3 Things

1- funerals, because we need a reminder that even a 72-year old life is short
2- tears
3- a light at the end of the sickness tunnel

Found out what a Jew is

BBG was walking around pointing to people saying, "Jew! Jew!", laughing, and then running away. I could not figure out why she was doing this. Had she been around my anti-Semite relatives? Was she recalling the Jesus of Nazareth movie that we watched?

After careful observation, I figured out what triggered this new-found expression. It WAS a movie! But not one with any Jews (well, that I know of). It was Star Wars. BBG was pointing her finger to resemble a blaster and "shooting" people. "Jew! Jew!" is the blaster sound effect (say it out loud while pretending to shoot someone.)

Now that you know, you too can point to people and yell "Jew!", then laugh and run away.

Huh?

I have been sick and delirious for two weeks now. Once I get my head together, I will write something coherent. Until then, here's food for thought:

I slowly car and book the calendar. But you know up of the falling herd. Bring me living breezes for us all to light.

(Now you know how messed up my brain is right now. Enjoy.)

3 Things

1- a reliable vehicle
2- sleeping babies
3- sick kids who put THEMSELVES down for a nap!

Supported my Son

My son is in 4th grade. His class trades with the other 4th grade teacher for science and social studies. This other teacher gave an assignment. There is a poster in the school that reads, "In God We Trust". He told the class to make a new poster. They would display the new posters so that those in the school that don't believe in God could see that they at least have something in common with their peers; In FAMILY I trust, or In NATURE I trust. The problem is, my son doesn't want to put anything but God. He's a very sober kid and tries to do what's right almost to a fault of breaking down at the slightest mistake. It turned into a family discussion about what we trust. In the end, my son says that anything else that we suggest to put isn't as trustworthy as God. My husband wanted him to just put God then. I was trying to come up with words like, "truth" or "Jesus", but my son says that that's only playing into the teacher's trap to remove God. After calling the teacher to feel out whether he would accept my son choosing to leave the word "God" as what he trusts, he wouldn't bend. He insisted that the kids should know that there are others things to trust in other than God. I told him that it sounds like a good lesson in bringing awareness to the fact that not all others believe like you, but that if my son should respect their choice not to trust God, they should respect his choice to put God as the One he trusts. I told him that it's like he's saying, "If you could have grass be any color than green, what would you pick?" If my son considers the options and researches other alternatives and STILL says, "I think green is the best choice after all," isn't that still a choice? A choice to leave it as it is? The teacher would not accept that argument. The thing is, this teacher always sends home notes about how much he admires my son and his respect for others. My son gets awards for being respectful and helpful to teachers and peers. I told my son that I'd support him in whatever he chose to put, but that his teacher might not accept the assignment if he didn't change the word. He is willing to take a failing grade ON THIS ASSIGNMENT to show the other kids that also wanted to leave it as "In GOD we trust" that they could choose that, to show the teacher and the Lord that he isn't ashamed of his trust and thinks that there's nothing to apologize for.

My son came home and said, "I have to fight this battle. The teacher kept saying that we have an 'In God We Trust' poster and that I needed to change the word. I changed the words. My poster said, "In GOD I trust." He felt that the "I" meant "You can trust whomever you'd like, but I trust the Lord."

I am proud of his choice to put what he believes in. After all- What is right isn't always popular, and what is popular isn't always right.

Chatised Creepy Lurkers

You know who you are. So just drop a note and say, "Hey- I read your blog like you asked. It's lame, it's boring, it sucks." I don't care what you comment, just let me know who is stopping by. And IF you have something else to say, I'd love to hear it.

Not stop loitering or I'll call the cops.

3 Things

1- Gilmore Girls quotes website- ahhh memories
2- Children's Motrin
3- the luxury of having a lazy Saturday if I need one

Had Empathy

It was good that I've been sick since Monday. Today, was the first day that I felt like a real person again. Just in time for the little ones to get fevers. BBG just moved from one spot of the house to another and rocked back and forth in the fetal position. I was grateful that I felt well enough to get her some toast and tea, and keep her stocked with chewable vitamin C.

But when she started moaning and screaming, and didn't want anyone to touch her, talk to her or turn on a light, I started losing my patience. After all, I DO have four other kids to take care of. Then I quickly remembered how miserable I felt just 24 hours ago. The other day, after 2 days with a soaring fever, body aches, and swollen throat, I went in my bedroom to change into pajamas. The girls had pulled out all of my shoes and left them on the floor. The folded- but not put away- laundry had now fallen onto the floor had been trampled by the aforementioned girls. All I wanted were my comfy pj's and I couldn't find them in this mess. I had no energy to keep looking and no brain power to think of where to start looking. So I did what any 34-year old mother of 5 would do when she is tired and feels like crap. I stomped on the ground, waved my fists and started crying, "Where are my pajamas, someone help me!?" I found them and felt like a complete baby, but knew that I had lost it, and desperately needed rest.

So when a REAL 3-year old acts her age and does it while she's sick. I think she deserves A LOT of my patience and all the empathy that my lap can hold.

3 Things

1- my immune system
2- a husband that took time off work over 5 days to nurse me back to health.
3- a mommy that sent me love-filled, homemade, sure-to-get-you-better soup.

Went to the Spa and Got a Massage

Okay, so it wasn't so much a full-body massage as a gum massage. And it wasn't a spa - more like a dentist. But, it was time by myself, having someone take care of me and I had a reason not to answer stupid questions. Which, by the way, why DO dentists ask you questions as they stick the drill into your mouth. My dentist has finally learned not to do that because I feel compelled to answer and I am his only patient that CAN answer with the drill in my mouth. But since he doesn't know sign language and I prefer that he look at my teeth rather than my hands, we agreed to keep my visits conversation-free.

After a nice cleaning, I proudly announced, to a less-than-impressed dentist, that I have actually flossed and brushed several times a week in the last 6 months. EWWWW! you may say. If you say that, you are either not a mother, or you are not tired enough to complain about my lack of dental hygiene when I am too tired after putting 5 kids to bed, 5 kids BACK to bed, and doing everything that can be done while all is quiet and I have a moments peace.

So I enjoyed my massage by Hugh Jackman in the wonderful spa in Barbados. I don't need more than an hour to regenerate. Just some good flouride and an active imagination. Why should that slow down? Nothing else does.