Train Up a Child

December 2017

Proverbs 22:6 says "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."

When Chris and I were first married, we made ringing the bell for the Salvation Army a yearly tradition.  Since then (14 years ago), there have been maybe 3 years (the boys were born in October and November...so we took both of those years off) we did not ring the bell.  It's a tradition we look forward to every year...kind of. We quickly found that our version of volunteering to ring the bell with two little boys didn't quite look like it did in the Hallmark movies.  But, nevertheless, we continue to make it a yearly tradition.  "Train up a child...."  


You see, at first glance, this picture probably looks picture perfect.  But, trust me, it is far from it......in fact, throughout the years of ringing the bell, I've learned that things are not always what they seem.

December 2015

You see, what you don't see is that prior to this picture, before we even started ringing the bell, Harper spilled a cup of hot coffee on my arm, so my sleeve was soaking wet and sticky with hot coffee and lots of creamer.  Then, just as we got out of the car, Chris spilled my same cup of coffee on his shirt and shorts.  So, he too had hot coffee and sticky cream on him...and I had barely any coffee left.

Once we arrived and set up (complete with music and everything...our ringing station has become quite sophisticated over the years), Harper realized it was a bit chillier than we anticipated.  He was freezing.  So he sat in one of our chairs and folded his arms to try and keep warm.  So much so that a lady walked over and said to him "Well, you look like the Christmas grouch."  Lovely!  That's exactly the spirit we were hoping to portray!

Fast forward a few minutes.....when Warren ended up in tears because Lord only knows why.  Chris took him for a walk to try and get him to calm down.  When that didn't work, we just had him sit with the Santa hat pulled down over his face.

Let me pause for just a minute while you get this mental picture in your mind, because remember, it is as far from the perfect one above.  Ok, so Warren is sitting in a camping chair with a Santa hat over his head, Chris is ringing the bell to our Christmas music, and Harper is freezing.

December 2014

To warm up, he and I decide to walk across the parking lot into the sunshine.  We get over to a nice warm, big rock...perfect to sit on.  That is, until Harper steps in a huge pile of fire ants.  Well, why not??  After brushing them off and slapping his shoes on the concrete.....with Harper in tears, Chris runs into Publix to grab some Benadryl, as Harper's poor foot is swelling and itching terribly.  Once we get him settled down, we finished our time ringing the bell...smiles on our faces.  Until the bell accidentally slipped from Warren's hands and landed on Harper's other foot.....leaving him in tears once again.  But, by golly, we bucked up enough to take the perfect picture!

As I looked at the picture that our shift replacement volunteers took, it reminded me of what we experience every yea
r as we volunteer.  Things are never as they seem.  By now, we have a system.  As people walk in to Publix, we say "Good Morning".  As they leave, we say "Merry Christmas."  And, inevitably, we have people come to us with a myriad of reasons as to why they can't or don't donate....as if it's our job to judge them.  Why just today, a man walked up to Warren and told him "Just because I'm not putting anything in this bucket, doesn't mean I didn't put something in another bucket somewhere else."  We had customers who looked very "well off" walk right past us.  And not that they didn't donate, but they didn't even acknowledge us.  But then, we had those who looked to be the poorest of poor, walk past, smile back to us and deposit all the change they had....sometimes even their pocket lint.  Things aren't always what they seem.

December 2012

December 2013

So, while our experiences ringing the bell for Salvation Army may not be as perfect as they appear in our pictures, rest assured we walk away having learned so much.  We've learned that a simple smile and a "Merry Christmas" can go a long way.  And it's because of those blessings that we continue to "train up our children in the way they should go."  Merry Christmas!    

I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus

You know the song.....

"I saw Mommy kissing Santa Claus

Underneath the mistletoe last night
She didn't see me creep
Down the stairs to have a peep
She thought that I was tucked up
In my bedroom, fast asleep

Then I saw Mommy tickle Santa Claus
Underneath his beard so snowy white
Oh, what a laugh it would have been
If Daddy had only seen
Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night."


The boys have heard this song a million times, I'm sure.  But never has it "struck them" quite like it has this year.  We heard it in the car this afternoon and it was met with giggles and "ewwwwws."  Then tonight, as I was tucking Harper in bed, out of nowhere he started singing the chorus.  To protect the innocent, I said "That's just weird, isn't it?"  But he totally caught me off guard when he replied "Not really Mom.  What if the dad was dressed up as Santa Claus?"

I've found that you are just never prepared with this thing called parenthood....and this Santa stuff is no exception.  So, I kind of thought about that for a minute and argued (yes, I found myself arguing with an 8-year old about Santa Claus) "But, it couldn't be, because later in the song it says 'What a laugh it would have been if Daddy had only seen Mommy kissing Santa Claus last night.  So, it couldn't have been the Dad."  Whew!  I smarted my way out of that one.

Or, so I thought.  But I forgot this was Harper I was dealing with.  He can easily outsmart me.  He thought about my explanation for a minute and countered with "No mom.  I said what if the dad was dressed up as Santa.  So, if he were dressed up, the boy would've thought it was Santa and wouldn't have known it was the dad."  Drop the mic, Harp!  I'm out!

Vampires, Ghosts and Angels, Oh My!

When I was a fifth grade teacher, I used to preach to my families "I know your student is an independent reader, but it is so so important that you continue to read to and with your kids.  There's so much more that comes from that time."  I am passionate about that nightly reading time....not just as a reading coach, but as a mom.  I know that time is precious.

That being said...I'd be lying if I told you it's my favorite time of day....every single day.  Most days, it is my favorite time of the day.  But there are also many, many nights that I conk out right beside my boys and it takes every fiber of my being to stay awake and keep reading and listening and talking.  

But more than modeling fluent and expressive reading and building vocabulary and all those things we teachers know are benefits of reading to your kids.....is the conversation....the discussion and the relationship that comes from that time. 

Take last night, for example.  Harper read a couple of nonfiction books.  As we finished, and were laying in his star Dream Tent, I asked him what he most likes to read about.  Animals, planets, dinosaurs, inventors, etc.  Leave it to Harper to reply with "Ooooh, vampires!"  So, that caught me off guard...although quite honestly I'm not sure why as that is so very typical of Harp.

He followed it up with "Mom, you know I believe in ghosts?"  So, grasping at straws here, the conversation continued something like this:

Me:  "Oh wow, really?  Have you ever seen a ghost?" 

Harper:  "No.  Or angels."

Me:  "What's the difference between a ghost and an angel?"

Harper:  "Angels are real people, but they have wings and a halo that floats above their heads.  And ghosts are see through."  

Me:  "Have you ever seen an angel?"

Harper:  "Not yet."  

Me:  "But, you believe in angels?"

Harper:  "I have to, mom.  Because in the Bible it said an angel named Gabriel came and told Mary and Joseph that Mary was going to have a baby."

Me:  "Well, yup, that's true.  You're right buddy."  (innocently thinking the conversation might end here)

Harper:  "So, when Mary had her baby, how did he come out?"

Me:  (cracking up, starting to see where this conversation was going) "Hmmm, well, I guess maybe Joseph and maybe some doctors helped."  

Harper:  (clearly thinking this whole process through) "But like, did they have to cut her stomach open?  How did Warren and I come out of your belly?"

Me:  (completely cracking up, at this point)  "Well, buddy, the doctors helped you and Warren come out of my belly, too."  

Harper:  (apparently not yet satisfied) "But, like did the doctors have to cut your tummy open?"

Me:  "Well, sometimes doctors do, but the doctors didn't have to cut my tummy open.  So, what's the difference between a ghost and an angel?"  

Whew!  So, maybe I should stick to appreciating the chance to model fluent and expressive reading and building vocabulary and all those things we teachers know are benefits of reading to your kids.....and leave the conversation and discussion to another time?  

Look for the Blessings

Well, we survived!  Hurricane Irma came and went.  And although we were left with no power and are still recovering, she left us with many, many blessings.  And if you choose to look for them, they are all around.  Here is just a few of the many blessings we've seen:

No matter how hot you are, a cold shower is still really cold.  It's amazing how your perspective changes in a situation like this.  Our first night without power, the shower was super cold.  Chilling.  Freezing.  And tonight, our second night, we had several friends offer their hot showers to us.  But guess what we did?  As a family, all four of us realized that, while a hot

shower might be nice if you had air conditioning, a freezing cold shower was actually just what we wanted as we headed to bed.  The cold shower makes the hot night more bearable.  So, for cold showers.....we are blessed!  (For that matter, we have running water.....we are blessed!)

We've passed the 72 hours mark without power, and are still going.  This has forced me to slow down (something I'm not very good at).  Over the past three days, I've practiced my faux calligraphy.  I sat on our front porch and read a book (Auggie & Me).  I learned that our front porch is super cute and quite comfortable!  So, for my front porch and time to slow down....we are blessed!

My boys have gotten very creative!  Normally, they wake up and turn on the TV.  But this week, they've woken up and made fun little "books" with computer printer paper.  They've played Monopoly, Life, Candyland and EggedOn.  They've colored pictures, made marble mazes and played pool.  They've had Nerf Gun wars.  They've played Four Square.  So for time away from screens....we are blessed!

We have had the opportunity to help others who were much more affected by Hurricane Irma than we were.  We've cleaned up yards, collected donations for affected families, purchased supplies for relief efforts. We have lived the second commandment, "Love your neighbor as yourself."  For being in a position to help others....we are blessed!

We live in the best neighborhood around!  Not only did everyone come together to share supplies and tools to make sure we were all prepared, but the day after the storm passed, we walked outside to find our neighbors had already started clearing the street and were working in our yard!  Unbelievable!  Then, that evening (and without power) one neighbor brought over a huge dish of Spanish Pork and Rice.  As she handed it to use, she said "I thought y'all might want a warm meal."  She had prepared this amazing dish over her grill and made a ton extra for us.  So, for our neighborhood....we are blessed!

Just before the Hurricane came, we set out our fall decorations, one of which is a super cute wreath a friend made...because I had lost patience trying to make it.  To prepare for the storm, we took the wreath down.  And once the storm passed and cleanup began, we were able to put it back out.  I knew it was cute when she gave it to me, but it wasn't until after the storm, when I hung it back up and realized it really is cute and makes our front porch look just perfect!  So, for creative and crafty friends....we are blessed!

A day after the storm, after we finished our cleanup, we stopped by our best friends' house to check in.  Without power, we hadn't had coffee and didn't have any cokes on hand.  Between the pressure and no caffeine, Chris and I both had terrible, nagging headaches.  When we got to Lydia's house, she graciously let us raid her fridge and grab two cold Diet Cherry Cokes.  Ahhhh, hit the spot and miraculously got rid of our headaches!  Before the storm I wouldn't have even thought much about it, but at that moment, nothing meant more to us than a cold splash of caffeine!  So for best friends and caffeine.....we are blessed! 

So, while we are still without power, we are blessed, because we choose to look for the blessings!

All That Glitters Ain't Gold

They say "All that glitters is gold"...don't they?  Sadly, our "glitter" isn't so gold tonight.  

My boys have had to deal with a lot of death at their young ages.  And, tonight, is no exception.  As I tucked Warren in bed, he asked in a bit of a panic, "Mom, would you please clean Glitter's bowl tonight?"  Because we've been "helping" him learn to be more responsible...(it has nothing to do with me being tired and wanting to watch Dancing with the Stars), I told him "No, Warren.  Remind me this weekend and I can help you clean it then."  He popped out of bed and argued "Then, would you at least feed Glitter?  I haven't fed him in like two weeks, Mom."  So, as Warren climbed back into bed, I sprinkled a pinch of food into Glitter's bowl.  But, when Glitter didn't budget, I got a bit worried.  I told Warren I was going to take Glitter's bowl out into the family room so I could watch him a bit.  

Not having much Beta fish experience, I immediately took Glitter out to the family room and ran to get Chris.  We spent the next 30 minutes researching sick Beta fish and "How do you know your Beta fish is dying?"  We read several different articles and believe it or not, even watched several videos.  After comparing Glitter's state to what we saw online, we determined Glitter might possibly have bladder disease.  So, what else do you do with a Beta fish with bladder disease but put him in a glass with some frozen peas.  Duh!  Supposedly, the fish will nibble on the peas which will help rid his bladder of the disease.  So we sat, watching Glitter lay next to the peas.  

Rather than watch the tragedy unfolding in my kitchen, I decided to go ahead and get my bath.  As I sat in the bathtub, Warren came in and asked if he could climb in our bed and go to sleep, because he couldn't sleep in his own bed.  I decided now was just as good a time as any to break the news.  So I said "Warren, buddy...I think Glitter might be pretty sick.  I'm not sure she's going to make it."  Warren just looked me and paused for just a second.  Then, as I prepared myself for the tears that were sure to follow, Warren looked at me so solemnly and said "But, is that a yes or no for your bed?"           

We Love Harper

At the end of last school year, Harper started experiencing some major anxiety.  He cried most nights, cried most mornings because he didn't want to go to school.  Totally unlike our normal Harper, who was laid back and just rolled with the punches.  After lots of probing, we finally discovered this anxiety was due to his SMAD (Subtraction, Multiplication, Addition and Division) timed math tests.  You see, Harper and two of his friends were pulled into the gifted math class.  His two friends had passed enough tests to earn a medallion at the end of the year awards, but Harper, although he was working on the third grade tests while he was only in first grade, was still one test away from the medallion.  We walked a fine line between not putting pressure on him, but still encouraging him to do his best.  But the pressure from his peers was just too much.  

When I mentioned this to his new 2nd grade teacher at Orientation, she encouraged us to celebrate his effort and not put any pressure on him.  She reminded us that the tests were not for a grade and even said she would make SMAD tests unannounced, so he wouldn't know when they would be.  And after all of that, his first SMAD test was still met with much anxiety.  When he got home, he handed me a crumble up paper and told me he only finished 70 of the 100 problems.  (And while that doesn't seem terrible, students don't pass a level until they earn a perfect 100%.)  I decided to take advantage of the situation and sat him down on the couch for a little heart to heart.  I reminded him that Chris and I didn't expect him to pass every single time, we just wanted him to do his best.  And with that, he lifted his sad little eyes, looked up and said "Then why do you only hang the papers that have 100s on the fridge?"    Wow!  What an eye opening statement!  Like most parents, we hang the boys' SMAD tests up when they pass.  The boys never even pay attention to the refrigerator...or so I thought.  I just had no idea how much they paid attention to something so minor...or so I thought.  So, you better believe that 70% went up on the fridge, immediately!  Lesson learned!

Fast forward a week or so.  At 2:50pm on Thursday afternoon, I received a phone call on my cell phone, from a number I didn't recognize.  I went ahead and answered to hear, "Mrs. Mayes, this is Mrs. Towles, Harper's 2nd grade teacher."  (Of course my heart stopped as I started thinking the worst.)  "Everything is fine.  But as our class was sitting here at the end of the day, we started thinking about how much we love Harper.  So, we made a list and everyone in our class told me why they love Harper.  And, if it's ok with you, if you have time, I'd like to read that list to you.  Do you have a minute?"  Through my tears, I stumbled out a "Yes, of course."  With that, she read through everything Harper's friends thought about him and finished by saying "And, our class has one more thing to say."  At that point, she turned her phone around to the whole class who yelled out "WE LOVE HARPER!"  WOW!  What a way to build community and build my little beaten man back up!  

The Calm Before the Storm

Most of you reading this know that during the fall, we spend our Friday nights at Bryant Stadium, cheering on the Dreadnaughts...but more importantly, supporting the band....and even more important than that, the drumline.  Chris is in his 19th year of working with the drumline, which translates to 15 years of Friday night "date nights" at the football games.  So, to say I've loved every minute would be a lie.  There have certainly been many (many, many, many) Friday nights where I dreaded going.  But, all in all, it's really become a fun family tradition for us now that the boys are old enough to enjoy it...which, in turn, means mommy can enjoy it.

But, we don't "enjoy" the game as most fans do.  When we go, we don't sit down...we stand in the north end zone, in front of the band, where Chris can keep up with the game and keep his eye on his drum kids.  So, the boys spend the whole game on the sideline or in the end zone...something most kids don't ever get a chance to do.  In fact, I can remember when I was Warren's age...sitting up in those same bleachers on Friday nights.  I used to think the football players, cheerleaders and band kids were so cool getting to be on that big field.  And I remember watching the "big kids" play football and hang out behind the bleachers.  

Fast forward 20 years.  Warren is now one of those "big kids."  This week, he brought his friend, Lincoln, to the game.  (Harper has never mentioned bringing a friend, but we sure are blessed that Warren has chosen friends who get along so well with him, so he is never left out.)

In any case, Chris and the boys arrived at the stadium in time for the band rehearsal (2 1/2 hours before kickoff)...which meant the boys got to play on the field!  Warren and Lincoln had fun pretending to be Dreanaughts, while Harper was off to the side, being Harper.  Little did we know this was the calm before the storm.  

Right after pregame, we got hit with a huge storm...literally.  Terrible lightning, rain and wind.  We corralled the kids over to the baseball stadium where we sat in the bleachers, under cover.  As the boys sat, I eavesdropped into their conversation only to hear the sweetest voices talking about why we have hurricanes and tornadoes.  I heard one of the boys ask "Why did God even create them?"  To which Warren replied, "Well, God already flooded the whole Earth once and He promised he wouldn't do it again."  And Lincoln said "Ya, then he drew that promise with a rainbow.  So he won't flood the whole Earth again."  

And while I thought that would've been comforting, apparently Harper didn't "buy it".  He got very scared and wanted to "hide" under the desk.  So all three boys crammed under the desk, in their ponchos.  To take their mind off of the storm, Chris gave them his cell phone to watch a movie.  And suddenly, my big boys didn't seem so big anymore.  

      

Family Float...or Is It?

Our view

Most of you reading probably know that in December, my brother and sister-in-law welcomed a new baby boy into their lives.  And, since they live in Colorado, we don't get to see Pj, Amy and Auggy as much as we'd like.  So, Chris, the boys and I decided we'd make our summer vacation in Colorado this year!  Two days after school got out, we boarded our flight to see them.  Pj, being the consummate host, put together an incredible itinerary for us Floridians.  We spent our first day traveling to a small town called Buena Vista, where we had an Air B-n-B cabin, in the middle of the mountains with an amazing view!  We settled in and explored a bit before "Uncle Pj" taught the boys how to play chess and we spent the evening on the porch, enjoying the mountain air.

After a good night's sleep we were ready for our big Colorado adventure....white water rafting down the Arkansa River!  The morning started when the rafting company called to tell us that because so much snow had melted off the mountains, the water levels had risen making the rapids a bit more challenging.  We had originally signed up for the Class 3-4 level rapids, but because of the change in levels, we would need to "just do the family float".  (When the water levels rise, the minimum age also increases to 10 years old...and Harper, being only 7, would not meet the requirement.)  So, we decided since we had never white water rafted anyway, we wouldn't know the difference.  The "Family Float" would probably be just fine!

Obviously our "before" picture

We loaded up and headed out.  We checked in at the rafting company and got suited up.  The rafting guides checked our helmet and life vests and we said goodbye to Amy and Auggy.  (Auggy was just a bit too young to go on this adventure with us.)  We boarded a school bus with several other families and our guides and rode to the drop in.  While we were on the bus, Matt, the trail leader took advantage of that time to go over all of the safety information....all of the "We hope we never have to use this, but in case of emergency" information.

When we got to the ramp, we were divided into families and assigned a rafting guide and raft.  The boys were excited that Matt was our rafting guide and that Marley was the name of our raft.  (Earlier this year, Warren read the book, Marley and Me.)  Matt quickly went over basic paddling techniques, then helped us find our spots in the raft. Warren and I were in the front, with Pj and Harper in the middle, followed by Chris and then Matt behind him.  Once the other families were in their rafts, we all took off.

Matt proved to be incredibly knowledgeable, giving us tons of history and water information along the way.  He was very personable; a likable guy!  We "floated" down the "refreshing" river.  (We learned that a "Florida float" does not mean the same thing as a "Colorado float".  "Floating" down the Arkansas River is rafting down around a 9 mph pace.....not a casual, relaxing float like we were expecting.  We also learned that a "Florida refreshing" does not mean the same thing as a "Colorado refreshing."  "Refreshing" in Colorado is 40 degree water!)  Water splashed in and we got knocked around a bit.....until Matt got too caught up in the information he was giving us. and didn't realize we were heading towards the bank filled with low brush.  And that's when it all went downhill.....or should I say "downstream"???

He immediately started yelling "Get low, get low"...so we all got low.  Apparently he didn't get low enough though, as he was thrown into the water behind the raft.  He gave us no notice and it wasn't until about 3 seconds later, when we felt him trying to climb back in, that we realized anything had even happened to him.  In the process of Matt falling out, he lost his ball cap and was obviously very concerned because he turned back to the rafts behind us and yelled to them, asking them to pick it up if they could.  As he was turned behind, we were running into a large tree trunk which was our ultimate demise.

In no less than another 3 seconds, our raft flipped, sending all 6 of us into the "refreshing" 9 mph water.  Warren and Pj were trapped under the raft, Harper was being pushed under by the edge of the rafter while Chris, Matt and I were sent outside the raft.  Pj immediately grabbed Warren and jerked the two of them outside, while Chris grabbed Harper's legs and pulled him out.  Matt quickly tried to recover the raft and get it flipped back over so we could climb back in....but the rapids were carrying us too quickly, banging us along the river rocks and tree brush.  The raft guide behind us kept yelling at us to swim to him, but because he was behind us and we were moving at a rugged 9 mph, that was next to impossible.  (Not to mention the sheer shock we were in from being thrown into 40 degree water!)  I was pushed backwards, which enabled me to see the others.  Chris was struggling to keep hold of Harper.  And Pj....in 38 years, I've never seen a real look of panic on Pj's face.....but this day, I did!  I caught his eye as soon as he and Warren emerged from the underside of the raft and while I was more than thankful he had Warren, the look on his face was not reassuring.

After what felt like 30 minutes (though we later found out it was only about 30 seconds), the raft behind us caught up and started pulling us in their raft, which already had 6 people.  Pj and Warren were pulled in by another passenger, I was pulled in; Chris shoved Harper towards the raft as I yelled "Oh God!  Get him.  Please get him!"  The rafting guide yanked Harper into the raft and sat him underneath, as Chris started to pull himself onto the raft.  They finished pulling him in, but Chris was physically exhausted.  The rafting guide continued in a very intense rescue mode, as I'm sure guiding a raft (meant for 6 people) but carrying 12 was not easy.

As we continued down the river, freezing and scared, our guide Matt followed behind until we were able to pull off and transfer back into Marley.  Once we got back into Marley and as we started to push off again, I thanked the other raft and started to cry...which of course triggered Warren and Harper into tears.  The other guide sternly said to me "M'am, we need you to try and keep it together."  With that, I bucked up.  He then directed Pj and I to sit in the front, as we were the only ones who would be paddling now.  So, with that, Pj and I moved to the front, the boys sat in the middle and Chris laid out in the back, where he hung his head over the side and puked.

There was no conversation this time, no laughing as the "refreshing" water splashed us.  No squeals as we hit rough rapids.  Instead, we rafted....scared and shivering, but strong.  When the boys started to cry, I turned to them and gently told them "Boys, you guys did such an amazing job back there!  I can't believe how incredibly brave you were!  I know you can do this, too!  I need for you two to be strong....no tears right now.  But I promise you when we make it back, you can cry all you want.  But right now, we need to be strong and brave!"  And bless their hearts.....with that, they dried up!

As we got closer to the extraction point, Matt told Pj and me that this was a very difficult exit and we would need to paddle strong on his command.  Needlesstosay, it didn't take much for us to "paddle strong".  We were not going to miss that exit!

We quickly stepped off the raft, as the guides helped Chris off and on to the shore where he laid down.  They loaded Chris in the ambulance and allowed me to ride in the front as we rode to the nearest hospital, while Matt, Pj and the boys waited for the bus to pick them up.  The bus dropped them off at the hospital, where they met up with Amy and Auggy....who were never told anything was wrong, until Amy asked the rafting company an hour after our expected arrival time.

Thankfully, Chris checked out a-ok and we have since rested and recovered and continued to enjoy an amazing time in Colorado.  While our guide, Matt, was incredibly likable, he was obviously too confident on the water and unfortunately, turned what should've been a fun-filled "family float" into a harrowing "family horror."  Growing up in Florida, we have always had a great respect for ocean water, but honestly, I had never been around river rapids and really didn't think too much about them.  I know that this accident certainly taught me a great respect for these waters and I can only hope that it brought the same respect back to Matt.  And if nothing else, the boys are pretty sure none of their friends will have as exciting a tale to tell when they return from the summer!  

Compassion

Boy, oh boy!  What a week this has been...and it's only Wednesday!  

Our week started on Monday, back from Spring Break....everyone well rested and ready to face the week!  (Little did we know)  Monday afternoon, I finished up in a meeting around 3:20.  As I walked back to my office, I prepared myself to find the boys' shoes and socks strewn about the office, with little crumbs of cheese balls covering our conference table.  To my shock, I didn't find anything.  In fact, I found my office exactly as I had left it....neither boy anywhere near.  My office mate and I raced around, looking in all their typical hiding spots.  Nothing.  I can't say that I really ever felt panic.  Rather, I knew they were safe...I just didn't know where they were.  I have my faith to thank for that!  

I called their school and was told their bus was just running late.  Fast forward to 4:00 when I received a phone call from an Unknown Caller.  I answered (which is something I never, ever do....even when I know the caller) and to my surprise I hear Warren's sweet voice, "Hi Mommy!  We are somewhere by Gigi's house."  WHAT?????  The bus attendant quickly got on the phone and told me they were in South Lakeland and had one more stop before they could bring the boys back out to me.  I explained that because I live in South Lakeland, I would rather just meet them at their next stop.  Which is what we did.  

I wish I could tell you exactly what happened, but honestly, I still don't really know.  What I do know is that somehow I ended up with a phone call from the Associate Superintendent of Operations for the Polk County School Board the next night.  You can imagine my surprise when I answered that phone call.  I was mortified!  But, Mr. Davis was very compassionate to my situation.  Still didn't change the fact that this was a lot of intense phone calls for someone who doesn't talk on the phone.   

And now, I wish I could tell you that the excitement of the week stopped there; but it didn't.  The first grade class at the boys' school is doing a project exploring how communities are organized and how our decisions can affect communities.  As part of this unit, students earn "money" to donate towards a charity, which is voted on by the students.  If they wanted, students could present a charity to the grade level before the grade level voted.  Before we even had a chance to talk to Harper about it, he had already talked to his teacher about our little boy Mark, who we sponsor through Compassion International.  And, unbeknownst to us, he made his presentation today.  And because we weren't aware that the presentation was today, we didn't have a chance to practice with him.  In any case, his teacher said he was clearly nervous, but did a great job.  To say we are proud parents, is an understatement.  How touching it was that Harper wanted his friends to support something that is near and dear to our hearts and is changing the lives of others!

And....I wish I could tell you that's the end of the story; but it isn't.  You see, just as Harper was giving his presentation about Compassion International, another little boy gave a presentation on the Angel House, which is a rescue orphanage.  Apparently the young boy mentioned that an orphanage is a place where kids go when they are abandoned....because my sweet, compassionate Harper then proceeded to tell the young boy, "My mom was abandoned by her dad when she was little, but she wasn't exactly an orphan because she still had her mom."

Colossians 3:12 says "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."  After this week, I'd say we've got compassion, humility and patience covered!

History Repeating

From what my mom tells me, I was a bit of a stubborn, hard-headed little girl.  (Those who know me well, know not much has changed; and know that Harper is that little girl's twin!)  Mom tells a story of a day when I got so upset, I decided I was going to run away.  The story goes that I packed my bag and called my grandmother to come pick me up.  Then I waited at the end of the driveway.


Today, Harper got so mad he, too, decided he would run away.  Because my mom has told my "run away" story so many times, of course I had it in the back of my mind; so I told myself Harper would probably just go maybe to the end of the street.  I watched from the front porch.


But, that's where the similarities in the stories end.  Harper was mad; he was filled with rage.  He took off, backpack in tow.  It was when he started to cross the street that I realized he wasn't just waiting for grandma to come pick him up.  So I took off after him, which only made his rage worse.  (Another big difference in our stories.....cell phones!)  As I was texting Chris to bring the car, he came running up behind us.  After grabbing Harper's arms, holding him back, through his screams....Chris lifted his 85-pound, adrenaline filled body over his shoulder.  He carried him back to the house, as we both just prayed the neighbors weren't calling DCF.

*As a sidenote....this was a huge lesson in judgement for us, as we surely would've talked about "those people" carrying their kicking and screaming son down the street....had it been someone else.

I'll spare you all the details of when we got back home, but will just tell you instead that it was a very long afternoon.  After lots of alone time and lots of talk time, Harper decided on some color therapy.  When he finally came out of his room, he showed us his masterpiece.  A completely changed kid from an hour before.  And what I thought would be a very angry drawing, with scribbles and scratches and dark colors.....was completely opposite.  Instead, it was an incredibly symmetrical, calm, happy and bright picture.  And as he told me about it, he even said he used the "rubbing technique" his former Sunday school teacher, Ms. Cathy, taught him 3 years ago.

I don't ever remember hearing how the rest of my "runaway story" turned out.  And now that we made it through Harper's story....I can't help but wonder how the next story will go.  (And I hope and pray the next story doesn't happen for about 20 years.....and is that of Harper's child.)