Two Places at Once

We had so much going on this past weekend we had to divide and conquer.

A VISIT TO CAMDEN. Pauline's 55 year high school class reunion was held on Saturday afternoon. Vicki and Nate took her. They left Saturday morning and after dropping Pauline off at the reunion they hooked up with Becky for a visit. Later they visited several relatives before settling down at the hotel for the evening. On Sunday they attended their former church, Sandy Point. They had a really good time away but I think they were as glad to get home as we were to see them.

ON THE HOME FRONT. Jenna, Ben and I decided not to make the trip to Camden because their last soccer games of the season were on Saturday. This included a cook out (Jenna called it a "bake out") and pool party at the YMCA. Jenna is ready to play soccer in the fall. Ben is glad the season is over.

On the way home we stopped at Kenny's to pick some strawberries. The kids wanted strawberry juice. I don't know how to make that. I don't even like strawberries. Needless to say, my concoction got poor reviews. They also wanted to make cookies--made in the Easy Bake Oven. The bad thing about those ovens is that you can only bake one cookie at a time. After 40 minutes I was really glad the recipe only made four cookies.

YOU MEAN WE'RE EATING THAT! One morning Vicki toasted some frozen waffles for the kids' breakfast. While eating Jenna innocently asked, "Mommy, what is syrup made of?" So, Vicki picked up the syrup bottle and read the list of ingredients. When she looked up from reading Jenna and Ben had stopped eating and were staring at her with a look of bewildered disbelief. Their faces made her crack up and she can still see Ben's expression.

ABOUT BEN'S DAY. It is really good to have Pauline next door. Yesterday Jenna had a dental appointment and Vicki needed to make a major trip to Wal-Mart. She left the boys with Pauline. That night we were eating supper and telling about our day. When Ben was asked what he and Nate did at Pauline's he said, "Oh, we played with our trucks and ate a lot." Later we talked to Pauline and she agreed with Ben's recount of the day saying that they played well together, didn't watch too much TV and actually ate a lot of sweet potatoes.

OKLAHOMA! I meant to write this in the last edition but it completely slipped my mind. The drama club at East Robertson High School performed the musical Oklahoma! the weekend before and Vicki, Mom and I went. I wanted to mention it because they all did a really good job but especially because of our neighbor, Aimee Hendley, who landed the leading role of Laurie. Aimee has a beautiful voice and sang very well.

Aimee is also legally blind. She attended the Tennessee School for the Blind until this year when she came back to East Robertson because she wanted to do her senior year here. She completely embraced school life and even went to the prom a few weeks ago. She is going to attend Vol State in the fall and after Oklahoma! plans to take classes in music and theatre. You go Aimee!

WELCOME HOME. This news is also little late. I reported a few weeks ago that Brian and Melissa Whaley had left for India to pick up their new daughter. I am glad to report they are back home in North Carolina with Morgan now. From the pictures she is a beautiful little girl and they look like a really happy family. We are so glad y'all are back home safe and sound.

BY THE WAY. We rented National Treasure and watched it tonight. If you are looking for a good movie to watch you should definitely put this on your list. It was clean and fun. There was some violence, but hey, it's about a treasure hunt.

Joe

SCHOOL'S OUT!

Jenna has been counting down the days. Today she left home a first grader and came home a second grader!

SPEAKING OF SCHOOL, Jenna was blessed to have Vicki Rippy for her teacher this year. It was a great year and Mrs. Rippy made each child a wonderful "Memory Book." There were over 20 pictures of Jenna in various activities throughout the year. We will treasure it! (By the way, Jenna grew 0.5 inches and gained 10 lbs.)

CONGRATULATIONS TO BETH! Beth Keith, my cousin, graduated tonight. I didn't get to go to the graduation but went to the party at their house around 9:00. She is very happy is thinking about college in the fall. She is the last of Lynn and Alice's kids to graduate. I envy them around 8:00 every night. At least bedtime won't have to be enforced as strictly for about 11 weeks.

AIRPLANES AND KIDS. There is something fascinating about airplanes to children. I can't blame them, they fascinate me. Actually, anything that flies captures my imagination. I remember working in the tobacco patch with Will Ed Osborne one day when the Goodyear blimp flew over. For no really good reason we stopped what we were doing, hopped in the truck and chased it as far as Milldale. It doesn't matter how slow those things go. Those of us in a ground bound vehicle simply couldn't keep up because we didn't keep the same course. I have digressed.

One of the most memorable moments of this year's soccer season (which ends tomorrow) was when all the kids on Ben's team stopped in the middle of the game and looked up. The other team scored. Then the coach was heard to say, "Yeah, I knew that plane would get us."

Last night we had a storm to blow through. The thunder had Ben pretty scared and he got up several times seeking comfort from me before finally drifting off to sleep. The last time he was up a plane happen to fly over while we were talking about the thunder. When he heard it his whole expression changed and he said, "I heard an airplane!" Seizing the moment I answered, "Yes, and if that pilot isn't worried about flying in the middle of all that thunder you shouldn't be worried about going to sleep here on the ground." At that he scampered off to the Land of Nod.

PERMISSION TO DRIVE. I mentioned back on April 25 that the doctor had given Aunt Mar clearance to drive. What I failed to report was that the home health people vetoed that the next day. This week she was given the all clear from the home health nurse. She drove to church Wednesday night and was very happy to be able to keep her own hair appointment this week.

BACKING UP. Ben is a good driver. He has plenty of practice from driving the Gator. Jenna has preferred for him to drive for a long time and Nate, of course, can't drive at all. One habit Ben has picked up from me is backing into a parking spot. When it is parked at our house the Gator is stored in the smoke house shed. It is so funny to watch Ben park. What makes me chuckle is that he'll give himself plenty of room to turn around and back up--something like 75 feet (yes, I stepped it off). I've tried to get him to drive closer to the shed before turning it around but he just gets mad at me. He's like that with the computer mouse too. He holds it the wrong way and I can't break him of that either. I guess all that stuff will work itself out over time.

DRIBBLE THAT BALL. This soccer story is about our one kid who isn't playing soccer. In soccer the term "dribbling" refers to tapping the ball with your feet to move it down the field (as opposed to kicking it several feet out in front of you and possibly losing possession of it). I was watching Nate play with a soccer ball out in the yard this afternoon and that boy was pretty much dribbling the ball wherever he wanted to go. It got away from him occasionally but he had control of it for the most part. He was doing better than some of Ben's teammates. Especially with a big brother trying to kick it away from him every so often. I was impressed.

Joe

Another Week Goes By

You are going to think I am complaining. I am not. It's just that when I read these newsletters years from now I want to remember that the weather this spring seems to have gone from one extreme to another. With the temperature reaching the mid to high 80s, the last few days have been the hottest on record so far for 2005. We have had several very pleasant days as well. It just feels like the cold snaps have been colder and the warm spells have been hotter than most years.

BACK TO THE DOCTOR. I took Mom back to the ER on Friday as she felt like her knee was swelling again. I think she was probably feeling it sooner because it was still wrapped up from the previous visit to the ER. After this visit (they didn't draw any blood or fluid this time), an MRI and a visit to the orthopedic surgeon she is left with two options: a series of shots or knee replacement. Needless to say, she opted for the shots although she hasn't had the first one yet. She is doing better now.

A NEW CHAPTER. Sometimes when you accomplish things in life you have a big celebration. Other times you simply note it as a turn of the page. This is one of those "page turn" events--we have dismantled the baby bed. It served us well for these seven years but we are glad to have it stored away for future grandchildren. Now...we may be sending out party invitations when Nate is is out of diapers. I know my plan for the Diaper Genie definitely involves gunpowder and buckshot.

PARTY TIME. We had a choir party on Saturday at Jimmie and Susanne Pitt's house (they live next door). All the choir members and their families were invited and there was a good size crowd there. After eating supper Jimmie saddled up one of the horses and walked all the kids around the horse lot. I think that was the hit of the evening for them. It certainly was with our three kids.

SOCCER, SOCCER AND MORE SOCCER. It feels like we are doing more soccer as practice has been replaced with make-up games. I'll have to say that I've seen an improvement in Ben as he is focusing a bit more on the game than playing tag while on the field.

What is good to see is how she about Jenna is that she is learning to work together with her teammates to make plays happen. She has a knowledgeable coach who really expects a lot out of the team. He is intense but they respond very well to him which I think is because he treats the kids with respect. They had a really good game going tonight but the referee called it off shortly after half time due to an approaching storm. Jenna left pleased with her performance because she made lots of good defensive plays.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MOM. Today is Mom's birthday. We all went out to eat at the Catfish House after the soccer game to celebrate. I found out this morning that she was in Springfield for a church secretaries meeting so I made a quick trip to pick up some balloons and deliver them to her at the meeting. I knew at the time my stopping by meant a lot to her but later she told me I had "rendered her speechless." For those of you who know Mom well know that's pretty hard to do. How old is she? Well, I'll come close to giving that away in a moment.

REMINISCING ABOUT AUNT MYRTLE. Growing up I had an aunt we would see on occasion that I really thought a lot of. Aunt Myrtle passed away when I was in college. She lived in Nashville and we would visit each other several times a year when I was a boy. She was a very proper lady (she was "Mrs. J. O. Johnson") and even today I check my posture whenever I think about her. I think the reason I remember her so fondly is that she thought children were special and treated them that way. She always took the time to talk to me and take what I had to say seriously which is important to any young boy.

Jenna's birthday last month and Mom's birthday today has made me think a lot about Aunt Myrtle over the last few weeks. The reason is that, like Mom and Jenna, Aunt Myrtle and I had a 70 year age difference. I will never forget visiting with her one summer day when I was seven years old. Aunt Myrtle discovered I couldn't jump rope and set out to teach me (which she did). What was so neat was that at the age of 77 she could jump rope as well as any of the girls in my class at school.

Joe

Locust Winter

I don't remember it being cold like this in May. It feels more like March. I know it probably has been this cool but it is so infrequent I just don't remember it. Aunt Mar calls it Locust Winter which is a new one on me. We have also had a lot of rain.

ALL SETTLED IN. Jenna is one happy girl. We finished painting the upstairs last week and had the room ready for her by Friday night. Her room is purple and Vicki has found all kinds of stuff to decorate it with and make it look really cute. Jenna is really proud of it and I think any little girl would be proud to have a room like it. She is really happy to not have a messy roommate any more (and so far she has kept it immaculate). Vicki has confessed that she is jealous of Jenna and her room.

It stormed for Jenna's first night in her new room. We wondered if it would bother her but she said she wasn't scared.

FORCING OUR HAND? When we bought paint for the study and Jenna's room we also got paint for our bedroom. The plan is to get these three rooms squared away by the end of June and then tackle the living room, foyer and the boys room later this summer or in the fall.

This morning, as I was sitting at the table eating and talking to Vicki I heard the sound of paper being torn. Then Nate comes into the kitchen holding a large piece of paper and proudly exclaiming, "My picture!" His picture was a section of wall paper he ripped off the wall in the foyer. It was about half as tall as he is. Our living room and foyer may be getting a makeover sooner than we planned.

A BIG BOY BED. Call us brave or stupid but we promoted Nate to Jenna's old bed. He has done pretty well but he has gotten up and aggravated Ben a couple of times after we put them down to bed. He is also starting to catch on to the fact that he is not supposed to get up in the morning before Vicki's alarm goes off. I think we'll finally be able to pack the baby bed away to save for future grandchildren.

PLAYING CATCH UP. With all the painting, rainy weather and a dead battery in the mower we let all the yards go for about two weeks. So, they became our focus on Monday and Tuesday. It really works out pretty well. Pauline keeps the kids while Vicki and I team up to mow her yard, our yard and Aunt Mar's yard. Fortunately, with all the trees, we rarely need to mow all of Aunt Mar's yard at one time.

Every year about this time the daisies start to sprout on the bank in front of Aunt Mar's house. They aren't thick but they do cover almost the entire length of the bank (about 200 feet). They all got started about 20 years ago when we let a small clump of daisies grow near the water meter. They'll be really pretty in a week or so.

LOOKING FOR JUICE. The other morning I poured Nate a sippy cup of juice. When breakfast was ready he came to the table without his cup. I asked him where it was but he just looked at me and grinned. Then I told him to go find it and he ran off. A bit later I heard him calling, "Juice, juice, are you?"

Nate is a little confused on names as he thinks Ben's name is Nate. He will even point to Ben's picture and say, "Nate!" It is really funny to hear him look for Ben ("Nate, Nate, are you?!").

VOLLEYBALL BLUES. Vicki's team finished their season with a win last week. This week all the teams are playing in a single elimination tournament. They were eliminated after their first game. They were ranked 6 out of 13 before the tournament. Vicki is already looking forward to next year's season.

A VISIT WITH AUNT HELEN. We went to see Aunt Helen last weekend. I think she was glad to see us. She is living in an assisted living home in Halltown. (Where's Halltown? Why, its next to New Deal!) It is a very nice facility (one of the nicest I've seen) and she was eager to take us on a tour. All the folks there enjoyed our three entertainers. She seems to be very happy there.

A NIGHT IN THE E.R. Mom called me last night after she got home from choir practice. Her knee was swelling up again like it did back on November. The good thing was that she wasn't in as much pain as the last time. We both felt it would be wise to head to the Emergency Room so we left for NorthCrest. When they finally got to Mom (they'd had 7 chest pain patients among the others there seeking treatment) the doctor drew off 50 cc of blood. This is about half the amount that was removed in November which is probably why she wasn't in a lot of pain.

This time they sent her home in a leg brace and told her to wear it for 48 hours. If she doesn't kill herself trying to walk in that thing I think she'll be back to normal by this weekend.

A COOL CHURCH. Our associate pastor, David Jennings, sent this to me in an email with pictures. Made of more than 75,000 LEGOs it is about 7 feet by 5 1/2 feet by 30" (2.2 m x 1.7 m x .76 m) and seats 1372 LEGO people. It has 3976 windows and features a balcony, a narthex, stairs to the balcony, restrooms, coat rooms, several mosaics, a nave, a baptistry, an alter, a crucifix, a pulpit and an elaborate pipe organ. It took about a year and a half of planning, building and photographing. The woman who made it calls it the Abston Church of Christ's and her web site is worth a visit.

Joe