Questions Of Life

I love how interested in life children are. Full of questions, wonder, and delight.

The other day we were conversing while Providence did her business, which if you must know, is a normal everyday occurrence. Those with kids know children are not quick to be embarrassed by their bodily functions, and are actually quite proud of them.

So Providence asks me "Why do children poop? Why do all children poop? Why does everyone poop?"

She seemed so distressed with this knowledge of something affecting everybody, so I tried to explain as best I could that God designed our bodies to not have to carry around everything that we eat. We would get very large if that were so. Instead our bodies are able to assimilate the nutrients from the things we eat while digesting and then we expel the waste. As a home schooler (because a home schooling mother is always schooling, no matter the age or environment we find ourselves in) I was quite proud of my explanation, quick and to the point, knowing that my daughter idolizes me and trusts wholeheartedly all the I say.

She then looks at me out of the corner of her eye and skeptically says "You sure?"

Strange Happenings

This morning my brother sent me a text picture of Hope in the hospital. I quickly called to find out what was the matter, and he told me that she had some kind of allergic reaction with swelling in her hands and feet and spreading. It happened so quickly they decided to bring her in to get checked out. After getting off the phone with my brother we all gathered together to say a prayer and two minutes later Ivanna walks in carrying Providence (they had been on a special outing together) saying "Providence has hives."

Her poor hands, feet and up her limbs were swollen with angry red blotches. I freaked out saying that Aaron was in the hospital with Hope right now for this very thing. This past week, though separated by states, both of the girls have been having diarrhea and randomly throwing up, so combined with that and that they both had this allergic reaction the same day-actually within an hour of each other, it really worried me. I called a good friend to ask her advise and she recommended that I just go have it looked at, once in the urgent care lobby however the swelling and redness had already been drastically reduced. Then I find out my insurance was not accepted and it would be a $150 deposit just to be put on the waiting list to be seen, ummm, I don't think so. I thought I would pick up some Benadryl myself, since Hope had just been given Benadryl and sent home with the swelling receding. I also asked my friend (a doctor) to look at the rash to put my mind at ease, what a blessing to have friends willing to lay down their plans selflessly to comfort and assure, and the spirit of this whole particular family is so calming. By the time we got to their house Providence seemed back to normal and walked in saying something about having "the hives". After the examination I was told to just keep an eye on her and we proceeded to fly some kites together.

So far no one else seems to have gotten anything, and I hope it stays that way.

Learning Story Telling

I grew up with story telling. My dad tells a fantastic story. As children we would often have him to repeat them over and over, even now we request his stories, made up or real. Our favorites are from his childhood, and we know a number of them by heart, and though we like his telling the best we at times "correct" my dad if he leaves something out. My mom reads her stories, and story reading is an art too. I remember many nights all the children curled up in bed with her while she read to us. This rooted in us a love of stories, by mouth or the written word.

I remember after boot camp Joe returned with the ability to entertain with his stories. Many of us would listen to them often, as he would even act out his stories often throwing us into fits of laughter.

Providence has learned this love also, lately we have been story telling together each taking turns with a few lines and going back and forth like that. It has made for some interesting stories, usually including magical creatures and princesses. The stories always end "happily ever after" though each have their low parts. A recent one including the bad dragon rising from the dead, not once but twice. Thankfully the magical dog, cat, and bunny (that can squeeze under the gate like Peter Rabbit) killed it, the end.

He has risen INDEED!

A very fun Easter,

It began with a full night sleep (12 whole hours for my little one), onto a fantastic sermon, an egg hunt for the kids,

a movie (in the theater!) with my sibs while Providence hung out with my parents, a dinner with our dear friends,

and then they began their jam.

Make an on-line slide show at www.OneTrueMedia.com

Their youngest, and Providence had fallen asleep and amazingly slept through it all. Every single person but me played an instrument- so to be included I took pictures, and sang along.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

I have safely arrived, the drive actually ended up speeding by, and not too literally either, I kept the cruise control at 5 m/h over the limit. Big improvement from my speedy ways. Providence is loving being near aunties, uncle, Oma, Papa, and of course the Johnson's. Last night we went to a Christian Seder, if you ever have a chance to go to one - DO. I can not encourage you enough. I have been to a number over the years and it just gets better each time. This year we celebrated way off the calendar. Passover is not for another month, but I am glad it was done so far off so I could be here to enjoy it. I am doing poorly with taking pictures, the camera has not been unpacked yet, but I got a couple with a camera phone.

The night after we got we got in Providence woke up numerous times with diarrhea and vomit (no fever), quite a fun experience I must say, especially the part where I tried to catch the vomit in my hands. The next day brought smiles and and no indication of sickness, by mid-day I thought perhaps she had eaten something off. Evening she was tired but I just attributed it to the bad night sleep the night before...well it was another night of vomiting, though no diarrhea this time and still no fever. She is now awake, once again happily acting in a regular un-sick way. I have no idea what's going on here...sick or not? She seems to be one person by day and an entirely different people by person by night. I really hope that no one catches anything from her if this is indeed some kind of sickness, and being visited upon us two nights in a row that would be my inclination. ::sigh:: Washing vomit out of a screaming child's hair is never easy, and even less so when I am running on about 16 hours of broken sleep in the last 3 days. Oh, and throw a 12 hours drive in there. Never-the-less, we are happy to be here.

California,

Here I come!

Boys Like

We went shopping for my brothers birthday, I had already gotten him a travel Scrabble board, as he loves Scrabble (and why wouldn't he? I always lose). But my mom, who is here visiting, still wanted to pick him up something. While at the store Providence was looking around in the toy department and told me very knowingly, "Boys like scary bad guys, so I want to get uncle Aaron this because that is what boys like." And it looked like he did indeed like it.