Grandma's Gleanings

You may recall that this past week-end we had the kiddoes while K&M went on their anniversary outing. I have them every afternoon during the work week, but a "sleepover" was especially exciting to them this time. We've done it often before, but for some reason it meant a lot to Care Bear especially this time.

Anakin was with us most of the day Saturday, and then went to be with his mother. Saturday was a day filled with Grandpa-type fun for them. I stayed home and did those "blasted grade point averages."



After breakfast, Care Bear decided to create a road on the living room carpet. I call it the "Yellow Corn Chex Road." Anakin was being the Loch Ness Monster. I'm not sure how that fit in to the scenario, but it made sense to him.

After all the dressing and tooth brushing was out of the way, and way too long for their liking, Grandpa bundled them into his red pick-up (they love to go truckin') and they headed for the "nuseum" to learn a lot about our once little town's history. Care Bear is at the age where everything is an "adventure" for her. It makes it so much fun.

Following a fairly raucous lunch at McDonald's, where Feisty was not in her best form, they prepared for their next adventure - swimming at Great Grandma C's place. She is in an assisted living facility, but still has access to the exercise area. They LOVE to go swimming out there. Unfortunately DC's camera was on the fritz, so we didn't get pictures of them in the pool with 88-year-old Grandma C. They had a blast.

Both girls managed to fall out of bed - one Friday night and one Saturday night. I didn't think Care Bear even woke up enough to know what had happened, but the next morning at breakfast she said, "I fell out of bed and bumped my head - hey, I made a poem!!" She then told us about a movie about Humpty Dumpty. I said I didn't think there was such a movie, but she said, "Oh, yes, I met the author and illustrator and he said there's going to be a movie." Author and Illustrator?? Other discussions we had included the different sounds that the letter "c" makes - both "k" and "s" - and the puzzles of the English language. And this one - "What is the last number?" When we told her there wasn't a last number, that numbers went on forever, it kind of blew her little 4-year-old mind. I have to say I wasn't trying to figure out infinity until I was at least 13!

When Feisty fell out of bed, she wasn't quite as sanguine. She was very angry, and I don't blame her. It was a long ways down for her. All of her body parts were working okay, but she didn't want to be hugged. She wanted to be mad. When I finally got her to calm down enough to understand what she was saying, it was "I want a Band-Aid, I want a Band-Aid." Fortunately for me, a regular old brown Band-Aid was good enough for her. It didn't have to be Dora or neon or anything. She put it on her shoulder and she was miraculously healed and happy again. Oh, if only our grown-up hurts could be healed by a Band-Aid, even if the hurt doesn't show! Something Max Lucado said in the devotional I read yesterday was so apropos to what happened to little Fiesty.

"I like the story of the little boy who fell out of bed. When his Mom asked him what happened, he answered, 'I don't know. I guess I stayed too close to where I got in.'

Easy to do the same with our faith. It's tempting just to stay where we got in and never move.

Pick a time in the not-too-distant past. A year or two ago. Now ask yourself a few questions. How does your prayer life today compare with then? How about your giving? Have both the amount and the joy increased? What about your church loyalty? Can you tell you've grown? And Bible study? Are you learning to learn? . . .

Don't make the mistake of the little boy. Don't stay too close to where you got in. It's risky resting on the edge." (from When God Whispers Your Name).

Have a learning and adventurous Tuesday!