Growing and Learning

We know that growth is gradual, but there are times when change seems to happen right in front of our eyes. This was the case with Lydia on Monday. She had lost another tooth over the weekend, she learned to ride her bike without training wheels, she fell in love with reading, and she started grasping math concepts in a new way.
Doyle had helped her on Saturday with her bike and she had made a lot of progress. I didn't realize how much until she asked me to help her. I said "sure" and proceeded out the front door with house shoes on. She took off and I was trying to catch her. Doyle had told her to pedal real fast. What he did not teach her was how to stop. Teaching her to slow down and stop was my job. I must have been a sight, scooting down the road with my slippers flopping. I caught up with her and stopped her until I could get my tennis shoes on. I could tell this was going to be aerobic exercise for me. It was neat to see her so excited about learning how to do something she has been wanting to do for awhile. She started whistling and beeping her horn.

Lydia also found reading a joy. She has never complained about doing her homework, but she has discovered just how rewarding reading can be. She was reading to me and she asked, "How do you think the story will end"? I said that she will just have to read and find out. She got this big smile on her face and said the words that this mom and former first grade teacher wanted to hear, "I love reading!" While we were later working on math drills, the things I had been trying to say seemed to "click." I went to bed declaring that it had been a good day.

Lydia reading to Joseph

A Boy and his Frog

I know this picture will make some of your stomachs' turn, but I couldn't resist showing you this funny photo. Joseph was delighted when Julianna found him a frog. He carried the poor critter around while he played outside. Several times I thought that the amphibian had gone on to his reward, but he survived being squeezed by a toddler. When the frog got all dirty, I suggested that he probably needed water. No problem; Samuel got a bucket of water for him and Joseph just dunked the frog every once in a while. I watched him run around with this dripping frog, and I just had to laugh. We talked him into returning him to the back yard so we could eat supper. He said, "The frog needed to go back so he could see his sister." He also thought that his mom and dad had been run over by a lawn mower. I just love kids. Oh, by the way, Joseph is not really touching the frog with his tongue--it just looks that way. I do like frog legs, but prefer mine cooked.

Fall Fever

Doyle and I had our engagement pictures taken in the fall of '94. I wanted to include this photo in my blog.
Some people get spring fever. I tend to get fall fever--this disease makes me do all sorts of strange things.
This is the time of year when I miss the north very much. All of the memories of my childhood come flooding back into my mind: the beautiful leaves, the hay rides, picking apples, going to the pumpkin patch, and wearing sweaters in fall colors. Well, I am very happy in Florida and I have decided to make the best of it when it comes to enjoying the autumn "southern style." I decorate, add fall colors to my wardrobe, cook up some pumpkin recipes and enjoy my life in the south. A couple of years ago, my aunt Erma pressed leaves that she had gathered on her walks. She sent them to me with a fall care package. It was such a thoughtful thing to do. I still use the leaves in my shadow box end tables every year. It helps bring a little of Kentucky to Florida.

I also take this time to go through my house and deep clean. My family gets a little scared when I do this annual activity because they know how goal oriented I can be. I do try to be flexible. I have decided to post some pictures of my master bath. This is the first room to be tackled by my fever. If I had taken before and after pictures, you might not have seen a difference, but I know that the drawers, closet, curtains and everything from top to bottom got a good wipe. Isn't that appropriate talk after cleaning the bathroom. I hesitated to post pictures like this, but my fellow bloggers seem to enjoy peeking into each others' houses. Posting these pictures will make me accountable to go to the next room and do the same.

Tagged

Our phone system was down for a couple of days. In some ways, it was peaceful. The repair man left this morning and I decided to see what had happened in the 2 days I had left blogland. I was shocked to see that I had been tagged. What in the world did that mean? I will admit that my first thought was not a positive one. My dad was a hunter and when he and my brother talked about tagging a deer, the deer usually got the worst end of the deal. I read further and discovered that my case was not quite so severe. I was instructed to give seven facts about myself. I have tried to find things that everyone might not know---here goes.

1. I was in a car wreck the day after my 5th birthday. We went over the bank toward the Ohio River. I screamed "help us Jesus" on the way down and our car stopped. Since this was during the "hippie" movement, a man and his 2 shaggy adult boys helped us out of the car and into their house until the police arrived. The hippies did not scare me (they reminded me of some of my cousins), but the cop frightened me very much. I still have my teddy bear that went through the ordeal with me. I also have some scars on my face from hitting the dash. A short time after the wreck, the water had risen above where we landed.

2. I used to be on the management team of a fast-food restaurant chain. I usually put in 60 hours a week, but had 80 hours on my paycheck when I helped open up a new store. I have little compassion for a healthy man who can not put in a 40 hour week.

3. My sisters and I have sung for weddings, funerals, and graduations. We are currently discussing making a C.D. for friends and family.

4. Doyle and I have never attended the same school. We grew up over a thousand miles from each other and never even lived in the same state until the year we met. We are making up for lost time. The last 12 years have been wonderful.

5. I was 29 when I had my first child. My mom was 29 when she had her last child.

6.I grew up spending a lot of time on my grandparent's farm. It was very primitive, but I wouldn't trade those years for anything. My mouth still waters when I think about grandma's biscuits and gravy. I love the farm life.

7. I would rather spend time with my husband and my 4 kids more than anyone else in the world. They are my favorite people--the joy of my life.

The following 7 people have been tagged: Patty, Esther, Kelly, Rebecca, Carla, Kim, and Jenny.

Fun Spelled M-U-D

I decided to let the kids play out in the mud today. I am not sure what came over me, except for the fact that life is too short not to play in the mud. We had a big rain last night and there were mud puddles everywhere. I saw Joseph looking at them longingly. When the other 3 came home from school, I told them they could go out and have a good time. They dug a hole and brought water from the canal. They even had a little trench leading to their "pond". They also worked on their fort. The neighbors had some railroad ties that they were not using and let them build a log house with them. Julianna drywalled the inside with mud. Samuel was the boss of the project and kept everyone busy. When Doyle came home, he was reluctant (I'm not sure why) to give hugs and kisses to all the kids like he normally does.

I was in the process of cleaning the house and had already finished scrubbing the bathrooms. Since I did not want to repeat this fun activity, I hosed them off before coming in. They weren't too happy about this since the water pressure stung. I knew they would clog up the drain otherwise. Lydia and Joseph do not know the meaning of the word "wade" so they really had to be scrubbed up. Guess what? They all 4 came clean. I sat outside and read my Reader's Digest and drank tea. When they are all 4 outside, I want to be with them. I was finishing cleaning the house and when I came to this room, there was the computer waiting for me to blog. I better get with it and finish the house.

Ode to an Orphan Kitten

Doyle was walking to his car last Wednesday when he saw a little kitten crying in the grass. We learned later that it had been found on Jupiter Island and dropped off on our campus. Doyle has a big heart and brought it home for the kids to take care of. We explained all the reasons why we could not keep her, but I think it went right in one ear and out the other with a few of the kids. The boys called her "Whiskers" and the girls called her "Mittens." She was a little wild at first, but became more gentle as we calmed her down. I am not a big animal lover-I like them in their place, but I could not stand to see a kitten die a slow death in the hot Florida sun. When we looked closer, we found out that she was handicapped. Her back legs dragged when she walked. This complicated the matter--who wants a cat with a problem? We kept her in a toy cage. I put a hot water bottle in with a warm towel at night so she would feel secure in her little house. Because Doyle is allergic to cats and I don't like animals in the house, we knew she could not stay. We talked about taking her to the Humane Society, but realized what they would do there. I could have dealt with that matter a little easier than the kids. I tried to explain that on my Grandma's farm, when there were too many cats, they were thinned out by a few shots over the hill--this did not bring my kids any comfort. We did some research and found a woman that works in animal rescue. To make a long story short, we took our foster kitten over to the cat lady's house. She was thrilled to have her 22nd cat in the house. She is going to have an orthopedic vet. look at her and see what they can do. She was very nice and told the kids they could call and check on her, or come by for a visit. I know this sounds a little crazy, but our children had become very attached to her and I prayed that we could find someone to take care of her. If God sees each sparrow that falls, I think He understands about crippled cats and crying kids.

Remembering Miriam Noel

Last month we took a Saturday and went to Miriam's grave. As most of you know, this was the one year anniversary of our little girl's home-going. At a regular ultrasound, we first learned that she had some real physical issues. The next month was a roller coaster of emotions as we tried to do everything we could to save her life. We visited several specialists, but she was not destined to live on this earth. She was a trisomy baby, which means she had severe chromosomal disorders. After she passed away, I was induced and delivered her. It was a special moment to hold her and say good-by. I don't need to tell you that our family has definitely experienced God's grace in a real way. Having a stillbirth, I know what it is like to be carried by God. He is so faithful to heal and to comfort. We know that we will see her along with the other 2 babies we have in heaven.