Monday, June 16, 2008

Meet Albert


Albert came to our VBS block party. He has Alzheimer's Disease. The reason I want you to meet him is because my children were enamored by him. My kids are shy. And unsocialable (they are homeschooled- what can I say?) It took them all of 0.02 seconds to see Albert's unbrella and decide to make friends.

Weston: Wow! Where did you get you umbrella?
Esther: Your cane is very nice. Did you get it for Christmas.
Weston: I wish you had an extra umbrella so I could use one.
Esther: Why do you have an umbrella? It's not raining.

both kids take a breath and Albert speaks!
Albert: I have an umbrella to make me cool.

(Weston of course misunderstands his meaning of cool and says...) Oh, Yeah, it is cool!

Esther: I want to stand under here. (and she proceeds to scootch her way under the umbrella to where she is practically in mister Albert's lap.

I decide to intervene.
Me: Kids, why don't you go play some games and stop bothering Mr Albert.

Mr Albert looks confused and says, "Who's bothering me?" It isn't a question to let me know he is having fun. It is a question of forgetfulness. He has forgotten how annoying my kids have been. I decide to let things be. Next thing I know, my middle child is melting my heart. And I suppose God's as well.

Weston: Mr Albert, I don't even know any 71 year old men but you. Do you even know anyone who is 71?
Albert: Yes. I suppose I do.
Weston: I mean at church. Do you know anyone at church who is 71?
Albert: (who does not attend church and is not a Christian) No. I don't suppose I do.
Weston: Oh. Well then. I think you should come to Sunday School. There are probably TONS of 71 year olds people there. You would meet them if you came. And you would learn about God too.

Don't worry. The child didn't stay all cute and serious for very long. As I was setting up my booth, I heard this very random nugget:

"Mr Albert, I don't really want to talk about cheerleaders or dead people today."

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Tale of a Dad's Day

It was a rough and long day. Started off with a guest preacher who read two scripture verses and then proceeded to yell at us for forty minutes. Oh wait. First I was late for Sunday School. I hate being late. I am not sure there is anything I hate worse than being late. It ruins an entire day. I think today was a bit proofy. (no- proofy is not in a dictionary. I imagine myself a writer, and as such, I get to make up words. if you don't believe, ask Theodore Geisel).

After being late we had to make a run to St Louis for our milk. I do not normally run this errand. A friend usually picks it up for me but this week she was out of town and I needed to pick up both our orders of yummylicious (another made up word) raw milk- straight from the udder. Yum.

Anyhow, I thought we needed to be there at 1. I thought we were terribly late on account of all the yelling running so very wrong. So we rushed. And almost had a million wrecks. Only to find out that pick up time was at 1:30.

We were still late. On account of us getting utterly and horribly lost.

Next on the crazy list was Trader Joe's. Those who are not blessed with a Trader Joes have my sincere condolences. THose who don't even know what it is- it's just the mostest, bestest, coolest grocery store on the planet.

We never made it. Weston threw up in the car. An entire puke buckets worth. Vile smelly stuff. I feel bad for the apartment complex we pulled into and from whom we borrowed their dumpster. Hopefully, for their sake, garbage pickup is tomorrow.

Since it was just a simple case of car sickness, we went on and ate a nice big lunch at TGIF. The day started to turn and we decided to nix the grocery store and take a park day.

It started to thunder. We checked the weather report. Severe thuderstorm watch. BLASTED STINKIN' BAD DAY.






I bet you didn't realize that Thunderstorm watch means to go outside and watch the thunderstorms. We ignored the thunder and played anyway. It never did rain. We had a blast, Dustan felt loved on, and the fresh almost rainy air did us all a world of good.


We came home and had Root beer floats. In case you are wondering- Root Beer floats make a bad day all better. It's true. Try it.