He Sleeps

And he sleeps...

 

but when he doesn't...

 

"Can I help you, mommy?

I'm going to build a trap for strangers, okay, mommy?

Can we cook cupcakes?

Will you help me load up this wood so we can build a pier?

What does this do?

Can I help you cook that?

Can I lick the sugar?

I'm not sleepy.

Where is sister?

Let's race!

Can we get in the pool?

Can I help fold clothes?

I'll carry that.

I'm not sleepy.

Mommy, can I write checks?

Mommy, can you write a check for cow feed?

Will you help me feed the chickens?

Can I get the eggs?

I need a shovel.

Can you help me dig the hole?

Let's make cement.  How much do you need?

I'm not sleepy.

Can I rub your fingernail?  Will you get my chocolate milk?"

Rub, rub, drink, drink...sleep.

She's Claiming Space

This is the sign she made for her bedroom door.  Just below it is a calendar she marks everyday--herself. 

Why?  I ponder what it means.

She says it lists all of her favorite things - in her best, bored, I-cant-believe-you-do-not-know-the-answer-to-this-mom voice.

"My favorite color- Pink."
"My favorite animals - Dogs and Cats."
"My favorite...thing to do - Play"  (you have to pause, because she did--in that um-why-did-I-put-that-on-there way)

She stands and looks at it.  Then, grabs her black marker off her dresser and begins marking on her calendar.  I say nothing about the fact that she used packaging tape to hang her signs on her door.  After all, she's just claiming her space...making her way...saying "hey, here I am."  And, I want her to know who she is and at 6, I think that's a pretty cool time to start.

The Day and the Lily

When I saw this...

I knew it was going to be a special day.

Call it a sign.  Call it a gift from God.

Either way, the first daylily bloomed today in my garden. 

And it made me smile.

It made me look forward to...something.

And I was right.

It was a sign from God.

A "hello" from heaven.

I got to watch relationships build, a circle tighten, and see a small part of God's carefully laid plan. 

I got to be a part.

Heck, I got to deliver the good news. 

I got to make the calls.  I got to send the e-mail.

I got to say, "YOU are not going to believe this!"

Here's to my friends and here's to possiblity on Memorial Day.

Here's to America, the land of the free.  The home of the brave.

You are free to do this and you are BRAVE to do this.  Go get it, girl!

These Kids

These I open my home to.
I watch them grow and I wonder how long they'll call me E-e.

"We want a snack!" they whine.

 

I frown.  "In a minute."

 

Sixty seconds pass.  "We want a snack!"

 

I growl.  "I thought I was relaxing."

 

She smiles at me.

I sigh and get up.

The snack comes.

More smiles.

They play.

Brown hair.  Blonde hair.  Brown eyes.  Blue eyes.

 

Kool-aid.

 

"E-e."  It won't last long.