Parable

Anna and Sarah were assigned the task of writing a parable in class today. Sarah’s turned out to be more of a cautionary tale on the dangers of excessive litigation.

One day there was a little girl who wanted to be a great singer when she grew up, and when she grew up she became one! One day when she was looking at china plates in a Chinese dish-shop she decided to practice for a singing competition that was coming up. So she started to sing a very loud and high note, but then all the dishes in the shop broke! And the owner sued her for all she had including her job, money, and all of her stuff and her house. And her family died of hunger. The end. (And the moral of that story is never sing in a dish-shop.)

–Sarah, age 9

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Oh, Optimism!

Happy birthday, Mommy! Guess what?! You don’t have to worry about Ella at all today! Me and Sissy have it all under control.

–Sarah, age 9

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The Part Where We’re Still Waiting and Praying

When we moved into this house, the expectation was that Jason’s mom, Pearl, would be moving in right along with us. However, since the day after we arrived, Pearl has been back and forth between the hospital (sometimes the ICU) and the rehab hospital twice. Today she’s starting her second stay at the rehab hospital, after another bout of pneumonia, and an infection, and possibly a regrowth of the cancer in her right lung. She’s not having much fun.

Hopefully this two week stay will only be a two week stay, and then Pearl will be recovered enough to come home with us and have some normalcy for a change. To do that, she’ll have to eat enough (which is difficult right now) and do all her physical therapy (which is also proving difficult). So if you remember, pray for some strength and appetite to get Pearl back where she needs to be. We’re hoping she can get some peace and family time here at home before the cancer treatments start again.

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Happy Thought

I’m NAKED!!!

–Ella’s new favorite phrase (age 2)

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The Mini-Tour

It’s brief because there are so few parts of the house that are actually finished, but here are a few of the highlights so far. . .

This is the mantel. It’s directly opposite the front door, so it’s the first thing you see when you walk in. I don’t think I’ve ever had a mantel before, but it makes me look forward to Christmas time. I might actually get to use those stocking hangers I got on clearance two years ago!

I like tea pots. My favorite isn’t pictured here. It’s a cobalt blue cheapie from IKEA, and it’s huge, and thick, and I use it the most, so it will probably be broken first. But I’m pretty sure IKEA has more where that came from.

This is an old picture I found when I was unpacking a box of miscellaneous junk that I hadn’t seen since we lived in Ojai five years ago. It’s Jason and I somewhere in mainland China, back when we were still “not dating”, even though we were talking about how many kids we wanted (zero, eight, or ten!), and whether we would homeschool or not, and whether or not I’d ever agree to live in Texas.

In this shot we’re both wearing the matching red cord necklaces given to us by Jason’s Chinese roommate Bentinck. Just this past year I learned that in Asia the red cord symbolizes a fated connection between people that can’t be broken, no matter how far apart they are. Bentinck didn’t bother explaining this to us at the time, but he was always convinced we’d stick together, even when Jason would come home beside himself trying to figure out how the heck to convince this hard-headed woman that he was serious.

We’ve certainly had our share of unwanted distances over the last ten years, but he’s still the only guy I want to share my home and life with.

And cheerful $4 clearance curtains from Target! They’re hanging in Naiah and Ella’s room.

These are the calm/cool ones I found for Pearl’s bathroom, also $5 Target clearance! Yay Target!

And a backyard shot: the preferred climbing tree. I have no idea what kind of tree it is, but it’s loverly and keeps us shaded.

I’ll try to get more of a tour up when things are somewhat finished. I still need textiles for the kitchen/dining/living room windows, but since I can’t seem to find anything I like I’ll probably just raid my fabric stash and make something. A sewing machine would be nice first though. No clue where that thing is. And I really need to figure out this living room arrangement. It’s such an odd shape with so much traffic that I can’t seem to get the furniture straight no matter what I try. I kind of liked it when it was empty and the kids were running through it freely, but that’s probably not an option.

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My Sentiments Exactly

It would be funnier if it weren’t true.

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In Which I Would Like to Note

1. Cheerful curtains on clearance at Target make my house glad.

2. Tea should be brewed in an earthenware teapot whenever possible. It’s the right thing to do.

3. My new OB called me “weird” on my second visit.

4. It was because I asked about using the shower or tub during labor.

5. Cranberry red carpet shows dirt like crazy, but is pretty when clean.

6. Recommendation: Kenmore canister vacuum. Uprights are for chumps.

7.  Sometimes it rains really hard here, for days. Then you have to mow your Texas-sized lawn. Or hire your fabulous neighbor, who gives you a discount because he’s your neighbor.

8. Going to McDonald’s in this town is like going to an impromptu MOPs meeting. People even exchange phone numbers and email with you so you can meet up on purpose next time.

9. Fresh squeezed lemonade. Mmmmmmm. . .  That is all.

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Two Weeks

Side note: TNBB is now updated (in the tabs at top) for those of you who follow the baby news. 😉

It’s starting to feel like this is our house now. The laundry/cooking/cleaning smells are all our smells. The trees are thoroughly climbed and claimed, and the garage is slowly (slooooooowwwwwly) emptying of boxes.

The kitchen is pretty much unpacked and almost fully functional. Once my pantry is stocked I’ll be baking a lot, I think; it’s a good kitchen. The counters are old-school white tile, the cabinets are abundant, and I dig it. I had to delay the set-up in there for a while due to the former occupants’ many insect friends who had to die tragically from nerve poison. They come out to twitch on the counter now and then, but other than that they’ve pretty much disappeared. The bug man cometh again this Tuesday to finish them off.

We’ve had two birthday parties already, one for Jonah, who turned seven, and one for Ella, who turned two. Our neighbors across the street came over to help celebrate and stayed until late talking up a storm. Their girls are nine and eight, and already fast friends with Anna, Sarah, and Naiah. The Barbie mansion they bought at the thrift store in Westwood is a busy, busy place these days, thanks to all the play dates. It’s a happy thing to have friends so close by, for me and for them.

Pearl should be settled into her new room here in the next two weeks. Right after we arrived she had to go to the hospital for severe anemia and a touch of pneumonia. She just hadn’t been eating at home when Jason wasn’t around, and was very weak, on top of the lung problems she was already experiencing. It all underscored again how crucial it is for her to be with people full time. Her condition seems to be improving now in the rehabilitation hospital, so once she’s strong enough she’ll be released to come home with us on a high-calorie diet. I can SO cook a high-calorie diet. Paula Deen is my homegirl. There shall be cream in my fridge. And much butter. And cheesy goodness. And somehow I must remember my Sparkpeople habits and not revert to my old high-calorie diet while I cook this way. Somehow, people. But the cream! They told me to use cream. It’s kind of satisfying to be asked to fatten somebody up. It’s a fun way to nurture, especially knowing that Pearl looks forward to it as well. I guess I’ll be one of those grandmas trying to make everybody eat more pie at Christmas.

Meanwhile Jason has his hands full, between work, moving everything out of his mom’s old place, seeing to her needs at the hospital every day, and dealing with conflicting phone reports from doctors, nurses, and case workers. It’s new territory, and stressful, to say the least, so he could use your prayers.

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