Living-Deliberately.com

What a blast we had last night! Our friends, The Smalls, hosted thier second annual Pumpkin and Soup Party. Everyone brought a different pot of soup, we had selection of freshly baked breads, appetizers, and desserts, and the kids all carved thier pumpkins.

Yesterday was COLD; the high was only in the 50’s and it was grey and cloudy. Leaves had fallen in abundance; the Smalls have a beautiful yard and the green grass sprinkled with brown and red leaves was just so perfectly autumnal for a party of this kind! The invitation stated there would be a pumpkin-launching contest, so there were a couple of catapoults set up. Andrew and David spent a good part of Saturday designing and building thiers. It wasn’t very sturdy but it did have the distance-capabilty and they won! Andrew was positively beaming!

It seemed there were around 15 or so different soups to try. I brought Butternut Bisque and also tasted Pumpkin Chowder, White Chicken Chili, and Chicken Gumbo. David sampled every single one LOL. The women mostly ate in the living room or around the many rooms full of children but the men stood in a huddle in the kitchen. Speaking of children…the 9-early teens were in one room, the little girls in another, and the 5 and under crew in the dining room. I don’t think I heard one single conflict among them and I know ours, matched up with friends their own age, who they see at so many of the same activities, were on cloud Nine.

I had several moments last night where I looked around and marveled. It’s a similar situation with our church group. How, in such a short time, did we manage to find such a great community? We’re attatched to these people, we care about them, we have fun with them, we share so much with them. It feels as if we’ve lived here forever and it’s been so seamless that I wonder how that happened.

The mess on the porch was a sight to see! Kids and grown ups alike up to thier elbows in pumpkin slime! Faces carved, designs made, candles put in, and eventually, all of them up in a line. I can’t wait to see the pictures! It was dark out by then and the kids ran and laughed through trees and leaves, shrieking in the night air. As we wrapped it up, several men plunked out 70’s and 80’s tunes on the piano and another got his guitar out to strum several chords. Everyone seemed a little hesitant to see the night end, even as babies begged for bedtime and little whispers of “we have work tomorrow” blew in our ears.

It was a great, great party. Many thanks to the Smalls for hosting and inviting us!

Somehow in the course of yesterday, I walked into a committment to chair a committee planning a Veteran’s Day Parade. Yup, a whole parade, where there wasn’t one before, in about two and a half weeks. Don’t ask me how I’m gonna do it…I have very little idea!

And so, this weekend I went back to Jacksonville. Just me and Rowan, and after the incredibly draining week I’d had last week, a few days away was desperately needed. Much was crammed into itty bitty living space so I won’t go into the lot of it. Here’s a simple run down:

On the way down:

• Despite a deathly fear of occupying space in a metal object hurtling through the air, and subsequently falling and slamming into the ground like a burning, mangled mass, I managed to pull off getting on the plane. Feeling oh-so-cool, like I’d deftly defied my deepest horrors, I manuevered through Atlanta’s monstrous airport, played with my baby, chatted with seatmates, and marveled at the difference between a day’s driving and an hour or so’s flight between my old and new worlds.

• Arriving at the airport, seeing my mom at the end of the walk way (almost bumping into her!) was worth more than words can say.
• The shop included a Krispy Kreme from Cheryl….one perfect, soft, orb, that melted in my mouth as I broke into the sweet veneer of frosting. Nothing can match that first bite when you haven’t had one in months and months!
• I had a great, fun, lunch with Marlene at Mellow Mushroom devouring a Gourmet White and feeding my headache a great cup of caffine. A familiar face and good conversation, our sweet and fat babies, and that awesome pizza with olive oil and garlic sauce, four cheeses, and fresh tomatoes made for a fabulous way to spend an hour.
• I spent an hour or so with my Gigi, working on her computer and getting blog up and ready for more memories. She got to chase a highly mobile baby around her apartment, navigating around cans of baby powder, the ironing board, the computer switch……
• Dinner at Cotton’s for my first BBQ since we moved. Hot ribs and beans in one of the worst rain and lightning storms I’ve ever seen made for a cozy good time. I could just about bathe in thier bean sauce.

Saturday:

• Up early with He Who Will Not Sleep. Grown up music and videos…blissful way to wake up slowly. Cold Play’s video of “Fix You” is great, Rob Thomas’s newest is fun, and yea-hooray Nickleback has a new one too that is like Rockin’ Canadian Country. Fun, fun, fun.
• We packed somewhat, less than I should have, as I had Mr. Mobile attatched to my right hip. They have to maintian a vicious pace in order to get it all done.
• Walked to Rowe’s. Not many gals have “visit new grocery store” on thier vacation lists! Neat store…I would have shopped there had we stayed and probably dropped lots of comment cards for little ways to keep improving. May it do well. The Ben and Jerry’s wasn’t freezer burned. Worth the walk!
• Ironic it is that we always meant to visit the Nassau County fair and it took moving away to actually make it there. Fun little fair! Quaint and country and just what a fair should be….a diversion with community and productivity without trying to be a dirty version of a major ammusement park.
• The land is FABULOUS!!! So much easier to envision Sandy Stream Farm now that I’ve seen the land. I do, however, recommend Guinea Fowl for the birdie-sized blood suckers that zip through the air……They are going to have a blast living there, plunging themselves enthusiastically into “a plot of thier own”. I’m so happy for them!
• When Dad said, “I feel strange”, and it’s because his BP is NORMAL for a change, I felt like I could just sigh. The basics are what matter. People matter. The rest is gravy.

Sunday:

• Up again early, it was fun to make Daddy Eggs Benedict and coffee. Cozy to sit and read the paper with Mom before the sun was up. Some things never change and I’m glad for that.
• Began to accept that my cat is no where near to forgiviving me for leaving him. He likes it there but also made it clear that he was no cheap trick. There will be no cuddles and kisses without residency.
• FBC was big, bright, and familiar. The sermon stuck to the text and was an oh-so-timely reminder to pray, not worry, when times are uncertain.
• Better still was the conversation reguarding Irresistable Grace with Mom and Dad in the car.
• The flight home was white-knuckled, tears-streaming, pants-wetting terror. Metal Objects, let alone ME, have no business up there. I don’t want to die that way so I’d best keep my feet on the ground. My stomach is still in my throat a full 24 hours later.

When I got home, the mountains were waiting. While I was gone they exploded with thier color and the temperature dropped. The kids ran to greet me. We sang great Psalms with our church friends, who all welcomed me home most enthusistically. Jasper Clapp, 2yrs, “read” me his memorized favorite, “What Do You See Brown Bear?” and the kids ran in the cold, clear dark outside.

Of course, they also, kick, fight, scream, and thump.

Yesterday we got our second complaint that the children are too noisy. Like baseball, it’s “3 strikes, you’re out”. It came with this pretty little note attatched, “please correct the problem”.

The issue seems to be that our kids get up too early. We thought so too…..

But is 7:30 too early? They straggle out, domino style, from 7:15-7:45 for Chez’ Mom’s Breakfast. They don’t make noise until about 8:15, when they start to really wake up. Except for the fat, sweet, baby, who chatters from 5:30-7, and grunts for more food to be shoveled in faster than Daddy would like.

Problem is, the neighbors consist of one night worker who sleeps until 10, and two disabled folks who are, for the most part, home all day. They would like the children to be quiet in the morning and afternoon.

Afternoon? The complex quiet hours are 10 pm-8 am. The kids are in bed by 8 so we’re fine there. But in the middle of the day, I confess, I’m not inclined to harp on them for making noise in thier play.

Not that they are a bunch of banshees, understand. But I guess four kids have no business being confined in a 3rd floor apartment, where every step is a thump. Where neighbors aren’t used to children and all play is “loud play”. Moving is miserable but on the other side will be yard and a home on the ground. In a house where “they are being too quiet” means there is major mischief happening, I want my kids seen AND heard!

We worry about what a child will become tomorrow, yet we forget that he is someone today. ~Stacia Tauscher

Yesterday I caught Wheaton with a screwdriver, a pile of screws, and one of those little things that goes on the door frame…I forget what they are called but they are the female side to a latch. He was just working away. Now, I’m not that thrilled about all those little plates missing from our rented doors and there may have been a little voice raising involved when I asked him what in the world he was doing….

“Aw Mom…I needed something to unscrew.”

Well, who can argue with that? They’ve got tools and building thier blood.

Just odds and ends from a Monday morning……

We had another FANTASTIC field trip on friday. Laid back and calm, sometimes those are the best kinds. We visited the Fruit and Berry Patch just north of Knoxville. Most of the apples had already been picked for the season, but we walked the orchard, bought a bushel, had fried pies and cider, played with goats and horses, ran the corn maze, and picked our pumpkins right in the patch! It was a beautiful, high blue fall day with a cool breeze. We had good fellowship with friends and came home dirty and happy.

This weekend was also the Foothills Fall Festival. It was truly like nothing we’d ever experienced. Part fair, part church-like fall fest, part day in the park. All through the greenbelt was the Children’s Adventure land, and everything was free! Well, except for the food. The kids did bungee swings, rock wall climbing, face painting, wrestling in padded suits, pony rides….we also toured the art and craft festival. The music fest costs admission so we skipped that. But the whole pace was just fantastic. The Greenbelt doesn’t seem to be wired for sound, so there wasn’t alot of crazy noise. The crowd was manageable and we meandered around at a good pace. The kids used thier “spend” envelopes for cotton candy.

This is such a great place to raise a family!

Today we are doing a “greek day”, with a book about the region, puzzle about the geography, and a Greek meal with hummous, marinated meat, feta and tomato salad, olives and pita. We’ve started getting ready for our science project, “Project Feeder Watch” from Cornell University. We’ll have our second Tuesday Tea Time with scones, tea, and poetry. We’ve discovered Livingmath.net and light is finaly shedding on this subject. I’m axiously awaiting the chance to read the book Last Child In the Woods and we’re working our way towards FINANICAL PEACE with Dave Ramsey’s TOTAL MONEY MAKEOVER. David is itching for his birthday present, which he discovered by accident: a CD set on classical teaching. Learning together is at a zesty high.

The chickens are organizing….gotta scoot.

Rowan Kenneth, 10 months

Rowan is always putting stuff in his mouth…this time it was the lens cap!

Who can resist kissing those fat cheeks?!?

I love, love, love his little cloth diapered waddle-butt :-)! He’s crusin’ everywhere these days….

While I made breakfast this morning, poached eggs and cheese on toast, Wheat was the table coloring. It was a pirate and he stopped every couple of minutes to get me to see how well he was doing.

“See Momma?”

“Yes, I see. Very nice.”

“Well, it’s a pirate. I better give this one to Daddy and not you.”

“Okay” said I. “You can color something different for me later.”

“Yeah…’cause I love him. More than you but I love GOD (said “gawd”) the BEST.”

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Later on the couch, Rowan was hooked up to the pump, filling his tank, and Wheaton reached his foot over to stroke his head with his toes.

“Don’t do that while he’s getting his milk okay?”

“Momma? Who growed you?” he asked.

“Grandma did!”

“Oh. She had babies?”

“Yes…..”

“Well, and you growed me and baby-Rowey and Andrew and Celia and Clara and Daddy?”

“No. Nana grew Daddy.” I said.

“I thought Papa growed Daddy! But boys can’t grow babies! But Celia will. Will she grow another girl like her or a boy like Rowey?”

“I don’t know” (said chewing my lip, trying not to laugh).

“Who grew the lamp?”

“No one” I said. “Someone built that lamp.”

“Oh yeah…but God grew the plants right? ‘Cause God is inside us and everywhere and he helps us do stuff but he’s INVISIBLE! I think I’m going to chase after Andrew and Celia.”

And off he went. It’s so neat to see how his mind works. Five is such a fun, fun age.

Have you been to Target lately? In the mens’s section? Here’s what Celia thinks:

“Mom? Do you know what’s Dumb?”

“No…what’s dumb?”

“Men who wear cartoon underwear. Those should only come in SMALL sizes. Who wants a man in Sponge Bob?”

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Watching Georgia spank the Vols today, she had this observation to offer:

“All the Georgia football boys have dark skin because it’s so hot there.”

Ahem. Not long after, came this:

“Hey! The Tennesee Cheerleaders are MODEST! Every way they turn, you can’t see thier bellies!”

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Last week we went hiking on the Foothills Parkway up to Look Rock. It’s not a long hike at all and paved all the way. Still, she lagged behind. I kept stopping to call her on.

“Mom! Even though it’s in the middle of the woods I still have to look good!”

Said as she rearranged her sweater around her hips for the millionth time.

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That’s our girl! Changing fast with all the drama to prove it. She puts a different spin on things that would totally get missed if we only had boys around. She won’t be a little girl much longer, if the signs are to be beleived. Tough as brick yet still in slims, she’s the best of swedish stock. She’ll charm you or knock your lights out.

Last week she was getting loose teeth again. At the tiniest wiggle she runs to Daddy to yank it out! Ready or not! She wants to see the blank space! Not afraid of blood or pain. A blur on the soccer field (when she’s not hanging out in the goal box checking her nails)…this kid’s amazing.

Last night’s sky was just one to breathe through. Amazing. It was the edge of the front, the back edge, as it had passed over us yesterday. The edge of the cloud line was visible, with light reflected on the bottoms of the horizontal lines. Above were lane upon lane of blue and grey clouds with black night behind. It was a BIG sky…one that made me feel like I was seeing where it came from. Because with a front, it’s a sky that’s traveled. I’ve never seen the Canadian Rockies or the Dakotas but this sky had. It blew over us like the flocks of geese do, telling a tale to anyone who will stop and listen. Crazy Beautiful.

The baby learned to make “ba ba ba” noises with his little curled tongue. He’s almost walking, pushing anything that will move like a walking-toy. He points at Daddy and hugs his neck. His world is opening up beyond me; it’s both a joy and a sadness. More Crazy Beautiful.

I had a great phone call with a friend, one who is getting closer as we live farther apart. Life is funny that way sometimes. Sometimes the “life clutter” just needs to move on out of the way so we can see what’s underneath.

We had a section of our day set aside for quiet reading time, all in our own corners. Celia was on the couch, tapping her foot to the “dum, dum, whir” rythm of the dishwasher, and lost in her book. Seeing your kids become literate before your very eyes is one of the greatest highs in life.

Best friend went out early this morning for coffee, and closed the bedroom door to the early noise so I could get some more sleep. What a sweet gift for a friday! The little things can make such a huge difference. God is in the details, so they say.

Cleaning, shopping, living. That’s our day today. A much-loved ritual in the week, to be savored and enjoyed through the sweat and effort of it all. Life is these moments. They are Crazy Beautiful if we just slow down and notice.