Brocks’ Blots

Bethel made a poem this week.

Skunks in the mountains,
Skunks in Las Cruces,
Skunks in California,
But no skunks here.

I’ll write more later this week.

Status Quo

Cleaning like mad

Writing like mad

Give up on keeping the house clean

Cry

Talk about feelings

Status Quo

I’m sulking because Laurel instigated potty training (begging to wear underwear, among other things). And has gradually decided she’s not interested after all. After three poop accidents in a day (one involving a kiddie pool), she brought me a diaper. It’s a good thing, because all her underwear are dirty or wet.

I have a stack of books I’m trying to get through. Trouble is, they’re mostly thinking books. here is what I have, for your amusement, in no particular order:

• Defending Life
• Apaches
• Econ 101 1/2
• Against the Gods: The Remarkable Story of Risk
  
• Family Treasury of Poetry
• Hour of Gold; Hour of Lead
• Mountains beyond Mountains
• The Good Earth
• Good Poems
• The Red Badge of Courage
• Neither Poverty nor Riches: A biblical theology of possessions
• The Boy Engineer
• Mysteries of the Maya
• Study Skills for Students with Learning Difficulties
• The Illiad
• Big Red

Okay. Enough sulking. I must dinner on the table so I can send kids to bed.

The other night, Laurel was fussy. David and Bethel were sound asleep (having averted a daytime nap), and I wanted some quiet time. But, God’s grace was evident, because I went to tuck her in and lay beside her. She started talking about her daddy. When is daddy coming home? Can daddy slide [at the playground]? Will daddy go on a merry go round with me? I’m afraid daddy will fall in the ocean. Is Iraq next to the ocean?

Surprisingly, she talked for about ten minutes. I think she needed to talk about Lee without any distraction from her older brother and sister (who can sometimes dominate the discussion). Made my heart melt. They are all eager for daddy to be home.

I’m working on my old piano pieces, several classical pieces from high school, and several sacred arrangements. And I sight read from the hymnbook. The kids expect me to play at night, so when I don’t (like tonight), they are disappointed. Playing doesn’t usually put them to sleep; it keeps them up clapping or singing or waiting til the end of the song to ask for another.

Bethel is still playing animal hospital. All her stuffed animals are infirm in some way. She informed me that her dog is going to have puppies soon. She’s

David wants to go fishing with his dad. He’s still drawing birds. One of the first things we did when I got home from California was put up all the bird feeders. Seeing the birds come is like welcoming old friends, and Mollie doesn’t chase them too much.

I went ahead and planted a few things. I was too late for some things, but New Mexico has a long growing season, so we’ll see how everything grows. I’ve not ever grown anything (except peas, which grow well here), so it’s an experiment. Last year we had a few rabbits join our happy family, nibbled all the new plants, and then promptly disappeared when the Cooper’s hawks joined our family. I wish the cooper’s hawks had come a few weeks earlier.

God is good. I still don’t know exactly what he had in mind when he sent Lee overseas for six months. But we don’t walk by sight, we walk by faith. I don’t have to know why to know it’s a good thing. I still need prayer, though!

Lee is close to half way through his deployment. My countdown calendar says 90 days left, and frankly, it feels just as long as when he first left.

But, God is sovereign, and is working in our lives a more exceeding weight of glory. I would not wish anything else at the moment, even if the situation is uncomfortable.

When Lee’s father was in Vietnam, he and his new bride (Lee’s mother) corresponded via letters and cassette tapes. Alas, the tapes are all gone, but I recognize what a gift it is to have email and video chat capabilities on a regular basis.

Still, communication is not easy long distance. With the time difference, and our schedules, there’s no really good time to talk. Half of our conversations are with children who don’t know how to communicate, so the conversation is painfully slow and without substance (unless you consider making silly faces substance). Half of the time I forget the list of things that I want or need to talk about. Add in the occasional misunderstanding and my sinful nature, and communication can be… difficult.

I’m learning though. I recently figured out that if I email regularly (and Lee does the same), I am able to write and keep track of the things I want to talk about, and as a result, we’re more efficient when we are able to talk via video.

It’s been interesting to me that separation seems to reveal or magnify the strengths and weaknesses of our relationships. This has been good for me, but I must continue to seek the Lord. Pray for me!

I must confess a strange habit.

Often I’ll check Lee’s email to see if he’s awake or been online (by seeing if the messages I’ve sent have been read). Then I log out and log into my account.

When I see my account, I also see his name on the list of “online” users, and get a thrill.

Then I realize with a thud it was me that was online, not him.

I think I’m pathetic.

Since we’re getting close to the half-way point for Lee’s deployment, I’ve started talking with the kids about what they want to do when Daddy gets back. Among other things, they’d like to have a party.

They don’t understand it exactly.

Is Daddy having another birthday?

Of course, he needs a cake. Bethel wants ponies and pink roses around the edge. David thinks dad will like an airplane cake better. Laurel thinks the cake dad wants will be blue.

There you have it— blueberry cake with a pink airplane on it (pony in the cockpit).

Wednesday we’re going to look for tadpoles. If we are successful… I’m not sure how I’m going to break it to my mother. This might take some creative communication. She’s been very patient with our dog. (I stopped letting her on the bed, so maybe that will count for something!)

I just posted a large amount of photos into the March 2009 folder. You can find it by clicking on March 2009.

Other news:

Laurel fell off the top rung of a seven-foot slide ladder. You can see pictures of her in a cast and sling (I haven’t yet had an opportunity to take a picture of the ladder). They weren’t serious breaks, and we’ll be going to the doctor for a followup visit on Tuesday.

We’re enjoying a visit with my parents this month.

I’ve had a handful of funny things the kids have said or done in the last week or so, but I’ve forgotten everything. Oh well.  If I remember I’ll add them.

Rejoice not over me, O my enemy;
when I fall, I shall rise;
when I sit in darkness,
the LORD will be a light to me.
⁹ I will bear the indignation of the LORD
because I have sinned against him,
until he pleads my cause
and executes judgment for me.
He will bring me out to the light;
I shall look upon his vindication.
¹⁰Then my enemy will see,
and shame will cover her who said to me,
“Where is the LORD your God?”
My eyes will look upon her;
now she will be trampled down
like the mire of the streets.

¹⁸ Who is a God like you, pardoning iniquity
and passing over transgression
for the remnant of his inheritance?
He does not retain his anger forever,
because he delights in steadfast love.
¹⁹He will again have compassion on us;
he will tread our iniquities underfoot.
You will cast all our sins
into the depths of the sea.
²⁰ You will show faithfulness to Jacob
and steadfast love to Abraham,
as you have sworn to our fathers
from the days of old.

From Micah 7

I read this passage today and found it encouraging.

We’ve been able to talk regularly with Lee, mostly with video chat. That’s been a blessing. A week or so ago, Laurel asked her dad where his arms went. After several times of asking to see his hands and feet, it occurred to us that she sees Lee’s head and shoulders only. So now he regularly  flexes his muscles for her (me really) and kicks up his feet for her. That made her happy, and her request to see his arms is much more infrequent.

Sometimes reassurance is all our children need.