Hurry...It's Coming......

Every weekday Irwin and I meet Carrie at her work and pick up Clark.  We usually go to the park; do a few projects; feed him his lunch; read a few books; take a nap; grab a snack; and drive back to meet Mommy.

As we are trying to move Clark along to meet Mommy before the traffic gets too busy on Loop 820 around NE Mall.  Not aware of our constant reminder to "HURRY before traffic gets too BAD"...Clark was taking it all in with concern.

Yesterday, Clark asked, "Where is the traffic?"
I quickly answered, "It's coming our about 5 o'clock (p.m.)."
Is Grandaddy going to go with us?
Not today, Grandaddy has something else to do.  I'll drive us today.  But we need to hurry and get going before the traffic gets too bad."
Are we going to see traffic today?
Where is traffic?
It's not here, yet?
He put his head down and closed his eyes.  "I don't want to see traffic!"
Then it began to dawn on me that I had frightened him of something big and bad that he didn't know what it was.
So, the rest of the trip to Mommy's work was spent in a very detailed explanation about traffic!
....and again today we talked about TRAFFIC in a more calm manner.

The Art of Snuggling......

The cold days are great for snuggling!  Snuggling breaks the chill....whether snuggling with a one of those sleeve blankets seen on TV & a cup of hot moca-coffee;  or with a your favorite movie & a box of chocolates; a good book; a big furry dog; your handsome sweetheart & a nice fire in the fireplace; or a soft fuzzy blanket while you watch the snow fall with the kids & talk about walking to school barefoot in the snow...etc..   However, IF you try to snuggle up to a WET blanket....it just won't work....Hang it out to dry and finish the book by the glowing fire!!

"The Happy Song"

Listen to this very brief & happy song....sung by Clark.  Come on!   Sing along if you like! .... If by chance you've forgotten the words & tune from when you were three years old, just watch & listen the first time through...... then click on "Replay"..... On the 2nd play,  you really should be able to join right in ..... it will possibly bring back memories of when you have had your own "Happy Song" .... Guaranteed to bring a smile anytime you repeat it.  

Caution: It can become addictive!  The more you play & sing along, the closer your smile becomes a chuckle & then a giggle & who knows you might even show some teeth!  

Perhaps sometime during the day when you or your friend needs a "Happy Song" you could share it with them.   Can you imagine what this world would be like if we all carried this little "Happy Song" to keep it ready just in case of an emergency? ....such as: 

• On a long and tiring flight that is non-stop and so is the passenger next to you .... Just softly begin to sing "The Happy Song."  Your smile will work it's way to your face and before long the whole plane is singing and happy.

• In traffic, on the Interstate,..... begin "The Happy Song" and your commute could be contagious!
   
• In the waiting room of the dentist.....B-I-N-G-O! ...and you could have created yourself a new job encouraging the anxious patients!
• Shopping those horrific isles at the supermarket when everyone is in the "me first" mode, break out in full voice with your "Happy Song" accompanied with your very best Sunday smile... guarantee the isle you're on will either empty or you will be joined with a chorus!
• At the Ball Park in those long crowded corridors leaving the game, you may have to sing "The Happy Song" through a couple of times, smiling and gesturing with your arms for the guys to join in, but before long you will ..... (well, I'm not sure the results; I've never been in that situation.) 
   
•  Payday-Saturday at the mall.... when the families of eight are pushing twin baby-strollers up the wrong side into on coming traffic.  Lead your family in "The Happy Song" and everyone will immediately back up to the walls, take out their picture-taking I-phones thinking you are beginning a Flash Mob experience....(wave, smile, and enjoy the clear path).
• Husbands!  In the delivery room (oops!) .... On second thought, this might be when you would want to sing silently to yourself and wait to do your giggles when that blessed bundle arrives you will be ready to teach him/her their first song.... "The Happy Song."  And just wait until you hear your little precious eventually sing it back to you!
   
• One of my favorite movies is "The Unsinkable Molly Brown",  with Debbie Reynolds.  She portrayed a woman who definitely refused to focus on the dangers and troubles, but kept her sights and heart on "The Happy Song" saving an dangerously overloaded lifeboat.
  
  "Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms."  (Psalm 95:2)
  
  "Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise." (Psalm 98:4)
  "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" (Philippians 4:4)
  
  " Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ⁹ Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you." (Philippians 4:8-9)

Lighted, fold-away Christmas trees......

The brilliant guy that invented our lighted, fold-away Christmas tree should have received the Nobel Peace Prize! 










It saved the age old argument of who was going to dismantle our tree after Christmas!










I did, as usual....but I did it in record time!  Reminded me of the Calf-Roping event at the Rodeo....to show the completed time I even threw up my hands as I completed "the tie!"

Grandsons (Braiden & Brendan) are masters at putting up the lights and taking them down....and their record time beat my time by 17 hours! .....and many of hundreds of dollars in medical bills!

Old age seems to have hit with an “Ouch!”.....

The last two weekends (and the five days between them) I helped our daughter Carrie move her four offices from a two story building into their own not-too-ready office building.  It took us one whole day just to pack and move the supply and old file closet.  It looks great but I have used muscles that I haven’t used in a long time.

Then,  ALL 17-days of this week, I played basketball, soccer, golf, football, and baseball with an enthusiastic sports-nut three-year-old.  

(Excuse me while I go do another RAIN DANCE, snow, or  I would even take a dust storm so I could lie on the couch, prop up my feet, and watch some Disney movies!)

This precious child is such a blessing is really so much fun...it's just me being 68 that's so tough.  We enjoy him all  
                                                                       day, every single day.   But.........

Clark loves all sports, and really, really, really loves baseball!  And since I was so tired and wanted to recuperate from such a tough couple of weeks,  I thought a great way to wear his energy level down was to my speed.  I pitched the ball very slowly, so as to let him make contact with the ball MORE…and stay up at bat MORE.  I was slow to retrieve the ball when he hit it so that he would get MORE time to run the bases and therefore, stay at bat longer.

Then, I encouraged him to run and touch all three bases that I had drawn on the driveway/patio.  I tried to help him hit lots of home-runs so he could stay at bat. This child genius remembered every detail of the Ranger game we took him to two months ago……and he called his own balls and strikes…and outs…..accurately!!!

IF ANYONE else tells me that keeping a young child, in my old age, will keep me young, I an going to hit them with my crutches!

Concert At The Car Wash…......

On one of my mad dashes to the grocery, I TOLD God that I had to have a parking space close to the door so that I could get in and out of the store, and back home before my appointment time.  I saw one just as I drove up….and not just  any old space, but this parking space was a prime space.  It was under a big shady life oak and only two spaces from the front door….and.. I really was there first before that big white SUV.  I didn’t even look in the direction of the SUV, just in case he was going to look angry at me.  Then, I told God thanks and made a run for it. 

When I returned, my little red Vibe looked like a flock of Grackle-birds had taken target practice all over my car. I frowned; kicked at the ground; and said, “Oh, thanks a lot!” as I looked up in the tree, at those birds!  Then, when I got in the car and cooled off a bit,  I apologized to God for being so greedy and taking that space away from the SUV... and for getting angry and yelling at his birds.  But….Next time, I will have to remember that there’s a reason those “prime” parking spaces aren’t taken. 

On my drive home, I remembered preacher Rick’s message, recently, that when “poopy” things happen, it could be part of God’s plan…THAT BIGGER PICTURE  (Well, maybe Rick didn’t use those exact words, but that was the general idea of his sermon.)

When we had been riding over a week with dive-bomber-dobbins covering our car, I planned to wash it on Saturday.  We got busy and today is Wednesday, and there is still a layer of “poopy” stuff all over our car.  So….I waited for Clark & Granddaddy to take their afternoon nap and I made a dash to the nearest car wash (which was a do-it-yourself car wash). 

I also, decided to run it through the car-wash instead of one of our family fun time car wash in the backyard.  The last time, I had so much help that it took me twice as long to get the job done.

  

The closest car wash was the one that does not have an attendant on duty… but when I drove up, I had it all to myself.  The weatherman said it was suppose to rain within the next couple of days so, I just gave it a really quick wash & rinse….  I just wanted to remove the poop!  Then I proceeded to the next lane to the vacuum.

The CD player was on in the car….(we keep Clark’s children’s songs playing when we pick him up and take him home.)  NOT being electronically inclined, I didn’t know how to change the CD or even remove it…so I just left it playing…I even turned the volume up so I could hear it over the vacuum…but there was no one around to disturb with my loud music.

When vacuuming, I always leave all four car-doors open to hasten the job pulling that long  vacuum hose through the car.  I was actually enjoyed cleaning and singing, “Jesus calls them two by two…” & “Jesus Is The Sweetest Name I Know.”

I had not noticed that 3 very muscular young men with lots of piercings and gold chains, in athletic tank-tops and bloomer britches, had pulled in two bays down.  I looked around when they opened their doors and the “boom-cha-ka-boom-cha-ka-boom!” music shook my car and registering a magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale.   The words on their radio, that I could understand, were not part of my vocabulary.  Even though they were laughing really hard and looking my way, I figured they may have heard a couple of new songs and learned a bit about Clark’s Jesus with a different message!   And I can truly say, “Thank you, Lord, for the special parking place at the grocery store and  even the “poopy” things that happen that could be part of  God’s plan.”