The Daily Life of Sweetpea[s]

We're in the throes of moving across city. My main thought is, "How in the WORLD have we acquired so much CRAP in a YEAR?!"

I want to tear my hair out. I've already bitten off my nails. I want to take all the single socks, old magazines, the crate with, like ONE notebook from school in it, and all the rest of the pounds and pounds of CRAP which I can't quite justify TRASHING, and throw them into the alley. Just leave it all there, strewn across the gravel.

We all begin organized, wrapping objects in newspaper and labeling each box neatly in sharpie. But we all end up stuffing random crap into trash bags.

Wedding Girl made some portraits of Husband and me while we were in Boston. They are all beautiful; but this quirky one is my favorite.

Plum Island, Mass.

Garment District, Boston, MASS.
clothing: $1.50/lb.

So we left L'Abri today. I wanted to lie down in the gardens and refuse to leave. Or maybe hang on to the laundry line as Husband and WG and WG Husband tried to drag me to the car. But I didn't; M. and I hugged the workers and students goodbye and told them we hoped we'd stay in touch.

Things enjoyed.

Hanging laundry on an outdoor line for the first time in life.
Screwing up Feta Bread by adding cornmeal rather than flour.
Fireflies swooping in the fields at night all around the property.
Listening, mostly listening, to discussion about war, faith, capitalism, true masculinity, alternative medicine, spiritual legalism, prenuptial agreements, poetic knowledge.
Day trip with new friends to Amherst to tour Emily Dickinson's home.
Watching my husband shoot hoops, play ping pong and basketball, and generally unwind.
The beautiful faces of the students, helpers, and workers around the table at each meal.
Rediscovering my own latent passion for ping pong.

Things studied.

The history of Christian hospitality.
Forgiveness.
The family in the first century.
Charles Williams.
How God works in the Weakness of his Servants.

I wish I had lovely pictures to post to give you some understanding of our time there. I think I took about five--I'll post them when we get back home. :) But I'm glad that taking pictures was the last thing on my mind....it didn't fit somehow.

Am writing this from WG's apartment.

Love,
SP

Me: "Ethan you look so cool!"

Ethan: "No mom, I'm awesome!"

I recently found this picture Sam had taken. I had placed a pile of adoption fundraising letters ready to mail on our bookshelf next to a book called "Mei Mei" by Richard Bowen. The book is about orphan girls in China. On the other side is a Raku pot Andrew made in college. He took several shots of this.

Today Sam had gymnastics. I almost always stay and watch. I've tried to take a hand's off approach with his class, but I have always felt that I needed to hand a "Guide to Sam" to all his teachers, coaches, and therapists. Of course they need me to tell them about his language delay and how they will need to make sure that they really have his attention or he will miss what they are saying. He may look like he is in a different world, but he is listening. And by the way, he can get frustrated and become emotional. He may speak differently than his peers, but he is cognitively on par with them. (He really is smart!Please don't think him otherwise!) And whatever you do "Don't give him NUTS!!" (I'm also thinking, "please be patient,please show him kindness, please show him grace.....")

Today was no different than any other class. Sam tries to keep up and attempts everything asked. But he tires easily and doesn't catch all the details asked of him. So he may only do something halfway. When all the boys are there his half-interested coach half-attempts to help Sam. Today there were only 3 boys so his coach did work with him more. But I still sat in my chair watching Sam, clapping to myself when he managed to accomplish the activity and I cringed when he so obviously failed. I sat there wanting to run out to Sam and say, "like this buddy!" "put your arms higher" "follow me-I will show you" "look forward" "stop talking" Sam tires easily so by the end of the class he simply couldn't do what was asked because he simply stops processing the directions. He's too tired even to listen. I see his coach give-up in frustration as I have done a thousand times. The drive home is always in silence.

After class his coach walked up to another parent and asked her if her son could move up to SuperKids, the competitive group. This boy is Sam's age. I have to admit I wondered if I would ever hear someone ask me if Sam could move up to the 'advanced' group in anything. On the drive home I thought of all the sports Sam might excel in. He is really fast maybe he can be a sprinter like Andrew. He loves to climb. I finally pulled myself back to reality and reminded myself that sports are for enjoyment. I reminded myself that Sam is a sweet, sensitive child who loves his gymnastics class. He does not sense his present limitations.

Can any of you relate to what I experienced today?

I may have another year before we meet our baby in China. My friend who is teaching me how to knit suggested I knit Mei a poncho. It's not finished yet, but I love having things around that she will one day wear. They are promises she is coming! I want to add some flowers to it so the next step is to learn how to knit them!

If any of you are ever in Boston a MUST-SEE place is the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum.

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum's preeminent collection contains more than 2,500 paintings, sculptures, tapestries, furniture, manuscripts, rare books and decorative arts. The galleries house works by some of the most recognized artists in the world, including Titian, Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Raphael, Botticelli, Manet, Degas, Whistler and Sargent. The spirit of the architecture, the personal character of the arrangements and the artistic display of the enchanting courtyard in full bloom all create an atmosphere that distinguishes the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum as an intimate and culturally-rich treasure.

Lizard's husband was in town yesterday and Stephen and I got to spend some time with him including a visit to the museum. (Lizard, we missed you!!!!)

The museum was lovely and strange and wonderful. I highly recommed it.

(The image above is a painting by John Singer Sargent, El Jaleo, located in the museum. It's roughly 8'x11' and completely mesmerizing.)

ISGM Website