It's Easter! And if you haven't heard already - it won't be this early again for another two hundren and twenty years. Which means not in our lifetime. And while I've been a little grumpy about it coming so early - after today's service - I was reminded again that it doesn't matter where Easter falls on the calendar.
And then I went to church and heard some of the most amazing music, along with the most amazing story. You know the story - but for the boy, it was the first time he'd thought about the passage in John that tells what happened when the women venture to the cave. He hasn't said much, but I know he was thinking because he asked if anyone else could rise from the dead.
We have a new pastor - well, a pastor that is new to our church. She's been here since September, and it's been nice to listen to her as we all become aquainted with the way she guides the church.
Today we walked into the Sanctuary and it was filled with light and tulips, hyacinths, and lilies. There were also banners streaming from the cross and lifted 30 feet into the air with the help of a few wires. The purple, blue, orange, yellow, green, pink and white cloths streamed out from the cross and along the edges of the aisles - attached high on the columns. I later learned that a high school student was responsible for climbing the ladder and getting the banners up there. Our church has amazing stained glass windows and when the sun finally ventured out the sanctuary was filled with color. It may sound corny - but it was really beautiful.
The music in the church has always been great - partially due to our proximity to NYC, and partially due to the actors, actresses, musicians and artists that worship in the church. Drums, bells, brass, the choir, the organ, - somehow when you walk in you think it might be too much - but when you leave - it's almost always just right.
After our family's winter, it did feel right and good to give thanks.
Happy Easter.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Twist it a little bit...
My favorite time of day with the boy is just after he's been tucked in by his dad. I get a request to come in. It's the sweet time - I lay my head on his pillow and we talk or daydream, or as in last night's episode, we discuss loose teeth.
One tooth in particular. The first of the upper fronts. It's hanging by a bit more than a thread, and his father has already declined the very polite "would you pull it out for me?" plea. I tried the "sleep on it and we'll see what breakfast does to the tooth". In my mind I am praying that he doesn't choke on it overnight and that a waffle will do the trick.
Then, we get one of those sweet moments.
Him: (softly) will you forget me?
Me: Never.
Him: In a day?
Me: Nope.
Him: In a week?
Me: Nope.
Him: will you forget me in a year?
Me: Not even in the year after. (And now I'm all gooey)
Him: (takes a breath)
Me: (takes a breath)
Him: Knock Knock
Me: (puzzled over the transition) Who's there?
Him: (fake shock) You forgot me already!
Set up by a six-year old. But he really did make me laugh!
One tooth in particular. The first of the upper fronts. It's hanging by a bit more than a thread, and his father has already declined the very polite "would you pull it out for me?" plea. I tried the "sleep on it and we'll see what breakfast does to the tooth". In my mind I am praying that he doesn't choke on it overnight and that a waffle will do the trick.
Then, we get one of those sweet moments.
Him: (softly) will you forget me?
Me: Never.
Him: In a day?
Me: Nope.
Him: In a week?
Me: Nope.
Him: will you forget me in a year?
Me: Not even in the year after. (And now I'm all gooey)
Him: (takes a breath)
Me: (takes a breath)
Him: Knock Knock
Me: (puzzled over the transition) Who's there?
Him: (fake shock) You forgot me already!
Set up by a six-year old. But he really did make me laugh!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Faster mornings coming to a store near you...
How fast can we get out of the house in the morning? Not fast enough. I have recently re-upped my pledge to not say "hurry up or I'm going to miss my train". For two months I held strong, bit my tongue and kept my panic to myself. I also incurred numerous parking tickets for running late and parking where commuters aren't supposed to park.
And for all of you that say "get up 15 minutes earlier" - well, it's been done. The young one in the family can take 30 minutes to eat a piece of toast. Why? I don't know. This is usually after he's cut it in triangles and turned it into a weapon to point at "something that is not living". Most often the dining room mirror experiences toast gunshots. This is better than pointing at the dog. She knows no fear and figures a piece of toast pointing at her mouth must mean it's okay to take it. When the complaining starts I say make a new piece of toast or finish your milk.
On to something that could make it more fun! Since getting up earlier doesn't work, and I'm beginning to feel the strain of cracking an egg and making french toast... let's all have some fun with the newest organic product on the block.
The Batter Blaster. It looks like good, clean, wholesome fun - and clean up is a snap too. Please watch the video. If I was better at this I'd know how to show you the fancy link. But I don't. And if I mess with this too much longer I'll be late again, and it's only Tuesday.
Friday, March 14, 2008
Make me an astronaut...
This is better than ordering people in the lifeboat - that old '70s game they made us play in high school. You know the one - where we bonded because we saved the smart old man over the young man who couldn't have children, and played music. All in the name of values clarification.
More fun to be an astronaut...http://www.justsayhi.com/bb/moon
And easily more fun to kill time on a Friday.
More fun to be an astronaut...http://www.justsayhi.com/bb/moon
And easily more fun to kill time on a Friday.
Monday, March 10, 2008
When an astronaut has a conversation with you...
I love the odd things that happen in my life. Let's take last Thursday's conversation with a well known woman astronaut. She is having a discussion of isolated thunderstorms and the conversation goes something like this...
Let me tell you a bit about my time in space. We don't have lots of time to look out the windows, so when we do we are really lucky... We had been noticing lots of isolated thunderstorms over the Medaterranian, and over Africa. It was getting dark as we approached the east coast of Africa and it was all lit up - yes - it's true - everyone likes to live on the water - and we could still see the isolated thunderstorms. Suddenly, one of the isolated thunderstorms filled with lightening, illuminated, and then set off many other isolated thunderstorms - one by one. It was then she realized there are no such things as isolated thunderstorms.
First, how often do you hear someone casually say "as we were flying over the east coast of Africa" and realize she's talking from space - not from British Airways. And then she wove the whole thing around to teaching - you never know which mind will light up or flash in your presence or because of your presence. Totally cool woman who was honored that we had invited her to this mega conference. And second - that she actually spent time talking to me when she realized inviting her to this conference was my brainchild - and noticed that the invite came while she was in flight last fall. (All because I am a morning show news junkie and was getting my fix when her interview came on...) That was the coolest thing about the weekend.
This event is something many have compared to childbirth - 9 months of planning - a long labor - exhaustion - and then bliss that it's over (helped by a few glasses of wine at the reception). The pain dulls after a few weeks and then it's time to get pregnant again. By that time the pain is fuzzy...and so it continues.
Jane Goodall signed books for 3 hours - until the last person got their book signed, and she looks like a gently older version of her pictures from the 1970s - still beautiful, and still almost too elegant for field work.
I can now say I've met an astronaut, thanked Jane Goodall, and met hundreds of really cool teachers. And in two days when my staff returns to the office, I can thank them for all of their hard work - and figure out a way to more formally recognize their efforts - because I am not going through labor again without them.
Let me tell you a bit about my time in space. We don't have lots of time to look out the windows, so when we do we are really lucky... We had been noticing lots of isolated thunderstorms over the Medaterranian, and over Africa. It was getting dark as we approached the east coast of Africa and it was all lit up - yes - it's true - everyone likes to live on the water - and we could still see the isolated thunderstorms. Suddenly, one of the isolated thunderstorms filled with lightening, illuminated, and then set off many other isolated thunderstorms - one by one. It was then she realized there are no such things as isolated thunderstorms.
First, how often do you hear someone casually say "as we were flying over the east coast of Africa" and realize she's talking from space - not from British Airways. And then she wove the whole thing around to teaching - you never know which mind will light up or flash in your presence or because of your presence. Totally cool woman who was honored that we had invited her to this mega conference. And second - that she actually spent time talking to me when she realized inviting her to this conference was my brainchild - and noticed that the invite came while she was in flight last fall. (All because I am a morning show news junkie and was getting my fix when her interview came on...) That was the coolest thing about the weekend.
This event is something many have compared to childbirth - 9 months of planning - a long labor - exhaustion - and then bliss that it's over (helped by a few glasses of wine at the reception). The pain dulls after a few weeks and then it's time to get pregnant again. By that time the pain is fuzzy...and so it continues.
Jane Goodall signed books for 3 hours - until the last person got their book signed, and she looks like a gently older version of her pictures from the 1970s - still beautiful, and still almost too elegant for field work.
I can now say I've met an astronaut, thanked Jane Goodall, and met hundreds of really cool teachers. And in two days when my staff returns to the office, I can thank them for all of their hard work - and figure out a way to more formally recognize their efforts - because I am not going through labor again without them.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Notes you don't really want to see come home...
From: School District
To: Family
One case of lice has been detected in your child's class. The child has been checked by the nurse and is no longer a carrier. Blah Blah lice Blah Blah nits Blah Blah Blah lice Blah Blah Blah.
As for timing, the NY Times article published that day describes a lovely salon, NitPixies - where for hundreds of dollars they will solve your problem. I was set to call until I realized - we don't have them - and the salon is on the West Coast.
So far the red head has remained safe. Each time I read the word lice I want to itch. And each time I itch I try harder not to -- and we all know how well that strategy works... not.
The backpack brings many things home. Many things to praise, file, ooh and ahh over, and toss. I didn't realize it might come with the potential to bring living creatures home.
Not the sweet frog-like kind, but the nasty kind. In my short career as mom I have washed and dried a worm-in-a-pocket (the worm didn't live, the boy cried), rescued crickets from jars without holes, and put a stop to bathtime with the dog - boy and dog, bubbles and water, all at once.
No lice so far. And no more notes. But I bought the RidX just in case - and am hoping that having it in the cabinet is just one more thing to clutter up the house.
To: Family
One case of lice has been detected in your child's class. The child has been checked by the nurse and is no longer a carrier. Blah Blah lice Blah Blah nits Blah Blah Blah lice Blah Blah Blah.
As for timing, the NY Times article published that day describes a lovely salon, NitPixies - where for hundreds of dollars they will solve your problem. I was set to call until I realized - we don't have them - and the salon is on the West Coast.
So far the red head has remained safe. Each time I read the word lice I want to itch. And each time I itch I try harder not to -- and we all know how well that strategy works... not.
The backpack brings many things home. Many things to praise, file, ooh and ahh over, and toss. I didn't realize it might come with the potential to bring living creatures home.
Not the sweet frog-like kind, but the nasty kind. In my short career as mom I have washed and dried a worm-in-a-pocket (the worm didn't live, the boy cried), rescued crickets from jars without holes, and put a stop to bathtime with the dog - boy and dog, bubbles and water, all at once.
No lice so far. And no more notes. But I bought the RidX just in case - and am hoping that having it in the cabinet is just one more thing to clutter up the house.
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