Pre Christmas Puppet show:*)

What a heel catcher, you are, Dear boy?

My fiftieth birthday and the very first card that I got was from my "last son!" Ezra "Eisic Newtron". I LOVE IT. With that signature you stated that you are stealing the nickname of your elder brother, because he's not as keen on it as he once was. How that reminded me of Jacob. It is clear that Jacob wrestled the angel and tricked his brother out of his birthrite and saw sacredness in the blessing of the Lord and wanted it enough to snatch it out from under the bearer.
Although coveting and stealing are usually a sin, in this case, God shows us that we must covet and hord the blessings of the Lord with all our might. The blessing that your parents think well of you and call you dear names is truly from the Lord. You are right to want whatever God gives to your brother and wrestle him for it, in terms of determination. "Do you want God to bless your mind and make you an inventor, brother? I want it more and will compete with you for it. Do you want to know God in dearer and dearer ways, by memorizing scripture? I want it more." That is a precious relationship, if your brotherly rivalry leads you to covet more of God's mercies and graces.
I am impressed by that kind of wrestling between brothers. God is infinite and you can never reach for more of Him that there will not be more there. What a great birthday present, to see you guys love your momma with words and kisses and desires for being good. I am blessed.

This morning we started practice for the talent show.

The Trumpet shall sound...
we are flat and we are working on it.
We have been looking at this song, since we moved here. Perhaps a piano would help us get on key. Dec 7th is the audition. The practices are a time for Mommy and Ezra to bond on a unified interest. We hope that our practice will help our performance, in the long run.
...Incorrrrrrrruptible.

I love that you prepared me for the worst?...60?

Mother, I got a 75, you announced the other day. I know it was some odd number, because it was worse than I've ever had. You did? I was surprised. It is coming home and I don't want you to be shocked and dismayed. I think that I will handle it alright, Ez, but, what happened. There were 5 questions and I got at least 2 wrong, maybe more. We will see it when it comes home. We must study harder, I think, what do you think? I am concerned about you mother, you get so excited at my hundreds? I will be alright, my dear boy.
Sure enough, there it was yesterday, a big fat 60, The very first of the scholastic career. He's had other low marks, but not since I've been looking. Will you sign it for me, mother?
I am glad you are preparing me and thinking about what I will say in your results. Do well, my baby.

The Eye was spared, Halleluia!

We are grateful to go back to school in one piece, today. We celebrated a little too hard on Monday, that election day was a day off. We jumped and played and as we were about to sit down to listen to a story, it happened.
The makeshift play plastic pipe that Ezra was playing with; he pulled back and it popped him right in the eye. The miracle was, that it was about 1/4 inch from the lower lid. Blood and a gash was alarming, but when we saw that the eye was spared, alarm turned to praise.

This morning, over breakfast, he said, "Mother, did you blog on this?" I haven't stopped praising God about it!" I said. "Okay", he said. :)

Ezra fell into the salt shaker this morning.

Why aren't you eating your grits, my son? I put a little too much salt in them. :{
It reminded me of Pat Boone falling into the salt, in Journey
There was covering of salt over the grits and on the sides there were piles. Uggggh! Was there a pile of salt in those grits? What an understatement! "Heavy handed salt fellow" Don't fall in, you may never get out of the salt.
I gave him Ethan's left overs and he went on to school. But the salted grits were tossed. Dear Boy!

I went to the AIG meeting this morning.

Last year, I sat outside in the evening, expecting to see the AIG teacher, only to find out that the meeting was in the morning that day. This year, I was somewhat ahead of the game, so to speak. I made it to the meeting. A teacher and several parents in a classroom, learning about the program. A special differentiation of mental acumen? Perhaps. Extra stimuli to add to the academic days, certainly. I was blessed to make it to the meeting. I was blessed to meet the teacher. I was blessed to see the syllabus. I was blessed to make it to the meeting. Thank you God!

Trust and Obey

You had so many 100's in this schoolwork packet, I have to comment on it. I am so pleased that you are applying yourself to your work at school. I am happy that you have a personal desire to do well in your school work. Keep up the good work, dear boy. You are delighting your parents and we are telling you so.

Set a Watch? Psalm 141:3

. 3 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

Did they have watches, back then, mother? No son. Not a wristwatch and guard of correction. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth.What a telling question, that was, dear young son. What a reminder for me to feed you with the pablum of instruction and correction that are my responsibility.

Now You are Eight! Ezra.

I love the eight year old maturity and curiosity that I see in Ezra's eyes. It takes me back to Mrs. Beekman's class. It takes me back to the very first time I laid eyes on the book, Cheaper by the Dozen. Aunt Jackie had recommended it to me in a little talk that we had. She was feeding my voracious appetite for books and I was so glad that she did. It was a book that I could relate to. The realities of the uncomfortability and cultural misplacement of being part of a big family was embraced and expressed, so beautifully for me. I fell in love with the Gilbraith family.
Coincidents of the relationship between reading and reality started to happen. I had no sooner completed the book that in the SRA reading Lab a portion of the book came up as part of my reading log. I had already read it in my head, but now, another voice was reading the book to me on the tape and I followed along with greater intensity, because of the familiarity of the information. I felt like I was a part of their family. I felt that my father was not the only "strange bird" extremist, with controlling ways. I felt that someone else had been where I had been. This was part of my relationship with the world at age 8.

My Moon River!

This morning's meditation was- Why did God make you and all things? {catechism}

We decided, this morning that God must be glorified with love and loving relationships. You were certainly not an afterthought to Him. We are amazed at how our hearts are warmed and delighted with you and your sweetness.
We went back to the day 8 years ago and 2 funerals that led up to your arrival on the scene of our lives. Uncle Mose passed and then Grandpa Bob and it was just after Grandpa Bob's funeral that I went into labor: a month earlier than expected and completely exhausted from grieving. What a delight to know that God had it all planned. What a comfort to know that God is writing the story of our lives and includes surprises in His mercies. You were a surprise party from God and it was interesting to think that you wanted to see yourself come into the room that day 8 years ago to a waiting audience of a family and smile at the comfort of the familiar sounds and senses. "I want to see myself coming into that room; a little 5 lb. baby." You said. Of course, you can't remember, that is why we tell you the story so often.

Midsummer's Day's Dreams

My big Ezra, is running swiftly toward 8 years old. The interesting thought of the 2 boys taking a walk with eachother. 10 minutes and Ezra is back at home and Ethan is still out there. Exposed to the elements. What happened, baby boy? Mother, we got to a cross roads and Ethan wanted to cross a street where I didn't know my way. I decided to go home and not follow him.
I admire a young man, who can think on his own volition. Ethan was worried about Ezra having gotten hit by a car and Ezra was worried about Ethan getting lost. Ethan wouldn't change his course for his concern and neither would Ezra, they both chose to spend the next 20 minutes apart from eachother, seeking their own way. This is the way of the 2 adventurers that I have birthed. Lewis and Clark would have been dismantled, had they decided to separate. I do hope that the 20 minutes of anxiety at the thought of the loss of eachother has sunk deep upon you both.

Happy F-Day

Chopping Looney Toons? Tunes?

Every once in a while, a word crosses your path and you learn to hate it. Maybe, you used to love the word. Then, all of a sudden, it trips you, and you hate it. You pick yourself up. You dust yourself off, and you go on in your spellaventure. My word throughout life was accurate. I learned to hate mispronunciation of words because when the spelling bee lady said, I am sorry. I remember my mindsearch through the files to see where I had misspelled that word. Today it is tune.
My baby, by dear sweet babyface, was in the class spelling bee. I nearly fainted. I nearly celebrated. I had to be there.
As is usually the case in the life of the youngest child, providence never accomodates the hurdle of the mother to the scene. I have to see him. I have to know that he really can spell. One of my own dear children, can actually spell, it didn't skip a generation, as I thought, by experience.

Car broke down, I was running. I was pushing. Oh! I missed the piesta resistance. But my baby is now my favorite second grade speller.

The Snowy Week, with Ezra Charles-Anthony Walker,

Wise Words for 2011