Fall Tidbits

Thoughts from the Homefront:

• Wow, have the standards changed! Aaron and I were in the kitchen this afternoon and he discovered that exciting kitchen "toy" - the dog's water! Of course it was immediately turned over (thankfully only 1/4 full). My response? I ran for the towel and when I came back, watched him happily patting and slapping the floor and having a grand time with the water. My next response? Let him enjoy himself as I sat and watched him soak himself and listened to him 'chatter' away.


• New fitness workout routine discovered! If you're in need of a varied, active, interesting fitness routine, I suggest . . . volunteering in a kindergarten classroom! I did this for 1.5 hours this morning in Robyn's classroom and it was a happening place. They were doing learning labs, including art, science, math, writing, ABC, and muscle strength labs. They do one lab each time it is learning lab time. Robyn was assigned to art lab today and she cut out a white pumpkin and then tore small parts of green (stem) and orange (pumpkin) paper and glued them on her paper. She enjoyed it and did a nice job. I asked Mrs. Taylor if I could call her if I needed a workout and could come volunteer. :) She had everything so organized and the children knew what they were to do. It was eye-opening what a range of student abilities are present in kindergarten. The best part of the volunteering (I'm scheduled once per month) was Robyn's quiet smiles whenever ours eyes caught each other during my time there. She's been asking when I get to come to her class. It was fun to give her a little hug when I was near her and to sit next to her at lunchtime in the lunch room. She has adjusted to the schedule of kindergarten and often tells us interesting things Mrs. T. taught them. She rather adores Mrs. T., which I think is a special thing for a little girl and her first year in school.


• Bought a bushel of 'seconds' - Courtland & Paula Red varieties. Borrowed a strainer (is that what it's called?) and plan to make & freeze applesauce. My Grandma Richards made a wonderful chunky applesauce, which I made last year. I loved it, but Nathan told me he preferred the 'smooth kind' so we'll try that this year.


• We were able to go on a date Saturday and saw the new movie Fireproof. We knew it featured Kirk Cameron (ooh - a heart-throb of mine during my adolescent years!) and that it was a Christian movie. We weren't sure what to expect as far as the quality of the movie...and we were pleasantly surprised. It had an engaging story line, believable characters, moments of humor in a serious plot, and shared God's love and message clearly. The actors weren't professionals, and that was obvious in spots, but all in all it was impacting - for a marriage in any state, whether strong or suffering - and I highly recommend seeing it. Apparently, even though it is a 'low-budget' film, it has had very high ratings among theatre-goers! Both Ken & I and the couple we went with were touched by the movie's themes. I think anyone who has ever been through troubled times during any relationship can relate to this storyline....I know we all did. Go check it out if you have the chance! It will make you smile, cry (at one poignant spot toward the end of the movie, you could hear sniffling all over our theatre), and think about your relationships with those around you....the real deal.


• Ahh - the weather has been gorgeous here in Kent City/West MI this past week! Love the warm temps and the vibrant fall colors, which seemed to have popped the past few days! Whether driving up our driveway or standing on the deck looking out at the woods, the fall foliage surrounding our home is stunning to me. I can't believe we have so many trees around us - so pretty! We took a family walk on Sunday to our favorite Howard Christiansen Nature Center and wow - the smell of fall was pervasive, the paths crackled with our footsteps, and we were all reminded of what a Master Artist God is.


• Cubbies is Wednesday night - Seth LOVES attending and is proud that he remembers his verse each week. Last week on the 3 mile route to church, he repeated his verse over and over again. Mom: "Seth, do you think you could stop repeating it, please?" "But I don't want to forget it!" Do you know how many times a 3 year old can repeat John 3:33 in 3 miles? Approximately 17. :) And then I thought more about his words - he kept repeating because he didn't want to forget God's Word and Promises. Hmmm - from the mouths of babes.

Ken reminded me that he thinks people enjoy reading short blog entries. Is that true for you? I responded that since my readers weren't my students, they could choose whether to read or not. Being concise is not a skill I possess, but one I should work on...

Enjoy God's artistry today! :)