This is our first time in a two-story home. As I’m writing this morning, I feel like there is a thunderstorm occurring above me. And the funny part is, they think I can’t hear them. After putting them to bed at night, they always get out and creep around. When we yell up the stairs, "Get back in your beds", they’re startled to think that we have eyes upstairs or cameras tracking their every move. Right now I’ve asked them to sit and read quietly or play with a puzzle (I know, I know…pretty unrealistic). But instead it sounds like I have a professional football team warming up for a big game. Do they think I don’t know what they’re doing? Or maybe they just don’t care. Hmmmm…hadn’t thought of that till now!
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For my scrapbooking "extravaganza" next week, I have some homework. I’ll be working on an album called "A Week In the Life". So, I’ve been snapping pictures everywhere I go and recording details of each day. One of the things we’re asked to do is share 3-5 things at the end of each day that we are grateful for. Here’s my running list…in no particular order of importance, just things that have come to mind each night.
1. Family – having Christy in the hospital brought this one in to greater focus
2. Our new home – Derek dedicated the home tonight with a prayer and talked about how important the relationships inside the home were…they are what will make this a special place
3. Jacob – he’s such a great student and friend to others – his teacher reaffirmed that for me on Monday
4. Caleb – he’s my buddy and adds comedy, love and smiles to every piece of my life
5. My bed – a relief from the "pace" of my life every night
6. My mom – she always seems interested in what’s happening in my life and is happy to listen
7. My weblog – it’s been a fun outlet for me
8. Root beer – just makes my happy!
9. Lotion – I hate dry hands and feet
10. Antibiotics – My cold turned yucky and they were the only thing that helped
11. The Internet and E-mail – I can research anything and stay connected with people
12. Ice – I always prefer drinks with ice…lots of it
13. Prayer – I always have someone to turn to for help, answers, comfort, peace, etc.
14. Visiting Teaching (a program in our church where we visit other women each month in their homes) – I feel more and more that it is inspired to help us love and understand others better
15. Good Medical Insurance – it just makes life easier and so many don’t have that luxury
16. Gordon B. Hinckley (prophet/president of our church) – I believe that he’s changed the way people view and understand our church for the better
17. Pencils – you can always erase and start over
18. Sour Cream – I could eat it with anything!
Those are just a few of mine…What are you grateful for today?
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WIG…..
16 Dollars
PURPLE GLASSES…
2 Dollars
SEEING MOMMY DRESS LIKE JUNIE B. JONES…
PRICELESS!!
For those of you who don’t know, Junie B. Jones is a storybook character that is very popular with K – 2nd graders. As a room mom, I am helping Jacob’s Kindergarten class decorate a pumpkin as their favorite storybook character (guess who they picked). How do I get myself into these things?
P.S. On a more serious note: My stepmom Christy (better known as Mimi to my boys) has been in the ICU today in Austin with internal bleeding. They determined tonight that she has ulcers in her stomach and small intestines and a tear in her esophagus (which was causing the bleeding). Her blood pressure has been dangerously low and she received, I believe, 4 units of blood today because her blood loss was so great. We’re all worried about her. She’s a pillar of health usually and it caught us all by surprise. They’re still worried about her liver and are running more tests in the next few days. In the meantime, it’s been neat to see our family "rally"…we’ve all been on the phone back and forth together and Mike and Olivia were able to go down to the hospital. We’re praying for a speedy recovery.
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I have two boys…three, really in my life everyday. And their ways are mysterious to me, but endearing. This is Caleb dragging his beloved "blankie" into the pit that was the dinosaur bone excavation site. He doesn’t mind the dirt on his blanket…in fact, I think he believes it will add to its charm. It reminds me of Linus, on Snoopy…with the dirt cloud billowing around the blanket.
This is Jacob listening to Derek share childhood stories about lizards and frogs and polywogs. He was fascinated by the stories and I thought the expression on his face was so cute…I think he just loves to listen to his dad tell stories. They’re so excited to go explore the creek and trees near our house this week.
I love having boys…as long as they don’t bring any of that dirt, or those lizards in the house. 🙂
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…and on unlikely days. I am taking a moment this afternoon to just lay down and read a book (The Bronze Bow). Tomorrow is moving day, which might cause you to wonder why I’m lying around reading a book?! Just for a minute…my bones are weary and my progress has been great today. 🙂 The weather is gorgeous…upper 60s, I think, and sunny (it sure beats the upper 90s). The house is quiet. No TV, no radio, no noise (mainly because everything is disconnected or unplugged). The boys are playing wonderfully together in the backyard. They’re digging for "dinosaur bones" in the hole that was left behind by the swingset. I have the window open and can hear bits and pieces of their conversations. Plus, my Visiting Teachers (friends from church) just brought me dinner (lots of it). So I don’t have to buy fast food for my poor boys one more night this week! It has been a perfect afternoon. I’m grateful for quiet moments like these. I hope we’ll have more of them in the new house.
It’s funny how structures and things can have value just based on how we feel about our experiences in and with them. I’m sad to leave this little house. Sure, I’m thrilled to move to our much bigger, nicer house. But there are memories here…teaching Jacob to ride a bike, bringing Caleb home after his birth, celebrating birthdays, Christmases and anniversaries. We endured the MBA here. We prayed here, we laughed here, we cried here. We had a funeral service here (Sue Lawson – Steve’s sister, Kay’s daughter). We had playgroups and Firesides and youth gatherings here. We had ice cream socials and baby showers here. For the most part, it’s been a happy place. And I have a feeling that we will look back on the time spent here as a simpler time. I’m grateful for the blessing of homes. No matter where it is or what it looks like, it can be a special place for families and individuals to grow, learn, love and live. The Lord has blessed us with so much and it is with thankful hearts that we move on.
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Tonight I am so tired of cleaning up messes.
In the last hour Caleb forgot he had underwear on and pee’d all over the bathroom floor. At the same time Jacob spilled a full glass of milk in the kitchen. Uuugghhh!
While I was on my hands and knees cleaning up Jacob patted me on the back, as if to say "It’s OK, Mom, it happens."
I know this is small potatoes compared to some people’s trials, but I’ve had it tonight. Let’s hope tomorrow brings cleaner, neater boys. (Is that an oxymoron?)
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I finally finished the book East of Eden by John Steinbeck this weekend. I’ve been working on it for a couple of months. But I feel a strong sense of accomplishment in reading 600 pages of Steinbeck! It definitely isn’t my new favorite…I found it depressing, strange and even frustrating. It was not an easy read. But the last third of the book did have some redeeming qualities. When I read a passage that strikes me, I usually dog ear it. These are two quotes from the book that I enjoyed. I don’t know if their meaning will be as effective in this setting out of the context of the book, but I thought I would share them anyway.
"…I believe a strong woman may be stronger than a man, particularly if she happens to have love in her heart. I guess a loving woman is almost indestructible." p.354
"In uncertainty I am certain that underneath their topmost layers of frailty men want to be good and want to be loved. Indeed, most of their vices are attempted short cuts to love. When a man comes to die, no matter what his talents and influence and genius, if he dies unloved his life must be a failure to him and his dying a cold horror. It seems to me that if you or I must choose between two courses of thought or action, we should remember our dying and try so to live that our death brings no pleasure to the world." p. 413.
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On Monday evening after dinner, I was having a stressed-out meltdown about all the things we have to do before we move (we closed on Tuesday…yeahh!!). So Derek offered to take the boys on a short bike ride before bedtime. Here is what happened to the Smith family in a crisis. I call it my Crisis Management Analysis.
1. Derek: (from his cell phone) "Bring the van!!" (me: Why?) "Just bring the van…I think we need stitches." (Who needs stitches?) "Caleb! Bring the van!" (Where are you?) "The main street." (What main street?!?) "Hurry honey…we’re bleeding". (Derek, please take a deep breath and tell me where you are! At this point I’m beginning to freak out) I finally figured out where to go and went and got them.
Caleb had fallen off his bike, flat on his face on the sidewalk. The impact was so hard that his lips split open and his nose was distorted and bleeding. It was a terrible sight.
2. Meredith: I was so nauseated at the sight of the blood and the swollen face that I had to lay on the couch with my knees up. Some help I was.
3. Jacob: Was crying more than Caleb. He can’t stand to see his brother hurt. I was trying to comfort him and ask him to please stop crying so that Caleb wouldn’t be scared. But he kept insisting on going to his room. Finally I let him go and he came back out later saying he had said a prayer. What a sweet boy.
4. Caleb: Kept saying "Take me to the doctor! I want to go to the doctor!" We translated it into this, "You people are clueless, take me to a professional!" We obliged and Derek took him to the urgent care place.
Thankfully the prayers worked and he’s fine, with the exception of a few scratches and a split lip. The next morning the swelling was gone and everything seemed to be in the right place. We feel very grateful.
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