TulipGirl

National Museum of African Art
Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC

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In 6 hours and 45 minutes, our Flag Day ceremony starts. . . the moment when we learn where and when we’ll be going. . . posts scattered around the world. On pins and needles. . .

I’ve confused friends by mentioning Flag Day, since the US holiday is June 14th, and Flag Day our date-with-destiny is June 7th. This is a great summary of what “our” Flag Day is.

I have a gut feeling about a certain African country, our daring friends have placed their bets on a place in Central America but is hoping for Asia. We have a lot of places we’d love to go, many more that would be fun, and just a couple that are. . . ummm. . . let’s just say we have our fingers crossed about one or two places where we’d rather have another family enjoy the exotic life there. But the kids are excited and I know that anywhere we are posted will be an adventure, will be a great place for our family.

You know that bubbly, anxious-happy feeling in your belly before a big event? I’ve had that lately. Not constantly, like the weeks before our wedding, but that giddy feeling has caught me by surprise throughout the past week.

And the reason for this excitement? In just a few short days we find out where around the world we’ll be moving and when. . . Africa? Asia? Europe? (Stuck a year here in DC?)

To back up a bit. . . those who know us in real life know most of the scoop. Online I’ve been a bit more circumspect. I haven’t been sure what guidelines or boundaries would be best, how up front I could be. . . how transparent I wanted to be. . . But Hubby and I have talked it over and blogging is such an important part of our our family journaling, such an important part of our support structure (especially when we are overseas) and so it’s time to share our good news.

Hubby has been hired as a Foreign Service Officer with the US Department of State. What this basically means is that he has the coolest of cool jobs, that all the bits of knowledge he’s gathered through the years are useful in an integrated way. (Did you know that the FSWE has questions on jazz?) All of this life and work experiences — military, missionary, professor — have been good preparation for this career. The gypsy life we’ve had so far has been better resume building for the foreign service than if we had carefully structured our lives as preparation. And no, to the multiple friends who have asked, Hubby is not a spy. And we get to travel! With the kids! Explore new places, new languages, new foods! The boys have been spending hours pouring over maps and atlases, reading about countries on our bid list and deciding where they want to go (and don’t want to go!)

Insert standard disclaimer here. The views and writings on this blog do not represent any governmental entity, ecclesiastical body, family member or other formal or informal group. Ideas shared, beliefs explained, observations made, and causes promoted are purely my own.

I’ve been blogging here at TulipGirl for over six years now. . . I don’t want to stop. I don’t want to hide our adventures, joys and struggles. On the other hand, my blogging can have an effect on Hubby’s career similar to when we were on the mission field. I know how to use discretion. But it was easier before when Hubby’s supervisor was someone I knew and worked with regularly myself, and not an unknown with an unclear idea of what is and isn’t unacceptable.

Yet, here we are, and here we keep track of our family.

Back to the giddy, bubbly feelings. . . We’ve been in the DC area for just over three weeks. Next Monday is a much anticipated day for those going through FSO training, Flag Day. Flag Day is when we find out both where we are going, and when it is most likely based on the training Hubby is requird to have for that particular post. On our bid list are about 10 different job categories, about 60 different countries, with the opportunity to learn about 15 languages. While Hubby has extra brownie points with State for his mad Russian language skillz, it’s not likely we’ll end up in a Russian speaking country this go around. (Next time? Almost definitely.)

So what do the kids think? I keep getting that question, and in all honesty — they are thrilled. Yet, Florida has been their home for the past five years and their memories of Ukraine and moving are faded. Moving every two to three years will be new to them. It will be challenging. I grew up nomadic, and while I loved it, I also remember it being hard. I remember being homesick (for me, “homesick” usually meant missing my Maw Maw; when we moved to Illinois, it meant missing the warmth and relaxed lifestyle of Gtmo.) We’ve gone through some TCK struggles in the past. I’m not naive, or think it will be easy for them — in spite of their current excitement. And yet. . . and yet, what I remember from my own growing up years is moving with my family every few years, new adventures, travels. . . driving across the country with laughter and singing. . . my sister being my best friend. . . lots of laughter, and always a close family. I know my kids are going to be angry-sad-cranky-struggle-frustrated. But I believe we are also going to have the strong, close family — and memories of adventures and fun.

So, this is why we are in DC, giddy and going to new places.

Kenilworth Aquatic Gardens with friends.

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Visiting my folks in Chicago, I felt as if the city heard I was coming and planted tulips just for me. It was a gorgeous time of year to be there, and the time I spent with my parents was wonderful.

Woke up one morning in Bisbee to see snow coming down heavily. As our bed was against a wall of windows and I wasn’t expecting it, it was quite breathtaking.

Of course when we packed up in Florida, my (experienced) priority was on packing light. Six people times clothes and books for five weeks crammed into an SUV? Definitely need to pack light. And it is spring, isn’t it? Even with an itinerary taking us out west and up north — we still packed light. I made sure each child had a kofta. (Errr. . . sweatshirt. That’s one of the things that will always come to mind in Russian rather than English.) I should have remembered Bisbee always gets a good snow well into April (and often even May!)

Thankfully, in spite of the snow, it was a warm snow. Or something. The boys layered, borrowed clothes from the cousins, wore socks on their hands and went out and played in the snow, and then came in for a hot breakfast.

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Woke up to roosters crowing. . .

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The boys played with their cousins. . .

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T12 restrung his guitar with the help of Uncle Pat. . .

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Amazed at how my niece looks like my sis did at that age. . .

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Sis fed gourmet meals to kids on paper plates. . .

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Washed dishes by the light of the chandelier and candles. . .

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With the help of my niece. . .

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I did homework. . .

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Didn’t get any really good pics of my sis and I together. . .

And had a wonderful, peaceful visit.

What we see in New Orleans, Maw Maw, City Park, photos by the kids. . .

I’ve known Hubby for over half my life now. . . What a wild ride it has been. Still, I know the Lord has been the one navigating our journey and so that has helped me (most times) feel peaceful in the midst of uncertainty, willing to wait while facing change.

And now. . . so exciting! Another adventure, a new destination in our journey. Hubby has been offered a job that has been in the works for quite awhile, a job which will most likely take us overseas again. We’re thrilled. . . Hubby and me, all of the boys. . . I know that the excitement and the adventure won’t shield us from the struggles of transition. We aren’t immune to homesickness, struggles in leaving relationships behind and beginning new ones. Yet we are willing and ready, trusting God to direct our steps.

Three days before Christmas, T12 announced he really, really wanted a guitar for Christmas. This seemed to come out of nowhere, but had been an idea he’d been muddling around with for awhile. “I have some money saved, I can help buy it! My friend JB will teach me to play, he’ll give me lessons.”

With such enthusiasm, of course we wanted to say yes. And thanks to Amazon, were able to have a large, mysterious package delivered on such short notice.

Sure enough, T12’s friend has been teaching him. While his friend is learning classical guitar and note reading, he’s starting T12 off with learning chords and playing familiar songs. Well, songs familiar to JB but new to T12, and definitely new to me! (Long ago were the days when I listened to lots of music and knew the newest and most alternative sounds out there.)

In spite of my limited musical repertoire of late, we have introduced the boys to some of the classics through the years. . . and with a son learning the guitar I’ve “accidentally” left some of the music I want him to enjoy on our portable hard drive, the one we use for the kids to transfer their debate briefs and schoolwork from their computer to ours.

In the truck the other day I casually brought up The Choir. “Hmm, you might want to check out The Choir. Pioneering SoCal alt rock. . . still around making music. Doing a lot more producing now than recording and touring. Always have been trailblazers. . .” (And one day I’ll tell him my claim-to-fame, fan-girl stories. . . but not yet.)

He took the bait, has been listening. And even started to learn the chords for one of the songs. The other night when I came home he pulled out his guitar, and a concert just for me played and sang.

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Beautiful Scandalous Night – The Choir
At The Foot of The Cross, Vol. 1

G C G
Go on up to the mountain of mercy
G C G
To the crimson perpetual tide
D
Kneel down on the shore
C
Be thirsty no more
G C G
Go under and be purified

Follow Christ to the Holy mountain
Sinner sorry and wrecked by the fall
Cleanse your heart and your soul
In the fountain that flows
For you and for me and for all

D C G
At the wonderful tragic mysterious tree
D C G
On that beautiful scandalous night you and me
D D#o7 Em C
Were atoned by His blood and forever washed white,…
G C G
On that beautiful scandalous night

On the hillside you will be delieverd
At the foot of the cross justified
And your spirit restored
By the rivers that pours
From our blessed Savior’s side

I miss writing, journaling about our lives.

Just went through the “family journal” category of the blog, looking for a specific picture. Feel very sentimental now. A bit weepy. So many memories. Wish I’d posted more photos, wrote more funny things the kids have said through the years.

I was shocked to see the pics of J on his first day of school when we got back to the states. He was so little! Yet, I thought of him as so big. Now C is the age J was then. . . Where does the time go?

I’m a bit in shock that we’ve been in the states for over four years. Even more shocking to me is that I’ve lived in the same house the past four years. That has never, ever happened before. In my whole life. Yet, I’ve had itchy feet, ready to move. Gypsy feet. . . Ready for a move, a new adventure. We’re in the enviable position of the status quo being good. . . Hubby’s teaching college, I’m in grad school. We have a great, grace-filled church. Good friends and family nearby. And, it’s time to move.

We’ve been renting the same house for the past four years. Very kid-friendly neighborhood, near a park and woods, great neighbors. Now that the boys are older and I’m not tense about it, the pool is great. When the house went on the market in the fall, it sold in less than a week. That sure is a blessing, but it means eventually we really DO have to move. As soon as the paperwork goes through. . . Until then, we’re still here.

But over the past couple of years we’ve been exploring ways to return overseas. Being part of the church-planting team in Kyiv was amazing, and I know that God had us there for that season. But it did confirm to us that Hubby was not to go to seminary, and we were not called to directly being on a church-planting team. Instead, we want to be actively involved in outreach and the life of church plants as members and supporters — whether in the US or overseas. And, we do want to return overseas.

We’ve been looking into our options for the future. . . knocking on doors, leaning on fences, looking through cracks in the walls. While nothing is certain, we do have an opportunity which is becoming more solidified. While Hubby has been in the process of fulfilling prerequisites, until we’re moving I don’t want to go into too much detail. (You know how that is. . . some daydreams seem to fade away when named.) But, should it all come together we would be moving overseas again in the next year or so. We’re excited, the kids are excited.

And I’m ambivalent. I’m okay with having contrary thoughts, contrary feelings. Excitement and reluctance. Wanting the dream and wanting stability. Enjoying the moments here and ready to leave.

We moved a lot when I was growing up. The constant was our family unit. We had so much fun. . . Dad and Mom, my younger brother and sister and me. Every time we moved, we had a new adventure. We had fun together. Looking through the archives here reminds me that I still have that. The constancy of Hubby and the boys, and the fun and memories we’ve made along the way.

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Btw, I know my comments have been wonky. You can always reach me by email at tulipgrrl AT gmail DOT com .

At the beginning of the year, I set up some projects that I wanted to pursue in 2009. Some of them morphed through the year, some of them were discarded, and others added.

To summarize: Projects for 2009

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Connecting in Community Project
I feel like this project was a success. . . Even though we’ve had the spectre of moving looming, we’ve become more integrated in our church, our neighborhood, and community. We’ve been in the same house for almost 5 years — the longest I’ve ever lived in one town, not to mention one house, ever in my life. I have especially loved being part of a women’s Bible study, not just for the community aspects but also for how much focus the women put into really delving into the Bible.

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Calvin Quincentenary Project
The boys read through two Calvin biographies, and I read through half of one. *blush* I listened to a significant portion of the Institutes of the Christian Religion on MP3 and was so nourished by that. As Hubby received Calvin’s complete commentaries for Christmas, I think we’ll need to continue this project in another form next year.

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Homeschool Habits Project
Homeschooling has gone great this year! We’re using Ambleside Online as the spine of our studies, with the boys all in the same time period but different requirements for reading and writing. We wanted to devote significant time to US related studies when we returned to the States and I feel we’ve done that well. The older boys have also become involved in debate, and that has been a great addition to our schooling (and a great motivation for them, as well.)

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Regular Reading Project
I still haven’t kept up with George W., Half-Pint Megan, Civil Staci or Classical Kristen. . . but I have read more this year. Getting back to regular reading, but didn’t do many reviews.

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Family Fitness Project
Fail. . . no family 5k.

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More Music Project
While we did have “more” music, we didn’t quite have as much as I had envisioned. No piano, but T12 does have a guitar and C9 a harmonica. No live concerts, but did see The Nutcracker.

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And while I have been formulating and contemplating my 2010 projects, they are still a bit amorphous. Will post them as I flesh them out a bit more.

On November 1st I started my annual thankful posts, a daily record of gratitude. And if anyone still reads my rarely updated blog, maybe they wondered if I didn’t really have a grateful heart or I dropped off the face of the earth. I toyed with the idea of continuing my list and back-dating it so that I had continuity (I like continuity, ritual, patterns.) But that felt too poseurish, too much like I’m faking it. So, I’m not. Just going to blush a bit and admit that this tradition has gone by the wayside this year.

In spite of that, we’ve had some HUGE things that God has done recently that just have me overjoyed and thankful and just oh-so-glad. Hubby has an “official” diagnosis after two years of weird symptoms, stress, and medical tests. It’s something chronic, not something terminal (which was the doc’s first suspicion two years ago.) And as he’s already been living with and dealing with the symptoms for awhile, it seems very manageable.

Also, the house we’ve been renting in Florida went on the market and sold in less than a week! This is wonderful (and the quickness — thank God! — showing a house while living in it with four boys? Stressful.) At this point we aren’t looking for a new place, we’ll find out soon whether we have another 2-3 months here and then we’ll find a place to rent closer to the college and high school where Hubby is teaching.

We’re in the process, though, of pursuing some options that would have us return overseas. We’re nearing the point with one of the options where we’ll know whether that door is open or closed. My daydream is that not only would that door be open, but that the wheels would move quickly and instead of renting again here, we can move from our current house to temporary quarters for training. But, considering the usual timeline of this sort of thing, that’s highly unlikely. (Still, I can always hope and pray. . .)

Another thing I’m really thankful for is our church has had the opportunity to host Steve Brown for a community-wide service this Sunday night — and he’ll be preaching at our church in the morning.

Some of my girlfriends and I trade MP3 links to various encouraging podcasts and a few months ago, my friend Camille insisted I listen to Steve Brown’s RTS seminary course on Grace in the Church. Wow. . . It was just what I needed. Not that he said anything “new” — it’s all the Gospel — but I just need to keep hearing it again and again. And what the Lord is doing in my heart? Well, I needed to hear it. . .

The theme for this Sunday will be Scandalous Freedom. If you aren’t local and can’t come, please take time to listen to these MP3s or read this book.

If you are in the Sarasota / Bradenton area, here are the details for Sunday, November 22, Scandalous Freedom with Steve Brown.
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On TulipGirl

Still here. . . still living, breathing, thinking, doing. . .

School is taking a lot of time and energy. For me, Hubby and the kids.

When we’re not busy with our respective learning / teaching responsibilities, it’s amazing how little time is left! Still involved with Hope, ThinkTank, and YCS.

And, embarrassingly, it’s sooo much quicker and easier to update facebook or twitter when I’m tired and distracted. Here at TulipGirl, I feel obligated to be thoughtful. Or at least, do more than throw up a link that caught my eye (like I do elsenet.)

But the kids are amazingly interesting, Hubby is doing great with teaching and less great healthwise, and I vacillate between okay and questioning. . . God is faithful. God is good.

I got to teach the pre-K / K class for Sunday School this week. It was so sweet. Nature walk and talking about God the Creator and reviewing catechism questions and singing “All Things Bright and Beautiful.” It is hard for me to believe my boys have left that age far behind.

This has been a long week. A very long week.

And somehow in the midst of the craziness, Hubby and I marked our 14th anniversary! And considering we met 18 years ago, our lives have been mingled longer than they have not. I’m looking forward to a long, relaxing weekend together.

Hubby had to rescue me at 9:30 pm on our anniversary — I had locked my keys in the van. Today I forgot my phone at home. I’ve been a tad absentminded.

The boys have been on a Shakespeare kick. I’m not yet sure what instigated their interest, even though the past year we have been integrating some of the Bard into our schooling. (We’ve read more of Charles Lamb that we have the actual plays and poetry.) Tonight we’re watching Ian McKellen as King Lear. Amy (who loves books) suggested In Search of Shakespeare. I haven’t found a place to watch it online, so maybe we’ll order it. . . The boys are trying to organize the neighborhood kids into a play. I love delight-led learning!

This morning read Barlow’s take on Cash for Clunkers. I tend to agree — it seems to be wasteful, and substituting one form of pollution and inefficiency for another.

On a happier note, Roadfood.com seems to be a great resource for finding yummy local food whether at home or when traveling.

Similarly, Eating Like an Immigrant is very inspirational! This is the first post of a series — I can’t wait to read the rest over at MbG. Food blogging is one of those things that prods me to enjoy cooking again, even when I have to cook. We’ve been making easy bread this week, thanks to ThatMom’s links to online resources for Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day. I have a loaf rising now, and plan on trying whole wheat this weekend.

We have treats and cooking planned for this weekend, much of it for the church picnic. Jalepeno Hummus and tortilla chips, brownies, Mrs. E’s Mac and Cheese, regular hummus and veggies, something else which I’m blanking on right now. . .

I’m hoping to go to Chicago (along with the two younger boys!) in a few weeks to see my parents. Very excited about it.

It will be too late for the Michigan Ave Arts Fest — but doesn’t that look like fun? I found out about that from a friend’s link on facebook. Finding some neat (and sad) links from friends lately. . . Like Embracing the Least of These, about orphans in Africa. Or, this cool project that uses Google Maps to vividly illustrate the crisis in Darfur.

I’ve been listening to Steve Brown’s lectures on Grace in the Church, thanks to Camille. It’s been relaxing during this busy week.

But I need to take a break from it, and finish up this semester’s courses. I’ve been taking Financial Management in the Public Sector (ugh!) and Nonprofit Administration. They’ve both had their challenges as well as provided opportunities to learn. I’ve stressed out over them more than I needed to, as well. Still trying to find the right rhythm in school. My fall classes? Nonprofit Organizations and Nonprofit Financial Management. I’ve already ordered my books. (I *heart* the free shipping from Amazon Prime!)

Hubby starts teaching in a few weeks (if you are local, take his American History class!) The boys were going to have a “short” summer break, but with their hard work work all July, we’ve decided to start when the local public schools start — August 24th. I need to do quite a bit of planning.

On the upside, I finished a project I really wanted to do this July. I sorted all the kids books and school books by type, and have them stacked and organized. You know the boxes with lids which contain reams of paper? They are perfect for books. Thanks to Bob, our local printer, and the office supply store, we had plenty. Now I just need to work on the boys’ schedules — we’re trying to finish up US History since 1865 using Ambleside as a guide (Term 3 of Year 5, Term 1 of Year 6 — adapted to each of the boys).

That will give the boys time to join the YCS group in campaigning for Dan Quiggle. We like Dan a lot, and he has great Reagan stories from his internship. I’m glad the boys get to see the local side of politics in an off-year election.

So, that’s the rambling on we’ve been doing around here. . .

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“Hey, Look! It’s Van Gogh!”

That’s what C8 said, as he brought me a sadly neglected Christmas leftover, a snowman pencil topper missing one of its pom-pom ear muffs. I guess the books we’ve been reading and pictures we’ve been observing have been making an impression.

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We’ve been using Ambleside Online Yr. 5 as the framework for our homeschooling since January. It’s been a good fit, the right balance between structure and flexibility, keeping the boys studying similar things but on their own levels. AO encourages the exposure to and study of an artist each term.

Our local museum doesn’t have a Van Gogh in its permanent collection, and unfortunately not in its special exhibitions either right now. My favorite Van Gogh is at my favorite museum, The Church in Auvers-sur-Oise at Musée d’Orsay.

The screensaver on the kids’ computer rotate Van Gogh works and the boys know them better than I do now, and these are some of their favorites. . .

C8 was making me coffee the other night. Yes, my youngest is quite often tasked with making me coffee–and is quite skilled in the complexities of our stove-top moka pot. He knows just how much sugar and milk to add to each Mommy’s and Daddy’s mugs; our own budding barista.

He burst into my room upset, “Ugh. The coffee tastes disgusting! Why did you put the salt into the round container?!” I was puzzled until he brought in the old coffee tin we use as a sugar bowl. Sure enough, it was filled with sea salt.

“Boys! Come here!”

I knew, I just knew. . . but I wasn’t sure. “T11, did you put salt in the sugar tin?”

“No, Mom.”

Hmmm. . . All of the boys seemed unaware of what was going on.

“Look at my eyes, T11, and say, ‘I promise I didn’t put salt in the sugar tin.’” I wasn’t singling him out. Well, I was. He’s the one mischievous enough to try something like this; and he’s the one who feels so strongly about his honor that he will not promise anything unless he knows he can follow through on it.

“Mom, I can’t say that. . .”

He grinned.

I started cracking up. “Boys, you totally pulled a Fred-and-George!”

J13 started laughing, R10 started jumping up and down, and T10 said, “Yeah! I’m Fred, he’s George. . .” R10 piped in, “And I’m Lee Jordan!” C8 glowered a bit.

And so, this was our first family practical joke.

My Mother’s Day was filled with lots of -extra- spontaneous hugs from my boys. I get a lot of them already, but especially C8 came up and gave me extra hugs. It was sweet.

The boys’ Sunday School teacher did a project with the them that had lots of sweet, mushy reasons the boys love me. I’m going to treasure it.

I got a coolio Sbux cup. . . Okay, so it was an impulse buy. But I told the boys it was their Mother’s Day gift to me, so that’s okay, right?

Hubby made yummy swiss-mushroom burgers and corn-on-the-cob. I’m not a big hamburger fan, but these were fab and really hit the spot.

The boys somehow invited a frog into the house. T11 insisted it was a “bullfrog” but I’m pretty sure it was your average, Florida tree frog. They chased it around the house and caught it. However, as Hubby carried it out of the house, the frog urinated on him. Then commenced Hubby chasing the boys around with “frog fingers!” Much squealing and giggling. Well, except for J12 and T11 whose voices are changing and don’t really squeal anymore.

Yesterday Hubby woke up with the mother of all migraines, which lasted well into today. He’s feeling more “normal” now — headachy, but functional. But yesterday’s debilitation led to me taking the boys to paintball — and earning fabulous good-mommy points. Gotta love that! Then we went to a family birthday party for Hubby’s brother (who makes Florida’s best bbq), a niece and a nephew. We found the coolest car-rug at Ikea a few weeks ago for our newly 1-year-old nephew. Totally fun.

I got to have a nice long conversation with my Mom. That was good. Much needed.

Overall, a great Mother’s Day and weekend.

Today is dedicated to picking up a transcript from one university and hand-delivering it to another university — neither of which are in my town. Ah, the joys of relying upon technology that hiccups. Interestingly, the admin offices of both unis are aware of the problem, have been aware of the problem. . . this is a regular glitch that happens. Thankfully, the people in admin have been quite friendly and helpful, since they know the “system” hasn’t been.

I’m hoping to be home in time for ThinkTank tonight. We’re discussing Seven Pounds, which was recommended by several of the regular participants.

This is a picture of Grampie’s hearing aid shop, the one I wrote about before. I remember seeing this picture when I was growing up, and always thought it was Grampie out front, but now that I can see the picture better I know it isn’t him.

I called my grandmother the other day to talk with her about my hearing loss.

Maw Maw has told me more details of her life as she’s gotten older — or maybe I’m just remembering more of what she tells me now that I’m older. She didn’t go to college like her sister. Her sister finished college and then immediately married a soldier and moved away. I got the impression the family wasn’t pleased with that, and that was in some way connected with her decision not to go to college. Instead she went to work.

She worked in a hearing aid store and met my grandfather there when she was just 19. Even though he was in his early 20s, Grampie wore hearing aids and met my grandmother when he went into her store to buy batteries. I thought that his hearing was damaged due to an injury from a job he had as a teenager. At this point I’m assuming that there was a genetic factor as well. Though since he passed away last year, I can’t really talk with him about it.

I’m still fuzzy about their actual history at this point, but I know that Grampie and Maw Maw eventually owned and ran a hearing aid company right on St. Charles Street, downtown New Orleans. I have vague memories of going to that building, and mailing a letter down a fun mail chute from the second floor. But I know their business also had a street-level entrance, and I wish I had a copy of the photo of Grampie standing in front of their business. But my memories are very vague, and by the early 70s Grampie was already transitioning out of the hearing aid business. (Maw Maw just told me during my last visit it was because the government was increasing its regulation, and Grampie just could not abide government interference in his business. Uncle Mitch told me that’s when he started the business he ran until his last days, distributing industrial hand-cleaner.)

So, the presence of hearing aids was a normal part of my early childhood.

When I talked with Maw Maw about my hearing loss she first said, “Oh, your Grampie would be so sad about that. . .” But really, it’s not upsetting to me right now. Realistically, I understand that I may mourn this loss at some point, but right now it’s more of a helpful “oh, this makes sense. . .” realization.

Maw Maw’s perspective has been different from most people’s. “You know, when we were in the business very few women came to us for hearing aids. Usually it was women with good jobs who were paid well, and knew they needed the help to continue their work. But sometimes it was society ladies, women who were well-to-do. They would ask Grampie for the best, least obtrusive hearing aids he had and want them quickly. They didn’t want to miss out on things.”

She told me that most women, though, didn’t want them because they were ugly or they didn’t want to spend the money on them — especially if they were home with the children and not out working on part of the society circles. “But you — you need to get them. You need to be able to hear those children, You don’t want them talking behind your back! You need to listen to them, and those children need to know you hear them.”

One of the goodies Papa John brought for us was an iPod. It’s not just any iPod — it’s the one that belongs to Mo that she has used especially for her lectures. But knowing how much the boys love audio books and how some of them tend towards auditory learning over visual learning, she sent it as a surprise gift.

The boys name all of our gadgets. The mp3 player they got for Christmas is called Do-Hickey. The new ipod? In honor of their grandmother. . .

Mo-Pod.

This weekend my Dad visited with us from Chicago. Though we got to see him this summer at a family reunion, it has been a couple of years since he’s been able to come to Florida. It was a good visit. Coffee and talking on the lanai, going out for brunch after church, listening in to each of the boys have their own conversations with Papa John.

Me: “I just read to the boys about John Paton.”

Hubby: “John Paton?”

Me: “You know. . . John Paton, missionary to cannibals.”

Hubby: “I guess he served them, body and soul.”