The good earth

In the past few days, I have, perhaps, worked harder than I ever have in my entire life.

I have been readying my garden for planting.

It is quite a task.

Clipping, pulling, raking, loading, hauling. Clipping, pulling, raking, loading, hauling. And when it seems like you cannot possibly move another inch, there is more of the same where that came from.

And when you think you want to lay down right there on the spot and sleep forever and a day, you keep going. You just keep going.

Every muscle, every sinew, every fiber of my being aches and groans with pains I have never felt in my . . . well, 30-some odd years of living on this earth.

Earth.

It is under my nails, in my shoes, in my clothes, tracked in on my floor.

Earth.

It is in my dreams. It is settling in my heart.

I can see how the land gets into a person.

How they can love it so much.

When you are down there, on your knees, the warm smell of damp dirt filling your nostrils, sweat from your brow mingling in, earth clinging to your face, arms, legs; when you are running your hands through it, carefully weeding it, hoping it will return the favor of tender care and yield good things that will sustain you and those you love, you can see it.

As much hard work as it is, I find I enjoy it.

I am learning about myself a little more -- what I can do, which is more than I thought.

My boys have been helping me out there. They have been pulling and raking and lifting and hauling right with me. Hopefully, they are learning that hard work is good and good for them, and in the end, there is always a reward.

So, that has been what we have been doing with most of our time.

We have had lots of visits with friends, it seems, in the midst of all this work.

Monday afternoon, friends from out of town stopped by for a few hours, and chatted with us awhile.

Monday night we went out to Rachel’s for dinner. Before we ate, we visited with the animals.

The baby goats are delightful. Really, so cute and soft and clean at their young age. I can see why they call them kids. They sound like human children when they are bleating.

And we took some time to say hi to Snickerdoodle the cow; Blueberry, the donkey; Hedi, the goat; and numerous rabbits, dogs and cats, too many to mention in full here (plus, I can’t remember all the names!).

The horses, Tia and Scout, were being anti-social, and would not trot to the fence to say how-do-you-do. They looked on, uninterested, while they grazed beneath the setting sun.

It was good to catch up with Kevin and Rachel, and we had a killer potato soup left over from a hunt the day before. I must have the recipe.

Yesterday was St. Patty’s day.

I saw green all day. Green grass, green weeds, etc.

We did have time for a good ol’ meal of corned beef and cabbage, shared with mom and gramp and patty and Bekah and her kids.

It was our second annual Irish dinner together.

We decided Audry is Daniel's perfect match after she licked the glass door. They can be gross, together!

Today brought with it more yard work. Bekah came over with the kids and helped clear one of the veggie beds. When you work with friends, the labor doesn't seem as hard somehow.

Here are some pictures taken from Josiah’s perspective. He had the camera today. Isaac wondered if Josiah would grow up to be a photographer.

It could be. We just don’t know, yet . . .

Daniel has been a trooper, but today, he just couldn't take it anymore. He found a quiet spot in front of the couch and fell asleep.

Tomorrow, we are taking a break – breaking away.

If it is nice, we will visit a nearby nature park with MeMe and a friend of the boys.

If not, and weather is threatening, then . . . we'll see . . .

The best kind of day

(I posted this on Saturday, and when I tried to add pics, it got sent to drafts. I'm not sure why this happened. Sorry. I will try to add pics again. Have lots to write about these first days of Spring Break. Will write tonight, after our St. Patty's Day celebration. Happy St. Patty's Day, by the way. Are you wearing green?)

Breakfast with good, good friends.
That's how this day began.
Frantic readying for an afternoon wedding.
That came next.
Watching someone dear to our heart marry the love of her life.
Everything changed for her, for them, in a matter of an hour.
Beautiful ceremony, meaningful words, perfect kiss.
Now they are one.
At the reception, talking to friends; catching up with far friends and near friends, laughing, crying, eating, talking some more.
The afternoon wore on.
Now, home to our sick little Daniel, who seems to be having a slow recovery (still a fever yesterday). I missed him so much while we were away from him.
Sun sets out the window, boys read on the couch, Daniel is resting.
I am a lot happy, and a little sad.
Weddings. They do it to me every time.
I sit, watching the sun sinking beneath the horizon, the night coming on, and revisit the day.
A beautiful exchange; a perfect moment in time.
And the road ahead is so different from this fairy tale beginning, so hard sometimes. But I want this shinning time for them to last and last and last.
I hope for them. I wish upon the first star.
I ask Jesus to be with them.
I pray the blessings of God on their lives, on their home, on their family to be, their future.
Congratulations, Jeff and Nicole.
All the best.

Ready for a wedding.

Mr. and Mrs. J!!!

Spring break has sprung!!

Today is the first official day of Spring Break '09, and, true to recent tradition, it is a cold and cloudy day!!!
Of course, we will be in today anyway because Daniel is still recovering from pneumonia, ear infection and a possible bout of strep throat (they couldn't get the swab down the poor baby's throat! Ah, the joys of going to the doctor's office with a child who is terrified of said doctor).
Our plans for spring break include spring cleaning the house, getting the yard prepped for planting and ready for spring activities, and a few day-trip adventures with MeMe and Cousin Patty, respectively.
Spring cleaning will be easier with mom's little helper on hand.
Tomorrow morning, we will have breakfast with our good, good friend who has moved away from us, and her husband, who is now a good friend too. She is in town to sing at our pastor's eldest daughter's wedding, which we will also attend.
Monday evening we have plans to have dinner at the ranch with Rachel and Kevin. She has some kids (baby goats, not kid kids) and the boys are looking forward to meeting them. I am looking forward to spending time with Rachel and Kevin. It's been a while . . .
Other than that, the agenda is to get the kids well so we do not have to keep battling these illnesses every several weeks or so, which is literally what has been happening.
The boys got home from school yesterday ready for the break. Here they are, celebrating getting to play a game on the Wii on a Thursday night -- a rare treat! Usually, video games are only enjoyed on Saturdays in our house.
Last night, we had family dinner here. Grandpa made a delish Italian pot roast with egg noodles and corn on the cob. He's amazing, that grandpa! Christian joined us. We got to touch base and catch up on what is happening in her life. We have been missing her at our family table. It was good to have you, Christian.
Daniel, ever on a quest to get into the great outdoors, settled for playing with Tigger through the window.
Today, plans include a pottery wheel, a special lunch with dad for Josiah, and The Return of the King.
Sound interesting? Check back later for updates!
As I finish writing this entry, I look up, out the double doors that look into the courtyard, and what do I see? It is snowing!! Big, white flakes, falling. Happy Spring Break.

From pity party to praise (or, What's a mother to do?)

My Daniel is sick.
I hate it when the boys are sick.
If I could take it all away, I would.
So, we have been home these past few days. And that is okay with me.
I like being home, getting things done around the house, throwing a batch of bread in the bread machine early in the morning and letting the smell settle somewhere deep in my soul for the rest of the day. The laundry pile is down to almost nothing, the rooms are neat and tidy.
But I do not like it when my boys are sick.
There is something about the dark circles under their eyes, the damp hair plastered onto feverish foreheads, the small warm body pressed close, searching for comfort and for mom to "make it all better." And sometimes, I can't. Sometimes, my everything isn't enough. And it seems like they are sick so often when they are so small. It makes me feel helpless.
I want to protect them from . . . well, everything.
But I can't.
I can, however, hold them close, wipe their brow, hold a tissue while they blow their nose, give their medicine, sing a song, rock to sleep.
I can pray.
And later, when it is other things, other hard-balls life will throw at them, I will wish just as much that I could take it all away.
I will long to protect them from . . . well, everything.
But I will have to let them grow, let them become the men they will become.
I can, however, hold their hand, listen to their hearts, speak encouragement to their souls, love them always.
I can pray.
This motherhood stuff is tough, sometimes.
I wouldn't trade it for the world!
And, sometimes, when I think it is too hard to watch my sons languish on the couch, fever ridden and sick, I think of a Father who watched his innocent son brutally beaten; a mother, who watched her perfect son die a criminal's death. I think of the anguish of that. And I look at my sons, who another son died to save and to heal, and I am flooded with thankfulness and awe at the goodness of One who would come who can do more for our children then us mothers can ever hope to do.
And I praise.

If he can't get outside, he can at least look at outside.
Even sick, is this kid beautiful, or what?
Dad and Josiah enjoy the Wii.

Good days, long days . . .

It was a warm, spring-like weekend, and a busy one.
Saturday, after a warm and fuzzy nap . . .
we went to our town's first annual St. Patty's Day parade.
We headed out with Mom, David, my visiting friend and the kids to witness the festivities.
It was a small showing, being the first year and all, but it was fun. Hopefully it will grow from year to year, and then we can say . . . "we were at the very first one . . . "
My boys love parades. What kid doesn't? These are the things the kids liked best:
After that, we went to one of my favorite Mexican restaurants in town and ate until we were stuffed to the gills.
Then, we went to Memorial Auditorium to see an Irish story-teller by the name of Rosie Cutrer. We had a grand time listening to tales and some folk music. I learned that a bum clock is an Irish cockroach. Something new everyday, I tell ya.
The boys had a good time and participated when it was called for. At the end, we got some free bookmarks and "fairy dust".
It was a grand day, out and about.
When we went home, the boys wanted to watch The Two Towers, the extended version.
I went into the boys room and played with the baby for a while. I don't think he's ready to see Orcs. I'm not even sure I am! : ) Actually, I love The Lord of the Rings trilogy. But I do think it is a bit much for Daniel to be watching.
Before we knew it, it was time to get the boys ready for bed.
Daylight savings would be robbing us of an hour of sleep, but the reward of a longer day is worth it in my book. I love these days when the lengthening sunlight stretches out over the evening hours in blushing pink, translucent purple and creamy orange glows, fading slowly into the indigo fabric of the night.
After the boys got settled into bed, I heaved a sigh of relief and settled down myself to watch The Secret Life of Bees. Do you even have to ask? Of course I cried. Really, it was a good movie. I think it helped that I read the book for book club and was able to discuss it before it was even considered for a movie.
We had a full Sunday, too.
After church we had lots of visit time with friends and family, ate lots of good food, and got lots of tired. We all were wiped out from losing that one precious hour (really, it doesn't sound like a lot, does it? But it feels like a lot).
Yesterday was a rainy Monday, though still warm. I had a bunch of grading to catch up on since grades were due and I had parent/teacher meetings in the evening.
During the afternoon, though, Daniel came down with a 102 fever, so I sent grades on with Joe and stayed home.
The boys got their grade cards, and I am happy to report there was a showing of mostly A's and B's (with the exception of one C in handwriting) and there were no N's ("needs improvement" -- found on the behavior and personal responsibility portion of the assessment. All E's for excellent and S's for satisfactory). For the last quarter, we will focus on improving where we need to and finishing this school year strong.
Today, the weather is threatening to be wild; the sky has that look about it, and the wind is whipping up. Strong storms ahead? I hope not, though the rain would be good.
I am home with Daniel, my friend left this morning to return to Florida and I am looking forward to a day of catching up around the house and taking snatches of time to sit with Daniel on the couch and watch the Backyardigans (because I need each and every Backyardigan song embedded into my brain, word for word, and I don't quite have them all memorized yet!).
In the continuing saga of Daniel's attempts to escape, Daniel thought that if he was cleverly disguised as a tennis champ, he might just make it out the door. Nothing doing, little man. We are wise to your tricks!!
We have had good days, but they have been busy, and today I am tired.
Spring break is around the corner.
I am looking forward to it. Three days and counting!!

Getting the garden ready

This year, for the first time in our lives, we will attempt a garden.
It seems I am always looking for ways to eat more healthfully for less. When you rely on conventional grocery stores, this is an oxymoron.
Why not grow some of our own food?
We have the yard for it, the help (two able bodied, strapping young boys; a considerably less able bodied mom and dad --we're getting old --; a garden savvy housemate; a garden foreman of a grandpa; and some friends who are willing to pitch in and help for a share in the bounty); and the desire to eat better and learn how to do that through gardening.
I think it will be a great project for all of us.
Our garden has the potential to draw us together, to teach us things, to nourish us -- body, mind, soul and spirit.
My good friend Monica, who has been an avid and tremendous gardener, told me that gardening offers an opportunity to commune with God in a way unlike any other. It can be a relaxing, restful activity that allows you to connect with the God of the garden. I think God must have a thing for gardens. After all, it was a garden in which the life of this earth began. And it was a garden in which Jesus prayed, " . . . not my will, but Yours," before making an eternal relationship with the eternal God possible once again for those who would believe -- something we lost for ourselves in the first garden.
So, we will give it a go, and see what happens.
Hopefully our thumbs are green.
I am awaiting my order of seeds and plants, anxiously. Planting season is knocking at the door.
This year, we will attempt to grow peas, snap peas, green beans, summer squash, a lettuce medley, spinach, cucumbers, tomatoes (several varieties), peppers (bell and hot), eggplant, watermelon, strawberries and blueberries.
We already have an apple tree and a mess of blackberry bushes.
I think this will give us a good start.
The realistic part of me knows we are in for a load of work, but work is relative, right?
I prefer to think of it as a dance, a waltz with the earth, a symphony of sustainability.
But then, I've always been somewhat of a dreamer . . .

Dancing in the Breeze

I went to the garden
to pick some peas.
Found them dancing
in the evening breeze.

The day was hot,
so I joined right in.
Tapped my toes
and began to grin.

Peppers in a polka
as the snow peas snapped.
Beans in a boogie
as the cabbage clapped.
Squash square dancing
with the cha-cha chard.
Watermelon waltzing
all around the yard.

Picked my supper
with the greatest of ease --
everything swinging
in the dancing breeze.

Taken from Busy in the Garden by George Shannon

In like a lamb, out like a lion??

In honor of the fact that March is said to "come in like a lion and go out like a lamb," I submit this quote to you. Not that it has anything to do with March, mind you. It's just so darn cool.

"Don't ask me who's influenced me. A lion is made up of the lambs he's digested, and I've been reading all my life."
~Giorgos Seferis
(Greek poet)

A "little" something from this poet:

Just a Little More

Just a little more
And we shall see the almond tree in blossom
The marbles shining in the sun
The sea, the churning waves.
Just a little more
Let us rise just a little higher.

Just like budd-da . . .

Daniel loves him some butter!!! And if there was any question . . . I think these snaps put the doubts to rest.

Some thoughts from my six year old

Last night, as Josiah was having a bedtime snack, he was looking at a tooth he recently lost and he asked me, "Mom, who invented teeth?"
"Teeth weren't invented,hon. God created them," I answered.
"God created them?"
"Yep."
"And he created people?"
"Yep."
"And the whole world!!!"
"That's right."
"Wow. God's a good inventor," he said.
It sounds so simple. So clear, when you see it from the faith-eyes of a child. Having just watched Ben Stein's Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, I wondered if Richard Dawkins might benefit from sitting and having a conversation with my son. Why is God less feasible than crystals or aliens?
Then, as six-year-olds are wont to do, he switched gears completely. Pulling a pit from the tangerine he was eating before he popped a section into his mouth and holding it up to me on a sticky finger he asked, "What are these, anyway? Nuts?"
I smiled.
Sometimes, I forget how very much there is yet to know when you are six. The world is full of thousands of marvelous mysteries. I am humbled, awed, and glad that, for three little boys, I am able to help unlock some of them.

Lost!

No, I am not referring to the smash T.V. hit of recent fame (definitely a pun intended!!).
I don't know what happens to me when I drive into Kansas City and its outlaying suburbs. I lose my sense of direction immediately, my confidence as a driver with a perfect driving record goes out the window next, my nerves become shot because there are a hundred cars that all want to be right where I am and do not understand the concept of personal space, and then I lose my mind.
What's this all about?
If you guessed that I got lost while picking up my dear, dear friend from KCI, you are correct.
Not only lost, but I was reminded, once again, that city driving is really no longer for me.
What's wrong with me?
Back in the day, I drove with the big dogs on some of New Jersey's most dastardly highways and byways. I mean, at one point in my life I drove on Rt. 280 everyday. Those of you who know that road will gasp with awe and admiration. For those of you who are not familiar with it, it's nicknamed "death highway" where I come from because more deaths occur on it than any other major NJ roadway.
My mom and I used to joke that whoever designed the on and off ramps was either on drugs or was really sadistic.
Anyway, thank God for my wonderful cousin Patty, without whom I may not be here today.
She is my navigator, my anchor, my rock.
The trip to the airport was slightly stressful because I have not driven there in a long, long time, but really, once we got on 435, it was smooth sailing, and Patty and I chatted and laughed and caught up on life.
At the airport, we found my friend right away, got her loaded up and hit the road again with happy hearts and high plans to stop at a nice place to eat on the other side of KC before heading home.
We had come in on 435, so, I figured, why not return the same way? What could be easier?
Well, that was before I realized that 435 has an evil twin.
Somehow, I got to a place that no longer looked familiar.I pulled off and asked directions at one gas station where the attendee told me “Oh, your right near where you need to be, just . . .” and then proceeded to give me erroneous directions.
We followed said directions, and, after a time, it seemed that we were heading away from instead of toward our destination of Rt. 69.
I stopped at yet another gas station, a new, well-lit, 20 pump Shell down a back road that was deserted, except for the one attendee who was stacking beer. What would happen if 20 cars suddenly pulled up and wanted gas, I wondered. I approached her calmly and explained that I was lost, and needed to get back to 69 highway, and asked if she could give me directions.
“I don’t know about that, but I can tell you you’re in Grandview, Missouri. I can’t give you directions. I don’t even drive.
That was it for me.
I called Joe and broke down.
Joe was very kind.
“Listen, this is America. You are not lost. You are just misplaced. You will find your place again. Just relax and we will find how to get you home.”
I loved him so much at that moment.
At about that time, a gentleman walked in, we asked him for directions, and he was able to direct us to where we needed to go.
Thankful and equipped with fountain drinks and snacks (I discovered what my kids have always known: snacks help), we headed back to the car, back out into the fray of traffic and twisting roads, toward home.
Our guide was true.
I thank you, sir, wherever you are today.
His directions got us on track and we sailed on through the night, laughing and talking and making memories.
We stopped at a small town about an hour away from home to gas up and get some food. Gone were the notions of a nice dinner at a swanky KC place.
We got overdone burgers and fries at a little bar and grill connected to the gas station.
We would not stop again until we made it to our town.
We thanked Patty and dropped her off at her house, and then it was on to mine.
It was good to pull into my driveway. I sat for a moment and thought about place, and how big this wide world is, and how each of us has a place in it where we belong.
And then, of course, that R.E.M. song popped into my head “. . . Stand in the place where you live, now, think about direction, wonder why you haven’t before . . ."
Today, the sun is shinning and the weather will be warm, and all of that is behind us.
It’s a new day, and we are home.

Just today

Today finds me getting ready for a visit with a friend.
My feverish younger boys are sitting on the couch, watching a DVD of old cartoons. Well, Daniel is mostly sitting. He has too much energy for all that, even if he is a bit under the weather.
I am listening to a Celtic music CD in the kitchen, sipping my coffee and missing my dad.
St. Patty's Day is around the corner, and while not a day goes by that I do not think about him, it is during seasons like this that I miss him all the more. I can still see him so clearly in my mind's eye: that little smirk, the twinkle in his eyes . . . full of the blarney, mom used to joke.
He was such fun. And wise. He was one of the wisest people I know. And, true to his Irish heritage, he could tell a heck of a story. . .
Speaking of stories, Daniel is obsessed with "ow-side." Everyday he schemes about how to get out the door to roam the wild world. He just came to me with a hat on, his coat on . . . correctly (a first for him!) and a diaper. That's right. No pants, no socks . . . nothing but a diaper. He is smiling in my face and saying in the sweetest singsong, "Ow-side? Ow-side?" You have to give him credit. He is trying!!
It is a chilly day with highs predicted in the 40's, but the days ahead promise to be balmy with highs in the the upper 70's by the end of the week. The excitement of spring shakes the winter from my heart the way one would shake an old, dusty rug until it is fresh and clean again. I anticipate the warmth. I am ready for it.
Well, there are "a million" other things to be done yet, and my cup of coffee is long gone, so I will move on to other occupations, but I wanted to write a bit today . . . because I can!

I will leave you with some pics of the boys . . .

Daniel trying to escape yesterday. He didn't have the coat thing down yet, but what is it with the boy trying to go out with no pants on? And do the boots kill ya?


Josiah, getting some time with those "satisfyin'" books!


Isaac played a basketball game with his school last Saturday. Here are some shots (No pun intended. Okay, of course there was a pun intended).


I love this one . . . Isaac in motion.

Finally up and running . . .okay, walking . . . well, crawling along . . . you know how it goes

It has been a long time.
A long, long time.
After what seems like eternities of waiting for a new laptop and internet access, and after a few foibles, I believe I am back in the game.
And not a moment too soon.
I was telling Joe the other day that writing has a way of centering me, of making me more aware of myself and other people, other things around me; it gives me a perspective that somehow gets lost when I am not sitting down and sorting it all out, remembering, telling, reliving, processing it all in words.
Nouwen said, "What I am discovering is that in the writing, I come in touch with the spirit of God."
This is true for me, too.
So, what is happening here?
Well, I have sick kids at home and a good friend of mine will be visiting from Florida. That's about the crux of it right now.
On a personal note, I feel like I am coming out of a slump that I've been in for several weeks now (probably because I haven't been writing!!). As the edge of spring slices into the heart of the bitter cold days of winter, I feel like the trees I have seen here lately, budding with the promise of bloom though frost still threatens.
The boys are beautiful, as always.
Daniel is a spitfire! He loves to go outside in the "told" (cold) and is, to my dismay at times, exploring everything with a voracity and speed which is at times appalling.
He was walking down the hall with a jar of Vick's vapor rub this afternoon, unscrewing the cap at lightning speed and glooping it out with his hands when Josiah alerted me by yelling, "Mom!! he has the vicksoline!!!"
Isaac is working hard at school, and is about to become a full fledged Boy Scout of America!
He was doing his homework earlier, writing an essay, I believe, and wondered out loud "What are some good reasons to like books?"
"Well," I counter queried, never wanting to just give the answer away on a silver platter, "what are some good reasons to like books?" to which Josiah, who was doing his own homework, pipped up and answered "Because they're satisfyin'!!"
In the 40 some seconds it took for this insightful exchange, Daniel had taken all of the Tupperware out of the cabinets and placed it strategically around the kitchen floor.
Jut a little taste of life here with three boys.
Josiah has been battling pneumonia. This is his second bout of it this year, and he finds himself with upper respiratory sicknesses quite a bit these days. I am praying it does not continue to be an issue.
That is a brief update for now. I will try to get pics up tonight or in the near future.
It's good to be back!!

In the bleak mid-winter

Well, in one of my last posts, I told of the possible untimely demise of my trusty laptop.
Yes, it seems that it will no longer be my constant companion, my guide, my link to Facebook!
It is a bummer, to say the least. And I was just getting geared up to blog, blog, blog again.
But on the bright side, I am getting a lot of reading done.
In the spirit of simultaneous reading (I am, I confess, a simultaneous reader, meaning, I read multiple books at a time -- no, no, not literally at one time, but at the same time. I mean, I am in the process of reading several books at once . . . Oh, never mind!) I am currently devouring several tasty books (Did I mention we are cable free, and thus, t.v. free these days as well? It is a veritable media-free zone where we live lately; well, except for the two Blue's Clues DVDs we play over and over in turn for Mr. Daniel).
One book I am reading is Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver (of Poisonwood Bible fame). It is not light reading, but rather a look into the author's personal decision to move her family to a farm in Eastern America and pursue an eating lifestyle that included only fresh, local foods. There are lots of personal stories, some gaunt looks into the food industry, some recipes and lots of inspiration for an aspiring "back-yard farmer."
I am also reading Sea Glass, by Anita Shreve. It is a quick read and doesn't take much thought, but I am enjoying it.

And, I have been managing to read my Bible regularly these past few weeks-- imagine that!!
I am enjoying a daily devotional called Secrets of the Faith Life, by Andrew Murray, and, in my spare moments, I am beginning a book called Standing on the Promises by Douglas Wilson, about Biblical child raising. This one takes the most time to digest and is the most convicting.
.
I am also teaching my children to be simultaneous readers, because why not pass on the mania?! The boys and I are in the middle of reading both Mossflower, by Brian Jacques and Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke, aloud.

And so, it is in this bleak mid-winter, bereft of laptop and cable t.v., that I have found again the pleasures of reading. I wonder, why was I letting my life be sucked away by Top Chef and House Hunters and . . . well, God only knows what now. In the first few t.v.less days, I must admit, I was a little lost without the glowing light of the tube, but I have found the little light bulb over my head just fine, thank you, with a little help from a few of my closest old books, and some newcomers, too. I do not miss the t.v., and when Joe ponders if we should try satellite in a few months, I whine back, "ahhhh, do we have to?"
I do miss my connection to the outside world via the Internet. I was so looking forward to blogging on a more regular basis again, and it is a pain when I want to look up a recipe, a fact, a name, a disease, and remember I cannot because 1) my computer is dead, (may it rest in peace) and 2) we don't have the Internet at our house anyway, so what good would it be to me even if it were miraculously resurrected?
I can get Internet access at school, but I have been housebound for the past two weeks with pneumoniatic children. (They are recovering quite well, and barring relapses, will be back in action next week!!)
When I get back to school, I will be plugged in once again. I will try to blog from there (tehehe!).
And speaking of plugs, here's a little nod to my good friends Micah and Sarah (like that segway?), who were here and are gone again. It was so good to see you, my friends, though we did not see you enough, for my tastes.
It is cold, and grandpa has a warm fire blazing in the other room, where my children are gathered. I will leave this light behind me now, for one more beautiful and more warm.

Forgive my old age!

So, it seems I already blogged about some of Daniel's words. Yeah, I'm getting old, people. Sorry about the repetitive information.

The best laid plans of mice and men . . . or, in this case, women

So, I had this idea that I was going to be a more faithful blogger this year. Yup. I was all ready to blog my little heart out.
Two things.
1. We currently have no internet access at home for an undetermined amount of time due to wanting to find the best provider with the most to offer for the least amount of moola (who dosen't, right?).
2. My son, (I will not disclose which beloved son I refer to) spilled coffee on my computer today, and, well, let's just say the prognosis is not good. I am still holding out hope, but all it does is sputter and sigh and then all the little green lights go off. I tell ya, it's not pretty, people.
So, it may be touch and go for a while.
I did want to write a little about Daniel and what he is saying these days.
He's smart. And I'm not just saying that because I'm his mother :). He can say about 60 words.
However it is not the ones he can say correctly and clearly that thrill my heart. It is the words he has come up with on his own for things that I love to hear!
Sure he can name about 10 different animals and make the corresponding sounds for each, but it is when he calls the phone a "bong" that I smile the most.
His binki is his "bunk"; pencils, markers, anything to write with, really, are "baubbles"; the moon is actually the "moom"; he dosen't take a bath, but a "bahsh"; for some reason only he knows, his Aunt Kathy is YaYa to him.
I love listening to his little his little voice trying to figure this crazy language out.
It so reminds me of things my other boys said when they were little . . . Isaac called a fork a "shoo-k". Josiah called ketchup, "kepetch" and mustard, "mustup."
One day, when he is talking rings around me, I will look at him and have a flash of memory of him jumping up when the phone rings and declaring, "Mom! A bong!!!"