Wednesday, December 21, 2011

Thursday, December 8, 2011

And---What...(Hurts) Son of my womb?

It seems a correlation that, on D day someone should have been injured in our house. If only to help us sympathize with the many veterans who lived after that day with injuries far worse and life changing. My Ethan fell and hurt his back. Nothing life threatening, it seems; but a lesson. We skip, we fall, we hurt ourselves. Today, he is home from school.
It seems that the eighth and fifteenth vertebrates seemed somewhat bruised, but not tender to the touch, this morning and his chest hurts a little. Feeling is still in his extremities and he hasn't thrown up or gone unconscious.
We pray today for the veterans and their mothers who have suffered so much from the losses on D day and in other wars. They were not skipping. Comfort and peace to their souls. Healing on my precious Ethan and thank God for strength to comfort him in his pain. Amen.

Monday, November 21, 2011

I am so thankful for my Middleschooler!

The people in my life are my favorite Thankful subject. God has blessed me so abundantly, with a precious middle school boy. I found the report card for you, special boy. I hope you are understanding the slowness of your mother, in that. I found it, exactly where I put it. I thought that you didn't need to return it. Have a great day.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Ethan the Etruscologist!

What a beautiful thing, when the little birds tell on the wayward children. A little birdie told me that Ethan had a project. I picked up one of our encyclopedia books. We have them around the house, though they are rarely read. This one came across my path as I was searching for cables and computer speaker wires, in the shoe closet. It was in the bottom of one of the boxes of stuff from Ben's office. I was distracted, as I always am, when I find an encyclopedia book. Which one is this and where does it go? I thumbed through it and found the letterings of early people groups. I could have spent the whole day in that part of the book. It is always an interest of mine, but I had already spent 5 whole minutes oogling the Mesopotamian texts. I put it next to the computer and went on to the task at hand, repairing the speakers for my mp3. I separated the wires and tried to untangle as much of the other wires that I could.
I left that encyclopedia next to the computer and remained hopeful that there would be some excuse for taking another minute to look at the languages as my heart longed.
Then, last night, in the tire of my late afternoon nap, I called for my precious little boys to read their homework to me. Ethan says, 'I have a project and poster due. I have a project that I have to complete." I should have known, I thought. Ethan has a way of avoiding any call, unless there is a looming project. I asked the usual questions...Who?What?Where?When? How long did you know that you had this? I threw the questions aside, when I found that it was due tomorrow. It's about some old language....Cunieform? I questioned. yes, Mom, how did you know...?


A little birdie told me.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Oh, the thinks that we think in Middle School?

Practice makes... a big problem?
Practice makes... contention?
Shall we dance around this problem?
The clarinet is not a monster, my fine fellow. Had I a clarinet... I say, had I a clarinet? I would have complained as you do, about practicing. But practice you must. We are only aiming for a Christmas concert dearest. Don't dispair. You will pick up. You will get the hang of this. You are discouraged because you started late in the school year. I want you should do your best. I will love it if you squeak or not. It is only my love of music and love of you that I would introduce you to it. You will choose which way you would go. Madly in love with music, as I. Or, simply a spectator. I love you!

Friday, November 4, 2011

A trip to see Ethan at school.


I have been in a weakened physical state. I have had to limit my social exposure and my physical exertion, for pain's sake. My precious daughter volunteered to take me to rescue the son of my womb, in his dilemma in Math and Spanish and Lunch. I love his middle-school attitude. He is truly, more my son, than any of the other. He has no maternal help. His mother and father have more to do than to be able to help him in his work. He doesn't want that help, these days, even when it is offered. But, on the day of delivery, he needs a bailout package. We printed the final documents, with the help of our dearest neighbors and barrelled down the road to deliver them.
The wrinkled and motley genius met me in the office. That boy looks just like me, I giggled. More inside the brain than outside the brain. Color coordinated? Not! Concerned about his work and inventions? Always. No question about his lunch. Here is your lunch and your papers and your contribution to the party. No thanks, really. I kissed his disheveled forehead. I saw my mind delivered there into middle school. I saw my mind walking around in that little fellow's body. We are a strange and motley family. We are curious and learners, not masters, but intellects, just the same. God loves us, in spite of ourselves. Usually, the joke between the Ethy boy and me is-- we look into eachother's eyes and shake our heads and say "Only a mother could love". We do love eachother.

Monday, October 17, 2011

More than Words!

"Cheesy or Queezy" "Seemly or Deemly" I do not think that we take enough care to realize that there is a portion of taking dominion, that includes the language that we speak.

God brought the animals before Adam and gave him the responsibility of calling them what they were. We are quick to name things, unto life or unto death. This is our lot in life, as human beings made in the image of God, it is clear. Only God, has creating things as they are. We are here to find it's uses.

As reading Don Quixote, the folly and wisdom of calling things as they should be, instead of what they are. God has made all things beautiful in their time. We enjoy the beauty that is around us to His glory. We complain about what may or may not be often enough. But, so interesting of Cervantes to encapsulate the folly to us to have a person who calls things according to life at every turn. We call him mad. How can he not see what the Sweetness of El Toboso is? How can he not see that he is cheesy really and not royal as he feigns?

In Christ, alone we are a peculiar people and God alone gives us the glasses to see the royalty and humility of our positions.

Taking dominion is calling things according to the AMEN.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Thank you Son, for the enlightenment.

I said, Ethan, I had an idea for a horror story, spawned by your sad words to me, yesterday. This was our breakfast conversation. I told him the story of the handcuffs on me for my lack in mothering skills. How they led me into a lone room with other unfit mothers. He said, "that was the devil, himself mother. Why didn't you recognize him? I would have gotten out of that dream right away."

I was not in a dream, I told him. I was writing the screen play. He said, "don't write that one, mother, it is too unreal.
Didn't you watch Carmen's scene of how the devil is overcome, already?" I know that I am cleansed by the blood of Jesus, but I thought that this would be a good motivation for me to walk circumspectly and the handcuffs were burning in my mind.

I wouldn't write anymore of that story from the devil, was my son's instruction to me. I will receive that, I said. Would to God, that I could be obedient.

Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Seventh Grade!

We delightedly are in the midst of week 2 of 7th grade. I was dreaming about plotting points, last night, corresponding with the homework that put me to sleep. Your bus schedule is changed and we should have a better time getting to the bus, most mornings now. Now if we can get a saxophone, we will be set. C'est La Vie!

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Indiana Squirrel, found his way...

into the school, where young Ethan was. He wasn't afraid of the large building and he knew that Ethan would help him clear his name and reputation and the reputation of all squirrels.
What would be the difficulty for people, is not so hard for a squirrel. He scurried into the building in the squirrel fashion. He waited for a portly gentleman to open the doors and he crept in, nearly under the man's heels. The man had no ability to see his heels. This, Indiana took to the greatest advantage. He felt the breeze of the man's shoe, hitting the floor, as he ran by. Whew, that was close. He certanly would not survive the blow had the foot come down on his head. Squirrels are careful about such things, but this was still too close.

It was a tender meeting between boy and squirrel, when the two caught eachother's eye in the hall. I don't know what made Ethan look so low to the ground. None of the other children noticed him at all. Having a friend who is a squirrel must make you pan from a lower eye level. Anyway, he saw him, the bell rang and the children went into their classes. All except young Ethan, who lingered in the hallway to greet his unexpected visitor. Yo, Ind, what are you doing here? They popped five and did their handshake that they had developed. Ethan had grown quite a bit over the summer and had to kneel instead of squat to be eye level with his friend. Good to see you, what are you doing here.

I need an education, I need money and in this world you need an education to make money, so I've come to see if you can help me get into school.
Wow, Ind, I never, well, huh, I never thought a, well uh, a squirrel doesn't need money or an education, does it? I mean do you? Anyway, education is complicated in this world, I mean, this is not as easy as you might think, you see, Ind. This is public school, they don't just let any wild animal in the doors. There has to be a standard. My parents pay taxes and I am registered here and everything. I wouldn't even know where to begin, getting you registered for school, much less the health and other requirements for being a student.

Just then, the janitor and a teacher came around the corner and saw Ethan talking to Indiana. Ms. Wiffins, put her hand over her mouth in shock and Mr. Carps grabbed Indiana by the scruff of the neck. Woooo? Wait a minute? They both begged for a minute to plead their case.

This is my friend Indy and he, well uh, well uh,...he wants an education so he can make money and everything. I am not sure why, but I know that he is a good squirrel and a good friend and well uh, I want to help him, you see.

Ms. Wiffins said, I never heard of anything so ridiculous in all my life. A squirrel wanting an education, this is outlandish, this is unheard of. Did he tell you why he needs an education and money. He didn't was Ethan's answer, He was just about to get to that. I was explaining that it is not automatic for some squirrel to just walk off the street and get into school, well there is the tax burden and the registration and everything, right?

Ms. Wiffins thought for a good long minute. Mr. Carp was still holding Ind, by the scruff of the neck. All of a sudden, Ms. Wiffin's face changed. She softened and smiled. She said, we are public servants and if a squirrel wants an education in America, by gumption, it is a free country and he shall have it. We should be able to accomodate our local wildlife, here and there, when they have a need. It shouldn't be difficult. You take him home with you and I will research the topic abit and see if I can't find some precidence to take to the School board. The bell rang. Ms Wiffins requested that Ethan go to class and that the squirrel leave the premises. There are insurance concerns you know.
Ethan told Indy to meet him at the house and thanked Ms. Wiffins for understanding and the hallway cleared of the 4 loiterers and was quiet.

Saturday, January 29, 2011

I miss my daddy, but I see him in the little things.


The other day, I saw a leaf spinning in the tree, like mad. It was being blown in circles and not coming off of the tree. I thought of my dad. My dad seemed to say, somebody is spinning their wheels in your family. Get a grip on them. My tires were bald and I knew that my dad was pointing me to that. But, I was shocked to find out that my, usually attentive Ethy fellow, was slipping through the cracks of maternal attention. That is not hard to have happen in a big family like ours.
Okay, Dad, you are such a nag. I said back to him. I will open my eyes and look around and see who is spinning. Sure enough, the Ethy boy was totally behind in all of his subjects.
It wasn't just the writing assignments, which are usually the Walker distinctive, that got him down. It was everything.
All of my children come to me, in some point and their eyes are as open as they can be and they say, Mom, I don't know what I am going to do. I always see my dad, in them or me, when this happens, because of our many scholastic struggles. I remember the fear in my heart of death or worse, failing. I remember his unflinching command of me and the situations. I will accept nothing less. Nothing. Don't be angry, I say to myself and I want to run from that situation as far as I can. But, I pick up my heart from the ground of my emotions and remind myself that I am on this side of the whip, now. One or more stories of past days should apply and we will get past this point.
I love how people, who were not pushed can put pressure on people to perform above their ability. I will put just a little pressure and the rest is on you.
Now that Dad is in eternity, the pressure he places is just the right amount. A leaf spinning in the tree is enough for me to know that he is concerned, still.