Ball Games and a Water Hose (You'll Never Guess What This Post Is About...)

The weather has been lovely here and we have been outside quite a bit this last week. The big kids have stepped right into the new circles of kids on their ball teams, and they've done a great job.

Last week, Christian and Michaela had back to back games. Aside from my allergy related misery, I had a great time watching them (and taking some pictures too); everyone had a lot of fun. 

This picture of Christian reminds me so much of the pictures Mike's mom has of him in her house from when he was a boy. Christian somehow looks like each of our brothers as well as Mike. I love that I can see all of them in his face. 

On the afternoon of a rainy day last week, after Mike got home with Christian, he told the kids to get outside and play in the hose. It was just what they didn't know they totally wanted to do! 

For whatever reason, I love this picture of Michaela. 

Eliana wasn't all that fond of getting squirted with the hose, but she thoroughly enjoyed dousing Michaela. 

They also got the giant bubble wands out. 

Christian was working on a book report, but he couldn't resist all this fun, and soon he was outside too. He got his hands on the hose, and unfortunately, Eliana ended up in some crossfire. 

She was mid-cry when he aimed the hose at his own face, and she immediately switched her tear gears to hysterical laughing. 

He has always been able to make her scream with laughter. 

No one was safe from Christian when he had the hose (except for me...I had the camera, I'm smart like that).

But he got a little dose of his own medicine before all was said and done. 

He laughed at first, and it's all fun and games...

until Christian gets hosed in the face. Then it's time to go in and get showered. So they did.

The end. 

P.S. I like spring, but I can't wait for summer. 

Small

You were so small for so long. There in the dark, in the water, I could feel you turn and when you stretched I stretched. There were feet in my ribs and elbows pushing against the skin that covered you, held you in, so small. Such a confinement would not be tolerated for too long. When you were still small, but too big for the space that I had for you, that miracle journey began, and it was a narrow and hard path. You and I made a way though. We were designed to do that together. 

Bones and skin strained, muscles and sweat and crying out, and I am sure I was loud, and crying out and you were in the light. Little arms and legs that had known nothing but limits flailed, slippery body caught secure and wrapped up, still so small. 

Small with big blue eyes, you were always looking and taking it in. You seemed like you knew just what you were doing, and I was the one who had so much to learn. So you were teaching me all the time, and I was trying to teach you too. 

You're not as small now.

Sometimes I think of the small you, that tiny you who looked at me with big blue eyes that said so much. I think of how you are getting bigger all the time but you're not big enough yet to leave. One day, again, you'll be too big for this space, and you'll head down a narrow and hard path. What I hope you know is that you will never be alone on the journey. 

We're still learning, you and I. I am teaching you, but you are still teaching me too. Together we'll keep learning. There'll be more straining, we'll have to push through some difficult times, and we may cry out for help. But guess what? We will end up in the light, held tight, secure.

The Storm

That thunder rolled way off
Far beyond the clouds above.
Low it rumbled back and forth,
Warning of the storm.
The whipping wind around my face
Brought the rain down hard.
This was not the worst, I knew,
Even though the ground
Shook below my feet.
I knew that I might fall;
Suddenly the storm was full.
Towering, alive,
A mighty beast was pounding,
Pouring, piercing merciless-
From every side a blow,
When a voice
Pierced the piercing,
Met merciless with
Merciful arms and mighty roar,
But quiet calm comfort came
Rushing in and stormy sea,
Wind and rain, that hurricane
Was reined in, the One that
Reigns was near.
Here.  

I found out this afternoon that my cousin's son was killed in a hit-and-run accident last night by a drunk driver. My heart is broken for their family, and I know that God is the only comfort during such a time. If you would pray for them, that would be powerful. Thank you. 

Book Reports-More Important Than Blogging (Today Anyway)

Tonight is about writing, but not mine. Christian has a book report due tomorrow and we are working toward accomplishing this goal.

[I started this post, and had to interrupt myself to help Christian.]

We got to a certain point, and a certain very late time, and decided it would be more beneficial for him to go to sleep and wake up early. This does mean that I will be getting up early (this is not my usual M.O. - not that I want to teach him about how to pull an all-nighter, print up a paper, head to class after drinking an inordinate amount of Mt. Dew, and turn in an assignment that never was proof-read), and so I better get the things done which need to get done around here.

That is laughable. I am not even close to getting one-sixteenth of the things done. Not even one-thirty-eighth. I'm speaking in fractions and I don't even know what I'm talking about anymore. 

And now...I know you're not going to believe this...I have to go put away some laundry. It is the job that never ends.

Never. Ever. Ends. 

Unlike book reports, which fortunately do have an end, and this is his final one for the year. 

Can I get a woot-woot? 

I told him next year we would work on the skill of doing such a project over a period of time rather than procrastinating (I didn't use those exact words), and he said,"Next year I'll be in fifth grade. That's crazy!"

Indeed. Let's not get ahead of ourselves...one day, one week, one school year at a time. That's all I can take (and barely that). 

Mr. Mister Is Surprisingly Relevant

I don't even know why I try to have a plan on Wednesday. It never works out like I think it's going to. If I'm truthful, though, I would admit that my plan is never thorough enough, and so the reason things never go the way I think they are going to go is because I have forgotten something which I suddenly remember just in the nick of time (on a good day). 

Christian's lunch...why can I not remember that he has to take lunch on Wednesday? What is wrong with my brain that it cannot keep that bit of info on hand (on cerebrum?), and not just that, but be prepared to pack him lunch? You might think with just a few weeks of school left, I would have the Wednesday routine down pat.

No. Nope. Nu-uh. I do not.

Wednesdays are consistently crazy around here. It's strange.

Wednesday...the new Monday.

Today held a lot of driving for me, namely in circles. After a morning and afternoon full of looping through the city of Dallas, we left in the early evening for the ball games. Christian's was first. During his game, I wasn't paying attention to the time, and almost forgot entirely that Michaela also had her softball game. I drove her over to the field where her game was being played and watched her, as well as kept an eye on Eliana while she played on the playground. Then Mike called to remind me that I had his keys and his wallet (he changed in the van since I brought his clothes to the ball field). I'm telling you, we are like Laurel and Hardy. But it's not funny when it's your own life. (But you have to laugh, or die. Am I right?)

Someone else was kind enough to drop him off where I was, and then I dropped him off again at his truck. We picked up dinner on the way home (it was almost 9pm!!) and the kids showered and ate and got in bed soon after we got home. 

Is it just us, or do other families have this trouble? Is it hard for anyone else to remember things, to work out a reasonable schedule, to manage all of the activities and events efficiently? Or even just lunch?!

The highlight of my day was listening to a new version of the Mr. Mister song "Kyrie Eleison" (from 1985...man, that makes me feel old) and laughing when Michaela cried out,"What is he saying?!" I told her that the song was from when I was young, and I had no idea what the words were then, and I didn't know now. (Note: Now, as in, at this present moment, I do know, because I have since looked it up. At the time of the convo in the car, I did not know. I was not referring to the song by its name, because I did not know what it was!) (I always had a vague sense that the word Kyrie was in the song. But that was it. And it wasn't strong. Like the force in Anakin.) I told her that I had always sung,"Gimme, gimme a laser down the road that I must travel!" She burst out laughing and agreed that it sounded like that, or maybe something to do with a weasel. Or diesel. (A weasel or a diesel on the road makes much more sense than a laser.) When we got home tonight, I mentioned it to Mike, and he had another idea about what the words were, so when we looked it up and discovered Kryie Eleison, it was a great surprise. I shouted out that I knew the word Kyrie was in there, but I don't think anyone believed me, because it's awfully easy to shout,"I knew that!" once the right answer is out there. 

Do you know what Kyrie Eleison means? Lord, have mercy. (That's what it means. I'm not asking him for mercy right this minute.) (Although that is never a bad idea.)

Isn't that exactly what I ought to bring to my Wednesdays? To my every day? Add a little 80s rock 'n' roll...extra bonus. (wink, and smile)

P.S. I'll post some baseball/softball pics tomorrow.