Once upon a time . . .

The other night, as I was reading a book to Daniel before bed, he said to me, "Mom, I wish I could get into that picture in the book. How do I get in there? I want to jump into that picture and be in the book!"
I know just how he feels.
There are many a book I would  love to fall into . . . .
I love that he feels that way about books. That he knows, even now, that they can take him places . . . far or near. That they create worlds. 
Life is still crazy busy here, though winding down a bit now.
The week after my last post, I was busy preparing for that Friday night, when our school had a spring concert centered around the theme "The Whole Earth is Filled with His Glory."
All our kids did such a great job singing and dancing and reciting poetry and prayers and playing instruments. I was so proud of all of them!
We also had a school wide writing contest, and the winners were announced during the concert, and winning entries were read.
Josiah won first place in his category (1st and 2nd grade cinquain), along with his good pal Nathaniel, and they both were the only two students to score a perfect score on their writing, so they both won best of show as well. He won a Sonic gift card for getting first place, a pizza party to be shared by all winners, and a writer's basket for getting best of show.
Isaac also won first place in the 5th-6th grade narrative category, and he took third place in the poetry contest.
Our kids pulled out their best to show their friends and family members that indeed, the whole earth is filled with His glory!

Isaac and Joe left right after the concert for a Boy Scout camp out. I stayed home and got the house ready for an open house we were having that Sunday, (All that work, and only one family came through! Oh well, at least it made me get my spring cleaning done!).

 Isaac got pretty sick while he was at camp, and it was a long recovery for him. He had a fever that he couldn't shake, ear infections in both ears and an upper respiratory infection. It was his first sickness of the year. He had perfect attendance up until that point, and he was sad to be missing school.
It was a short week anyway, because the teacher's went on a much needed retreat to a beautiful house nestled in the wooded banks of a river near Branson, Mo.
It was a wonderful time of refocusing and refreshing, listening to hearts, hearing and sharing encouragement, and looking ahead to the next school year.
The house was luxurious, to say the least, and the setting was beautiful . . . river winding behind the house that could be seen from the large windows and many decks, trees surrounding and shading. There was an amazing view from . . . everywhere!

 This is the kind of dinning table I want . . . BIG!

Unfortunately, while there, I got sick. A trip to the Urgent Care on Monday morning revealed that I had sinusitis, an upper respiratory infection and an inner ear infection that still has me not hearing much at all out of my right ear. Very annoying! I got a shot of antibiotics in my "rear-hind" as Daniel calls it, and some other strong medications to help alleviate symptoms of the infections.
Yesterday, I woke up sicker than I was the day before, not only from all the infections, but from negative reactions to the meds as well. I was sicker than I have been in a long time. I ran a high fever all day, had a headache that would not go away, and felt like I was going to throw up the whole time. My skin turned a bright red color all over, and I felt like I was burning from the inside out. I was miserable! A call to the pharmacist confirmed that some of my discomfort was due to the high doses and combination of meds I am taking. Nothing dangerous . . . just "regular side effects." I was told to continue all meds and stick it out until they could work. My mom came and watched Daniel until Joe woke up, and then he took over, letting me rest and recover. He has taken very good care of me, helping me with my meds and making me endless cups of tea. Thank you, Joe, for being such a good nurse!
So, that pretty much is the short version of the past two weeks or so.
What am I looking forward to?
This weekend is the school track meet, weather permitting.
After that, there are only two weeks of school left. I can't believe it. Really. It feels like we just got started. How can it be over?
This is Isaac's last year of grade school. Next year he will be a seventh grader. Wow. That is crazy to me. Sometimes, lately, I will look at him and I feel . . .overwhelming waves of love, and wonderment at his every growing self, and sadness that his little kid years are coming to an end, and anticipation for what lies ahead for him. It's all very mixed. And sometimes, that pre-teen craziness takes over, like Mr. Hyde, and I think . . . "who are you? And what did you do with my sweet little son?"
We are facing new parenting territory. There is no doubt about it. And we are doing it with hope and anticipation and excitement . . . and a little nostalgia. And some holy trepidation. What happens in the next few years will solidify things in him . . .ideas about the world, family, himself and God.
I find myself listening a little more closely, looking at him a little longer, hugging him a little tighter. He changes by the minute, it seems. Sometimes he is the boy. Sometimes he is the young man. And I think . . . "just a little longer, please. Be little just a little longer . . . "
But little has long been over. And I am enjoying this new young man in the house. Mostly. And when the pre-teen crazies raise their ugly head, we continue to love, continue to admonish, continue to teach character and Godliness, continue to hope for a good future, continue to ask God for answers we don't have. And he is faithful, as he is in everything!
One of my fondest memories of when Isaac was little, was giving him sink baths. He loved to sit in our deep sink in our first house, and I would fill it with water and bubbles. Patti and I would sit and talk and Isaac would play in the sink until he was a wrinkled prune of a boy, full of suds and clean as a whistle. We did sink baths with Jo, too, from the time he was very little. We'd put him in Gram and Gramp's sink, and grandma would talk to him and coo at him as we washed him clean , and he would turn his face to hers, and listen to her voice, and answer in smiles and soft baby speak. (I have lots of pics, but they are from the olden days, when we developed film and got our pics on photo paper, so until I can get a scanner . . . . they are in the photo box.)
I had almost forgotten about sink baths, until Monday evening, when , almost by accident, Daniel, who was sitting on the counter-top, looking out the window, asked to get into the sink. And get into the sink he did. He had a blast! And it brought back so many good memories of my other boys!

I am on the mend today. Still recovering a bit. And having had a high fever yesterday, I am still home today. But I look forward to tomorrow, when I will re-enter society and get back into the swing of things. I am ready to be better. I am ready to face my new days.

And who wouldn't be, with this little guy to keep up with?
He told me today when he gets big he's "gonna have a horse and a cow."
Just maybe.
FYI: I have added photos to my last post, so scroll down and take a look!