Walnuts on My Windshield

Friday, June 10, 2005

I'm typing while our Old Faithful printer chugs away on 95 copies of our family newsletter. Since I just proofed that, I am hoping I can remember what's in there and not repeat myself here.

I spent a couple hours at the dentist yesterday. We have a super dentist, so I don't begrudge him his living. He is an interesting guy, and we always have unique discussions. He tells me all about dental technology, country music, and motorcycles, and I tell him about our children and life for Team Roberts, in general. Thankfully, I walked away with one less small hole and one less gaping hole in my mouth. Unfortunately, I seem to have had so many fillings that I now tell him what he's going to do next as he goes through the process. He laughs and says that I would make a good dental assistant. Not!

Scott and Jessica are on the road to Fayetteville for the Promise Keepers rally there tonight. No, Jessica will not attend the rally. She is going to visit our dear friends, Pastor Dart and Ms. Zita Henry, who were associate pastors at Cornerstone for several years. They are REALLY neat folks, who moved to Fayetteville last year to plant a church, and whom we miss greatly. They actually live in Prairie Grove, about a mile from a Civil War battlefield that we have visited a couple of times. It's a very nice, peaceful small town, on the edge of a large college town. Scott and Jessica will drive back to Springfield in time for church Sunday morning.

We had a super visit with Neal and Danette Childs and their children (Trae, Tanika, and Tobi) last week. They were here for three days, and we had all kinds of fun. We were able to go to White Water for a day and that was a good thing. We also spent about half a day lounging at the creek. In the midst of all that, the kids played on the trampoline, we all played kickball, Neal helped Scott's softball team win a game, Jessica and Tanika giggled, Trae and Katie talked, Andrew and Tobi followed each other everywhere, Scott and Neal talked ministry, and Danette and I talked kids, education, and everything else. We also think we successfully faked them into thinking that we keep our house tolerably clean, so all in all, the visit was a great success.

While the Childs were here, our kitchen faucet bit the dust. Actually, the rubber gasket under it, which was probably as old as I am, completed its ongoing process of disintegration and fell totally apart. (I do NOT intend to imitate the faucet!) That made the faucet very wobbly, so I requested a new one. Scott and Josiah were really something. They spent longer at Lowe's picking out the faucet (I'm not picky; I just said I wanted one that worked) than they did installing it, and it is gorgeous. It slides smoothly back and forth and has a spray nozzle that we all enjoy. I now have a new washing machine, a new water heater, and a new kitchen faucet. I am so blessed! I don't want to think about what we may need next.

Scott decided a while back that he wanted the big kids to learn to play tennis. The Branson Parks and Recreation Department offered a one-week beginner tennis clinic, so this week I took them down to Stockstill Park each morning from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. It reminded me of those ancient days of swim lessons. It was miserably hot for tennis and only Josiah had any fun, but they didn't complain to the instructor and they kept generally good attitudes about it. The worst blow for them (and me!) was to have to get up and go on off day. However, they got in more than their fair share of PE, so that reduces the amount of sweating they have to do later in the day.

Thinking of swim lessons, I am thinking lately about all the things I am thankful that I will never have to do again. Here's a short list: BE PREGNANT (you may detect a certain passion there); suck snot out of a squirmy kid's sinus-infected nose; experience spit-up down my left shoulder; teach a kid to read, to ride a bike, or to swim; spend a ball game. . .no, a season of ball games. . .no, a decade of seasons of ball games . . . never watching the game, but always chasing a child. I was at Scott's game last night and I realized, as I watched one of the other (younger) wives chasing her 20-month-old and trying to keep the darling girl from sitting in a mud puddle, that I don't have to do that anymore. What a blessing! I take Andrew's bike, I tell him to go ride, and I call him to leave when the game's done. He has a great time and so do I. Maybe this deal of them all growing up won't be quite as bittersweet as I have been led to believe.

Oh, we also reinstated the summer Kids Day Away from Mom program again this year. I was perfectly content with the idea of one day every two weeks, but when Scott saw what a nice mommy and wife I was after one day off, he decided it had to happen weekly. Whatever. Jessica took the boys to Silver Dollar City for the day and all was quiet. Katie was in her room working, and I was in the office working, but just the fact that I knew no one would say, "Mom?" was very freeing. Katie may take them to White Water next week.

Josiah will be at Camp Lookout next week, and Scott has a family camping trip planned for the week after. Just trying to figure out a time when he can be off work and all three females can swim requires sophisticated planning software. All I have to say is that the weather at Buffalo Point had better be good for June 23-26!

It looks like Josiah will need braces (sigh), but he won't need the palate expander that the girls did. That will save some time and money. I can't wait till we figure out Andrew's deal. I know my genes caused the big kids' orthodontic woes, but if Andrew needs braces it's officially NOT MY FAULT!

Till next time,
Patty

From My Book Pile:

Joel by Joel Sonnenberg, rank 8. This is Joel's autobiography. He was in a car wreck when he was two and the car caught on fire. He had 3rd degree burns over more than 85% of his body and was not expected to live. 45 operations, severe disfigurement, and 20 years later, he is a real Christian go-getter. Despite missing ears, nose, lips, and hands, he is making a very successful life. A very inspirational book.

Quote of the Week:

"When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so at the end, you're the one who is smiling and everyone around you is crying." ~ Unknown

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