"So did you stay out of trouble today?", I asked Dracen when I picked him up yesterday afternoon.
"Yes", he said.
"So no silent lunch or laps today?", I replied back.
"Umm...well, I did get silent lunch."
Sigh...
me: "Why did you get silent lunch? Talking again?"
Dracen: "Yeah, but I wasn't actually talking to anybody this time."
me: "Who were you talking to then, yourself?!"
Dracen: "Well yes, I was. I was talking to myself. Actually I was mumbling...I just mumbled about this assignment and how it was...{and then I didn't catch exactly what he said here because he was sort of mumbling}and then the teacher said, 'SILENT LUNCH for you', just like that!... when all.I.did.was.mum-ble....to my-self."
I looked over at Devin who was in the passenger seat trying so hard not to bust out laughing and then I couldn't hold my own laughter back because who-the-heck-gets-in-trouble-for-talking-to-himself? I recovered quickly though by slapping my serious mom hat back on and giving him a stern little talking-to.
But then I cracked up again when I told Charlie about it later. He said, "This is like my life as a kid being replayed all over again". (because he was/is a talker as well)
It's all difficult for me to comprehend since I have never been the talker type. I was (am) so much of a non-talker that I find it all sort of baffling and downright fascinating to be honest, which is why I also find it so incredibly difficult to lecture him on it. It is foreign to me.
I was always secretly amused by the kids who were completely comfortable talking out of hand in class because I could not even fathom what it must be like to possess that level of carefree social comfort. Social situations have gotten easier with time, age and wisdom but I'm mostly still just as socially awkward as I ever was (at least on the inside)...
So what did God do? He gave me a chatterbox to raise. Oh yes, His sense of humor is alive and well, my friends...alive and well.
Laughing through it,
Well the week was far from over when I wrote that post Friday morning. I can't go into the details here so you'll just have to trust me when I say that it was not the best of days. Oh don't get me wrong, I've certainly experienced far worse days in my life. But still...it was not a good day.
Rather than wallow in it, however, I thought I'd do just the opposite by making a list of some things/moments that made me smile last week.
Because there is always some happy mixed in...
1. Holding my best friend's newborn baby at the hospital on Wednesday morning. We've been friends since the second day of tenth grade (way back in 1986) and have experienced many a life milestone together. I'm so thrilled for her and her family on their newest addition (baby girl number 3). Congratulations, Michelle!
2. Playing one of my all-time favorite hymns, Just As I Am, on the piano. I've still only had the one lesson so far (since things keep coming up) and I have a long way to go and a whole lot left to learn but I have been practicing and feel like I am finally on my way to accomplishing this thing I've been saying I'm going to do for years and it feels good.
3. Dracen making a 106 on his science test. Granted, he did have a note in his agenda on the same day about his constant talking in math class which we did not blow off. But he is somehow managing to keep his grades up in spite of his endless chatter so amen for that.
4. This.
5. Charlie's son, Ryan, and daughter, Shana, turning 24 and 20 yesterday! I've always thought it was so awesomely coincidental how they were born on the same day, four years apart and Devin and Dracen were almost born on the same day (17th and 18th of July),four years apart. But 20 and 24?! Where has the time gone? It just keeps speeding up on me.
6. This.
7. Wearing my winter hats. And scarves. And boots. I don't get the opportunity to wear them all that often around here but Dracen's baseball games Friday night and Saturday morning prompted me to dust them off and put them on because hello-where-did-fall-go? It got down below 30. In October! Charlie thought my boots were new. I had to remind him that I bought them four years ago but normally only wear them in the snow and well, we haven't seen much of that around here in quite the long time. I'm thinking this may be the year. Although its is back to a high of 70 this week so who really knows what the winter holds.
8. This Cross My Heart Pullover Sweater by Free People. I just recently bought it and while it was a bit of a splurge, I have no doubt that I will get my full money's worth because I cannot stop wearing it. It is the best, most comfortable sweater I have ever owned.
(It comes in two other colors)
I was wearing it in the photos I posted of our little mountain drive last week.
9. The baseball pictures I took Saturday morning. I finally remembered to take my camera when they were all wearing thermal underwear and hoodies. And of course Dray wouldn't wear the black hoodie that matched because well, he is Dracen. One more game left, tonight. I'm going to try to get some better ones so fingers crossed that it will at least be warm enough to shed the hoodie.
10. This daily devotional book by Sarah Young. It always seems to give me the guidance I need, just when I need it most.
Peace in His Presence,
Well I am still somewhat congested and having the occasional coughing fit but I did rejoin the land of the living this week. Why do the bugs Dracen brings home always seem to hit me ten times harder than they do him? I suppose it is due to that whole resilience thing kids have working for them.
In other news, we had our first parent/teacher conference with one of Dracen's teachers this week. It seems he is doing well as far as grades go. His only problem (which was no news) is his inability to stop talking incessantly. He gets a lot of "silent lunches" and laps at recess and doesn't hesitate to tell me all about each incident (which usually involves some tattling by a girl) as soon as he gets in the car in the afternoons. Giving Dracen laps to run is more of a reward than a punishment but I guess it at least stops him from talking for a few seconds.
Data notebooks came home for the first time yesterday and inside was his behavior chart for October where all his laps and silent lunches were listed along with some questions he had written answers to. When asked why he didn't meet his behavior goal, he wrote "because I was talking a very, very, very lot!" Did this child get even one of my genes? Because seriously, I NEVER TALKED in elementary school. Seriously. I think some of the kids (and maybe teachers too) thought I was a mute.
And then there's his brother...the one who looks like me and even has my introverted nature yet has somehow managed to get himself labeled as the class clown. I had such high hopes for high school, thinking we were leaving these problems behind us with middle school. Turns out, I was wrong because while I was grocery shopping Monday afternoon Charlie received a call from his math teacher. Her words were "I need some help." Apparently he threw a piece of paper and then proceeded to hum while she was trying to teach the class. So she put him on the phone in order for Charlie to give him a good talking to.
Oh yes, we've been having us quite the fun time around here this week what with the teacher phone call, the coughing fits (Charlie got hit with it this week) my lecture to Dracen on "girl drama" and why he should be trying to steer clear of it at all costs, the Devin lectures, and the fact that Dracen seems to have forgotten that one should be wearing shoes in order to attend school and to leave the house in general. The child forgot his shoes twice for school this week and once while going to Popaw's in the afternoon. One day we were already late leaving so the turning around after we were almost out of the neighborhood landed him a tardy.
Also, it has turned COLD. Way too cold for baseball which has continued to carry on this week. I may be sporting my bibs and snow boots to Dracen's game tonight. It was 34 degrees on the car thermometer this morning and yet Devin (for reasons way beyond my level of comprehension) refused to put on a hoodie over his short-sleeved t-shirt. So while I was fussing at him, he was rolling his eyes over the backseat at Dracen..."Who forgets to wear SHOES?!"
Thank the good Lord it is Friday!
We did manage to make our yearly trip up the mountain last Sunday to see the changing leaves. I usually always forget until the leaves are past their peak but for whatever reason this year (maybe it was all that record-breaking rain over the summer?) they have decided to take their time about changing since many of them were still green. But some spots were absolutely breathtaking and we got a few good photos....
Happy Friday,
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