Beth On

Junie B. Jones

I went with Rachel today on a field trip.  We went to the Main Street Theatre to see a play about Junie B. Jones.  Junie B. is a character in a whole series of books by Barbara Park.  Junie has an attitude and bad grammar.   I am not particularly fond of the books but the kids like to read them and to hear them read.   The trip was good because I got to be with Rachel and with her friends and classmates.  I also got to spend some time talking with her teacher on the bus ride home.  I have so much respect for Ms. D. who has taught for a very long time and has an obvious love for teaching.  She also really loves the kids.

The weather was horrible and the theatre was terribly unorganized so the logistical part of the trip was not fun.  But I think the kids had a good time.

I got a call today from the Head of School.  I am supposed to call her back tomorrow and see if I can schedule some more interviews for next week.  I'll have to do them early in the week so I can go and help Liz after her surgery on Wednesday.

Ed sent me an email today asking for an update of my commission statement.  If all of the jobs I have completed come in before the end of the week, I will get a paycheck that is more than $2,000.  What a way to go out!!! 

Bright Sunday

Another beautiful day.  Worship this morning.  We sang "I will worship" with the men singing and the women echoing (SIGH).  Kinley was great.  His prayer was heartfelt and his welcome was, well, welcoming.

We had our last meeting of the scrapbooking girls.  They worked and talked and then Julie and I prayed over them at the end.  I am so grateful for the chance to be with SLK again.  She is such a great woman of God and a great mom.  We had fun and were warm and cordial.  I miss our close times together but that seems like a distant past from here.

Breakfast for lunch, naps, and then some time outside.  R and H were in each other's faces all day.  I could tell they were both pretty tired.  I'm glad they didn't go on their outing with Ms. Sara W.  I think it would have been a hard time for all. 

After the dispute about the jump rope, R and I played ball across the street from each other.  We just toss a bouncy ball to each other and try to catch it.  After a while, SR came out because she heard us playing.  And then TS came out too.  So we were all playing and having fun.  The kids played for a little while by themselves while I swept the pollen off the curb but then they decided that hide-n-seek would be fun and that I should be it.  So we played and ran and laughed.  No one could catch Timmy.  It was a lot of fun.

Second round of house church tonight.  It was solid.  Good scripture, DSR brought a candle and we talked about Jesus as the light of the world, praying and singing.  I feel close to my family when we share this time together.  I'm looking forward to next week.

Good Saturday

David cooked crab cakes and chardonnay cream sauce last night.  It was just outstanding.  And we have some leftover for today.

A beautiful day in Houston.  Clear and sunny.  Hannah had two birthday parties to attend.  Rachel got to go to the second one.  David and I worked around the house, which was a very nice way to spend a couple of hours.  We continued our family game of Monopoly which is taking up the kitchen table.  Shopping for clothes and groceries rounded out the day.

Now it's Sunday morning.  Looking forward to my last day leading the scrapbooking girls, house church tonight, and reading the paper.  It's a treat to have an actual paper to read since we stopped subscribing.  Especially on a Sunday.

Excited

I am excited about educational technology tonight.  I had an interview today with the head of school at Grace School.  I think they have a very interesting situation there and are poised to do lots of new things with technology.  Their current director is moving onto a more suitable position for her and the opportunity to interview just kind of fell into my lap.  I had fun listening to the head talk and thinking about possibilities.  Tonight I spent some time surfing podcasts to see what was out there for education.  I haven't even started to tackle the blogs yet. 

Lots more to come, I'll wager.  More interviews next week.

Coughing

Rachel is still coughing every night.  I hate to give the kid meds to sleep every day but she really doesn't get a good nights sleep without them.  We just gave her some cough medicine to see if that will enable her to fall asleep.  She is doing much better during the day.  Her eyes are not nearly so red and itchy.

Interesting vocational conversations abound.  No news yet but some possibilities.

SCOOP tonight.  Always a highlight of the week.  We wanted Hailey to babysit for us but she got herself grounded.  Bummer.  She said it was justified.  But I think she enjoyed whatever she did, judging by the smile on her face.

Didn't make it

For the last two nights, I didn't make it to posting time.  As I crawled into bed, I realized that I had completely forgotten to post.  So now I get to make up for it.

Wrapping up the final items on my imagis to-do list.  Trying to get all the current orders shipped, invoiced and paid. 

A possibility for a temporary job has surfaced.  We'll see what happens.

Working today on a new and improved budget for our family.  Usually that is an exercise in frustration for me but I am trying to maintain a positive attitude.  I think I get tense about doing it because it means that I will have to talk with David about the money.  And those usually are not fun, very difficult conversations.  At least I don't enjoy them.  More on that to come, I'm sure.

D went to the wrap-up of the IAT last night.  I love the community that he has developed with those four people.  I pray that they will find something good to do together for the good of the kingdom.

House Church 1

We did it.  We had our first house church meeting tonight.  It was just our family.  We read all four readings from the Lectionary, talked about them a little, sang 'What Wondrous Love is This', prayed and shared.  Rachel read the I Corinthians passage.  She did a great job.  I was so impressed - she reads as well as most of our middle schoolers.  And Hannah has the gift of prayer.  She listens well to prayer requests and just belts it out to God.  It's got to be the work of the Holy Spirit.

The best part, among many good parts, was at the end when the girls just felt so comfortable that they shared.  They both shared about how they sometimes pray when they are feeling bad or feeling like they want to say something mean or in a difficult situation.  Rachel told David later that she sometimes just looks out the window of the bus at the blue sky and thinks about God to get away from the noise of the bus.

I am so honored to be a part of such a faithful family - a husband who is an amazing Christian leader and two amazing children who deeply want to know God.   I learn something new every day.

Appalled

David and I ate Pad Thai tonight.  It was a great feast.  We also watched Hotel Rwanda.  I think we must be the last people who blog to watch that movie but here we are.  Now I just feel sick.  O, Lord, what would you have me do with my resources and my life to care for your children, here and in Africa.  I plead for your guidance.  Amen.

The End of the Week

Some errands followed by yardwork today.  It was nice.  I would like to do more but it is supposed to be rainy both days this weekend.

Tonight we went out to dinner with D's parents, MTR and RAW.  The girls are crazy about both of them.  We went to Hickory Hollow in the Heights.  There was a bluegrass band playing.  The Blenders, I think.  My father-in-law was laughing because the band guys were fussing with each other.  He said it seems like they had played together so long they just knew who was doing the wrong thing.

After dinner we went to M and B's house for computer consulting.  D did some and I did some and I think M was very happy.

The girls are finally asleep.  R is coughing and her eyes are driving her crazy.  I feel so bad for her.  I hope she gets a good nights sleep.

Hannah suggested that I should be a bus driver for my new job.

Unemployed

Too out of it to write last night.

I walked with the ladies today and it was quite eventful - KT is moving to Calgary, BL is trying to figure out which middle school would be best for her oldest son, WM is moving in 2 weeks and her 7th grade son is having numbness and tingling in his extremeties, I was trying to figure out when was the best time and method to talk with EFW about quitting.

So, after some lawn mowing and taking care of HL for a couple of hours for his mom, I wrote a letter and delivered it to EFW.  He was gracious and not really surprised.  We are just in two different places in our lives and I just can't work at home by myself - it makes me lonely and depressed.  So we agreed to part ways and be friends.  (Sounds like a bad high school breakup).  EFW was very nice and said that I could continue to do any jobs that I wanted to and that he would pay me a  referral fee for any jobs I refer to him.

I told ZN that I was going to go tomorrow and apply for a part-time job at Hobby Lobby - just for the next 9 weeks until school is out.  And I might really do it.  In the meantime, I am thinking and praying about what the future holds for me vocationally.  And DSR is praying and supporting me.  I am grateful.