Pentecost Sunday

O God, by the sacrament we celebrate today
you sanctify the whole Church
among all races and all peoples.
When the Holy Spirit came down on the Apostles,
the Gospel was preached to the world for the first time ever,
according to your will.
Pour out now the gifts of the Spirit onto the whole world,
and through the hearts of those who believe in you
may the Gospel be spread and your will be fulfilled.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.

The Wheel on the School

The Wheel on the School, by Meindert DeJong is one of those children's books that I had always heard about, but never read. I expected it to be good--it was the 1955 Newbery award winner after all--but beyond that, I didn't know what to expect.

I sure didn't expect these lines in the first paragraph:

In five of those houses lived the six school children of Shora, so that is important. There were a few more houses, but in those houses lived no children--just old people. There were, well, just old people, so they weren't too important.

My boys, 7th and 4th grade, cracked up at this. They didn't agree, but they thought it was hilarious that an author would say such a thing!

Little did we know, but the rest of the book is about how those unimportant old people became special, indeed, to the school children in the Dutch village of Shora.

I also didn't expect a story about school children and storks to be so full of action and adventure--but it is! Gently so, but enough to keep my boys' attention and enjoyment.

I didn't expect the illustrations either...by Maurice Sendak! Just delightful.

For not expecting much...this story was a winner.

Hearing the Voice of the Lord

This coming Sunday, Pentecost, is when we celebrate the coming of the Holy Spirit--the tongues of fire in the upper room and the disciples speaking in languages that were understood by those from different countries. The season of Pentecost is a time when we focus on the Holy Spirit's role and open ourselves to His work in our lives.

But the first and obvious question, I think, is: How do we know it's the Holy Spirit?

How do I know it's not just my own desire that I've spiritualized? How do I know if it's a word from the Lord to me for a specific situation, or just another Bible verse? What if I think it's the Holy Spirit, and I'm wrong? What if I never "hear" anything?

Let me share my own experience with coming to know the voice of the Lord. As a young Christian, I had a lot of intellectual knowledge about God, about the Bible, about doctrine and even some theology. But I would make a decision by first praying for God's help; then I would list pros and cons, make a rational decision, and ask for God to bless it. As I matured, and through circumstances, I learned that God wanted not just my mind, but my heart--my emotions and my desires--to be involved in listening to Him too.

For me, getting in touch with my emotion and desires was a huge thing--a healing, in fact. And through that healing, I began to learn that my imagination could be blessed and submitted to God too--that in fact, the Holy Spirit could speak to me through my imagination. I met Christians to whom God often seemed to speak in pictures or images, even dreams. They emphasized that these visions needed to be tested against Scripture and confirmed by other believers, but that God could and did use the imagination to speak.

I remember one simple exercise that Leanne Payne, in her conferences, used to take us through. "Ask God to show you the garden of your heart," she would say. "Take His hand and enter it and see what is there." In the silence, prayerfully, I asked God to show me the garden of my heart and without striving, just opening my interior eyes, I saw it. The first time, it looked nothing like a garden--more like a cave, and there were cobwebs over the entrance. The ground was cracked and dry, parched for water, and the Lord showed me that He was sending rain--a gentle, softening rain--on this barren earth.

That was the perfect metaphor for what He was doing in my life at that time, with the opening up of my heart--my emotions, desires, and imagination. I had become a parent too, and that experience unlocked a greater capacity to nurture, to love, to sacrifice and to imagine. That rain took the form of Scripture, of books I read, of conversations, sermons and prayers prayed, by me and for me by others.

I wrote regularly in a journal for years beginning at that time, to practice God's presence and to practice listening to the Lord. I also began to listen to my own heart and sort out my anxious thoughts and fears from my true and God-given desires. As C.S. Lewis wrote, "The prayer preceding all prayers is 'May it be the real I who speaks. May it be the real Thou that I speak to.' " Journaling helped me sort out the real I and the real Thou, for the first time.

(And I am forever grateful to my husband who practically pushed me out the door, a couple afternoons a week, while the little ones were napping--he worked from home at that time--to go to the Acorn Coffee Bar and Folk Lore Center, with nothing but a Bible, a devotional book and a journal. I would never have spent the time that way if I had stayed home, and without his urging!)

The most important books I read during that time were Restoring the Christian Soul and Listening Prayer, both by Leanne Payne. She directly addressed this question of: What if it's "just me" that I "hear"? She said, among other things, that it's okay to listen to "just me," that we need to hear what "just me" knows. Especially if it's the "real I" that is speaking, the real I is in touch with passions and desires that God himself planted there when He created me. And if it is just my fleshly desires that are speaking, it's okay--that will soon become apparent.

This was a news flash for me, and it gave me permission to trust my heart--to listen to my intuition and even my feelings--as I never had before! Over time, I learned from experience what it felt like when my heart seemed to be united with God's desires--which I would call a prompting from the Holy Spirit--and when my heart was prompted more by selfishness or sinful fears. It takes great honesty with oneself and with God, but I think any believer can learn the difference.

So, how do we hear and recognize the voice of the Holy Spirit?

In my experience:

It is usually a still, small voice. We have to quiet ourselves to hear Him.

He often speaks through the Word--rarely in a random way, but usually by calling to our minds a verse or a concept from Scripture.

He often speaks through our imagination--with a metaphor, a detailed picture, a half-seen image, a dream, or a single word or phrase planted in our minds. Usually the significance is immediately apparent.

He often fans the flames of the desires He has planted in our hearts.

His voice will never contradict Scripture.

If it's a true message from the Holy Spirit, there will be some kind of confirmation from other believers.

Yes, we can deceive ourselves into thinking we are listening to the Holy Spirit when really, we are justifying what we want. But with experience and a commitment to honesty with God and ourselves, we can learn to sort out God's voice from our fleshly desires; in fact, the Holy Spirit can help us do that.

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. ~Psalm 51:6

(It's not too late to submit your post for the Pentecost Blog Carnival! The deadline has been extended through Friday.)

Further Thoughts on the Last Post

Yes, I mean the YouTube video!

I said that it brings me joy every time that I watch it, and the truth is, it makes me cry every time! Why? I've been asking myself.

There's something about the act of dancing in this celebratory way that taps into an essential joy and energy of the human experience. Now, you can slow dance or you can watch an interpretive dance that is haunting and beautiful--but I'm talking about the kind of dance that seems to spring out of a full heart or is a spontaneous expression of exuberance! Even though I know these steps have all been carefully choreographed, there is a freedom and a wonderfully expressive energy that they embody. I am moved by this musical and physical expression of sheer human joy.

Maybe part of my enjoyment comes from my own lack of ability to express myself through dance. I've never taken a class, never had the opportunity. And even though I know it's hard work to learn all those steps and make them look natural and free (after all, I see my own kids struggling to learn several new routines every show), I still think it must be a blast once you really know the dance (and that is what my kids tell me too!). It seems like a great accomplishment to be able to "join in the dance" with others--individual, yet part of a greater whole. Even the expression "join the dance" implies a choice to celebrate, to acknowledge the essential rhythms and joys of life. It's sad to think of someone unable to join in the dance.

I think of the Easter Vigil at church. Every year, there is such resurrection joy in the air that grown men and women get out of their seats and dance (think "skip") down the aisles with their little children--because the joy of the moment just begs for some bodily response! I loved watching the responses of the bystanders in the video: so many of them "joined in" by swaying or bobbing or boogy-ing along with those who knew the steps. It makes me think of so many little toddlers, whose natural, uninhibited response to energetic music is to start moving!

So is dance the language of joy and celebration?

My college didn't allow dancing when I was there, and I remember discussing with friends that it seemed like the perfect dance would be with our Christian friends, to Christian lyrics, worshiping like the Africans do, with drums and leaps and great energy. So what is the place of dancing in the American church? In the Anglican church, especially?

I don't know that Sunday morning is the time for it, but the Jewish culture certainly knew how to dance in a celebratory way, at weddings and other feasts. Jesus surely joined in the dancing at the wedding of Cana, and we know all about King David dancing in the streets. But they didn't do it in the synagogues, on the Sabbath. Hmmm.

For now, I'm glad at least to be part of a Christian theater group where my kids can sing and dance to fun and wholesome songs, if not explicitly Christian ones. Actually, the whole Broadway genre is another source of joy for me. I think it's the perfect musical art form, because it combines music, words, dance and drama in such a perfectly balanced way. Opera, for example, is all about the music and the voice--lyrics, dance and drama can take a back seat and no one complains. Ballet is a beautiful blending of music, dance and story, but I'm a word person, so I love the additional element of clever lyrics and wordplay, like Cole Porter's, Sondheim's or Tim Rice's. Even the best rock, pop, blues and country are limited in their dance-ability, rarely have lyrics that interest me, and often lack the story or drama component. Hip-hop and dance/pop are all about the beat and not much else!

So there you have it--point proved. To my satisfaction, at least.

Dance: the language of joy and celebration. I like it.

Anybody have thoughts to add?

Time to Post This

I know this has been making the rounds, but it gives me such joy every time every time I watch it! I would LOVE to take a bunch of our theater kids into Chicago's Union Station and do something similar.

Guaranteed to put a smile on your face...

Pentecost Carnival...Coming Up!

Between The Wizard of Oz, car shopping and finding friends on Facebook, I got way behind on some of my favorite blogs. So I've been trying to slowly catch up--and I'm so glad I came across this in time!

Jessica and Kerry decided that Lent and Advent aren't the only seasons in the church year worth blogging about, so they're hosting a Pentecost Blog Carnival next weekend. Get your submissions in to Jessica by the end of the day Wednesday, if you can! Click here for ideas, prompts and all the details.

What A Weekend!

I couldn't say much about our weekend when I was anticipating it, because we had TWO surprise parties to attend! Both parties were for readers of this blog, so mum was the word.

But now I can say what a fun time we had keeping the secret from our friend Steve. Little did he know, but his wife had invited 6 or 7 couples over for a surprise 40th birthday party for Steve, who works with Papa Rooster. Usually they drive together and Steve's wife picks him up from our house, but on Friday PR was going to say that he'd bring Steve to his house because our son B10 had been playing there and needed to be picked up. Then--Happy Memorial Day!--their boss decided to let everyone off work at 3:00! PR and a co-worker pretended they still had so much work to do that they were going to go to a nearby restaurant to finish reports before they started their weekend, and of course Steve had to come along for the ride. He didn't suspect anything, although he did think it was a little out of character for PR to hang around work instead of heading home for a run or to work on a sermon!

On Saturday, the middle four kids and I drove out to St. Charles, IL, to see a matinee production of Disney's High School Musical that many friends from our old youth theater group were in. It was such fun to see the show and everyone!

Then the kids hung out with friends at their house in West Chicago, while I went out to dinner with the mom, one of my best friends. It was great to catch up with her. There are so many people from "my old life" that I would love an hour or two with! Well, it was a start.

Saturday night, we had another surprise party--a 20th anniversary party for good friends from our Wheaton days. Papa Rooster and Mr. M were SG Prez and VP back in the day, and also were in each other's weddings. The big surprise to this party was the special guest and entertainment for the evening--singer/songwriter David Wilcox! If you don't know his music, you need to check out his simple acoustic melodies and fabulous lyrics, rich in metaphor and spiritual imagery.

Sunday morning brought another surprise--visitors from our "mother church," Church of the Resurrection. A special couple and their infant daughter joined us for church and for lunch afterward. So it was sooner than I expected before I got to spend some more time catching up with old friends!

The only "cold shower" on our weekend was having a new water heater installed on Friday--yay!!--which turned out to be defective, apparently--boooooo. So we've basically had no hot water since Friday morning, and of course, it's Memorial Day weekend--so what is the likelihood we'll get someone out here on M-Day? We are so grateful for Our Hero, Mr. A, who installed it and ran a new exhaust line out of the basement for us; wish it were an easy matter to return the defective one!

More Americans “Pro-Life” Than “Pro-Choice” for First Time

Also, fewer think abortion should be legal “under any circumstances”

by Lydia Saad

PRINCETON, NJ -- A new Gallup Poll, conducted May 7-10, finds 51% of Americans calling themselves "pro-life" on the issue of abortion and 42% "pro-choice." This is the first time a majority of U.S. adults have identified themselves as pro-life since Gallup began asking this question in 1995.

...Additionally, a recent national survey by the Pew Research Center recorded an eight percentage-point decline since last August in those saying abortion should be legal in all or most cases, from 54% to 46%...

Read the rest of the article here.

Well, Where Were We?

Blondechick16--

Blondechick's charter school requires all the sophomores to give a presentation called "Sophomore Passage" to 2-3 teachers or other school staff, their parents, and a community member that they have invited. BC had to make a portfolio of her work and Powerpoint slides to outline her talk, which had to include certain elements explaining how she had progressed through her sophomore year.

She did a super job. Her "gift of gab" serves her very well in these situations! One comment she made, which was so funny in its frankness, was about how she had applied the scientific method to real life: "I chose 'high school drama' because that happens to me." She went on to describe how she collected data and discovered that certain friends, before they knew her, thought that she was glaring at them and disliked them, when actually she liked them. She began experimenting with her facial expressions and made a special effort to smile more and even at people she didn't know. She concluded that people found her more approachable as a result. (Three cheers for the scientific method!)

Their next end-of-year passage, which illustrates this charter school's connection to the organization Outward Bound, is a 5-day camping trip without any luxuries, like toilets. As in, dig your own hole. No hair dryers or straighteners or makeup allowed. Should be quite the experience for Blondechick!

Bantam18--

B18 somehow did not get registered for the ACT next month. I am perturbed. I thought his advisor was handling this, because he needs modifications like extra time to complete the test.

It's a good thing he's not applying next fall to colleges that need his ACT scores! After his senior year, he'll go either to a community college or his first choice: Flashpoint Academy. I was told about it by a teacher who works with autistic adults, and she said Flashpoint had approached her, telling her not to hesitate to encourage students with autism to apply, that Flashpoint would work with them and that many of them had giftings that would be a good fit there. It seems perfect for B18, and he is starting to get excited about it!

We still haven't met his girlfriend, and they only talk at school. So it's been a nice, manageable relationship for us, at least.

Bantam14--

B14 will be taking a standardized test next week, his first ever. I am "teaching to the test" this week; specifically, we are blitzing through a workbook on reading maps and charts! That's one thing you miss when you don't use many textbooks, and it tripped up Blondechick when she took her first and only standardized test in the same grade, 7th. We are also covering some material from a test prep workbook I have which covers basic question types and test-taking strategies. All new to B14!

His robotics team competed a few weeks ago and had a disappointing frequency problem in the first event, where the 'bot wouldn't communicate with the controller. It appeared that another team had the same crystal (whatever that means--fortunately B14 understands it!). Since it was the sumo wrestling event, their 'bot was damaged and unable to compete in the other events. B14 and Co. didn't seem to mind too much; the pressure was off and they could relax. He learned a lot, and that's what counts!

He also just finished up a Film-Making class through the theater group. He was right about their film being pretty lame, but again, he learned from the experience.

and Bantam10--

Both boys have been taking a homeschool track class, which met for a manageable 7 times in a 3 weeks, for 1.5 hours at a time. They've had the chance to try hurdles, long jump, shot put and other track events as well as running various distances. They're both pretty fast for their ages, they discovered! B14 pulled a quad muscle in the 3rd class, though, so he's been hampered with that injury ever since. Today is the last class.

B10 is progressing nicely in piano and we are planning to start him on an instrument next year, in the public school 5th grade band program. He's thinking of trumpet or sax, and we already have one of each, so that works out. He just finished up a dance class through the theater group, and he is psyched to take tap dancing this summer!

Chicklet6--

C6 is also going to take a dance class this summer--it's tap and ballet, and we were delightedly shocked to find both tap and ballet shoes in her size and the right color for the dress code (pink) at our neighbor's garage sale last weekend! I spent a whopping $4 on both pairs, and the tap shoes were never worn. A friend passed on a pink leotard to us too, free of charge, so we'll just have to buy pink tights and she'll be set. (Now all I need are black jazz pants for B10!)

Poor girl, her education has been sadly neglected for the past month or so, but she's been learning anyway. I'm planning to do "summer school" with her to move her along with her reading, particularly. It's coming along beautifully and she's going to take off as soon as I can find the time to spend regularly with her.

Bantam4--

B4 is a constant source of amusement and delight, everywhere he goes. The kids and adults at The Wizard of Oz were all captivated by his cuteness. He's just a funny character, with the most impish expressions and great exuberance about life. "He's like a bull in a china shop!" one woman exclaimed to me as he shoved politely past her. Yep.

His latest accomplishment is perfecting a number of consonants, including and especially the letter C, which made possible this sentence just yesterday: "I can come in the car with you." First he said, "I tan come in the tar with you," but when I asked him to say it correctly, he could! He's going to be more ordinary without his funny mispronunciations, but understandable is good too. He and C6 play so beautifully together for hours on end, which is why it's so easy not to do lessons with her!

All for now...!

"Having braces is like having a second pair of teeth!"

~Bantam14, trying to eat an apple

Consumed No More

I bought a car!

I am so glad to have the decision made, and I am thrilled with it! No afterthoughts or regrets yet, and I don't think I will.

It hit me the other night: What I initially wanted most of all was a hybrid, like the Toyota Prius Papa Rooster drives and loves. I love driving the Prius, and it averages 45 mpg! Why not look again for a used Prius?

I knew why not. I had checked before, and they were considerably more than I wanted to spend. For the same money, I could get a 2009 fully loaded Yaris, which I test-drove and loved. But I was balking a little at the insurance on the Yaris, even on a 2007. It was considerably more than we pay on our '07 Prius.

So I checked, one more time, hoping for an affordable older Prius with low mileage, and there--advertised at far less than the low end of the blue book range--was my car! The online Carfax report showed that the former owner had maintained it religiously at the same Toyota dealer he bought it from, and the only non-maintenance item on its history was new brakes awhile back. It has 66,000 miles on it--a little higher than I'd like, but then I realized that's about what PR's Prius will have when it's only 3 years old. If I have a typical Toyota experience, I'll still get as many miles out of it as we got out of our old minivan.

I checked out the 2002's reliability ratings from Consumer Reports and Edmond's (excellent) and googled for 2002 Prius issues (few significant ones found). It looked like the 2002, in fact, was even more reliable than the year before or after. I checked with our Allstate agent, and found that this car would be cheaper to insure than any others I was considering.

When I went to see it, the color grabbed me right away. It's an icy shade of light gray-blue, with a hint of purple ("Aqua Ice Opalescent"). Its finish and interior look newer than our other Prius! And it is a roomier interior than the Yaris. I took it for a spin, and it seemed oh-so-familiar in its handling--so similar to the '07 we have. It had all the options I want (mainly power locks and windows)--with the exception of an auxiliary jack for an iPod. Quaintly, it had a tape deck instead of a CD player (which delighted me, considering how many books on tape I own that I will still be able to listen to in the car!).

So it's sitting in the driveway now, in Minnie the Maxi-Van's shadow, making friends with the '07. They look so his'n'hers. The '07 is a hatchback, with an aggressively masculine sporty rear end, but my '02 has a demure sedan-shaped derriere, with a teensy little spoiler that's mostly decorative--undoubtedly feminine by comparison. I'll have to post a picture. (Meanwhile, here's a link to some generic photos.)

By the way, THANK YOU, everyone who commented on my last post--you all really helped me think of different options and perspectives!

Now tomorrow, just have to get my new baby registered in Wisconsin, put Vinnie's old plates on it, and add it to our car insurance. Then maybe I can finally settle back into normal life. I have a list of errands awaiting me!

Click here for the family Prius joke.

Car Consumption

Thought I'd better write a few words to explain the longest blogging break I've taken in the last couple of years!

As intended, I've been catching up on piles and papers and errands, but I've also been spending hours on the computer researching used cars. Now that Minnie, the 15-passenger van, has become my daily conveyance, her limitations are glaring. When we only drive her occasionally, the fuel she guzzles isn't such an issue, but when she's functioning as Mom's taxi, it disappears at alarming rates. Also, she's huge. She just can't be parked in some strip malls. Plus, there is the silliness factor. I feel so stupid and un-green emerging from this huge van, all by myself, when I'm out running errands alone!

To offset her guzzling tendencies, I'm looking for a fuel sipper, a little subcompact that seats 5. (I'm not looking at a new minivan because if I need a van, I've got a van!) This one will be for running errands alone--since I have built-in babysitters at home, I have that luxury most of the time--or for taking one child to an appointment or lesson. And with 5 seatbelts, it will seat me plus the 4 that are homeschooled.

Used hybrids cost more than I want to spend on a third vehicle, but it seemed like there were some other pretty fuel-efficient options in my price range. Then I found that those vehicles don't show up on the used market very often--if they're reliable and efficient, people tend to keep them!

Finally, I've narrowed it down to one car that is a great value and more fuel-efficient than anything else available on the used car market--a Toyota Yaris. Trouble is, they only started making them in '07, so there aren't a ton of them out there. I drove the Corolla too, and it was great, but I've always loved the feel of a little car. The Honda Fit looks fun too, but it's more expensive and not quite as fuel-efficient as the Yaris or Corolla. The Nissan Versa costs more than the Yaris, and I'd rather have a Toyota in that case. The Chevy Aveo and the Hyundai Accent were recommended as good options, but consumer reviews complain about them not getting the advertised mileage.

I've driven a manual and an automatic, and I definitely want an automatic for everyday mom-multi-tasking-driving. There have been several really good deals posted on the web, but they were sold by the time I called. A salesman made us a great offer on one yesterday, but it's black with an all-black interior, and somehow, I just can't do a black car. (Is this rational?)

So, I'm holding off, waiting for another one...trying not to be too consumed with this...wondering if I should just buy that low-mileage 2006 Corolla for almost the same price? (Irrationally, I just don't want the barely bigger car!)

I am about to be busy for the rest of the weekend, but while I'm gone--anybody have any thoughts?

Catch-Up

This week I am playing catch-up on school, laundry, errands, paperwork, Facebook, life...everything but blogging!

Unless I think of something I just have to say.

I may have more creative juices flowing when I catch up on sleep, too. I am still not recovered from Bantam14's sleepover party.

Or the accident, exactly. I still have a little stiffness and the slight headache, but they are almost gone. Praise God the kids are all totally fine!

Oz was fun for two weeks, but now we're back in Kansas, so to speak. And my, how things fell into disrepair while we were gone....

Eleven Down...

...one to go!

Off to see the Wizard, one last time!

Wistful

Last week's dress rehearsals plus all the performances--last weekend and now this week and coming weekend--have seemed so much llloooonnnnngerrrrr than any other show we've ever done!

Usually we cram the school day shows into production week, on the Thursday after the last dress rehearsal and on the Friday of Opening Night. That makes for a crowded tech week, but at least those school day shows are over with. Then you get a break between Sunday's show and the second weekend of shows.

This time, our longest break between shows is less than 48 hours! In a 14-day period, I'll have been at that theater on 11 days or evenings, for a total of 12 shows, 3 dress rehearsals.

It sounds like a big time commitment--and it is. It seems like more than usual, with this schedule, and it's been hard for me, because this is the first time in four years that I'm putting in this kind of time with only one child in the show.

With more kids involved, it feels totally worth it. Even while I'm working on other kids' makeup, I'm aware of where my three are, and when they're on stage, and how they did, and we joke in between scenes and in the car. There's a camaraderie that I have with them at the theater which doesn't occur anywhere else.

This time, I am really missing Blondechick16 and Bantam14. I miss them as soon as I pull out of the driveway, because usually, when I leave for the theater, I take the most talkative half of the kids with me, leaving the young and the quiet home with Dad. This time, B10 and I feel more like the ones leaving the party!

And Bantam10, though he has a big part as Mayor of Munchkinland, is only in one scene--and then he's done until curtain call. This may sound crazy, but I dreamed recently that we took the show on the road back to my hometown, and all our friends were coming to see Bantam10 in it. Then we ran into a time crunch, and the director made the tough decision to cut the Munchkin scene! I guess that's a picture of how precarious my investment in this show feels. No wonder it's been a long two weeks!

Blondechick16 and Bantam14 have enjoyed having Saturdays free to spend with their friends who aren't involved in theater. But we're all looking forward to the opening of the Kenosha theater group next fall, and getting back in the groove...together!

Last night, in honor of Bantam14's birthday, we took nine boys (including 3 pairs of brothers) to see B10 in The Wizard of Oz! Then they all slept over...and reminded me why we don't usually do sleepovers. (Very little sleeping occurred.) We also had a group from church, and B10's piano teacher came with her family, and I got to sit and watch the show while others filled in for me with my makeup responsibilities. (I usually do the Cowardly Lion's face, and there are soooo many double and triple-cast characters who all have quick makeup changes.) It was nice to enjoy the show with family and friends.

Nine down, three to go...!

Farewell to Vinnie the Mini-Van

It was a beautiful, bright sunny morning as we sped along our way to the theater. Almost there. It was the second time, actually, that we had halted our way through a series of closely-placed stop signs. Earlier, just as we pulled in the parking lot, Bantam10 realized that he had left his Mayor's tailcoat at home, still on a hanger instead of folded and placed in his costume duffel bag.

So we had gone back for it, and now we were running late. The sun was very bright, and all these stop signs were annoying. But I braked carefully at the last one, and with the intersection clear, I began accelerating, my eyes on a group of teenagers in a field to my left, standing grouped around...something...what was it?

Just then--THWACK! Something collided with our car. I couldn't even see what it was! Then my car was free and I saw another full-size van ahead of me as I braked hard. It had come out of nowhere, from the right, and too late, I realized that the series of stops were not all four-way stops, as I had supposed. The sun must have been shining full on the windshield of the other van, making it seem part of the general glare.

But we were all okay: Bantam10, Chicklet6, Bantam4 and myself. Thank you, Lord!!

I got out and the passenger from the other car met me. "Are you okay? Anybody hurt? Are you sure?" Yes, we're fine--how about you? "We're fine too. Are you sure you're okay? Can I pray for you? You're a believer, aren't you?"

Shocked by these unexpected words, my first reaction was, "Yes, I am. Sure, let's pray!" But as soon as he began to speak, my mind began reeling with all that I needed to process and I said, "Wait. I'm sorry, but I need to check on my kids again." I was thinking that this could be pretty traumatic for them, if they're crying inside the van while I'm out here praying with a stranger!

They were cheerfully fine, although both B10 and Chicklet had hit their heads on their windows. The passenger's wife, the driver, joined us then, and she seemed fine too. She said that with the sun in her eyes, she hadn't seen me either! The police arrived, reports were written and both vehicles towed.

We took all our belongings out of Vinnie first, because we knew we wouldn't be repairing him. Fifteen years old, with 160,000 miles, rusty, and with a useless sliding side door...we had already decided that the next expensive repair he needed would be the last nail in his coffin. I began praying, before we moved last year, that we'd get at least another year out of him--and we did! And I've been praying recently that his repairs would be inexpensive, or else be the conclusive last straw--and this accident was pretty definitive, I'd say.

And it was falling apart. "Yeah, our van is ghetto now," our kids would explain to their friends, when we'd have to climb in through the front doors. Trim was missing from my door, and the wheel well was hugely dented from the time the nice policeman pushed us out of a snowdrift. One could call it an eyesore and I would not have taken offense.

But as I sat behind the wheel for the last time, my eyes searching for any personal effects we'd missed, it felt like leaving a home for the last time. I have lived in that van--so many hours since we bought it 13 years ago, when we had our first three little ones in car seats. It was a home away from home. I will miss it.

Tonight, we are a little achy-er. I think my shoulder will be quite stiff by morning, and my left knee is swollen where it hit the steering column. B10 had a slight headache which went away after he ate, so I'm not sure about him. Another theater parent, a nurse, checked on us all several times while we were at the shows today, and he said we all seem neurologically intact. He told me what to watch for and when to go the ER, and I am so grateful for his care and concern! I think we all are going to be fine, though. Thanks be to God!!

Carnival of Homeschooling

I forgot to announce that the Carnival of Homeschooling is up
at Atlanta Homeschooling Examiner!

I entered my post from last week on Natural Learning.

Go and check out all the other entries!!

Fourteen, But Still Blonde...

Well, I didn't really mean to let that last post sit for three days, but my time has not been my own this week!

We had The Wizard of Oz yesterday and will have two more school day shows again tomorrow. Today was double schoolwork, plus laundry and the ongoing celebration of Bantam14's birthday, with a little mother/son time and a free birthday burger at Red Robin! (You all are in Red Robin's birthday club, right? It's a great deal!)

In honor of his birthday, B14 is allowing me to recount a couple of "blonde" moments, from a recent conversation he had with his dad about height. (He's just hit 5'8".)

B13: "Wait. Who's the tallest guy who ever lived? Was it Noah? Because he lived pretty long."

***

B13: "Do you think I'll be 6'8"?"

Papa Rooster: "No, the genes don't support that."

B13: "What do you mean? They don't make jeans that big?"

***

More blonde moments from his year as Bantam13 here.

Celebration [UPDATED]

Hey, it looks like today we're gonna hit 100,000 visits on Ye Olde Sitemeter!!! [And...we did!]

If I were a real blogger, I'd have some crafty giveway from somebody's Etsy store all lined up.

But I've been in Oz all weekend.... And to be honest, one of my top pet peeves is having to mail anything other than a letter. (It's just too many steps to pull together a box, an address and a visit to the Post Office. I'm lazy like that.)

Instead, I will tell you how GRATEFUL I am for all my readers, faithful and unfaithful, daily or sporadic, known or unknown! YOU are the reason I keep this little blawg going--well, you and the kick I get out of keeping it up as a family album. Thank you for coming, for reading, for commenting. Your presence here is such an encouragement!

But I would love to know you all better, so my celebration of choice is to hear from YOU!

Let me know where you're from, and make a suggestion for future posts, if you have one--I've received some great ideas for content from my readers before, and I am ready for more. Or just tell me what kind of posts you'd like more of!

And tell me, if you were stuck on a desert island with a video player/screen and ONE movie--what could you watch over and over??

And let me know if you are the 100,000th visitor!!! [It was someone shy from Seattle!]

[Today, Tuesday, I am off to Oz again all day--so I won't be able to comment till later, but please, keep 'em coming!]

And He's Bantam...14!

Happy Birthday, Son!!

It is a delight to have you in our family! We have always loved your sense of humor, your kindness, and your compassionate heart. Now, as you are becoming a young man before our eyes, it is exciting to see you growing in qualities like leadership, courage, responsibility and your love for the Lord.

May He bless you always!!

The Mayor Welcomes You

...to come see The Wizard of Oz! Opening Night is tonight; there are two shows tomorrow and one on Sunday afternoon. Enjoy the photos while we put on the show!

As Mayor of the Munchkin City
In the county of the Land of Oz
I welcome you most regally...

Barrister: But we've got to verify it legally

To see

Mayor: To see
Barrister: If she
Mayor: If she
Barrister: Is morally, ethically
City Father: Spiritually, physically
Mayor: Positively, absolutely

All: undeniably and reliably DEAD.

Coroner: As Coroner, I must aver

I thoroughly examined her
And she's not only merely dead,
She's really most sin-cere-ly dead.

Mayor: Friends, this is a day of independence
For all the Munchkins and their descendants!
Let the joyous news be spread
The Wicked Old Witch at last is DEAD!

We represent the Lollipop Guild...

(I can't believe Bantam13--now 5'8"--
fit into that orange and teal costume
on the left just a few short years ago!)

Mayor: From now on you'll be hist-ory
Barrister: You'll be hist-
Coroner: You'll be hist-
Mayor: You'll be hist-ory
All Munchkins: And we will glor-i-fy your name!
Mayor: You will be a bust
Barrister: Be a bust
Coroner: Be a bust
All Munchkins: In the hall of fame!
Tra la la la la, la la la, la la la...