Remembering Ed

Jonathan, Anna and Poppa Ed, Summer 2007.
This was when Ed laid some cement with one of his grandsons, in the middle of the day in the middle of the summer. In Florida. We gave him this washcloth to try and cool him down, and Jonathan and Anna thought it was funny.
Anna was a princess as a baby. Her feet almost never touched the ground. Ed carried her around a lot. I am glad she was always so light and dainty. 2006.
Ed was always learning. He learned to quilt. 2006
2006, Anna and Poppa.
Anna and Poppa Ed, Fall 2006
Trystan and Poppa Ed, 2005
Jonathan taking a nap with Poppa, Easter 2004
Justine and Poppa Ed, Christmas 2003
Ed holding Jonathan in the hospital, October 2003
Ed, , me and my Mom at my college graduation, May 2003. I was pregnant with Jonathan.
Justine and Poppa Ed 2002.

Last year, on this date, February 28th, my stepdad Ed and my kids' beloved Poppa left this world and went to heaven. I always see those stickers that say Rest in Peace... and I think that is definitely not what Ed is doing in heaven. He always wanted to be busy and useful. He was one of those people that squeezed every last bit out of his life. I think a lot of us leave the world with so much left that we could have done, but when Ed finally let go and went to Jesus, every last bit of what he had to give, he had given. Like a tube of toothpaste, entirely emptied out, not a drop wasted. Ed wasn't just a stepdad to me. You know that country song, that goes, I hope I'm at least half the dad, that he didn't have to be? That's how it was with Ed. He didn't have to be such a strong presence in Jonathan and Anna's lives. He didn't have to be so caring. He didn't have to be so accepting and loving of me and my kids. But he was. And when he left this world, he left a huge hole in our lives, because he had filled up such a big space while he was here. I miss him all the time, and I know my kids still do, because they still talk about him. Anna told me the other day that she was sad that we could never see Poppa, but that she was happy that he was in heaven, and that she knew he was "doing lots of work up there." She told me that he was happy because God gave him lots of work to do. She said, "but we can never drive there, because God-World is a million miles away."
I am grateful that we knew Ed for all the years we did. I am grateful to his family, his children and grandchildren, for sharing him with us so graciously. I am grateful that he was at my wedding, my college graduation, the births of Anna and Jonathan. He was always happy to see the kids, even if it was every single day. He was always willing to help take care of the Trystan and Jonathan and Anna when they were babies. He loved feeding them bottles. He taught Jonathan a lot, and made a big impact on him during his formative years. He always expected a lot of him, and it made Jonathan stronger and smarter. He always told Jonathan that it was his job to protect his sister because he was the big brother. He always let Jonathan "help" him work. Jonathan loved to just be around him and watch him. Whenever anything broke, Jonathan told me he wanted to take it to Poppa, because Poppa was "good at fixing stuff." He always took time to take them out on walks, pushing them in their strollers. He always pushed Anna so high in the swings at the park. She always said "Higher!" He would tell her he was going to push her to the moon. I think she got some of her fearlessness from him.
At Ed's funeral, there were three separate eulogies given, one by the pastor, and one from each of his sons. Others shared memories of him also. Yet there was still so much to say... Ed was not someone you could easily sum up. He had a big life, and had many adventures. He overcame so much to become who he was. He was a fighter until the end. I remember him today, not the way he was in his last few weeks, but the way he always was: vibrant and strong, and busy and brave.

Anna

Anna's hair on Wednesday morning before school. I found this magical stuff you rub into your hair overnight. It is from Loreal, and I bought it for myself, but it works wonders on Anna's hair. She woke up and her hair was smooth. I just brushed through it quickly, and pinned the front back. The stuff was sort of expensive, but her hair only takes a pea sized amount and at this point, it is like peace at any cost.
OK, so the stuff isn't that magical... She still looks pretty grumpy here. It doesn't help that I neglected to fix the red eye before uploading this picture. She was mad about her "parkly and cratchy" (sparkly and scratchy) shirt. I guess the threads in the silver stripes are itchy? She is very sensitive about her clothing. Both of our kids have some sensory issues. They get it from DADDY.
Anna got this paper doll set from my brother and his wife. She is supposed to put the clothes on the paper dolls, but she likes to draw her own people instead and tape the clothing onto her artwork. She is holding it upside down in this picture. Now, what I would like to know, is why do these picture people get clothes, but Flat Stanley that we mailed to Grandma Jane in Kentucky gets NO clothes? Instead he got a penis drawn on him. She decorated him, and I made the mistake of pointing in between his legs, and saying, "What's that?" She rolled her eyes, and said, "That is Flat Stanley's PENIS, Mama!" I think Grandma Jane would have figured out that Stanley was a boy, by his name. I don't think she needed him to be anatomically correct.

I just went in to check on Anna, and I noticed she had something in her mouth. I reached and pulled it out, and was mildly horrified when I kept pulling and pulling out this long strip of paper towel she had wadded up in her mouth. I said, "Anna! Why in the world would you put paper towels in your mouth? You aren't a baby anymore!" She said, "But Mama! My mouth was too minty!" It has been Dental Health week at Jonathan's school so he keeps bringing toothpaste and toothbrushes home. Both of them are really into brushing their teeth now. Like, seven times a day. Strangely, the toothpaste they send home is not kiddy flavor.... it is real mint Crest. So I guess she was using the paper towel to wipe her mouth out and absorb the minty.

Jonathan is playing his old Gameboy Advance that Jacob gave to him. Jonathan is going through a Mario/Luigi obsession. I am not looking forward to the first time he falls "in love" with a girl. Whenever Jonathan likes something, he becomes consumed by it. That is all he can talk about, think about. His entire wall in his room is covered with huge depictions of different Mario maps and levels. Anyways, he is playing his old Gameboy, which has a really dim screen. I was trying to help him out by wiping it off because it was all smudgy. He saw that I was using Anna's blanket, and he said, "Mama! That's Anna's blanket!" I said, "Oh don't worry, she won't mind." But his concern was not for the blanket but for his Gameboy: "Oh, gross! You got her nakedness all over my Gameboy!" I guess he considers her blanket contaminated by Anna germs.

Back with Buttercup

Jonathan got to ride Buttercup again today. Last week he rode Susie, and she was sweet but he really missed Buttercup. He was happy to see her again today. I didn't have my camera but a First Friends friend showed up for her daughter's lesson and let me use her camera!

Jonathan's Words

Crying last night (in anticipation of having to go to school):
I wish school had never been invented!
I just want to be house-schooled.

This AM, on the way to school, to Anna:
I hope you get my teacher when you get to Kindergarten.
Then you'll see what it is like to do work all day long.

Getting in the car to come home today:
NO, I didn't have a good day today. Didn't you hear me say I did a Jog-a-thon? They made us go for TWO hours. OF COURSE I didn't have a good day.

This afternoon, as he did his math homework (using manipulatives to complete addition number sentences, 2+0=2, etc):
This is disgusting.
I don't like doing math with beans.
(They were dried beans. He acts like I opened a can of juicy kidney beans and plopped some down on the table for him to work with.)

Cowboy Jon

Jonathan went to his second riding lesson today. He was a little bummed that he did not get to ride the regular horse, Buttercup, but a miniature horse named Suzy instead. He really prefers Buttercup to the little horse, but he thought she was a nice horse too.

Today his teacher let go of the lead and let Jon go by himself for a little while. Jon really likes taking care of the horse before and after he rides. I think his favorite part is using the hoof pick.

Why am I the only one?

Jonathan: Mama?
Me: Yes?

Jonathan: Why am I the only one in this family whose legs hurt all the time?
And why am I the only one in this family who has a sideways leg?

Me: Um, I really don't know, buddy.

He walked away into Anna's room, and I stalled for a minute, thinking, "Oh, Lord, what am I supposed to say?"
Then I followed him. He was standing in Anna's room, pulling at the bottom of his shirt and rocking back and forth on his legs like he does when he is upset, about to cry.

I said, "Jon, Mama's sorry, I wish I knew why your leg hurt and Daddy and I both wish we could make it better. There are lots of things about you that are different and special, and your leg is just one of them."

Jonathan said, "No. There are three things that make me different from this family.
The first one is that I have legs that hurt all the time.
The second is that one of my legs is sideways.
The third is that I DON'T like potatoes."

Sunday

I took these three pictures of us in the car after church yesterday. Anna was not ready for me taking her picture, so she couldn't put on one of her faces. I like this picture of her because of that. ~ I also didn't put on a face for my picture. This was just how I felt. After avoiding church for weeks and weeks, I had made it through an hour at church with a fake face on and managed to burst into tears only one time, so I was all out of posing energy by the time we got to the car.~ I love the picture of Jonathan because it caught him unaware, just thinking and holding his hands the way he often does when he is thinking. So here are 3 of the Dooligans 4. Dave was still inside church. Just imagine him sweaty, working hard, with a blue polo church shirt on. :)

Bedroom # 1, All Done!

Yesterday we finally got the bedroom done! New floors, new baseboards... I am so happy. And, I think, almost best of all, we were able to move our bedroom furniture out of the various rooms we had moved it to back to our bedroom. It is so nice when you want to get dressed to only have to go to one room, instead of three.
Next, we will start on Bubba's room. He asked if we could hurry up and give him wood floors because he can make better Lego explosions on hard floors than his carpet. Then, eventually, Anna's room.

Accomplishments

Anna did her own hair yesterday. She used many barrettes. She was very proud of her hairdo. She also styled the hair of several My Little Ponies. I am hoping she will get better at doing her hair, and also choose a more socially appropriate number of barrettes, and this will end our long battle over her hair. She can do it herself, and I will be just fine with that! With Anna, we have learned that every little bit of independence she can gain reduces the amount of strife between us.
Jonathan made this space ship. He asked if we could take a picture of him with it so he could send it into the Lego magazine. I always tell him, you can make stuff just as good as these kids! I really appreciate that Lego selects entries that look like something a kid could actually make, and not an exact replica of the Empire State Building or something. So we submitted this photo! We will have to see.
Also, yesterday, for the first time, the kids worked together to clean the gerbil cage all by themselves! Very proud of them. That was definitely a big accomplishment! I couldn't do it because my neck was hurting... but the stench was starting to overwhelm us. So I decided to see if the kids could do it, and they could!
Biscuit almost accomplished a longstanding goal yesterday. I left the top of the cage off and he almost got one of the gerbils. I am not sure if he really wants to kill them, or what. I can't imagine a sweet little shi tzu like him being that vicious.
David got a lot accomplished yesterday. He finished the flooring in our bedroom! Like I said yesterday, now we just need to go get the baseboards and get those on. We can move all the furniture back to our bedroom. It will literally double our living area when that furniture goes back into our room. I will be much happier. All of this inappropriately placed and half- assembled furniture is making me really nervous. Plus we are keeping all of the flooring inside the house. So there are boxes of laminate and other materials taking up space. I feel like all of the stuff in our house is closing in on me...Anyways, focus, Jamie, FOCUS! I was trying to talk about our accomplishments!

Sunday

I've started signing my name in e-mails as JamieD. I always signed it Jamie D. but now I just sign JamieD, or sometimes even Jamied. To me, this looks like the past tense form of my name. Like if you add -ed to a verb, it makes it past tense. Except for, of course, my name is a noun and not a verb. Could Jamie be a verb? What would it mean if it were? She jamied and made everyone late. Or, Everyone got sick of her constant jamieing and stopped listening when she complained.

Also, my kids are still both coughing. Horrible sounding coughs. This means that I can't sleep. I can't sleep while they cough. Even though I know they are basically okay, I am always afraid something terrible will happen and I will lose one of them overnight. I have had this specific fear since both of them were born. I don't know if it is just that irrational nighttime anxiety that sets in when it is dark outside. I was always really scared of SIDs. I remember I used to stay up holding Anna and watch her breathe, and I used to walk in and put my hand on Jonathan's chest to make sure he was still breathing. This would usually wake him up. Whenever I hear one of their bad coughing bouts start, I wake up. Partially this is because coughing fits are often a precursor to vomiting, so I want to be prepared to help them. Anyways, not sleeping well at all. My neck is still really bad. I don't know what in the world I did to it. I might go to the chiropractor, but I don't even think I could be adjusted because my muscles are too tight right now. Maybe massage therapy would be a more likely help. Right now I am just keeping up with the ice packs and heat and lots of Advil. I am concerned about how I will get through the next few days of work and the thyroid scan. I am afraid it will hurt my neck while they scan.

Today is Super Bowl Sunday. Not only do I not care who wins, I did not realize this was even Super Bowl Sunday. I had planned to order some Papa John's for dinner tonight with a coupon, and of course ordering pizza on Super Bowl Sunday is out of the question. I also scheduled an assessment for work this afternoon because I won't have any time this week between my regular hours and my doctor's tests and other commitments we have. Jonathan starts horseback this Thursday. I need to get him a bike helmet between now and then (and he really is supposed to have one anyways). He is difficult to fit for a bike helmet because of his head circumference.

Last night my Dad mentioned something was leaking in the garage. We thought it was a bath rug we had washed and let drip dry. But nope... it turns out the water heater has a catastrophic leak. We will have to get a new one tomorrow, and also call a plumber out to come and install it. The funny thing is, I can't remember that we don't have hot water. I keep trying to turn it on! How many times will it take for me to learn? I do this during power outings also. I keep flipping that light switch. We just come to expect certain things.

I had the most unusual time at my appointment this afternoon. One of the kids I was supposed to assess said that he refused to take the test. He was quite belligerent. I was not really impressed by his swearing. I just didn't react, but when he refused to take the test, I had no idea what to do. Eventually, I got him to take the test and I left. I also had some major difficulties communicating with the guardian. I think she thought I was trying to trick her into signing a contract to pay us, and also, I am not sure she understood what kind of agency I was from. There was a language barrier. It was a very odd appointment. Of course, she probably thought I was a stiff necked weirdo. I am having to hold my neck in a way that makes me look really weird.

We have groceries in the house again. My Mom went grocery shopping for me this afternoon. That was really sweet of her. I can't manage groceries right now. She had just worked her 24 hour shift doing home health care. She got a job working Saturday 8 am to Sunday 8 am, and Monday 8 am until Tuesday 8 am. She gets to sleep during part of her shift but not very much and not very well. It is a very physical job, not the type of home health care where you mostly sit. I know she must have been really tired and it was very sweet of her to go and get us food.

I have been cyber-stalking this purse I want on Macys.com. I had a credit from a return I made around Christmas, and the purse was on sale. I was going to order it off line, but it seemed dumb to pay 10 bucks shipping when the purse was available right down the street at Macy's. I went in to the store, and found the purse I was going to order off line. And guess what? I didn't like it when I saw it in person. So I found a purse from the same line that I liked better, also on sale, even cheaper. THEN the saleswoman gave me a 15 percent discount as part of their Wear Red day (even though I wasn't even wearing any red). So I got a super deal! I LOVE my new purse.

Another bright spot in our weekend was that we got to go to the Brevard Symphony Orchestra. One of Dave's high school friends is in the orchestra and he met us outside and gave us cheap tickets. We really enjoyed the concert. We are hoping to get extra tickets next month and possibly take Jonathan and Justine along. I am not sure if Anna would be able to sit and listen to music that long (I have a hard enough time).

Also, Dave finished the flooring in our bedroom today! Now we just have to get the new baseboards and get them put up, and the room will finally be all done. After we deal with our lack of hot water problem, of course. And then we will start in on Jonathan's room. I CAN'T WAIT to be carpet free!

Right now we are watching this creepy movie called Moon. I don't want to watch it but I can't stop. It is really creepy... And kind of sad. Sort of a good movie. The plot seemed a little too predictable to me after a certain point in the movie.

Jonathan will have to miss school on Monday. He has a fever and a bad cough. I think this is a good reason to keep my child home, correct? I am also thinking of scheduling a conference with his teacher next week. Maybe instead of blog-bashing her, I should talk to her in person about my concerns. Hmmm. Dealing with a problem directly, like a real grown-up? I dunno.

"The Best Day Ever"

Jonathan had to go back to Arnold Palmer yesterday. He had his MRI of his right foot taken on Wednesday and the radiologist here in town called the doctor over in Orlando because he had a stress fracture. I checked Jonathan out of school. I went there to eat lunch with him anyways, and got the call to come over for the appointment on my way in. I told his teacher that I would be checking him out early because his MRI showed a fracture on his foot. She responded with: Well, I am concerned he won't be ready for first grade because he is missing all this school. He is out SO much but I tested him on his sight words this morning, and he did okay, so maybe he will be ready for first grade.
I was completely taken aback. What do you say to this? Remember back when he had the bad virus that made him completely lose his voice for an entire week, and she kept telling me to just make sure he was practicing his sight words? And I was like, um, HOW! He CAN'T speak.
So yesterday, I responded with this: Well, we sort of have to take care of these things.
Ummm, I am SO sorry that my child misses school for doctor's appointments, physical therapy, MRIs, swine flu outbreaks, laryngitis, pink eye, etc. Every single absence has been legit. Also, Jonathan is producing COPIOUS amounts of above-level work every week in reading and math. There is no way and no how I will ever agree that he is not ready for first grade. He is writing, reading, and computing/reasoning very well. He is doing fine socially, he is following all the rules. Not ready for first grade, my boo-tay.
I was already upset with her when I walked in the door because of the bullying incident that took place on Thursday. A few boys started hitting Jonathan with balls on his back and in his face during recess, when he was supposedly under his teacher's supervision. One boy struck him in the face with a ball, and Jonathan's nose started bleeding. It continued to bleed for the rest of recess. Did I receive a copy of a clinic pass? NO. Did I receive a copy of an incident report? NO. Jonathan told me that his teacher told him to just hold his nose and not to pick at it. My child was struck in the face by another child and was not even afforded the common decency of a friggin tissue when his nose started bleeding. The only reason I knew about this was that I noticed Jonathan's nose looked swollen and there was some dried blood inside his nostrils, and there was blood on his shirt sleeve. I should not have to play CSI to find out that my kid had a bloody nose at school. I don't give a damn if it just starts bleeding on his own, he should be sent to the clinic, and I should have some documentation in his backpack that he went to the clinic. My primary job as his parent is to keep him safe. I can't be at school with him. That is why I expect certain procedures to be followed. I expect attention to be paid. I expect communication. I am VERY angry about this. I understand that boys will be boys but this was NOT handled appropriately AT ALL.
Anyways, it is Friday, and I am checking him out of school to take him over to Orlando to see about his fracture, heaven forbid he lose that crucial instructional time. He may never recover. He may never reach his full potential as a human being because of this. Kindergarten is just that serious. As we walk out of school, Jonathan tells me that he is so happy that his wish has come true. He wanted me to come and check him out of school. (Every night lately he has asked me to "houseschool" him and every morning lately he is tearful and asks me if I can just come and work at his school. This breaks my heart.) I told Jonathan he may have a broken bone in his foot, and he is cheerful about this. He is just very glad to have broken out of the big house. We go pick up Anna and meet Daddy at home and get on our way to the appointment.
First we saw the nurse practioner, who was very kind. Then we saw the pediatric orthopaedist, who was not very kind. He was short and terse and impatient with us, and I think he is well-qualified and perhaps was just having a very bad day, since he was very nice last time we saw him. But, the way he treated us this time caused me to fantasize about ripping his bad toupee off his head and stomping on it. Basically he told us Jonathan has mild cerebral palsy, underlying neurological issues that cause contracture in his heel cords and hamstrings, make him walk badly, his right foot is deformed, all of the above screws up the way he walks, causing pain and limping, and now, a stress fracture on one of the weight-bearing bones in his right foot. Literally his foot deformity is inflaming the bone and causing a stress fracture to show up on the MRI. Last time we visited him, about a month ago, he ordered the MRI to rule out tarsal coalition, and said he didn't think Jonathan's problems were neurological in nature. So of course, I questioned him when he brought up cerebral palsy this time... Then he snapped at me, Isn't that what we've been saying this whole time?
Ummm, yeah, I guess SO. I guess that diagnosis was made back in 2006. But we have had various professionals involved in his care vacillitate between a neurological vs. a biomechanical root of all of his problems. Is it any wonder that I am freaking confused? And the bottom line is this: I don't really give a rat's ass if it is neurological in nature. I am not afraid or ashamed of the term cerebral palsy. If that is the diagnosis we go for in order to get Jonathan whatever help we can get him, then so be it. Whatever any doctor says, I know my child. He is bright and capable and will go far in life. I am just sick of all of the indecision and wishy-washiness. I feel like we have been jerked around for 4 years now, and meanwhile, my child has suffered.
The doctor said, We are never going to have answers to your questions.
Well, no freaking crap. But the reason we came to YOU was to get a SECOND OPINION. We have exhausted our options here in our county and we came to him on the advice of our pediatrician.
What does any of this even mean? Basically, nothing... we are just going to take some measures to help with his symptoms. Stretches every day, Advil when necessary, taking calcium and vitamin D supplements, limiting physical activity when symptoms are bad, wearing supportive shoes with cushy inserts, and follow up in 2 months. There is a surgery they can do to lengthen one of the bones in his foot and try to alleviate pressure on the inflamed bone, but we aren't there yet. It would involve general anesthesia, which I am not too keen on. Casts for 6 months. And I am pretty sure, that knowing Jonathan, it would funk up his other leg because of the way he would compensate in his walking, and we would probably wind up in a mess with his other foot.
We left the office. I was in tears, crying on the phone to my Mom. The weather was horrible, tornado warnings, rush hour traffic in downtown Orlando on Friday. We checked into a hotel. Jonathan was thrilled. The kids LOVE to stay at a hotel. This one was really nice, and right near Downtown Disney. We got takeout for dinner and had a relaxing evening. Then Jonathan woke up in the middle of the night with the same horrible coughing that has kept Anna on nebs all week, and a raging fever. Thankfully we had both Tylenol and the nebulizer and meds there. We were up about an hour. He was really scared because he couldn't breathe well, and of course everything is worse at 2 in the morning. Then this morning, I woke up and somehow immediately wrenched my neck. I have been alternating between heat and ice all day and can't turn my neck at all. I can turn it a little to the left but not at all to the right. It is completely locked up. I am having to hold my neck in a way that totally makes my double chin worse. Really not happy. I have been taking Advil and Alleve. It is awful. I am so mad because we are going to the BSO tonight, and I was so looking forward to getting all dressed up with Dave and having a nice night out. But now my neck hurts and I can't turn it.
But, according to Jonathan, today has been the best day ever. Because we got to stay in a hotel, and we went to Downtown Disney. He got to go to the Lego store, Anna to the Princess store. They were both happy campers. So what lesson can we learn from this all? That money can bring happiness? Or at least a temporary distraction from all of our other woes?

Worry

I won't get into any major details (okay, I will ramble on and on because I don't know how to be concise), but I have to go get a scan of my thyroid on Monday. At first, I was more annoyed when they ordered the test because I really wanted to work Monday. Now that I have more details, I just want to hurry up and get the scan over with so I can know what's going on. Lately I have been having some trouble swallowing... it feels like the muscles in my throat are swollen or something. I never mentioned it to the doctor (because I was distracted by my neverending headaches and it didn't seem important.) I got a thyroid ultrasound this week because the doctor felt something during my physical exam, and then the ultrasound showed some enlargement and a nodule on my thyroid. I went back to the doctor today and he explained that depending on how the nodule shows up on the scan, I may or may not have to have it biopsied. Depending on the results of the biopsy, I could be looking at surgery and other treatments. So I am sort of worried. Not too worried, but a little bit.
Also, I have a new doctor. I met with him today for about an hour and I really like him a lot. I am firing my other doctors. (I am sure they really care, right? I hope they find the strength to carry on without me as their patient!) Some changes in my medicines, and he also ordered an MRI of my brain, an echocardiogram of my heart, and a sleep study. I think I got the sleep study partially because he was a little interested in my sleep-eating problem. Plus a whole slew of blood tests. I am sure some of you may have noticed my near constant complaints... been having *some* headaches and fatigue, problems with my vision, and rushing sound in my left ear, and other issues lately. Hopefully some of these tests may provide some sort of solution. But this is what I was saying on here about two years ago... So probably not. But I feel that at least I found a decent doctor. Dave went with me to my appointment and really liked him and felt confident in his opinions also. Anyways, this week I am worried about my thyroid. Last week, I had never given a second thought to my thyroid. Hopefully, by next week, I will return to not worrying about my thyroid. Then I will move on to worrying about my MRI results. I've got to have something to worry about or I'm just not right. What would occupy that mental space if I just stopped worrying? How would I expend my energy? What would motivate me to bite my nails? See, I have to be grateful for all of these new worrying topics that keep coming my way. Life is full of inspiration to fuel my anxiety.

Sweetness

This is why I love my husband... Anna had to have her nebulizer tonight. I was doing homework with Jonathan and I walked in on this scene when we finished. Dave played Dora Candyland with her during her treatment, and even let her teddy bear have his own game piece and his own turns. How smart of a distraction was that? Anna won the game.

Giddy-up!!!

Jonathan is going to start horseback riding lessons! A week from today. I am very excited about this. I had been thinking of it for a while. I asked Jonathan the other day, "Hey, buddy, how would you like to take horseback riding lessons?" His reply: "What, so I can fall off the horse and DIE?"
I was in a very mature and together parenting mood... so I answered: "Mommy will have to pay a lot of money for these lessons. Do you think I would pay money if there was a chance you might DIE?"
He thought this was a very satisfactory answer and agreed to try a few lessons. Just a note: I am not a horse person. I don't like being outside. I don't like the smell of manure. I don't like hay. I am not signing him up for my own enjoyment, trust me. But I know I will get a lot of joy out of it... think of the photo ops of him on the horse! Really, I think it could be a great learning opportunity/confidence builder for him. I am excited for him to start.
Jonathan had five dollars that he earned for taking care of Mutton and Biscuit. He put it in his backpack because he said they were collecting money for the earthquake people in Haiti. I put it in an envelope and put Money for Haiti on the front with a question mark (?). (I have learned that you can never really trust kids to give you an accurate account of anything.) He told me that he wanted to give his money to help the earthquake people. I found out today that they were colllecting pennies for Haiti, to go towards the Red Cross. So we went a little above and beyond what they were asking for, but I am very proud of him for having a giving heart and being willing to part with his money.
On Saturday, I took Anna to Target, and we purchased some items to go in care packages that a local church was gathering to ship to Haiti. As I pushed her around the store, trying to find the gauze and the T-shirts and the washclothes and the other items, we were having quite a conversation about the situation in Haiti. We talked about it the whole time, and I explained the need for each item as I put it in the cart. She was asking questions, nodding her head... I thought, Wow, what a great learning opportunity this is for her. She even helped me sort out the items and put them into individual Ziploc bags when we got home. Then, as she was walking away to go play, I mentioned something about the donations, and she turned around, with this totally baffled look on her face, and said, "WHAT are you talking about?" I replied, "You know, we are getting this stuff together to help the people that were hurt by the earthquake." Blank stare. "Mama, I have NOT idea what you are talking about!" Well, there you go. That was some productive parenting time!

Determination

A few weeks ago, Jonathan got this idea that he wanted to make his own popsicles. He wanted to buy some of the plastic forms at the grocery store (he had seen them before) but we couldn't find those. So he came up with this: pouring Gatorade into the ice-cube trays and sticking toothpicks in the Gatorade. He was happy that his experiment was a success. He helped Anna make a trayful last night of pink ones. He has plans to make some ice-cube popsicles with frozen berries inside. My kitchen is a little sticky from all of the clumsy Gatorade pouring, but I feel that this educational and delicious project is worth the mess.