Day Six: Unexpected Love

There was a knock at my back door and I opened it to a sweet couple from our church. They were laden with a large photo box and a huge, packed scrapbook. They smiled big and the wife extended her armload out to me and said they wanted to share a bit of Africa with my children. She knew it was an area of study for us and she lovingly granted her cherished work of art full of hundreds of trip photos so we could get a little closer to the reality of Africa. They also generously offered us to choose from their box of "extra photos" for our own projects. I nodded enthusiastically, thanked them and then they headed down to our nursery to support us in a second way. Unexpected love.

 

 

*** 

The girls had raced on ahead of Oliver and I as we blazed the trail in the spitting rain. Oliver was busy "killing bears" and seeking "new" birds along the way when I noticed a man quickly approaching from behind. As a woman in the woods with her children, I'm always praying for our protection. I peeked back again and the man was picking up speed but it seemed like he was simply taking a brisk walk on a beautiful spring day. He caught up to me and I turned and said hi. He did too and then we recognized each other. He was a Christian man in our community.

 

"Hi Peter," I voiced with a smile, and he tried to remember my name. I told him and he nodded that he remembered. Then he shared that as he was striding behind us, he was praying for the little boy ahead of him, that he would become a mighty man of God. I exclaimed "Thank you! That's what we pray over our son, as well!"

 

He turned to Oliver and said, "You already are a mighty man of God, right now." Oliver beamed.

Unexpected love.

 

 

***

 

She snipped the helium-filled balloons and told the kids this is what our decision to live for Jesus will mean... we get to spend eternity with Him! She cares so much about our kids--the whole homeschool group--that she came prepared with this object lesson for all of them before they presented the projects they'd been working on. A grandma who cares about the futures of kids, who explains so they get it, who mentors without being asked? Unexpected love.

 

***

 

Three times in a couple of days, unexpected love flooded in and supported the kids and me. I thanked each person profusely for their gifts of sharing, prayer and a lesson, but it wasn't until I took some quiet time that I praised the true Giver of each of these gifts. He blessed me through these people and love overwhelmed once again--unexpectedly.

The Clock Will Strike Midnight...

I will dance with Cinderella while she is here in my arms,

 Cuz I know something the prince never knew. 

I will dance with Cinderella;

 I don't wanna miss even one song, 

Cuz all too soon the clock will strike midnight... 

and she'll be gone.

Steven Curtis Chapman 

Cinderella jewelry box from Mama

She turned sixteen and I became hyper-aware that my time with her is slipping through my fingers. Moments of tension or simply busy days cause me to wince a little more because life as I know it with my big girl is fleeting. As God redeems the time and I focus carefully on intentionally loving this kiddo just as she needs me to, her memories of home will be sweet. He'll use the questionable parenting moments for her good as she gives herself to Him and understands He has a purpose for her. His protection and provision for her will come to light in her mind. All of our mistakes will fade as she recognizes the brightness of God's perfect parenting like a screen in front of it all. I don't have to fear that in my humanness I've "spoiled" her, even though I lay my head down sometimes and regret that conversation, that allowance I shouldn't have given in to. I don't have to regret when I was too harsh. He forgives, she forgives, I am free to begin again and she will use it all to become an even more fabulous person.

The faces she makes me do!

Our prayers for her will and are coming to fruition and this girl, this young woman, is teaching me what it's like to love and let go. Man, can she really be an extension of me and yet be so very different? Her own person? I've denied it for so long. She's all God's and I'm thankful to have the privilege of watching Him raise her along the way, grateful He forgives my errors and celebrates when I'm in line with His will. 

Now a recipient of Blessing Day, instead of one of my givers :)

She's got her own style.

Finally reading the letter she's waited for since she was a tiny girl.

"Aunt" Linette wrote it for her about when I was 16 and she couldn't open it until that very birthday! Linette was my best friend in highschool and she knew a lot about me. She felt Meg needed to know that me :)  A very precious keepsake!

Family tradition on birthday nights: ice cream at Yogurty's

A few of my kiddo's friends, who happened to be standing around after our morning service. 

They call her "the Albino" ;)

God bless you this year, my ever-loved oldest girl. You make me so thankful to be your momma. Truly, you teach me how to stay on my toes and how to relax and let things go. I love you and pray this is your best year yet!

For Keeps

 

I folded the poem entitled "Day Twenty" and looked up, with tears brimming, at my husband of twenty years. His eyes were moist too and suddenly, twenty-five years of knowing one another culminated in this moment. Through sickness and health, through beginning with little and paying off debt, through four babies and sleepless nights, through misunderstanding and anger and passion, through fierce and protective love, through living in apathy as Christians to trying to seek God with our whole hearts, we've traversed together. Our mutual gaze was wrought with memories and a deep knowing that this is it--we're playing for keeps--and only by God's grace have we been kept.

 

Every evening for twenty days leading up to our anniversary, Terry had written a silly or romantic poem, coupled with a gift that signified his love for me, us, or our family. The gifts were sometimes tangible, a couple were  activities, or something he'd do for me. But, each one was thoughtfully planned out and greatly appreciated by me. He clasped my hand. Tonight was the grand finale of that anniversary planning and he desired to celebrate our forgiveness toward each other which is the beautiful act commanded by God that is part of His keeping grace we've experienced. All the gifts, all the poems and all of the thoughtfulness could not have matched the reality that our hearts were truly entwined because of our great God and His plan for us. We could see it so clearly. And celebrate we did!

 

 

 

Day Thirty: A Mother's Determination

I push the Secret Garden CD into the player, wait a few seconds then glance in my review mirror. I marvel at how four rambunctious, wiggly kiddos fall silent and still upon hearing the first sentence uttered in a thick English accent. For the rest of the hour long drive, I don't hear a peep. They're riveted. We've taken many detours and driven past our home several times in order to listen to the last minutes of our radio theatre stories. I've played these CDs since my oldest was very small and I'll play them until my youngest tires of them. My children know I love these stories and I have often paused them to explain what's going on when they were too little to fully understand. They're used to this riding and listening and I'm thankful.

 

***

She reads Shakespeare to our children, only she does it through graphic novels and pauses to remind the kids, "Don't forget, this dude has a thing for Olivia." and "The jester really has a lot going on upstairs, if you know what I mean!" and "She totally digs him." They colour a Shakespearean scene and look up at the pictures now and then, but what they're really interested in is this mom's passionate explanations of the dialogue. At the end of the reading (in which my sister and I are stifling laughter the entire time), the kids can answer every question and we're blown away.

 

 

***

They run into thrift stores because they're looking for a croaking frog for their Rainforest room. It's almost totally decorated and their projects are well under way. The kids are excitedly preparing for presentation day when all their homeschool friends arrive and they can show off  all they've accomplished. Their mom has a love for science, especially biomes, and it's rubbing off in a big way. They spend extra time on the details of the room, their-larger-than-life paper maches, and their essays to make it all realistic. The result is nothing less than inspiring.

 

***

She's all about "being there". She's intentional in planning outings that will deepen her children's love of learning. She frequents the Science Centre, the Pioneer Village, and other locations that foster a greater understanding for the theme in their current education. These children know what things look like, sound like, feel like, smell and taste like because this mom's desire is for them to truly know their subject beyond the books.

 

***

Her fervor for dialoguing with the culture in an effort to share her faith in a relevant way leaks out to her kids. She reads to them and shows them videos that will stir their thinking and cause them to question what blanket ideas they have about people. She won't allow thoughtless answers, only ones that take another person's worldview and culture into consideration. She doesn't compromise the Gospel, but makes sure that her children don't judge others by some half-hearted standard. She wants them to love as Jesus loves.

 

***

She doesn't have a lot of money for fancy curriculum but she is dedicated to getting the best resources for her children. She regularly uses inter-library loans, she frequents local thrift stores and borrows from friends and family. She prints lapbooks and other activities she finds online and uses every last book and idea she can squeeze out of her conscientious planning. Her children benefit from her routine and order and yet, fascinating ability to be flexible.

 

 

 

***

What do all these mothers have in common? A love for teaching their children at home. No matter how they choose to implement their kids' education, their greatest credentials are their determination, God's blessing, and His mercy and grace. Gratitude runs through the veins of these women. Children love to learn from a momma who loves what they're teaching. These moms are thankful for the opportunity to be free to home educate and grateful for the little and big ones who've been entrusted to them.

 

A few fabulous resources for you...

 

The Adventures of Jonathan Park audio CDs

Mrs.G Bible Story CDs

Currclick resources

Dinah-Might resources

My friend, Sandee's Blog

Meet the Dubiens

Small Things Blog

beautiful, inspiring story of love (video)

Educating Laytons

The Sunshines Of My Life

 

The Adventures Of Finnegan

I looked up from tossing the spinach salad and watched as my boy was engaged in some tossing of his own. Finnegan, his beloved, stuffed puppy from babyhood, was being catapulted higher and higher from the deck and finally landed on the roof. Oliver shot a surprised but satisfied glance toward the kitchen and I called out, "Daddy's going to have to get him now. There's no way you're going up there. You know that, right?" I sensed my boy's tossing game carried the intention of perching rooftop with Daddy again. A few weeks earlier, my husband taught our son how to clean the rain gutters and the two of them ascended the fairly flat roof of our home--an exciting and daring feat indeed for a small boy. Nevertheless, it seemed to me, the Spring rush of our family business might just delay the rescue.

 

At dinner, Oliver announced that Finnegan had taken a trip to the roof and would Daddy please retrieve him? My husband put his plate in the sink and turned and held his son's head in his hands. He began, "Buddy, I have to go back to work, but remind me tomorrow again and I'll get him for you."

 

It stormed that night.

 

The trauma that ensued was predictable and that little fellow threw his skinny arms around my waist and wept as his sisters recounted the lightening, thunder and torrential rains.

 

 "Finnegan is dying!", he cried, "We have to get him now!"

 

Somehow, in the next minutes, we became distracted with a visitor at the door and then into the truck for a few errands, and that puppy remained on the roof for another two days. Each time Oliver reminded his daddy about his rooftop friend, we were heading out the door again. Nights were difficult as Oliver climbed under the covers and had no one to snuggle. It was clear this young lad, who had recently teetered on the edge of disbelieving his puppy was real, was convinced his furry friend was feeling every moment of pain on the top of our home. As I kissed my boy's forehead and wiped his tears, I began to feel like we were failing as parents and vowed that tomorrow, indeed, Finnegan would be rescued.

 

After four days, the sopping-wet, brown puppy was lowered by my husband into desperate, waiting arms. Oliver squeezed that filthy dog and closed his eyes. He whispered, "Finnegan, you're back." I told him Finnegan needed to be cleaned up in order to spend the night in his bed. "Yes," he agreed, and we entered the house. What Oliver didn't realize was that I meant he needed to be thrown into the washing machine.

 

I pushed a load of light clothing into the machine and added Finnegan and some detergent. Then I went to check the bathroom hamper for a bit more to fill the load. When I returned, my boy had removed his puppy and was crying again.

 

"He can't go in there! He'll drown!" 

 

I knelt down to his level and explained how he'll just do the doggie-paddle, "It's like a ride at the fair for him." He refused to believe it and clung tighter to his beloved. Finally, I managed to pull the stuffed friend from my son and remind him that Finnegan would not be entering his bed sheets with filthy, wet fur. He relented. 

 

Ten minutes later, I walked into the laundry room to find Oliver kneeling with hands on the glass door of my front-loader, sniffling. His sisters were sympathetically perched behind him as he traced that puppy, sloshing round and round, with his finger, and cried, "There he is... there he is..." The girls came running when the machine changed to the spin cycle. Their brother was a wreck. The drying process was another traumatic event. Oliver begged for no more spinning.  I convinced him that he'd get to hold Finnegan quicker if we didn't hang him out to dry but let him get fluffed up in the dryer... for just a few minutes. Molly was able to empathize because she had experienced the same difficulty over releasing her favourite blankie to be washed. She comforted her brother by placing her own stuffed piglet into the dryer as company for Finnegan. It worked. Oliver felt better, Finnegan felt better and I was grateful for a thoughtful big sister when I had run out of wisdom.

I slipped out for some groceries that afternoon, and when I returned, my son had his puppy under his arm. I asked him if Finnegan was feeling okay. Those big hazel eyes glared up at me and he pouted, "NO, he's DIZZY!"

 

The next two weeks were less eventful but that little dog joined us for all occasions. The backpack zipper was zipped just enough to allow Finnegan's head to peek out and breathe, the truck seat beside Oliver held the small pet, he strolled through grocery store aisles and friend's homes. It was apparent, Oliver was keeping a good eye on his friend, who normally only hung out in his bed. The rescue and adventures of Finnegan will never be forgotten in our family and perhaps one day, he'll be passed on to my son's child and he/she will be told about the love between a boy and his dog. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hugging Home

We turn into the driveway and my children release a cheer. Jumping from the carseats they've been adhered to for the few hours it takes to return from our vacation spot, they race toward the house. The girls are eager to get inside to maul our long-missed pets but Oliver goes straight for the garage. I grab some loose items from the van and follow them and I notice my boy has attached himself to the brick beside the garage. I stand for a moment staring and finally ask what he's doing with his leg up and his arms wrapped around the corner of the house. He replies, "I'm hugging home, Mommy."

Nine days of glorious family time left us closer to each other and... longing for home. I didn't quite realize how much :)