There's a fungus among us

I woke up this morning, wandered into the bathroom, happened to glance in the mirror as I yawned... and stifled a gasp. Aaargh! My tongue was BLACK! Yes, black. I leaned in closer, sticking out my tongue to examine it, my mind racing. It looked like I had spent all night sucking on licorice. I had no idea what had caused it, "Could it be some weird fungal infection?" Other than the color, I looked, and felt healthy. I grabbed my toothbrush and took an experimental stab. It seemed to work. I added toothpaste and scrubbed my tongue for a minute before rinsing and inspecting. Phew! I breathed a sigh of relief- my tongue looked normal again, but still- what had caused this?

After dressing, I went down to my computer where Google once again came to my rescue. I typed in "I woke up with a black tongue", and to my surprise, I got an immediate hit. Several of them in fact. It seems that "black tongue" is a little known side effect of chewing on Pepto Bismol tablets before bed. There is an active ingredient in the medication that reacts with sulfur to create the black substance. I had taken a couple of tablets last night to combat some bloating, so it was obvious that the Pepto was the cause of my alarm.

On further reflection, I could have probably used this information in my "fake sick day" arsenal 20 years ago. There were several occasions when I could have used one more day for studying, or to finish a report.

At any rate, just remember this the next time you wake up with black tongue. Be reassured that you are not dying of some weird disease, or fungus- it is merely an embarrassing (and a little gross) chemical reaction in your mouth!

Soccer Saturdays

I always looked with pity those parents who were stuck on the sidelines all Saturday morning, in the rain, cold, blazing heat. I would cruise on by in my dry/warm/cool car thanking my lucky stars that I was not one of them...yet. I knew the day was coming, but I figured that maybe Ed could take over that aspect of parenting, and I could stay at home. Then E started soccer in kindergarten, and I found that I couldn't really stay in the comfort of my home in good conscience while I made my 5 year old go out and brave the elements for an hour of running. If I was going to put her through torture, the least I could do was cheer her on. And she did think it was torture, so after serving her time and putting in two years, she was allowed to move on to other pursuits while we had a blessed year of soccer free Saturdays. (Can you tell I am not a big sports fan?)

And then it was N's turn. The first few weeks were pleasant enough, with sun, moderate temperatures and our whole family went out to the field to support him. And then it started to cool down, and we had a couple of rainy Saturdays. So there I sat, that parent, huddled on the sidelines in my canvas chair, trying to shield my body as well as KK's with the umbrella, cheering for my sodden son as he chased the ball. N doesn't seem to mind the weather, and cheerfully heads out to play each Saturday. He seems to enjoy the game, so I have a feeling we have many years ahead of us. Even though I don't love the game, I love the player.

Autumn '09

So what have we been up to in the past couple of months? Well, since you asked...

The months of September and October are always full of seasonal activities. Sometime in mid-September we go apple picking with our family. This year we also went with my sisters, mom, and our friends. It was a beautiful evening, and the kids had fun climbing the trees, going on the hayride, running through the pumpkin patch, and of course, sampling the apples.






Then in October it is the other side of the family's turn as we go out to eat, and then on to the pumpkin patch with Ed's parents, brother and sister. We had a gorgeous fall day this year, and it was so much better than the torture we endured last year. Last year we had a 2 hour wait for lunch, which meant that we ate around 2, then the day was unseasonably warm in the 80's, so we were baking out in the fields. Plus the babies were overdue for their naps and d-o-n-e. I left thinking "Never again". Yet, we decided to give it one more try- setting out earlier in the day so that we wouldn't have to wait to be seated, and not over Kaelin's nap time. The tradition was redeemed by a perfect day.








Later that same day our family took a walk in a nearby park and enjoyed the sights and sounds of autumn in PA.




On Halloween we finally got around to carving our pumpkins. Each kid picked a design to put on a pumpkin. They all helped to scoop out the goop, and then Ed and I set to work on the tricky part of carving.

We ended up with
a cat:


a soaring owl (hard to see):


a silly face:


and a winky emoticon;)
For the kids' costumes this year I had a plan brewing to dress them up as Wendy, Peter Pan, and Tinkerbell. N had plans of his own to be Optimus Prime, since last year when his friends were and I told him he could be it next year. So we were driving home from Target and he asks me

"What am I going to be for Halloween?"

"Peter Pan"

pause..."I thought I was going to be Optimus Prime..."

I was feeling a little guilty, so I decided to compromise. "Ok, you can be Optimus Prime for the school parade, and then Peter Pan when we go trick-or-treating."

longer pause..."How 'bout if I am Optimus Prime for both?"

"How about if you are Peter Pan for both?"

"OK, I'll be Optimus Prime for school, and Peter Pan at home"

"Great!"

Ed shook his head when he heard this story, and didn't quite agree with my hijacking the kids' costume ideas. But I figured this is probably the last year I can do this cute theme, so I went ahead anyway, feeling a little guilty but they were so cute on Halloween!
Here is N as Optimus Prime at school:

And here are the 3 kids as Wendy, Tinkerbell and Peter Pan:


And N even got into it once he was given a dagger as part of the costume:


The actual night was rainy, but the kids still had fun. I had to take K back early when she complained about the rain,"My princess is wet!" and begged to go inside one of our neighbor's homes "My go inside?". She was so in love with her costume that she insisted on wearing it the next morning over her pj's.
Maybe I can convince her to be Tink again next year

Reflections on a life

About a month ago we heard that a woman from our church, Sandy W., had breast cancer. This was a shock- she had two girls E's age, she was young, it couldn't be... yet it was. She started chemo shortly after, and we got a request at Women's Bible Study on a Wednesday morning a week and a half ago to pray- she had gone into the hospital, sick with an infection brought on by a weakened immune system. And then later, all that day and into the next, emails increasing in urgency as the news became more grim- "only surgery can save her", "it's minute by minute", "chances of survival unlikely". The shock and grief overwhelmed all who knew her, and many who didn't. The thought of this young mother being taken so suddenly from her family was unbelievable, yet true. Two days after being taken into the hospital for the infection, Sandy went home to be with Jesus. Everyone was reeling with the news, heartbroken for Dave and the girls, for ourselves. To have lost such a sweet, sincere, devoted friend.

Yesterday was the memorial service, and it was a beautiful celebration of her life, her faith and the reason we can hope- in the One who broke Death's power. The Gospel was proclaimed in that service- in her husband's words as he told of how the Lord has been working in his heart in the time since Sandy died, in the pastor's words as he talked on the passage in Mark where Jesus calmed the storm, and in her friends' words as they gave remembrances of her life and how she quietly lived out her faith in being a wife, mother, daughter and friend. She poured herself into her family and friendships, pursuing relationships, and loving those people well.

It was a challenge to me- to make the most of each day as God brings people into my life. Starting with my family- to love my husband and children, and for me that means supporting Ed in his job, listening to his worries, bearing his burdens with him, creating a home that welcomes him when he returns each night, encouraging him in his faith; spending time playing with the kids, reading to them, doing crafts, listening to them, praying for their hearts. To love my mom, sisters and brother, and friends- reach out to them, call, be invested in their lives, and above all, pray for them. This is only possible if Jesus is my #1 relationship. I need to spend time each day with Him, to make that a priority, and only then can I live out my life as an offering to him. It is something I have known, but Sandy's service reminded me of how the Lord has called me to live, and the importance of what he has called me to do and who he wants me to be. Sandy used the gifts the Lord gave her to bless others, and honor Him. By God's grace, I can do the same.

Letting go

The whole summer has been a count down of sorts as we looked towards the new school year, and N starting kindergarten. Well, at least for me. I found myself giving him extra squeezes and hugs, telling him how much I loved him, how he was getting to be such a big boy, even pulling him into my lap- because I still could.

When I sent E off to kindergarten, I was excited even as I marveled at how big she had become. For N I find myself blinking back tears as he starts on this next phase of his life. Maybe because it is that phrase about a daughter being a daughter forever, and a son is a son until he gets married. I know he is not getting married, but this is the first step of separation. He will now have his own separate life at school- his own little joys and disappointments, interactions, friends- that I will not be a part of unless he lets me in. I won't know what he is doing, and I won't be there to help him if he needs it. As I packed his lunch this morning, I fretted over if I had packed too much or too little, if he would be able to eat a peach on his own or should I cut it up (I cut it up), if he would remember his water bottle from his back pack or would he be thirsty? I even "walked" him through his lunchbox, showing him what I packed, what he should save for snack, the little wipe I had put in for him to wipe his hands before he ate. When he came home this afternoon, I found that only 1/4 of his lunch had been eaten (a couple of crackers and a treat from Aunt Cara) because he said they didn't have enough time. I think we will have to practice eating quickly this weekend!

I just look at him, and think of how little he is, how vulnerable and innocent. I know he will lose some of that innocence this year. I know it is a part of growing up, but as his mom, it is hard to not want to protect him. I just need to be in prayer for his heart, that he will do the right thing, that he will be teachable, and that he will continue to grow in his faith as he sees his need for Jesus ever more clearly in each of these steps of his life. And I have to cling to my faith too- not to be fearful as I let go, but to trust that the Lord loves my little boy so much more than I do. And the same truth that I comforted N with before he left for school, is the same truth that comforts me- even though I can't be with him at school, Jesus is there, right by his side, Always. And that is the greatest comfort of all.

who needs manners?

Today I had some errands to run after dropping Ellie off at school. Since I am babysitting, I had all 4 little kids with me. I am quite a sight wherever I go, and I usually get lots of second looks as people see 4 small children, close in height, and age. I get many questions as to how old they are, if they are all mine, if they are twins, etc., etc. So I wasn't too surprised in Target when an older woman stopped me at the end of the aisle and asked, "Are these your children?"

"Well, not exactly..." I started, ready with my usual stock response of 'these two are, these two are friends'.

But I was interrupted mid sentence as the woman jabbed her finger at me and snapped, "You need to teach them manners!" And then she turned on her heel and walked away.

My smile froze on my face as I tried to process her remark. It was so unexpected, and so rude, I was taken aback. I herded the boys toward the next aisle and tried to figure out what prompted her remarks.

I admit the kids can sometimes get out of hand, running down the aisles, yelling, or touching merchandise. When this happens I usually reign them in, making them walk with their hands on the cart. In fact, we had just been at Costco and the boys had been getting rowdy, and I made them sit in a time-out as I went through the checkout.

I thought back over the last few minutes. I hadn't been totally focused on their behavior as I was pondering the bed linen selection, trying to see if anything would work for the girls' room. As I perused the shelves, squinted at price tags and considered color and pattern choices, the kids were pretending to have no arms. They pulled their arms into their shirts robot/transformer style ("Ch-ch-chk") and then proclaimed they had no arms. I absent-mindedly commented each time "Aww, that's so sad, you don't have any more arms!" or "That's too bad, I really liked your arms". Then they would gleefully pull out their arms and say, "They're right here!".

So, they weren't being silent, and it might have been a little noisy as all 4 children vied for my attention, but they certainly weren't acting crazy or disruptive. The two little girls were sitting in the cart, and the boys were standing close by. As I turned the corner I remember the woman talking to the sales clerk and they both looked at me as I started to come down the aisle. The sales clerk said to the woman, "Well, thank you for bringing it to my attention". She must have been complaining about the kids and hoping that Target lady would say something to me. But when she didn't, this woman immediately stopped me at the end of the aisle, blocking my way with her cart, and decided to take matters into her own hands.

After she walked away, I went hot and then cold, trying to think of something to say in response. All I could think was "What?" That has never happened to me. Usually I get complimented on how well the kids are behaving, and how well mannered they are. This was so unexpected, and I still don't know what her problem was. The one thing I thought, as I watched her walk away was, "Well, at least I can post about it!"

Summer Recap

Already the summer is gone- tomorrow is the first day of school for E. I know we must be the last school in the country to be starting, or at least among the last! So before we dive into the "new year" I thought I'd give a quick recap on what we've been up to.

Let's see, where did I last leave off? Ah yes, the neighborhood ice cream party. Well, after that we enjoyed one of our annual summer highlights- a weekend in Brigantine with some good friends of ours. It was a gorgeous weekend, and despite N's fever both days we were there, we managed to have a fun time collecting shells, swimming in the warm surf, making sand castles, playing games, and just enjoying each others' company.

The kids finally got to camp out in the back yard with Ed. We had bought him a tent and sleeping bag for Father's Day, and they have been begging for a chance to sleep in it. So one weekend when we were in town, and the weather was great, Ed set up the tent. We roasted s'mores, and then we all lay in the tent for a little while before I headed inside to my bed and Ed, E and N enjoyed sleeping in the great outdoors, or at least, the great outdoors of a suburban backyard!


I was pleasantly surprised when my room mate from college, Sue, called me up to say she would like to come visit while her older kids were visiting their grandparents for a week in Maryland. She drove all the kids down from Michigan, and then came up with her 6 month old baby for 3 days. It was so good to see her. And her baby was adorable- quite possibly one of the cutest babies I have ever seen! And the kids loved him too- E wanted to hold him all the time, and K did a happy dance every time they came back from the various day trips and visiting with other friends in the area. It was really refreshing to be with her as we laughed and reminisced together as well as caught up with each other-- totally a gift from the Lord.



After Sue left, we packed up for our trip to NH. Because of boat trouble awaiting us on the other end, we had to leave a little later than planned (to give time for the marina to fix it) so we broke up our trip by staying at a hotel in Mass. It was actually pretty neat looking- with a castle front, and our room was right behind one of those front towers. The room itself was gorgeous, and we could even bring in Holly. The kids had so much fun, and K loved her little cot.



Once we got to NH, we had a great week-- lovely weather that started off very warm and in the 80's cycling down to the end of the week when it was in the low 70's and cool, but still nice (except for the last day when we had to clean up, pack up and leave across the lake in a downpour). We had some excitement in the beginning of the week when my mom took a tumble down the last few steps from the upstairs, and need to go to the ER at 8:00 at night. She, Cara and Ed didn't return until 2:30 am after my mom got 10 stitches holding together the gash in her leg!! It was a quiet year, and a bit sad as we remembered and missed Dad, but it was good to be there.







And then we got to stop over with Ed's brother's family on the way back. The kids enjoyed playing with their cousin, and we liked seeing Bill and Becky's new home.

So now the summer is over, and we are ready to take on the new school year- tomorrow will bring pictures of Ellie's first day as a third grader, and then N will be on Friday as a kindergartner!!