A Screwy Weekend

This was a full and crazy week! Much to be thankful for, but little time to write it down! A full week of softball practice, school, and gymnastics led into a weekend devoted to the 30-Hour Famine. Our highschoolers at church were participating in this fundraising event where we fasted for 30-Hours and stayed (mostly) together to do activities that would remind us of those around the world that suffer from hunger all the time. It was a humbling experience for me to realize just how blessed I am and how little I'm aware of the regular gift of food on my table. It was a special challenge this year as our children were not fasting and I was responsible to give them food five times that day! So hard to see all that they left on their plates when I was so hungry!

The real adventure came at about three in the afternoon on Saturday. I was downstairs working while the kids played quietly upstairs during "naptime." All of sudden I hear Katie scream, "I'll get Mom!" David is crying/screaming as is Emma; I assume someone has fallen. As I race upstairs, Emma's words become clearer: "He's gonna die! He's gonna die!" Katie quickly tells me that David has swallowed - is swallowing would be more accurate - a screw. The screaming is escalating (we've all woken up Ian by now) as I try and get David to throw up said screw. It's obviously still high up in his throat and I figure better out than in. No luck with that and he finally swallows it. I as how big or small the screw is and there are differing opinions. David squishes his fingers together to show its miniscule size. Katie's pretty certain it's at least an inch long and pointed on the end. I actually managed to keep pretty cool. David said it wasn't hurting anymore so I let Rob know what was going on and accepted an offer from one of my highschool girls to come with me to the urgent care clinic. Now, on Monday, we know that it appears to be a bolt (flat-ended) between 1/2 and 3/4 of inch in length. We don't know where it came from or why David decided it would be tasty. We do know that God is gracious and watches out for my children - indeed, all of us - and David should be less screwy in a couple of days. =)

And so, I'm giving thanks for:
311. David's health
312. X-rays
313. Softball
314. Rob caring for our kids
315. Feeling good about my body
316. Hunger
317. Food
318. Sap from our maple tree
319. Microsoft Excel (It does everything, maybe even dishes!)

A Bit of a Fastball

So, for those of you who keep an eye on this blog, you might have noticed I didn't post on Monday. I meant to, I really did! This week I began helping to coach the "modified" (read Junior High) softball team for the local public school. The head coach is a member of our church and a friend and when I offered some assistance she said, "Sure. You've pitched before, right? You're the pitching coach. Oh, and get these girls in shape, too." So now I'm in charge of fitness and pitching! It's a fun challenge, but the biggest part of it all has been balancing all of my other responsibilities. I have realized that as much as I'm going to enjoy this season, I am NOT called to be a working mom! I miss my kids and yet I feel distanced from them by the time I get home. (I'm gone about two hours in the afternoon.) I don't feel like cooking dinner, doing dishes or laundry, or doing any of the other chores that I usually do in the evening. We'll get into a routine here, I'm not too concerned, but in the meantime I'm grateful for the lessons I'm learning: I'm a good teacher/coach, I prefer to teach/coach my own kids, I'm not called to work outside the home, and I understand a little more what Rob feels when he walks in the door at the end of the day. Perhaps I can show a bit more understanding, especially since he's taking over for me for those two hours I'm gone! Please continue to pray for me as I coach these 29 girls. They need so much guidance and I hope to show them as much of God as I can in the short time I have with them.

This week I am also grateful for:
297. Spray paint
298. Hard-boiled eggs
299. Homeschooling (Have I mentioned this one before? :) )
300. Facebook
301. Old friends
302. A sweet grace of dinner and an activity timing coming together
303. Sewing with Katie
304. Silence
305. Clean schoolroom (first time in months!)
306. Homemade pickles, applesauce, and yogurt
307. My own issues (as opposed to someone else's)
308. The family of the home where Ian was born coming to celebrate his 1st birthday
309. Feeling like the Love Dare doesn't have much for us to do!
310. First week of softball practice