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Loading ...Archive for August, 2006
Rain, Rain, Go Away – NOT
After a months-long drought – it rained. A fast, furious late-afternoon rain, depositing about 1/4″ of precious moisture on our crunchy brown lawn.
I was in line at Costco when it started. To hear the adults buzzing – you would have thought it was the Second Coming. Or (God forbid) another 9/11. Shoppers were walking to the doors just to stare at it. Everyone was giddy, chatting with equally-thrilled strangers. As I walked out to my car, I thought – Omigosh, look, there are water splotches on my dress. And they’re gorgeous!
Note the grass – or lack of – in our yard. Water restrictions for homes over the Edwards Acquifer have forbade landscape watering, though we suspect our across-the-street neighbors have….ummm….perhaps not heeded such edicts.
I drove up to four barefoot, soggy, giggly girls frolicking in our cul-de-sac. I’m sure our neighbors all think we’re off our meds.
Several of our fellow bus riders have been joking for weeks that we need to do a rain dance while we’re waiting on the #6 Express each morning. I’m all for it – I’d like a few more evenings of the wet stuff. Come kick off your shoes and join us.
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Itchy Cream – More Than Skin Deep
Julia asked me an interesting question this week as I was applying hydrocortisone cream to her eczema. She told me her friends Nikita and Jeema in Children’s Home #47 also had itches, so, could they come live with us and we could put itchy cream on them, too?
That’s Guanna-to-be-Julia on the far right, joining a patriotic chorus at Children’s Home #47
I took a deep breath and said no, they could not live with us, but we would send them some itchy cream. That lame response did not satisfy and she was obviously struggling to ask me “why?” I quickly flipped on Sponge Bob so that “Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” would replace her thoughts of where her friends lived.
Now, to keep from becoming a(n even) big(ger) fat(ter) liar, I need to send Buckner a check and hope some of it goes to buy hydrocortisone cream for Children’s Home #47.
But in the meantime – the question rolls around in my head. And my heart.
Why can’t Nikita and Jeema – or other kiddos like them – live with us?
There are so many “reasons.” Omigosh yes. So many. We already have four kids. We’re too old. We have a “girl” house. We haven’t paid off Julia’s adoption yet. We can’t juggle more responsibility. We worry about college for the four we have. Keith’s truck won’t hold us all and the van is one seat away from being filled. We can’t afford more time away from our jobs.
So many good “reasons.” All accurate. But none truthful.
Because the truth is that I’m too selfish. I can’t put Keith in that category – he is the single most generous man I’ve ever known, and the kiddos in Children’s Home #47 really got to him. I think he’d make sacrifices to fold a few more into our family.
This little blonde – Katya – really worked at getting Keith’s attention, including grabbing his leg and forcing him down onto a couch so she could talk to him, sing for him, etc. Guanna-to-be-Julia pushed her away saying, “That’s my papa.”
But me? I’d rather have a 2002 minivan than drive an unairconditioned clunker. I’d rather eat stuffed salmon from Costco than, say, soup with bits of meat. I’d rather buy paperback books than take the time and trouble to borrow them from the library. I’d rather have my own digital camera, MP3 player, computer and printer/scanner than share with my kids.
So my “rathers” define my actions. And my actions define who I am.
Jesus said, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
And the truth is I am is someone who tries to justify myself by sending a check for itchy cream.
I don’t know that this sad fact makes me any “better” or any “worse” than anyone else.
But instead of truth making me feel free – I’m feeling frighteningly tethered to possessions, only some of which I’ll share.
Like itchy cream.
Back to Vork
School started last week, so, it’s back to work at Casa Woodworth. Or, as young Julia mutters with a deep sigh and roll of her eyes, “Vork.”
I noticed a large bottle of Ibuprofen topping Rachel-the-Sophomore’s tantalizing Pre-History notes. A quick scan taught me that Paleolithic means “Old Stone Age” and Neolithic means “New Stone Age.” I’m thinking Fred and Barney are giving her a headache either way. Only 39 more weeks of World History, Rach – Yabbadabbadooo!
Lois-the-7th-Grader created an collage of herself online for her Gifted & Talented English class. Lots of anime art capped with truly insightful self-descriptions like, “Creative, spontaneous, aggressive, protective.” Check out the blog she and her (equally goofy) friend Sam post. Creative and spontaneous fer shure. I’m thinking I was still mastering pipe cleaners when I was in seventh grade. (sigh)
Hannah-the-5th-Grader created a 3D collage of herself for English representing her main five facets of interest: Shopping, Animals, Candy, Beauty and Movies. This reminds me of what she considers the four food groups: Chocolate, Peanut Butter, Cookies and Chick-Fil-A.
Now Julia-the-Kindergartener’s Gingerbread Man booklet really intrigued me because of her name being written backwards. It didn’t merely seep through the paper from the other side – it was definitely written in a mirror image. I’m hanging onto it because one day – when her language is more developed – I want to ask her how she knew how to do that, and what made her do it. As it is, we have reviewed (admired!) it repeatedly, and are elaborating on the the shapes contained within. Hannah has assumed the self-appointed task of teaching Julia colors. Blue and purple are correctly announced each time.
Household work never stops. Six years ago, Hannah and a friend ripped the towel bar off her bathroom wall by swinging on it. He Tarzan, her Jane. Keith has patched it several times, but the hole gets bigger each time it loosens. Saturday, he dropped a metal plate tied to a string down into the hole, then pulled it up and anchored.a brace to it, onto which he can affix the towel bar. Pretty smart! My work – as always – continues to be the bearer of ice water.
Many thanks to everyone who posted a comment last week, keeping me from whipping my children. I have plenty of time to administer whippings, of course, since I have no job. Rachel is working on a new video with answers to more Frequently Asked Questions about WoodworthFamily.Blogdrive.Com. It’s not too late to leave her another question – just post it below in (Make A) Comment.
Now that’s not too much work, is it?
Rachel’s FAQs about The Blog
Rachel, age 15 and a budding visual communicator, gifted me with a video tonight about – what else? – the blog. She wrote, directed and starred in this 2.5 minute epic commentary . Wardrobe by Target. No animals were hurt in its production. I rate it PG for “Pretty Good.” 
Please turn up your speakers! And yes, leave a comment, I live for them. I love them. I want to marry them.
Rachel’s Frequently Asked Questions About www.WoodworthFamily.Blogdrive.com
(The comment link is directly below….see it? Yes, that’s it. Right there. So click it. Now. Before I have to start the whippings.)
Note from the Web Master
This page was converted from the old blog WoodworthFamily.blogdrive.com , to the site you now know as ThisReminds.me
