Family Update
We are in week six of our school year, and as the maxim goes, so far, so good. Abigail has been initiated to the delights of cursive writing, and all the details of correct handwriting formation. Josiah is forging ahead in math and English, boggling his way through the dizzying array of terms, formulas, definitions, and diagrams. Esther is still joyfully throwing herself into her kindergarten work and loving every minute of it. I must confess that at times she gloats a little when she finishes her schoolwork before her siblings complete theirs. Of course, her gloating is always received in the best and kindest way... Daniel is content to roar around the trailer making as much noise as possible, and commandeering his older siblings’ belongings while they are engaged in their studies. I had no idea this much drama would be a part of my daily life! We are once again attempting potty-training with Daniel, with more or less success.
Our summer has been so busy, and has flown by with amazing speed. We have covered a lot of territory, and the Lord has given us many ministry opportunities. Frankly, we all needed a break. Thankfully, we were able to take a few days of R&R at Paul’s parents’ farm in northern Indiana last week. The kids were thrilled to see their grandparents, as well as meet their brand-new cousin. Grandpa and Grandma were happy to see us as well. The kids had all kinds of lovely adventures – riding the tractor, playing in the barns, fishing in the pond, and gathering eggs from the chickens. All in all, it was a really nice, relaxing time for all of us.
This week, we are holding a meeting in Warren, IL. We are staying in an RV campground just over the Wisconsin border. The weather has been nice this week, but it is supposed to get rather cold tomorrow and the next day. I am so glad we have some of our winter clothing with us. Of course, I have to swap it all out with the summer things, and I haven’t quite found the time to do that, so right now we are all digging clothes out of the boxes sitting on the living room floor. I really need to get that done. Jumping over boxes to reach the kitchen table does not enhance our trailer living experience. There is always the chance that you will land on a stray toy!
Josiah has had a rough summer physically. It seems that everywhere we have been, allergies are at an all-time high, causing the need to have numerous breathing treatments. There have been a few “stupid attacks” (as we sweetly refer to them) of eating things that he should have known better than to ingest. The most recent of these was last week, when a misinformed sibling gave him a cookie, telling him that I said he could have it. I found out thirty minutes later, and was highly upset with both of them – the younger for giving it to him (I never said he could have it), and the older for eating it (I had already said that those particular cookies were off-limits to him). We ended up driving to the emergency room where he was treated and observed for several hours. Thank God there were no serious side effects, other than a few new gray hairs upon my head.
If you have ever read the children’s book, If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, this may make sense to you.If you give Josiah a cookie, he will want to have a drink.
If you give him a drink, he will throw up in the sink.
After he throws up in the sink, he will finish taking his shower.
After his shower, his stomach will feel very bad.
Because his stomach feels bad, he will hurry and get dressed.
After he is dressed, he will wander downstairs.
When he goes downstairs, he will find Grandma.
When he finds Grandma, he will tell her that he ate a cookie.
When he tells her that he ate a cookie, Grandma will panic.
When Grandma panics, she will run downstairs to tell his mother.
When his mother hears the news, she is incredulous.
Because she is incredulous, she runs upstairs to verify the story.
In order to verify the story, Josiah and Abigail are called into the kitchen.
When they are called into the kitchen, the interrogation begins.
When the interrogation begins, their mother becomes highly animated (this means upset).
When she becomes highly animated, the tears begin to flow.
Because the tears begin to flow, the mother gives her children hugs.
Because hugs do not allay the pain in Josiah’s tummy, she also administers Benadryl.
Because the mother is scared, she talks with the father.
They both decide the best course of action is to go to the hospital.
Since they have to go to the hospital, Grandma takes Josiah and his mother.
After they get to the hospital, the waiting begins.
Because they have to wait, they are subjected to inane television programs.
After some debate, they change the channel.
Since they changed the channel, they begin to watch a cooking show.
While they watch the cooking show, they decide that it makes them hungry.
Because they are hungry, the clock goes more slowly.
After several hours, they are released with a prescription.
Because they have a prescription, they have to get it filled.
Because they have to get it filled, they go to Walmart.
Because they go to Walmart, they have to wait 30 minutes.
Because they have to wait 30 minutes, they do some shopping.
Because they are shopping, they do not hear their name called over the loudspeaker.
Because they do not hear the page, they do not find out until 40 minutes have passed that Walmart does not have the medicine in stock.
Because Walmart does not have the medicine in stock, the pharmacist volunteers to call it in to the CVS.
When the pharmacist goes to make the call, he realizes that they DO have the medicine after all – it was just hidden behind something else.
Because they have the medicine after all, the wait was prolonged another 15 minutes.
Because they were all exhausted, Josiah, his mother, and grandma all sat on the bench, stomachs growling.
After escaping Walmart, they still had to go to CVS to get more Benadryl (Walmart was out of that, too).
On the way to CVS, they took a short cut.
Because they took a short cut, they got lost.
Because they got lost, it took twice as long as they had expected.
Because it took so long to get home, they were practically starved when they arrived.
Because they were so hungry, they ate dinner.
However, Josiah did not have another cookie for dessert...
Hopefully, that is THE END.
