us better - more like Him - so he can be revealed in us.
God is revealed in us. What a scary and beautiful thought. It is scary because I can be such a bad reflector. But what a beautiful thought because that doesn't matter to him. He will shine through shattered pottery and broken vessels. He will speak through stammering lips and stuttering tongues. He will be seen in hurting and confidence. And he will take those broken things and make them whole and new and lovely.
He is Immanuel - God with us, revealed in us.
Thursday, July 24, 2014
100 Words: Teaser 4
Every 5 minutes another SF began the hour long patrol, then a 30 minute on-call in the overlook, in case there were any flare-ups and the patrolmen needed back-up, then another patrol. This sort of patrol tended to be very tedious and usually turned into a SF competition of who was more intimidating by their presence, and who would get fooled our out witted by the Binugs or the other SF's. Gonzalo grit his teeth as he began his round; he tended not to be intimidating, but he usually saw through tricks and could get a sense something was going on before anything broke out. He was a good SF and usually earned the respect of his peers.
(There is a early confrontation with a Binug, but I haven't figured it out yet)
By the third patrol, he could sense the Binugs were getting restless. Nothing had happened yet, but there was tension in the air. All the SF's could feel it and were just waiting for all hell to break loose. The SF's were beginning to talk over their headsets; they knew they would have to work together to quell any uprising, and the competition sense was gone.
"A Skeeter just broke our defense line. It looks like he was chasing an Arial!" The patrolling SF had a tinge of panic in his voice. A disruption like that was all the Binugs would need to start a fight.
(There is a early confrontation with a Binug, but I haven't figured it out yet)
By the third patrol, he could sense the Binugs were getting restless. Nothing had happened yet, but there was tension in the air. All the SF's could feel it and were just waiting for all hell to break loose. The SF's were beginning to talk over their headsets; they knew they would have to work together to quell any uprising, and the competition sense was gone.
"A Skeeter just broke our defense line. It looks like he was chasing an Arial!" The patrolling SF had a tinge of panic in his voice. A disruption like that was all the Binugs would need to start a fight.
100 Words: Feverish Thoughts
(Wednesday's Post)
I had a dream about finding a thermometer that we have been missing since our trip to Maine. I can't remember which bag I put it in and haven't unpacked it yet. But I also can't remember where I found it in the dream. I just know that when I woke up only to realize that I hadn't really found the thermometer, I was a little disappointed.
Eamon pulled apart a toy vacuum cleaner that we have. The bottom half is his lawn mower. The top half is his "Slyfotter" (Fly swatter) and the little balls inside are the "germs." (He is not allowed to play with the fly swatters because of the germs on them.) We had to persuade him only to swat flies that landed on cushions for fear of broken glass, walls, brothers, etc.
When I was at the Library with the boys, the Librarian commented that it looked like I could use 5 hands. I immediately thought, "What if for every child, the mother grew another arm?" It would revolutionize fashion, but as Thomas pointed out, consider the musical implications. "This piece of music was written for organ, played by a mother of 6 (8 hands)."
Oh, and by the way, my fever is gone now and although I still have an occasional sore throat, I am feeling much better.
I had a dream about finding a thermometer that we have been missing since our trip to Maine. I can't remember which bag I put it in and haven't unpacked it yet. But I also can't remember where I found it in the dream. I just know that when I woke up only to realize that I hadn't really found the thermometer, I was a little disappointed.Eamon pulled apart a toy vacuum cleaner that we have. The bottom half is his lawn mower. The top half is his "Slyfotter" (Fly swatter) and the little balls inside are the "germs." (He is not allowed to play with the fly swatters because of the germs on them.) We had to persuade him only to swat flies that landed on cushions for fear of broken glass, walls, brothers, etc.
When I was at the Library with the boys, the Librarian commented that it looked like I could use 5 hands. I immediately thought, "What if for every child, the mother grew another arm?" It would revolutionize fashion, but as Thomas pointed out, consider the musical implications. "This piece of music was written for organ, played by a mother of 6 (8 hands)."
Oh, and by the way, my fever is gone now and although I still have an occasional sore throat, I am feeling much better.
Tuesday, July 22, 2014
100 Words: Fever
I don't like reading things about people being sick. It makes me start to overanalyze all my symptoms and worry about what I might have or might get. We really weren't that sick though, so I will tell you that we just had stuffy noses with a fever. This morning, I thought we are all done being sick, when I started feeling drained, only to realize I too have a fever. I guess it makes sense, when sick little boys sleep on you, give you kisses, stick their fingers in your mouth, sneeze all over your computer, etc.
So now I am curled up on the couch with my computer, drained but not wanting to go to sleep, warm and cold at the same time, and slightly fuzzy in the head. But I will post my 100 Words, and post one from yesterday because I will. And if they don't make sense and are a little rambly, I am sorry, but they make perfect sense to me right now.
Was that 100 words. I think so. I am done now.
So now I am curled up on the couch with my computer, drained but not wanting to go to sleep, warm and cold at the same time, and slightly fuzzy in the head. But I will post my 100 Words, and post one from yesterday because I will. And if they don't make sense and are a little rambly, I am sorry, but they make perfect sense to me right now.
Was that 100 words. I think so. I am done now.
Monday, July 21, 2014
100 Words: Teenage Brain
I have been thinking about this video for several days now. It is called The Teenage Brain Explained. He does talk about "hormones" but he explains that there is a lot more going on in the brain that hormones causing this stage called the Teenage Years.
What I found most interested was the fact that the brain does not finish developing until the mid-twentys. The last part of the brain to develop is the pre-frontal cortex, the rational/decision making part of the brain. Before it is fully developed, reactions, rather than being guided by rational thinking, are guided by gut emotions. That combined with a few other things that the prefrontal cortex does, like emotion recognition on the faces of other people, is often what I find to be most difficult to deal with in teenagers and early twenties.
Pardon me for sounding old, I feel it regularly, but I don't mean to be patronizing. I found it incredibly helpful to think that the teenager who just flounced out of my rehearsal probably is under some sort of misunderstanding, rather than me having done something horribly offensive. I can then analyze triggers for that individual and help them respond with more beneficial actions. Similiarly, when a teenager is acting like everything is stupid, they probably don't see the long term benefit of what I am explaining. Giving them a short term goal with an immediate reward might motivate them better, while I show them the long term benefits also.
I am not saying that we should cater to their whims or emotions, but realizing that they don't have the tools to respond differently does help my attitude in dealing with them. I am not saying high school and college students should not write rational papers, but that they need to be taught a lot of the basics of reasoning, beyond gut emotion. And they need to be shown what to do with that gut emotion. As he points out at the end of the video, "There is a lot of awesome energy floating around out there."
What I found most interested was the fact that the brain does not finish developing until the mid-twentys. The last part of the brain to develop is the pre-frontal cortex, the rational/decision making part of the brain. Before it is fully developed, reactions, rather than being guided by rational thinking, are guided by gut emotions. That combined with a few other things that the prefrontal cortex does, like emotion recognition on the faces of other people, is often what I find to be most difficult to deal with in teenagers and early twenties.
Pardon me for sounding old, I feel it regularly, but I don't mean to be patronizing. I found it incredibly helpful to think that the teenager who just flounced out of my rehearsal probably is under some sort of misunderstanding, rather than me having done something horribly offensive. I can then analyze triggers for that individual and help them respond with more beneficial actions. Similiarly, when a teenager is acting like everything is stupid, they probably don't see the long term benefit of what I am explaining. Giving them a short term goal with an immediate reward might motivate them better, while I show them the long term benefits also.
I am not saying that we should cater to their whims or emotions, but realizing that they don't have the tools to respond differently does help my attitude in dealing with them. I am not saying high school and college students should not write rational papers, but that they need to be taught a lot of the basics of reasoning, beyond gut emotion. And they need to be shown what to do with that gut emotion. As he points out at the end of the video, "There is a lot of awesome energy floating around out there."
Sunday, July 20, 2014
100 Words: Lines
I see your pictures on Facebook
Showing your children, your life
The food you cook, the books you read
A life not unlike mine.
Like parallel lines we live
Never intersecting but existing at the same time
Or was your life tangent to mine
Touching my life for a moment
Then moving on forever
Getting further away from our meeting point
With each day that passes?
I'm glad for the person you are now
So much stronger, more confident, more you
Have we grown so different that
Like two rays starting at the same point,
We are going in very different directions?
But could it be, perhaps
We might be meridians
Which met once and for a while seemed close
Will grow close, and even meet again,
Though for the moment we are far apart?
Showing your children, your life
The food you cook, the books you read
A life not unlike mine.
Like parallel lines we live
Never intersecting but existing at the same time
Or was your life tangent to mine
Touching my life for a moment
Then moving on forever
Getting further away from our meeting point
With each day that passes?
So much stronger, more confident, more you
Have we grown so different that
Like two rays starting at the same point,
We are going in very different directions?
But could it be, perhaps
We might be meridians
Which met once and for a while seemed close
Will grow close, and even meet again,
Though for the moment we are far apart?
Saturday, July 19, 2014
100 Words: Teaser 3
"How did a Pre-Cog like you end up on the Security Force?" Gonzalo wasn't quite ready to run off to his construction site shift.
"Well, my mom and dad were both Security Force Members back in the day, and you know what the SF thinks about Pre-Cogs, so I never said much about it. Besides, its not like I'm a real Pre-Cog. I don't see things, just get vague feelings."
"Well, your vague feelings have been right quite a few times."
"I wish they weren't though. Sometimes I would rather not know when bad things are going to happen." Kylie looked away. "Then I wouldn't worry so much."
Gonzalo glanced around to make people weren't watching, and quickly squeezed her hand. "It's ok. What did you feel about today?"
"Not much; just that we won't be bouldering and you could be in danger."
"No clue on what kind of danger?"
"None. But to be honest, I get that feeling about you a lot."
"Well, you know me, I'm a dangerous guy. Always taking risks and doing stupid stuff."
Kylie smiled. "You are the most cautious person I know. If I'm a Pre-Cog, you are a Telpy. You know stuff without being told. But I will agree that you are a dangerous guy. And if I hang out with you anymore, I will get in trouble... for being late." She was at the door to The Pathway that took people all over the city. "See you later, hopefully!"
"Bye, Kylie. Thanks for the heads up."
Gonzalo headed for the exit from the Hub that led down to the surface. At the Security Post, he and his fellow shift workers received his special flight suit that would allow him to patrol in a non-gravity area by flying or bounding around. At this sight, a huge apartment complex was being built. The construction workers were all Binugs. Their huge rhinoceros like faces stuck out of their suction suits that held them to the ground or whatever else the wanted to stick to. They were ugly and temperamental. The Central Government liked their strength for physical labors like construction, but didn't trust their tempers and always made sure there was plenty of Security Force around to quell any disruptions quickly.
"Well, my mom and dad were both Security Force Members back in the day, and you know what the SF thinks about Pre-Cogs, so I never said much about it. Besides, its not like I'm a real Pre-Cog. I don't see things, just get vague feelings."
"Well, your vague feelings have been right quite a few times."
"I wish they weren't though. Sometimes I would rather not know when bad things are going to happen." Kylie looked away. "Then I wouldn't worry so much."
Gonzalo glanced around to make people weren't watching, and quickly squeezed her hand. "It's ok. What did you feel about today?"
"Not much; just that we won't be bouldering and you could be in danger."
"No clue on what kind of danger?"
"None. But to be honest, I get that feeling about you a lot."
"Well, you know me, I'm a dangerous guy. Always taking risks and doing stupid stuff."
Kylie smiled. "You are the most cautious person I know. If I'm a Pre-Cog, you are a Telpy. You know stuff without being told. But I will agree that you are a dangerous guy. And if I hang out with you anymore, I will get in trouble... for being late." She was at the door to The Pathway that took people all over the city. "See you later, hopefully!"
"Bye, Kylie. Thanks for the heads up."
Gonzalo headed for the exit from the Hub that led down to the surface. At the Security Post, he and his fellow shift workers received his special flight suit that would allow him to patrol in a non-gravity area by flying or bounding around. At this sight, a huge apartment complex was being built. The construction workers were all Binugs. Their huge rhinoceros like faces stuck out of their suction suits that held them to the ground or whatever else the wanted to stick to. They were ugly and temperamental. The Central Government liked their strength for physical labors like construction, but didn't trust their tempers and always made sure there was plenty of Security Force around to quell any disruptions quickly.
Friday, July 18, 2014
100 Words: VBS
If I learned one thing from Vacation Bible School it is that I am not ready to go back to work. I hardly got anything done other than VBS lesson plans and cuddling boys. If I had to do that every day, I can only imagine how overwhelmed I would be all the time with everything that I have to do.
The boys are also not ready. Although they did fine in the nursery, and Eamon enjoyed it more and more throughout the week, the haven't slept well and kept waking in the night just wanting to make sure Mommy was near. It didn't help that Malcolm had a bad case of heat rash starting the week, as well as getting 3 teeth. I have either spent portions of the night not in bed, or with them in bed with me. I don't think any of us could handle that for long.
But as I was thinking about it tonight, I would miss them. They are already growing up so fast and they change so quickly that I wouldn't have time to get to know them and listen to them, cuddle them, read to them, look at them, watch them. I like having the time to devote so much time to them. With all the pressures of housework and things, I enjoy being able to put that aside to spend time with the boys.
So VBS was a really good experience. I love teaching and it gave me the opportunity to use those "muscles" again. And it showed me how good I have it now. It let me have a perspective check and helped me cherish these moments I have now.
The boys are also not ready. Although they did fine in the nursery, and Eamon enjoyed it more and more throughout the week, the haven't slept well and kept waking in the night just wanting to make sure Mommy was near. It didn't help that Malcolm had a bad case of heat rash starting the week, as well as getting 3 teeth. I have either spent portions of the night not in bed, or with them in bed with me. I don't think any of us could handle that for long.
But as I was thinking about it tonight, I would miss them. They are already growing up so fast and they change so quickly that I wouldn't have time to get to know them and listen to them, cuddle them, read to them, look at them, watch them. I like having the time to devote so much time to them. With all the pressures of housework and things, I enjoy being able to put that aside to spend time with the boys.
So VBS was a really good experience. I love teaching and it gave me the opportunity to use those "muscles" again. And it showed me how good I have it now. It let me have a perspective check and helped me cherish these moments I have now.
Thursday, July 17, 2014
Not 100 Words: VBS Week
I wrote a sketch for puppets on Tuesday. I have been doing lesson plans every night. Those 600+ words will have to do for this week, although I hope to be able to write tomorrow since I won't have anymore lesson plans to do.
Here is the sketch: "Do I have to Eat That?"
Here is the sketch: "Do I have to Eat That?"
Narrator: In the third year of the Reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzer king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. And the Lord delivered Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand. The king Nebuchadnezzer ordered Ashpenaz, chief of his court officials, to bring in some of the Israelites from the royal family and the nobility—young men without any physical defect, handsome, showing aptitude for every kind of learning, well informed, quick to understand, and qualified to serve in the kings palace. Among these were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, who were renamed Belteshazzar, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
(Enter Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego, and Daniel)
Shad: I really miss home.
Mesh: Me too. We were rich, had everything we needed, had slaves to serve us.
Abed: Now we are the slaves. And far away from our homes,
Shad: And our families,
Mesh: And our stuff,
Abed: And everything we once knew
Daniel: Except God. He is here with us.
Shad, Mesh, Abed: Except God.
(Enter Official)
Official: Here is your food, meat and wine, just offered to the pagan gods. Eat it and get their strength and favor.
Daniel: Excuse me sir, but we would rather not eat food that has been offered to other gods.
Official: Hmm, but if you don’t eat the food the king has ordered for you, I will lose my job.
Shad: Maybe we could eat something else?
Mesh: Maybe some vegetables?
Abed: And drink some water?
Official: But you won’t be as strong as the other young men from Israel. And I might lose my head.
Daniel: Please, can you give us a test? For ten days, let us eat nothing but vegetables and drink only water.
Abed: At the end of ten days, compare our appearance and health with the other young men
Mesh: The ones who eat and drink the food offered to the other gods
Shad: And then decide what would be better for us, based on what you see.
Official: Alright, for ten days.
(Exit Official)
Abed: Ooh vegetables! and water! Good thing I like those things.
Mesh: But what matters more is that we are obeying God.
Shad: What would we have done if he didn’t let us?
Daniel: God will always provide a way for his people to obey him.
Abed: Sometimes it means asking, like we did.
Mesh: And sometimes it means facing death.
Shad: Like maybe a fiery furnace,
Daniel: Or a lions’ den. I’m glad it was so easy this time. I wonder what God is teaching us?
(Enter Official)
Official: Role Call! Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego. (They enter as they are called, and stand at attention.) Ten days are up. Let me look at you. Wow. You look healthier than the other young men. Better nourished! Stronger! I’m impressed. That means you don’t have to eat the choice food and wine, but can have all the vegetables that you desire.
Narrator: At the end of their training time, God had blessed them. When King Nebuchadnezzer talked with them, he found none equal to Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, so they entered the kings service. In every matter of wisdom and understanding about which the king questioned them, he found them ten times better than all the magicians and enchanters in his whole kingdom.
And they did learn an important lesson because later Shadrach, Meshach, and Abenego did have to choose between obeying God and being put in a fiery furnace or disobeying God to obey the king. And Daniel had to choose between obeying God and being thrown to the lions or disobeying God and worshipping the king. But God always protected them and provided a way for them to obey Him.
Monday, July 14, 2014
100 Words: Be prepared
We have our morning routine down. It takes two hours to get out of the door, usually with a little time to read a book or two before breakfast.
So I planned for two hours to get out of the house this morning. We left a half-hour late. What happened? Well...
Little things really. I got myself ready, except for my hair. I had to make lunch for everybody, instead of just Thomas. Eamon dumped the puppets I had out for VBS all over the floor. Then dumped out all the little trinkets and craft stars that also happened to be in the box. Then he got into the incense and tried to wash his Silky in the bathroom sink. Then Malcolm woke up and when I changed his diaper, he peed all over my outfit and the floor. So I needed to clean him and the floor, and then change my clothes again.
I left 15 minutes after the time I had hoped to arrive at the church. I got there just in time to drop off the boys in nursery, and got things ready while my class was at "Base Camp"/music and skit time.
My opening activity was on being prepared. Oh, the irony.
So I planned for two hours to get out of the house this morning. We left a half-hour late. What happened? Well...
Little things really. I got myself ready, except for my hair. I had to make lunch for everybody, instead of just Thomas. Eamon dumped the puppets I had out for VBS all over the floor. Then dumped out all the little trinkets and craft stars that also happened to be in the box. Then he got into the incense and tried to wash his Silky in the bathroom sink. Then Malcolm woke up and when I changed his diaper, he peed all over my outfit and the floor. So I needed to clean him and the floor, and then change my clothes again.
I left 15 minutes after the time I had hoped to arrive at the church. I got there just in time to drop off the boys in nursery, and got things ready while my class was at "Base Camp"/music and skit time.
My opening activity was on being prepared. Oh, the irony.
Sunday, July 13, 2014
100 Words: Germany!
I called it four years ago. After watching Germany play in the 2010 World Cup, I guessed they would win this one. They had, and still have a good balance of youth and experience. They had, and still have excellent teamwork and technical skills. But I think what made me call it was the look on their faces after they won the third place game in 2010. What I remember is a look, not of depression or frustration, but of fierce determination on so many of their faces.
I must confess, when they crashed out of the Euros, I had my doubts. And there are plenty of players on the team that I am not particularly fond of. Neuer, Gotze, Lahm, Schweinsteiger... they all seem to have huge egos that they don't even try to hide under a facade of dignity or honor. On the other hand there are other players I really admire, especially Khedira and Klose. So I wasn't really cheering for them or against them, just watching to see how they would do.
And they exceeded my expectations. The game against the US showed us what we could do, and our loss by one goal seemed not so bad compared to the Brazil-Germany game. (As a side not, Klinsman has been credited as starting the trend that fueled Germanys rise to dominance, and now he is the US coach. My personal opinion is that he has and will continue to great things for US soccer.) The final was a tedious game, but it was all worth it when Gotze finally put the ball in the back of the net with a beautiful goal.
I don't have a call for the next World Cup. I didn't get to watch as many games this time, so I didn't get any vibes. But I am glad they only come around every four years. I don't think I want to watch so many penalty shootouts so close together for a while.
I must confess, when they crashed out of the Euros, I had my doubts. And there are plenty of players on the team that I am not particularly fond of. Neuer, Gotze, Lahm, Schweinsteiger... they all seem to have huge egos that they don't even try to hide under a facade of dignity or honor. On the other hand there are other players I really admire, especially Khedira and Klose. So I wasn't really cheering for them or against them, just watching to see how they would do.
And they exceeded my expectations. The game against the US showed us what we could do, and our loss by one goal seemed not so bad compared to the Brazil-Germany game. (As a side not, Klinsman has been credited as starting the trend that fueled Germanys rise to dominance, and now he is the US coach. My personal opinion is that he has and will continue to great things for US soccer.) The final was a tedious game, but it was all worth it when Gotze finally put the ball in the back of the net with a beautiful goal.
I don't have a call for the next World Cup. I didn't get to watch as many games this time, so I didn't get any vibes. But I am glad they only come around every four years. I don't think I want to watch so many penalty shootouts so close together for a while.
100 Words: Time Flies
"Friday's Post"
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like bananas...
One month from now Malcolm will be one year old. As I cleaned the house, I saw that I still have unpacking and organizing to do. It made me think how fast this year has gone by. Eamon came in August, September and October were taken up with getting settled with a new baby and packing up our house. November and December were unpacking and getting settled in a new house. January and February we were recovering from Alice's death. In March, I started thinking about summer plans and ruled out gardening this year in April. May, we went back to GA. June we went to Maine, and now it is July again. Where did the time go?
Recently the days have flown by too. I feel that I am always busy but never get anything done. And my list of things to do just gets longer. Maybe I am just getting old, or maybe I see more things to do, or maybe I am biting off more than I can chew, but time is flying by.
Sometime soon I need to stop and relax, think, recover, and plan, but not until I finish....
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like bananas...
One month from now Malcolm will be one year old. As I cleaned the house, I saw that I still have unpacking and organizing to do. It made me think how fast this year has gone by. Eamon came in August, September and October were taken up with getting settled with a new baby and packing up our house. November and December were unpacking and getting settled in a new house. January and February we were recovering from Alice's death. In March, I started thinking about summer plans and ruled out gardening this year in April. May, we went back to GA. June we went to Maine, and now it is July again. Where did the time go?
Recently the days have flown by too. I feel that I am always busy but never get anything done. And my list of things to do just gets longer. Maybe I am just getting old, or maybe I see more things to do, or maybe I am biting off more than I can chew, but time is flying by.
Sometime soon I need to stop and relax, think, recover, and plan, but not until I finish....
Thursday, July 10, 2014
100 Words: Ears
Tonight my ears are tired.
I drove a car that doesn't have air conditioning for 4 hours today. It was too hot to keep the windows shut for long, so I drove mostly backroads. When the windows were shut, I kept the fan on high. It is warm inside our house that we have the fans running in four windows. There is no where I can go without hearing that white noise whirr.
And my ears are tired.
The long for sweet silence. Or for song of peepers and cicadas. Or of wind in the trees. Or the ocean.
I am beginning to hear things in the rush of the fans. Is that a baby cry? A dog howl? Is Eamon talking? Did you call me?
My ears are tired.
I drove a car that doesn't have air conditioning for 4 hours today. It was too hot to keep the windows shut for long, so I drove mostly backroads. When the windows were shut, I kept the fan on high. It is warm inside our house that we have the fans running in four windows. There is no where I can go without hearing that white noise whirr.
And my ears are tired.
The long for sweet silence. Or for song of peepers and cicadas. Or of wind in the trees. Or the ocean.
I am beginning to hear things in the rush of the fans. Is that a baby cry? A dog howl? Is Eamon talking? Did you call me?
My ears are tired.
Wednesday, July 09, 2014
100 Words: Teaser 2
The Hub was the main terminal that connected the outside planet with a network of tunnels and roads which led all over the city. Inside and anything that connected directly to the network had Earth Gravity, but the planet itself had a very low gravitational pull.
He joined the line of his co-workers entering the Hub, nodding and signaling to some that he had previously worked with. The shifts and teams were always being mixed up so he rarely worked with the same people back to back, but it did allow everyone to recognize everyone else on the security force. Even so, there were groups that enjoyed working together more often. Kylie, Redbo, and Tif were discussing their days' assignments, and motioned to a place they held in the food line for him. "Hey, Gonzalo, where are you off to today?"
"I'm down at the hotel construction. A whole day of anti-gravity. I'll be glad to get back to the Hub at break."
"Me too. I'm over at the Waterworks today. You want to run down to the gym before next meal?" Tif was strong and a fast runner, and always ready to challenge anyone to keep up with her.
Gonzalo grinned, knowing he would be beat again, but he said, "Sure, maybe this time we should work on bouldering."
That caught Redbo's interest. "If you go bouldering, I might join you too."
"Fine, let's meet at the YAS Street Gym. They have the best rocks. You in Kylie?"
Kylie jumped as if she had been thinking of something else. "Sure, if we all make it back from our assignments."
"Are you being all morbid again, Kylie? Come on, we all have simple assignments today. No one is cause trouble." Tif laughed off Kylie's warning, grabbed her food packet and said over her shoulder, "See you at the Rocks!"
Redbo laughed, took his food, and followed her.
Kylie turned to Gonzalo. "Be careful today, Zalo."
Tuesday, July 08, 2014
100 Words: Camper Discipline 2
To say that I have it all together when it comes to discipline would be a stretch, if not a downright lie. However, I have a God who is great at making disciples, which is what camper discipline is all about. You see, God created us for relationships - a relationship with him, and relationships with others. And from the moment we are born, we are in places where relationships are important.
Of course our relationships with people are as different as the people we are in relationships with. I am Mom, Wife, Sister, Daughter, Sister-in-law, Daughter-in-law, Friend, Neighbor, Person who lives down the street, Person who shops here, Church Member, Teacher, Counselor, Person who I bounce ideas off, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And within those, my relationships are different. I relate differently with my brother's wife than I do my husbands sister, though I am sister-in-law to both. And I my relationship with each of my sons is different.
Having said that, there is a similarities in all of them. I want to show Christ in all my relationships. The love that he has shown me defines how I define every other relationship. So I will show love to my sons as Christ shows love to me, even if the practical expression is different for each of them.
So Camper Discipline, and all relationships, is about getting to know each person so that I can show them Christ's love in a way they can understand.
And I hope others will do the same for me, because I need to be reminded of God's love too.
Of course our relationships with people are as different as the people we are in relationships with. I am Mom, Wife, Sister, Daughter, Sister-in-law, Daughter-in-law, Friend, Neighbor, Person who lives down the street, Person who shops here, Church Member, Teacher, Counselor, Person who I bounce ideas off, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. And within those, my relationships are different. I relate differently with my brother's wife than I do my husbands sister, though I am sister-in-law to both. And I my relationship with each of my sons is different.
Having said that, there is a similarities in all of them. I want to show Christ in all my relationships. The love that he has shown me defines how I define every other relationship. So I will show love to my sons as Christ shows love to me, even if the practical expression is different for each of them.
So Camper Discipline, and all relationships, is about getting to know each person so that I can show them Christ's love in a way they can understand.
And I hope others will do the same for me, because I need to be reminded of God's love too.
Monday, July 07, 2014
100 Words: Recipe: Chicken BLT Salad
This isn't really a 100 Words post, but I don't have time to share this recipe and write another 100 words and work on everything else I need to and get to bed on time. So this will have to suffice.
I was inspired by this recipe from Betty Crocker, but altered it significantly. All measurements are approximate. I didn't use any measuring cups.
Cook 1 1/2 cup orzo according to the box. Drain and cool.
While orzo is cooking mix:
1 avacado
1 tomato
1 cup cooked and chopped chicken
3/4 cup sour cream
8 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 packet powered ranch dressing mix
Stir in cooled orzo and 2 cups ripped up lettuce.
Either serve immediately, or chill for later. Feeds Thomas, Eamon, and I with a lunch portion leftover.
I was inspired by this recipe from Betty Crocker, but altered it significantly. All measurements are approximate. I didn't use any measuring cups.
Cook 1 1/2 cup orzo according to the box. Drain and cool.
While orzo is cooking mix:
1 avacado
1 tomato
1 cup cooked and chopped chicken
3/4 cup sour cream
8 slices of cooked bacon, crumbled
1/2 packet powered ranch dressing mix
Stir in cooled orzo and 2 cups ripped up lettuce.
Either serve immediately, or chill for later. Feeds Thomas, Eamon, and I with a lunch portion leftover.
Sunday, July 06, 2014
100 Words: Camper Discipline 1
I am working on my Camper Discipline session again. Each year I do this, I feel like I know less and less about discipline and relationships and communication. I know my inadequacy, especially as I speak to my own kids in frustration. I think, how can I be the right person for this job - both of speaking on Camper Discipline as well as being a mom.
But I also love doing this session. I love focusing on what it means to make disciples. I am thankful for the reminders of heart issues. I enjoy sharing it with these girls and remembering what it was like being in their place.
I never felt like a good counselor. Just like I don't really feel like a good mom or a good teacher or a good director. But it is exciting to see how God doesn't only use "the best" to make really great things happen.
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