Calling on Mr. Maytag Repairman

Have you seen the latest commercial? The one with the weary woman returning from work to find the Maytag repair man fiddling with the entertainment center? Of course, he's dabbling in electronics because the Maytag appliances just never break and therefore never need his attention. Well, Mr. Maytag Repairman, if you are so bored, why aren't you showing up at my house first thing tomorrow morning instead of sometime between 8 and 12 on Wednesday??

Our dryer chose today to stop working. Today was laundry day and the first laundry day after VBS week, which is so busy that no laundry gets done. Needless to say, by today the closets were bare, the piles of dirty clothes high. I put my first clean load in the dryer, set the dryer, put a new load in the washer, and then spent a couple of hours in the pool with the kids. I came in to find the dryer was done. I opened the door. The clothes were still cold and wet! Now I have been known to set the dryer but forget to turn it on (I know, surprising, isn't it?), so I thought maybe that was the problem. But after another 30 minutes: Houston, we have a problem. Actually, I said, "Mark, we have a problem." He's such a great problem-solver!

Apparently, Mr. Maytag Repairman was taking a nap because Mark was on hold with them for at least 20 minutes. After scheduling the visit (which, incidentally, isn't actually with Mr. Maytag Repairman but some other company that has neither a "may" nor a "tag" in their name), Mark found out we have to pay for the visit. Are you kidding me? The dryer is only 2 years old. If you were spending advertising dollars bragging about how your product is so good, wouldn't you want to uphold your reputation? Tell you what, Mr. Maytag Repairman, I'll tell everyone you just came to fix the stereo if you'll cover the charge!

A Perfect Morning

A somewhat dreary day, the kids all slept in, which gave me adequate time to get the Cinnamon Cake baked (we call it Cinnamon Cake rather than Coffee Cake because, really, who wouldn't prefer a cake made of cinnamon over a cake made of coffee??). The kids hadn't forgotten the promised breakfast outside and, still rubbing "eye boogers" out of their eyes, they were excited.

We enjoyed a delicious breakfast and then followed it up with a little Bible study. I have considered various Bible curricula for them but just haven't found the right one. Then it occurred to me that all three of the kids bring home the perfect Bible curriculum for their age from Sunday School each week. It's just a small piece of paper that summarizes the lesson they learned for the particular week. Then it includes daily Bible readings and questions to consider, questions that are great conversation starters for deeper talks. I really want to strive to have open communication with the kids. I grew up at a missionary boarding school, which presented a very legalistic environment. There were few, if any, adults I really TALKED to...ever. We respected adults out of fear rather than real respect because generally speaking we felt the adults were "out to get us." We felt they were always on the prowl seeking to fill their quota of rule breakers. I don't want that with my kids at all, yet it's a difficult cycle to break.

And, while I could write pages on legalism and the lessons I've learned just recently about God's grace, I digress as usual...

After our Bible study we picked up a newspaper. I thought I'd try a little experiment this morning just to test their attention spans. I want the kids to grow up aware of the rest of the world out there, and so I thought I would begin reading a bit of news--censored and screened, of course. We chose a front page story about Ruth Graham's death. And they all three paid attention and wanted to see pictures! Alex's interest was especially held. She wants to be "one of those shoebox people" when she grows up (Operation Christmas Child, that is, not Payless!), so she was excited to hear more about Franklin Graham's family, even under the sad circumstances.

Enjoying a cool morning and provocative conversations with the kids was a perfect way to begin a day. Will it become a daily happening? Well, they don't ordinarily all wake up at the same time like they did today, but it is certainly something we'll repeat when we can!

A Perfect Day

What a great day it was! A day to honor an amazing husband, the father of 4 wonderful kids! A perfect family day. We attended the early service at church and enjoyed the Pastor's fun extras for the men in the congregation (including a basketball shoot-out for coveted spots in the "Man Zone" seats up front). After church we enjoyed some Chinese cuisine (Mark's favorite) and then returned home.

The pool is all finished now, and we have our little outdoor paradise all set up. The landscapers finished yesterday, so our backyard is entirely sodded now. The weather was perfect for the pool this afternoon, and we simply enjoyed hanging out together. The three older ones, I think, will be swimming on their own in a week or two. Alex and Michael actually were swimming underwater in the shallow end this afternoon; they just didn't know it. Alex came up for air after swimming across one section, and I said, "Alex, you do know you just swam, right?" Her face lit up, and she said, "I did??! Let me try again." Then of course Michael had to compete and he too swam. So now it's just a matter of confidence before the two of them will be gliding around the deep end free of floaties.

My parents were also over, so we were able to honor my dad on his day. A Father's Day cake provided a delicious mid-afternoon snack. And then it was dinner outside again. Seems as though we'll be living outside a lot now...I've promised the kids breakfast out there tomorrow morning, and they all kept repeating, "I can't wait until tomorrow morning so we can have breakfast outside!" (It doesn't take much, does it??) Hopefully, tomorrow will be another perfect day!

And the medal of valor goes to...

JACOB!!

Last night was VBS Parents' Night, a night where all of the VBSers performed for the parents. I recall a similar night in 2006, only it was AWANA Awards Night. Jacob had just finished his first year of Cubbies, and he was to walk up on to and across the stage to receive his ribbon for participation. You know Jacob can be, at times, a bit shy and unsure of himself. So...guess who was the only parent who got to walk across stage holding the hand of a very nervous Cubbie? I commented to a friend after the ceremony that I was having visions of holding my taller-than-me son's hand as he receives his high school diploma and college degree. Everyone says, "Oh, don't worry, it's just a phase." Can you really call something that's lasted for FIVE years a phase?

Anyway, about last night...the kids have been working hard in Music class all week to learn the words and motions to the VBS songs. At Parents' Night, they were to stand in their assigned place throughout the auditorium and perform these songs. I had no doubt that Alex and Michael would perform with flair and drama (which they did), but I have to admit that, despite his reassurances that he would indeed perform, I was quite sure that at the last minute Jacob would say his tummy hurt and want to stay in the audience with us. But no! Although he hung around in the audience a little longer than the other two after the call to take places, he obediently went up to find his place...in the front, no less!

As the music started, Jacob performed the songs well...although whenever he'd see us trying to sneak a peek, he would get a little embarrassed and stop until we looked away! I think Mark was able to catch a little of it on video on the sly, though. Mark also got footage of the other two...and they did add their own flair and drama to the performance. We even have Audrey on tape getting into the music. She has a little groove thing going on and can get down as well as any of them. When she's dancing, she also moves her mouth animatedly as though she is singing. It's hilarious.

Back to Jacob...what a brave boy he was last night. We were so proud of him. After helping him through some tears a few mornings when I left him at VBS this past week, I know this "phase" isn't quite over, but we're making baby steps toward progress!

60% Chance of Rain

I knew it. I just knew it. For days, for weeks, for months, there has been nary a drop of rain. They're calling it a drought. There have been watering bans, fire bans, firework bans. Produce prices are going up because of the drought.

But, as soon as the pool is complete...the skies open up and let loose. The pool was finished a couple of days ago and since then, we have had daily thunderstorms. One day we even had hail--nothing like filling the already-too-cold-for-wimpy-Katy pool with little ice cubes!

I do have to admit that it has been a blessing to have nice weather for the building of the pool (and yes I realize the selfishness of that statement since there really truly has been a drought that has negatively affected so many), and honestly it has cleared up and turned out to be a nice day. I just enjoy the irony of seeing the rain fall the moment the pool is complete. But, really, I've had enough entertainment from life's little ironies; I really want to enjoy my pool now!

Puddle Jumping

We had a great time this afternoon breaking in the pool. We ran the hose all night long and during church, so we had a fairly large puddle when we returned home. The kids had such a good time playing and splashing around in the shallow water that I commented to Mark that they'll probably feel a little let down once it's completely filled and consequently deeper. We probably won't play in our puddle anymore until we get the water truck in to finish the job: because it's not deep enough, the filter isn't on, so the water is a little cloudy, and I'm not sure the plaster remnants are the best thing for the kids to be accidentally digesting. Hopefully, the filling will be complete by Tuesday.

We have a busy week ahead of us, so there's not a whole lot of time for swimming anyway. This is VBS week, and we head to "Game Day Central" tomorrow. I quite possibly will be MIA for the next few days. Despite the fact that VBS only lasts for 4 1/2 hours, that 4 1/2 hours straight with Kindergarteners is exhausting. In addition, I feel mightily unprepared this year. I enjoy VBS and very willingly took on the lead Bible Study Teacher role for the second year in a row. I'm just not as organized this year as usual, so for example, the room decorating this evening took forever and I ended up calling in the reinforcements (ie: Mark and the little ones) to help. Alex was my big helper the entire time. We enjoyed a little girl time and stopped for a little treat on the way to church (don't tell the boys!), and she was such a huge help to me.

In addition to VBS, I'm going to try to sneak in a Girls' Night Out or two this week. Mark generally tries to be here for the week of VBS to help me get out the door with the tribe at 8:15 in the morning as well as be home in the event that we have a sick child; this way my teaching isn't interrupted. So...with him home, it's also a perfect week to reconnect with some friends. Mark will be busy at home as well as the landscaper is scheduled to put in our sod and irrigation system among other things.

Looks like we started a new week with a splash, and now we're ready to dive in. I just hope we can stay afloat!

Motley Crew

How many men does it take to plaster a 16x28 ft. pool? Apparently about the same number as it took to frame this 2-story 3300 sq. ft. home! The crew of about 10 descended on our house this morning at 7:30. I could feign irritability at their early arrival, but since the princess had already been awake for an hour, it's all good. They were supposed to come yesterday, but the particular plaster material we ordered didn't come in on time, so I was actually pleasantly surprised to see them on a Saturday.

These are not the normal pool guys we've been dealing with up to this point. Our pool guy subs out two parts of the whole job, and plaster is one of them. This was a rather motley crew: about half of them were clean-cut Hispanics sporting bling around their necks. The other half looked like they dropped in from Woodstock: long hair in ponytails, long beards, bandanas. The boys had a few comments: "Daddy, that man is naked," commented one boy. He wasn't really naked, just shirtless, although he would have been a little easier on the eyes had he pulled his pants up a tad...and put on a shirt. Case in point: Boy #2 added, "And he has a baby in his belly." I'm guessing that if the man really does have a baby in his belly, the baby's name will be Budweiser.

We went out for awhile and came back to find the regular pool guys here completing the final acid wash. This is the last step before we get to the hard part: filling the pool. Yes, I said that filling the pool with water is the hard part. We're on a well, so we can't just run the hose for hours or we might: A) Break the well pump or B) Run the well dry. So...we're running the hose a couple of hours at a time, giving it a break, and then resuming Operation Fill the Pool. We are also having a water truck come in on Tuesday to give us a little help. Of course the water truck not only costs extra, but the guy is also worried about cracking our driveway. We've already had concrete trucks up here, though, so what damage can a water truck do? Anyway, we've promised the kids that they'll be able to splash in the overgrown puddle we will have accumulated by tomorrow after church.

Soon...very soon we can have some relief from this horrible Georgia humidity! Even our Motley Crew commented on the heat this morning, and they're used to working in it!