NO LITTLE COWBOYS!

Tonight John was grouchy and tired. When he is grouchy and tired, he just sinks into sadness. Getting the boys out of the tub, Zorak said, "Come on, Little Cowboy, up we go!" John dissolved into tears, "I'm not a little cowboy!" Zorak changed the subject, distracted him a bit, and tried to help him move on, but John was still somewhat sniffly and sad. Zorak The Wunder Dad (he just rocks) asked John, "Well, if you don't want to be a cowboy when you grow up, what would you like to be?" John sniffled and said through teary, tired eyes, "I want to be a You!" OH, my, talk about melting your heart! What a sweet boy, and what a wonderful Daddy. I love my family.

Jacob tried to walk today! It didn't go well, as walking goes, but it went very well as attempts go. It was enough to urge us to get the poor child some shoes so that if he does start walking on the linoleum he won't bust his wee head. (John started walking at eleven months, then took a face dive down the side of a bas-relief planter that ripped up his entire face and chipped two teeth... it was another two and a half months before he would try that again!)

Carmon posted an absolutely heartwarming poem on her blog about the prayers of a Mother, as told through the perspective of the Son. Wow. It was very good.

I finally got Wizard & Glass in from the library, and wouldn't you know it I left it on the porch when we went to Wal-Mart today... and it rained while we were gone. *sigh* The book is now stuffed with paper towels and I'll freeze it before I head to bed. I'll work with it more tomorrow. Darnit. I knew better, too. Grrr.

Stephanie, I do know what you mean. It's only been since I have been an adult that I realized we'd been not just broke, but "poor", according to society's standards. I never felt like it. I had my Mom's love, we read books by the dozen and the world was mine for the taking in my imagination. I reveled in the things a child loves- tree forts, crawdads in creeks, riding bikes with the neighbor kids (it didn't matter that the bike wasn't a brand-new Mountain-Tamer x3000- it had wheels, it went, and it didn't bang up too badly when I splayed out ass-over-teakettle going down a hill).

When I was little, my Mom had a zillion little mantras she was always, erm, sharing with me *grin*~
"Just because someone is poor is not an excuse to act like it."
"No matter how little you have, you take care of it because it's been given to you to take care of."
"There is always someone who has it worse than you."
"I've been helped when I needed it, and we help others when they need it."

Of course, in the periods where we've fallen below the poverty level since then, I've just always viewed it as "just passin' through". It wasn't a chronic condition, nor a permanent move, just something to work through and move on past. Get a roommate, donate plasma, finish this semester, take a night job... you do what you've got to do, and it's amazing how people will help you when they see you are willing to do a little work on your own!

Anyhow, thank you all for the encouraging words. Donna, I will never, in this life, achieve your level of gentleness, but can I hang out in awe of you and bask in the glow of your utter coolness? Thank you for the heads up on the apology- I, too, was able to apologize for my part in things.

Anyway, I digress. Where was I going?

OH- cooperative games! I checked out The Cooperative Sports & Games Book: Challenge Without Competition, by Terry Orlick. If you have the chance, check it out- there are some really great ideas in there! (For the record, it's not that I have a problem with organized sports, per se, but I just don't think trial by fire is the way to teach a four or five year old about sportsmanship and teamwork. That's another blog entirely, though.) The pictures are delightfully dated 1970's, and there's a little of the pinkish tinge to the philosophy in some bits 'n pieces of the book, but overall it's a wonderful resource and I'm going to be keeping my eyes out for my very own copy. On the food-related recommendation scale, this is like the relish tray at a buffet-style party. You may like the green olives but the black ones make you queasy, you might pick the yogurt dip over the onion-bacon-feta-gravy dip. It's not going to fill you up, but it won't kill you to go pick it over, and you might strike up a nice conversation while you're there.

Tomorrow is church, and in an effort not to give Zorak a reason to use his newfangled secret code again, I am going to get some rest. Have a blessed day tomorrow, kiss those beautiful children, all!

Nite,
~Dy