At the Doctor: Funny Jessie Moments

I never quite know what Jessie will do when we are in a group setting in public.  If strangers in Walmart, etc. speak to her, sometimes she doesn't speak back, sometimes it seems rude when they are being kind and making conversation.  On the other hand, she is not a respecter of privacy, she doesn't understand the "rules".  We were at the doctor's office for about three hours.  She was very well behaved, and certainly as patient as any 8 year old could be expected to be for that length of time.  From the beginning of when we first got there, every time someone else's name was called, she would say (fairly loudly), "Call my name!".  I would say, most every time, "We have to wait our turn, all these other people were here first."  Jessie: "No!" Next person called, same scenario, for most of the 10-15 people that were called before us.  She has complete understanding of the way that works, she just doesn't like waiting her turn (does anyone?).  Also, she isn't able to look around and think, ok, 5 more then my turn. Every time she thinks it might be her turn and is disappointed when it isn't.  She was thrilled when they actually called her name.

Jessie drew stick figures, labeled them with family members names, wrote some words, I helped her spell some.  That got old.  She got bored.  I realized I had dropped my phone in the car and stepped out to get it...BEFORE I GOT OUT THE DOOR, she started working the room.  I saw it as soon as I stepped out, through the glass.  She had a pretend Princess camera and went around the room taking everyone's picture.  She did this two or three times, then waited a while till more people had come in, that hadn't been there the first round, then she had to do it all again.  I am always unsure at first how people are going to react to such as that, but everyone seemed to think it was cute, most were smiling and some really got tickled with her.  One lady (an acquaintance of mine) said, "She has a way of making sick people feel better."

We drew and wrote some more, she texted her Daddy and sister.  There was an older gentleman sitting beside her.  After she'd been texting, she pointed at him and said she wanted to text him.  She knows how to go to text messaging in my phone, knows to put in the first couple letters of the name she wants, then selects the correct name and texts them.  She kept saying, "I want to find his name", pointing to the nice man we'd been talking to a little.  He was sitting there with his phone out and had texted someone while we were sitting there.  Finally, she wasn't going to give up, so I said, "She wants to text you."  He gave me a business card with his phone number on it (turns out he was a pastor :)) and I put the number in for her.  She texted back and forth with him several times.  He took a picture of her with his phone and sent it to her.  She sent him a picture of her that was saved in my phone.  Only Jessie.

Sometimes, right off the bat I am a little anxious when we get in that kind of setting, knowing she is going to get in everybody's business.  Some days it is annoying that she doesn't respect the normal boundaries of strangers.  Other days, like today, I can enjoy that difference. 

Corinna: Answered Prayer

Seeing the words "My forever family found me" above Corinna's picture on the Reece's Rainbow website....there are no words to describe how that felt for me. Overwhelmingly thankful. Definitely what Oprah calls "the ugly cry". I am thankful for the experience of praying for her and seeing God provide.  This experience is a spiritual marker in MY life. 

I was completely brokenhearted over Corinna.  I know it was God, it wasn't me.  When I first began looking at the Reece's Rainbow website I wondered how anyone ever knew the particular child God would have them adopt.  There are so many.  I had read that people said God put a certain child on their heart or when they saw the picture they knew they were supposed to be a part of their family.  I was envious.  I am always envious when someone says they have a clear word from God.  I so desire that from Him.  I don't mean I never get it, but I desire it more than I get it.  Absolute certainty, clear direction. 

I wondered if we were supposed to adopt Corinna.  I won't know till I get to heaven if we missed out on a blessing there.  My husband didn't feel that was what we were supposed to do.  I don't know if he wasn't listening closely enough, being practical, or if that wasn't the role we were to play.  I do know that at that point I knew I had to do what I could do.  Pray.  God allowed me to feel for her very personally, painfully, in a way that I don't that often for someone I don't personally know or have a connection to.  I was asked, "Why do you keep going back to her picture and looking at it every day if there's nothing you can do?" and "Why do you do that to yourself?"  One day, I will know the details of all the inner workings of what was going on.  One day I will know the rest of the story.  For now, I know that my prayers were used for Corinna's good and God's glory.

I know some things that aren't yet common knowledge, and I'm so thankful God put me in a position to be able to know those things.  That was his gift to me.  I know that what is happening for her is supernaturally God good. I know that isn't a grammatically correct sentence, but it's what needed to be said. 

The Bible tells me that he collects the prayers of the saints....I know they have meaning and purpose and are pleasing to him.  I am thankful that this time he let me see all the dots connected...he doesn't always work that way...but I am thankful that this time he did ....so that next time I will remember this marker, and pray, knowing it has meaning even if I don't get to see the completed picture.  It will help me hold on till the next time He knows I need what only He can give.

Update on Joshua

Wanted to update those of you who have been praying for Joshua.  He is doing so much better; this is his 2nd day off Oxygen. Thank you so much to those of you that don't even know him that prayed for him.  Now that he's perking up they're wondering how to keep him occupied!  That is a good problem to have at this point.  He has blown several veins and had to have his IV moved several times, we are praying now that that this IV (currently in this thumb!) will last till he is finished with antibiotics (for the pneumonia).

Thanks friends!

Prayers Needed For Our Buddy, Joshua

This is a picture of Joshua, with all his babies at the hospital.  I've mentioned Joshua here several times before.  He and Jessie were born just three weeks apart, Jessie first.  Tomorrow will be a week that Joshua has been in the hospital. He has asthma, so having the flu has made him a very, very, sick little boy.  He was flown by helicopter to Children's Hospital in Birmingham on Monday, spent several days in ICU, then was doing a little better and moved to a Pulmonary Care Floor. Now he is back in a special care or ICU again.  Please pray for our little buddy.  From the beginning, they were having diffculty stabilizing his oxygen levels, and he now has pneumonia as well.  He has a big brother and sister at home with grandparents as both his parents are at the hospital with him....four hours away.  They all need our prayers.

I apologize for the picture quality, I couldn't quickly get a picture and "borrowed" one from his dad's facebook.  When they were just babies and toddlers we always talked about Jessie and Joshua getting married one day.  We dreamed about how they could have their own place, very near both sets of parents! Jessie was too young to hear and understand any of that at the time.  When they were toddlers, their two big sisters dressed them up and performed wedding ceremonies (several times!) where they were pronounced husband and wife.  I truly don't think Jessie remembers any of that; they were so young, but every since she watched the Duggar wedding on tv, then there was a wedding in our family recently, she tells us she's going to marry Joshua, in a white dress, in a church, with flowers.  They have been friends from birth, hug on 1st base in baseball, and fight like siblings....who knows.

Please pray for Joshua and his family.

First Day of Coop

Today was the first day of the new coop semester.  My kids LIVE for it, I try to survive it! Truly, there are many things I love about it too.  But, it makes  for a   l   o   n   g   day on Tuesday, and once the kids get to Jordan's and Evan's grades, it is difficult to get their schoolwork done in a four day week.

Typical Coop Day: Well, it begins EARLIER than we like to start our days around here.  We have always homeschooled and are spoiled by not having to rise early and be dressed and out of the house early.  We left our house at 8:00 and have a 25 minute drive to the church that is our homeschool umbrella.  Jordan drives us now :)  I wake Jessie sitting over her with a cup of koolaid and her Prevacid, so she can have that on an empty stomach 30 minutes before eating anything. I try to let her sleep as long as possible, since it is earlier than usual for her, but have figured out if I try to save time by having her eat on the way to save time, she usually won't, so I may have to go back to getting her up a little earlier. I digress, easily sidetracked....

This semester I signed Jessie up for four classes, 8:30-12:30. I plan to try four classes, but if it is too much, we will drop the last one.  The 8:30 class,  I thought I signed up for a class about holidays, but today's class was a story, craft, and coloring.  If I had realized it would be a story type class I might have signed up at 9:30 for playdoh instead of story time. 9:30:  Story time, read stories, sang couple songs and had a snack. 10:30 Song and Dance. Jessie LOVED this.  The teacher owns a dance studio, so she's had a lot of experience with little people.  They did a little pre-ballet (what she called it!) there was no pressure to be perfect, just fun, then did other songs that had motions and movements.  We're Going On A Bear Hunt, If You're Happy And You Know It. For me it all ran together...she loved it. 11:30 was supposed to be a Bible Class, but the teacher didn't show (!!) and helpers (including me) took the kids to an indoor soft play inside the church.  Each of the classes I signed Jessie up for are geared for preschoolers, up to age 5. I have sometimes signed her up for a couple of elementary classes, it really just depends on what is offered.

Up till now, I have attended every coop class with Jessie.  Every parent is required to help 1 hour of their child's coop, not necessarily in their class. I have chosen to stay with Jessie for every class.  When she was younger I just didn't feel comfortable leaving her because she couldn't communicate well enough.  Now, she talks a lot, and although not every word is understandable, I don't worry that she can't express her needs and wants.  There's no mistaking those!!  Also, I have always seen myself as the mediator between Jessie and other children, helping her to be understood.  Finally, I feel that more adults and children know her, so that maybe I can take the tiniest step back. A tiny one.  Not much, just a little.  I will still take her to each class and hope to stay only for PART of each class, except for the one hour I am the committed helper.  We will see :)

Evan took Communications 101, Composition, Game Time and Game of Life.  Jordan took Communications 101, Composition (Essays), Biology Lab (Dissection).  They LOVE coop and look forward to it so much between semesters.  Having the entire day out of the house on Tuesday causes them to have to work into the summer some, and it is worth it to them.  I love that they are both taking writing with a teacher that loves it, it is an area that I really can't give them what she can, so I am thankful they are getting this opportunity.  I am so happy too that Jordan is getting to do Biology lab with a mom that has that background and loves science.  They did microscope last semester, dissection this time.  Jordan was very happy that she was paired with a boy who didn't mind being the one to touch "all the slimy dead stuff without even wearing gloves"!  In the afternoon Jordan and Evan ate lunch with their FLOW (Future Leaders Of The Wiregrass) group, had a devotion and set out for the places they would volunteer for a couple of hours.  Evan was writing letters as part of a pen pal program.  Jordan went to a place that ministers to a variety of people, some are homeless, some are recovering from some type of addiction.  They weren't working directly with those people today, but Jordan has a heart for both of those groups of people.  Mama Tina, that runs the place, made an impression on Jordan and she wants us see how we might volunteer there again later. 

Since Jordan and Evan were having lunch with FLOW, it was just me and Jessie together for lunch and she got to choose where we would go. Not surprisingly, she chose Things N Wings, one of our families favorite places.  After lunch, Jessie and I came home to chill for about an hour 15 minutes, then headed back to pick up Jordan and Evan.  We made a quick trip to a Christian store to find Jordan a track, as she is scheduled to sing Sunday at church.  Raced to Jessie's dance class, then Winn Dixie, and finally, home at about 7:00 p.m.

At lunch Jessie made my day.  I told her I enjoyed having lunch with her by herself, just the two of us.  I asked her if she liked it.  She said, "Yes, it's a bomb".  My sassy girl meant having lunch with me was THE BOMB.  I wasn't 100% certain that was what she meant until at bedtime she told me french fries were a bomb.  My sweet, sassy girl.

Reading

I wish reading was as fun for Jessie as the Science has been.  Although she's coming along nicely, it's difficult enough for her, requiring concentration she doesn't like to give, and I have to coax her along.  She doesn't hate it; but she doesn't love it.  I have figured out that it helps to have her start reading a story not too difficult for her, mostly words she remembers easily, then move on to a story that has words she doesn't remember as well. Then, when she's ready to quit, I offer to read her a story (from her reader), then she reads me another. The stories are short, so I'm not a slave driver, but if I don't have her read more than one we never get to new words to practice.  Truly, I think the most difficult thing about homeschooling a child who has difficulty and is struggling (I have another kid who does; it's not just DS) is motivation.  The trick is to find the balance of difficult enough to be making progress; but not too difficult to kill desire to keep learning.  Whew, it just makes me tired.

Funny Jessie: Science lesson

Jessie enjoyed all the hands on stuff we did learning about the senses so much that she wanted to do it again! It was too funny to me that she wanted to taste lemon juice again...she DOES NOT like it at all, but went right to the refrigerator to taste lemon juice and give the garlic a sniff too.  Today's new part of the lesson was about ears and skin.  So, while standing in the fridge, we used that opportunity to talk about that we could HEAR with our EARS the fan on the refrigerator, and FEEL with our SKIN that the refrigerator was cold, and the shelf was hard.  Hard and soft is a concept we've covered and she understands, but not talking about skin.  Skin is a difficult concept as it's all over your body.  I think when I'm pointing and saying skin, she's thinking, arm, leg, knee, etc. We listened for all the sounds we could hear: the dog's toenails walking on the floor, the fan in the bathroom and anything else we could think of.  It is much clearer to her, but she can still get tripped up by the language I choose, if I phrase things too differently.  At least she's enjoying the learning!