Singing in the Rain

Imagine my delight Saturday afternoon, to hear the unfamiliar patter of rain against my sewing room window.  Imagine my delight, when raising my blinds to view the rarity, seeing this sweet sight.

Neighbor Nancy, hosting her Two Grandgirls, allowed them, as a good Grammy should, the incredible fun of playing in the rain.

Prior to this interlude, NN tells me that they were in a bit of a tiff.  Ah, leave it to a change in weather to neutralize the spirits.  You couldn't have proved it by me.  These girls were twirling, running, singing and in generally speaking, enjoying this ten minute reprieve from oppressive heat.  I had to quit enjoying them from my second story window to scurry down to capture this bit of Summer/Sister memory making.

As I chatted with NN, I remembered those rainy day escapades of my little children years ago.  The rule was, if it wasn't lightning, they were permitted to have at it.  The neighborhood would empty out its contents of children, and the curbs and potholes became instant fun.  We had a  caved in like depression in the street across from our house that would fill rapidly. The kids could not wait to kick up and splash each other with the deepening rain.  Earthworms were collected and the squishiest of mud would seethe through their toes.  Prissy girls became boy like in their delight of all things squirmy and slimy.  Their giggles and shouts would bring me to my front porch, enjoying the rainfall and delighting in their simple pleasures.

Funny how a single scene can transport you to another time...

Thank you, girls, for reminding me...

Twenty Nine Years

In the State Journal and Register of Springfield Illinois end of the year wrap up in 1981, it stated the the best day of the year was May 16th. A rather tongue in cheek award for the horrible flooding that ravaged the area.  Record breaking rain and storms. But for Hubby and I, we were savoring the day, for our second child, our first son was born in the quiet of that rainy, rainy day.  The precipitation kept visitors at bay so the maternity/surgical area was restful and silent.  Despite the fact that multiple births happened that day due to the crazy barometric pressure that came with the weather change.  Seems like every pregnant woman due around that time, went into labor.  My non emergency Cesarean, kept getting bumped on into the dawn, after my arrival at the hospital at midnight.  We didn't mind.  We enjoyed silence and the time alone before the craziness of becoming a family of four started to become a reality.

Eldest Son entered this world as he became.  He was a quiet, easy baby.  He loved to sleep as he does to this day.  He was accommodating, flexible, loving and adorable.  Still is.    

Eldest Son was the perfect first son.  He must have read the manual on Being Boy.  He made all the noises of cars, animals, trucks and Super Heroes.  ES could step into fantasy and pretend better than anyone I have ever known.  His rich imagination kept us all entertained and his own brilliant mind engaged for hours.  He was a Lego master, a dinosaur expert and a Transformer Collector.  His collection of Super Heroes was second to none.  He was a perfect addition to our First Born Super Girly Caregiver Daughter.  Eldest/Admin cared for her little brother like an expert.  She knew his answers before he gave them.  And she was always right.  He called her Nannon and when he would call 'Mommy', sometimes I knew that he meant his 'other mother'.....It was a close, dear friendship that continues today...Good, good buddies.....

Just because he was a he, I was not going to keep that from sewing for the little guy.  Pictured is my first sewing attempt for him.  His sailor suit for his first birthday.  Blue linen with middy braid to make it official.  My dear neighbor/mentor, would watch him and his sister while I sewed on it and she helped me with the buttonholes.  I think of her every time I see this photo.  All new moms need a mentor/helper/teacher in their time as a Young Mommy.....For his second birthday, I made a seersucker suit, with a collarless jacket and suspender shorts to go with.  Adorable.

Eldest Son and I had a paper route that began his freshman year in high school and finished the week he graduated.  Every morning, except Christmas, we were up at 4am to deliver the daily paper.  The times we spent that daily hour and half was instrumental  in our relationship.  We discussed everything in those wee hours, uninterrupted by the world except by the running back and forth throwing and placing carefully, the papers of our craft.  We battled the elements, discussed politics, sex, marriage, peers, family issues, and the occasional naked man on the route.  Walking over drunks sometimes happened as well.  Great discussion starters. He would reluctantly help me cart of furniture from the garbage of some ill informed former owner.  Some of my best deals were scored before the break of Garbage Day.  And he would help me cart it.  On Sundays, we would go to the back door of the the donut shop to collect the day old donuts for our church in the inner city.   The two of us in our layered, winter early morning gear, was a great sight.  Especially as ES noshed on one of the second hand donuts on the way home.  Good Times.  One of the most endearing qualities of This Young Man was he determination to do the Right Thing.  He has strong convictions that sometimes brought on conflicts with popular thought.  But he has an iron will and and he would persevere on, no matter how difficult it was.  Strong convictions can make for some pretty lonely times, but he stood the course.  ES had some very specific requirements about his spouse.  And he persevered till they all arrived in one Beautiful Package that is Lovely Wife.  Very Worth Waiting For.  She even became a Cubs/Illini Fan for Her Hubby...Near Perfect, eh?     During a particularly bad time for him, after we moved to our new location and he moved from everything familiar at a crucial stage in his life, we had lunch together on his 19th birthday.  He shared the miserable stage of his life and I remembered promising him, that if he continued on the path that the Lord had for him, things would be worth it all.  That the life that God had planned for him would far exceed anything that he could do on his own.  That walking closely to His Lord would lead him to a place that he would forget the current misery.  And on the day of his wedding, while we danced the Mother /Son Dance, I asked him, this man before me, if he was a happy boy, and the smile that had not left him the whole day, broadened and he seemed to remembered that long ago conversation, and nodded, and said with great confidence, 'Yes.  I am a very happy boy.'

And with that, my mama's heart was full as I handed over to his completer, a man of integrity.  My mama's job done.  A journey completed, boy into man.  So on this anniversary of his 29 years on this earth, I thank God for His presence in this wonderful man's life. Thank you, Lord........

A Major WIP

I have been working on a book for almost seven years.
Not day to day laboriously, painstakingly just casually and sporadically.
My goal was to get down for permanence, my thoughts and practical suggestions on this wonder of parenting.
For some amazing reason known only to our Heavenly Father, this completely inexperienced, scared, unmotherly woman, became enraptured with the nurturing of four pretty wonderful progeny.
Go figure.
A God thing, for sure.
In my travels as a mentor, discipler, encourager, similiar thoughts were shared again and again. I found myself speaking of ideas and thoughts that I thought were common to all only to find that perhaps it was as unique as the call to motherhood that I surprisingly had.
Again, go figure.

I guess it was only expected that one day, on my porch swing, Community Friend asked me, 'so Deb, when are you going to write your book?'
The question did not even get answered, I was that taken aback. The question that did come out was, 'What in the world would I write about? What would anyone want to read from me?'
It became an interesting question that I posed to several of my friends, (and people waiting in line with me at stores..) actually, anyone that listened, I asked.
Apparently, the overwhelming response was: Write about being a mom.

So in the most ignorant of attempts at writing, I set out and managed a smallish tome about the day to day of mothering. I wanted to go further but came to a stop. I had several friends edit and critique and then I showed Most Interesting and Loving Friend this last summer on her visit.
She brilliantly suggested that I take the small bits that I have written and publish a small book, a gift book, to be given at baby showers and for new moms or older moms that need a boost of encouragement.
Brilliant.
At the present, I am rewriting, preparing it for Most Interesting and Loving Friend to go over it with a fine tooth comb, all those tenses that I tend to confuse.

The whole experience has been cathartic and eye opening. In reviewing my children's childhood, I get a view of God's faithfulness and His enormous gift of Motherhood to this nervous, anxious, worrisome weakling. Nothing like a child to turn us into tigers, brave and courageous. Nothing like the hug of a child to fill your heart to the brim and be eager to share that with this love deprived world.

I may have been a capable mama, (capable also of rages, pouts and screaming) but I also was an ardent student of the gentle, loving personages that are known as my beloved children. They taught me more about my relationship to my own Heavenly Father than any book could dare show me. They taught me what I was made of and what I was capable of. They taught me the delight of self sacrifice when that sacrifice involved pure love.

I hope you'll enjoy the book.
Keep after me so I am disciplined enough to follow through to the finish.

Two Peas in Different Pods

My daughters are nine years apart.
Oldest daughter was a bit mothery to Youngest.
She carried her around when she was a baby like she was her own personal doll.
She dressed her up and did her hair.
Youngest adored and looked up to Oldest and Oldest knew that Youngest would always be her baby....

Then they grew up.

So many similarities; so many differences. Interests are the same; different approaches. Values the same; different interpretations. Similiar tastes; different expressions.
In short, they are a blast.
They are so funny.
I love hearing their takes on situations.
Both intense and purposeful and passionate.
And smart.
Man, are they smart.
I have been overwhelmed at the skill that they have directed my new business. Again, effective and productive; different approaches.

I always knew that the three of us would do well together in a business, given our combined talents and gifts and I suppose the time is now to see it start to unfold.

And maybe in more than one way.

Today, I received a text from Youngest, bearing a photo of her newest acquisition: a sewing machine!
No sooner did I close the text, than Oldest called. Our conversation went on for awhile before Oldest says, 'You know what I need, mom; a sewing machine!'
I let her go on for awhile, telling me all the reasons that she needs one; little girls clothes, toys and accessories.
Then I asked her, 'did you just receive a text from Youngest?'
She stated that no, she had not.
Then I tell her of her recent purchase.

There was the usual round of 'No way!! She did not! Really?? Too funny!!!'

My girls.
Bookends on my children line up. The sweet and the savory. The icing on the cake. The balance of it all.
Love them to pieces.......

For what its worth

I have a passion for directing new/young moms on the incredible journey of parenting. I have enjoyed to great depths, my path of mothering four children into adulthood and feel humbled and overjoyed at the amazing people that they have become. There is no formulas or special recipes for this. Purely intentional, greatly inspirational, supernaturaly and mostly determination.

This does not come easily. That 's where I come in. I want to steer the next generation of loving mamas into a blanket of encouragement and affirmation. The journey of molding a tiny infant into a walking, talking, thinking individual, bent on doing good on this good earth is a daunting experience and one best taken with the wisdom of the ages and the benevolence of those that have previously traveled the path.

So that's where I come in. Not as a know it all. Think of me as mentor, encourager, teacher.

I look forward to sharing my journey and encouraging you on yours. I want you to reach my age with no regrets or second guessing, or what ifs. Live your life with your little ones as an exciting adventure. Soak up the newness that they experience each day right along with them.

And always rest.

Join me and let's discover all the wonders this time has to offer......