7 Quick Takes

I think its hysterical that Paladino for the People beat Rick Lazio in the Republican primary here in NY and that the very next day he announced that ‘Andrew is just the status Cuomo’. I am so looking forward to the next few weeks. Non election years are So boring!

After two weeks of being half time in a classroom, I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of it. I Cannot Believe That I Only Have One Half Hour to teach writing to 4 levels of students! What a swift half hour that is every day. 

I just read the first draft of Matt’s sermon for Sunday and almost burst into tears, it was that good. I praise and thank the Lord every Sunday when I sit down to hear the sermon that I had the foresight to marry a man I can bear to listen to preach–and more so, a man who’s preaching nourishes me also. Would that every clergy wife could make such a boast. (I’m thinking particularly of the many many dreadfully boring sermons I heard as a child in various contexts. I would always try to watch the pastor’s wife and imagine what she might be thinking as her poor husband blundered along interminably. Is she embarrassed? bored? does she think its good? is she making her grocery list in her head? What is she thinking!?)

Gladys’ prayers are getting longer and more complicated every night.

“Dear Jesus, thank you for E, A, R, M, my Father, my Mother, my Great Grandmother, thank you that E got to go to school, thank you that A got to go to school today, thank you that R got to go to school today, thank you that the baby got to go to school today, thank you that my Father broke his leg, help him to feel better soon, thank you for dying on the cross……..’

You probably get the idea. Keep in mind that she won’t be three until next month, and subtract all the ‘r’s in the above prayer as she never says any of them. She won’t say the word ‘potty’ any more but will only ‘use the bathroom’. Gasp.

The continued outpouring of meals has been Such A Blessing. There’s no other word for it. That, and the fact that Elphine has developed a real knack for quickly and efficiently loading and unloading the dishwasher has meant that life is flying along smoothly and bearably. I still do not love getting up at 5:30 every morning, but I haven’t died yet. Maybe I’m getting to be a better more holy person.

Elphine started ballet this Wednesday. All the other girls arrived with with hair in perfect buns. I know this because I watched closely. I had struggled with Elphine’s hair for about 20 minutes before class and managed to basically get it into a bun shape, but two minutes into class it had devolved into a pony tail and at the end of the hour it was a complete mess. HELP! Her hair is unbelievably thick, straight, and obstinate. Also, its not quite long enough, though she’s been growing it for 6 months. Getting it into the shape I did was the most stressful 20 minutes of the whole week.

If you’re looking for something to pray for, you can pray 1. that my dad will fly safely and incedentlessly from Dallas back to Nairobi over the weekend, 2. for a young lady of my acquaintance who needs God’s protection and grace and 3. that my spelling will miraculously and supernaturally improve because four of my students spell better than I do and its turning out to be a real trial. And, what with one thing and another, I really don’t have time to systematically go back and improve my spelling, any more than I have time to read a book, brush my own teeth, or sleep through the night. Let that be a lesson to all you young readers out there, LEARN TO SPELL IN THE DAYS OF YOUR YOUTH before the days of trouble fall and the years approach when you will say I have No More Time to learn to spell properly.

Go check out Jen, who doesn’t have time to blog either because she has to climb in and out of her car through her window.