Nana Can Draw???!!!

I am seriously out of my league with my oldest grandson. He is the deep thinker, the sensitive one…keeps me on my toes and scraping through the rust in my brain for answers to his deep and penetrating questions.

But just for today, let’s just say that his brain works a lot faster than mine–I chalk that up to the fact that his isn’t as cluttered and full of junk like mine. My brain is generally the repository of unnecessary information that pops up and seemingly makes people think I have a fantastic memory. I don’t–it’s that odd information that everyone else shredded years ago, but for some reason is stuck in my head. I really need to do some Spring Cleaning in the upper bunk soon. (Ohhhhhhh–I bet that is why I am having all these headaches!)

Anyway…I have been studying for a training class on how to lead the Precepts Bible studies. You know, doing homework, stressing about getting things done ahead of time, wanting to be RIGHT. Ugh…I really enjoy the lessons, but I am seriously out of my comfort zone right now. Of all the difficult chapters of the Bible, part of the lesson was to tackle Daniel chapter 7. The four beasts…It wasn’t enough that I had to start midway through the book without the benefit of DOING the previous 6 chapters. NO…I had to create story boards about the chapter.

I am a fairly creative person. I sew…do crazy things with brown paper, glue and a dining room table…find intriguing uses for burlap and other old and useless items…But let’s just make it clear that I do not draw very well. I can VISUALIZE what I want things to look like…but drawing them and color-coding the drawings…well, my efforts don’t look so great.

Sean is a true natural when it comes to drawing. He has amazing talent, and I am not the only one who notices that strength. So last night, Sean tapped on my door and asked to come in. I guess the idea of Nana doing homework was worth checking out. He wanted to see what I was working on and I showed him my storyboards.

“Who did these?” he asked.

“I did.”

“I mean, who DREW them?” he asked.

“I did.”

“YOU drew these pictures? I didn’t know you knew how to draw!” he said, sounding very astounded.

“But who colored them, then?” he continued.

“Me.”

Finally, I had impressed my grandson. He thought the beasts were duly scary. He was fascinated by the fire on the wheels of the throne and the river of fire. He was very pleased to see the awful beast in the fire at the end. For a very difficult passage of scripture, it sure came to life for my little buddy via my simple and very poor drawings. Drawing may become a teaching tool for me as I try to communicate truth to the little ones in my care. There is something that “sticks” a little better when you have to illustrate it by hand.

So, once again, I am learning new things from little people. I am definitely going to have to clear out a little more space upstairs for all these lessons I am learning. Thankfully, I still yearn to learn!

Sharing–It is VERY OVERRATED

So one of the lessons that gets repeated each and every day around here is the importance of sharing. I don’t know WHY each child seems to need so desperately what someone else has…and why they ONLY want it if someone else has it…but that seems to be the cycle we are riding around here in the 18 to 30 month age group.

this look familiar?

The ironic part of the whole sharing dilemma is that it is usually the least attractive item that these little miniatures go nuts over…the ride on tractor that no longer makes noises and goes too slow…the bat with the dog-chewed grip…the green chair that is just like two other green chairs…the one block of 500 blocks that are strewn hither and yon…I don’t know what the deal is, but if they see you with it, be prepared to fight tooth and nail to keep it. Or cry a river of tears and wail loudly as if you are dying a very painful death.

bam bam…lost the battle for the tractor

Toys…they are oozing out of every conceivable corner of my house and deck and garage and yard. Sharing them should not be an issue. Why do they not “get it” when I point out that I share all of MY things with them as a good example? I am seriously considering loading all my “lessons” into the squirt bottles and water pistols to see if that makes more of an impression when I douse them with the contents. Hmmmm, I am getting some ideas…

Unfortunately, they DO understand enough about sharing to pass along every germ they have on their seemingly clean little bodies and create miniature (or ginormous) petri dishes of breeding grounds for every imaginable virus. These children will be immune to just about everything by the time they are done at Nana’s House. Unfortunately, my own immune system will be shot to pieces by then. Apparently, my success will be that I have created toddlers with amazing capabilities of sharing the very things we DON’T want shared while NOT sharing the things we DO want shared.

Sigh. My throat is feeling scratchy…

too late…

Royalty

There is an undeniable beauty in the color of royalty. Purple. Regal. I have loved purple from its palest to its richest hue. And my garden is one regal, royal explosion of purple.

Lovely Gown

Ladies in Waiting

Petite Violet Blooms

Royal Velvet

Hosta Bursting

Petunia Princesses

Hydrangea Heralds New Beginnings

Matthew 6:27-29

English Standard Version (ESV)

And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?  And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin,  yet I tell you,even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

Butterflies and Flowers

Incredible Detailed Veining

Like a Butterfly on a Cloud

Visiting the Asters

If any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. Old things are passed away, and BEHOLD, new things are come!

II Corinthians 5:17

THIS is why we need to bust down the wall…

Some of my friends have stated, correctly unfortunately, that in order to be in our “family” you need to knock down a wall. I blame my father for this–he started it the day I left for college. Busted down the wall between the bedroom and the old kitchen. When I returned at Christmas, I was demoted to sleeping in the unfinished basement. I took it rather personally…

But I learned a lot from my dad. My husband and I have managed to knock down at least one wall in our house (except the first one–not enough time) since 1988. In our current house, we knocked down the wall dividing the living and dining rooms before we even moved into the house.  We just didn’t go quite far enough…so now, four years later, we are preparing to finish what should have been done the first time around. (In the last four years, we also completely demolished and rebuilt the basement…without any unnecessary walls, I might add).

Nathan happens to NOT be teaching summer school this summer…budget cuts, you know? Apparently, parents are truly in favor of their little children studying Spanish during the summers when the bill gets paid by the school district, but when the buck stops with them, it actually DOES stop with them, so Nathan is all mine for the summer vacation. You all should start praying for him now…

We decided that taking the wall between the kitchen and living room down to counter height and adding a peninsula would be a good idea. Of course, that means relocating the refrigerator, stove, microwave and dishwasher and a few other cabinets, but, miracle of miracles, everything will fit nicely when re-positioned. (Doesn’t that sound simple?) If only it were so simple!

My father, who I credit with our need to bust things out, thinks we should just give it a rest, but he wasn’t here yesterday. That would be WEDNESDAY, the worst day of my week, each and every week. That is the day that the little Tornado comes and upsets my apple cart. Every. Single. Week.

Yesterday, I was on the other side of the kitchen wall making lunches. The cherubs were on the living room side of said wall. It was quiet. No fights. No whines. No drama. I smelled danger.

I walked around the corner to see them having a pow w ow around my daughter’s purse. Her lip balm was multi-tasking–Bam Bam was the guinea pig and was having his hair spiked, arms and legs moisturized, and all around getting the spa treatment from those two little girls from Down Under. What can I say? That wall needs to come down so I can keep my eyes peeled and see them EVERY SINGLE SECOND. Sigh.

I got them cleaned up, scolded lightly, then got them playing with toys (imagine that, playing with toys!). I returned to the kitchen (maybe 10 steps away, on the other side of the wall) and heard splashing, giggling and child-sized foot stomping. Don’t ask me how, the wall was in the way, but Bam Bam had managed to carry a one gallon jug of water, drop it on the floor, where it promptly burst and puddled. Oh joy. Oh delight. Sigh. That wall has to come down. Soon.

I am going to teach the kids the Joshua and the Wall song. Cuz that wall is coming down. Do you think if I walk from the kitchen to the living room silently 6 times and then blow my trumpet on the 7th time that the wall will come down on its own?

 

You Gotta Love Kids

I received the following from a friend. I needed a good laugh, and imagine some of you could use one too. I promise I have neither added to nor deleted anything from this re-telling of what will prove to be a very interesting view from the eyes of a child.

(by an Anonymous 2nd grade teacher)

I’ve been teaching now for about fifteen years. I have two kids myself, but the best birth story I know is the one I saw in my own second grade classroom a few years back.

When I was a kid, I loved show-and-tell. So I always have a few sessions with my students. It helps them get over shyness and usually, show-and-tell is pretty tame. Kids bring in pet turtles, model airplanes, pictures of fish they catch, stuff like that. And I never, ever place any boundaries or limitations on them. If they want to lug it in to school and talk about it, they’re welcome.

Well, one day this little girl, Erica, a very bright, very outgoing kid, takes her turn and waddles up to the front of the class with a pillow stuffed under her sweater.

She holds up a snapshot of an infant. ‘This is Luke, my baby brother, and I’m going to tell you about his birthday.’

‘First, Mom and Dad made him as a symbol of their love, and then Dad put a seed in my Mom’s stomach, and Luke grew in there. He ate for nine months through an umbrella cord.’

She’s standing there with her hands on the pillow, and I’m trying not to laugh and wishing I had my camcorder with me. The kids are watching her in amazement.

‘Then, about two Saturdays ago, my Mom starts going, ‘Oh, Oh, Oh, Oh!’ Erica puts a hand behind her back and groans. ‘She walked around the house for, like an hour, ‘Oh, oh, oh!’ (Now this kid is doing a hysterical duck walk and groaning.)

‘My Dad called the middle wife. She delivers babies, but she doesn’t have a sign on the car like the Domino’s man. They got my Mom to lie down in bed like this.’ (Then Erica lies down with her back against the wall.)

‘And then, pop! My Mom had this bag of water she kept in there in case he got thirsty, and it just blew up and spilled all over the bed, like psshhheew!’ (This kid has her legs spread with her little hands miming water flowing away. It was too much!)

‘Then the middle wife starts saying ‘push, push,’ and ‘breathe, breathe.
They started counting, but never even got past ten. Then, all of a sudden, out comes my brother. He was covered in yucky stuff that they all said it was from Mom’s play-center, so there must be a lot of toys inside there. When he got out, the middle wife spanked him for crawling up in there in the first place.’

Then Erica stood up, took a big theatrical bow and returned to her seat.

I’m sure I applauded the loudest. Ever since then, when it’s Show-and-tell day, I bring my camcorder, just in case another ‘Middle Wife’ comes along.

Now you have two choices…laugh and close this page or pass this along to someone else to spread the laughs. I know what I did!!!

“Laugh uncontrollably, it clears the mind.”

I wish I could take credit for this little story…alas, I cannot. BUT I can take responsibility for passing it along! Hope you had a great belly laugh!

My first tutorial

Reblogged from chic envelopements:

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I refashioned this sweater for my sister’s Christmas gift.

In addition to the sweater this was all I needed. A button, a hairband and a strip of fabric.

First I cut the sweater up the middle.

After pressing under one side of the strips of fabric, I pinned it to the sweater right sides together.

And positioned the half hairband where I wanted the button to be.

Read more… 60 more words

I just love the redo of this sweater! What a great way to make something new out of something old!

Expiration Dates

Ever feel like this?

The other day I was “organizing” my refrigerator. I am a little particular about how I like things organized in drawers, closets, cabinets and the refrigerator. My daughter just thinks I like to make a big mess and torment her with the possibility that I won’t put things away. (Had I known this was an effective method of torment, I would have used it earlier and more often in her life…). But anyway…I prefer certain things grouped together, some things hopefully out of reach of miniature people, like things together…you know–ORGANIZED. During the course of organizing, I checked the expiration dates and tossed out the things that had come to the end of their usefulness without killing us with poisons and toxins.

Receptacle for Expired Items
euphemistically speaking

People like to joke about cleaning out the refrigerator and all the crud that gets shoved to the back–you know, those SCIENCE experiments. I try not to grow too many of those, and it is nice that we now have dates printed on our necessities that warn us in no uncertain terms that it is time to dump the unused portions.

yep–past its time

In the past, we had rather unscientific methods of testing for freshness–the SNIFF, the WHIFF, the TASTE, the FUZZ, the SHAKE…not exactly the best methods, especially since some of those rotting items have mold spores that can zoom right up your nose when you SNIFF and WHIFF, not to mention taste. Yuck!

Our modern generation acts as though anything that predates them is Expired. I am so sorry, but I am not dead. Nor is my brain, although that may be open to interpretation. Just because something is OLD does not make it USELESS. But conversely, just because something is OLD does not make it USEFUL either. And just because something is YOUNG does not make it USELESS or USEFUL. There is that little annoying factor of PROVECHAR (spanish for making good use of what you have) that determines whether you are or are not useful.

At my house, there are some little grandchildren who just LOVE Thomas the Train. Those stories are filled with great lessons on being a REALLY USEFUL ENGINE. He makes mistakes, he learns from his mistakes, he wants to be a really useful engine. That is a lesson for all of us…unfortunately we don’t always want to learn, or admit that we NEED to learn, from our mistakes. But I am now digressing…

Expiration dates…sigh…young people have their own definitions. Mind you, they are WRONG, but that doesn’t mean they don’t believe them.

Does this remind you of anyone?

I think it is safe to say that many people have this view of biblical truth. Somehow we seem to believe that we reach of point in our vast knowledge of human experience and believe that we surpass that infinite and eternal knowledge of God. Our limited, finite, prone-to-failing minds can somehow eclipse the ETERNAL and INFINITE wisdom of ALMIGHTY GOD??? Really? I am shuddering at the sheer idiocy of that reality.

I was sharing with some friends the other day, to encourage them through their current trials and difficulties and commented that I was glad God’s Word did not have an expiration date. That His Word continues to hold value and comfort and truth for us today, after so many years. There is comfort in that for me. Something to hang my hope on when life is difficult in this earthly realm. As I study the life of David and his fight for his life against Saul, the relevance of the lessons being taught are just as good for us today as they were “back in the day.” The big question is do we put an expiration date on God and His Word, or do we find it “really useful” each and every day?

Hebrews 1:8-12

⁸ But of the Son he says,

“Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.
⁹ You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness;
therefore God, your God, has anointed you  with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

¹⁰ And,

“You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands;
¹¹ they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment,
¹² like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed.
But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”

Trust

Is “trust” a problem for you? Has anyone ever betrayed you? Anyone ever broken your confidence? Has your husband or wife been unfaithful to you? Do you find it hard to trust people because of things in your past?

I am studying the life of David right now. That man had some tough challenges to face. It wasn’t enough that he went down and killed Goliath. Not so long after that tremendous victory, King Saul of Israel, the man for whom David had battled the giant, was out to kill him.

David ran all over the countryside, hiding out in caves, in the wilderness, in enemy territory. He knew that if Saul or Saul’s servants were to find him, he was a goner.

King Saul was a ruthless king. He even had all the priests of God murdered because they wouldn’t side with Saul against David. David was God’s choice for king–and Saul was jealous and out for blood.

Now if I am David, and God has had me anointed to be the replacement for the current king, I am thinking that God is not only going to put me on that throne, but He is also going to pave the way and clear out the obstacle–and in my way of thinking, that does not include hiding out in caves with about 400 disgruntled countrymen for my companions.

When your life is upside down and you have been betrayed by those you trust, what is your “natural” instinct? Do you lash out? Do you make your case? Do you repay the evil with evil?

My humanity fails me so often and I do not respond the way I would like, but David…the man after God’s own heart, teaches an awful lot about what we are to do when our heart is broken by betrayal:

Psalm 56

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

For the choir director; according to Jonath elem rehokim. A Mikhtam of David, when the Philistines seized him in Gath.

 1Be gracious to me, O God, for man has trampled upon me; Fighting all day long he oppresses me.

² My foes have trampled upon me all day long, For they are many who fight proudly against me.

³ When I am afraid, I will put my trust in You.

⁴ In God, whose word I praise, In God I have put my trust; I shall not be afraid. What can mere man do to me?

⁵ All day long they distort my words; All their thoughts are against me for evil.

⁶ They attack, they lurk, They watch my steps, As they have waited to take my life.

⁷ Because of wickedness, cast them forth, In anger put down the peoples, O God!

⁸ You have taken account of my wanderings; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?

⁹ Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me.

¹⁰ In God, whose word I praise, In the Lord, whose word I praise,

¹¹ In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

¹² Your vows are binding upon me, O God; I will render thank offerings to You.

¹³ For You have delivered my soul from death, Indeed my feet from stumbling, So that I may walk before God In the light of the living.

I don’t know about you, but my flesh wants vindication and for my enemies to be brought low.

There was a time in my life that I found myself caught up in a terrible web of deceit by a supposed friend. Her lies and trickery very nearly destroyed me. I became depressed and lost my hope. I remember crying out to the Lord and wondering where He was. Why was He allowing me to be so vilified unfairly? Was I not serving Him? Had I not obeyed Him? How could He allow this? Where was the justice?

Like David, my “battle” wasn’t over with just the slaying of the giant. It took time and finding refuge in the cave. BUT, it was in that “cave” that I sought the Lord and was reminded that He was with me; that He knew the truth; that I could trust Him to protect me. While I was brought very low for what seemed an eternity, in His time He raised me up.

Are you in the middle of a dark cave right now? Do you wonder where God is? Do not be afraid. Trust Him. He is faithful and true.

⁹ Then my enemies will turn back in the day when I call; This I know, that God is for me.

¹⁰ In God, whose word I praise, In the Lord, whose word I praise,

¹¹ In God I have put my trust, I shall not be afraid. What can man do to me?

You’re an Old Girl, Nana

always thinking

I had the opportunity to spend a little quality time with Sean over the last few days. I was sewing new curtains for the master bedroom, which is undergoing a little mini-makeover, and Sean wanted to hang out and see it happen. He pulled up a stool and sat in front of my sewing machine. He was intrigued by the use of straight pins, how I positioned the fabric, why I had to iron so carefully…He was full of questions.

He also wanted to talk about his great grandmother, who was recently about ready to take the trip to her final destination in Glory, but then God answered the prayers of so many people and she made a significant turn around. This great grandmother lives in Alaska, and Sean has not seen her since he was two years old. It is unlikely that he remembers that visit, but he thinks he does–probably because of the photos we have of the visit.

He is concerned about her going to Heaven because it means the potential for visiting her is removed. He seems to understand that Heaven really is a great place, that she will like being there, seeing her Savior. He also seemed to understand that there wouldn’t be any sadness there, but there is that sadness we feel HERE.

When Papa calls Great Grandma every week, sometimes the kids are still awake and get to talk to her. Even though her hearing is poor, she enjoys the conversations, however short or long they may be (usually short), and she keeps up with what each child is involved in whether it is AWANA, school, craziness….That means a lot to these little people in my house.

Once Sean’s questions were satisfied, he moved along today to another favorite topic–people’s ages.

“How old is Papa?”

“Almost 56.”

“How old is Great Papa?”

“75.”

“How old is Great Nana?”

“Almost 75.”

We moved along in our conversation and talked about Mother’s Day. His mind said “No Fair!” there should be a “Boy’s Day.” Or a “Girl’s Day.”

And then in total seriousness and sincerity, he announced, “You’re an old girl, Nana.”

Sigh…