a penny saved

On Sunday afternoon, Mother's Day, Benjamin swallowed a penny.

He came down from his bedroom, pretty panicked at first. Even after the penny had worked its way down his windpipe a bit, he was really agitated. Jeff was the first one "on the scene" and was wonderful. Very calm, he got Ben some bread to eat, hoping it would help ease the penny down, since it was clearly not going to come up.

Benjamin was extremely dubious. "But then it'll go into my stomach, and I might die!!" Jeff assured him that he would not die, but that the item in question would eventually be...(*cough*)...excreted. With this new information, Ben agreed to try the bread.

Meanwhile, Kyle calmly, and with great disinterest, says, "Excuse me, guys. Could you move? I need to get my milk." (the scene was being enacted in front of the refrigerator).

(Jeff's later interpretation of Kyle's attitude? "Aw, guys, you think this is dramatic? This is nothin'. Y'all are amateurs!" This seems pretty accurate, to me.)

So, the penny made its descent, and then Ben had some water to chase the bread down. We called the help line the doctor's office, just to make sure we'd covered all the bases. Ben was breathing fine, and he didn't seem to be experiencing any discomfort.

We were fairly certain that things would work out in the end.

You'd think that this scenario would be played out with the 3-year-old, or the orally-adventurous baby. But no, it was our experienced 6-year-old. Our oldest child was, fittingly enough, the first one to launch us into this situation.

Although he does tell us that it was Kyle who put the penny into his mouth. Kyle, for his part, claims he was trying to get the penny onto the bed, but the wind was too strong. Interesting.

Just one more investment which we're waiting to see work itself out...

he walks!

day by numbers - Monday edition

9:50 - time I received phone call about a house showing

11 to 12 - when they said they would be here

4 - times I encouraged the boys to finish up their schoolwork

2 - boys I sent upstairs to clean their room

3 - rooms I swept

4 - rooms I tidied

1 - basket of dirty laundry I hid behind the shower curtain

5 - times I pleaded with the boys to clean their room more quickly

11:00 - our departure time

12:15 - time we arrived back home after fetching eggs and milk, followed by my noticing that there was no business card to be found (he had specifically said he would leave his card!)

12:18 - time I called to make sure they had been here; nope, not yet.

30 - minutes until he thought they would arrive to see the house

3 - boys removed from their carseats

2 - boys given the job of entertaining Owen while I made a quick lunch

4 - lunches I prepared

2 - number of time Owen burst into tears during lunch preparation

10 - minutes to spare when we climbed into the van again

1 - picnic at the park

2 - minutes eating before someone had to use the Port-a-Potty

4 - lunches left on the picnic blanket while we scurried away

1 - biker who got into the Port-a-Potty just seconds ahead of us

3 - minutes pawing through my bag in search of hand sanitizer

12 - times I wondered just when I lost control of my day

30 - minutes playing at the park after we finished eating

1 - child crying when it was time to go

3 - boys upstairs in "quiet time"

1 - completely exhausted mama

Lord, come quickly!

"Not me!" Monday

Another Monday has arrived, and with it, another installment of MckMama's "Not me!" Monday. Please check out her blog over at My Charming Kids. She's an amazing blogger.

Last week, on the first day that the sun really considered shining, I did not agree to take the boys to Imagination Station. I surely knew that there would be wild herds of children there, regardless of whether or not public school has let out for the summer. Thus, I was not utterly dismayed to find the place utterly packed. If I didn't want a crowd, I would never head to Imagination Station.

Also, I certainly didn't call them to eat our picnic lunch after only five minutes of play time. There is no way that I was anywhere near having a heart attack for fear of losing one of my children. I never panic at that particular park, even if there are a hundred thousand nooks and crannies in which to lose track of one's children.

Definitely didn't consider it noteworthy that I left, two hours later, accompanied by the same number of children with which I arrived. I never leave feeling as though I survived that park by the skin of my teeth...

I'm always on the prowl for a cute photo opportunity, so I absolutely didn't leave my camera at home not once, but twice on Saturday. I planned to take those photos all week, so there is no way I'd forget the camera. Or be too proud to take photos for my blog with my cell phone. That would be just silly!

UPDATE: back in the saddle again

Yes, that's right. We are back in the saddle again, as they say. On Saturday morning we put our house back on the market. Our "buyers" do not seem to have a workable plan for the purchase of our home. We're sad to give up on the one party who's shown interest, and if they work something out, we'll be thrilled. But for now, we really needed to detach ourselves from them. Our house has been off the market for two months, and we don't have much to show for it. Only a mountain of boxes, emptied shelves, and blank walls. Oh, and a bucketful of dreams that are slowly fizzling out....

The really sad thing, for me (well, for all of us), is the likelihood that we'll lose the house we want to buy. If we can buy a new buyer quickly, we may not lose our claim on it. We'll get our earnest money back, but the money we've spend on the inspections and appraisal is likely gone. Unless God sends a buyer our way (ideally a cash buyer!!) quickly, and "our" house is still available when that happens.

So here we sit. House half emptied. A good share of bedroom furniture, photos, etc. in the garage waiting for the moving truck we didn't end up renting. And we have no idea when or if our situation will change. It's maddening. Frustrating. Depressing.

Yet strangely enough, I have a peace about me. When things were going downhill so quickly last week, I asked God to close the door if this wasn't his will for us. It seems that He may be doing just that. I don't have to like it, but I do trust Him. And if this isn't the right time, the right buyer, or the right place to move, then you know what? I wouldn't truly want it, anyway.

I don't know what He's doing. But He does, and that's good enough for me.

"Whatever You're doing inside of me
It feels like chaos but somehow there's peace
It's hard to surrender to what I can't see
but I'm giving in to something Heavenly"
~as recorded by Sanctus Real

mothers and motherhood

This morning I read a great post at Frugal Granola. It addressed the fact that Mother's Day can be a very difficult day for many people, for a variety of reasons. A strained relationship with one's mother, missing a mother, the loss of a child, infertility...

I was reminded me of the time when Jeff and I wondered if we might ever be able to have children. Early in our marriage we were excited and full of dreams at the thought of becoming parents. Yet after more than two years of trying to conceive, it began to seem as though that were the impossible dream. I began to feel extremely awkward when I heard people discuss starting a family. And on Mother's Day, I felt like the odd woman out. I didn't want to rain on anyone's parade, but I was uncertain, inexperienced, and out of place. Empty.

I am so thankful that those days are long gone. Indeed, the Lord opened my womb, and we've since been given three beautiful boys and a precious child in heaven. But I hope I will never forget what it's like to linger on the outside looking in. I never want to forget the pain of (even temporary) infertility, and the slow dying of a lifetime of dreams. There are many people out in the world who are walking paths of grief and loss. I hope someone reaches out to them today.

I have been blessed with a kind, loving mother. She is sweet, considerate, and a whole lot of fun. She worked hard to see that my brother and I had what we needed. And though she is the soul of meekness, she has never hesitated to shoot straight with me when I needed it. Thank you, Mama. I love you!

My husband has also been blessed with a wonderful mother...and thus, I am twice blessed. My mother-in-law is an angel, and she is so generous with her time. She's also a wonderful listener, and very pragmatic, which I appreciate so much! Jeff and I are so thankful for her. What a blessing.

When I became a mother, I had a only vague idea of what to expect. I suppose I expected everything to run fairly smoothly, from infancy on, with an eternally orderly home, and laundry that put itself away. Obviously, that was not to be. Here in my home, I am constantly engaged in a struggle for order, cleanliness, and being caught up on all aspects of laundry. So many times I lose the battle, yet I keep reaching toward my goals...

The thing that motherhood has done, is changed me. Whereas before I might have been prone to seek the most efficient way, now I search for the best way. And although we hear this next concept so often that it almost seems to be a cliche, motherhood has taught me the art of self-sacrifice. Not that I have "arrived," because it is definitely a process. Still, I don't know of any occupation that requires quite so much dying to self. And that, of course, is what Christ calls us to.

²²You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. Ephesians 4:22-24

Today, I'm so thankful for the two women who have mothered me. They've shown me what it means to put marriage first, to serve their families, and to be continually molded into the kind of women God calls us to be. Thank you, Moms.

And I'd also like to say "thank you" to my children. Without them I would never be able to experience this wild, sticky, incomparable ride. I love you guys!

market day

Today marked the return of our local Farmers' Market; and there was much rejoicing! It was so good to be back again! We made a family outing of it this morning, and came home with quite the bounty.

I had been curious to see what we might find today. I've never really paid much attention before to eating seasonally (and locally), but we've been trying to do that as much as we can. There was the expected asparagus, and we also bought spinach, green onions, apples, and pears. We also stocked upon raw, local honey ~ and the boys always love to have honey sticks!

(No, the apples and pears didn't make it into the photo. Feel free to use your imagination.)
I also bought a candle for my secret sister at church (who, I trust, doesn't read this blog!!) and some body wash for myself.

Last, but certainly not least, we bought a few pounds of wonderful, grass-fed beef. I love it!

I'm greatly looking forward to the next few months, to discover (and buy) more foods which the seasons provide in this part of the country. Eating locally/seasonally is something that's become really important to me. I'm planning to share more about that in the future, but for now, let's just say I'm thrilled to have the Farmers' Market back in swing again!