The Well Will Not Run Dry

Welcome to where it rains every day, and it's balmy and green-the tropical rain forest in...Dallas? It has been pouring here for days.  Today (Sunday) is the first day since Tuesday that the heavens weren't blessing this dry and barren land with mucho agua.  I'm sure the area needed it badly, and I like the atmosphere of a stormy day.  I like the swirly gray sky, the dark yet bright green of the grass and trees, the sound the wind makes blowing through leaves, the growling thunder, and the way the lightning suddenly flashes, brightening the room for a second or two; I like listening to the rain on the roof, rolling down the sides of the house, pattering against the windowpanes; I like watching the kids color quietly as they listen to all the sounds of the storm, comfortable and safe in our home. Yesterday we were out and about just before a major thunderstorm passed through town.  When we arrived at our house, it was overcast, but it quickly went from slightly cloudy to dark as night-it was 3:00 in the afternoon. While storms outside wreak havoc and leave disasters behind, they are also the cause of great disasters inside... Actually, the kids were very good and had a great time "inventing." I'm not sure what new stuff they came up with, except a new mess to clean up.   You would have thought someone shot a duck in the living room; feathers were everywhere. After that initial darkness came the torrents of rain. So much water came down in a matter of minutes that the cars driving by crashed through giant puddles and sent enormous waves up their sides. The rain and the low light that comes from the hiding sun make such beautiful greens. The thunder carried on for quite a while, and once it was so loud I jumped in my seat.  Eliana would run over and say,"Boom, boom!"  She didn't know whether to laugh or be scared.  She did fine, though. Sometimes we wish the rain would go away, especially if kids are involved and everyone is stuck inside all day (or several days!).  I know it's hard for me to come up with organized and productive things for the kids to do (which is why they drag a whole bunch of crafty materials out and glue feathers and glitter all over fingerpainted paper) and often there is the distinct and imminent possibility of mutiny.  Yesterday happened to be a good day, without a great deal of fussing or boredom.  It was a chance to be quiet and busy, an opportunity to be together even though we had no specific agenda.  And the rains came to nourish the earth and give life.  In Deuteronomy 32, verse 2 says,"Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants."  I'm taking this moment to listen to the reminder that I need that life-giving nourishment that comes from above, the teaching that we have so available that it pours down like rain and showers us in abundance.  I should never complain that I am thirsty; if I am it is because I am sitting on my bucket next to the well, wondering how I'm going to get that water out.

Sacrifice-It Runs in the Family

This afternoon Mike picked Christian up from school early in order to take him and Michaela to a ballgame with some friends.  This was a very special treat!  It also meant that he didn't take lunch to school, since Mike was getting him at noon. Oddly enough, Christian waltzed through the hot lunch line, and proceeded to order a cold sandwich as soon as his class arrived in the lunchroom.  His teacher had to tell him that that was not okay, for he hadn't asked permission (we don't pay for hot or cold lunch).  He ended up with a plate full of the fixings for a chicken taco, fruit, a turkey sandwich, and a cookie.  The mom helping with lunch today said,"I don't know how he's going to eat all that!" Of course, he wasn't supposed to get any of it, and Mike dropped it off here and then took off with the kids to the game.  I gave Christian the chicken taco for dinner, which worked out well for me, and Michaela had leftover pasta-it was that kind of night.  Later, Mike was headed back to the office and looking for some nourishment.  Being the excellent wife that I am, I offered him Christian's sandwich that we stole from school today. I only knew half the story. Just a little bit ago I heard from my sweet husband.  He said to me that as he took his first bite of that turkey sandwich he remembered more of the conversation that took place at the table.  When he informed the helping mom that Christian was not supposed to get a sandwich she replied,"That's okay. I guess we can just put the sandwich back or someone else will eat it.  Oh, wait a minute.  We can't do that really, because he asked for ketchup on the turkey sandwich, and I don't know if anyone else will want a turkey sandwich with ketchup." He continued,"So here I am.  Eating a sandwich made of white Wonder Bread, turkey, a cheese-food slice and....ketchup. Yum." It's been a long time since he had white bread.  And the fact that it stuck to the roof of his mouth like his retainer in high school is a good reminder why that is true. I think I need to get back to planning meals.

SMACKDOWN!

DING, DING, DING The House vs. Vick -- WHO WILL BE ANNIHILATED?  WHO WILL BE LEFT STANDING? In one corner, the house stands undefeated... tough, unstoppable, a rock of meanness, a wicked tower of power... In the other corner, an undaunted opponent, worthy of the name TRICKYYYY VICKIIII... She's got more than a few tricks up her sleeve, and she's ready to weaken her enemy, stop the insanity, bust up the rock, and TAKE DOWN THE TOWER!! ROUND ONE It looks like the house is going to be harder to beat than anyone thought. The sheer strength of this beast is astonishing. It's going to take a little time, and we don't have a lot of that to waste! A powerful struggle is taking place, but there is some wavering; maybe the house doesn't have it after all! OH NO! There's a blow that no one saw coming! Vicki is going to have to figure out how to get a handle on this monster! The fans are going wild! No one knows how this is going to end! This is the sport at its finest! They don't even know who to root for anymore! It doesn't get any better than this. We have to take a break, but don't worry...this show is NOT over!

Good Things Come to Those Who Wait

After waiting and waiting and waiting I finally looked out the front door and saw this: Mike's truck at the end of the walk, parked, and the two of them in there talking!  Hey!  It's my mom!  My turn! They finally came inside, after some great discussion, and Michaela and I finally got to say hello. We love you mom, and we're so glad you're here!

Chess the Two of Us

Christian loves to relax with a good game of Chess. Of course, Mike and I have no real idea how to play the game.  In fact, I just learned the rules trying to teach Christian to play a couple of months ago.  Christian has the basic moves memorized and knows (for the most part) which way each piece can go. However, as far as strategy, we are all clueless...research is in order. Speaking of order, order is in order.  No, that doesn't have anything to do with anything, other than it's a true statement that just seemed to go right there. So, Christian and Mike set up the Chess game the other day, and I got some pictures because I thought they were cute.  And cute is what you're going for when you're playing Chess, right? Christian is very deliberate, but he plays Chess the same way he plays Chinese Checkers (there is a lot of,"If I did this...you could do this...). Christian had fun explaining the rules to Mike, but I'm not so sure that they were all that clear... This is a game that I could obsess about.  I like to win.  I like a challenge, a puzzle.  I am trying to decide if I should remain in my blissful (not really, it drives me crazy not to know the point/strategic process of this game) state of ignorance or learn up on the "why" of Chess.  Hmmm.  I will have to come back to this. In the meantime, it's fun to pretend like we know what we're doing.  And it's good time spent with Christian...who will probably turn out to be some kind of mad Chess playing, all-time undefeated champion. And we can say it all started here!