I became a member of Booksneeze.com, where I get a free book to preview and write a review about. My first book is God’s Promises For Boys by Jack Countryman and Amy Parker. The book is broken down into seven sections of promises that are close to the hearts of little boys. Each of these sections is further broken down into two page topics that have a title, a catchy couplet, and three verses. Some of the topics my son got the most excited about were God Wants You To Wear Your Armor and God Wants You To Stay Strong. The front of the book has a gift page so you can mark giving the book to the special little boy in your life. The promise verses are all taken from the International Chiildren’s Bible, so they are easy for children to understand. That differs a bit from what we use in school, so the verses Isaac has memorized were different, but he really liked reading them in this version. The couplets are cute and easy for children to remember as well. I have been hearing the one about putting on your armor a lot around here!
All in all, we really liked the book as a quick topical Scripture guide. We loved the illustrations, and David really like finding the dog on every page. My only problem with the whole beginning of the Blogger Review experience was that my book was folded in half during transit, and it is a hard back. We have been trying to flatten out the cover by stacking heavy books on top, but it still is warped. The girls are wanting the girl version because Isaac has been enjoying this one so much!
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Why I Do What I Do
I have begun to think a lot lately about what I do and why. In so many different senses. Why do we make the choices we make daily? Why do we home school? Why do we go against what everyone else is doing? Why do something when it is hard? The inevitable ‘Why me??’ And, ‘Why do I blog about it?’ I suppose I have been hit with all the "going wrong" that has been happening around here. Things break. People get sick. Children whine. Mothers cry. Dads get angry. Parents can begin to disagree. Money only goes so far. Tempers can flair. That is the way this fallen world works.
I was having a series of unfortunate events. I began to get into a rotten mood. When you are the mother, you are the heart of the home. Your feelings flow to those around you. You need to choose to use that for good and not turn to the dark side. So fitting, because those feelings and reactions are just that. The dark side of life. The underbelly. If you allow those thoughts to control you and lead your heart away from the truths that can be found in God, well, you ARE on your way to the dark side and you are taking your family along for the ride.
Then I began to ponder in my heart the whys of life. Not the bad why is this happening to us whys, but the whys that are deliberate, because there is a flip side to the why me coin. It says why not me. So instead of giving that coin a toss and focusing on all that negative, I began to ask different why me questions. Why are we following this path? Why are we blessed beyond measure? Why do we have less struggles than some?
It is a matter of perspective. Sure, things have been bombing around here lately, but everyday we are warm. Everyday we have clean water. Everyday we have food. We have each other. We have the love of God. What more is there?
And as for that whole why do I blog question, well, I have discovered it is for me. It has been an outlet for years. A way to connect, to reach outside of our home. And to view inside of others. But also, as I was beginning to get discouraged, it was my light, my way back to focusing on the important things in my own life. Seeing where we have come from. How God has provided so far on this journey. And I have begun to laugh at the struggles that seemed daunting, the challenges that the me of yesteryear have faced. And in my heart I looked at that girl and thought- Honey, you ain’t seen nothing yet!!
I was having a series of unfortunate events. I began to get into a rotten mood. When you are the mother, you are the heart of the home. Your feelings flow to those around you. You need to choose to use that for good and not turn to the dark side. So fitting, because those feelings and reactions are just that. The dark side of life. The underbelly. If you allow those thoughts to control you and lead your heart away from the truths that can be found in God, well, you ARE on your way to the dark side and you are taking your family along for the ride.
Then I began to ponder in my heart the whys of life. Not the bad why is this happening to us whys, but the whys that are deliberate, because there is a flip side to the why me coin. It says why not me. So instead of giving that coin a toss and focusing on all that negative, I began to ask different why me questions. Why are we following this path? Why are we blessed beyond measure? Why do we have less struggles than some?
It is a matter of perspective. Sure, things have been bombing around here lately, but everyday we are warm. Everyday we have clean water. Everyday we have food. We have each other. We have the love of God. What more is there?
And as for that whole why do I blog question, well, I have discovered it is for me. It has been an outlet for years. A way to connect, to reach outside of our home. And to view inside of others. But also, as I was beginning to get discouraged, it was my light, my way back to focusing on the important things in my own life. Seeing where we have come from. How God has provided so far on this journey. And I have begun to laugh at the struggles that seemed daunting, the challenges that the me of yesteryear have faced. And in my heart I looked at that girl and thought- Honey, you ain’t seen nothing yet!!
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
The Saga Continues...
When we last left our heroine (that would be me!), she was stranded at the mall with no money, no cell phone, four whiny children, vomit, and a sore foot from kicking the tire of her dead van.
In no time at all, help would arrive (read that as about 2 hours). Meanwhile, back at the van, the kids and I were hard pressed with something to do to keep the highly distractable children (and mom) entertained. After cleaning up the throw up and taking everyone to the bathroom once, we still had about ten minutes shy of eternity till Andy got there. We had devoured the bag of chips and all the drinks, and of course we had cleaned out the van for the field trip so they were not even forgotten toys under the seats for us to round up. We did have a bag of cheesy hull-less popcorn. It took Isaac all of 30 seconds to begin licking them and sticking them together to make sculptures that he attached to the window. That fun had a hint of the forbidden because we have a no licking policy (which could be a blog all it’s own) so that was enjoyed until David went on a Godzilla-esque rampage and destroyed the budding metropolis that was now growing on the windshield.
After Andy showed up, we had a second bathroom run. He took the kids and brought me back a huge Baja Mt. Dew from Taco Bell. I love that stuff. Because he showed up with money, we headed on into the mall for a quick bite. I am sure this is my Mother’s Day right here. We kill time buy walking slow and heading to the indoor playground. Of course, after only about 30 minutes my kids are done playing. This has never happened before. I make them go to the bathroom yet again. It is now close to 7, but we have quite a bit to wait. After getting back to the car and van, we see that Andy has taken out the alternator. He took it to be tested. It was fine. The plus side is that my phone is charged up a bit because he plugged it in while doing his running. He needed the battery tested next, and I begged to drive it over. I got the kids all settled into their seats and David began to scream. His binky was lost at the camp, so now I need to get another one. I head to Toys R Us before taking care of the battery or Andy will go crazy trying to take care of them all while putting in the alternator.
With David binked and the kids all fed, I am sure they will be fine for a bit. Why I am sure, I have no idea. Perhaps I am an eternal optimist. They are really tired of being in the van and it sure shows! They did get little toys of games at Wendy’s, so that should keep them busy for 15 minutes or so. Tops. My mom gets someone to bring the boys home so she can pick up the kids and take them to her house. I am now hearing angels singing the hallelujah chorus as I run to get the battery checked. The battery is the problem and we need a new one. The guy at the auto parts store was quite helpful. He gave me two choices- the gold core or the silver core. I was hoping for a bronze, but no such luck. Speaking of my luck, even after scraping together change from the car, I am still 7 cents short. By the time I head back to get more money from Andy the store will be closed. Mr. Auto Parts tosses it in for me because I made him laugh with my crack about the bronze core.
I arrived with the battery in tow in time to kiss the kids goodbye. It is now 8:50. That is a long time to be sitting here, but we still need to change the battery and get the alternator back in place. In the dark. With a dead flashlight. But hey, we are at the mall. Surely they have one somewhere, right?!? Ten minutes till closing we ran across the parking lot. We dove into the store before they locked the door and ran all over two floors looking for a flashlight. Or batteries for the dead one we have. I found one. Or three. I am done taking chances and am ready to get this over with. I even got one of those shake up flashlights, because with my luck, well, it will come in handy at some point. Problem is they shut down the registers at 9. It is 9:02. A combo of our sad story and the sight of my overtired, dirt encrusted, hungry husband must have pulled heart strings because they opened up a register and allowed us to check out. At this point we are locked into the mall and got some nice down time as we waited for security to escort us out. I looked over at Andy and he looked ready to crawl on the floor and nap. And that is when I realized I told him I would get him something to eat. I said that about 2 hours ago. Ooops!!
As Andy takes off the tire to put the belt on the alternator, I ran back to Taco Bell for food for him. I have been here enough today that I am pretty sure not only a shift change happened, but both shifts have been looking at me weird. It was the closest bathroom. As we sat under the stars eating tacos and drinking more Mt Dew while fixing the van, it feels like a date. Since we never have normal dates, I am totally counting this. There were stars, there was food. No kids. Oh yeah, sounds like a date to me. But Andy was not in a romantic mood and our conversation sounded more like a brain surgeon and his nurse. "Light. Not there, here. Wrench. Burrito. Baja. Light. I said light. Will you stop messing with that shake up things and turn on the flashlight?!?" He told me to point where he was looking, which is kinda hard when he is half under the van in the wheel well. I tired my best, but the humor and sheer relief caught up with me at this point. From here on out I became an exhausted, useless mess of giggles. That lasted the remainder of the evening, and even worsened when we were about to shut the hood and the first person who acted like they noticed we were there stopped to see if we were all right. It was a tow truck driver. Andy cut a glance over at me as I was in a fit of laughter on the ground and said "I’m alright." Seeing it was now after 10, my current behavior could be considered normal under any circumstances, let alone high stress and a lot of sun.
We stopped for gas and were headed home after 7 hours of the parking lot. Almost 8 hours since I began my trek home. And for Mother’s Day this year, I got a new van battery and some food at Wendy’s.
****Actually Angel shopped for me as well as Andy and the other kids, so I ended up with quite a bit of loot. I got flowers, chocolates, jammies that bestow upon me the title "The World’s Greatest Mom", four cards (two from Isaac), and six insect shaped solar lights for the garden that I have been wanting.*****
In no time at all, help would arrive (read that as about 2 hours). Meanwhile, back at the van, the kids and I were hard pressed with something to do to keep the highly distractable children (and mom) entertained. After cleaning up the throw up and taking everyone to the bathroom once, we still had about ten minutes shy of eternity till Andy got there. We had devoured the bag of chips and all the drinks, and of course we had cleaned out the van for the field trip so they were not even forgotten toys under the seats for us to round up. We did have a bag of cheesy hull-less popcorn. It took Isaac all of 30 seconds to begin licking them and sticking them together to make sculptures that he attached to the window. That fun had a hint of the forbidden because we have a no licking policy (which could be a blog all it’s own) so that was enjoyed until David went on a Godzilla-esque rampage and destroyed the budding metropolis that was now growing on the windshield.
After Andy showed up, we had a second bathroom run. He took the kids and brought me back a huge Baja Mt. Dew from Taco Bell. I love that stuff. Because he showed up with money, we headed on into the mall for a quick bite. I am sure this is my Mother’s Day right here. We kill time buy walking slow and heading to the indoor playground. Of course, after only about 30 minutes my kids are done playing. This has never happened before. I make them go to the bathroom yet again. It is now close to 7, but we have quite a bit to wait. After getting back to the car and van, we see that Andy has taken out the alternator. He took it to be tested. It was fine. The plus side is that my phone is charged up a bit because he plugged it in while doing his running. He needed the battery tested next, and I begged to drive it over. I got the kids all settled into their seats and David began to scream. His binky was lost at the camp, so now I need to get another one. I head to Toys R Us before taking care of the battery or Andy will go crazy trying to take care of them all while putting in the alternator.
With David binked and the kids all fed, I am sure they will be fine for a bit. Why I am sure, I have no idea. Perhaps I am an eternal optimist. They are really tired of being in the van and it sure shows! They did get little toys of games at Wendy’s, so that should keep them busy for 15 minutes or so. Tops. My mom gets someone to bring the boys home so she can pick up the kids and take them to her house. I am now hearing angels singing the hallelujah chorus as I run to get the battery checked. The battery is the problem and we need a new one. The guy at the auto parts store was quite helpful. He gave me two choices- the gold core or the silver core. I was hoping for a bronze, but no such luck. Speaking of my luck, even after scraping together change from the car, I am still 7 cents short. By the time I head back to get more money from Andy the store will be closed. Mr. Auto Parts tosses it in for me because I made him laugh with my crack about the bronze core.
I arrived with the battery in tow in time to kiss the kids goodbye. It is now 8:50. That is a long time to be sitting here, but we still need to change the battery and get the alternator back in place. In the dark. With a dead flashlight. But hey, we are at the mall. Surely they have one somewhere, right?!? Ten minutes till closing we ran across the parking lot. We dove into the store before they locked the door and ran all over two floors looking for a flashlight. Or batteries for the dead one we have. I found one. Or three. I am done taking chances and am ready to get this over with. I even got one of those shake up flashlights, because with my luck, well, it will come in handy at some point. Problem is they shut down the registers at 9. It is 9:02. A combo of our sad story and the sight of my overtired, dirt encrusted, hungry husband must have pulled heart strings because they opened up a register and allowed us to check out. At this point we are locked into the mall and got some nice down time as we waited for security to escort us out. I looked over at Andy and he looked ready to crawl on the floor and nap. And that is when I realized I told him I would get him something to eat. I said that about 2 hours ago. Ooops!!
As Andy takes off the tire to put the belt on the alternator, I ran back to Taco Bell for food for him. I have been here enough today that I am pretty sure not only a shift change happened, but both shifts have been looking at me weird. It was the closest bathroom. As we sat under the stars eating tacos and drinking more Mt Dew while fixing the van, it feels like a date. Since we never have normal dates, I am totally counting this. There were stars, there was food. No kids. Oh yeah, sounds like a date to me. But Andy was not in a romantic mood and our conversation sounded more like a brain surgeon and his nurse. "Light. Not there, here. Wrench. Burrito. Baja. Light. I said light. Will you stop messing with that shake up things and turn on the flashlight?!?" He told me to point where he was looking, which is kinda hard when he is half under the van in the wheel well. I tired my best, but the humor and sheer relief caught up with me at this point. From here on out I became an exhausted, useless mess of giggles. That lasted the remainder of the evening, and even worsened when we were about to shut the hood and the first person who acted like they noticed we were there stopped to see if we were all right. It was a tow truck driver. Andy cut a glance over at me as I was in a fit of laughter on the ground and said "I’m alright." Seeing it was now after 10, my current behavior could be considered normal under any circumstances, let alone high stress and a lot of sun.
We stopped for gas and were headed home after 7 hours of the parking lot. Almost 8 hours since I began my trek home. And for Mother’s Day this year, I got a new van battery and some food at Wendy’s.
****Actually Angel shopped for me as well as Andy and the other kids, so I ended up with quite a bit of loot. I got flowers, chocolates, jammies that bestow upon me the title "The World’s Greatest Mom", four cards (two from Isaac), and six insect shaped solar lights for the garden that I have been wanting.*****
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Is this all because we were early??
On Friday the kids and I loaded up the van for an outdoor adventure of epic proportions. We had jackets if it got cold. Sunscreen in abundance. Snacks and water. Picnic lunches. I remembered napkins and diapers, the bee sting kit and wipes. Extra clothes. The stroller. We really had everything we thought we could possibly need. After threatening everyone if they didn’t go potty, grabbing one last snack and pouring my coffee, we left on time, which for us is 15 minutes late. But my unsuspecting offspring were surprised when I told them we were going to be early. I told them we needed to be there a half hour before the event start time. After having to explain to Isaac what "being early" means, we were well on our way to having a great day. No one was fighting or spitting at each other. No one was taking off their clothes or tossing shoes everywhere. They were happily munching on cereal and sipping their hot chocolate. David napped a bit on the way. I did not get lost. Not even a bit.
The day went really well. We saw and did everything we wanted to, sometimes even getting to play a game or visit an exhibit twice. There were all kinds of things to see and do. We played outdoor PA bingo, ran obstacle courses, and discussed which animal used to be wearing which pelt. We played a game as an insect, did tribal drumming and dancing, and talked about recycling. We learned about natural resources and conservation, waterways, and animal tracks. We looked at bird nests and caught Swedish fish in a polluted/unpolluted river display. We even went geocaching and fishing. We saw live barn owls and alive at one time insects. We had a nice picnic lunch. Awesome field trip. After walking all over from about 9, by 3 we were trudging back to the van, all commenting on how wonderful the day had been and how excited we would be for next year. No melt downs, no break downs, no injuries, no damage caused by my kids or to my kids. And we still had a cooler of nice, cold drinks and some chips waiting in the van for the ride home.
If this were a movie this is where the mood music would subtly slip towards the minor chords. We got to the van, loaded up all our stuff and people. I got in and found my keys. Cranked up the van to hear the telltale click-click-click of a dead battery. No problem. I got this covered. I have jumper cables. We hiked back up to the main building and got a van to meet us in the parking lot. We walked back down, this trip resembling the Israelites in the wilderness instead of my excited kids of about 30 minutes ago. It was hot. They were tired. We even had camels- not sure who spit first but three of them we going at it like crazy. Isaac learned the hard way why you should never spit into the wind. We were not a pretty picture. We got there a couple minutes before the van, so we pulled out our cooler, the chips and a blanket. Had a little picnic right there in the shade of a bush in a field of little flowers. So sweet.
The van came to rescue us, and the kids cheered. Two guys jumped out and hooked up the jumper cables and you could hear their van die a slow, painful death right there in the field beside poor dead Bessie. But they had a set of walkie talkies and more help soon arrived. A huge truck came and jump started the camp van, and then helped out poor Bessie. We let her charge for a while, then it was time to hit the road.
At this point, it is kind of like the movie Australia. It could end fine here. Warm feeling in your heart, despite the obstacles faced by the beautiful (hey, why not, I am telling this story) heroine and her dutiful crew. But no, the screen quickly changes from black to the next scene and you are gripped by the drama as yet more obstacles arise to deter the fantastifirical heroine in her attempt to prevail against all odds yet again.
After driving about 15 minutes, all the lights were fading and the speedometer started spinning in a complete circle. I know Bessie, and there was NO WAY she was going over 120. Ever. Plus, the radio went out, which really bothered the kids. Then the a/c. Great. Now I am traveling down the highway going who knows how fast (people were passing me so I felt I was doing okay) with the windows open, three kids singing four different versions of God Is Bigger Than the Boogieman, and my cell phone dying. We were out of drinks, out of snacks, out of patience, out of battery power and out of our minds within 5 minutes. Thankfully we were close to a mall. We got one last panicked call in to Andy to come rescue us, then we went completely dead. At the mall. With whiny kids, no money, and no way to contact anyone.
I got out of the van and couldn’t even have a good rant because the windows were now stuck down. I lifted the hood, kicked the tire for good measure, and paced while I ranted in my head. I got back in the van after saying "Well, this can’t be worse!" David threw up.
Isaac woke up, looked around, and said "Is this what happens when you are early?" It does to me.
Tune in tomorrow for part two of our melodrama "Why I Am Never Early"
The day went really well. We saw and did everything we wanted to, sometimes even getting to play a game or visit an exhibit twice. There were all kinds of things to see and do. We played outdoor PA bingo, ran obstacle courses, and discussed which animal used to be wearing which pelt. We played a game as an insect, did tribal drumming and dancing, and talked about recycling. We learned about natural resources and conservation, waterways, and animal tracks. We looked at bird nests and caught Swedish fish in a polluted/unpolluted river display. We even went geocaching and fishing. We saw live barn owls and alive at one time insects. We had a nice picnic lunch. Awesome field trip. After walking all over from about 9, by 3 we were trudging back to the van, all commenting on how wonderful the day had been and how excited we would be for next year. No melt downs, no break downs, no injuries, no damage caused by my kids or to my kids. And we still had a cooler of nice, cold drinks and some chips waiting in the van for the ride home.
If this were a movie this is where the mood music would subtly slip towards the minor chords. We got to the van, loaded up all our stuff and people. I got in and found my keys. Cranked up the van to hear the telltale click-click-click of a dead battery. No problem. I got this covered. I have jumper cables. We hiked back up to the main building and got a van to meet us in the parking lot. We walked back down, this trip resembling the Israelites in the wilderness instead of my excited kids of about 30 minutes ago. It was hot. They were tired. We even had camels- not sure who spit first but three of them we going at it like crazy. Isaac learned the hard way why you should never spit into the wind. We were not a pretty picture. We got there a couple minutes before the van, so we pulled out our cooler, the chips and a blanket. Had a little picnic right there in the shade of a bush in a field of little flowers. So sweet.
The van came to rescue us, and the kids cheered. Two guys jumped out and hooked up the jumper cables and you could hear their van die a slow, painful death right there in the field beside poor dead Bessie. But they had a set of walkie talkies and more help soon arrived. A huge truck came and jump started the camp van, and then helped out poor Bessie. We let her charge for a while, then it was time to hit the road.
At this point, it is kind of like the movie Australia. It could end fine here. Warm feeling in your heart, despite the obstacles faced by the beautiful (hey, why not, I am telling this story) heroine and her dutiful crew. But no, the screen quickly changes from black to the next scene and you are gripped by the drama as yet more obstacles arise to deter the fantastifirical heroine in her attempt to prevail against all odds yet again.
After driving about 15 minutes, all the lights were fading and the speedometer started spinning in a complete circle. I know Bessie, and there was NO WAY she was going over 120. Ever. Plus, the radio went out, which really bothered the kids. Then the a/c. Great. Now I am traveling down the highway going who knows how fast (people were passing me so I felt I was doing okay) with the windows open, three kids singing four different versions of God Is Bigger Than the Boogieman, and my cell phone dying. We were out of drinks, out of snacks, out of patience, out of battery power and out of our minds within 5 minutes. Thankfully we were close to a mall. We got one last panicked call in to Andy to come rescue us, then we went completely dead. At the mall. With whiny kids, no money, and no way to contact anyone.
I got out of the van and couldn’t even have a good rant because the windows were now stuck down. I lifted the hood, kicked the tire for good measure, and paced while I ranted in my head. I got back in the van after saying "Well, this can’t be worse!" David threw up.
Isaac woke up, looked around, and said "Is this what happens when you are early?" It does to me.
Tune in tomorrow for part two of our melodrama "Why I Am Never Early"
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Isaac's Top Ten
Top Ten crazy things Isaac did yesterday……
10. Wore clothes under his jammies to sleep so he was ready for today.
9. Ate a Koolaid fizzer just to see if it would fizz in his stomach. Couldn’t feel it if it did.
8. Climbed the handrail on the porch to try and jump over the fire pit. He made it.
7. Pushed the wood swing as hard as he could at the bush to see what would happen. It bounced back and hit him in the face.
6. Ate the Cheerios he found under the couch. He knew they were his, couldn’t remember from when.
5. Asked to do extra math. Still not sure why.
4. Used string to make a zipline inside from a nail on the top of the doorway to a plastic bin of toys. He fell. The toys fell. He was totally suprised that happened. He had to clean it up.
3. Used the same string to make a zipline from the same nail to the top of the rocking chair. About the same effect as above. Still suprised.
2. Flipped over the bacon grease onto the floor while looking for a "sleeping permit" for me. Which I do not really have. ( I had said "If only you would permit me to get a little sleep"…) Cleaned it up with Angel and Faith’s hoodies.
1. After all of the above, he had to wear his floaties in the tub because he was afraid to drown. In a few inches of David’s bath water.
10. Wore clothes under his jammies to sleep so he was ready for today.
9. Ate a Koolaid fizzer just to see if it would fizz in his stomach. Couldn’t feel it if it did.
8. Climbed the handrail on the porch to try and jump over the fire pit. He made it.
7. Pushed the wood swing as hard as he could at the bush to see what would happen. It bounced back and hit him in the face.
6. Ate the Cheerios he found under the couch. He knew they were his, couldn’t remember from when.
5. Asked to do extra math. Still not sure why.
4. Used string to make a zipline inside from a nail on the top of the doorway to a plastic bin of toys. He fell. The toys fell. He was totally suprised that happened. He had to clean it up.
3. Used the same string to make a zipline from the same nail to the top of the rocking chair. About the same effect as above. Still suprised.
2. Flipped over the bacon grease onto the floor while looking for a "sleeping permit" for me. Which I do not really have. ( I had said "If only you would permit me to get a little sleep"…) Cleaned it up with Angel and Faith’s hoodies.
1. After all of the above, he had to wear his floaties in the tub because he was afraid to drown. In a few inches of David’s bath water.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Childhood Days Gone By
As I was weeding the garden over the weekend my children played in the yard. David was helping weed the way a toddler does. Eating weeds and grabbing bugs. Taking out all the rocks out of the rock garden and smelling the grass. Rubbing his popsicle on my arm and grinning. Faith was in her usual spot under the shade of the neighboring pine tree with a shovel. Digging for buried treasure of long forgotten pirates. Or fossils to show in a museum. Isaac was at the swing set. Climbing to the top and swinging down. Headed to rescues and daring adventures worthy of any five year old boy’s imagination. Angel sat in the shade with a book and an apple. She would read, then close her eys and I could see her imagination tracking her through space and time to the places she was discovering in her book. The wind set the wind chimes dancing and ruffled our hair. We were all together in the same place, but we were no where near each other. I closed my eyes and only listened to the sounds of their play. Angel crunching on her juicy apple and slowly turning pages, Faith’s digging and muttering whispers about what she would find, Isaac’s yells and humming his own theme music, and David’s laughter as a potato bug ticked his toes. Feeling the sun and wind on my face I turned towards the sun, soaking up the rays. For that moment I was not a mother working to keep the house in order. The worries of my life fell away as I let the sounds of childhood play take me somewhere magical, somewhere wonderful. I was transported back to my own childhood.
I was each of those children in turn. I discovered as David did the joys of experiencing nature with all my senses. I swung to the rescue as much as I was in need of rescue. I climbed to the tops of trees, the garage roof, and a hunting stand we were sure was put there magically for us to play in. My brothers and I dug for buried treasure after finding some really old (from at least the 70′s!!) coins in the garden. We were convinced we could find a dinosaur skeleton in the woods, or at the very least some fossils or gemstones. And the sandbox was our master project one summer as we pushed aside the plastic separating the sand from dirt under it and started to dig toChina
We could build tree houses out of six rusty nails, two pieces of wood and a broken hammer. We dug around the woods to find treasures. Mostly we found vases and glass bottles that we filled with water from the creek. We lived in a coal mining town, so the amber colored water looked great in the sunlight that filtered down through the canopy of tree leaves. Having been drilled not to drink the foul smelling sulfur water by every adult in the neighborhood, we could play in it, but warnings of parents are nothing compared to the inevitable double dog dare to try a sip. Everyone of us was initiated into that club at one time or another. It is something you only do once. We drug a broken shelf that someone was tossing out into our forest sanctuary and set up our bottles of potions and magic rocks (coal). We built, created, imagined, and played the long lazy summer days away. Making the grapes from our grape vine into wine in our swimming pool. Chasing what we though HAD to be a ninja all over town. Riding our bikes over homemade jumps. Running barefoot through the flowers. Any time we abandoned a project it was not seen as a failure. We moved on to bigger and better things.
Later I would spend my summer as Angel does- I climbed a neighbor’s crab apple tree and munched away as I read stories about all the places I could travel or dream about. Elaborate games of hide and seek and kick the can with pacts and allegiances that were quickly made and quickly broken. Bloodline meant nothing if cookies or ice cream were at stake! We would ride our bike to putt putt and play as often as we could scrape together enough change. To raise money we sold lemonade. Or kool aid. We had an ice cream truck and a doughnut truck that would come through town, and a penny candy store only a short bike ride away, so we needed a lot of money for the summer. We would gather a pitcher and some cups, fill it with borrowed lemonade and sell it for up to $5 a glass. There were a lot of us to pay for and at those rates we could all go to putt putt and the penny candy store on only one pitcher of lemonade. Our only customers were our parents and grandparents.
I smiled as I remembered the sweet summer days that are tinted with a golden glow now in my adulthood. Days with no cares, no real responsibilities pressing down, from a time when life was simple because I knew there were people to take care of it for me. Magic awaited to be discovered and anything was possible. Suddenly Angel plopped down beside me to share something funny from her book. Faith called out for me to check if she really found fossilized dinosaur poop. Isaac needed pushed up high. David was trying to lick the popsicle off my arm. I was jolted back to the present, but the golden glow still remained. And I hope it does forever, because as I take the time to never forget how that felt, and as I see it happening for my own children, I can dig for fossils in the yard and send my superhero down a zip line to the rescue. I can take a walk in the woods to find treasure or take the time to lay on my belly and discover bugs again with my toddler. I can feel the magic in the air at twilight as the lightening bugs fill the yard and the bats fly over head. I can hear the faint echoes of my own childhood ringing in the laughter of my own children.
I was each of those children in turn. I discovered as David did the joys of experiencing nature with all my senses. I swung to the rescue as much as I was in need of rescue. I climbed to the tops of trees, the garage roof, and a hunting stand we were sure was put there magically for us to play in. My brothers and I dug for buried treasure after finding some really old (from at least the 70′s!!) coins in the garden. We were convinced we could find a dinosaur skeleton in the woods, or at the very least some fossils or gemstones. And the sandbox was our master project one summer as we pushed aside the plastic separating the sand from dirt under it and started to dig to
We could build tree houses out of six rusty nails, two pieces of wood and a broken hammer. We dug around the woods to find treasures. Mostly we found vases and glass bottles that we filled with water from the creek. We lived in a coal mining town, so the amber colored water looked great in the sunlight that filtered down through the canopy of tree leaves. Having been drilled not to drink the foul smelling sulfur water by every adult in the neighborhood, we could play in it, but warnings of parents are nothing compared to the inevitable double dog dare to try a sip. Everyone of us was initiated into that club at one time or another. It is something you only do once. We drug a broken shelf that someone was tossing out into our forest sanctuary and set up our bottles of potions and magic rocks (coal). We built, created, imagined, and played the long lazy summer days away. Making the grapes from our grape vine into wine in our swimming pool. Chasing what we though HAD to be a ninja all over town. Riding our bikes over homemade jumps. Running barefoot through the flowers. Any time we abandoned a project it was not seen as a failure. We moved on to bigger and better things.
Later I would spend my summer as Angel does- I climbed a neighbor’s crab apple tree and munched away as I read stories about all the places I could travel or dream about. Elaborate games of hide and seek and kick the can with pacts and allegiances that were quickly made and quickly broken. Bloodline meant nothing if cookies or ice cream were at stake! We would ride our bike to putt putt and play as often as we could scrape together enough change. To raise money we sold lemonade. Or kool aid. We had an ice cream truck and a doughnut truck that would come through town, and a penny candy store only a short bike ride away, so we needed a lot of money for the summer. We would gather a pitcher and some cups, fill it with borrowed lemonade and sell it for up to $5 a glass. There were a lot of us to pay for and at those rates we could all go to putt putt and the penny candy store on only one pitcher of lemonade. Our only customers were our parents and grandparents.
I smiled as I remembered the sweet summer days that are tinted with a golden glow now in my adulthood. Days with no cares, no real responsibilities pressing down, from a time when life was simple because I knew there were people to take care of it for me. Magic awaited to be discovered and anything was possible. Suddenly Angel plopped down beside me to share something funny from her book. Faith called out for me to check if she really found fossilized dinosaur poop. Isaac needed pushed up high. David was trying to lick the popsicle off my arm. I was jolted back to the present, but the golden glow still remained. And I hope it does forever, because as I take the time to never forget how that felt, and as I see it happening for my own children, I can dig for fossils in the yard and send my superhero down a zip line to the rescue. I can take a walk in the woods to find treasure or take the time to lay on my belly and discover bugs again with my toddler. I can feel the magic in the air at twilight as the lightening bugs fill the yard and the bats fly over head. I can hear the faint echoes of my own childhood ringing in the laughter of my own children.
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