Wiring houses, swimming lessons

Ben is now working for my brother, Steve. He's helping to wire a new house under Steve's watchful eye. Steve told me Ben was one of his best students. That made my mother's heart glad. I think Ben's enjoying being a part of a team of men putting a house up. He made friends with an Amish man on the team, Daniel, but sadly he had to move on only days after Ben met him. Ben told us that the Amish work hard and fast, and do excellent work.

And that leads us to the news that, working 40 hours/week, Ben's making decent $$ for a 16-yr-old. With money in pocket, he went to the guitar store down the street and brought home a red electric guitar. Somehow he managed to get his dad's OK, and here it is, along with an amplifier. I really don't care, as long as he doesn't blare it. It does concern me, though, that he won't play an acoustic anymore. "El Ca-Bong" lay untouched now that this fancy new guitar's showed up.

Noah has started swimming lessons, and loves them! He'll go for a couple weeks, and then go into another class for a couple weeks. It's not expensive, and I feel much better having him get lessons. The girls took lessons too. Josh and Ben learned from me and 12 year old Sarah Jane. They wore swimmies a lot that first summer we lived in a development with a pool. But they did learn to swim w/o lessons, and are good swimmers today. I thought of teaching Noah myself, but I knew it would go faster in a group, where everyone is putting their head under the water. He's very cautious. it could've taken me half the summer to do what he'll get in class in a couple days...

I'm wiped out. Time to crash...zzzzzzzz

Josh graduates, summer begins

We of the hill are rather looking forward to summer. With Noah's last day of kindergarten this Friday, and the big kids all out of school, it's finally feeling like summer. I guess it will be official with the first plunge into a pool.

Josh graduated from high school last week. He was so handsome in his cap and gown. As his turn to state his name, location, and future plans came, I trained my camcorder on him. He said he was from "Upper L*******". This cracked us all up, as we knew there was no such place. Just Josh being a snob...

He graduated with a National Honor Society cord. He wore another one as well, which we later learned he found and put on just to look better. That kid...

It seems that Josh has some security issues. Rather, he has some "Hmmm... let's see what I can get away with" issues. Plus he enjoyed looking a bit more academic with 2 cords.

Ben is working construction with his uncle this summer. He likes the work, mainly wiring new homes. The only drawback is the driving we and my brother have to do, as Ben has no vehicle.

Josh is still looking for a job this week. I told him he has to be able to walk or ride a bike there. I can't drive two boys to different jobs. Gas is $3.89/gallon now.

Sweet Little Thoughts

A couple days ago, as Noah and I returned from the little park at the bottom of our hill-yard, we stopped to smell the flowers. We lingered at the honeysuckle and azaleas. Just before we walked inside, Noah spoke his feelings about the flowers, "Can you imagine a tooth in your heart smelling the odors and saying, "I love this smell!" I replied, "Do you mean a tooth in a mouth in your heart?"

"Yes, and there are two lines coming out, "The flowers smell so good!"

I was struck by his expression of this abstract idea. He's six. That's pretty advanced for a six-year-old. I remember Josh saying some things like this. I know I have them written down in a journal.

Where to send Josh

We had it all figured out. Josh was going to go to Judson U, in Illinois, to major in architecture. Then, he began to sway. And move away from it all. I don't know exactly why, but I think it was premature separation anxiety. Which is understandable. The kid was going to be 10 hours drive from home without knowing a soul in the place. But JU is also the only Christian university to offer a National Architectural Accrediting Board - degree. They even filter the internet that comes into the kids' pc's - yay! Distance aside, it's perfect. Well, maybe the student body is a bit small, 1250. But I figured that in the six years Josh will be there, he'll meet 5 more new classes, and half of those will be girls! That's 937.5 gals to choose a mate from. (If that's how he's going to meet her in college.)

Now, after some more talks, debates, and looking around at other majors at a closer Christian college, he's back to architecture as a major.

I think he's going to end up at Judson. And I think he's going to do just fine.

I think Ben is going to be a business major, which is good because he can go to just about any Christian school close by. Personally, I think he should go to Liberty like Rebekah.

Books on Tape

I am addicted to books on tape. I can't believe it took me this long to figure out how to keep my brain happy while doing housework/taxi-ing/walking. My house is now cleaner. I walk more. And I always arrive on time to pick up my kids from their many sport practices/games. Who knew?

It all started with a 5 hour car trip to see Becka in her Shakespeare play. I listened to Sights Unseen by Kaye Gibbons. Within weeks I listened to two of her other books, Divining Women, and Charms for the Easy Life. Both very interesting yarns.

Soon, I found myself purchasing a walkman and earbuds, as I could take my books anywere I went. I especially like walking and listening because I don't really have to think, just relax and enjoy the outdoors.

I just finished The Nature of Water and Air by Regina McBride. Again, a great yarn, though a bit more "blushing" than the others I've heard. I was glad for the walkman and earbuds.

After listening to these entertaining stories, I often wonder if I could write one myself. I do often find myself thinking up stories after casually observing people out and about, or thinking about something. I'm not sure if I should take some courses first, or dive in and try as I am...

My Baby Boy is 18...

This week, my oldest son turned 18. He is now eligible for the draft. Wow. That is very sobering. I was just reading all about his arrival and newborn moments in the (paper and pen) journal I kept. How quickly the time has flown. My Joshie. He's all grown up.

Did March just whiz by?

OK, that was a busy month! I feel like I'm finally catching my breath. In one month my grandmother died, I hosted a get-together afterwards, David and I went to Philly for a weekend, Easter weekend came, egg-hunt and all (this was hosted by my sister, Wendy), I threw a kid's party for Noah's 6th birthday, we had carpet installed in our bedroom, and new (used) furniture arrived and had to be fit in. I'm bushed!

All I have to do this month is drive for three boys in sports, and throw two birthday parties. Oh, and on the last day, I go through "revisions" of my Dec '07 tummy tuck. My belly button and the edges of the scar, one on each hip, didn't turn out right and need tidying up. Just so this doesn't sound like my plastic surgeon is a quack - revisions are common. Plastic surgery is not an exact science. The docs do the best they can. I'm very happy overall with my tummy tuck, and would do it again, with the same doc.

Change of topic - Today I went to probably one of the nicest funerals I've ever attended. My friend, Kolene, lost her mom, Barbara, this week. Barbara was 74, and loved the Lord very much. She was ill for at least 20 years with various ailments, but always believed that the Lord would heal her, even up to the end. Kolene pointed out that she was like the prophets of old, who looked for the Messiah, and yet died before He came. She was picking out which color car she'd like when she got her license again. But she took a bad fall, and that was it. She's with the Lord now. There was harp music at her funeral service. "His Eye is On the Sparrow" was one of the songs. It was lovely. I was especially touched by the comment of one of this dear lady's grandsons: "I knew I was special because she told me I was." At the end, we all sang "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "I'll Fly Away." I thought it was a very sweet and homespun event. Barbara would have liked it. She left behind a husband, six daughters, and many grandchildren. Just like with my Grandma, it is a huge comfort to know they are not gone forever, but merely waiting for us to join them...