McDonnell Place

This morning the kids are sitting at the breakfast table eating peanut butter toast and watching Higglytown Heroes. Shaun just walked through the room quietly singing, I'm your Higglytown Hero brave and true, I help the people with the things I do, if you feel your bottom hurts, I'm the town Proc-to-lo-gist...

So despite the fact that I rarely blog anymore, you can see things haven't changed much.

Well except for one thing. We have a pet. A tem-por-ar-y pet. A fish named Moses.

Our babysitter asked us to watch him for her while she travels to Alabama for a week. He's a deep garnet and purple and I look for him floating on the top of his aleady-dirty water every time I pass through the kitchen. No, seriously. I do. And that dang fish sleeps- (I guess that's what he's doing, although I myself just learned that fish actually do sleep-) near the top of the water ALL THE TIME, so that I'm constantly rushing over, gently tapping his bowl, and looking for the movement of gills or the pinch of little pursed lips. It's very hard to keep up with our plants, which is I'm very concerned about our capabilities of fish-keeping.

Evan and I planted a garden several months ago. I let him pick out seeds at Home Depot and he chose Watermelon, Yellow Squash, Sunflowers, Bells of Ireland, and Veggie Tale brand Zuchinni squash. On the front of the latter, there was a picture of Jim and Jerry Squash smiling and he asked, "are these gonna have eyes?!!" (perfectly illustrating just why Veggie Tales is dominating the seed market in Home Depot.)

Well, it turned out the squash actually was worth the extra money paid for the characters on the package, initially, because it grew bigger and faster than anything else in the garden... until we came back from the beach. It was still HUGE but huge and shriveled. I'm not sure if it needed more water, as big as it had gotten, or if it was and is diseased. It has white splotches on the leaves... (anyone know anything about squash?) Anyway- that was the first garden Faux Paux to take place.

Secondly, was daddy's little dirty secret that he still won't fully confess which is that I know he mowed the tops right off all the sunflowers, the only flowers outside of the little plastic white picket fence. And thirdly, the Bells of Ireland were never very happy to be in our yard, (they're very snobby flowers, I'm finding.) Lastly, the other squash is catching disease from the Jim and Jerry squash. This leaves watermelon, people. That's all that's left. And from all I'm told, watermelon is the least promising in gardens. Grrrreat.

Now you know why I'm so worried about this freakin' fish!

This morning Evan asked if he could have a bird just like Minnie Mouse on Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. I cringed inside and said "maybe some day." Quick, change the subject, change the subject- "did you know mommy used to have a bird?" Okay, so not a TOTAL change of subject...
"I didn't know this," injected Shaun.
"Yeah, John and I both had birds; Sis and Bro. Sis would sit on the top of my dollhouse and poop.
They were horrible, we got rid of them."
"What- you had them knocked off?" he smiled at me.
"Noooo..." I made a sarcastic face at him, "we gave them away."
"Evan," Shaun turns to him, "how about a Figaro like on Mickey Mouse?"
I glared at him.

I'm a dog person. We're both- dog people. (I think he was just proud he knew the cat's name on Mickey Mouse. A.D.D. people pride themselves on things like tv references.) Why? I don't know- have no idea why. Ask him... or my Uncle Tom... or my brother...

Evan and Madalyn still play and play and play together. They take turns listening and creating and following and leading. They have their moments of fighting, too, but mostly they play and play together. I had no idea when I embarked on this thing called parenting, the JOY that would be mine overhearing them play and carry on together. I can't help but think, on a more serious note, this must be a taste of how the LORD feels when He watches His children do the same.

Strawberry Shortcake is their choice imaginary theme as of late. When Jack shoves blueberries in his mouth they laugh and say he's going to turn into Blueberry Muffin. And lately, Jack shoves A LOT of blueberries in his mouth. And the bigger kids who are too cool for fruit, a lot of Popsicles. A lot of messy Popsicles.

Yesterday we were on the porch and I was talking to Evan about exactly why he cannot run through the house with filthy feet just after I've mopped.

He offered the following solution: "well you can just do it again," with a shrug of his shoulders.
I said, "no, Evan- I don't want to do it again. After mommy's made you pick up your room, do you want to do it again?"
"No," he said, seeing my point. He sat and thought about the dilemma a minute, not sure he could stop the habit of rolling in the mud and running across the floors... "Mommy, I know! You can just have daddy do it."

My face went from stern and fixed to hilarity. He wasn't sure if he'd upset me or if I'd lost my mind, and waited to see which while I had a good laugh. I said, "Well now that IS a good idea! Hmmm, maybe you should suggest that to daddy." Then, not wanting to be a bad spouse or parent I tried to fix it and said, "well daddy works hard all day so I'm sure he doesn't want to mop a floor when he comes home, either." But I was still laughing, as was Shaun when I relayed the story that night.

Homeownership. I guess that's been the biggest change since I quit blogging. We'd forgotten how much work is involved while in the apartment. Shaun's always mowing or trimming and still there are things left undone. Cleaning, with the kids, is like the Paula Abdul song, "one step forward and two steps back." I'm forever pausing to clean up Popsicle goop or a clogged potty that's had too much toilet paper stuffed in it. And then I slow myself down a lot, too. I break peanut butter jars just when I'm done sweeping for the day. But really, I consider these things joys because I know what it was not to have a yard. I really believe one of the reasons the LORD withholds things from us for seasons is so that we know how to appreciate them when we have them. And we deeply appreciate our yard and our home.

I love that we live in a neighborhood but feel in the country and our life private... this is important because the children streak endlessly- have the mentality of a Nudist Colony-) and thankfully, it's so private and safe, while at the same time, I can still hear the laughter of other children from another yard.

I love the way the sun dapples the grass through the Oak trees, and how you can feel a slight breeze when you sit on Evan's dirt mound near the hill. I love that they love it, that they're growing up with dirt between their toes and under their fingernails.

I love that tile has replaced what used to be a carpeted floor (apartment) and that I can just wipe it right up with one sweep of a paper towel. I love that Publix is right down the road. And McDonalds. And Walgreens... (or is it CVS?) I am so thankful for it all. I even love the cleaners on the corner to which I am Katty McDonald. Endearing, isn't it?

And I also am thankful for our friends. You know, the people I video-taped toilet-papering a house last night at 20 and 30 something years of age... at nine o'clock at night. Real dare-devils. (We even go to bed- GASP- WITHOUT BRUSHING OUR TEETH some nights, too.) One of us- whose name I will refrain from dropping- was clearly deprived of the high school experience because the only time I've seen her giddier was when she put on a prom dress for a Murder Mystery Party. Maybe I'll post the video later... you can't see anything but trust me- the dialogue is quite enough.

And now I must go because Madalyn turns three this weekend and I am in the middle of constructing nine tutus for party favors in nine different colors of tulle. (No sewing required- thank the LORD!) Seriously, thank You Lord that I can make tutus without knowing a thing about sewing. Five left to go... but I will be back.

Labels: animals, family, hubby, siblings

On the way to take Evan to school this morning we passed cluster after cluster of kids on bikes with red shirts and bike helmets. Just when I thought we'd seen the last of them another cluster showed. I have no idea what they were doing but was curious. And Madalyn was impressed. She said, "Look, I see astronauts!" :)

Her surgery is tomorrow morning. The insurance stuff all fell right into place and the surgery coordinator said, "honestly, I'm amazed you pulled this off, it usually doesn't work out this way." I told her that was because I wasn't the one pulling it off but had prayed about it.

Right now Madalyn's running a slight fever, though. I'm assuming the Lord will bring her through it by tomorrow, as smooth as He's made everything else for us so far. My friends, Stephanie and Dana, are getting Evan home to me so I can let her sleep. Thank the Lord for friends and family; for the people who fast and pray over your children like they would their own, who offer to set up meals and entertain the children not covered in attention. Surely it is in them that I see the Spirit of the Living God the best.

I love Him.

And I love her. Madalyn. So I ask you to pray for her between 10:30 and 1:30 during her surgery tomorrow and I'll post updates when I can. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Labels: family, friends, Illness, Madalyn, Relfux

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Wednesday, May 30, 2007

These are the Days

Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Tomorrow is the Day