Just a little story for you today……

Grace had a field trip coming up and she was told by her teacher that she “HAD” to have a string bag to carry.  If you don’t know what that is, there is a picture of one here.  They are made from thin material, and empty, it lays completely flat.  Instead of thick straps, the straps are typically a cord, or “string”.  It is very light weight and just the thing for walking around during a school field trip.  Anyway, she was telling me every day about this special STRING bag she NEEDED to have, and I listened half-heartedly because I honestly didn’t think it was necessary and didn’t appreciate the teacher giving her the idea that she HAD to have one.  Well, I forgot and forgot until it was almost too late. The night before her field trip, she still didn’t have the bag, the special bag, so I called Rich and he said he would pick one up for her on the way home from work.  I explained IN DETAIL what a string bag was and told him thank you.

Well, he came home and showed me the bag, with happy eyes.  He had fulfilled the mission.  Only, unfortunately what he had bought was a regular ol’ backpack.  “OH MY WORD, RICH, it’s not the right kind of bag!  Why didn’t you call me so I could help you?  I know right where they are in Target!  Grace is going to be so upset!”  He wasn’t concerned but called her upstairs so we could both witness her reaction to all her hopes, dreams, and begging for this special, specific STRING BAG.

She looked at it, smiled, and immediately said sweetly, “Thank you, Daddy!”  “Is it okay, Grace, is it what you wanted?” he asked.  “Yes!”  She replied, to my astonishment.  “Are you telling the truth, Grace, that’s honestly the bag you wanted?”  I questioned, disbelieving.  “Yes, it’s fine!  Thank you!”  was her reply, sounded perfectly happy and sincere. 

Rich left the room satisfied that he knew better than I did, and she laughed with her sweet cheeks plumping up and brown eyes sparkling.  She did a cute girly teenager pose and looked right at me over her shoulder as she held her new backpack.

“What he doesn’t know can’t hurt him.”  she said to me, quietly so her Dad couldn’t hear.   I understood that she really did want the string bag, but more important to her was her Dad’s happiness in the gift he took the time to purchase for her.  No tears or pouting from this girl!  I was put to shame and grateful for the lesson, once again.

1 Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.” (NIV)

It was nice growing up with someone like you – someone to lean on, someone to
count on… someone to tell on!  ~Author Unknown

Whenever the children are all home on a school vacation, I miss the homeschooling years.  I get filled up with that contented-mama feeling and say, “This makes me want to homeschool you again!”  Davy really would want me to, he doesn’t like to get up in the mornings and he doesn’t like to work too hard sometimes, but the other children

LOVE SCHOOL.

and have blossomed in ways that have brought tears to my eyes over and over.

Grace sings and her bright personality bubbles over.

Jacob talks and talks.

Ethan exudes confidence.

Caleb has made a name for himself.  (snake boy)

Davy is learning valuable social skills.

And while I love and favor the homeschooling ideals and way of life (so wholesome, so organic), I can’t regret the personal decision we have made in changing up the children’s education experience. 

This is our second year of public schooling, and I must say that this spring break was quite CRAZY busy, I think because I have almost forgotten what it is like to have them all home for days on end.  Practically speaking, I ran the dishwasher four times daily.  There was never, and I mean, never a dull moment.  We had plans that we did not get to accomplish, because we ran out of time.  I still owe Jacob a trip to Savers so he can find clothes like Dr. Who.  And I owe Caleb a trip to the Science Center, too.

The very best part of school break is the time the children get to spend TO.GETH.ER. again, all day long, doing whatever they wanted to do.

Grace gave Davy a lesson on Les Miserables, they listened to the entire soundtract together and Grace explained the storyline.

I had lots of help tending the hens.

Sarah Joy had a hard time finding Mama after her naps.  On this day I was down by the stream, looking for ducks with Caleb.

Davy put his head out the window of the car to make wild hair.   

We went out for ice cream with my sister and her children.

Weston (red shirt), Naomi (yellow), Gracie (black pants), and Abbie (dress)

Seth and Weston, talking (they are a year apart in age).

Caleb (in superman shirt)

Jacob (16 years old) my oldest.

(Weston) 5 years old.

One of my favorite moments came while I was reading outside (while keeping an eye on the little ones dabbling in the pond) and noticed Ethan and Grace sitting together on top of the playset.

One of Seth’s nicknames from his older siblings is “Friend”.  My heart! I love it.

I smile seeing my gang of children still having the best of times, together.  Each moment is a gift.

There is just nothing like the relationships between brothers and sisters, as they share a bond that in some ways even the parents are not a part of.

Children of the same family, the same blood, with the same first associations and habits,
have some means of enjoyment in their power, which no subsequent connections can
supply…  ~Jane Austen, Mansfield Park, 1814

Did you grow up with siblings?  Were you close?  Are you close today?

We did it.  We went back home for the weekend.  The vehicle was packed full of necessary stuff and our seven children and Rich and I drove and drove …… back home to NY state, where we both grew up.  It takes us almost 4 rather endless hours, to get there.  The children were great, and so excited……

The picture above is of Caleb in the morning, looking out the window of our hotel room on the 8th floor.  Rich found a hotel suite, made reservations, and it was a treat for us.  He and I had our own big room and the children camped out all over the next room.  Grace, David, and Sarah slept in the pull out sofa bed, Caleb on two armchairs pushed together, Seth on the floor upon couch cushions, and the older boys in the big closet, on the floor.  It was fun to see them all over the place, together.

On Saturday morning we ate breakfast at the Crackerbarrel.  Rich took a picture with his phone so I actually got to be IN a candid family picture!

We were texting my brother Dave back and forth.  He lives in the area and he surprised us by stopping by while we were eating! 

He bought each of the children a treat from the gift shop.  They were thrilled!

We love you Dave!  You are so special to me.

After breakfast we took all the back roads to get to Grandma’s nursing home.  She hasn’t been doing very well, so I convinced Rich we had to visit her as soon as possible.  We drove through all the little towns that Rich is so familiar with, and the town he grew up in, going by the old farm house that he loved so much (and still does).  He told us so many little stories as we drove along.  

“We buried a lot of tractors in that field.”  (sunk, in the springtime mud)

“I helped out at this farm one year, when they were showing cows.”

“I used to look out the window of the bus and imagine visiting that old ice house.”

“One time when we stopped to see the old bent tree, my grandpa found wild onions and he picked them to go with our lunch.”

“That used to be a country store and I used to ride my bike there to get a piece of candy or a soda.”

“That’s where the guy lived who taught me to hunt.”

“This is where I fell asleep and almost drove off the road after leaving your Mom’s house one night.”

and so on.

I told him that someday I want to go with my Nikon camera and take pictures of all the places, and make a scrapbook for our family. 

We were able to use a conference room for our visit with Grandma, which was a blessing as I wasn’t sure how we would all fit in her room.

We listened to a lot of little family stories and Grace stayed busy jotting them all down in her notebook.  Our favorite discovery was when Grandma, recalling childhood memories, admitted that she had no problem remembering her sisters’ faults, but she couldn’t remember any of her own. 

Another interesting note:  Grandma’s brother is still living, and is 94.  He can’t hear and his wife can’t talk (after a stroke) but they still live together in their own house.  After her stroke, she lost interest in cooking, so he does it all.  He loves hymns and still gets his book out to sing one now and then.  They will be celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary this summer.

This is Rich’s Dad, with Sarah Joy on his lap. 

I learned that Aunt Phyllis copies off my blog for Grandma, and Grandma just loves it.  She can still read just fine and enjoys the little stories about the children.  She passes it along to Rich’s Dad when she is done, but Aunt Phyllis said that one time she found it with Sarah’s picture cut right out of a page. 

I love to imagine her doing that. 

We had such a satisfying visit, so special, and so important for the children, too.

 After the nursing home visit, we drove to my parent’s place.  Mom made us chowder (a pot of corn and a pot of clam), a big salad, and homemade strawberry shortcake.  We stayed for a few hours and enjoyed the visit very much.

It was especially nice for Davy, because he has been begging me to find him a typewriter and Mom gave him one.  It’s an old electric “Brother” typewriter that I actually took to college with me to use for my term papers.  It still worked, so the first thing he typed was a letter to Grandma, asking for the typewriter and all the reasons why he wanted one. 

Needless to say, it’s his.

And then, Sunday morning, we drove back to Rich’s Dad and Leslie’s house for a nice visit.  Leslie is Rich’s step mom.   She is quiet and gentle, loves animals and children, and homemaking.  She has many pretty things decorating their home (which Rich’s Dad built himself), houseplants, quilts, ribbon embroidery, and pictures.  I want to take photos of the things sometime, to show you.

I love the picture of the messy living room, all because of the children dragging the toys out of Charlie’s bedroom. 

Sarah helped Grandma put away the fruit.

After a lunch of chips, sandwiches, and fruit, and a visit to the barn, we loaded up the vehicle to head back home.

(it’s so nice to have many places to call “home”)

 Thankful for family, and our wonderful hometown state of NY.  It was a full and enjoyable weekend.  Frankly, we’re all exhausted, in a good way.  

please take a moment to say hello! 

xoxo

Fred is a baby Painted Turtle.  David came across him this week as he was walking along the bank of the pond.  The tiny turtle had hatched this spring, was journeying to the pond, and was in the grass upside down.  “He must’ve gotten tired.” said Davy.  He picked him up and brought him home, as satisfied as if he had discovered treasure. 

We showed him to Sarah Joy and she squealed, “OH, SHE’s SO CUTE!” to which the brothers all responded as one voice, “IT’s A HE!”

(We can’t be sure if Fred is a boy or a girl, but of course the boys wish him to be A BOY.)

I wanted to photograph his size, so I ran in the house to get the camera and a fifty cent piece.  He fit neatly upon it, in Davy’s hand.

If you have children about, I hope you show them these pictures.  Tell them that David is ten and is keeping Fred as a pet.  He lives in David’s room in a gray bin and eats celery. 

All this is stale knowledge to older people, but one of the secrets of the educator is to present nothing as stale knowledge, but to put himself in the position of the child, and wonder and admire with him; for every common miracle which the child sees with his own eyes makes of him for the moment another Newton.  Charlotte Mason

(I took my magazine outside to read it in the sun and ended up being so entertained by the boys that I grabbed my camera and took pictures instead of putting my feet up.) 

Ethan made a raft today, with the help of his Dad’s power tools, and his little brothers.

He used scrap lumber, and logs from the woodpile.  And lots and lots of nails.

When it was done, it was so hard to move that I think he wished he had built it a little closer to the water.

The rope ended up breaking.

He pushed and pulled.

He finally got it in the pond, and told me he really didn’t think it would float, it was so extremely heavy. 

He pushed it into the water and after all that work and as soon as he got on it, it went under.  

The raft was a little too small for Ethan.

But it was just the right size for Seth.  Ethan got him on it and pushed him “out to sea”.

(which was just what brave Seth was hoping would happen)

The wind was blowing perfectly and he drifted along.

He loved it.

The only thing that disturbed me was the spiders.  I guess the wood pile is full of them, because when the logs started sinking into the pond, the drowning spiders were frightened up on to the raft.  I saw three, which doesn’t sound like much, but it still bothered me.  Seth was oblivious, however.

We watched from the sidelines.

I handed him a long stick to paddle with. 

He started at one end and landed at the other, just as pleased as could be. 

Ethan will have to make a bigger raft next time, if he wants a ride.

*******************************

And now, for @thia;

I saw the first spring violet today!

It’s spring break and my five school children have this week off.  I am so happy having them here.  I know that by the end of the day I will be tired and ready for everyone to go to bed, but for now my heart is joyous and I’m ready for it all……messes, meals, reading, walks outdoors, and breaking up the arguments!

Currently…..the livingroom is full of amazon.com boxes and papers.  I get a bunch of necessities through their automatic subscription program and today we received catfood, Hershey’s cocoa powder, and trash bags. 

My friend Caroline took Ethan to baseball practice and an hour or so later I took Jacob and Lindsey (a neighbor girl) to track practice.  Afterwards, I took Caleb with me to the library and we checked out a bagful of books.  It was so heavy that I gave it to Caleb to carry, without saying anything about the weight of the bag, to see what he would do with the challenge.  He took the bag without complaint and walked along……and said,

“WOW!  I can’t believe that CHILDREN are stronger than ADULT GIRLS!” 

I have Annie’s semi-organic mac and cheese simmering on the stove and I have 15 minutes before I have to go get Ethan, Zachary, Jacob, and Lindsey from practices.

Sarah is looking through the library books on the couch, and Grace is reading my blog on my iphone.

The boys are outside sword fighting with sticks, after I told them to stop doing so in the kitchen with spoons and butter knives.

We polished off two loaves of moist and mild chocolate pound cake this weekend. 

And also a tray of “Top Secret Recipes” Starbucks Cranberry Bliss bars, sans cranberries.

We watched Ethan play baseball, he’s number 8, up at bat.

And here is Zachary (our friend and neighbor) running to second base, after a great hit.

Seth, now four years old, is still the same as he was at 1, 2, and 3, just wanting so very much to also be a baseball player!

When Coach told him to stay behind the fence so he didn’t get hurt, Seth came to me and breathed, “Mom!  Coach just said hi to me!”

This season’s first pansies, sitting next to our side door on an old green plant stand that I bought at Brimfield Antique Show last year.

Rich got more yard work done with the help of his boys.

On the way to church, we realized we were both wearing blue shirts!

So when we got home, we had Davy take our picture.  Caleb snuck into the photo, too.  (making it much cuter)

Caleb is so funny.  He always sits right by me during church and Gary was preaching quite intensely during a part of the sermon yesterday.  Most of us were clapping and/or weeping with joy over what he was preaching……and at just the most intense moment, Caleb leaned over and whispered,

“Mom.  Are the teeth in your mouth all grown-up teeth?”

Date night, and “what my husband does while I am browsing around and trying things on in my favorite shop.”  “zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz”

The line is always so long, but we finally tried Pinkberry.  I had the original frozen yogurt with mango, strawberries, pineapple and carmelized almonds.  It was delicious! 

Kids are now eating their mac and cheese.  I was asked “Mom?  Why does food have to have taste?”

“Because it makes life so much more pleasant.”

Happy Monday!

(summer 2012)

Grandma has been on our hearts for the last few days, as Rich has been keeping in close contact with his family, getting updates.  She is almost 96 years old, and is a sweet and gentle Christian lady who has had a huge impact on Rich’s entire life.  She has had cancer for 4 years and is now in a nursing home.

This is an email that her daughter, Phyllis, wrote to her friends, and sent a copy to Rich.  I found it very inspiring and thought I would share it with my friends here.

 What stands out to me the most is that despite being so old, suffering, and knowing that HEAVEN itself is waiting just around the corner, Grandma is still actively fighting,and doing her best, for each day.

Wednesday morning, about 7:10am, Rob, head of nursing, called me saying Mom was not doing very well, she was having trouble breathing, very anxious and panicking. He said they had ordered liquid morphine and would be starting it immediately. On top of everything else, she had congestive heart failure. 

(summer, 2010)

When I got there they had already started the morphine, she was doing a little better but it was noon before she was able to rest. By that time, she was being given morphine hourly.

(with Seth)

To our surprise, as my Mom often does, around 12:30 Mom looked at me and said, “I better eat something or I will not get better”, believe me, not that she was hungry, what a role model for life. She asked for corn flakes of all things and drank some soup broth, making herself eat. They continued to give her morphine until 7pm at which time she was breathing much better. Ed, Steven and I took turns staying with Mom during the night, and by Thursday, it was a struggle, but she did get dressed and had her hair done after I told her my cousin Dorothy was bringing Mom’s brother and sister-n-law to see her. She was very tired, very weak and super sleepy but so glad to see them.

(2009)

After they left I went home to sleep for a couple of hours during which time, Dan, Willie’s son, came and sat with her for a few hours. Yesterday, when I got there, she was sitting, wide eyed, smiling and eating regular food and doing much better.

(Rich and his family, with his dear Grandma)

Each episode takes more out of her but she is a real fighter and determined to enjoy every minute of life she is afforded. Only God knows when she will leave us. We have such a large and very close and supportive family, which gives Mom so much to live for. All of Mom’s children and grandchildren have rallied to her side in one way or another, making leaving us something she is not ready to do yet.

~Aunt Phyllis

(Grandma with her namesake, Sarah)