Charlie's birthday January 28

Charlie stopped by on Friday with some eggs. He recalled the year that Mum turned 60... He said that the first thing she said to him the morning of her birthday that year was, "Well, I made it!"
He said he only had one day to go and then he could say the same. It is a bit unnerving to me to think that my baby brother is 60 years old. I remember when he was born..Grandma Imm came to stay with us for the week - it seemed to take longer to have a baby in those days. She packed our lunches for school and had us cleaning our rooms and neatening everything in the house to get everything in order for the new baby. Those were exciting days! When Dad's car came up the drive we could hardly contain ourselves. We joked that Charlie looked like an Indian baby, because of his skin color... he was slightly jaundiced. Mum did not approve of our making fun of her beautiful baby. We each got to hold him sitting on the sofa and were in awe of how tiny and soft he was. I thought it was very special to have a baby brother. I still think it is a great blessing.

The Little Old Man

David is such a little old man. One day he was 'researching' on my computer. When finished he sat in a chair near me, crossed his legs and in a sort of Jack Benny mode said, "Aunt Jane, as I see it there are 3 options. Option 1..." He went on to tell me about 3 sets of Legos that he would like to buy and how much each cost. He finished his presentation, with a sigh, saying "I just don't know which to choose...I really have a problem. Trying to be helpful, I asked, " Well how much money do you have?" [The sets were $5, $10 and $20.] "I have $3," he answered, "That is my big problem."

About a year ago [he would have been 6 years old] David gave a big sigh and said, " I really liked it better when I was 4." "What is making your life so hard now that you are 6?" I asked. "Oh," he said, " I have so much to do. It was just easier when I was 4." Imagine... a six year old pining for the "good old days!"

Kids speak...

Recently, Annabelle found a green tassel in a craft drawer. "I know what this could be for," she remarked. " If someone steals sumpin' of yours, you take this and you tickle them, and they drop it and you grab it and run!"
I showed Annabelle and David a video of a mother cat hugging her sleeping kitten. "It is so cute! Play it again!' were heard from both kids. David added, thoughtfully, "I wish I could be a cat...for a little while...just to see what it is like..."

Learning and Playing with Puppets

David and Annabelle love to play with the puppets that my friend, Fern sent in a big box a few months ago. They insist that I join the play. The rule is that you have to "be" the puppet that you chose. You dare not step outside of your role.
David loves Mr. Owl who is wise and kind and usually knows what to do. Miss Pinky [a flamingo] is Annabelle's favorite. She is motherly and likes to cook. Lately, I have been Spotty, the puppy, who is afraid of everything and needs comfort from Miss Pinky.
The last time we played Spotty was lost and hungry as well as afraid. Miss Pinky rushed to console him and tried to phone his mother from the cell phone she keeps under one wing. She petted him and brought him pretend macaroni.
Spotty: Mr. Owl, are you the wisest of all the creatures?
Mr. Owl: Yes, I am.
Spotty: Do you know who is the king of the whole universe?
Mr. Owl: Of course. That would be...um...God. Yes, God.
Spotty: Where does God live?
Mr. Owl: He lives in heaven. And guess what? God will take care of you.
Spotty: How can he take care of me? He is in heaven and I am lost in the forest?
Mr. Owl: God is also right here beside you. He is in heaven too. .. Well... I guess a piece of Him is here and a piece is in heaven. I don't really get it, how HE does that. But I know that God will take care of you..

David and Annabelle with Puppets

Pride

Pride is regarding oneself as the most important person around... It may manifest either in too high or too low self-esteem. Either way it is an obsession with one's own value. Humility, by contrast, is finding one's worth so securely in God's unearned favor that one is not very concerned about [self] at all. -NavPress LifeChange study on Proverbs.

Angelic Annabelle

I did not do very well with the new camera. This image is blurry, but I like it anyway.
I had A for about 2 hours by herself. She made several pictures with her hand including a frog, an octopus an Indian chief and a dinosaur. She made spots on the dinosaur's teeth and told me that they were cavities he got from eating candy.

Remembering

Monday at Uncle Babe's funeral, Charlie mentioned that it was Mum's birthday and she would be 95. Mum loved the Psalms and 84 was one of her favorites.
Advancing still from strength to strength, they go where other pilgrims trod, Till each to Zion comes at length and stands before the face of God.
Shortly before she passed into glory I was singing psalm 30. She recited these words and said, " You must remember this.."
For sorrow like a pilgrim may tarry for the night, but then a shout of joy comes when dawns the morning light.