I Don’t Feel so Well…in Haiku

I am feeling sick
I do not like it at all
I just want to sleep

The kids are too loud
My head is pounds like a drum
My stomach turning

I have things to do
Being in bed was not one
Stop being sick now!

Please forgive me if I miscounted my 5, 7, 5 form. I can barely think.

Ponderings

(I stole that title from Beca. Sorry BBB.) She’s better at giving her posts a title than I am.

I’m thinking of Africa. You know, the continent. Millions of hurting people. I know there are hurting people all over the world, but right now I’m interested in Africa. I’m reading a book called, a long way gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah. It is heart wrenching and I’m not even to the part about him being a soldier. It takes place in Sierre Leon, so close to Liberia where many of my young friends are from. What, exactly, is so broken about Africa? I’m asking because I don’t know. I am thinking of these things because we just elected a black president and because I have friends who experience or have experienced racism. Last night I prayed with a young girl, whom I will call Joy, who is 1/2 Liberian and 1/2 Nigerian. Her eyes are so black her pupils disappear and when you look into them you can get lost in the pain. That is, if she’ll look you in the eyes long enough. I believe her pain is deeper than just the fact that she is adopted. What thing has its claws in her so deeply that she has lost hope. She is a child. My heart is completely broken for her. I told her that I would fight for her. God is victorious and she is not going to lie down on the battlefield and allow the enemy to trample her. My friends, the Bumsteads, are back in South Africa. Millions are dying, yet some of those are finding hope in Jesus. They are not living as though they are dying. And I, well, I stay in bed all day when I am sad because life seems too much. I am so ashamed. Children are dying due to lack of clean water and mosquito nets and I am worrying about whether my children will eat beans and rice again. I have been hungry. I have been in a place where I didn’t have much food in the house, but I have never had to forage or steal food. I have never drank water that made me sick, not even in Tijuana. My children have never been without a need. Yes, we are hurting. Our life is changing and I sometimes can’t see the forest through the trees. We are not alone in our suffering. We are not alone in our rejoicing. My children and I will be doing things a little different in the months to come. Please check out the Advent Conspiracy and Love 146. We are not in a place in our lives where we can go to Africa, but we can do something.

Oh, the cutest thing? My kids, especially Ireland, love to play that we are going to Africa. My heart is starting to travel ahead of me, I think.

Another rainy day accompanied by a headache and other randomness

I’m telling you, I really do love the Oregon rain. It turns all things green after the scorching August heat. I don’t water my yard much in the summer. It’s really a money thing. I think our water bill is high enough without watering the lawn. That’s why there is rain in the fall, right? Anyway, what I don’t like about the rain are dark gray days that turn into dark black nights. A few lightening storms would be much appreciated. I like rainy days that are still bright. Today is a brighter day, yesterday was not. I struggled a lot yesterday and wanted to put my kids to bed at 5pm. The bickering, the volume, the constant running, and whining. Sometimes I just don’t know what to do. I am tired. Admittedly, I have been staying up too late and eating too much sugar. Sometimes both at the same time. I’d like to say I’m completely cutting out sugar, but I’m not sure that I actually want to. After all, it is an addiction. Did I mention that I’m having more headaches? Here’s the deal with sugar: it gives me migraines, but if I cut it completely out of my diet then I will have 3 days of intense migraines and extreme crabbiness for 3 days. The upside: After 3 days I’ll feel like a new woman. (Yay, the clouds moved out of the way of the sun! Let the sun shine, let the sun shine in!) Yes, I’ll have more energy and no headaches. Oh, and I’ll lose about 6 pounds in the first week. I’m not one that can eat sugar in a ‘moderated’ amount. It’s all or nothing with me. Seriously. I have a difficult time finding the  middle ground.

Overheard conversation from the breakfast table…which also serves as our lunch, snack, dinner, school, and craft table. The kids are playing 20 questions.

kids: Is it a person?
Chris: yes
kids: Can we live without them?
C: yes
K: Do they come over a lot?
C: No, they never come over.
All 3 the little kids: Oh, DAD

So, so sad, isn’t it? The answer was Bobo Fett. Christopher is really into reading Star Wars books. How in the world are the littles supposed to get that?

I miss the apple pie. I could eat apple pie every day for every meal. I look at the pathetic pumpkin pie and think, “You look good, but I don’t like you. Why can’t you be more like an apple pie?” I hope it doesn’t get it’s feelings hurt, but really. I don’t like it. I do like pumpkin cheesecake. I think I’ll make some for Thanksgiving. First, I should cook and freeze (or can) the 5 pumpkins from the pumpkin patch. I’ve heard that pumpkin soup is good, but I’m just not big on the whole pumpkin thing.

I’m quickly realizing that I don’t have nearly enough book shelves in my home to hold all our books. I am trying to declutter them, but we have some really awesome books. I don’t really want to add any shelves to our house. I’m not sure where they would go unless a bigger one replaced a smaller one. Every day I’m working on arranging our books and emptying boxes. There are still lots of papers and various things that need to find homes. I have a ‘nature’ box with pinecones, shells, wood, and other various treasures. I’d like to put it where it can be looked at, but not torn open by little hands that won’t appreciate what is inside. You know what I need? A professional organizer who can come in and get me into shape. Oh, and could you please be free?

Well, I suppose I should get out of bed and eat some breakfast. I’ll make my Very Unrealistic List (V.U.L) before dragging myself out of my cozy bed. I’ll probably even read a book and Proverb to my kids first. Cozy bed reading is so nice.

Have a great day my faithful readers!

Pies and such

Yummy pies are good
Sweet, creamy, rich, fabulous pies
I like to eat pies
_____________________________

Pies: messy, sticky
Lots of dishes to be done
I’ll be up till one
_____________________________

Bake a pie and eat it fast
If it’s good, it will not last
Apple, pumpkin, cherry, too
All the sugar is good for  you
____________________________________

Sorry. It’s late and I thought I’d torture you with silly poetry. I should be doing dishes and getting ready for tomorrow, but here I am at my MacBook thinking up things to talk about. You know, I think I’ll talk about pies since that’s what I did today.

We made 8 pies; 4 apple and 4 pumpkin. They’re wonderful. I can’t say that we’d win any blue ribbons, but I think they are quite lovely. A few friends came over. I read the directions and told them what to do. I asked Melissa for her no-fail pie crust recipe. I kept wondering if it was really no-fail and what that would say of us if it did fail. I still plan to make a peanut butter pie. It’s a no bake pie so I’ll start that after I get things cleaned up a bit.

I like having a houseful of people. It makes the time go by a little quicker. It’s easier to laugh. Tomorrow I’ll be hanging out with friends after church, too. I’ll take pie to the meal.

Oh hey! I just remembered that I have ½ box of apples left. I guess I’ll make applesauce or more apple pie filling. I also have 5 pumpkins I need to cook up! Wow, I guess this next week will be busy with that, eh?

I’m getting more tired by the second. I better get up and finish dishes!