A Few Things On My Mind Lately

Jasmin. Tuesday Jasmin had her reassessment from the vision therapy we've been doing for the last 10 weeks.  The results? "Her responses are 100% better in accuracy and consistency," resulting in possibly reducing the number of needed sessions from 40 weeks to 20! What a fantastic answer after weeks of doing all sorts of daily odd "homework" exercises!  And we also have noticed great improvement in Jasmin's schoolwork.  It is SO good to have something that is actually working and making a difference! Now, if we could find the same for her near constant nausea....

Choir Christmas Songs. With only 3 more weeks to our first presentation of songs, and 18 songs of varying difficulty (sort of easy to very difficult), there is a lot of work to do! So the songs are being played while I run, while I drive, while I cook.... I'm sure everyone around here will be thoroughly sick of the songs before I'm done with them!

Schedule planning. Already the demands on our time have increased in anticipation of Christmas season, so, often I am trying to figure out how to juggle where, when, and what for all of us. And remembering it all so everyone gets to the right places at the right time! (and in between trying to keep school going cohesively...)

Christmas. Trickling down in-between all the current happenings and related thinkings are thoughts of Christmas: what to do for Advent this year (and how to do it more or less seamlessly between here and in Halifax where we go for Christmas this year), present lists (who and what), our trip to Halifax and all it entails...

God's lessons in me. Learning just how far I have yet to go to vulnerably trust others, and the results of trying out different ways to get closer to God's ideals of true community.  Finally (!) coming to grips with the life in missions that God has asked of me that is so different that what I hoped and dreamed of. Stretching, growing, listening, responding...

Crawling Into November

Ending October
An unintentional loss
Something small
Yet of irreplaceable worth
Turning the heart inside out
Bringing smoothly running schedule
To a screeching halt

And then November
A family of colds
Woke up in our house
This morning
Calling for ginger tea
And Chicken soup

A week of grey days
Cold intermittent rain
No lasting sunshine
Raw cold
Dulling mind and emotions

Life in our house
Slowed to a crawl
Sleepy any hour
Lunch at 2
All tasks undone

Kinda nice when it's everyone
No one trying to pull us along
No one insisting on regular meals
And tasks to be be done

Too bad Aiden is well and active
Waiting patiently at times
But now moping
"I want somebody to play with me"

One Proud Moment Each

Aiden after sorting his letter cards

Jasmin after drawing some whimsical fantasy dogs

Grace when playing a wickedly good game of dodge ball

Sunday Night Special - Grace

2nd day of October

Listening, writing, solving

Crossword puzzles

While waiting

For swimming

Evening hooray

Small group kickoff

Twenty eight isn't 

So small

Showing Grace (C.)

the funky fireplace

At Mrs. Heather's

Waiting, bouncing, playing

Around

People arriving 

Mini trampoline game

Shortly after

Called for prayer

Upstairs

I ate

Chicken fingers

And juice

Talking, eating,

Lounging about

Everyone waiting

To get in the pool

Finally pool time

Everyone in

Jumping, splashing,

Grace C. leaped in

Revelling in the water

Looking for the rings

Playing, playing

Discovery of fins

By Jasmin

More jumping in

Jasmin and Grace (C.)

In and out

Some wrapped in towels

Others splashing about

Sponge star frenzy

Throw sponge fight

I gather stray ones

Give them to Aiden

Sponges whizzing

Throw them about

Back and forth

Again and again

Failed race request

Disappointed

Goggle success!

Still people throwing

(Sponges)

Up and down

In and out

Back and forth

Goggles on 

Swimming the pool

Mrs. Heather's children sitting

Not so small anymore

At the edge of the pool 

They catch and throw

I get the ones 

They can't reach

"Out of the pool"

Everyone get out

Confused about why

Lingering still

After risky changing

Epic foosball fun

Getting better

Wearied but happy

People leaving

A few at a time

Almost one by one

Now it's our time

Sleep in tomorrow

Behind the next day

Still worth it

Sunday night special