The Office

Maybe the big brothers watch the Office.  Trevor tries his hand with office characters.

Trevor

Trevor has a goal of painting a portrait of each of the U.S. Presidents.  He is a good way to being half ways done now.  He is also incredibly versed in current events and all things president related trivia.

He turned eleven in March.  Here he is in his "studio" which is actually a folding table in the corner of our living room.

On a recent trip to town, I was disappointed to note the many cars in the Aldi parking lot. What can I say?  I am not a crowd person. My nine year old son Clay was with me, and he seized the opportunity to convince me to take a spin through the nearby thrift store instead. Ok. I am always game for that. I gave him some pointers for navigating the parking lot safely in the rain. He even knows he is a bit flighty...

We did obligatory run past the boys clothing racks and actually found some items, including a wild looking pair of shorts in Clay's size. Skinny as Clay is, he figured fit was preferred to style and the price was right. Oh, whatever. He only intends to wear them in the water trough and whilst jumping through the sprinkler aimed at the trampoline.

The toy section did not yield the treasures he had hoped for, but I made a score in the book section:

The old Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon movie: Blossoms of the Dust. Many years ago, when my older children were young, I happened upon this movie and we watched it several times. I am happy to have found the VHS* so I can revisit the based-on-a-true-story with my younger children.

*I have made it a point to keep a functional VHS player because thrift store shelves often hold old gems that are not found on DVDs. My current VHS/DVD player was a $20 Salvation Army purchase.  I ordered a $10 VHS head cleaner cassette on Amazon, and we are in business! 

Blossoms of the Dust tells the story of Edna Gadney who championed the cause of "unwanted" babies and children, outcasts due to prevailing stereotypes of her era. 

I have to say, I am a fan of stories where the underdog succeeds or at least gives it a fair fight.  Bonus points if the story entails protecting children from horrorific fates.

Finding this movie reminds me of a library book find from years ago called The Family Nobody Wanted by Helen Doss. I am not even sure if I found it randomly or if it had been on some booklist somewhere.  Regardless, my older children and I spent many hours with the Dosses as they built their family from society's "discards". (Note to self: try to find that book again.)

I have already resolved that no matter if my exterior paint is dulling, I shall remain as young and chipper as possible at heart. On this point, I have a lot of help because I am continually surrounded by many younger people.

My recent birthday was a good illustration of this. I sat on my spacious front porch with a covey of my older children and their spouses. The youngsters of the family were bouncing noisily on the trampoline out in the yard.

"And who is that kid in the white shirt?" my oldest Blake was asking.

"Oh, the neighbor kid. He and his sister are here on visitation to their mom's house this week," I answered.

"But, they're here," Blake's statement was more of a question.

"Yeah, I know. They like to play with the little brothers." The youngest of my children are referred to as "the brothers" or "the uncles" by my older children.

Another of my children wondered if the neighbor kids are here twenty-four hours a day when they come to see their mom. I said no. "But, would you notice if they were?" My older ones asked in jest.  They grew up here. They know it is slightly possible a random stray child could be hidden in plain sight in the commotion that many children create.

Uncle Miles taking a break with Shane

Uncles Clay and Trent having a moment with Quinton

I hope we always have children around us.  We need each other.
~Colleen

Inquiring Minds

(Editor's note*: I have found myself dusting off our old family blog and this post draft was lying dormant.  I threw in a few edits and put it up here.  It is probably a good nine months old by now.  *The editor is myself.  Colleen)

I am glad I live with inquisitive people.  They rope me into their quests to find the answers they seek.  Like tonight, I got to revisit algebra with the twins who are studying for their GED.  I am a recovering math-phobic.  I have pretty much conquered the earlier stuff.  I am no longer afraid of fractions or decimals.  Simplifying algebraic equations, however, still makes my palms sweaty.

I took a few deep breaths and shoved memories of the very bald, very red faced, screaming football coach from my mind.  I was fourteen again and had just dropped his algebra class.  It had become the class joke to see if Colleen got ANY answers *right* on the most recent test.  Sometimes I got none correct.  It was actually a two-fold problem.  I didn't understand math, and I couldn't see the blackboard.  I was in dire need of eye glasses, and I hadn't quite convinced my mom to take me to the eye doctor.  (She regrets this now.  She thought I was still playing a childish game of needing glasses the same way that I used to play I had blonde hair by throwing a yellow sweater over my head.  My current vantage point assures me kids grow up much faster than parents realize.  But I digress...)

Back to the algebra class.  I knew I had to back up to the very beginning if I was ever to make sense of it.  When the coach found out, he was livid.  He let loose on me right in front of half the school in the cafeteria during a study hall.  My brother got up and walked over to me and whispered, "Go to the library, Coll."  And I did.  I quietly got up and walked away from him.  And that teacher never yelled at me again.

The next day, I sat in Ms. Piazza's class.  I loved her.  She explained everything in the simplest terms.  I still barely understood the math, but I loved the teacher and she made me want to try.  I probably got by with a C in pre-algebra for the rest of the term and went on to take her algebra class the next year and got about the same, but I passed and felt good about myself.

Where was I going with this?  Oh yeah.  The twins.  They are studying for their GED test with their friend Kim.  They called me out to Brady's warehouse office to help them figure out a problem.  We collectively were able to figure out how to get the same answer that the study website had.  Score!

Paul had been wanting to read the book Deep State Target.  I requested it on Overdrive and taught Paul how to put Kindle books on his phone.  He is now contentedly reading the book next to me right now, periodically reading portions to me.  I told him I would show him tomorrow how to access the whole library of Kindle books that we have.  (He is definitely entry level on this particular bit of technology.)

My kids are all generally interested in all sorts of things.  The other day I was super stressed, so Trent sat me down and highlighted what he's been reading in a Dale Carnegie book.  He had a little bit of a simplistic formula for managing stress that actually made some sense. (I did point out that the person causing the stress really cannot be the one instructing how to alleviate it. He agreed with a sheepish grin.) He and Brock, who also read the Carnegie book, have swapped ideas they've gleaned.  Makes for some pretty interesting dinner time conversation.  Taking Trent's advice, I have it in the queue of Audible books on my phone now.

We have a long running joke at our house that we excuse all knowledge of music and song of any genre by claiming we heard it "at Dollar General".  When one of the boys happens to display an uncommon amount of information about song or singer, "Oh, I heard it at Dollar General," is the only source reference required.  We all know the person didn't get a lick of that information while picking up band-aids, shampoo, and toilet paper.  It is common knowledge our local Dollar General only ever plays the local country music station!

Part of the fun of having children is all the engaging conversation.  This starts happening about as soon as they begin to talk, but it picks up momentum as they grow.  Trevor, for instance, just turned eleven.  He is about as well versed in current events and the intricacies of some political policies as I anyone I have ever met, child or adult.  Sometimes I ask him for a quick overview of some headline I have come across.  Saves me some reading time.  Trevor is also good for some thought provoking and sometimes comical political cartoons.  I wonder what in the world he is going to be when he grows up.  For now, he is an artist and political commentator.  (I will edit in some of his work, stay tuned for that!)

~Colleen

The Places You'll Go

https://youtu.be/fmOCyP4VyP4

If ever there was a true depiction of life after graduation, it is found in the pages of the simple Dr. Seuss book Oh, The Places You'll Go.

Some people launch into adulthood and soar. Some crash and burn shortly thereafter.

Some couple into healthy relationships straight away with "the right one", some serialize through many relationships and end up with none.

Some will be devastated by health problems or derailed by money woes. Conversely,  some will reap the reward of wise investments all around.

No one will come away completely unscathed by adversity,  but some will mitigate much of the negative impact.

Some will come to faith, some will askew it. All will find a moral compass whether they realize it or not. Everyone has some code they live by; some are better at defining it than others.

Some will choose continuing education---whether in classroom or without. Some forego independent thought altogether, choosing instead to believe all they are told by other people.

Any of us could be any of these at any given time. We aren't necessarily defined by this moment, or tomorrow's moment. We live and, hopefully, learn. Life is a process.

While it often works to illustrate life as an arrow shooting out in a set trajectory (and how you will want to aim well from the start), it also works to think of life as a road with onramps and offramps, detours and U-turns. Sometimes midway into a decision we get a chance to change directions and fix it before we get in any further. That is, for people of the Christian faith, the grace of God.

By all means: take stock of the goal, aim well, be patient, and be attentive to choices and consequences.

Oh, the places you'll go!

-Colleen