More on thankfulness

I'm going to try very hard not to let this post descend into Pollyanna-ville. It's not meant to be glib or unreasonably cheerful. After all, if there weren't the struggle behind it, there'd be no reason for my practice.

Today I decided to challenge myself with the encouragement in 1 Thessalonions chapter 5: "In everything give thanks." I think I did it because as I climbed into bed last night, feeling rather low about the 2-week headache, I moaned to my husband that it just didn't seem worth getting up in the morning to face another day of being in pain. This is definitely an evolving process, as you might guess, but here's how the game is playing out today.

"Lord, it is 8:00 a.m. and there is a Monopoly game strewn all over my living room."

Thank You, Lord, that my children like playing together so much. Thank You that they have time to do this at such an hour of the morning rather than running in separate directions.

"Laundry, laundry, laundry! I can never keep up! Will it ever end?"

Lord, thank You that we all have clothes to wear. Dirty clothes mean clothes that have been worn. Thank You that we never have to go involuntarily naked.

"Okay, will my son EVER get the concept of putting his folded clothes away neatly? When do the words "nice stack" sink in?"

Thank You that I have the time to teach him (again). Thank You for his good mind, which WILL grasp this concept before he goes to college.

"Lord, my youngest daughter just peed in the back yard and washed her nice white shirt in the chickens' watering trough."

Thank You, dear Lord, for her concern for living things ("Mom, can I pee in the grass? The grass is saying to me (squeaky voice), "Caroline, I'm thirsty! Please water me!") and for her growing level of independence that inspires her to do her own laundry.

"Isn't it interesting how my son seems to challenging every direction I give him this morning!"

Lord, thank You for his tenacious personality. Thank You for his strong will. May he choose you with all his heart and hold to You with that same intensity.

"Lord, some of my children aren't grasping the concept of "library voices." I can hear them, shrieking about Spongebob, all the way over in the adult section off to which I sneaked."

Thank You, Lord, that they feel so at home in the library. Thank You that the Austin librarians are nicer than the ones in Simpsonville. You know of whom I speak.


Grace for the day ...

Three Things ...

... I'm thankful for today:

1. Getting to watch "Blue Planet" with some gigantic goggles so that I didn't descend into claustrophobic panic during my MRI (headache still among us).

2. The checker at Whole Foods -- the downtown flagship store -- deciding to give me an entire box of gluten-free pancake mix as a "free sample." No particular reason; I really was planning to pay for it.

3. My brother-in-law Allen, who turned thirty-six today and came over here with Kristen for carrot cake (from me and Central Market) and tons of smooches (from the kids). Oh, and Kristen, for babysitting on short notice -- so glad you're back in town!!! ;-)

Able to see straight

The headache has finally abated -- not one hundred percent vanished, but more gone than it's been for days and days ... so THANK YOU for all the prayers and comforting thoughts and suggestions. We'll see what tomorrow morning brings.

This afternoon we drove Ian and his friend Truman across town to their mutual friend Christian's birthday party (after which they will spend the night there; wow, it's quiet here tonight). The girls, of course, wanted to stay, and being the mother that I am, unable to resist their disappointment and charms, I took them to Hey Cupcake before coming home. What could be finer, on a Friday afternoon, than chocolate cupcakes with swirls of pink frosting? (I had to buy one in a cute box for Tim, of course. Fuel for the long bike ride home. Can I help it if I put lipstick kisses all over the box while waiting at red lights? I cannot.)


The girls took a bath, using the bubble bath Eliza had made in her "Beautiful, Natural" co-op class. The whole bathroom smells like peppermint. Yum. I might eat those girls for dessert, now. Just a warning of my cannibalistic tendencies when my children smell so delicious.

Then they sat naked by the space heater eating their picnic dinner (omelettes, roasted acorn squash with cinnamon butter). And you know why I just love that? Because my sister and I used to do the same thing, about a century ago. Not so much the eating, our life wasn't THAT decadent, but after a bath we'd huddle in front of the space heater in my parents' bathroom, brushing the minty green shag rug into little circles with our pruney hands to make "families" in front of the "fireplace." These families had all kinds of cozy adventures in front of their fireplace. You know, popping popcorn, reading Dickens aloud, whathaveyou. Eventually our parents would come in and notice our skin glowing fiery pink and heartlessly hustle us into our pajamas.

Maybe this explains my ongoing love affair with the space heater. "You love that thing more than me," my soulmate complains when he opens the bathroom door and finds me guiltily soaking up the post-shower warmth on the very morning the temperature has dropped below 70 degrees.

But I don't notice anyone bringing cupcake offerings to the space heater.



P.S. Literary highlights this week: Still reading through The Witch of Blackbird Pond with Ian (what a gem!); Betsy-Tacy and Tib with Eliza. Oh, the revisited childhood delights! In my secret heart of hearts, maybe this is why I homeschool. Caroline's fave of the week would be Carl's Summer Vacation.

Blatant Bid for Sympathy

Sorry, y'all, that I haven't been posting in my usual compulsive fashion. It's not that there's nothing to say, but rather that I am on Day Eight (8) of an untreatable headache. Advil, caffeine, homeopathic allergy remedies, bouts with my sister's shiatsu machine, all have fallen on fallow ground. Today I'm trying two Excedrin since that dulled it for a while the other day (Day 6, I think). I'm also finally going to try making an appointment with my doctor, just to rule out anything, you know, sinister. Hopefully he'll tell me that this can be treated with a round of acupuncture or something, at least until my next chiropractor visit.

OK, that's the drill. (Oh, wait, did I say drill? As in, sharp instrument that steadily bores holes in things? I wonder why THAT word would be on my mind.) Suggestions welcome.

More chipper posts to come, I hope.

Voting

Somehow in our crazy Tuesday we will make it to the polls today. On the homeschooling docket today: civics! My kids are lobbying for Barack Obama. Why? Mostly because apparently there is a Bionicle called Baraki. Or something like that. Also, they like his voice better. Heh. This is why there is a voting age in this country.

I'm going to pray my way all the way there, bring stuff for the kids to entertain themselves in line, do my business, and then maybe head to Starbucks for my free cup. Yup, free coffee at Starbucks if you vote today.

(We were driving somewhere unfamiliar the other day and pulled up at a spotlight where, about 50 yards away, a new Starbucks had been constructed. "Looks like they put in a new coffee shop," my almost-three year old observed. What's up with that?????? We don't even go to Starbucks very often!)

AWANA Campout

On an October weekend marked by distinctly chilly nights and mild, sunny days, the Diller family decided to join some other families for a semiannual AWANA campout. By "campout," of course, I refer to that activity that sounds entirely wholesome in the mind's ear beforehand -- snuggling in the tent! gazing at the stars! sipping hot chocolate by the campfire! -- but in the midst thereof, tends to also mean considerable physical discomfort, long walks to the nearest bathroom, and a yearning for a long, hot shower.

But anyway.

The Diller family arrived just after sunset, with their impeccable sense of timing. Immediately, six men and teenage boys converged upon their designated tent site to offer their assistance with fumbling in the dark to pitch the gi-normous two-room tent. While the gesture was appreciated, it also meant that the Dillers had no hope of hiding the embarrassing facts that 1) they don't have much practice pitching this tent, and 2) they don't even have the correct set of tent poles (long story involving trip with extended clan to Yosemite 9 years ago).

Never mind, though, because the fellow campers were all just so lovely and warm that the chance to make a good impression was not entirely squandered. Mr. Diller boosted his family's portfolio by joining the group of accompanying musicians for the weekend.



Young Ian, always doing his part to "KEEP AUSTIN WEIRD," experimented with a pogo stick, enjoying instruction from some Bigger Boys. Bigger Boys who were not too cool to sing "His Banner Over Me is Love" with all the hand motions up at the front during worship time.

After a full day of eating, singing, Bible-quizzing, hiking, biking, pogo-sticking, tree-climbing and the like, the families gathered 'round for Saturday night worship time, where the focus was on the life of Joseph in Genesis. The Diller stock plunged when, during the breakout time when each family was supposed to be chatting earnestly about forgiveness, the two older Diller children seized the opportunity to fight (loud, unkind voices! a tug of war!) over a flashlight. Because, truly, they are that family.

But all was well when the microphone was passed around and the previously fighting children each stepped up. Young Eliza, graciously providing what one might term a "non sequitur:" "Sometimes, we do things that make our Mom sad. Then we get a time out." How refreshing, how edifying for the other 77 campers to hear! Young Ian managed to share something that could actually be construed as relevant to the forgiveness topic. Stocks climbed once again.

It turns out that despite the lack of a hot shower and the presence of some very cold nights, the campout contained the right ingredients, from s'mores around the fire to chats with other homeschooling moms to Capture the Flag with flashlights. The Dillers, exhausted but well-sugared-up as they made their way home, concluded that they'd love to go again.

Just as soon as they get the smell of smoke out of their hair.

Being presentable

This is how the younger princess prepared herself to attend Daddy's Yellow Belt TaeKwonDo test this morning:



Later that afternoon, she helped me bake a pumpkin pie for her uncle and aunt's homecoming by pouring an entire 2 pints of whipping cream into the pie filling. I wasn't watching her because I was busy cleaning up the cupful of apple cider she'd knocked onto the floor. Her comment, about 30 seconds after the spill? "EEK! That FREAKED ME OUT!"

Good times, good times.