Don't think about this today.

Hello, Dear Reader.
It's your stereotypical Bell here.

This is the last day of school
for this quarter!
Cue the band.
Fire off the confetti cannon.
I hope you are just as excited as I am.
Never mind the fact that I really need to spend
the entire week off making lesson plans
and plans of all sorts for our second quarter.
I'm kind of being Scarlett O'Hara about that
(who did not home school her children---and if you only
saw the movie and didn't read the book,
you think she only had one child, don't you?).
I'm not thinking about that silly second quarter today.
I'll think about that tomorrow.
Or maybe I'll think about that in a state of panic on
Sunday night, October 10th, when I have to get up and
start school the next morning.
But we already have a field trip planned for
Tuesday, October 12th, so....you know, technically I could
procrastinate until the night of the 11th....If I was
to continue to use my
Scarlett O'Hara train of thought....

Someone should make a Scarlett O'Hara planner
...and make it like a calendar
that promotes procrastination.
Like To Do Lists that easily move
from one month to the next.
Or NO space to write anything on the calendar
because surely your sisters or your mammy have those
appointments written down
and they can just remind you
about them
...and you don't need to
think about them today anyway.
You can think about them tomorrow.
You are Scarlett.
(And every page would have a picture
of Ashley Wilkes with hearts drawn on it.)

This week my little Sweet T has begun to read
some words, but the whole reading thing is not really
clicking with him yet. Right this minute, as I am
typing this, he is sitting beside me getting mad at
Beka Horton for ever writing curriculum at all.
It's not that he can't do it.
He can do it. He's fine.
I think this is where we have the little bit of struggle
with the whole age thing.
He won't be five until January.
If he went to public school or most other schools,
they would not have let him start kindergarten until next fall.
But that would have been wasting a year, I think.
I did this same thing with Big E,
but you kind of have to decide if you want to be
a half step behind or a half step ahead.
And trust me, I am NOT taxing this child's brain.
There's no inappropriate academic pressure
going on in this house. We could probably stand to
turn it up a notch or two.
Sweet T is perfectly capable of doing the work
that I'm laying out before him.
And he IS doing it.
There's just some that he prefers over the others.
Like coloring pages and puzzles and mazes.
He's fine with them.
And Math. Bring on the Math.
He loves the Math.
Who doesn't love kindergarten Math?
Do you remember it?
Trace the 3.
Count the pennies.
What number is the short hand pointing to on the clock?
Who would mind that?
Nobody hates Math in kindergarten.
Even little future English majors.
But the whole reading/language arts area causes
some students to frown from day one.
We just did two pages of phonics and what does Sweet T say?
"Can I have a break?
I'm out of breath (actually he says breaff)
from all these words."

But I know how he feels.
I'm a little out of breaff myself from all this schooling.
I am so looking forward to next week
and catching my breaff again.

Typical?

Hey Dear Reader....it's Wednesday here.
I'm going to tell you something that I should
probably just keep to myself,
but I will say it anyway.
It's after 2pm.
We've done breakfast,
lunch,
school,
some cleaning,
some other miscellaneous stuff
....and I am still in my jammies.

I'm so glad no one has knocked on my door today.

I'm not saying that this has never happened before,
but I really can't get started with a day
without a shower in the morning and clean clothes.
But today I did.
I've gone about my day
looking like that kind of generalization
about housewives
that is sometimes true.
I've been that today.
Robe and curlers.
Except I wasn't wearing a robe and curlers.
But I was being that stereotype
of the ragged, haggard housewife.

Maybe I'll just start exploring stereotypes.
Next thing you know,
I'll be living out the stereotype
of the homeschooling mom.
I'll have on my denim jumper
and I'll come driving up in my
15 passenger van.....

And then I'll become maybe
a stereotypical biker chick.
Leather clothes and bleached blonde hair.
A tattoo.
Riding on a Harley with a guy who is on parole
and has a mustache and a pot belly.
(I really don't see me
trying out this role, just FYI.)

I guess there's a stereotype
for everything, isn't there?

Are you the stereotypical Dear Reader?
What is someone like
who has come more than once to peek in
at my Ordinary Days?
Tell me something about you.
Are you young?
Are you old?
A bus driver in Egypt?
A diabetic in California?
A young mother in over her head?
A pastor's wife with bad linoleum?
A banker with an annoying secretary?
A basketball star with torn ligaments?

I'd like to know something about you.

Passing Understanding

Normally I would love days like today
and would just be dancing through my house,
basking in the cozy beauty of this day that shows us
the beginning of the transition
from summer to autumn.

But today I am thinking that this quiet, grayness
is very appropriate for the broken hearts
in our community.
I am still just frozen and speechless
each time that I think of the family who has suffered
this horrible tragedy.
I have prayed for them so much,
for the one in particular who is my friend and who,
I believe, bears the greatest burden in this situation.

Have you ever had one of those situations
where you are praying for something
and you don't have any idea how God can do it?
That's how I feel in this situation.
I know that God gives grace and peace.
I have experienced it myself.
I have seen it in the lives of others.
I know that God can and will give comfort to this family.
I just don't know what comfort there can be here.
I just can't fathom it.
I can't imagine it.
I feel like it's something beyond my grasp.
If that were me, I don't know how I would deal with it.
I'm not doubting God. I know that He can do it.
I just don't know how.
I have never suffered anything like that
(and I hope I won't!) so I guess it's just beyond me.
But I know He is able.
God's own Son was brutally murdered.
He has experienced this very same pain
that my friend is going through.
I hope that she knows that underneath her
are the everlasting arms. I hope she feels
His strength. I hope she is not wondering where God is
in all of this. I hope she lets Him comfort her.

It's just kind of hard to focus my mind
on the things that need to be done around here today.
We have been busy this morning
although we haven't gotten to our school work yet.
We have done a MAJOR pick up, tidying,
organizing of the house (or most parts of it).
It had somehow been mistaken for the city dump
in these recent days of illness. I had to turn away
a line of cars who wanted to come and add to our piles.
But we have made major progress.

Now on to the academic portion of our day
--this is our last week of this quarter!
(and there was much rejoicing)
One fourth of the school year is ending.
I am so glad.
Next week we have
no school.
I am trying to make it where we can
have some fun that week
and I am also trying like crazy to make
a few hours one of the days where I can
GET AWAY from my lovely lovely family
and actually have a little break myself.
By myself.

I also got a call from my mother-in-law this morning.
They are coming in this weekend.
She called to tell me about the diet they are on
and what they will eat each meal.
To the ounce.
Are you rolling your eyes?


Okay--let's not lose momentum here!
I have really gotten a number of things done this morning
and I need to just keep going.

I hope that you are off to a good start on this week.
I hope that you will have a lovely day, Dear Reader.

If you think about it, pray for my friend.

Family Tradition

And no,
it's not a post about
Hank Williams Jr.
Leave him alone.
He's just carryin' on...oh wait,
I said it's NOT about him.....

You know how you remember
things from your childhood
in a sometimes skewed perspective?
Like someone who seemed amazingly tall
was just average height,
but you were three years old and less than three feet tall
so he seemed like a giant to you.
Or like the way you thought
Barry Manilow lived next door when it was only
the neighbors teenage son who had long-ish blond hair
that was stylish during those polyester shirt days.

Today I was thinking about a memory I have
of this third week in September. When I think
about the week of the county fair here in my little town,
I remember being sick and not getting to go.
In my head, this was something that happened
"every year."
I know it happened at least twice
because I remember it at two different houses
(we moved A LOT until I was in the fourth grade
and my parents have been in the same house
since then....they are there now....this very minute...).
Here's what I remember:
It's the week of the fair. I get sick. Like a
stomach bug or virus or something like that.
I don't get to go to the fair, but my older brother does.
They bring me back a treat.
Here's one problem with my memory:
where is my little brother?
He is only four years younger than me. He was around.
But I have no idea what he was doing.
I don't recall him being sick or going to the fair either one.
Maybe he was taking a nap.
Or writing country songs for babies in his crib.
Anyway, this is what I think of every year
when the fair comes around. So I was going to
think of this anyway....my kids didn't have to catch a
stomach bug in order to get me to recall this memory.
It makes an annual appearance.
But perhaps I have thought of it more
since I've been dealing with a stomach bug
in reality and not just in memory.

And here's how it's playing out this year with my kids:
Lovely K and Sweet T are healthy horses. They got
the bug first, were sick all day Thursday, and spent
today "recovering." Big E didn't come down with it
until last night after soccer practice.
Big E is the most like me (or how I was as a child)
in that he's already UNDER his ideal weight.
So he has no reserves.
I was always like that as a child.
(I got over it.)
So any sickness I danced around with
really took a chunk out of me.
Big E is the same way. He is a healthy horse too
(praise God that all my kids are very healthy!),
but he's just so thin. He has no reserves.
Nothing stored up for the future.
And heaven forbid the child want to eat anything
that might fatten him up.
A no carb diet would be pretty much
what he would choose anyway.
So he looks pitiful.
He slept all afternoon.
While the other two were bouncing up and down
hoping and praying that their father would think
they were recovered enough to go to the fair,
Big E was laying on the couch.
He didn't even seem to care about missing the fair.
He doesn't feel good.
He's zapped.
I don't know if he'll be up to speed
for his soccer game tomorrow.
If it's hot like it has been the last two Saturdays,
I don't know if I will let him play or not.
But they are threatening us with cooler weather.
I wish they'd threaten us with some rain.
And then follow through on their threat.

So, to sum things up....
twice I was sick as a child and missed the county fair.
My oldest son is missing the fair today for the same reason.
Why did it take me so long to say so little?

Hello Dear Reader.

I am still reeling over the horrible news that
I spoke to you about yesterday. I don't think
five minutes have passed that I have not thought
about that situation...
about my poor friend....

It's just so terrible.

I have had the distraction of
a stomach bug running around the house
and settling on my children.
Lovely K and Sweet T woke up yesterday
complaining with stomach aches
and the fun started soon after that.

Stomach bug.

I don't think I need to say anything else.
You know what I was doing all day yesterday.
Baby J thought I was paying too much attention
to the sick siblings yesterday so he decided
it would be a good day to fuss
and want to be held constantly.
Great idea, Baby J. Sigh.
Big E was the healthy, happy child all day.
Right up until he got home from soccer practice
and he could withstand the peer pressure no longer.
He caved and gave in to the stomach bug.
Poor E.
He is always the most pitiful when sick.
I was up many times in the night with him.
He slept in the hall outside the bathroom door.

But no one has been sick since daylight.
Maybe we are done with this mess.

I have had Excedrin and Dr. Pepper
this morning and still feeling like I've been
run over by a truck.
Maybe I'll lay everyone down for naps this afternoon.
They are all sad that they missed our home school
co-op today. They are begging to get to go to the
fair tonight. I suggested to Lloyd Dobbler that
he take the three big kids (by himself) and let me
stay home with Baby J. Although I probably won't
get to stay home. I've got to get some groceries
in this house at some point.
We can keep eating odds and ends
off the back of the shelves,
but there are somethings you can't do without.
Like diapers and wipes and formula.


And this is the first day
that I have not nursed Baby J.
I guess that part of my life is over forever.
I thought I'd be sad when I was done
having babies and done with
each little stage of babyhood.
But I am fine with it.
I'm tired.
I'm getting old.
I can't do the young mommy thing forever.
I've enjoyed my time with my babies,
but I see new stages of life on my horizon
and I am ready for that.
Or I will be
after a nap and another round of Excedrin.

Reality.

This morning I got up on time and
everything was going
exactly as I would have it go
on a perfect early morning.

I had read something that had just
encouraged my little heart---had me so full
of hope and praise. It was just a few minutes
after that that I received a phone call with some
terrible news.
Someone I've known most of my life...
...her two grandchildren and daughter-in-law
were murdered.

Those babies...who could do something like this?
Such wickedness.


You hear about this stuff on the news all the time.
But when it's someone you know....it's overwhelming.
I cannot imagine what she is going through this morning.
My heart just breaks for her.
Every thing seems inadequate.
I think of that verse that says
"weep with those who weep."
Isn't that the most appropriate thing right now?
Anything else would seem ridiculous.
I am just praying that God will give my friend
that peace that passes understanding.
He is the God of all comfort.
Who else could help in a situation like this?

In which Bell does NOT promote smoking.

I like this little ditty...this song that you will
eventually get to after I chit and chat
for a minute here.....and I love the voice
of this author although what I keep hearing in my head
after I have listened to this song
is that there's a new book printed every thirty seconds.
Every thirty seconds.
Sigh.
What's so great about being published?
Every thirty seconds?
Really?

Oh well.
I still find this song very amusing.
I think I've already told you
that I find Pomplamoose so interesting.
I would like to be their neighbor and feed their cat
when they are out of town. I wish Jack (the guy)
wouldn't say the word "freakin" every time
they talk to us. But he does.
(I do not enjoy hearing anyone say that.)
I also wish I had a large silver maple tree
in my front yard.
But that's neither here nor there.
Here's the song.
(I hope it doesn't stink up your dreams
of someday being a published author.)

Don't forget to stop the music on the juke box now.

Life is not fair.

Today my life was fair

....or it was spent at the fair,
I should say.
This week is our county fair
and I was asked to go help with the judging
of all that stuff in the buildings.
You know what stuff
I am talking about:

Artwork.
Quilts.
Jams.
Pickles.
Cakes.
Purses made out of turtle shells
(I am not kidding).
Embroidered toilet paper
(again, not kidding).

I didn't actually help with the judging.
The judges did the judging (how appropriate);
I helped with the paperwork and the displaying
and all that other stuff. I would probably still
be there helping right now if I hadn't had to leave to
get back to the kiddos so my father could leave and take
my drugged up mother to the doctor.
There was a lot left to do when I peeled out.

It was a very interesting morning.
I guess I enjoyed it.
It's just one of those things that isn't like a
woo-hoo party exciting time,
but you can enjoy it just because it's people working
together, kind of a community service sort of thing.
And probably the best part of it (for me)

was that school was being done

back here on the homestead
and I wasn't the one having to do it.
That is a great thrill for me.
A substitute teacher.
(My dad)


I think the kids like it too.
Haven't gotten to talk to my dad yet.
He ran out the door before I even got in it.
Hope that's because he was in a hurry

and not a sign of how the morning went for them.


I'm not trying to have a bad attitude about school
or act like I am doing anything anybody else isn't doing.
I'm sure every other homeschooling mom
knows what I am talking about.
It's just getting to that point
where we need a break.
But don't worry.
A break is coming.
This is week #8 of school.
We are doing the Quarterly thing this year,
which means after every nine weeks of school
we will get a break.
So one more week after this one
and we will have a week's break!
I think I am way more excited about it than the kids.
I two possible field trips are lining up for us.
I really need to do more field trips,
more fun stuff.


In other news:
Sweet T scored his first goals in soccer on Saturday.
He was so proud of himself. It's like he understands,
after dancing around that first game, what he needs
to do. And I think he will be the type to really
feed off of the cheers of the spectators.
You could just see his ego inflate at the sound
of the applause and people calling out his name.
We've got to get that skinny boy
some smaller shorts though.
He kept having to hike them up
as he ran down the field.
What can I say?
We seem to have a constant struggle with our
skinny boys and finding pants
that will stay up on them.
We are entering that time of year that I hate
in regards to clothing my boys.
Summer is great because I can easily find shorts
to fit them. It's this child who
needs a 10 or 12 in length and a 5 or 6 in the waist
that drives me crazy.
People tell me to get the slim pants,
like I wouldn't have thought of that.
Even the slim pants are not slim enough.
My brother had this same problem.
And I was always a skinny twig growing up too.
My, how things change.
Neither my brother or I have been
called skinny in recent days.

Speaking of my brother,
I got to go see him perform at a local restaurant
on Saturday night. Lloyd Dobbler had some NRA event
that night so I didn't have "a date" to go.
But my lovely ol' wonderful aunt from The Big City
decided to come and go so she and I went together.
She was my date.
We had a good time.
We ended up joining the other brother and his friends
anyway, but I kind of wish we hadn't. We didn't get
much of a chance to talk. I always feel like I never
get enough time to visit with that aunt.
She is such a joy to be with.
I always say that her visits are like
a visit from Santa Clause
--because who isn't happy
to see Santa Clause?
That's kind of the
reaction we have to her
coming, the same as you
would have to a visit
from Santa.
Especially my kids.
They get very excited
at the news of her visiting.
And she is the best
person with kids
--she just talks to them
differently than anyone else does
and they are drawn to her like a magnet.
We could sing
"you better not pout, you better not cry,
you better not shout, I'm telling you why,
your favorite aunt is coming to town..."
(did I get those lyrics right? Is it "shout"?)
And it's always like a celebration when she shows up.
We could set up a thing in the mall for people to come
and have their picture taken with her.
I wonder if she could drive reindeer.
I did see an old-fashioned wagon for sale
at the fair today.

Song-writing Brother
did a good job with his songs Saturday night.
It's not the kind of gig he loves, but it's one of those
things you do to put yourself out there. He prefers the
coffee shops, and that really is a better place to see him
if you are actually interested in hearing him and his work.
But he just improves all the time
and I expect to hear about somebody
buying his songs anytime now.

He has some very marketable stuff.

Much more marketable than, say,
a purse made out of
a large turtle shell.

What's up, Wednesday?

This has been an odd day so far.
And it's barely lunchtime.
Let's back up to last night.
You saw the earlier post about the combining
of babies and stomach bugs. It wasn't that bad.
Two episodes: one major, one minor.
Around three o'clock I had to move from
my cozy pillow top to the nice, firm floor of the nursery.
I don't think I've "slept"
(we'll call it sleeping, for argument's sake)
on the nursery floor since January. Maybe February.
So anyway....that was the night.
And that kind of night leads to the kind of morning
where the mama doesn't get up with her alarm.
She hears it go off in her bedroom and rolls over
very quietly and carefully
so as not to disturb the nearby baby who is sleeping.
I think we finally all made it downstairs
and got breakfast in motion at 8:30---yes, it had to be
that time because I was standing there stirring the
Cocoa Wheats when the doorbell rang. It was the
A/C guy here for his 8:30 appointment....and I was in
my nightgown. I told Lovely K to let him in
(he's a familiar face around here) while I raced
to get on some clothes.

It was a beautiful morning.
I mean, inspirationally beautiful.
Golden sunlight pouring in
on my horribly dirty kitchen floor.
So I got inspired to clean.

Usually when I have the choice between
following our day of school charted out before us
and house work, school work always wins.
As it should.
That's the priority.
But if you have seen my house lately,
you know that house work can't keep being a lesser priority.
So today it won.
House work won.
I picked housework over everything else.
Actually, what I did was send the big kids out

to the patio table with their assignments
(and I know they're partying and not doing them,
but today I don't care)
and I swept the kitchen, mopped the kitchen,
dusted the living room, cleaned some baseboards...
And next on my list is vacuuming the rest of the
downstairs floors and then mopping them.
And dusting the dining room.
I think after this spurt of cleaning,
I will break out the tub of fall decor in the basement
and scatter some decorations about.

Lloyd Dobbler came up and asked
if we wanted to go eat lunch somewhere.
That was odd.
I wish we could.
I wish would could just load up
and go eat somewhere.
But we are not doing that.
We look like homeless people
and we don't have money flowing like a river
through our pocketbooks. We will eat here
where it doesn't matter what we look like
and the bologna sandwiches are free.

I don't know why the day seems odd
...but odd in a good way.
I feel good despite less restful sleep than I am
accustomed to getting. It feels good to throw off my
academic yoke and be a housewife for a few hours.
As I was singing along with James Taylor
and cleaning a dusty baseboard,
I wondered if I would be like this more
if my kids were in school.
My dream was always to be the stay at home mom,
never the home schooling mom.
I wonder what that reality would be like.
Not that I want them to be in school.
I really think that home schooling is the best for them.
I just wish it didn't all fall on me.
It's a lot of work for me.
It fills my plate to over-flowing.
It's the reason I feel like I am always behind
and that I never have any time off.
I'm always on duty.
It would be like if you were a judge
and you lived in your courtroom
and where ever you went you always had to take
the stenographer
and the bailiff
and a couple of lawyers.
Oh, and the stenographer has to bring a lot of equipment,
isn't potty trained,
and can't feed herself or walk.
And every thing you say and do is going on the record.


Well, there's more to do today!
And those sandwiches
aren't going to make themselves....

Get ready for cuteness, Lloyd.

I think this is cute.
This couple is cute.
This song is cute.
The way they make their little videos is cute.
And after I watch it again with you now,
all day I will be singing in my head:
"Movies and magazines--
filling our heads with dreams--
life is the little things!"

blech

An eight month old and a stomach bug
should never be mixed together.
It's not a really bad one,
and I hope it doesn't get worse,
but I cannot stand to see my little ones sick.
Especially when they are this little.
Baby J is a baby (hence the name).
He's just so pitiful.

And I really really
hope this doesn't go through the whole family.

Is this being taped?

My four year old is at that point
where he wants to listen to stuff.
Not that he never listened before,
but he's always singing, always wanting music on or
to listen to a recorded story while he plays.
And he's learned how to operate
the players so he can put these on for himself now.
So it's always something....only not such a variety
now as there was in the past when my older two were
in this stage of audio enchantment.
I remember Lovely K and Big E going through this phase.
And what did I do about it when they were in that phase?
I bought lots and lots of tapes.
(No wonder I found so many good ones for good prices,
it's like buying dinosaur hats. Who needs them now?)

We have a wealth of material
for the listening ear
ON TAPE.
If only Sweet T could drive....because the van is the
only place I have a working cassette player.
The kids have those CD/tape combos in their rooms
(and I have one in the kitchen) but what is
the first thing that goes on those?
After you play one third of one side of a tape,
the tape player portion of the ridiculous thing
no longer works.
I was looking at various sites online and I cannot find
where you can buy cassette players any more.
Please show me if you know the source---
and I'm not talking about somebody who
is calling it "vintage" and wanting $300 for a
tape player that ought to cost $19.95.

I thought I'd find that child proof one that Fisher Price
used to make. Not anymore. It's for CDs now.
I guess the cassette tape is like the eight track tape
was when I was a kid. But I have all these great stories
on tape and great kids' songs on tape that I know would
be just the thing for Sweet T right now
...and no tape player.

I find this aggravating.

I was thinking about some of the tapes this morning.
Ernie Gets Lost
was a big favorite
--and while not a literary masterpiece,
it was a good story about how important it is
to stay with your adult while shopping.

We have lots of Elisabeth Elliott on tape, including the
stories she read for children. My kids loved these
and they were nice and mellow
(some might say boring)
like you want a recorded story to be at bedtime.
And those tapes are the reason Lovely K will usually refer
to her as "our friend, Elisabeth Elliott." If you ever
heard her radio program, you know that she always said
at the beginning, "This is your friend, Elisabeth Elliott."
Well those story tapes are recordings of her radio program
so several times throughout the tape she would
do the intro again and tell you that she was your friend.
We heard her on the radio one day
(this has been a while back now)
while we were driving down the road. It took Lovely K
a minute to recognize the voice and then she said,
" Listen Big E!
It's our friend, Elisabeth Elliott!"

Somebody taped off (onto a cassette tape
from a record--you know, that black vinyl circular thing)
this recording of Bible stories that Lloyd Dobbler
had as a child. It was one of those overly-dramatic
things that sucks children right in. Big E and Lovely K
used to listen to that tape a lot at the old house.
It was Big E's favorite. This was when he
became enchanted with the story of Cain and Able.
It was on that tape. That overly-dramatic tape.
Some asked Big E what his favorite Bible story was
and he said, "Cain and Able!" with such enthusiasm.
And I got the strange look
--the kind of look you give a parent whose child
is enchanted with the first murder in history.
I think it was the way they told it, those overly dramatic
people who made that recording. There was one line
I would hear Big E repeat to himself when he was playing.
He would say it in this very deep,
thundering (as much as a four year old can
make his voice "thundering"), Biblical voice:
And Cain smote his brother Able.
We won fish at the fair that year. Lovely K won one
and Big E won one. Big E named his fish Cain and
convinced his sister to name her fish Able.
One more we found Able floating.
No joke.
Cain lived while many fish who came after him did not.
I'm just saying...If you have two fish that you
want to keep.....don't name one of them Cain.

And they're off!

It's Monday morning and the kids are still asleep.
Maybe I should be more specific.
It's a quarter 'til eight on Monday morning
and Baby J is not awake. Unheard of!
(I just heard Big E fall out of bed---what a way to wake up!)
I know I'm supposed to get them up at seven....but do you
know how hard it is to motivate myself to
wake sleeping children?
The house is quiet and the day is fresh and new.
I just hate to push the button that starts
the parade of insanity that is
also known as "a normal day" around here.

I actually did come upstairs a while ago to wake
those bed-headed sweeties, but then I stopped at
the computer first to look up a verse in the Bible.
A phrase was snagged in my thoughts
and I couldn't remember where that verse was
or what it was in its entirety.
My search led me to discover that I'd heard it
quoted in some versions I wasn't familiar with
and that's what caused my mental confusion.
It was all about the word excellence,
about doing things with excellence.

Here's what I've been thinking on this morning:

Ecclesiastes 9:10a
Whatever your hand finds to do,
do it with all your might.

and


Colossians 3:23
(I'll share the God's Word Translation I found
because I love the way they refer to God in this version)
"Whatever you do, do it wholeheartedly
as though you were working for
your real master
and not merely for humans."


Also, in my sniffing around this morning
I came across this post on a blog I know nothing about.
So I'm just saying, this one post that I read is good
--because you know I'm a big Elisabeth Elliott fan.
And I love the first quote of hers on here.
I've read it before, but I always
get something out of it.

Okay....one half of my children are up,
that's two thirds of the student body.
(Guess who's been explaining fractions lately?)
I must go wake up my upper class man. She is the
one child who would sleep in.....oh, that these boys
of mine would do that at this age.
But time for snoozing is long past.
It's now time to get this week started.
I hope yours, Dear Reader,
is off on a good foot.


(giggle)

Go, Speedracer, Go!

• Greetings, Earthlings. And Dear Readers. I cannot believe that it is Friday already. How tired are you of hearing me say that time is passing and the seasons are changing? What will my next topic be? My need for air? I know how to keep you entertained, my friend. Try to stay awake.
  
• First of all (which is actually second, if you're not blind, but let's not quibble), today is my dear Lloyd Dobbler's birthday. This is a big one. The end of youth as he knows it. When he walked into the bathroom this morning I screamed and said, "There's a forty year old man in our bathroom!!!" I know you all now wish you had me to deal with first thing in the morning.
• We are having the family birthday dinner for Lloyd Dobbler tonight. I guess I will have to wheel his aged body to the van in a wheel chair and load him up. I've never been married to a man in his forties. I really think I'm too young for this.
• Lovely K started her dance class this week. She was so excited about it. I am very pleased with the class already. It's very laid back, the teacher is low key. I think she is really going to like it. Why did we wait so long to do this? Did I really think that a daughter of mine was going to be "into" soccer or softball.
  
• You may have noticed the Theme from A Summer Place playing on our juke box (if you haven't silenced it). I know I've been talking about Fall like it's actually here, but it's not. We've still got about a week and a half of official summer days. You still have a little time to spend in your summer place. So we might as well listen to the theme of that place while you go there.
  
• Tomorrow we have our first soccer games and wouldn't you know it--Big E and Sweet T have their first games at the same time. Ugh. I knew this would happen at some point, but the very first game?!? I mean, this is T's first game ever. But that doesn't take away from the fact that it's E's first game of the season. I want to watch them both! But they will be on different fields. So each child will get a parent, a grandparent, and a sibling. The two uncles and one aunt will have to spread themselves around how ever they see fit.
• If you are keeping score at home, you'll need to get that score card out because we have a new category. Let's call it "Number of Times Bell Has Been Pulled Over For Speeding." You'll need to change the zero in that column (after thirty-something years!!!) to a 1. Sigh. Yes, you heard me, your poor little Bell was pulled over yesterday for exceeding the speed limit. First time in my life. I am happy to report that I came away from this brush with the law without a ticket of any kind. I had all my little paperwork and I had all my babes properly strapped into their seats. I'm no rebel here. I abide by the law....except for maybe the speeding part....and I certainly don't do it intentionally. I have to say, it was a good thing that this happened. All day today I was paying attention and it seems that I may have gained a lot of weight in my right foot. It just lays so heavily on that gas pedal. I found myself setting the cruise to keep it under control. When did I become a speed demon?
• Last night I started getting out the necessary items for making banana bread (because I had three bananas that looked to be approximately the same age as my husband!) when I decided to make my banana bread more of a fall-themed banana bread. So I put some multi-colored leaves in the batter. No. I jest. No leaves in the batter. I put brown sugar and nutmeg and Craisins (which are dried cranberries, in case you didn't know). In my mind, I saw these turning out so lovely. I thought they could have been attractive. I made 12 muffins and one loaf---only if I had put the batter for the loaf in an actual loaf pan instead of trying to put it in this cool, other-shaped pan....well, then it might have been attractive too. I even put a struesel top on it. While they taste good, I am here to report that these muffins are ugly and the "loaf" is downright embarrassing. You can make a note of that on your score card too. But they did taste good. And who wants good-looking muffins that taste like dirt? That's like having beautiful children who are jerks. Which is more important?
  
• I actually remembered to wear a name tag at our home school co-op today. (Put that on the score card too, since you have it out anyway...)We are supposed to have these on at all times there, but you've met me. You are aware that I consume Diet Dr. Pepper. I can't remember what my name is half the time, let alone to once a week put a tag on telling that name to other people. But I remembered it today. And I would see people I don't know looking at it and, you know, knowing what my name is. That's the whole point of those things, isn't it? Well, they work.
  
• Before you get to thinking that Bell messes up every recipe she attempts, I would like to direct you attention to the piece of Mississippi mud that I am eating at this very moment. This stuff is so good, but it's like 897 thousand calories in every bite, I am sure. Don't even ask how many points. If you eat one of these, you can't attend a Weight Watchers meeting for six months. They're deadly. But good. Man, are they good. And I've gained seven pounds in the last two minutes eating this one piece.
• You know what I don't understand? I absolutely don't understand it when someone says "I don't like chocolate." These people are few and far between (thankfully!) but perhaps you know one too. My first thought, when I hear someone say this ridiculous line, is that perhaps they've never had chocolate. I am more than happy to make the proper introductions for them. But to have had chocolate and not like it? I just really cannot even wrap my head around that. It's like someone saying they don't use their lungs. Or that they're having their neck removed. Can these people be trusted? Are we supposed to be friends with them?
  
• So what have we learned today? I drive too fast, I eat fattening foods, and I'm married to a really old man. And my cooking can go either way.
  

I think that's enough for one day.
You are dismissed.

All She Wants To Do Is Dance

Do you ever just want to party
and toss all the boring work of the day out the window?
I am kind of in that mood today.
I don't want to do school.
I don't want to cook.
I don't want to clean or do laundry.
I'd like to drive around in the country
and play loud music
and sing along at the top of my lungs.
I'd like to take the day off.
But we really can't do that today.
My little scholars are downstairs right now
slaving away on their spelling.
My kindergartner is dressed like a Jedi
and just asked me to fight with him
(as he handed me a light saber).

It's such a beautiful day outside today.
The boys ate breakfast outside.
Yesterday was beautiful too.
Yesterday was one of those ordinary days that just
filled me up to overflowing. We did school and
all the regular stuff. I was upstairs doing something
in the kitchen but I knew exactly when Lloyd Dobbler
finished with work because the three big kids came
racing into the house shouting that they had to put on
long pants and tennis shoes.
Daddy was breaking out the four wheelers!

And there was much rejoicing.

So I got my chicken in the oven and my potatoes
on to cook and Baby J and I went out to join the revelry.
I have to admit, I really like riding around on the
four wheeler. I took my turn(s) and
enjoyed it immensely.

That's me in the front with Lovely K following.

We had such a good time.
It was beautiful weather and just simple family time.
Everyone rode except Baby J. He was
entertained by all the activity.


I remember thinking while I was zipping across the yard
that I was a rich, rich woman to have the life I have
with the beautiful family that I have.
Like I said, full to overflowing.
Just enjoying the blessing around me.
I have so much to be thankful for.
Or...for which to be thankful....
let's not bring up the part where I was once an English major.

It was much later that I remembered
I had food in the oven and on the stove inside.
Luckily the house didn't burn down.
The supper didn't even burn.

If you look in the foreground of that picture,
you see Baby J's supper too. I think the top one
was green beans and the bottom one was sweet potatoes
and apples. Baby food---blech.

We had chicken, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli,
and Italian bread. I had tried a new recipe
--Cranberry Catalina chicken.
It was okay. It sounded all fall-ish to me, so I jumped on it.
I always want to find these wonderful, savory tastes,
but few dishes live up to the ideal in my mind.
Does this happen to you?
I want the fragrant experience while it's in process
and then when I eat it, I would love for it to just make
my whole mouth happy.
But so often it's just like food puts my mouth to sleep.
Do you know what I'm saying?
I made it with thighs and I think it would be better
done with just breasts.
Everyone ate it---shocker.
And we had fresh semi-homemade Italian bread.
That was good.
It's that time of year when I want to
make breads and soups and desserts. I am making
a new soup on Saturday--hopefully it won't be
100 degrees outside! I'll let you know how
the soup goes. It's a black bean soup.
I've never made any version of that.
This one has keilbasa in it,
and carrots and onions.
I hope it'll be good.

Well, I must go bring an ending
to the academic portion of this day
so that we can par-tay.
'Cause if Mama doesn't feel like doing anything,
nothing will get done, I assure you.
Why fight it?
We might as well enjoy ourselves.

Super Tuesday

Does it mess you up to start the week on Tuesday?
I'm not complaining
--I'm all for making every single Monday a holiday.
But I keep thinking today is Monday.
I keep thinking that tomorrow is the day
I will do all the Tuesday things that are on my agenda
--but that's today.
Today.
Don't forget, Bell,
or you are going to be messed up for sure.

I don't know if you guys noticed or not,
but fall is creeping in slowly.
You can feel an occasional cool breeze.
You see that golden tint to the afternoon sunshine.
We saw the leave on a tree just starting to
change color this weekend.
So I went down to the (much altered) basement
this morning and found my fall wreath
and put it on the front door.
I'm sure I've never mentioned this before....
but fall is my favorite time of the year.




In other news:
Oh my word.
Here's what I am going to say:
PMS.
If you've had children and nursed them for a while,
you know how the body gets messed up.
Hormones that usually have somewhat of a pattern,
well, they just run all over the place and do whatever
they want. They are like unsupervised toddlers.
That's what mine are like.
And after a while, a room full of unsupervised toddlers
is going to turn into chaos.
And that's where I am right now.
I find myself getting extreme in my emotions.
I get mad at everyone and everything.
And I mean mad.
Then in a more rational moment,
I realize that I am just being psycho.
I am just ready to get back to a pattern here.
Get a little order and discipline
on these wild and crazy hormones
that are making me crazy.

But who am I kidding?
How long does any woman go
without having to duke it out with her hormones?
Somebody said to me the other day
that they wondered why God gave us PMS.
Why indeed.
I tend to think it's part of the curse.
It's certainly the part of the curse
that makes me want to curse.


We are back on the wagon today
....making up for the time missed last week
at the doctors and chiropractor. We are getting
caught up today and tomorrow they will have a heavy load
...but that's just life, isn't it?
I thought about bumping everything back
to make it easier for my little pitiful students,
but then I decided to be a mean ol' mother
and crack the educational whip
and make them work harder to keep us on schedule.
I'm such a meanie.
I don't think anyone will die from this.
What doesn't kill them
will make them stronger, right?
That's fine.
I want them to be strong.

Happy Tuesday, Dear Reader.

Close To Thee

Do you ever forget the obvious?
This is something that I am a master at doing.
Talk about not seeing the forest for the trees--
That's me.
And I do this in many areas of life.
I think in one way, I am just not observant of details.
I notice a difference in even the way my four year old
takes note of details that I am completely oblivious to
---until they are pointed out by someone else.
I'm just often "in my own little world."
That's just another one of the many nuances
that make your faithful Bell
the nut job that she is.

Here's what I did last week one day:
I was having my little quiet time in the morning
and I was praying and I asked God to speak to me.
I'm sure this is not a novel idea to most of you.
I dare say some people do this every single day,
maybe several times a day.
I don't know why it was like a unique thing for me
to make that specific request,
but anyway, that's what I did.
And it was not like
"speak to me about this certain situation"
or "give me direction about X."
It was just "speak to me.
What do you have to say to me today?
I want to hear it. Help me to hear it."

And do you know what happened?

It was like God had a message for me
around every corner.
I just remember when thing after thing was
striking a chord with me that I realized
I had asked for that and that God was
answering my prayer. It was such a blessing.
I wonder how often there have been
messages for me around every corner
and I have been so caught up in my own
thoughts or whatever that
I have been unaware of these things.
I wonder how many times I have been deaf to that
still small voice because my life and my heart and
my mind were full of so much noise.
Or a barrier of sin.

I remember this example that Elisabeth Elliott gave one time.
It was talking about the relationship between servants and
masters. The closer the servant is to the master,
the less has to be said. Sometimes just a nod of the head,
sometimes just a pointing of the finger.
But that servant who is out trying to run away and
do his own thing---he often has to be dragged into the
presence of the master and under pressure and violence
be made to do what he ought to be doing.

I am a servant who has been bought with a price.
I have a Master who would speak to me in a
small, kind voice. His yoke is easy and His burden
is light when I am doing what I am supposed to be doing.
But sometimes I am that willful, rebellious servant
who has to be caught and dragged back and punished.
How much more pleasant life is when I am standing there,
eyes fixed on my Master,
just waiting and watching for any directive from Him.

Oh, that I would be that faithful, attentive servant
more often than the wicked, willful one.

Labor Day Eve

It's late Sunday night
and I meant to go to bed an hour ago
...when I found myself asleep
in Sweet T's bed with him. He had asked me
to lay down with him and I did since his roommate
was downstairs playing cards.
I didn't mean to fall asleep
....but that music was so relaxing
....and I am really tired.

It's been such a whirlwind here since I last wrote to
you, Dear Reader. Craziness. Baby J was still not well
on Wednesday--which turned out to be a really
ridiculous day in so many ways. I hate to even recall it.
Let's not even talk about how I started things off with a
dead van because I left the keys in it and the radio playing
all night. I don't want you to know I would do such a
stupid thing. I took my Baby J and his brothers to be
kept by my mom while I took Lovely K to the orthodontist
(and to get her ballet shoes for the new lessons starting this week).
While I was out with Lovely K (after the orthodontist visit)
she began to break out in hives all over.
It looked like an allergic reaction.
By the time we got back to my parents' house to pick up
the boys, she was covered in whatever it was.
We gave her Benadryl.
Baby J was sicker; he was so pitiful and pathetic
and it was that kind of dull look in their eyes that
causes you concern. He had a fever and he just laid around
and stared. So that night I was concerned with both
of them and the next day, Thursday, took them to
the doctor. It seems the ear infection that Baby J
had had in his left ear the previous week had packed up
its bags and moved to the right ear. So we just
continued the antibiotic he was taking and continued
with the Tylenol. He cut two more teeth in the last two
days too so that, I'm sure, enhanced his yuckiness.
The doctor just confirmed that Lovely K was having
an allergic reaction and she had a very faint positive
to a strep test, so we started a little pack of antibiotics
for her to get that out of the way. She continued to
break out and have some swelling.
My in-laws came in on Thursday.
We did not go to home school co-op on Friday
(which was kind of a nice break) because of our
illnesses. Friday morning we went on the long trek
to our chiropractor. The our regular doctor wanted
to see Lovely K again Friday afternoon because her face
was swelling. She looked rather pitiful that day.
By the time we got done with everything we needed
to do that day, we picked up pizzas for supper on the
way home. It was a long day.
Then Saturday I took Big E and Sweet T to my
mom again. She was taking them to a family reunion
with her and my father while the rest of us when on a
purposeful trip to College Town to get some things.
The main thing I had to get was Lovely K's attire for this
ballet class she is starting. I was so glad to find exactly
what we needed at the first place.
And the price seemed decent.
That was just like a little load off of me
to have that taken care of---just a couple of days
before they were needed.
By this day (Saturday), Baby J is fine.
He's happy again and he was such a good little shopper.
Lovely K's face was still a little swollen
but her hives were gone until nightfall.
At some point in the weekend, I talked to the
orthodontist's staff and they think they Lovely K was
reacting to the cement they used to
bond to new brackets on her teeth Wednesday.
And all this time that other stuff was going on,
major work was being done in the basement.
Just wait until you see the pictures.
If you don't look at the ceiling,
it looks great.

So we ended our time in College Town at Publix,
my favorite grocery store, buying a load of food for
dinner today. I came home and made several dishes
for our Sunday dinner and then we went over to my
older brother's house briefly. The guys were watching
some football game they were all excited about.
My mother-in-law and I just went and ate supper
(that we didn't have to fix! always a good thing)
and visited for a little while and then came home to
bath children and do more prep for today.
Sunday morning I got up and vacuumed the
whole downstairs which seems like an odd thing
to do bright and early on a Sunday morning
(but it was the thing that didn't get checked off
the list all week long and it had to be done).
We went to church
and all my family came to our church today
in stead of the ones they attend.
We had a dedication ceremony for my precious Baby J.
He fell asleep during the singing at the beginning of
church and he slept through the whole thing.
It was nice to have all the grandparents there for this.
I think they have all four been there
for each of the children's dedications.
Then my mom and Lovely K sang a song together
in the church service. That was really a joy to me to
see that. One thing that was so amazing was looking
at Lovely K up there and realizing
that she is a young lady
...she's just grown up so much lately.
She's still my goof-ball, of course, (she's like me)
but she is indeed growing up.
But at the same time she was bobbing her head
as she sang in this way that made me think of
the little three year old version of her.
Oh, that child---she has been such a joy to my life.
Such a blessing.
All my kids are.
I look at these four beautiful babies
the Lord has given to me and I am just amazed.
Over-flowing with thankfulness.

After church, my parents had to leave immediately
(my father had to preach a funeral several towns over).
But everyone else, including the "bonus grandparents"
Mr. and Mrs. Popsicle, came over for lunch.
We had grilled chicken, potato salad, seven layer salad,
baked beans, autumn apple salad, honeydew, rolls
....I think that's all we had for the meal
.....and then I had made a butter pecan cake and
Mississippi mud for dessert.
We sat around and talked for a long time.
My younger brother and I got to telling tales and
laughing our heads off.
It's so good to laugh like that,
to the point where you just about cry.
I know that I am so very blessed to have
the family I have, the life I have,
the daily load of blessings that I am given
absolutely and totally by grace.

And now it's even later
and I am even more tired.
I just thought I'd tell you about my weekend.
I hope yours was lovely.
It's not over, you know.
Tomorrow is Labor Day.
I'm so glad we don't have school tomorrow.
I'm not ready.
Did I mention that
I'm TIRED?

It all takes money.

It's September!

Time to break out
the threshing fork
and head out to glean
the oat harvest...
or....you know....
watch college football...

Can you imagine going out to work in the fields in a long sleeved white blouse and a long, heavy (probably wool) skirt with layers underneath that? Whenever people complain about the heat (not that I would ever do this) it always makes me think of people in days past who wore a lot more clothes than we do, did much harder work than we do,
and had no air conditioning.
Do you ever think about this?
Even just my grandmother-- who was born in the 1900's,

was much more tolerant to things than we are today. We are so pampered and spoiled and we don't even realize it.

But let's not start off
our lovely September together
with that kind of talk...

It's September.
Labor Day weekend.
My in-laws are coming in again. Seems like
they've been here a lot lately, doesn't it?
They are coming in tomorrow. Lloyd Dobbler and his
dad are working on the basement. It's really
coming along. I will show you some before pictures
so that you will appreciate it when I show you
the finished product (someday).

If you look closely in this picture, you can see
the end of a desk right behind that ladder. That's
Lloyd Dobbler's desk. Where he works every day.
Where I deliver tasty meals on a tray.
That's the side of the basement that will remain
unfinished. That's his office. That's where he works.
Poor Lloyd Dobbler.
But you know, it works.
And it's better than The Big Stink.

Do you ever hear designers
on these TV decorating shows talk about giving a room
the "industrial look?" I wonder if I have achieved
that look (not that that's my style) with this silver air
conditioning duct hanging down
in the middle of this room?


Eventually we'll put in a drop ceiling down there.
That's not in the plans for this go-round.
Like I have to tell my kids often,
it all takes money.
Everything requires money.

Big E just came by, looked at this next picture,
and bemoaned the fact that this wall
doesn't look like this anymore. It is now dry-walled
and painted and looks, you know, like a wall in
a real room. He said that he thought that it looked
like a castle before and he liked that.
Okay....
so he may be into the industrial look...



But he cracks me up. He brings a whole new meaning
to the word QUIRKY.
He always makes the strangest observations.
He was helping me play
Family Feud on Facebook recently
(redeeming the time, aren't we?)
and the question posed to us was: Name something
you wouldn't want to ride on after eating a large meal?
When we had answered all we could and gotten our
three Xs, they revealed the two answers that we
hadn't thought of. One was "a horse" and the other
was "a boat." Big E said that he didn't agree with
that last answer. "You could ride on a boat
with a full stomach easily," he said,
"Just lean over the side and puke in the lake."

Okay....
remind me not to go boating with him...


So back to the basement....The dry wall is up.
The walls are painting. The carpet that we
bought oh, I think it was two years ago, it's going down
this weekend. That's the big project for Lloyd Dobbler
and his pop. I keep eyeing the piano and the big blue
couch and wondering how long it will be before they
can make their way down to the basement and spend
a little time together. Of course that just means I'll need
a piece of furniture for the dining room and a couch for the
living room....and it all takes money.
You know how that goes.
That blue couch has been with us since...well,
since I was trying to get Lloyd Dobbler
to date one of my friends in college.
It has had a long life...but really,
what is our responsibility to an old couch,
however faithful and true it may have been over the years?

But I am happy to see things
coming together in the basement.

And I am happy, Dear Reader,
that I am seeing you in September
and that I didn't lose you
to a summer love.

(see Song #1)

Happy September 1st.