good day

The day dawned, as they usually do, and it was one like no other, since they are all different and it promised to be an adventure. This was because the Spice and I were sitting with the three younger ones of the local daughter – YD. The joyous thundering herd arrived about 8:30am and all wanted to tell me – at the same time – about their exploits of the last several days – two spoke in English and the other in a nearly unknown tongue.

The herd is further identified as GM3, will be 5 in May, GM4, was 3 last November and GM6, will be 2 in about two weeks. Their major interests at the moment, especially the two older, are concerning cowboys, Indians or pirates and all the items of dress and weaponry of these occupations – sparked no doubt by kid movies they have seen recently – and repeatedly. I didn’t delve too deeply but it appeared that they had either got into trouble or crossed their Mom in some way with the aforementioned weaponry as they were forbidden to play with either swords or guns for the day – plastic ones, of course.

As soon as their Mom had departed the premises for her several appointments, GM3 started asking me to make he and his brother a knife out of wood. Of course this sent up warning signals in my mind but he assured me that the only prohibited items were guns and swords – and this was neither. Putting them off a bit, I tried to think of a reasonable alternative because I knew that items like this, wood or not, were capable of injuring their small persons – and accident or not they would still be injured.

In a brilliant flash it came to me that cardboard was an item that was unlikely to injure either of them severely, so I determined to make the requested items out of this material. This was very acceptable to them so the ‘weapons’ were then cut out and they were immediately therewith chasing and dispatching ‘bad guys’. Next necessary item on their agenda was a hideout from the ‘bad guys’. This consists of our two card tables placed next to the couches with a quilt and some throws to cover the openings – a reasonably good ‘cave’.

Time passed, as it usually does, and it became GM6’s naptime – he was placed by the Spice in our crib in the back bedroom for this rest period. A very few minutes later, he suddenly appeared back where we were as if by ‘magic’ – proving to all concerned that his crib at home was not the only one that he could escape from. He was put down again but little Mister Houdini again shortly appeared. The Spice was unavailable, so I walked him back to the scene of the crime. He is officially beyond my lifting limits, but I very carefully got him back into bed and then hung around a bit to make sure the nap overtook him before he decided to escape again.

The other two were put down later for the same very bad thing of a nap. Young Houdini gave us a couple of quiet hours and was up before the other two. It was kind of a coincidence, but GM3 woke up a couple of minutes before YD came for them and GM4 reanimated himself a couple of minutes after. They packed up and headed to pick up big sister from school and left us trying to figure out what to do with the quietness.

Having not felt very swift all day, the only conclusion that I could reach was that I needed to get outside and do something. I did so and involved myself in the beginnings of the long process of re-mulching all of the blueberry beds. After about an hour and a half I had totally run out of energy and came in to recline. After dozing a bit, I arose to do my walking for the day – 1.6 miles in 30.03 minutes. After eating, I spiffied up a bit and was off for our men’s V-cell group meeting – Bible study, prayer and fellowship with Christian brothers.

It was a good day, one made by the Lord and I rejoiced and was glad in it. ec