This Reminds Me

Archive for June, 2007

While Julia had no family in Russia, she had her classmates at Children’s Home #47. She had Viktor, Katya and their teachers.  She knew how snow crunched under her boots, and how warm she felt in her favorite royal blue jacket.  How her black bread and oatmeal tasted.  She knew which tiny bed among 42 others was hers, and what she’d be doing the next day.  And the next.  And the next.

Last fall, she mourned those dimming slices of the familiar.  And I’m sure she will again.

You can only miss what you’ve had.  And now – just lately - she’s twice expressed what she’s missing here.

On the last day of school, she drew her teacher (Mrs. Deshotel) a parting picture.  No one requested this gift of her, and she didn’t copy anyone’s wording.  She created the drawing and text all by herself.  Her teacher cried over it, and I nearly did myself.

“I will miss you Mrs. D.  Julia.”  She always draws herself with pigtails, like she wore in Russia.

Then last night, she was all fidgety and cranky and finally looked at me and puddled up with a pitiful, “Mom, I miss Rachel.”

The artist and her eldest sister at a recent church reception, acting like themselves.

I swept her into my arms as we called Rachel,  who is spending 10 days with good friends in Houston.  Turns out Rachel was really missing Julia, too.  So they talked about that while I waited nearby in anticipation of rocking Julia to sleep.

You can only miss what you’ve had.  And now Julia has had a wonderful, caring teacher whose classroom she won’t inhabit again.  And the sister that has petted and indulged her the most has been away almost a week, which is an eternity to a seven-year-old.

I hope she misses lots of other things in her life.  I hope she misses friends that move away.  I hope she misses more teachers, and each school as she graduates to another.  I hope one day she misses her childhood church, and I hope she misses this house after she moves out.  I want her to miss Rachel singing, Lois playing the guitar and Hannah fussing over which skirt is really the cutest.  I want her to miss being tickled, and being rocked, and being told, “Hurry, we’ll miss the bus.”  And one day – when Keith and I have gone home – I hope she misses us.

I want her to miss all those things.

Because you can only miss what you’ve had.

And I want her to have them all.

I was a flip-flop fan for decades.  I had my standard Old Navy pairs, my novelty Old Navy pairs and even my textured Land’s End pairs.  I learned not to buy Wal-Mart flops, because they invariably pinched between my toes.  And Target – my fashion center - stops their Women’s shoes at size 10.  What’s up with that?!

My friend Vicki – who has stepped around our shoe pile for many years – gifted the girls with this flip-flop flag for their “Sisters Day.”  It’s proudly flying at Casa Woodworth now, announcing the arrival of summer.

But foot surgeries past now cause my tootsies to tingle when wearing flip-flops.  I’ve switched.  I’m now a Crocs’kind’o'gal.  Yes, I still think they are as ugly as homemade sin.  But comfortable!  Oh my.  Yes.

Kick ‘em off when you come in…..

Flip-flops are still our family crest, but now Crocs dot the shoe scape.  Rachel and I sport the name brands; Lois, Hannah and Julia wear the knock-offs.  Christmas of 2005, I bought our first pair – a Men’s Size 13 pair in hot pink for Rachel.  (Takes a very secure man to wear hot pink Crocs, I’m thinking.)   They were very hard to find. I had to buy them directly from crocs.com – no Upromise, no free ship, no naughty code. Paid full price and full shipping.  About killed me to do that.  When I told Rachel, she said, “Mom, now I know you really love me.”

Keith still eschews any footware sans laces.  It’s a chromosonal predilection, I am convinced.

Keith’s color coordination:  Brown boat shoes outside on the being-rebuilt brown deck….

And….ummmm….”beige” inside on the kitchen tan tile, by the back door….

Keith has made so much progress in the backyard – I’m anxious to show how much he’s done.  Maybe in a week or two, he’ll allow me back there with the camera.  But before I step outside, I’ll be slipping on my red Crocs.  Or maybe my blue ones.

It’s been a Sunday of new threads.

Julia has been passionately attached to one church dress – and one dress only - her black and pink plaid “kitty cat dress,” a welcome home gift from our friends B.J. and David.  After dozens of washings, it’s no longer….ummm….the cat’s meow.  So we talked her into a new dress, a hot little Dora the Explorer tennis number.  Rachel, Lois, Hannah and I held our collective breath this morning - would she actually wear it?  Well, yes she did.

And it’s a size 6!  I can’t honestly say she’s grown a size because 5′s still fit, but now some 6′s do, too.  Maybe a little more butter on that oatmeal….

Our church’s Vacation Bible School started tonight, and somehow, I got roped into the skit.  Unusual, I know, with my being so shy and all.   The skit required some new threads, too, in my role as Miss Newton, head of the Son Force Satellite Training Station.

Rachel and I toddled off to Goodwill yesterday to create my ensemble.  First – a Ralph Lauren sleeveless Polo – $3.  And a brand-new Murano jacket – also $3.  Delightful green earrings – $1.95.  Add Lois’ fake glasses, an ancient tie, and an old hat of Uncle Russ’ – voila!  Nerdy Miss Newton.  Rachel asked me just before I left tonight, “Mom, you did wash those clothes from Goodwill, didn’t you?”  Uhhh.  No.  But I did pour rubbing alcohol on the earrings.

I wasn’t the only family member on stage.  Lois and Rachel were picked to help play a game that eventually spelled out “Trust” as letters were guessed.

That’s Lois (“T” – far left) and Rachel (“S” – sitting).  Rachel was sporting a homemade “Free Paris” (Hilton) shirt and said, “Mom, I was afraid they were going to make me twist into an S and then no one could see my shirt.”

Son Force shirts – big hits!  Later all the kids got sunlasses.  Hannah (second from left) is spending the night with a friend and they plan to decorate their sunglasses with blue glitter to complete their totally upperclass 5th/6th grade look.

Our verse ths week is:

“Have I not commanded you?  Be strong and courageous.  Do not be terrified.  Do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:9

And I think I would have to add:

….”And with you whatever you wear.”