Childhood Confusion

Tonight, the kids and I were in the car going somewhere. We were listening to kids music and Abbey was singing her little heart out. The song was "Love Never Fails". Abbey was singing "Love Veggie Tales". I call out to her and tell her that the words are "love never fails". "Oh" she says, "Okay" and continues singing. "Love never tells. Love never tells. L-O-V-E will never tell on you!" I was completely losing it in the front trying not to laugh out loud. Then the next song came on. "Peace Be Still" is the original version. Abbey had a little personal take on this one, too! "Please be still, please be still. You always have and always will hafta please be still!" I think deputation is having a lasting effect on her!

The other confusion among the children was solved before I realized that it existed. Abigail and Ethan were sitting down looking at their Veggie Tales story time book.
"Look, he's a tomato."
"And he's a cucumber."
"Momma, what's Junior?"
"Oh, he is an asparagus."
Then Ethan proclaimed, " There is a lot of vegetables in this book!" To which Abbey replied, "Yeah, it's like everyone in this whole book is a vegetable!" I did explain that veggie is a short way to say vegetables, but I am thinking that is one "Big Idea"!
(Just in case you don't get this joke, Big Idea is the company that produces all of the Veggie Tales stuff!)

Hey Pretty Girl...

Last Monday, Mom Bracken was talking to Abigail. I wasn't there for this conversation, but it needs to be shared!

Mom: "Abigail, you are a pretty girl. Did you know that you are a pretty girl?"

Abbey: (smiles and nods yes)

Mom: "Does your Baba tell you that you are a pretty girl?"

A: (still smiling, shakes her head no)

M: "Oh, your Baba doesn't call you are a pretty girl? What does he call you?"

A: "He calls me a Pei- Den" (pronounced pee-don which means literally in Chinese "rotten egg". It is common phrase used for kids that are constantly getting into mischief. The closest thing in English that I can think of might be saying to a little kid, "You little booger".)

Later, when we were laughingly telling Chris about this conversation, he corrected the situation by telling us that he actually calls her a "pretty pei-den". Yes, I can see how that makes it better. "You're a rotten egg, but a pretty, rotten egg!"

Guess who's three!

Last Saturday Ethan celebrated his third birthday! When I think about it, I can't believe that his is three already!

Thanks to Vivian for this picture. He looks so old in this picture of him playing the drums.

Both of my children have their own little endearing traits and Ethan's just happens to be that he is so, so sweet. He has this game that he made up. The first part is pretty common. He says, " I love you." I say, " I love you, too." He replies, "I love you three" and so on until we run out of numbers he knows. This is where he has expanded the game. Then he will start saying, " I love you camel" and we will go through the animals. The last part of the game is Ethan saying something like this, " I love you five, green elephants". Five, green elephants. That is a whole lot of love!

Before Ethan was born, I wondered how my love could expand anymore. I was and still am, so in love with Abigail. I enjoyed our little excursions out doing things and playing together and just spending time together so much, I was slightly worried about this new baby, a baby I really wanted, interrupting our time. Three years later, I can't imagine our lives without Ethan. I wonder at how I thought he might be a little interloper. Of course, then, I didn't have any idea of what a sweetheart he was going to turn out to be.

Losing it and hanging on- My mom

As most of you know, if you have been keeping up with this blog, (God bless all the faithful readers!) my mom is going through chemo treatments for her cancer right now. She has finished two of the four required treatments. She doesn't still have cancer in her body, but without the chemo and radiation treatments, she has an 85% chance of getting cancer again. The percentage is high because of her age, medical history and being pre-menopausal. So, these treatments are a necessary evil. Right now is especially difficult because she has begun to lose her hair. We didn't expect her to lose her hair because she only needs 4 chemo treatments, but, and I am guessing here, her body was already so weak from the MS that the chemo is having a stronger effect. As any Pentecostal lady can tell you, we have such a strong attachment to our hair. It is our glory, our power with the angels, our sign of submission to God, His word, and our husbands. We do not cut our hair. We do not damage our hair. A part of our lives is dedicated to protecting our hair. So, to lose your hair is painful. Of course, in this situation, it doesn't mean you have lost your glory or are no longer in submission. But even though you didn't choose what happened, it doesn't lessen the pain. If you are choosing your hair or your life, well, the choice is simple. One is replaceable and the other isn't. After talking with my mom, I can see that that the diagnoses and the surgery were the easy parts. The treatments and their side effects are much harder to deal with. On week one, you have a chemo treatment. You feel horrible with no appetite until the middle of week two. About the beginning of week three, life starts to look up. You have a little more strength and food starts to sound good again. But at the end of week three, you have another treatment. So, what I am asking from the readers of this post is for your prayers for my mother and if you are from the Florence area, please spread the word that she is losing her hair and might be seen in a black or blond wig. (These are the only colors that the cancer center had available for free.) She hasn't willfully decided to cut or color her hair. She is worried that people will think so. And thank you for walking this journey with me. It helps tremendously just to put this on paper. (well, kinda on paper...)

The blow dryer, leaf blower, and the vacuum

Dear Friends, I apologize for not posting last week. Life got in the way life a slow driver when you are late for work. Annoying, but unavoidable.

I recently bought a new blow dryer. My old one had gone out in a flash of fire and smoke. I prefer to buy my blow dryers in the States because here there seems to be just two choices. There is the iffy brand that is cheap or the American brand that you need a credit card to pay for because no one in their right mind would go out in public with that much cash on them. I bought the iffy brand. It seemed innocent enough when I brought it home. It wasn't until I turned it on that I realized the makers of Mr. Iffy had included a few "extra" features. For one, the front could be used as a leaf blower. Just turning it on sends the cats into hiding and makes you feel like you just stepped outside in a category 4 typhoon. Meanwhile, the back is masquerading as a vacuum. It delights in sucking up pieces of stray hair and frying them to tiny bits. If you haven't seen my hair down in awhile, it comes to my hips. Thus providing the blow dryer with lots of "stray pieces" of hair. The first time I used it, I think I lost about an inch off of my hair. I have gradually come up with a difficult if not workable solution. Position the blow dryer, turn it on and dry that spot. Turn it off and re-position. Repeat steps until you give up or your hair is dry. So, my advice to you, never buy a "Mr Iffy" blow dryer unless you are wanting a cheap leaf blower and not a hair blow dryer.