Sticks and Stones...

"Sticks and stones

Will break my bones,"

But words

Will break my heart.

Time does pass,

Anger won't last

And I must

Do my part-

Forgive the tongue

Of one so young

For well-aimed

Verbal darts.

A mother's ear

Will often hear

Such words

Which pain impart.

I am one

Who has a son,

Alike our

tempers art.

How can I teach

Or him beseech

From venom

To depart

When I myself

Do battle with

The flesh which

Tears apart?

Lessons still

Subdue my will;

Our gift is

A new start.

The words conspire

With their fire

A moment

Now to thwart.

We wait a while

And find a smile

Bouys the love

Deep in our hearts.

So I will cling

To One True Thing

That heals the

Broken heart.

Picture Perfect. Or Not.

The pictures that are coming up are straight out of the camera.  I did not edit them, because I feel that leaving them the way they are adds to the point that I am making.

Did you know that sometimes I try to make a point here?  I know.  It is impossible to believe.  But it's true.

In Eliana I had found a most willing subject as far as photography goes.  Not that I am talented or anything.  In fact, taking pictures of my kids has made me painfully aware of how very little I know about taking pictures of people.  Especially small people.  Who move a lot.  And quickly.  I know just enough about photography to be frustrated by it.

But, I could always count on Eliana to smile for me.  Or grimace.  Whichever one you would like to say is all right with me...it's a fine line.  I could count on her, though, to be willing.  Until lately.

Lately, she has been such a stinker.  Now, she is two.  And she is really coming into her two-year-old own.  The temper tantrums that make the neighbors' fingers twitch to call the police...she's had 'em.  In fact, the other day, as I was walking through the church, after picking Christian up from school (remember - this is also the place where my husband has a job) she began screaming to get down.  She went from zero to 160 in 1.3 seconds; there was no intermediate phase.  She was pitching such a fit that I didn't want to reward her bad behavior by giving her what she wanted.  So I practically sprinted through the front of the part of the church where most of the special gatherings take place (basically the fellowship hall/reception area).  Of course, there was a special gathering taking place, just on the other side of the walls.  I think all of the pastors in their offices upstairs must have heard her, she was making such a ruckus.  The poor lady sitting at the receptionist's desk kept her head down, but I could see her eyes looking up at me.  She was smiling that "I've been there...I'm so sorry" smile.  The worst part is that I had to walk up the street carrying her screaming and kicking like that, since we live so close...there was no tossing her into her carseat and shutting her noise up in the car.  I thought for sure a police officer would stop and interrogate me about whether or not she was mine, where I was taking her, and why she was screaming so.  He (or she) might have thought,"This looks very suspicious..."  Then he (or she) might have said to me,"This child sure is crying hard.  Is she yours?"   I would have said,"Yes.  But if you want to take her downtown for questioning, she's all yours!"

What in the world was I talking about?  Did I actually say I was going to have a point? 

Yes.  Pictures.  I have been trying to take her picture lately, and she is now resisting.  Resisting!  If I say,"Eliana, Mommy wants to take your picture!" she shakes her head violently, or makes a crazy face, or covers her eyes with her hands. 

I repeat...she is a stinker.

Today, I tried again.  I am a fool.

She put the camera strap around her own neck...this makes it very difficult to get a decent photo of your subject...

She wanted to be in my lap...also a very difficult photography situation...

Being in someone's lap while said someone takes your picture makes for large noses, and big lips.  It also results in white foreheads and dark chins.  Just some tips from a pro, for those eager for photography advice!  And it's free!

Well, almost free.  Your time has been spent, and I'm sorry to say it cannot be refunded.  Not even if you are not satisfied.

So...let's look at some more, then, shall we?

Ah, here's what I was going for!

I think she was contemplating what photo inopportunities she could create...

Weird.  Just weird.

Goodness!  What's up with her crazy eye?  Do you see it?!

Oh!  So close.

She slouched way down on the couch so that even though she was still and not covering her face, her neck disappeared.  Not a good photo op.  I like her eyelashes, though.

I do think these two are decent, as far as capturing her at this time...

(And I have to confess I lightened this first one, since I previously said no images were edited.  I was trying to get her eyes to show up better.)

They were all right.  But I had to work for them!  And I still say...she's a stinker!

I'll keep her.

But...

She.  Is.  A.  Stinker.

Linking for Life

I don't think I've ever done something like this before, but I think this is worth it. 

I was blog-hopping (that's not the thing I haven't done before...I have done that a lot.  Too much, in fact) and it led me to a post where a girl who calls herself "Sweet Pea" has committed to giving $1.00 to Haiti per comment or link.  So, I'm linking to her blog, and I'm going to leave a comment there, too.  She has a friend who is going to match whatever she ends up with.  So my link and my comment will be worth $4.00 for Haiti, which by itself isn't that much, but added to everyone else's comments or links could add up to something big!  If you come across this and you have a blog, consider leaving a link over there.  If you don't have a blog, at least go leave a comment.

Recently I had an experience where I felt overwhelmed...I felt like there were all these little things that were piling up and making it hard for me to get through each day.  Any one of those things all by itself would have been a very small thing.  But all together they felt so heavy!  On this one particular day that I had this overwhelmed feeling I was at a Bible study; at the beginning of the large group time a woman got up and gave a little schpiel (is that how you spell that word?!) about the "Least Coin", or the Fellowship of the Least Coin (an ecumenical and global movement that uses prayer as well as the coin that is valued the least of whatever one's currency is-there are other links, but not a "main" one)...the idea is that each person contributes his least coin (for us, the penny), which when alone does not amount to much.  However, when all of the least coins are put together, they are a great multitude.  I remember thinking about all of these things together, my small problems that felt so heavy, and the coins.  I thought how when it rains and there are a few drops of rain you get a little wet, but you won't drown.  I thought of how when there was enough water to fill an ocean, though, there was some power!  Just a little doesn't amount to much; but a great deal of that small thing can be transforming.  It can go both ways...a lot of small things can weigh someone down, make them feel like they're drowning.  But then again, a lot of small things can make big changes, and even mean life for someone.  That day I tried to think of my little things in light of the perspective of the least coin.  Instead of focusing on those small things that were trying to take me down, I tried to think of the pennies that were collected that would bring hope, goodness, even life to someone else. 

I'm thinking that way right now...and dollars are bigger than pennies!  If we put all of our dollars together, then people's lives will be changed.  Thank you to "Sweet Pea."  You are, you know. 

-edited to add:  There are many sites that are doing this kind of thing.  It's wonderful that so many can, and feel led to!  Check this out if you have a chance...it's pretty amazing, I think.

Who Shot J.R.? Or the Can of Soda?

It's late in the afternoon, in Dallas, TX.  I'm headed through my kitchen, when I see it.  A red puddle on the floor...

I gasp!  What is it?  Who did this?!  These are the thoughts that run quickly through my mind.

Then I realize what has happened.

Somehow a Big Red sprung a leak and is now blazing a trail that leads under our fridge.  Maybe it is trying to get to a place where the temperatures are cooler? Or to a place where everybody knows its name? 

And do not think that Big Red does not leave a mark wherever it goes.  It's kind of scary to think about, since we (well, maybe not you, but some folks) drink it.

Just one more weird thing to add to the list of weird things I find around here.

A Little Perspective

The other day Christian told me that he wanted to give some of his money to the people in Haiti, and yesterday he found some change on one of our tables and he said,"I want to send this to Haiti...$.27!"  I told him that was very thoughtful, but that it didn't work quite that way. 

I talked with Mike about it, and we thought it would be a good idea to give some of the money we received for Christmas, which was Christian's original idea, to an established organization.  After we talked, I checked some things online.  While I was looking up these things the kids were dancing.

They were listening to and watching a DVD called Action Bible Songs, singing their little hearts out about the Lord and leaping all over the room.  They have no idea what it is like to live in an unsafe place.  They have no idea what it is like to have no roof over their heads.  They have no idea what it is like not to have a toilet much less no water with which to wash their hands after using the bathroom. 

I wish the children in Haiti did not know these things.  They should not know these things.  No child should, no adult should. 

I called them into the living room so that we could sit at the laptop (what a luxury!) and make the online donation all together.  We chose World Vision.

I thought Michaela might like to be the one to hit the "submit" button...

Right after we went through the process of looking at the website a little, watching a short video, and making the donation, Christian said,"Can we watch a little video?"  I was wary of looking at any more videos, since I hadn't previewed them (although I don't think the World Vision website would put up anything too graphic).  I told him no, and he said,"Come on!  Just a short video?  Daffy Duck?"

I suppose that is good in some ways.  I was worried that after seeing some of the pictures of the Haitians he would be very upset; he's pretty sensitive.  But in just a few minutes, he had moved on to Looney Tunes.  I feel like the world is just that absurd, sometimes.  While there is an unimaginable amount of human suffering going on not too far from us, we are in our own hectic day-to-day, where there is not time (or well-used time) or energy to do the things that need to get done in a day.  Tonight it is almost 11:30 and my dishes aren't done, the laundry is piled high, the bathrooms aren't clean, clothes for church aren't ready.  Most of the time I look around this house and think,"What a disaster."

Toys and books are scattered.  (Note the overturned doll chair behind Michaela, just waiting to break someone's neck?)  Clean clothes refuse to put themselves away.  Bookshelves are in the wrong place.  And what you can't see is that we have no bread or milk.

But there is a home.  There are smiling children.  And I can go to the store tomorrow.  "Disaster" might not be the most appropriate word for me to use around here.  "Thankful" might be.