In honor of the last day of National Poetry month...
I just had to post these lines from e.e. cummings!
Father Rooster read them in his sermon last Sunday, quoting from Richard John Neuhaus's little book As I Lay Dying: Meditations Upon Returning. They speak so eloquently of the things that keep us from really living in the present moment:
whereling whenlings
(daughters of ifbut offsprings of
hopefear
sons of unless and children of almost)
never shall guess the dimension of
him whose
each
foot likes the
here of this earth
whose both
eyes
love
this now of the sky
I don't know what larger poem they are from--does anyone out there?
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Natural Learning: This Year
In yesterday's post on natural learning, I mentioned that we lost steam in some areas this year and picked up in others. So what have we been doing this year?
Consistently, we have been reading aloud in the mornings, as I described in this post: the Bible story book and a chapter book every day, and most days I also read poetry or the Shakespeare stories. Occasionally we'll add in a picture book, or a few pages a day from Eight Ate: A Feast of Homonym Riddles. Bantam10 has consistently practiced piano right after breakfast each school day, as well.
(The preschooler and kindergartener color and listen in on our read-aloud time, or not; I read aloud to them separately too. I wrote about their activities here.)
For math, last fall we focused on flashcards and math facts, and then both boys started in a Saxon math book. B13 is doing Saxon 87 (for 8th graders or advanced 7th graders) and planning to finish it sometime next year, as an 8th grader. B10, a fourth grader, is in Saxon 54. They both do a lesson a day, skipping the easy problems that they know how to do and checking their own answers. They like being responsible for gauging what they most need to work on, and I only help them when they ask.
They read for an hour every day. This year, to build their enjoyment in reading, I have let them choose the book, as long as it is a chapter book (vs. picture books or comic books). So they both read Harry Potter books and A Series of Unfortunate Events. Once he finished those, B13 was open to suggestions; he read Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (Dahl), Hatchet (Paulsen) and Loser (Spinelli). Right now he's reading The Cross and the Switchblade and is really enjoying it!
Last fall we were busy with enrichment classes (described here; they learned so many cool things!). When they ended, we picked a couple of other subjects to add. Both boys began doing one page a day in their Easy Grammar workbooks, and B13 agreed to try a 10-volume American history series, Joy Hakim's A History of US. Now he looks forward to reading two chapters daily and sometimes interrupts his reading to say, "Hey, Mom, did you know this?" (In fact, one reason he didn't want to do the virtual school next year was because he wants to continue with the Hakim texts!)
Most recently, we've added some map skills and geography to our morning reading time. I have flashcards, that I picked up at a used curriculum sale, that have outlines of each continent and all the major countries, within their continental settings. They're really great and the boys have learned them quickly--except they're old enough to include a flashcard of the U.S.S.R. (which the Bantams think is cool because, hey, that's a Beatles song!). We started learning some of the capital cities of various countries too, after B10 wouldn't stop guessing "Paris!" for any country he didn't know.
Those have been our "bare bones" requirements for the year, but learning opportunities continue:
Bantam13's robotics class from the fall ended up extending through the whole school year, as building the 'bot has turned out to be quite a complicated undertaking! He hasn't minded, though; it has provided a lot of bonding time with the other homeschooled boys in the class. The competition, in which their 'bot has to navigate an obstacle course, pick up a ping-pong ball and a styrofoam cup, and "sumo wrestle" another 'bot out of the ring, is in two weeks!
They've taken theater classes as well, for the fall, winter and spring sessions. B10, who likes to move, chose a dance class every time, and this session he insisted that he have his own tap shoes, not borrowed ones--so we are signing up for tap lessons this summer! B13 took Magic, Advanced Drama (the class that performed Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker), and this session he's taking Film-Making, which has exposed him to some documentary and film excerpts that have really made him think and ask me questions in the car on the way home. The film his group is making is pretty lame, he says--but we'll see.
B10, meanwhile, had many rehearsals this spring in his role as the Mayor of Munchkinland in The Wizard of Oz! (In fact, dress rehearsals have been every night this week, with Opening Night on Friday!)
The only thing that I've been disappointed with this year has been our writing project. Both boys have blogs (links in my sidebar), and my intention was that they write, re-write or polish and post something daily, but it has turned out to be more of an occasional thing. B10 enjoys it, if I get him started, but for B13, I may need to teach a writing class for his age group next year, to provide more accountability.
Into the Woulda Been Nice category fall handwriting and keyboarding, which we just haven't got to formally this year, although both Bantams get by passably well. B13 needs to put guitar back on his daily list, too.
All stuff to think about for next year!
Consistently, we have been reading aloud in the mornings, as I described in this post: the Bible story book and a chapter book every day, and most days I also read poetry or the Shakespeare stories. Occasionally we'll add in a picture book, or a few pages a day from Eight Ate: A Feast of Homonym Riddles. Bantam10 has consistently practiced piano right after breakfast each school day, as well.
(The preschooler and kindergartener color and listen in on our read-aloud time, or not; I read aloud to them separately too. I wrote about their activities here.)
For math, last fall we focused on flashcards and math facts, and then both boys started in a Saxon math book. B13 is doing Saxon 87 (for 8th graders or advanced 7th graders) and planning to finish it sometime next year, as an 8th grader. B10, a fourth grader, is in Saxon 54. They both do a lesson a day, skipping the easy problems that they know how to do and checking their own answers. They like being responsible for gauging what they most need to work on, and I only help them when they ask.
They read for an hour every day. This year, to build their enjoyment in reading, I have let them choose the book, as long as it is a chapter book (vs. picture books or comic books). So they both read Harry Potter books and A Series of Unfortunate Events. Once he finished those, B13 was open to suggestions; he read Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator (Dahl), Hatchet (Paulsen) and Loser (Spinelli). Right now he's reading The Cross and the Switchblade and is really enjoying it!
Last fall we were busy with enrichment classes (described here; they learned so many cool things!). When they ended, we picked a couple of other subjects to add. Both boys began doing one page a day in their Easy Grammar workbooks, and B13 agreed to try a 10-volume American history series, Joy Hakim's A History of US. Now he looks forward to reading two chapters daily and sometimes interrupts his reading to say, "Hey, Mom, did you know this?" (In fact, one reason he didn't want to do the virtual school next year was because he wants to continue with the Hakim texts!)
Most recently, we've added some map skills and geography to our morning reading time. I have flashcards, that I picked up at a used curriculum sale, that have outlines of each continent and all the major countries, within their continental settings. They're really great and the boys have learned them quickly--except they're old enough to include a flashcard of the U.S.S.R. (which the Bantams think is cool because, hey, that's a Beatles song!). We started learning some of the capital cities of various countries too, after B10 wouldn't stop guessing "Paris!" for any country he didn't know.
Those have been our "bare bones" requirements for the year, but learning opportunities continue:
Bantam13's robotics class from the fall ended up extending through the whole school year, as building the 'bot has turned out to be quite a complicated undertaking! He hasn't minded, though; it has provided a lot of bonding time with the other homeschooled boys in the class. The competition, in which their 'bot has to navigate an obstacle course, pick up a ping-pong ball and a styrofoam cup, and "sumo wrestle" another 'bot out of the ring, is in two weeks!
They've taken theater classes as well, for the fall, winter and spring sessions. B10, who likes to move, chose a dance class every time, and this session he insisted that he have his own tap shoes, not borrowed ones--so we are signing up for tap lessons this summer! B13 took Magic, Advanced Drama (the class that performed Thornton Wilder's The Matchmaker), and this session he's taking Film-Making, which has exposed him to some documentary and film excerpts that have really made him think and ask me questions in the car on the way home. The film his group is making is pretty lame, he says--but we'll see.
B10, meanwhile, had many rehearsals this spring in his role as the Mayor of Munchkinland in The Wizard of Oz! (In fact, dress rehearsals have been every night this week, with Opening Night on Friday!)
The only thing that I've been disappointed with this year has been our writing project. Both boys have blogs (links in my sidebar), and my intention was that they write, re-write or polish and post something daily, but it has turned out to be more of an occasional thing. B10 enjoys it, if I get him started, but for B13, I may need to teach a writing class for his age group next year, to provide more accountability.
Into the Woulda Been Nice category fall handwriting and keyboarding, which we just haven't got to formally this year, although both Bantams get by passably well. B13 needs to put guitar back on his daily list, too.
All stuff to think about for next year!
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Maybe We Need ChemLawn?
Chicklet6 just burst in from outdoors with a bouquet of dandelions
in her fist and a delighted smile on her face.
in her fist and a delighted smile on her face.
"Mom, it's so exciting! We have lots of honey flowers [clover]
and lots of dandelions...
...and they're only in OUR YARD!"
and lots of dandelions...
...and they're only in OUR YARD!"
(Photo credit: Ann Rinkenberger, www.flickr.com/photos/picturesbyann)
Natural Learning
I mentioned natural learning, interest-led learning and unschooling in a previous post. As you may recall, this year we have been experimenting with a slower pace of homeschooling.
A New Approach
Unschooling Update
Oh Yeah...Homeschooling...
If you read these posts, you may wonder how our year is ending up? Well, we have lost steam in some areas and picked up in others. But overall, our new "less is more" approach has been working really well. In fact, I think we have decided against the virtual school options I was considering for next year for B13. Little things keep reinforcing to me the beauties of natural learning--and what we'd lose if we returned to a highly structured model.
Natural learning assumes that learning is happening all the time, that informal learning is just as important as formal academics. When we are driving to a piano lesson and we talk about life, attitudes, their discoveries and questions, that is learning--perhaps the most important kind. It can't always be planned, and it is driven by the learner's own questions and motivations rather than by a curriculum. And that's why it sticks!
As a teacher, I am amazed at how much I "teach" that my kids quickly forget. I am shocked at how little my older kids remember from their early years of homeschooling! They are most likely to remember experiences we had and people we met, including memorable characters from books. And skills, of course, like handwriting or piano chords. But facts? No.
Of course I believe it's all in there somewhere. But the point is that I'm worrying less with my younger children about "getting it all in" or "covering all the bases" with curriculum. If they read a lot and are read aloud to--good books--they are exposed to history, science, grammar, vocabulary and good writing models, without a lot of extra worksheets, textbooks and projects that take time away from reading! If there is one thing I could go back and do differently with my older kids, especially Blondechick and B13, it would be giving them more time for reading.
My children are reinforcing this notion, too. The other night at dinner, B13 complained about the time he had to spend every morning listening to our read-aloud. (He was in full teenage-boy, Mr. Negativity mode.) Blondechick16 (who entered public high school this year) cut him off. "Listen, bro, that is the best thing about homeschooling! I can't believe how bad the other kids in my class are at reading aloud. Their reading is so choppy, they can't pronounce words, they don't know how to pause at the right places--and I just naturally know all that because I've been read to so much. You don't know how much you're learning, but you really are!"
Thank you, Blondechick!
Then the other day, Bantam10 laid down his book with a contented sigh. "Mom, it feels so good to finish a book. I love that feeling. I love reading. It's my favorite subject in school."
Now, B10 was the one that used to groan every day, at the beginning of the year, about my new requirement of reading for an hour a day. I didn't even require one whole hour straight! But now, he reads solidly for a whole hour with great enjoyment.
He has always been a bathroom reader, but I discounted his interest in The Far Side, Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield until recently. Now, I am beginning to realize that even comic books can be educational! Often, B10 will ask me about the humor or the science in a Far Side situation or about a vocabulary word he encountered there--when he's nowhere near these books. So I know they've made him think!
More tomorrow...about what we've actually been doing this year!
A New Approach
Unschooling Update
Oh Yeah...Homeschooling...
If you read these posts, you may wonder how our year is ending up? Well, we have lost steam in some areas and picked up in others. But overall, our new "less is more" approach has been working really well. In fact, I think we have decided against the virtual school options I was considering for next year for B13. Little things keep reinforcing to me the beauties of natural learning--and what we'd lose if we returned to a highly structured model.
Natural learning assumes that learning is happening all the time, that informal learning is just as important as formal academics. When we are driving to a piano lesson and we talk about life, attitudes, their discoveries and questions, that is learning--perhaps the most important kind. It can't always be planned, and it is driven by the learner's own questions and motivations rather than by a curriculum. And that's why it sticks!
As a teacher, I am amazed at how much I "teach" that my kids quickly forget. I am shocked at how little my older kids remember from their early years of homeschooling! They are most likely to remember experiences we had and people we met, including memorable characters from books. And skills, of course, like handwriting or piano chords. But facts? No.
Of course I believe it's all in there somewhere. But the point is that I'm worrying less with my younger children about "getting it all in" or "covering all the bases" with curriculum. If they read a lot and are read aloud to--good books--they are exposed to history, science, grammar, vocabulary and good writing models, without a lot of extra worksheets, textbooks and projects that take time away from reading! If there is one thing I could go back and do differently with my older kids, especially Blondechick and B13, it would be giving them more time for reading.
My children are reinforcing this notion, too. The other night at dinner, B13 complained about the time he had to spend every morning listening to our read-aloud. (He was in full teenage-boy, Mr. Negativity mode.) Blondechick16 (who entered public high school this year) cut him off. "Listen, bro, that is the best thing about homeschooling! I can't believe how bad the other kids in my class are at reading aloud. Their reading is so choppy, they can't pronounce words, they don't know how to pause at the right places--and I just naturally know all that because I've been read to so much. You don't know how much you're learning, but you really are!"
Thank you, Blondechick!
Then the other day, Bantam10 laid down his book with a contented sigh. "Mom, it feels so good to finish a book. I love that feeling. I love reading. It's my favorite subject in school."
Now, B10 was the one that used to groan every day, at the beginning of the year, about my new requirement of reading for an hour a day. I didn't even require one whole hour straight! But now, he reads solidly for a whole hour with great enjoyment.
He has always been a bathroom reader, but I discounted his interest in The Far Side, Calvin and Hobbes and Garfield until recently. Now, I am beginning to realize that even comic books can be educational! Often, B10 will ask me about the humor or the science in a Far Side situation or about a vocabulary word he encountered there--when he's nowhere near these books. So I know they've made him think!
More tomorrow...about what we've actually been doing this year!
Monday, April 27, 2009
Preschool/Kindergarten Recommendations
After many years of homeschooling, I have figured out a few things that I really, really like for this age group. Here they are!
My Very First Bible: Old Testament and My Very First Bible: New Testament by L. J. Sattgast, il. by Russell Flint
I didn't initally like the illustrations in these books, but it ends up that that's what we love most about them! They are exaggerated and dramatic, but realistic, not cartoon-like (which I hate for Bible story books). If someone is pointing, their whole body points. If someone is surprised, their facial expression is hugely surprised and their hands are clapped to their cheeks! The stories are brief and well-summarized, and my kids always begged me to keep going to the next one. I also used it with our 3-5 year old class at church, and the full-page illustrations really grabbed them.
Teach Your Child to Read in One Hundred Easy Lessons
I have to admit, teaching a child to read is NOT one of my favorite parts of homeschooling. Listening to w-o-r-d-s being slowly s-ou-n-d-ed ou-t sets my teeth on edge and requires more patience than I usually am able to muster!
This book has worked for me for 5 kids now. It's so simple and easy to use that my husband or an older child can help me out by giving a reading lesson! The lessons begin very simply and build slowly to longer words and stories. Each lesson reviews sounds, sound combinations, word reading and ends with a quirky little illustrated story. (My older kids have all enjoyed teaching a younger sibling to read, and it's partly because they like revisiting the silly stories in their old book!)
I recommend a couple of modifications. You can go through the first 10 lessons or so very quickly. I had two kids that really hated the beginning exercises of rhyming and "stretching out" words, so we skipped a lot and I just taught those skills as they came up in the lessons we picked up with. I also ignored the "script" a lot, after the first child.
Secondly, I always start a lesson by reviewing the story from the previous lesson. We get more mileage out of each little story that way, and it's a good way to start out, since they remember it from the last time, which gives confidence and reinforces what they already learned.
Third, I never ended with the last exercise that teaches them to write letters. Instead, even though it doesn't teach the letters in the same order, I used...
Get Ready for the Code, Get Set for the Code, Go for the Code
These are the primers to a series of phonics workbooks called Explode the Code, which are good too, though we've barely needed to use them with 100 Easy Lessons doing such a good job. These, on the other hand, I have used with every child!
These primers teach all the consonant sounds with very fun little workpages, filled with cartoon-y drawings, and include letter formation as well as recognition. All my kids have enjoyed these, and here's my big frugal secret--we have used the same workbooks with five kids, because instead of writing in them, we cover each page with a plastic report cover and use a dry erase marker. (I think using colored markers on a shiny page is half the appeal, honestly, and when they eventually get their own workbook that they can write in with a pencil, they feel like such a big kid!)
My only complaint about this series is: I wish there was a fourth book that taught all the vowel sounds! The first Explode the Code book does that, but in combination with consonant sounds instead of in the single letter format we love so much in the primers. Oh well.
Learn to Read at Starfall.com
I don't think this website was around when my three oldest were little, but I have allowed my last three children to poke around on it as much as they want! It's really well-designed. Go look.
Picture Books
We read lots! Some favorites:
anything by Eric Carle
Flower Garden by Eve Bunting
Owl Moon
Yonder by Tony Johnston
Make Way for Ducklings
Blueberries for Sal
The Old Man Who Loved Cheese by Garrison Keillor
Tomie dePaolo books, especially The Clown of God
Henry and Mudge books
Frog and Toad books
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Engine
anything by Dr. Seuss
fairy tales and fables
anything by Jan Brett (fabulous illustrations)
Go Dog Go
Beatrix Potter books
The House at Pooh Corner and Now We Are Six
Little House in the Big Woods
[forcing myself to quit!]
Activities:
Duplos--be sure you have some people and a big foundation mat
puzzles
watercolors
coloring books
sewing cards
bath toys
"indoor swimming pool"--fill a tub or sink with water and let their little dolls or people go for a swim. I can't believe how long this game always lasts!
Playmobil
What's missing? Math! We don't sweat it at the younger ages. Counting just happens with life--setting the table, for example--and they naturally learn to count higher and higher. We work on writing their numbers sometimes, but not often before first grade. They catch on very quickly once we start.
With older kids to worry about, I haven't had as much time to work with my younger ones. I felt guilty until I began reading more about natural learning, unschooling, interest-led learning or whatever you call it. Now I feel that I am doing myself and them a favor by delaying formal academics with them. The only thing I try to do every day is read aloud to them. It's a blessedly relaxed lifestyle!
My Very First Bible: Old Testament and My Very First Bible: New Testament by L. J. Sattgast, il. by Russell FlintI didn't initally like the illustrations in these books, but it ends up that that's what we love most about them! They are exaggerated and dramatic, but realistic, not cartoon-like (which I hate for Bible story books). If someone is pointing, their whole body points. If someone is surprised, their facial expression is hugely surprised and their hands are clapped to their cheeks! The stories are brief and well-summarized, and my kids always begged me to keep going to the next one. I also used it with our 3-5 year old class at church, and the full-page illustrations really grabbed them.
Teach Your Child to Read in One Hundred Easy LessonsI have to admit, teaching a child to read is NOT one of my favorite parts of homeschooling. Listening to w-o-r-d-s being slowly s-ou-n-d-ed ou-t sets my teeth on edge and requires more patience than I usually am able to muster!
This book has worked for me for 5 kids now. It's so simple and easy to use that my husband or an older child can help me out by giving a reading lesson! The lessons begin very simply and build slowly to longer words and stories. Each lesson reviews sounds, sound combinations, word reading and ends with a quirky little illustrated story. (My older kids have all enjoyed teaching a younger sibling to read, and it's partly because they like revisiting the silly stories in their old book!)
I recommend a couple of modifications. You can go through the first 10 lessons or so very quickly. I had two kids that really hated the beginning exercises of rhyming and "stretching out" words, so we skipped a lot and I just taught those skills as they came up in the lessons we picked up with. I also ignored the "script" a lot, after the first child.
Secondly, I always start a lesson by reviewing the story from the previous lesson. We get more mileage out of each little story that way, and it's a good way to start out, since they remember it from the last time, which gives confidence and reinforces what they already learned.
Third, I never ended with the last exercise that teaches them to write letters. Instead, even though it doesn't teach the letters in the same order, I used...
Get Ready for the Code, Get Set for the Code, Go for the Code These are the primers to a series of phonics workbooks called Explode the Code, which are good too, though we've barely needed to use them with 100 Easy Lessons doing such a good job. These, on the other hand, I have used with every child!
These primers teach all the consonant sounds with very fun little workpages, filled with cartoon-y drawings, and include letter formation as well as recognition. All my kids have enjoyed these, and here's my big frugal secret--we have used the same workbooks with five kids, because instead of writing in them, we cover each page with a plastic report cover and use a dry erase marker. (I think using colored markers on a shiny page is half the appeal, honestly, and when they eventually get their own workbook that they can write in with a pencil, they feel like such a big kid!)
My only complaint about this series is: I wish there was a fourth book that taught all the vowel sounds! The first Explode the Code book does that, but in combination with consonant sounds instead of in the single letter format we love so much in the primers. Oh well.
Learn to Read at Starfall.comI don't think this website was around when my three oldest were little, but I have allowed my last three children to poke around on it as much as they want! It's really well-designed. Go look.
Picture Books
We read lots! Some favorites:
anything by Eric Carle
Flower Garden by Eve Bunting
Owl Moon
Yonder by Tony Johnston
Make Way for Ducklings
Blueberries for Sal
The Old Man Who Loved Cheese by Garrison Keillor
Tomie dePaolo books, especially The Clown of God
Henry and Mudge books
Frog and Toad books
Mike Mulligan and His Steam Engine
anything by Dr. Seuss
fairy tales and fables
anything by Jan Brett (fabulous illustrations)
Go Dog Go
Beatrix Potter books
The House at Pooh Corner and Now We Are Six
Little House in the Big Woods
[forcing myself to quit!]
Activities:
Duplos--be sure you have some people and a big foundation mat
puzzles
watercolors
coloring books
sewing cards
bath toys
"indoor swimming pool"--fill a tub or sink with water and let their little dolls or people go for a swim. I can't believe how long this game always lasts!
Playmobil
What's missing? Math! We don't sweat it at the younger ages. Counting just happens with life--setting the table, for example--and they naturally learn to count higher and higher. We work on writing their numbers sometimes, but not often before first grade. They catch on very quickly once we start.
With older kids to worry about, I haven't had as much time to work with my younger ones. I felt guilty until I began reading more about natural learning, unschooling, interest-led learning or whatever you call it. Now I feel that I am doing myself and them a favor by delaying formal academics with them. The only thing I try to do every day is read aloud to them. It's a blessedly relaxed lifestyle!
Saturday, April 25, 2009
Be My Friend
...and I'll show you how to
ROCK.
THE BOAT.
ROCK, ROCK
THE...
Oops! Wrong audience. That's a crazy theater group kids' thing.
Nope, I meant "be my friend" on Facebook, if you know me.
Look me up!
ROCK.
THE BOAT.
ROCK, ROCK
THE...
Oops! Wrong audience. That's a crazy theater group kids' thing.
Nope, I meant "be my friend" on Facebook, if you know me.
Look me up!
Friday, April 24, 2009
Must Share!
I just found out that Church of the Resurrection (our "mother" church) has started a Rez Blog, and so far, it mainly has pictures from their Holy Week services!
I would recommend a look just for the breathtaking photography by our friend Kim Johnson (who took our sidebar photos), but also for the Easter joy in every image.
And that banner is such a visual celebration!! It was made by artist (and blogger) Janice Skivington--that link will take you to more pictures and her comments about creating it. It was made to represent the six days of creation, and then the Alleluia scrim was lowered over it later in the service.
So many well-loved faces jump out at me from those photos. It makes me just a teensy bit homesick for the church we were part of for so many years. It is a wonderful place!
I would recommend a look just for the breathtaking photography by our friend Kim Johnson (who took our sidebar photos), but also for the Easter joy in every image.
And that banner is such a visual celebration!! It was made by artist (and blogger) Janice Skivington--that link will take you to more pictures and her comments about creating it. It was made to represent the six days of creation, and then the Alleluia scrim was lowered over it later in the service.
So many well-loved faces jump out at me from those photos. It makes me just a teensy bit homesick for the church we were part of for so many years. It is a wonderful place!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
It's Official
Bantam18 surprised us all by announcing, a few weeks ago, that there was a girl.
Now, B18 has had his share of social difficulties, due to his autism. He's so high-functioning that many adults don't pick up on it right away, but kids always do. So this year at a new school, he's mostly been eating lunch alone. He doesn't mind. He reads, or he does homework.
But last quarter, a girl began sitting with him. A Christian girl, he told us, whose parents won't take her to church and who discourage her from praying. He's been encouraging her, he said. She needs a Christian friend. She gave him her phone number.
He didn't call her right away. He tried to find her on Facebook, but couldn't. Fourth quarter began, and they no longer had the same lunch period.
But she saw him in the hall the other day. She told him how much she missed him. They exchanged hugs.
Today, they decided that they officially like each other.
I'd like to meet her soon, I told him when he relayed this news. She'll come to church with us sometime, he said confidently.
I am pleasantly, delightedly, in shock.
There have been boys in Blondechick's life. There are girls who've shown interest in B13. I have been unexcited.
But I am grateful for this girl--just for being kind to my son and for showing interest in him. Whether she's around for long or not, whether she meets with our approval or not...she gives me hope for B18's future!
Thank you, Lord, for the unexpected!
Now, B18 has had his share of social difficulties, due to his autism. He's so high-functioning that many adults don't pick up on it right away, but kids always do. So this year at a new school, he's mostly been eating lunch alone. He doesn't mind. He reads, or he does homework.
But last quarter, a girl began sitting with him. A Christian girl, he told us, whose parents won't take her to church and who discourage her from praying. He's been encouraging her, he said. She needs a Christian friend. She gave him her phone number.
He didn't call her right away. He tried to find her on Facebook, but couldn't. Fourth quarter began, and they no longer had the same lunch period.
But she saw him in the hall the other day. She told him how much she missed him. They exchanged hugs.
Today, they decided that they officially like each other.
I'd like to meet her soon, I told him when he relayed this news. She'll come to church with us sometime, he said confidently.
I am pleasantly, delightedly, in shock.
There have been boys in Blondechick's life. There are girls who've shown interest in B13. I have been unexcited.
But I am grateful for this girl--just for being kind to my son and for showing interest in him. Whether she's around for long or not, whether she meets with our approval or not...she gives me hope for B18's future!
Thank you, Lord, for the unexpected!
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Update on Chicklet6
The remaining test results for Chicklet all came back negative, praise God!
We are so glad to know what diseases she doesn't have.
The doctors still can't explain what caused the infection in her vein, but perhaps it was somehow related to the bladder infection she had right before. A medical fluke, we hope. At any rate, her leg is as good as new!
Thanks so much for all your prayers!!!
We are so glad to know what diseases she doesn't have.
The doctors still can't explain what caused the infection in her vein, but perhaps it was somehow related to the bladder infection she had right before. A medical fluke, we hope. At any rate, her leg is as good as new!
Thanks so much for all your prayers!!!
In Which B13 Pays Mom a Compliment
Awww, I just found the scrap of paper where I wrote this one down....
Back during Schoolhouse Rock, Bantam13 and Blondechick16 went home with some friends on the break between the daytime and the evening show. Later on, the mom told me that while they were at her house, the talk had turned to schools and homeschooling. She had asked B13:
"So if she [Blondechick16] is in public school, how come you are homeschooled?"
He was quick with his reply: "Because I have an amazing mom!"
(She thought I would be touched and encouraged, which I was!)
I told B13 that I heard about what he said and appreciated it. He said, "But did you hear what I said after that?"
He obviously thought that I had missed his best line.
"No, what?"
"I said, 'Yeah, me and my mom, we go waaaay back.' "
Back during Schoolhouse Rock, Bantam13 and Blondechick16 went home with some friends on the break between the daytime and the evening show. Later on, the mom told me that while they were at her house, the talk had turned to schools and homeschooling. She had asked B13:
"So if she [Blondechick16] is in public school, how come you are homeschooled?"
He was quick with his reply: "Because I have an amazing mom!"
(She thought I would be touched and encouraged, which I was!)
I told B13 that I heard about what he said and appreciated it. He said, "But did you hear what I said after that?"
He obviously thought that I had missed his best line.
"No, what?"
"I said, 'Yeah, me and my mom, we go waaaay back.' "
Saturday, April 18, 2009
Demise of the Tooth Fairy
You may recall that the Tooth Fairy often takes awhile to find her way to our house. She's old, we tell the kids. She's forgetful. She's directionally-challenged.
Now it seems that some have run out of patience with her.
Bantam10 had an awkward "snaggletooth" annoying him for days, and he begged me to pull it for him. Gross! I said, but I wiggled it a little and informed him that it wasn't ready. Just wait, I said.
Now his little sister, Chicklet6, has no patience with a loose tooth and needs no one to tell her what to do with one. Once they're loose enough, she just grabs 'em and yanks!
Why don't you just do that? we asked B10 as days went by and he continued to complain.
Finally one evening, he appeared in the room where Papa Rooster and I were talking, tooth in one hand, pliers in the other.
"I got it out," he announced, brandishing the pliers. Extending his hand to me, bloody tooth in palm, he asked, "Can I have a dollar?"
Now it seems that some have run out of patience with her.
Bantam10 had an awkward "snaggletooth" annoying him for days, and he begged me to pull it for him. Gross! I said, but I wiggled it a little and informed him that it wasn't ready. Just wait, I said.
Now his little sister, Chicklet6, has no patience with a loose tooth and needs no one to tell her what to do with one. Once they're loose enough, she just grabs 'em and yanks!
Why don't you just do that? we asked B10 as days went by and he continued to complain.
Finally one evening, he appeared in the room where Papa Rooster and I were talking, tooth in one hand, pliers in the other.
"I got it out," he announced, brandishing the pliers. Extending his hand to me, bloody tooth in palm, he asked, "Can I have a dollar?"
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Spring Breakin'--and Braced!
We are officially on Spring Break this week. Our two oldest are home from public high school, and it was perfect timing for me, to recover from Holy Week!
I can't say it's been restful, though. Since Monday, we've had three medical appointments, filled five prescriptions, had one voice lesson, been to the grocery, Kohl's, and the library, had eleven friends over, and washed nine loads of laundry (and counting).
And we have exciting news--we have a church to host theater classes AND rehearsals! I visited it again this week, since I hadn't seen the whole building the first time, and it is a really nice facility--flexible and perfect in so many ways. Blondechick16 came with me, and we imagined together how we'd set up the space. Thank you, Lord!
The big hairy deal planned for spring break was Bantam18 getting all four wisdom teeth removed (hence all those prescriptions!). That's behind us now, and thank God, it went well and he is having pretty minimal pain.
I mentioned a voice lesson? Blondechick16 has taken up voice lessons again, once we got a recommendation for a teacher, and we are so delighted. Her new teacher reminds us of her much-loved teacher back in Illinois! She seems very good. Thanks, Lord!
Tonight we are going to a fundraiser and comedy show by a Christian ventriloquist named David Pendleton. (Show your kids his YouTube video--he's amazing!) We had one of his DVD's till we wore it out, so our kids are excited about tonight, even the teenagers. The cool thing is...I went to high school with David! We sat near each other in band every day for three years, and I remember him performing a ventriloquism show for the whole junior high. He used to perform in nursing homes to practice. Pretty inspiring, huh!
I will leave you with a long-overdue photo. Bantam13 got braced over a month ago....
Happy Spring Break, everybody!
I can't say it's been restful, though. Since Monday, we've had three medical appointments, filled five prescriptions, had one voice lesson, been to the grocery, Kohl's, and the library, had eleven friends over, and washed nine loads of laundry (and counting).
And we have exciting news--we have a church to host theater classes AND rehearsals! I visited it again this week, since I hadn't seen the whole building the first time, and it is a really nice facility--flexible and perfect in so many ways. Blondechick16 came with me, and we imagined together how we'd set up the space. Thank you, Lord!
The big hairy deal planned for spring break was Bantam18 getting all four wisdom teeth removed (hence all those prescriptions!). That's behind us now, and thank God, it went well and he is having pretty minimal pain.
I mentioned a voice lesson? Blondechick16 has taken up voice lessons again, once we got a recommendation for a teacher, and we are so delighted. Her new teacher reminds us of her much-loved teacher back in Illinois! She seems very good. Thanks, Lord!
Tonight we are going to a fundraiser and comedy show by a Christian ventriloquist named David Pendleton. (Show your kids his YouTube video--he's amazing!) We had one of his DVD's till we wore it out, so our kids are excited about tonight, even the teenagers. The cool thing is...I went to high school with David! We sat near each other in band every day for three years, and I remember him performing a ventriloquism show for the whole junior high. He used to perform in nursing homes to practice. Pretty inspiring, huh!
I will leave you with a long-overdue photo. Bantam13 got braced over a month ago....
Happy Spring Break, everybody!
Monday, April 13, 2009
Great Vigil of Easter
We did it! We held our first Easter Vigil! It took an immense amount of energy and preparation--and we didn't have adequate amounts of either--but it all came together and it was completely worth all the effort. Where we were weak, He was strong. And we were delighted to have quite a few visitors who joined us!
The service began with the congregation in darkness. After three sets of three knocks on the door, the priest (aka Father Rooster), holding a candle, entered with the deacon and thurifer (or incense-swinger). He stopped and chanted, "the Light of Christ," at the three points where, at the Good Friday service the night before, he had proclaimed, "the cross of Christ, which takes away the sin of the world."
As the priest sang the Exultet (a long prayer of rejoicing in this marvelous Light), the deacon lit his own candle and began lighting the candles of the congregation.
Chicklet6, whose leg is all better!
Then the Old Testament readings began, recounting God's saving acts through the history of the Israelites. These readings often have dramatic or artistic accompaniment.
I read the story of God parting the waters of the Red Sea with percussion accompaniment (including the mighty wind from the east, the marching Egyptian army and the sound of chariot wheels falling off!). The Story of Creation and the Valley of the Dry Bones were also brought to life by a wonderful percussionist and his student.
One reading was accompanied by a violin...
The signer is our dear sister Barbara (see prayer requests in my sidebar).
The reader is Grandma Rooster, with Uncle Rooster
in the background with the other musicians.
...and another by American Sign Language.
One reading from Isaiah refers to the presence of the Lord as a canopy: "It will serve as a pavilion, a shade by day from the heat, and a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain." Here Grandfather Rooster reads the passage, surrounded by his teenage grandchildren and one other teenager (LOC's whole youth group!) under a Jewish chuppah.
We had no baptisms, but everyone renewed their baptismal vows. Father Rooster and Deacon Joel shook branches wet with holy water over the congregation while Uncle Rooster sang "Sweet Rain."
He also sang another Rez favorite, "He's Alive!" and then came the words we'd been waiting for all night: "The Lord is risen!" And the congregation responded, "He is risen indeed! ALLELUIA!"
It's amazing how exciting it can be to shout one word, after you have carefully avoided saying it for 40 days! Everyone began to ring bells, the drums started up, and all the noise cheered us on as we set the table that had been bare just moments before...
...and heaped flowers in front of it--quickly, quickly!--so the "Holy Noise" could wrap up with a percussion solo!
The black shrouds were also removed from the crosses. (Bantam10, center, was so excited to be crucifer for this service!)
The first Eucharist of the Easter season! It was a great celebration...
...which called for a little movement, the body's natural celebratory response. Some call it dancing...
...and some call it running! till they are slowed by adults joining in.
Thanks so much to our friend Tammy Prather, Deacon Joel's wife, for taking the pictures! (She took the ones at the Stations of the Cross service, too.)
Let me share one little story. It seems that our percussionist, not a regular attender but a good friend of one (the violinist), was considering his accompaniment for the Dry Bones reading. He thought of a percussive instrument that he wished he owned, a shaker with dry seed pods--it would make a rattling sound that would be perfect, he thought. Soon after, the student he was thinking of asking to help out on this project told him excitedly about a new shaker he had just acquired. In fact, he had a picture of it on his cell phone--and it was the very one his teacher didn't think he could get in time for the Vigil! ("Guess what you're doing on Saturday night!" he told the boy.)
Just a small thing, but a God-thing...which really made the Dry Bones come "alive" at our Vigil!
Easter Sunday was another beautiful celebration, with more visitors, including a family group that came because they saw our ad in the paper! And so, seeds were dispersed. Every home that received one of our flyers, every person who saw one of our ads, everyone who came to one of our services and who may tell someone else about it...it's all opportunity for God to act in someone's life, as He acted in ours through our worship this Holy Week.
We praise Him!
The service began with the congregation in darkness. After three sets of three knocks on the door, the priest (aka Father Rooster), holding a candle, entered with the deacon and thurifer (or incense-swinger). He stopped and chanted, "the Light of Christ," at the three points where, at the Good Friday service the night before, he had proclaimed, "the cross of Christ, which takes away the sin of the world."
As the priest sang the Exultet (a long prayer of rejoicing in this marvelous Light), the deacon lit his own candle and began lighting the candles of the congregation.
Chicklet6, whose leg is all better!Then the Old Testament readings began, recounting God's saving acts through the history of the Israelites. These readings often have dramatic or artistic accompaniment.
I read the story of God parting the waters of the Red Sea with percussion accompaniment (including the mighty wind from the east, the marching Egyptian army and the sound of chariot wheels falling off!). The Story of Creation and the Valley of the Dry Bones were also brought to life by a wonderful percussionist and his student.
One reading was accompanied by a violin...
The signer is our dear sister Barbara (see prayer requests in my sidebar).The reader is Grandma Rooster, with Uncle Rooster
in the background with the other musicians.
...and another by American Sign Language.
One reading from Isaiah refers to the presence of the Lord as a canopy: "It will serve as a pavilion, a shade by day from the heat, and a refuge and a shelter from the storm and rain." Here Grandfather Rooster reads the passage, surrounded by his teenage grandchildren and one other teenager (LOC's whole youth group!) under a Jewish chuppah.
We had no baptisms, but everyone renewed their baptismal vows. Father Rooster and Deacon Joel shook branches wet with holy water over the congregation while Uncle Rooster sang "Sweet Rain."
He also sang another Rez favorite, "He's Alive!" and then came the words we'd been waiting for all night: "The Lord is risen!" And the congregation responded, "He is risen indeed! ALLELUIA!"
It's amazing how exciting it can be to shout one word, after you have carefully avoided saying it for 40 days! Everyone began to ring bells, the drums started up, and all the noise cheered us on as we set the table that had been bare just moments before...
...and heaped flowers in front of it--quickly, quickly!--so the "Holy Noise" could wrap up with a percussion solo!
The black shrouds were also removed from the crosses. (Bantam10, center, was so excited to be crucifer for this service!)
The first Eucharist of the Easter season! It was a great celebration...
...which called for a little movement, the body's natural celebratory response. Some call it dancing...
...and some call it running! till they are slowed by adults joining in.
Thanks so much to our friend Tammy Prather, Deacon Joel's wife, for taking the pictures! (She took the ones at the Stations of the Cross service, too.)
Let me share one little story. It seems that our percussionist, not a regular attender but a good friend of one (the violinist), was considering his accompaniment for the Dry Bones reading. He thought of a percussive instrument that he wished he owned, a shaker with dry seed pods--it would make a rattling sound that would be perfect, he thought. Soon after, the student he was thinking of asking to help out on this project told him excitedly about a new shaker he had just acquired. In fact, he had a picture of it on his cell phone--and it was the very one his teacher didn't think he could get in time for the Vigil! ("Guess what you're doing on Saturday night!" he told the boy.)
Just a small thing, but a God-thing...which really made the Dry Bones come "alive" at our Vigil!
Easter Sunday was another beautiful celebration, with more visitors, including a family group that came because they saw our ad in the paper! And so, seeds were dispersed. Every home that received one of our flyers, every person who saw one of our ads, everyone who came to one of our services and who may tell someone else about it...it's all opportunity for God to act in someone's life, as He acted in ours through our worship this Holy Week.
We praise Him!
Sunday, April 12, 2009
An Easter Sermon
Are there any who are devout lovers of God?
Let them enjoy this beautiful bright festival!
Are there any who are grateful servants?
Let them rejoice and enter into the joy of their Lord!
Are there any weary from fasting?
Let them now receive their due!
If any have toiled from the first hour,
let them receive their reward.
If any have come after the third hour,
let them with gratitude join in the feast!
Those who arrived after the sixth hour,
let them not doubt; for they shall not be short-changed.
Those who have tarried until the ninth hour,
let them not hesitate; but let them come too.
And those who arrived only at the eleventh hour,
let them not be afraid by reason of their delay.
For the Lord is gracious and receives the last even as the first.
The Lord gives rest to those who come at the eleventh hour,
even as to those who toiled from the beginning.
To one and all the Lord gives generously.
The Lord accepts the offering of every work.
The Lord honours every deed and commends their intention.
Let us all enter into the joy of the Lord!
First and last alike, receive your reward.
Rich and poor, rejoice together!
Conscientious and lazy, celebrate the day!
You who have kept the fast, and you who have not,
rejoice, this day, for the table is bountifully spread!
Feast royally, for the calf is fatted.
Let no one go away hungry.
Partake, all, of the banquet of faith.
Enjoy the bounty of the Lord's goodness!
Let no one grieve being poor,
for the universal reign has been revealed.
Let no one lament persistent failings,
for forgiveness has risen from the grave.
Let no one fear death,
for the death of our Saviour has set us free.
The Lord has destroyed death by enduring it.
The Lord vanquished hell when he descended into it.
The Lord put hell in turmoil even as it tasted of his flesh.
Isaiah foretold this when he said,
"You, O Hell, were placed in turmoil when he encountering you below."
Hell was in turmoil having been eclipsed.
Hell was in turmoil having been mocked.
Hell was in turmoil having been destroyed.
Hell was in turmoil having been abolished.
Hell was in turmoil having been made captive.
Hell grasped a corpse, and met God.
Hell seized earth, and encountered heaven.
Hell took what it saw, and was overcome by what it could not see.
O death, where is your sting?
O hell, where is your victory?
Christ is risen, and you are cast down!
Christ is risen, and the demons are fallen!
Christ is risen, and the angels rejoice!
Christ is risen, and life is set free!
Christ is risen, and the tomb is emptied of its dead.
For Christ, having risen from the dead,
is become the first-fruits of those who have fallen asleep.
To Christ be glory and power forever and ever. Amen!
+ + +
Friday, April 10, 2009
Friday's Stations of the Cross Service (Plus)
What a beautiful building God has given us to use!
Formerly an Episcopalian girls' boarding school, this is the old gymnasium.
The Stations of the Cross is a practice that was begun by Christians in the earliest centuries of the church. They made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where they traveled to various spots along the road to Calvary. As the practice became more formalized as a devotion, icons were created to mark the various points along Christ's journey, which could be set up and used anywhere, and the idea of traveling along from point to point was retained.
The booklets have a color picture of each icon on each page, as well as the liturgy and the responses.
The cross was shrouded in black at the Maundy Thursday service, and remains that way till it is unshrouded at the Great Vigil of Easter, at the climax of the service when we celebrate the resurrection.
This is at the station where Christ gives up his spirit.
It was a beautiful service, short but so meaningful. And we had visitors, there, and at Maundy Thursday also. It also was such a sweet time together.
And the Good Friday service was so powerful! The Passion reading by Uncle Rooster was so moving, we could have ended right there. Fr. William Beasley spoke on the power of the cross over death, over sin and over pride; it was a great word for our congregation. The worship team outdid themselves--one number was so beautifully intense and riveting, I could hardly breathe.
And thanks to all of you who are praying for Light of Christ this week and missing our family at Church of the Resurrection this year. We miss you all so much...but we are serving here with great joy!
Photography courtesy of Deacon Joel's wife Tammy!
Formerly an Episcopalian girls' boarding school, this is the old gymnasium.
The Stations of the Cross is a practice that was begun by Christians in the earliest centuries of the church. They made a pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where they traveled to various spots along the road to Calvary. As the practice became more formalized as a devotion, icons were created to mark the various points along Christ's journey, which could be set up and used anywhere, and the idea of traveling along from point to point was retained.
The booklets have a color picture of each icon on each page, as well as the liturgy and the responses.
The cross was shrouded in black at the Maundy Thursday service, and remains that way till it is unshrouded at the Great Vigil of Easter, at the climax of the service when we celebrate the resurrection.
This is at the station where Christ gives up his spirit.
It was a beautiful service, short but so meaningful. And we had visitors, there, and at Maundy Thursday also. It also was such a sweet time together.
And the Good Friday service was so powerful! The Passion reading by Uncle Rooster was so moving, we could have ended right there. Fr. William Beasley spoke on the power of the cross over death, over sin and over pride; it was a great word for our congregation. The worship team outdid themselves--one number was so beautifully intense and riveting, I could hardly breathe.
Thank you, Lord Jesus.
And thanks to all of you who are praying for Light of Christ this week and missing our family at Church of the Resurrection this year. We miss you all so much...but we are serving here with great joy!
Photography courtesy of Deacon Joel's wife Tammy!
Beneath Thy Cross
Am I a stone and not a sheep,
That I can stand, O Christ, beneath thy cross,
To number drop by drop Thy Blood’s slow loss,
And yet not weep?
Not so those women loved
Who with exceeding grief lamented thee;
Not so fallen Peter weeping bitterly;
Not so the thief was moved;
Not so the Sun and Moon
Which hid their faces in a starless sky,
A horror of great darkness at broad noon—
I, only I.
Yet give not o’er,
But seek thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock;
Greater than Moses, turn and look once more
~Christina Rossetti
A new heart I will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you; and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.
Ezekiel 36:26
Ezekiel 36:26
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Home Again
We're home!
And the first thing I did was take a nap. There is no rest for the weary in a hospital.
Chicklet's last two blood tests won't be completed for 5 or 6 days, unfortunately, but all her regular blood work was completely normal, so between that and the MRI, most of the scary super-viruses were ruled out. Her leg has responded well to antibiotics and ibuprofen for the inflammation. The red streak is gone, and she can get her heel down to the ground now, though she still can't straighten all the way to lock her knee.
It appears that she has an infection in a blood vein, but how it got there is unexplained. She's going to continue on antibiotics and ibuprofen for awhile, and be re-checked next week in the doctor's office.
Thanks so much for all your prayers!
Now, to regroup and plunge back into Holy Week. We are looking forward to the arrival of grandparents this afternoon, and the Maundy Thursday service tonight!
And the first thing I did was take a nap. There is no rest for the weary in a hospital.
Chicklet's last two blood tests won't be completed for 5 or 6 days, unfortunately, but all her regular blood work was completely normal, so between that and the MRI, most of the scary super-viruses were ruled out. Her leg has responded well to antibiotics and ibuprofen for the inflammation. The red streak is gone, and she can get her heel down to the ground now, though she still can't straighten all the way to lock her knee.
It appears that she has an infection in a blood vein, but how it got there is unexplained. She's going to continue on antibiotics and ibuprofen for awhile, and be re-checked next week in the doctor's office.
Thanks so much for all your prayers!
Now, to regroup and plunge back into Holy Week. We are looking forward to the arrival of grandparents this afternoon, and the Maundy Thursday service tonight!
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Hospitalized
Our little Chicklet6 has been having some trouble with her leg. Last week she had a swollen lymph gland in the groin area, and even though she had just been on antibiotics for the bladder infection, she was put on a different kind because of the painful lymph node.
After 4 days on the antibiotic, however, her pain had worsened and was traveling down her leg. Last night, she could no longer straighten her knee joint, and there was a red streak down the inner thigh. She had no fever or swelling, though; she was perky and seemed remarkably well otherwise.
We called the doctor, who, in the absence of fever or lethargy, told us to wait till morning and bring her in. When we got there, she called in another doctor to look at the leg, and the two doctors conferred and decided to admit her to the hospital for testing and IV antibiotics.
So here we are! We had an MRI this afternoon, which was an hour of me standing outside the machine, reaching in to hold her hand, and shouting encouraging things. We're both wearing ear plugs, so conversation was out of the question. I had no idea that MRI's were so noisy! She told me later that she was afraid it would blow up.
But the results were good--basically normal except for an inflamed vein. Still don't know what is causing it, but the MRI ruled out some kind of deep tissue infection or abscess or tumor. She's on the IV antibiotics and also on round-the-clock ibuprofen, which should help reduce the inflammation.
We're waiting on the results of two more blood tests, to rule out a couple of long-shot possibilities like lupus or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Those will take till morning, and then she should be able to go home, no matter what. Other than limping, she's still feeling fine and enjoying all the attention.
She keeps asking me when they are going to take the IV out. She's been stuck five times now, if you count the one IV stick she had in the ER nearly two weeks ago--and she is definitely counting! She is excited about "having a sleepover" with Mom here in the hospital. (There is even a regular bed for Mom in her room.) She has her own little bathroom, and we can see Lake Michigan from her room. We read books, we watched a movie, and she colored many pictures. Papa Rooster was here to visit his little girl (and bring me my laptop). We had other visitors, friends from church whose grandmother was admitted today too, also for testing--which makes two members of our little congregation in the same hospital!
Right now, Chicklet is talking to her little girlfriend on the phone, telling her all about her day.
It's been quite the adventure!
Hopefully, just that...and nothing more.
After 4 days on the antibiotic, however, her pain had worsened and was traveling down her leg. Last night, she could no longer straighten her knee joint, and there was a red streak down the inner thigh. She had no fever or swelling, though; she was perky and seemed remarkably well otherwise.
We called the doctor, who, in the absence of fever or lethargy, told us to wait till morning and bring her in. When we got there, she called in another doctor to look at the leg, and the two doctors conferred and decided to admit her to the hospital for testing and IV antibiotics.
So here we are! We had an MRI this afternoon, which was an hour of me standing outside the machine, reaching in to hold her hand, and shouting encouraging things. We're both wearing ear plugs, so conversation was out of the question. I had no idea that MRI's were so noisy! She told me later that she was afraid it would blow up.
But the results were good--basically normal except for an inflamed vein. Still don't know what is causing it, but the MRI ruled out some kind of deep tissue infection or abscess or tumor. She's on the IV antibiotics and also on round-the-clock ibuprofen, which should help reduce the inflammation.
We're waiting on the results of two more blood tests, to rule out a couple of long-shot possibilities like lupus or juvenile rheumatoid arthritis. Those will take till morning, and then she should be able to go home, no matter what. Other than limping, she's still feeling fine and enjoying all the attention.
She keeps asking me when they are going to take the IV out. She's been stuck five times now, if you count the one IV stick she had in the ER nearly two weeks ago--and she is definitely counting! She is excited about "having a sleepover" with Mom here in the hospital. (There is even a regular bed for Mom in her room.) She has her own little bathroom, and we can see Lake Michigan from her room. We read books, we watched a movie, and she colored many pictures. Papa Rooster was here to visit his little girl (and bring me my laptop). We had other visitors, friends from church whose grandmother was admitted today too, also for testing--which makes two members of our little congregation in the same hospital!
Right now, Chicklet is talking to her little girlfriend on the phone, telling her all about her day.
It's been quite the adventure!
Hopefully, just that...and nothing more.
Monday, April 06, 2009
It's Holy Week!
Well, here we are at last--it's Holy Week!
To me, it's more busy and exciting than getting ready for Christmas. For one thing, we'll be attending church on five days out of the eight including Palm Sunday and Easter, so just making sure everybody knows what they're wearing is a big deal! We need to make sure we get showers in, and some haircuts, and a undoubtedly a shopping trip or two. There is Easter Sunday dinner to think about, and relatives coming to spend the weekend, Easter eggs to dye and Easter baskets to fill and hide.
This year, we have a lot of extra church-related details to attend to as well, with our church so small and the first year we are doing all 7 services (Palm Sunday, Blessing of Oil & Water, Maundy Thursday, Stations of the Cross, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Day). Nothing new for Father Rooster, I guess--but I am used to just showing up for these! This year, I am coordinating the Easter Vigil and all the readings/readers for the week. I am in a couple of readings and I'm singing in one of the services. I have added some Altar Guild responsibilities as well, and am helping with miscellaneous shopping and organizing tasks. The details are many!
On Saturday, our core team members blitzed their neighborhoods with a nice card-stock invitation to the services, listing all the times and locations. We are especially trying to talk up the Easter Vigil to our friends and neighbors. I think it's going to be a pretty solid first attempt! We are doing three readings with the accompaniment of a percussionist, a friend of one of our members, and those are going to be great. Uncle Rooster is joining our worship team for the weekend, and he'll be singing "He's Alive," the powerful ballad that we just can't imagine an Easter Vigil without. He's also going to do the Passion reading on Good Friday.
We have a reading that will be accompanied by American Sign Language, and a violinist will accompany a couple more. I've arranged the Abraham and Isaac reading for a father and son. I've also arranged a Reader's Theater-style reading for three of our teenage thespians, which I'm coaching them to have fun with. Blondechick is going to sing on the Easter Vigil worship team and sing a solo on Maundy Thursday; Father Rooster will sing the first part of the Easter Vigil liturgy, the Exultet, as he always used to do at Rez. We have an all-day rehearsal on Saturday, including sound checks with our newly-purchased sound system.
And our first Holy Week service, Palm Sunday, went beautifully and worshipfully yesterday. The snow that was forecast never showed, so we were able to have an outdoor procession (forgot to take pics yesterday, but here are some from last year) waving palms and singing hosannas. The Passion reading went well, and folks said that it was a powerful and effective way of transitioning us into the tone of the week. Uncle Rooster sounded great with the new sound system, singing Chris Rice's "Come to Jesus" as an offertory--so moving.
I can't even begin to tell you about all the effort others are putting in to this week, putting together our bulletins, coordinating all the music, musicians and singers, buying flowers and palms, ordering food for those who will be there all day Saturday, coordinating all our plans with the facility that we rent, putting ads in the paper and having our fliers printed up, rehearsing music and readings...but these services would not be happening without the efforts of our partners in ministry, Our Hero and Mrs. A!!!
So, if you're in the area, please consider joining us for any of these services! (Service times and locations are here.) We'd love to have visitors!!
To me, it's more busy and exciting than getting ready for Christmas. For one thing, we'll be attending church on five days out of the eight including Palm Sunday and Easter, so just making sure everybody knows what they're wearing is a big deal! We need to make sure we get showers in, and some haircuts, and a undoubtedly a shopping trip or two. There is Easter Sunday dinner to think about, and relatives coming to spend the weekend, Easter eggs to dye and Easter baskets to fill and hide.
This year, we have a lot of extra church-related details to attend to as well, with our church so small and the first year we are doing all 7 services (Palm Sunday, Blessing of Oil & Water, Maundy Thursday, Stations of the Cross, Good Friday, Easter Vigil and Easter Day). Nothing new for Father Rooster, I guess--but I am used to just showing up for these! This year, I am coordinating the Easter Vigil and all the readings/readers for the week. I am in a couple of readings and I'm singing in one of the services. I have added some Altar Guild responsibilities as well, and am helping with miscellaneous shopping and organizing tasks. The details are many!
On Saturday, our core team members blitzed their neighborhoods with a nice card-stock invitation to the services, listing all the times and locations. We are especially trying to talk up the Easter Vigil to our friends and neighbors. I think it's going to be a pretty solid first attempt! We are doing three readings with the accompaniment of a percussionist, a friend of one of our members, and those are going to be great. Uncle Rooster is joining our worship team for the weekend, and he'll be singing "He's Alive," the powerful ballad that we just can't imagine an Easter Vigil without. He's also going to do the Passion reading on Good Friday.
We have a reading that will be accompanied by American Sign Language, and a violinist will accompany a couple more. I've arranged the Abraham and Isaac reading for a father and son. I've also arranged a Reader's Theater-style reading for three of our teenage thespians, which I'm coaching them to have fun with. Blondechick is going to sing on the Easter Vigil worship team and sing a solo on Maundy Thursday; Father Rooster will sing the first part of the Easter Vigil liturgy, the Exultet, as he always used to do at Rez. We have an all-day rehearsal on Saturday, including sound checks with our newly-purchased sound system.
And our first Holy Week service, Palm Sunday, went beautifully and worshipfully yesterday. The snow that was forecast never showed, so we were able to have an outdoor procession (forgot to take pics yesterday, but here are some from last year) waving palms and singing hosannas. The Passion reading went well, and folks said that it was a powerful and effective way of transitioning us into the tone of the week. Uncle Rooster sounded great with the new sound system, singing Chris Rice's "Come to Jesus" as an offertory--so moving.
I can't even begin to tell you about all the effort others are putting in to this week, putting together our bulletins, coordinating all the music, musicians and singers, buying flowers and palms, ordering food for those who will be there all day Saturday, coordinating all our plans with the facility that we rent, putting ads in the paper and having our fliers printed up, rehearsing music and readings...but these services would not be happening without the efforts of our partners in ministry, Our Hero and Mrs. A!!!
So, if you're in the area, please consider joining us for any of these services! (Service times and locations are here.) We'd love to have visitors!!
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Hosanna, Loud Hosanna
Hosanna, loud hosanna,
the little children sang,
through pillared court and temple
the lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them
close folded to his breast,
the children sang their praises,
the simplest and the best.
"Hosanna in the highest!"
that ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer,
the Lord of heaven our King.
O may we ever praise him
with heart and life and voice,
and in his blissful presence
eternally rejoice!
the little children sang,
through pillared court and temple
the lovely anthem rang.
To Jesus, who had blessed them
close folded to his breast,
the children sang their praises,
the simplest and the best.
"Hosanna in the highest!"
that ancient song we sing,
for Christ is our Redeemer,
the Lord of heaven our King.
O may we ever praise him
with heart and life and voice,
and in his blissful presence
eternally rejoice!
Saturday, April 04, 2009
Baby Luke is Home!
After more testing, it sounds like Luke's official diagnosis is "brain abnormality." That's because they still. really. don't. know.
He has a small area in the brain filled with fluid, which they believe is a cyst and will probably be naturally absorbed in the body.
By 18 months, they should be able to give him a more definitive diagnosis, and their best guess right now is that he'll probably have mild cerebral palsy.
That's right--only mild motor issues, with no impairment to his intelligence or personality likely.
And she was advised repeatedly to abort this child!
After the second or third time, she asked, "Okay, if I have an abortion, as far along as I am, I still have to go through labor, right? ...And as my baby is being born, you want to kill him, right in front of me? ...I know you're just doing your job, but could you stop asking to do that?"
She's spunky, Debbie is. Praise God!!!
Please keep her and Baby Luke in your prayers. (And her 18-month-old son, and her deployed husband.)
Past updates on Luke:
The initial findings via ultrasound
His apparent good health at birth
More good news, and a link to another amazing story/comments
He has a small area in the brain filled with fluid, which they believe is a cyst and will probably be naturally absorbed in the body.
By 18 months, they should be able to give him a more definitive diagnosis, and their best guess right now is that he'll probably have mild cerebral palsy.
That's right--only mild motor issues, with no impairment to his intelligence or personality likely.
And she was advised repeatedly to abort this child!
After the second or third time, she asked, "Okay, if I have an abortion, as far along as I am, I still have to go through labor, right? ...And as my baby is being born, you want to kill him, right in front of me? ...I know you're just doing your job, but could you stop asking to do that?"
She's spunky, Debbie is. Praise God!!!
Please keep her and Baby Luke in your prayers. (And her 18-month-old son, and her deployed husband.)
Past updates on Luke:
The initial findings via ultrasound
His apparent good health at birth
More good news, and a link to another amazing story/comments
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Bad News, Good News
It's been one of THOSE weeks.
I keep staying up late trying to Get Things Done, and then something happens early in the morning to wake me Much Earlier Than Usual.
On Tuesday, I drove a needless half hour into Illinois, through a hard rain, only to discover that we had no theater class due to spring break. Only our spring break, in Wisconsin, isn't for two more weeks, and my boys were both sick the week last week, when they probably reminded everyone.
In the parking lot of the church where we didn't need to be, I went too fast through a huge puddle, and my power steering went out.
I made it home, but on the way to the mechanic's, my windshield wipers began to go slower and s-l-o-w-e-r until poor Vinnie the Mini-Van died right in the middle of Sheridan Road. I managed to ease him into a public driveway where a Tow-Away Zone sign, displaying a towing company's phone number, was conveniently located.
My other van, Minnie the 15-Passenger Van, has one problem--broken windshield wipers. Yeah, more rain in the forecast.
I took Chicklet6 back for a re-check after her bladder infection last week, and she still has red blood cells in her urine. We're waiting to hear if she needs a different antibiotic, or more testing.
And my dear husband was traveling again this week for business--the fifth week in a row. Basically all of Lent.
Now, for the good news...
Papa Rooster was home on the night the van broke down, and was following me to the mechanic's. So I was able to give the towing company a credit card number and go on my way to the Passion Reading practice with him.
...which went very well. It was my first attempt at arranging a "Reader's Theater"-type Scripture reading, for six people. We'll do it on Palm Sunday, as the Gospel reading.
One of the wipers on Minnie still works, as it turns out--the one on the driver's side!
All that was wrong with Vinnie was a belt that had slipped off when it got wet. Though it had dragged on the ground for 25 miles, it didn't even have to be replaced. And the labor charge was minimal. Even the towing didn't cost as much as I expected.
Bantam18 passed his test to get his temporary driver's permit. It hasn't come in the mail yet, though, so he has yet to begin putting in his time behind the wheel.
Crossing the parking lot after Chicklet's appointment, she informed me that she was wearing her only pair of jeans that weren't too little. So we stopped at St. Vincent's, our favorite resale shop, and the special for the day was half off children's clothes. We found two pairs of like-new jeans in her size, plus a whole spring wardrobe for her and a few things for Bantam4...for $25.
I got an email from a church that I really, really hope might host our theater classes and/or rehearsals, because they're so ideally located, and they sound like they are seriously considering it! Another church, not geographically as well situated, but still not a bad option, also sounds like they are inclined to want to work with us.
Blondechick16 tried, almost tearfully, to tell me that she was failing chemistry...and I recognized her April Fool's trick immediately. It helped to reinforce the notion to her siblings, present, that you can't pull nothin' over on Mom. (Papa Rooster, in North Carolina, was more readily taken in over the phone; but the joke was on her, because he then lectured her upon another topic which she was not so Eager to Discuss.)
We had another Holy Week planning meeting tonight, which was really helpful, and I have a related meeting in the morning. It feels good to be getting more of these details nailed down!
Now, hopefully, nothing will wake me in the morning Earlier Than Need Be....
I keep staying up late trying to Get Things Done, and then something happens early in the morning to wake me Much Earlier Than Usual.
On Tuesday, I drove a needless half hour into Illinois, through a hard rain, only to discover that we had no theater class due to spring break. Only our spring break, in Wisconsin, isn't for two more weeks, and my boys were both sick the week last week, when they probably reminded everyone.
In the parking lot of the church where we didn't need to be, I went too fast through a huge puddle, and my power steering went out.
I made it home, but on the way to the mechanic's, my windshield wipers began to go slower and s-l-o-w-e-r until poor Vinnie the Mini-Van died right in the middle of Sheridan Road. I managed to ease him into a public driveway where a Tow-Away Zone sign, displaying a towing company's phone number, was conveniently located.
My other van, Minnie the 15-Passenger Van, has one problem--broken windshield wipers. Yeah, more rain in the forecast.
I took Chicklet6 back for a re-check after her bladder infection last week, and she still has red blood cells in her urine. We're waiting to hear if she needs a different antibiotic, or more testing.
And my dear husband was traveling again this week for business--the fifth week in a row. Basically all of Lent.
Now, for the good news...
Papa Rooster was home on the night the van broke down, and was following me to the mechanic's. So I was able to give the towing company a credit card number and go on my way to the Passion Reading practice with him.
...which went very well. It was my first attempt at arranging a "Reader's Theater"-type Scripture reading, for six people. We'll do it on Palm Sunday, as the Gospel reading.
One of the wipers on Minnie still works, as it turns out--the one on the driver's side!
All that was wrong with Vinnie was a belt that had slipped off when it got wet. Though it had dragged on the ground for 25 miles, it didn't even have to be replaced. And the labor charge was minimal. Even the towing didn't cost as much as I expected.
Bantam18 passed his test to get his temporary driver's permit. It hasn't come in the mail yet, though, so he has yet to begin putting in his time behind the wheel.
Crossing the parking lot after Chicklet's appointment, she informed me that she was wearing her only pair of jeans that weren't too little. So we stopped at St. Vincent's, our favorite resale shop, and the special for the day was half off children's clothes. We found two pairs of like-new jeans in her size, plus a whole spring wardrobe for her and a few things for Bantam4...for $25.
I got an email from a church that I really, really hope might host our theater classes and/or rehearsals, because they're so ideally located, and they sound like they are seriously considering it! Another church, not geographically as well situated, but still not a bad option, also sounds like they are inclined to want to work with us.
Blondechick16 tried, almost tearfully, to tell me that she was failing chemistry...and I recognized her April Fool's trick immediately. It helped to reinforce the notion to her siblings, present, that you can't pull nothin' over on Mom. (Papa Rooster, in North Carolina, was more readily taken in over the phone; but the joke was on her, because he then lectured her upon another topic which she was not so Eager to Discuss.)
We had another Holy Week planning meeting tonight, which was really helpful, and I have a related meeting in the morning. It feels good to be getting more of these details nailed down!
Now, hopefully, nothing will wake me in the morning Earlier Than Need Be....
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Spelling Woes
To kick off National Poetry Month, here's one I've been been meaning to post. It'll give you a little empathy for your kids who are struggling with spelling!
by Richard Krogh, in D Bolinger & D A Sears, Aspects of Language, 1981,
and in Spelling Progress Bulletin March 1961, Brush up on your English.
There are more fun spelling poems here, including this one that begins:
For more Poetry Month posts, visit Semicolon's Celebrate Poetry Month round-up!
I take it you already know
Of tough and bough and cough and dough.
Others may stumble but not you,
On hiccough, through, lough and thorough.
Well done! And now you wish, perhaps,
To learn of less familiar traps.
Beware of heard, a dreadful word
That looks like beard and sounds like bird,
And dead--it's said like bed, not bead.
For goodness's sake, don't call it deed!
Watch out for meat and great and threat:
They rhyme with suite and straight and debt.
A moth is not a moth in mother,
Nor both in bother, broth in brother,
And here is not a match for there,
Nor dear and fear for bear and pear,
And then there's dose and rose and lose -
Just look them up - and goose and choose,
And cork and work and card and ward,
And font and front and word and sword,
And do and go and thwart and cart.
Come, come, I've hardly made a start.
A dreadful language? Man alive,
I'd mastered it when I was five.
by Richard Krogh, in D Bolinger & D A Sears, Aspects of Language, 1981,
and in Spelling Progress Bulletin March 1961, Brush up on your English.
There are more fun spelling poems here, including this one that begins:
Eye halve a spelling checker
It came with my pea sea
It plainly marques for my revue
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
For more Poetry Month posts, visit Semicolon's Celebrate Poetry Month round-up!
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