Old friendships renewed

It has been an interesting couple of weeks in Cyberspace. Our class president sent out emails, inviting us all to join Facebook in order to get together and see what everyone has been up to these past 17 years. 17 years???? That sounds like a lifetime ago! But, it has been fun catching up with everyone again, seeing what they are doing now and where they live. The classmates I thought would stick around are the ones who moved to other states, and the ones I figured would disappear after graduation, are still in the area. I have been enjoying looking through everyone's photo albums that they have posted with family pictures. Many of them have not changed a bit. They still look 18 years old - which is meant as a compliment, by the way. I would recognize them in an instant if we happen to cross paths one day. Others, I would not have known if I had seen them on a daily basis at the local Wal-Mart. I have even apologized to some just in case I have passed them by without saying "Hello." Another fun part of this "cyberreunion" is finding out who had a crush on whom, who does what type of job for a living, and how many kids they have or don't have.

Well, I would love to add more to this, but my hands are tired from typing. As time passes and more events come along, I'll post some more. Until then, enjoy this beautiful day! Go outside and breathe some fresh air and be thankful you're alive to enjoy it!

This is your life.

Have any of you ever watched the show, "This Is Your Life!" or heard the phrase "What will your dash say?", referring to the dash between the dates on your headstone at your grave? I've begun pondering that just now. I mean, I'm so laid back that I really don't care what people think of me, but I do want to leave some sort of legacy that my children can be proud to tell others about. Am I a good mom? Do I take care of the kids the way they need? Yeah, for the most part I think I'm doing okay at that. Am I a good wife? I hope so! Hubby tells me daily what a "good wifey" I am and how much he loves me.

So, that leaves other people. What have I done that is a benefit to others? I give to church, CBN, pay for mission trips (if one of us can't go, then we contribute toward someone else's expense), but that all involves money. What about non-monetary gifts? I guess gardening and sharing the produce would count. I love getting my hands dirty, so it almost doesn't count because I enjoy it so much! I find joy in giving away our kids' outgrown clothes to other kids who need them. I have a large box or two ready for Mountain Mission School as we speak.

But am I really making a difference? When have I ever offered to pick up the tab at a restaurant for someone I don't even know? When is the last time I made a dinner for someone and took it to their home? What about offering to watch another couple's kids so that they can go out on a date? When I really think about it, I tend to do the asking of others, mainly my parents, to watch our kids for certain events, but haven't bothered offering that service to anyone lately. When is the last time I returned a phone call to a friend in Indy? She called a few weeks ago, and I feel like I don't have time to talk; I'm busy, I'm gone, I'm this, I'm that. All she wants is a listening ear and a sounding board. Is that so difficult???

So, what will my dash say? What will be my legacy? Will I be the friend that everyone can call upon for anything? Or will I be the selfish, greedy person that no one wanted to associate with? I need to make some changes in my life, that's for certain! I need to start listing some ideas and start doing them...

Teaching our kids to talk...

We got an email from one of our nieces this morning... she was letting everyone know that yesterday was her 30th birthday and that their new baby is now 6 weeks old. They just can't wait until she (the baby) starts talking... Though I don't know this niece very well and have only met her once, I just had to respond. You can read below the letter I wrote back to her...

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Okay, whoa, wait a minute.... If I may interject here.... I used to think that, too. (Can't wait until the kids can talk.)

I remember all the time spent trying to teach them how to talk and react, etc... Then, it all happens at once. K, our oldest, who is 7 going on 17, is usually quite
good. She speaks eloquently and many people forget that they are talking to a child
because she sounds so grown up... could be that we spent so much time and effort trying to teach her how to talk, could be that she's the oldest and automatically assumes that she's the boss. Not real sure...

Then there's B... She will be 6 in May and when you ruffle her feathers, she gets like her Daddy. The hackles raise, her voice gets commanding, and heaven-forbid you actually try to reason with her (read: shut her up before she's done!). But at other times, she's the most lovable verbally and physically.

Let us not forget that there is one more: S. Yes, we thought it would be great
to teach him how to talk so that he would be as smart as his sisters and they would all just get along so well all the time.... Somehow God thought it would be funny to make us wait on that dream. Oh, don't get me wrong... he's very smart. Just in a quiet, sneaky way. He didn't really start talking a whole lot until about a year ago or so.... apparently he has been listening and learning, though. And one of my proudest moments of his accomplishments came this past Saturday as the kids and I were at the beautician. The girls and I needed haircuts badly. Well, S in all his 4 yr. old wisdom decided to talk the gal's ears off as she worked on B's hair. And it was cute at first; he told her that he, too, needed a haircut because he was starting to look like a puppy dog. She said that she could trim up his hair, too, if he wanted.

Then, the truth comes out - "Sometimes I toot. I like to toot on B."

I proceeded to ask him (as my hands are shielding my eyes while I look at the floor) "Who did you learn that from?"

He answers, "B told me. She likes to toot on me too!"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, and I burp in her face!"

Then he continues his conversation with anyone who is willing to listen. I was so proud (not!). All I could think was, "Why did we spend so much time teaching him how to talk? He apparently has learned much of it on his own.
Now we have to teach him how to hush once in a while!"