We held our second-ever all-church Talent Show last night! It was a blast. We had around 40 different people perform in a solid 90 minutes of talent!
We had guitar solos, piano solos and a harp solo. There were vocal solos and duets. We had magic tricks, poetry, short stories, an original essay, an original skit, and Shakespeare. A guitar, piano and drum trio (a "band" in their 11-year-old eyes) played an original musical piece. It was quite the entertainment!
We also had sub sandwiches, with side dishes and desserts provided by our congregation. One woman brought chocolate-dipped strawberries as her talent. (Which nobody could deny!)
After the show, we cleared away the tables, plugged in a couple of iPods and had a family dance. Half the adults and most of the teens boogied their best, while the little kids loved holding hands, forming a circle and running so fast that the youngest nearly were airborne! Fortunately we had plenty of room in our facility.
We didn't take any video like we did last time (click here to view a couple highlights). But for the family annals, and because inquiring minds want to know:
--Bantam11 kicked off the evening with "It's tiiiiiiiiiime for the Muppet Show!" He even imitated the two old geezers in the balcony: "Why do we always come here? I guess we'll never know/ It's like a kind of torture To have to watch this show!"
--Later B11 performed his most difficult piano number, which he plays very, very fast so it sounds quite impressive. He also played the keyboard in the "band."
--Blondechick17 sang a Taylor Swift song that's popular now, called "You Belong With Me."
--Chicklet7 sang "Castle on a Cloud," the young Cozette's wistful song from Les Miserables. (When Blondechick heard her practicing, she said, "Aw, I always wanted to sing that for an audition, and then I got too old.")
--Papa Rooster managed to twist B15's arm, to my surprise and delight, and they sang together the duet "Pretty Women" from the dark musical Sweeney Todd. Papa Rooster used to sing parts of that song to me when we were in college and would go out for walks at night, so I enjoyed hearing them sing it together!
--Papa Rooster played Benedick and I played Beatrice as we insulted each other, Shakespearean style, with a short dialogue from Much Ado About Nothing.
--Papa Rooster also sang "It's a Boy!" from Shenandoah, in honor of our friends who, after 5 boys, just had a girl. (In the song, while the grandfather is rhapsodizing about how the baby is going to be a boy, the news comes that it's a girl, and he has to "change his tune.")
What a fun night, eh?
I wish I didn't have to dig through the Christmas box to find it, but there's a quote on the album insert for John Doan's Christmas album Wrapped in White about how we have become a nation who relies on professionals to entertain us. But it didn't used to be that way, he says--amateurs used to entertain each other, in the days before radio, TV and computer, in living rooms and at parties across the nation, singing and playing all kinds of instruments on an everyday basis. I think of Pa Ingalls playing fiddle for his family, and the young people singing and playing piano in all the Austen-era novels. What a greater motivation to improve your skilz than one piano recital or two band concerts a year!
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Unemployed
Tuesday night was the final Showcase performance that wound up our spring session of classes for our new theater group here in Kenosha! I was so proud of my teachers and of the kids. Each class performed so well; every number was entertaining and impressive. I emceed the evening, and made the announcement to our families that I would not be coming back in the fall.
Afterward, we had a fundraiser/social event at Culver's (a Wisconsin restaurant chain), and many people thanked me for my service and especially for bringing this children's theater organization to Kensoha. They are so delighted that there is something like this for their kids, and they are enjoying the community aspect themselves. One teenage girl who is graduating told me how God had used the experience to bring about much growth in her life. It reinforced to me, once again, what a ministry this program is, and how all my time--and the occasion hassle--has been worth it.
Yesterday, I went out to the home office for my final Area Coordinator's meeting, over an hour away--I've had these meetings every other Wednesday all year long, and though I've always enjoyed them while I was there, I will be glad to have the time back. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to some of the other AC's and the office staff that I will rarely, if ever, see again. But it also felt good to turn in my supplies and manuals, and let go of the responsibilities I've carried all year. I feel God's approval--His "well done, good and faithful servant"--for all I have done this past year. But now I know He is asking me to shift my priorities and pick up a different weight, the education of my younger three kids, and invest myself in homeschooling them, just as I invested in my oldest three when they were younger.
From a homeschooling standpoint, this past year hasn't been great, and not just because of the part-time job. It was also the transition to a private school, and the driving that comes with no school buses (about 1.25 hours/day), plus all the homework that clogs up our evenings. (When they all were homeschooled, we could count on evenings free.) Primarily I had to let things go for Chicklet and Bantam5. Bantam11 was able to get through a lot of material on his own, though I would have liked to spend more time with him. But it actually wasn't a bad year to have invested in the theater group. Chicklet spent the first half of the year in public school, in first grade, and B5 technically isn't even in kindergarten yet, though he's ready for first grade work next year. With no job, and hopefully a teenage driver or two by then, I look forward to spending lots more time on education next year! Having more or less taken this year off from homeschooling may have been a good change for me, as I already feel a renewed interest and enthusiasm.
Today is the last day of school for B15 and Blondechick17, and B19 only has four more days. But we can't relax into summer yet: We have grandparents coming to stay, and a graduation party for B19 to host, so we have to clean house...and I mean all the nooks and crannies we've been overlooking for months! Sometimes we need a reason.
So I'm happily enjoying my unemployment today, in this present moment...thankful for what is past, and looking forward to what is to come!
Afterward, we had a fundraiser/social event at Culver's (a Wisconsin restaurant chain), and many people thanked me for my service and especially for bringing this children's theater organization to Kensoha. They are so delighted that there is something like this for their kids, and they are enjoying the community aspect themselves. One teenage girl who is graduating told me how God had used the experience to bring about much growth in her life. It reinforced to me, once again, what a ministry this program is, and how all my time--and the occasion hassle--has been worth it.
Yesterday, I went out to the home office for my final Area Coordinator's meeting, over an hour away--I've had these meetings every other Wednesday all year long, and though I've always enjoyed them while I was there, I will be glad to have the time back. It was bittersweet to say goodbye to some of the other AC's and the office staff that I will rarely, if ever, see again. But it also felt good to turn in my supplies and manuals, and let go of the responsibilities I've carried all year. I feel God's approval--His "well done, good and faithful servant"--for all I have done this past year. But now I know He is asking me to shift my priorities and pick up a different weight, the education of my younger three kids, and invest myself in homeschooling them, just as I invested in my oldest three when they were younger.
From a homeschooling standpoint, this past year hasn't been great, and not just because of the part-time job. It was also the transition to a private school, and the driving that comes with no school buses (about 1.25 hours/day), plus all the homework that clogs up our evenings. (When they all were homeschooled, we could count on evenings free.) Primarily I had to let things go for Chicklet and Bantam5. Bantam11 was able to get through a lot of material on his own, though I would have liked to spend more time with him. But it actually wasn't a bad year to have invested in the theater group. Chicklet spent the first half of the year in public school, in first grade, and B5 technically isn't even in kindergarten yet, though he's ready for first grade work next year. With no job, and hopefully a teenage driver or two by then, I look forward to spending lots more time on education next year! Having more or less taken this year off from homeschooling may have been a good change for me, as I already feel a renewed interest and enthusiasm.
Today is the last day of school for B15 and Blondechick17, and B19 only has four more days. But we can't relax into summer yet: We have grandparents coming to stay, and a graduation party for B19 to host, so we have to clean house...and I mean all the nooks and crannies we've been overlooking for months! Sometimes we need a reason.
So I'm happily enjoying my unemployment today, in this present moment...thankful for what is past, and looking forward to what is to come!
Monday, May 24, 2010
Pentecost Musings
Yesterday we celebrated the Feast of Pentecost! It's a day--no, a whole season--for remembering that after Christ ascended, He did not leave us alone. He told the disciples to go to Jerusalem and wait for the Holy Spirit to come, and when He came, He came in power with the sound of a mighty rushing wind. Before He ascended, Christ assured his disciples that they would do even greater works than His, once He had gone, because of the power of the Holy Spirit in them.
We receive the Holy Spirit as one of the gifts of salvation, and He is always with us. Yet it is also possible to grieve the Spirit, quench the Spirit and be depleted of the Spirit, for Paul tells us, "Be continually filled with the Spirit." Christ taught, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing," and Paul proclaimed, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Christ is with us and strengthens us through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes it's hard to see the line between doing in my own strength, and acting in the power of the Holy Spirit. My intention is to be committed to God--to His will, His plans, His purposes and His direction. I try to choose my course--my actions, my plans, my attitudes--to line up with His. I pray for His continual strength to do what I believe He's called me to do, and I think He does empower me to do so much more good than I could do if the plans were only my own.
Yet I know I get off course at times. My good intentions fail in moments of anger, frustration and disappointment when something interferes with the plans, and it is in those moments that I most need the fruits of the Spirit--love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness and self-control. It is in those instances that I realize how much more Spirit-filled and Spirit-controlled I want to be.
So what helps? Today, I need to remind myself.
1) Waiting expectantly, just like the disciples in Jerusalem on the first Pentecost. The expectation is key; I think it is an exercise of faith to believe that if I ask, I shall receive. Exercise strengthens!
2) Explicitly giving Christ the rule of my heart. I envision the throne of my heart and ask myself, "Who is spending more time there, me or Christ?" I confess that I often put myself there, and I ask Him once more to seat Himself on that throne. I put myself once again under His rule.
3) Reminding myself that apart from Christ, I can do nothing, or "no good thing," as some translations render the verse.
4) Consciously trying to love. What would be the loving action, the loving word, the loving response?
5) Living by this verse: "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and Spiritual songs with gratitude in Your hearts to God- And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
To unpack: Reading God's word, listening/singing songs of worship, giving thanks, and dedicating all my works and words to God.
In this year of great busy-ness, I have not much time for doing the things of God--for reading my Bible, for journalling, for devoted prayer times. It feels, in some ways, like I have been crossing the desert, with minimal provisions to sustain me. But by God's grace (and in answer to my prayers for mercy, I'm certain), I have been able to maintain many of the attitudes on this list. As I look it over, I see that it's more about being than doing, more about choices than actions.
I remember I once placed a post-it on my mirror on which I had scrawled, "Who I am matters more than what I do." It feels like this past year, I've only had time to choose who I am--I've had little choice at all about what I do. Somehow, in this time of difficulty and stress, I think I've managed to grow in choosing who I am going to be, though my family knows how inconsistent I am. But overall, I am going to choose not to feel guilty, but to be thankful for the many times that I know the Holy Spirit has helped me, in His strength, to bite my tongue, to give a soft answer, to do it myself with a servant's heart, to stay up late and help, to not complain. I will encourage myself to keep asking, waiting, and expecting. I will keep trying to love, to submit, to give thanks, to worship and to dedicate my thoughts, words and deeds to God.
I look for an end to this difficult season, but I will be thankful for what it is teaching me!
We receive the Holy Spirit as one of the gifts of salvation, and He is always with us. Yet it is also possible to grieve the Spirit, quench the Spirit and be depleted of the Spirit, for Paul tells us, "Be continually filled with the Spirit." Christ taught, "Apart from Me, you can do nothing," and Paul proclaimed, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Christ is with us and strengthens us through the power of the Holy Spirit.
Sometimes it's hard to see the line between doing in my own strength, and acting in the power of the Holy Spirit. My intention is to be committed to God--to His will, His plans, His purposes and His direction. I try to choose my course--my actions, my plans, my attitudes--to line up with His. I pray for His continual strength to do what I believe He's called me to do, and I think He does empower me to do so much more good than I could do if the plans were only my own.
Yet I know I get off course at times. My good intentions fail in moments of anger, frustration and disappointment when something interferes with the plans, and it is in those moments that I most need the fruits of the Spirit--love, joy, peace, patience, gentleness, goodness and self-control. It is in those instances that I realize how much more Spirit-filled and Spirit-controlled I want to be.
So what helps? Today, I need to remind myself.
1) Waiting expectantly, just like the disciples in Jerusalem on the first Pentecost. The expectation is key; I think it is an exercise of faith to believe that if I ask, I shall receive. Exercise strengthens!
2) Explicitly giving Christ the rule of my heart. I envision the throne of my heart and ask myself, "Who is spending more time there, me or Christ?" I confess that I often put myself there, and I ask Him once more to seat Himself on that throne. I put myself once again under His rule.
3) Reminding myself that apart from Christ, I can do nothing, or "no good thing," as some translations render the verse.
4) Consciously trying to love. What would be the loving action, the loving word, the loving response?
5) Living by this verse: "Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and Spiritual songs with gratitude in Your hearts to God- And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him."
To unpack: Reading God's word, listening/singing songs of worship, giving thanks, and dedicating all my works and words to God.
In this year of great busy-ness, I have not much time for doing the things of God--for reading my Bible, for journalling, for devoted prayer times. It feels, in some ways, like I have been crossing the desert, with minimal provisions to sustain me. But by God's grace (and in answer to my prayers for mercy, I'm certain), I have been able to maintain many of the attitudes on this list. As I look it over, I see that it's more about being than doing, more about choices than actions.
I remember I once placed a post-it on my mirror on which I had scrawled, "Who I am matters more than what I do." It feels like this past year, I've only had time to choose who I am--I've had little choice at all about what I do. Somehow, in this time of difficulty and stress, I think I've managed to grow in choosing who I am going to be, though my family knows how inconsistent I am. But overall, I am going to choose not to feel guilty, but to be thankful for the many times that I know the Holy Spirit has helped me, in His strength, to bite my tongue, to give a soft answer, to do it myself with a servant's heart, to stay up late and help, to not complain. I will encourage myself to keep asking, waiting, and expecting. I will keep trying to love, to submit, to give thanks, to worship and to dedicate my thoughts, words and deeds to God.
I look for an end to this difficult season, but I will be thankful for what it is teaching me!
Monday, May 17, 2010
It's Been Two Years
Today, it is two years exactly since we moved all our belongings to Wisconsin. In some ways, it feels like it couldn't possibly have been that long, and yet in others, it seems like the Warrenville days are such a distant memory, it's hard to remember when we didn't live here. That's especially true for the kids, since a bigger percentage of their lives have been lived here.
And I am so glad to report that we are happy here! God eased our transition so beautifully. Our three youngest have had built-in friends from the start, through our church. Bantam15 made friends through the homeschool group, directly and indirectly, in the first year that we were here, and he's added to that collection this year since he started attending the Christian school. Blondechick had the rockiest transition, perhaps, with her initial friendships in our neighborhood, at summer PE class and at the public charter school all "of the wrong sort." Things turned around for her when she went to Honey Rock Camp last year and came home saying, "I see why you want to transfer me to the Christian school." Praise the Lord! Since then, her friendships have all met with wholehearted parental approval (even that with the young man pictured in the previous post), and her heart is back with the Lord as well. And she's retained the one Christian friend she made at the charter school, a lovely girl whose family doesn't attend church, but whose aunt used to take her. Now that she's got her driver's license, she comes faithfully to our church and usually brings her younger sister, and often another friend as well. (She says, "I'm a walking billboard for anything I love, and I love Light of Christ!")
Bantam19 is the only one who has ever said that he wished we hadn't moved. At our old church, there were a couple other boys his age who accepted and included him in their activities sometimes; here, there is no one his age at church. At school, he has a friendship or two, but they don't extend beyond the school day. He still has his girlfriend, though. It's been a year now that they've maintained their long-distance friendship, since she's being homeschooled, "on the road again," with her mother who is a trucker. Occasionally, when she's home for the weekend, we pick her up and bring her to church with us. So far, it's been a low-maintenance relationship for us, at least--and it's not hurting B19's social skills to talk on the phone with her a couple times a week. (We are surprised, sometimes, at his ability to hold up his end of a conversation that is not about Stargate!)
Papa Rooster and I, too, have made wonderful new friends here at our church. It seems that it has been easy to enjoy and appreciate each one that God has drawn together there. We are so blessed by our partnerships in ministry, as well as by friendships filled with laughter and good conversation. On the other hand, I sometimes miss my old friends and groups terribly. I really loved my old life. I do miss it sometimes, and the transition to my new one has required so much energy! But I feel such a sense of God's blessing, and his presence with us here. I feel the peace that comes from obedience. I am so grateful to God for making the move a good one for our kids, because if they were unhappy, I think I would have trouble dealing with it.
It does seem like the last two years have been stress-filled. Besides adjusting to a new life, building the church, and getting our kids settled in school (and then resettling Blondechick17 and Bantam15), Papa Rooster's job has only become more stressful. Starting the Kenosha chapter of our theater group took a lot of my time and energy--though a sense of obedience and blessing came with it--and now that that job is ending, I have the new task of getting B19 and Blondechick launched toward college.
So they've been two incredibly tiring years! And yet, I think we'll look back on them as years in which God was really working, in our church and in our family. I've been too often too busy to pray, and yet the sense of God's presence with me has grown in new ways in these two years. Probably my most frequent cry has been "Lord, have mercy on us." And I think He has poured it out.
And I am so glad to report that we are happy here! God eased our transition so beautifully. Our three youngest have had built-in friends from the start, through our church. Bantam15 made friends through the homeschool group, directly and indirectly, in the first year that we were here, and he's added to that collection this year since he started attending the Christian school. Blondechick had the rockiest transition, perhaps, with her initial friendships in our neighborhood, at summer PE class and at the public charter school all "of the wrong sort." Things turned around for her when she went to Honey Rock Camp last year and came home saying, "I see why you want to transfer me to the Christian school." Praise the Lord! Since then, her friendships have all met with wholehearted parental approval (even that with the young man pictured in the previous post), and her heart is back with the Lord as well. And she's retained the one Christian friend she made at the charter school, a lovely girl whose family doesn't attend church, but whose aunt used to take her. Now that she's got her driver's license, she comes faithfully to our church and usually brings her younger sister, and often another friend as well. (She says, "I'm a walking billboard for anything I love, and I love Light of Christ!")
Bantam19 is the only one who has ever said that he wished we hadn't moved. At our old church, there were a couple other boys his age who accepted and included him in their activities sometimes; here, there is no one his age at church. At school, he has a friendship or two, but they don't extend beyond the school day. He still has his girlfriend, though. It's been a year now that they've maintained their long-distance friendship, since she's being homeschooled, "on the road again," with her mother who is a trucker. Occasionally, when she's home for the weekend, we pick her up and bring her to church with us. So far, it's been a low-maintenance relationship for us, at least--and it's not hurting B19's social skills to talk on the phone with her a couple times a week. (We are surprised, sometimes, at his ability to hold up his end of a conversation that is not about Stargate!)
Papa Rooster and I, too, have made wonderful new friends here at our church. It seems that it has been easy to enjoy and appreciate each one that God has drawn together there. We are so blessed by our partnerships in ministry, as well as by friendships filled with laughter and good conversation. On the other hand, I sometimes miss my old friends and groups terribly. I really loved my old life. I do miss it sometimes, and the transition to my new one has required so much energy! But I feel such a sense of God's blessing, and his presence with us here. I feel the peace that comes from obedience. I am so grateful to God for making the move a good one for our kids, because if they were unhappy, I think I would have trouble dealing with it.
It does seem like the last two years have been stress-filled. Besides adjusting to a new life, building the church, and getting our kids settled in school (and then resettling Blondechick17 and Bantam15), Papa Rooster's job has only become more stressful. Starting the Kenosha chapter of our theater group took a lot of my time and energy--though a sense of obedience and blessing came with it--and now that that job is ending, I have the new task of getting B19 and Blondechick launched toward college.
So they've been two incredibly tiring years! And yet, I think we'll look back on them as years in which God was really working, in our church and in our family. I've been too often too busy to pray, and yet the sense of God's presence with me has grown in new ways in these two years. Probably my most frequent cry has been "Lord, have mercy on us." And I think He has poured it out.
Praise be to the LORD,
for he has heard my cry for mercy.
for he has heard my cry for mercy.
The LORD is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.
my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to him in song.
(Psalm 28:6-7)
Saturday, May 15, 2010
Friday, May 14, 2010
Wheel of Thankfulness
I feel like a hamster on an exercise wheel, running and running and never getting anywhere! My to-do list seems to grow longer and longer as the end of the school year looms.
But the truth is, I have accomplished a lot in the last few weeks. It's time to look back and be thankful!
Over the past month...in addition to the usual round of driving to and from school, piano lessons, cornet lessons, tap/jazz/guitar lessons, and gym class...
I attended several soccer games and watched Blondechick17 make a goal! It was a beautiful penalty kick, right over the goalie's head. (Must post some of Papa Rooster's soccer pics.)
I spent nearly a whole day shopping with Blondechick for a full-length formal dress, and bought bracelet, earrings and shoes to go with it. We had a lovely time, we didn't argue, we found a beautiful dress and the price was right (at the most unlikely store--we were pointed to Sears and they had a great selection of tasteful dresses!).
I made phone calls to locate and get directions to a dress shop (straight out of West Side Story, I swear) on the other side of town. I took the dress in to be altered, I went back to pick it up, and I hope to post pictures of her in it very soon. The Formal is tonight!
I set up and began a series of orthodontist appointments for Bantam11. He's getting braces in a couple of weeks! I set up a series of dental checkups for us all too, beginning next week. (You don't think they take us all at once, do you? :)
I dealt with a lot of medical bills and insurance questions. :(
I helped others from church clean out a grimy storage room we've started using for Sunday School. I swept, sponged, organized and labeled drawers with our supplies, while others built shelves, cleaned, sorted and rearranged. As I described to a friend how our old church has to store everything in wooden carts that can be wheeled onto a truck, which has to be driven back and forth from the church office to the high school each week, we realized how blessed we are to HAVE thiscruddy delightful old room!
I registered B15 for summer camp, made sure Blondechick registered for the ACT, looked into swimming lessons and when/how to register for those, and started to research some vacation plans. I registered us for field trips to see the Dead Sea Scrolls next week in Milwaukee and The Lion King next fall in Chicago. B15, B11 and I attended the Stomp! show in Chicago, as a field trip with other families from our theater group's Stomp class this session. (It was awesome!)
I sold 20 tickets to see our theater group's spring show, Snow White, even though none of my kids are in it. ;) I've been supervising the class program one night a week, wrapping up the session (soon), and doing the planning for next year, so that my replacement, whoever that is, will be in good shape!
I helped Papa Rooster find an hour to sit down and fill out the FAFSA online (that's the federal financial aid form for college). I've been chipping away at the other pieces needed for B19's admission to college, while B19 writes and edits his essays under Papa Rooster's eye. We're getting closer....
I attended Blondechick and B15's choir concert and got to hear her solo at the beginning of the Celtic Woman's "The Voice." It was remarkably beautiful. (I know, because everyone remarked on it! :)
I visited three colleges with BC17 and B19, as my readers know. I made a road trip to attend a wake and a funeral. I made a meal for a family whose mom has cancer, and I've been driving her kids to school one day a week. I visited a friend with a new baby! (And held and held her...yum.)
I took B19 to the DMV to get his permit renewed. Can't believe he's had it a year already! Still having him practice behind the wheel and praying he can pass his test in June.
I helped B19 fill out and submit numerous job applications...but so far, no interviews. I took Blondechick in to one place several times; she had an encouraging interview and thought she had a job, but hasn't received that final word yet. The last we heard, they were still interviewing. (sigh) So we may be starting over again soon.
I hosted B15's friends after they went and saw Iron Man 2 for his birthday. It was not a party. (No one else got a party this year.) But I drove them both ways to the movie and served a lot of pizza, brownies and ice cream!
And I still owe my blog a birthday post for him. And updated pictures in the sidebar...been thinking about that for ages...but I have my priorities straight! :)
Thank you, Lord, for the many blessings in the busy-ness: the hugs and kisses, the sunny days, the smiles, the strength and support of my husband, my gas-sipping Prius to do all this running around in. Thank you for the fruits that will come of my labors: straight teeth, a useful storage/Sunday School room, knowledge, experience, fun and lots of memories. I pray for these fruits to come to harvest: driver's licenses, college, jobs. Thank you, Lord, for health, strength and endurance for the race you've set before me.
But the truth is, I have accomplished a lot in the last few weeks. It's time to look back and be thankful!
Over the past month...in addition to the usual round of driving to and from school, piano lessons, cornet lessons, tap/jazz/guitar lessons, and gym class...
I attended several soccer games and watched Blondechick17 make a goal! It was a beautiful penalty kick, right over the goalie's head. (Must post some of Papa Rooster's soccer pics.)
I spent nearly a whole day shopping with Blondechick for a full-length formal dress, and bought bracelet, earrings and shoes to go with it. We had a lovely time, we didn't argue, we found a beautiful dress and the price was right (at the most unlikely store--we were pointed to Sears and they had a great selection of tasteful dresses!).
I made phone calls to locate and get directions to a dress shop (straight out of West Side Story, I swear) on the other side of town. I took the dress in to be altered, I went back to pick it up, and I hope to post pictures of her in it very soon. The Formal is tonight!
I set up and began a series of orthodontist appointments for Bantam11. He's getting braces in a couple of weeks! I set up a series of dental checkups for us all too, beginning next week. (You don't think they take us all at once, do you? :)
I dealt with a lot of medical bills and insurance questions. :(
I helped others from church clean out a grimy storage room we've started using for Sunday School. I swept, sponged, organized and labeled drawers with our supplies, while others built shelves, cleaned, sorted and rearranged. As I described to a friend how our old church has to store everything in wooden carts that can be wheeled onto a truck, which has to be driven back and forth from the church office to the high school each week, we realized how blessed we are to HAVE this
I registered B15 for summer camp, made sure Blondechick registered for the ACT, looked into swimming lessons and when/how to register for those, and started to research some vacation plans. I registered us for field trips to see the Dead Sea Scrolls next week in Milwaukee and The Lion King next fall in Chicago. B15, B11 and I attended the Stomp! show in Chicago, as a field trip with other families from our theater group's Stomp class this session. (It was awesome!)
I sold 20 tickets to see our theater group's spring show, Snow White, even though none of my kids are in it. ;) I've been supervising the class program one night a week, wrapping up the session (soon), and doing the planning for next year, so that my replacement, whoever that is, will be in good shape!
I helped Papa Rooster find an hour to sit down and fill out the FAFSA online (that's the federal financial aid form for college). I've been chipping away at the other pieces needed for B19's admission to college, while B19 writes and edits his essays under Papa Rooster's eye. We're getting closer....
I attended Blondechick and B15's choir concert and got to hear her solo at the beginning of the Celtic Woman's "The Voice." It was remarkably beautiful. (I know, because everyone remarked on it! :)
I visited three colleges with BC17 and B19, as my readers know. I made a road trip to attend a wake and a funeral. I made a meal for a family whose mom has cancer, and I've been driving her kids to school one day a week. I visited a friend with a new baby! (And held and held her...yum.)
I took B19 to the DMV to get his permit renewed. Can't believe he's had it a year already! Still having him practice behind the wheel and praying he can pass his test in June.
I helped B19 fill out and submit numerous job applications...but so far, no interviews. I took Blondechick in to one place several times; she had an encouraging interview and thought she had a job, but hasn't received that final word yet. The last we heard, they were still interviewing. (sigh) So we may be starting over again soon.
I hosted B15's friends after they went and saw Iron Man 2 for his birthday. It was not a party. (No one else got a party this year.) But I drove them both ways to the movie and served a lot of pizza, brownies and ice cream!
And I still owe my blog a birthday post for him. And updated pictures in the sidebar...been thinking about that for ages...but I have my priorities straight! :)
Thank you, Lord, for the many blessings in the busy-ness: the hugs and kisses, the sunny days, the smiles, the strength and support of my husband, my gas-sipping Prius to do all this running around in. Thank you for the fruits that will come of my labors: straight teeth, a useful storage/Sunday School room, knowledge, experience, fun and lots of memories. I pray for these fruits to come to harvest: driver's licenses, college, jobs. Thank you, Lord, for health, strength and endurance for the race you've set before me.
May the favor of the Lord, our God, be upon us;
Let the work of our hands prosper,
O prosper the work of our hands.
Psalm 90:17
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Further Adventures of the Aging Tooth Fairy
I have written before (here, here and here) of the misadventures of our guardian Tooth Fairy. All our children understand that she has chronic issues with lateness and is directionally-challenged, prone to getting lost. She is aging, and appreciates reminder notes and sometimes a map. It takes her many nights to find the right house and the right child.
Bantam5 just lost his first tooth, and so we have just begun a new round of visits from our poor, witless Tooth Fairy. The night he lost it, we put it in an envelope with his name and the date on it. "Draw a map," Chicklet7 advised. We didn't get around to it, and the next morning, B4 reported no money under the pillow. "Write a note!" Mom insisted, but no one did.
A few days later, Mom discovered the envelope on her desk. "No wonder the Tooth Fairy hasn't come!" she exclaimed. "You have to put the tooth under your pillow, B5. That way she can take the tooth and leave the money for you. Still, better write her a note." Chicklet scrawled a message.
That night, Mom and Dad went to bed before Chicklet and B5 were soundly asleep. Before she slipped into bed, Mom laid out a stack of coins and wrote a note to early-rising Dad: "Slip these under B5's pillow in the morning." The next morning they were gone. Tooth Fairy mission accomplished! And in good time, too--for once.
Days went by, and no one mentioned the Tooth Fairy. Then one morning Chicklet and B5 were playing with coins.
"Oh, did the Tooth Fairy finally come?" Mom asked brightly.
"No, not yet," they responded.
"But where did you get the money?" Mom asked, frowning.
"Oh, it's my money," Chicklet said. "I found it again. I'm sharing it with B5."
"But are you sure the Tooth Fairy didn't come? Dad and I thought we saw her the other night. We weren't certain, you know, but..."
"Nope, she didn't come."
"Really? You're sure?"
"Yes, Mom, we're positive." Chicklet got up and started toward her room. "Come on, I'll show you."
B5 and I followed her to their bedroom. She reached her hand in under B5's pillow and pulled out the envelope. "See? She didn't take the tooth yet."
Dad, when he heard that the Tooth Fairy still hadn't come, could only stare in disbelief. Then he began to snicker. Shaking helplessly with laughter, he pronounced, "Stupid Tooth Fairy!"
C'mon, Tooth Fairy. Git 'er done!
Bantam5 just lost his first tooth, and so we have just begun a new round of visits from our poor, witless Tooth Fairy. The night he lost it, we put it in an envelope with his name and the date on it. "Draw a map," Chicklet7 advised. We didn't get around to it, and the next morning, B4 reported no money under the pillow. "Write a note!" Mom insisted, but no one did.
A few days later, Mom discovered the envelope on her desk. "No wonder the Tooth Fairy hasn't come!" she exclaimed. "You have to put the tooth under your pillow, B5. That way she can take the tooth and leave the money for you. Still, better write her a note." Chicklet scrawled a message.
That night, Mom and Dad went to bed before Chicklet and B5 were soundly asleep. Before she slipped into bed, Mom laid out a stack of coins and wrote a note to early-rising Dad: "Slip these under B5's pillow in the morning." The next morning they were gone. Tooth Fairy mission accomplished! And in good time, too--for once.
Days went by, and no one mentioned the Tooth Fairy. Then one morning Chicklet and B5 were playing with coins.
"Oh, did the Tooth Fairy finally come?" Mom asked brightly.
"No, not yet," they responded.
"But where did you get the money?" Mom asked, frowning.
"Oh, it's my money," Chicklet said. "I found it again. I'm sharing it with B5."
"But are you sure the Tooth Fairy didn't come? Dad and I thought we saw her the other night. We weren't certain, you know, but..."
"Nope, she didn't come."
"Really? You're sure?"
"Yes, Mom, we're positive." Chicklet got up and started toward her room. "Come on, I'll show you."
B5 and I followed her to their bedroom. She reached her hand in under B5's pillow and pulled out the envelope. "See? She didn't take the tooth yet."
Dad, when he heard that the Tooth Fairy still hadn't come, could only stare in disbelief. Then he began to snicker. Shaking helplessly with laughter, he pronounced, "Stupid Tooth Fairy!"
C'mon, Tooth Fairy. Git 'er done!
Saturday, May 08, 2010
A Decision
Yesterday, Bantam19, Blondechick17 and I all traveled the relatively short distance to Trinity College in Deerfield, also home of the better-known Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. With 750 students in the undergrad program, it's half the size of Wheaton or Taylor, and with a founding date of 1961 (give or take--it's a convoluted history), it's a hundred years or so behind them in established reputation. It's also a smaller campus, with buildings closer together, which seemed to us, on a chilly, rainy day, to be a good thing for a campus situated this far north!
On the way there, I talked to Bantam19 about why we were visiting this campus. He had told me earlier that he didn't want to go, because he was settled on Gateway Tech. I explained the difference between an associates' degree or a licensing certificate and a liberal arts degree--in terms of jobs available after graduation, and what he would study at college. I talked about living in a dorm and going to class with Christian guys who could be friends for him--which he needs and wants--and having Christian teachers to mentor him, encourage him to grow spiritually and help him discover what he's really good at. We talked about him becoming independent and how living in a dorm would be a way to transition to living on his own. As I talked, I discovered more and more reasons why this option seemed like the ideal next step for him, especially given his special needs. Why hadn't we seriously pursued this option sooner?
Partly it was because he hadn't been asking about it. We thought his plan of working and taking some classes sounded affordable and practical, and we could see how successful he was at taking college level classes and maybe gain more insight into what be a good career path for him. Also, we doubted that he'd get a decent score on the ACT, and we guessed that he'd need a year of community college classes to prove that he could do college level work. But when we got his halfway decent ACT score, I talked to a friend who used to work in Trinity's admissions office, and she assured me that most likely, he could get accepted, though perhaps on probation. And she said it wasn't too late to think about it for this fall! It seemed like confirmation that we should definitely consider the Christian college option for him, Trinity in particular.
As we visited, other things just seemed to click and had the feel of God-ordained appointments and signs. For example, we weren't sure what he would major in, but we knew he would want to take all the classes for a brand-new minor that had just been added, in Digital Design. (Don't YOU want to take these classes?) We met with the lead design teacher, and the more we heard, the more we knew this would be a good fit for B19, and he would learn good marketable skills to graduate with. And we heard from multiple sources that the minor is going to become a major in a year or so!
We also LOVED the chapel. They had student-led worship for a good 20 minutes or so, and it was loud--5 guitars, one drummer and a vocalist--which somehow made it so easy to forget yourself and just praise God. The students were really into it, and I sensed such a spirit of worship in the room--it touched me deeply. Later, in an admissions meeting, B19 was asked if he too, sang like his sister, and I joked that I hadn't heard him sing in years. He looked me right in the eye and said, "I sang in chapel today, Mom. I just...felt like it."
We also loved the chaplain--a solid, straightforward man who preached a great message from Proverbs, about the way of wisdom and the way of folly. He told one moving story about a friend of his; it was honest and genuine, not just a handy illustration. I loved it that he wore jeans and an oxford shirt, not a suit. Both B19 and Blondechick liked him too, and it seemed like another one of those signs when we got to meet him in person shortly afterward, in the salad bar line!
The suitless chaplain and the worship band in jeans and flannel shirts struck me as a picture of how Trinity is different from Wheaton or Taylor. Blondechick said, "It's more laid-back." From all that I understand, it's not as academically challenging and doesn't draw the best and the brightest the way the other two do, but the students we met--and the admissions department did a great job of making sure we had different students escorting us everywhere--were no slackers. They were friendly, genuine and involved. They seemed bright but, as Blondechick said, laid-back. They seemed like successful people who weren't success-driven.
That perfectly describes Blondechick, who wants good grades and works hard to get them, when she can, but doesn't rearrange her life for homework or knock herself out to get top grades. She felt very drawn to this more laid-back atmosphere, and the clincher for her was our meeting with the soccer coach. Everyone we met spoke so highly of him, and when we met with him, he spent as much time talking about how he encourages his girls to grow spiritually as he did talking about soccer. He knows her school and its good reputation academically, and the reputation of its soccer program, which we weren't aware of...and it sounds like the odds are high that she could not only make the team but get a soccer scholarship as well. It's early to say, but right now, she's very interested in playing girls' soccer competitively in college. She's having a marvelous time this season, getting lots of play time and loving it more and more--to my surprise! I thought, with all the hours of drill and running, plus the bruises and body aches, that the appeal would wear off pretty quickly this season, but instead her passion for the game has increased, and she's enjoying the camaraderie with the other girls so much. She enjoyed the communications class she sat in on, and she could really see herself on that worship team.
And Dad could come over and visit them so easily, since he works in Deerfield! They'd be close enough to come home and see their younger siblings in theater productions and other important occasions, and we could easily visit them at school as well. The more we thought about it, the more appealing it seems to have them so close to home. They'd be right on a train line to visit Chicago too, and it sounds like there are lots of internship possibilities in the city too.
Further confirmations were when B19 commented, "It would be nice to be in a place where I don't have to hide my faith." One could argue that he didn't need to hide his faith at the public school, but his desire there is just to stay under the radar and not bring negative attention to himself. And one of the most significant things was when his autism came up with the design teacher, and that teacher said the words I prayed someone besides his parents would say to him, "Your autism is a gift from God; it's part of how He created you. You need to discover what He put it there for."
So now we need to help B19 get everything together for his application and turn it in ASAP. Will you please pray with us that if this option is the Lord's will for B19, that he will be accepted? We should know before his graduation in early June--I can't believe it! He also needs to find a summer job...and maybe, hopefully, get his driver's license...if you are so led to pray for those needs as well. It feels like this is all happening so fast, but it also feels so right. I feel relieved and thankful for God's guidance and direction...in such a busy season of life for us that it seems we could so easily have missed it. Thank you, Lord, for the nudges!
On the way there, I talked to Bantam19 about why we were visiting this campus. He had told me earlier that he didn't want to go, because he was settled on Gateway Tech. I explained the difference between an associates' degree or a licensing certificate and a liberal arts degree--in terms of jobs available after graduation, and what he would study at college. I talked about living in a dorm and going to class with Christian guys who could be friends for him--which he needs and wants--and having Christian teachers to mentor him, encourage him to grow spiritually and help him discover what he's really good at. We talked about him becoming independent and how living in a dorm would be a way to transition to living on his own. As I talked, I discovered more and more reasons why this option seemed like the ideal next step for him, especially given his special needs. Why hadn't we seriously pursued this option sooner?
Partly it was because he hadn't been asking about it. We thought his plan of working and taking some classes sounded affordable and practical, and we could see how successful he was at taking college level classes and maybe gain more insight into what be a good career path for him. Also, we doubted that he'd get a decent score on the ACT, and we guessed that he'd need a year of community college classes to prove that he could do college level work. But when we got his halfway decent ACT score, I talked to a friend who used to work in Trinity's admissions office, and she assured me that most likely, he could get accepted, though perhaps on probation. And she said it wasn't too late to think about it for this fall! It seemed like confirmation that we should definitely consider the Christian college option for him, Trinity in particular.
As we visited, other things just seemed to click and had the feel of God-ordained appointments and signs. For example, we weren't sure what he would major in, but we knew he would want to take all the classes for a brand-new minor that had just been added, in Digital Design. (Don't YOU want to take these classes?) We met with the lead design teacher, and the more we heard, the more we knew this would be a good fit for B19, and he would learn good marketable skills to graduate with. And we heard from multiple sources that the minor is going to become a major in a year or so!
We also LOVED the chapel. They had student-led worship for a good 20 minutes or so, and it was loud--5 guitars, one drummer and a vocalist--which somehow made it so easy to forget yourself and just praise God. The students were really into it, and I sensed such a spirit of worship in the room--it touched me deeply. Later, in an admissions meeting, B19 was asked if he too, sang like his sister, and I joked that I hadn't heard him sing in years. He looked me right in the eye and said, "I sang in chapel today, Mom. I just...felt like it."
We also loved the chaplain--a solid, straightforward man who preached a great message from Proverbs, about the way of wisdom and the way of folly. He told one moving story about a friend of his; it was honest and genuine, not just a handy illustration. I loved it that he wore jeans and an oxford shirt, not a suit. Both B19 and Blondechick liked him too, and it seemed like another one of those signs when we got to meet him in person shortly afterward, in the salad bar line!
The suitless chaplain and the worship band in jeans and flannel shirts struck me as a picture of how Trinity is different from Wheaton or Taylor. Blondechick said, "It's more laid-back." From all that I understand, it's not as academically challenging and doesn't draw the best and the brightest the way the other two do, but the students we met--and the admissions department did a great job of making sure we had different students escorting us everywhere--were no slackers. They were friendly, genuine and involved. They seemed bright but, as Blondechick said, laid-back. They seemed like successful people who weren't success-driven.
That perfectly describes Blondechick, who wants good grades and works hard to get them, when she can, but doesn't rearrange her life for homework or knock herself out to get top grades. She felt very drawn to this more laid-back atmosphere, and the clincher for her was our meeting with the soccer coach. Everyone we met spoke so highly of him, and when we met with him, he spent as much time talking about how he encourages his girls to grow spiritually as he did talking about soccer. He knows her school and its good reputation academically, and the reputation of its soccer program, which we weren't aware of...and it sounds like the odds are high that she could not only make the team but get a soccer scholarship as well. It's early to say, but right now, she's very interested in playing girls' soccer competitively in college. She's having a marvelous time this season, getting lots of play time and loving it more and more--to my surprise! I thought, with all the hours of drill and running, plus the bruises and body aches, that the appeal would wear off pretty quickly this season, but instead her passion for the game has increased, and she's enjoying the camaraderie with the other girls so much. She enjoyed the communications class she sat in on, and she could really see herself on that worship team.
And Dad could come over and visit them so easily, since he works in Deerfield! They'd be close enough to come home and see their younger siblings in theater productions and other important occasions, and we could easily visit them at school as well. The more we thought about it, the more appealing it seems to have them so close to home. They'd be right on a train line to visit Chicago too, and it sounds like there are lots of internship possibilities in the city too.
Further confirmations were when B19 commented, "It would be nice to be in a place where I don't have to hide my faith." One could argue that he didn't need to hide his faith at the public school, but his desire there is just to stay under the radar and not bring negative attention to himself. And one of the most significant things was when his autism came up with the design teacher, and that teacher said the words I prayed someone besides his parents would say to him, "Your autism is a gift from God; it's part of how He created you. You need to discover what He put it there for."
So now we need to help B19 get everything together for his application and turn it in ASAP. Will you please pray with us that if this option is the Lord's will for B19, that he will be accepted? We should know before his graduation in early June--I can't believe it! He also needs to find a summer job...and maybe, hopefully, get his driver's license...if you are so led to pray for those needs as well. It feels like this is all happening so fast, but it also feels so right. I feel relieved and thankful for God's guidance and direction...in such a busy season of life for us that it seems we could so easily have missed it. Thank you, Lord, for the nudges!
Wednesday, May 05, 2010
A Birth and a Death
Monday and Tuesday, I attended the wake and the funeral for my friend's husband, who died so suddenly. Thank you, all who prayed for her and her children--their names are Caroline, Savannah and Noah, if you want to add them to your prayer lists for awhile.
Roy's death was just so devastating, on many levels. Besides the grief, there are so many practical, logistical impacts on their lives. Caroline was enveloped by prayer and by God's own supernatural peace at both events, but she has many difficult decisions and grief-filled days ahead of her. As the Lord brings her to mind, please pray.
During the funeral, as I was praying for Caroline and the children, I remembered that my friend Mrs. A.--she and her husband are the ones who started Light of Christ and somehow got us to consider becoming part of it!--was in labor, since she was being induced that same morning. It was strange to pray for these two women simultaneously--both suffering in such different ways. I thought of the saying, "a birth and a death," which many older folks repeated over and over at my grandfather's wake and funeral years ago, when my sister-in-law was great with child and I had just learned I was expecting Bantam11. I guess it's a way of saying that God continues to give the gift of life, even when death seems to overshadow everything. A long-awaited daughter (after 5 boys) did enter this world safely yesterday, and I rejoice with the A's at the same time as I grieve with Caroline.
Roy's death was just so devastating, on many levels. Besides the grief, there are so many practical, logistical impacts on their lives. Caroline was enveloped by prayer and by God's own supernatural peace at both events, but she has many difficult decisions and grief-filled days ahead of her. As the Lord brings her to mind, please pray.
During the funeral, as I was praying for Caroline and the children, I remembered that my friend Mrs. A.--she and her husband are the ones who started Light of Christ and somehow got us to consider becoming part of it!--was in labor, since she was being induced that same morning. It was strange to pray for these two women simultaneously--both suffering in such different ways. I thought of the saying, "a birth and a death," which many older folks repeated over and over at my grandfather's wake and funeral years ago, when my sister-in-law was great with child and I had just learned I was expecting Bantam11. I guess it's a way of saying that God continues to give the gift of life, even when death seems to overshadow everything. A long-awaited daughter (after 5 boys) did enter this world safely yesterday, and I rejoice with the A's at the same time as I grieve with Caroline.
Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.
Romans 12:15
For none of us liveth to himself,
and no man dieth to himself.
For if we live, we live unto the Lord.
and if we die, we die unto the Lord.
Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
and no man dieth to himself.
For if we live, we live unto the Lord.
and if we die, we die unto the Lord.
Whether we live, therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
Romans 14:7-9
Saturday, May 01, 2010
College Report
I was so grateful for the responses I received on the post College Questions. It was great to hear so many perspectives on the huge question of what to encourage your child to do after high school. If you didn't see Sherry's comment towards the end, it was very helpful as we think about what to do with Bantam19 next; she seemed to join the Lord in nudging me to think harder about college for him too. Thanks again, everyone!
After our visit to Wheaton College, Blondechick and I drove to the cornfields of Indiana to check out Taylor University. Back when I applied to Wheaton, it was sort of a joke that the kids who were at Taylor were all the Wheaton wanna-bes—and I did know kids who weren’t accepted and went to Taylor. Secretly I guessed that it was a school filled with really nice kids, and time has confirmed that suspicion. Taylor’s reputation now is that its academics are on a par with Wheaton, but its real strength is its community.
A perfect way to compare the two schools is to look at chapel. At Wheaton, chapel is required (3X/wk); seats are assigned and attendance is taken. The usual lineup includes a hymn, some announcements, and a speaker. In my day, and I gather that things haven’t changed much, the main motivation to go to chapel was not to miss a good speaker. You didn’t go to chapel to actively worship—you went to WCF on Sunday nights for that. If the speaker was boring, you felt like chapel was a waste of time.
At Taylor, chapel is required, 3X/week, but seats are not assigned. You sit with the people you live with, and that’s the accountability. There is student-led worship at the beginning, at least three songs, and all around us we saw student entering in to full-hearted worship. Some raised hands, many didn’t, but all were clearly there to worship, and after the speaker (it was a panel discussion, not as inspiring as usual, we were told), many stayed after for two more songs.
Blondechick, who is far more relational than academic, felt much more comfortable at Taylor than at Wheaton. As I guessed she would. She was a little appalled at the middle-of-nowhere feeling—the nearest Targest is 1.5 hours away, but there is a Walmart within 20 minutes—but she told me she liked it so well, she was willing to look for the positives, like saving money. Also, the sense of community on a Friday night has got to be stronger, and don’t limited options breed creativity?
She also figured out that she probably doesn’t want to major in Psychology, as she was thinking. She’d like to be a therapist and work with teenagers, but she doesn’t want to have to go on to grad school. When she asked the Wheaton psych prof about that, he hedged and told her about all the jobs she could go into with a psych degree, and when she asked him point-blank if she could be a therapist with just a BA, he said it was all a matter of supervision and certainly she could do groups. The Taylor prof answered the same question with an honest “no, you won’t be able to do one-on-one therapy with teens without a master’s degree.” So now she’s thinking about Communications.
We are now going to look at Trinity International University in Deerfield, IL. If she doesn’t get accepted at Taylor—and she may not have the ACT scores to get in; she’s always tested lower than her abilities or grades whenever she takes a standardized test—she should be able to get in there. In fact, it appears likely that Bantam19 could get accepted there too, on probation, and I think their financial aid package may be attractive. If Blondechick does well there, she might be able to transfer to Taylor after a year or so, or maybe it will be a good fit for her to stay. We’ll see next week—I’m taking them both.
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