Raising Them Right

We are close enough to Joplin, MO, that the destruction left behind by the tornado has hit close to home. We are also close enough that teams from our area are collecting donations to be taken to Joplin in the morning. As we watch the weather tonight, I pray that the poor, storm ravaged souls in Joplin are spared from another direct hit.

Last night I was setting out the coffee pots and fruit pizza, preparing for another wonderful meeting with my Lit & Latte ladies. I checked my Facebook page to see if anyone had posted that they were or were not going to make it. I saw a post regarding a collection site and thought "I wish I had something to send." Then I realized that I did have something to send. Last weekend I was compelled to purchase two cases of bottled water. We don't drink bottled water; we filter it through the pitcher and use reusable bottles to reduce waste. I couldn't explain why, but I bought them. Last night it became perfectly clear that the Lord had been meeting those needs before they were ever realized.

I came home and asked Hot Daddy to load the cases of water into the car, planning to take them to the collection site in the morning. And then I remembered a drawer full of travel sized items I've gotten in the mail. And then I remembered that I had a couple extra packages of razors, a couple extra bottles of body wash, a couple extra tubes of toothpaste. We gathered everything we could find. And Princess Pea Pod was watching.

She asked us why we were gathering those items. We explained that the tornado had destroyed people's homes, their churches, their stores. They had lost their clothes, toothbrushes, toothpaste... everything. Children had lost their lovies. She walked away and we kept trying to think of anything else we could send. She returned a couple minutes later with Banky, a lovey she has had since birth. She held Banky out to us and said, "I can send my Banky." We explained that Banky is old and ratty; Banky is beautiful to us, but probably not good to send. She walked away and found us again after a few minutes. "I love Tiana, but someone else needs her more." We decided it would be better for us to take her to the dollar store and get a couple cuddly stuffed animals to send to the children. To make an already long story a little less long, I took her and her friend, All Caps Girl, to the dollar store today. They bought some cuddly friends for the children, and then we took all we could to the collection site.

I told a few friends about our principessa being so willing to share her beloved Banky and Tiana. Because it truly touched my heart that she would be willing to part with those things for the sake of the children who had none. And more than once I heard "That just goes to show you are raising her right." Thank you, but here's what I've got to say about that. I am not raising her. We are not raising her. God is raising her up through us. Anything that looks like something we've done right is not our work, but His. (And anything that looks like something we've done wrong... well, "What were we talking about?")

And that's all I've got to say about that.

Getting Caught

It was a dark and stormy night...

Wrong story! It was actually a warm, sunny day. It was Mother's Day. It was also our seventh anniversary. It was a perfect day to take Princess Pea Pod fishing for the very first time. Finally. So we got a big ol' cup of worms and took the fishing poles to the pond. Principessa and Hot Daddy had been practicing casting in the back yard for a few weeks, so she was good. I mean, this kid is really good! Hot Daddy was peacefully planted a couple yards away. Grandma was on one side of Principessa, and I was on the other. Apparently, I was in the danger zone. I didn't know this until it was too late.

It was time to cast. Princess Pea Pod reached back and let 'er fly. We all watched and waited for the soft "plink" of worm on water. But there was no plink. No worm. But I did notice a little stinging on my chest. Apparently that happens when a worm on a hook is lodged there. Thankfully it wasn't very deep and came out easily after a millisecond of "Oh-My-GRODY-There's-A-Worm-Lodged-In-My-FLESH!" panic. I think Principessa was scarred more than I. She let me stand next to her while the line was out, but she gave me this little number every time she went to cast:

"Get way, way, way, way, waaaay back, Mommy."

Bedtime Prayers

Princess Pea Pod prays every night when I tuck her into her tent. She usually rattles through odd sounding names, thanking God for various invisible friends and for every bird and squirrel that runs across our back porch. "Thank you God for Mozzie and Moosie and Mosey... and thank you God for a baby." She's pretty serious about that baby - if God was able to forget, He still couldn't because she's on His case for a baby.

Today principessa went to play with R&R, then shortly after she got home (and before she could take the rest time she said she was going to take) her friend MG came to play. MG and Princess Pea Pod are like twins separated at birth. Seriously. Born next door to each other at the hospital, 15 hours apart, they met in the nursery and have been sisters ever since. The thing is that MG now lives in another town and our twins separated at birth now see each other only a couple times a year. So our world comes to a screeching halt when her mom (who is super fabulous and is an awesome friend!) calls to say "Hey, we're in town." Nobody sees it, nobody hears it, but in my head I do a little dance: Uh-huh! Oh yeah! My friend is back in town! I digress... but there's a point. Principessa did not get to rest before MG and her devilishly adorable little twin brothers came to play.

So tonight, as I tucked her into her tent - half an hour later than usual and she's already half asleep, she sat up to pray. "Dear God, thank you for R & R, and thank you for MG. And thank you for MG to get the card I sent her with TWO hugs... and thank you God for a baby. Amen." Yep... what she said!

Speaking of Chicken...

Tomorrow is kindergarten registration. Two weeks ago, Princess Pea Pod woke up and she was 5, so she was sure it was finally the day she would start kindergarten. She was pretty peeved that she has to wait until fall. Now she's psyched all over again because tomorrow she will actually get to go to the kindergarten and see the classrooms. She will register for kindergarten and that makes is just.almost.real.

Or all too real. Depending on who you are. I've already cried half a dozen times today. It led to an interesting discussion...

Me: "All I can find is the birth certificate from the hospital. I can't find her real-deal birth certificate. I guess we'll just have to homeschool."
Hot Daddy: "You know that's not what is best for her."
Me: "Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! You're right." *sniff* *sniffle* *wail... weep... boo-hoo*

Then I called the school and they're ok with the birth certificate from the hospital. So I guess we're still going to send her to kindergarten. At least she's excited... and I'm excited for her.

But I can still hear Whippet Angel from All Dogs Go to Heaven: "You can never go back... You can never go back..."

But I'm still excited for her. Yep... I am excited for her. Yeah...