Skip to main content

This and That


(All the photos are SOOC, no editing yet.)























This has been an unusual week. Typically, we spend most of our day in the schoolroom. However, I signed up Jack and Therese to take swim lessons.  I need them to be more confident and capable swimmers. You see, our time here in Germany is almost over. Tony's next assignment is Korea. We made the decision to not accompany him. I will be the one taking all the kids to the pool this summer by myself. They are doing really well and progressing quickly. Peter and I have been sitting poolside, reading books, coloring, and generally having a good time together.


Tonight was Anna's band and choir concert. She had a small solo in one of the choir numbers. I sat there wondering if I should send her to a brick and mortar school in the fall. It is a hard decision and one that I will be pondering for a while. I was doing a little people watching during the concert and I was sad to see that so many little siblings were sitting with devices in their hands, playing games or watching movies during the concert. Even some adults were playing games on their phones. It seemed so disrespectful. Can we not give our complete attention for one hour to our children or siblings? What about the band director who put so much of her time into this concert? If I were a braver soul, I would have told the man next to us to put away the phone. Sadly, I did not.


Oh, and another out of the ordinary event happened last night. Tony and I went to a ballroom dance class. You could attend for free to see if you want to continue. I watch people dance and wish that I could move gracefully like that. While I had a wonderful evening with my husband, I do not think we will continue the classes. It was something that someone said after the class that stuck with me all last night. I asked why he started taking the classes. His answer was that it was a fun hobby for him, since he is single and has no children. I realized I already have many hobbies that I enjoy and to add another would be selfish in my mind. My family needs me to be focused mainly on them. They are my greatest gift that God has given me and they deserve my time and attention and love. One day, when they are all grown, maybe we can pursue another dance class. For now, we will continue to step on each others feet when we attempt to dance, and that is all right with me.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Walking a New Path

 Well now. It has been quite a while, hasn't it?  I have kept silent about my struggles for the past four years, mainly because I was in the midst of something that I never imagined could happen to our family. And it wasn't just my story. It still is not.  A friend once told me I am an external processor, and I suppose she is right. I find that saying things out loud help me find the answer, if there is one. There was no good answer, as it turns out. And so, I am sad to say, that I am now divorced. A single mother, navigating a life I never imagined.  But there are some things that haven't changed. My faith, for one. I know that God is with me on this journey and that He is way smarter and wiser than I could ever be. He has held me close as I wept and grieved the end of my marriage. He held my hand as I packed up what would fit in a moving truck and drove our belongings to a new home. He has led me to new jobs and I can only trust that all will be well if only I cont...
4 comments
Read more

The Door Table

Once there was a store in Georgia. It is no more, but how I wish it was. I likened going in there to treasure hunting. One never knew what was going to be in there, and you had to dig through and wade through all the "other people's treasures" to find your own. I once found a set of blue and white teacups and saucers from England. I found lace handkerchiefs, a rocking chair, and an end table. But by far the best find was my kitchen table. I had stopped by one day while the kids were taking horseback lessons and the then little ones were asleep. The store was not open, but I went up to the window to see if anything new was there. And it was there. The table. And six chairs too! We were in need of a bigger table with Jack on the way. My mom had offered to give us her old one, which I was going to accept if I didn't find something I liked better. I didn't want anyone else to even see the table because I knew it was supposed to be ours, but one can never tell abo...
9 comments
Read more

Fog and faith

 I stepped out into the coolness of the November morning to start the car and defog the windows, preparing to take Jack to school. Daylight had yet to appear. As we drove the many miles, the sky lightened, and we could see the mist hanging out just above the grass. We usually listen to a story together on our drive, adding commentary, exchanging a knowing glance or a shocked expression as the twists and turns unfold. I relish this time with Jack. I know that all too soon he will be preparing to leave the nest, like his sisters before him.  On the drive back, I pull my rosary from my purse and pray. By this time, the sun is just about to appear, making the sky a beautiful orange-pink on the horizon. I am pondering much as I pray, for the path I am on is once again rocky and uncertain. Such is life, whether we have faith or not. Faith makes it bearable. For the most part, the road home is a straight shot and I can see the ribbon of road laid out before me, narrowing in the dista...
3 comments
Read more