A Chocolate Birthday

         Tossing and turning because I was hot.  It isn’t right for the weather to be so warm on my birthday – especially when you consider the start of the month was always overcast – sometimes raining. 

            The wind has been blowing – even though it’s been warm.  The winds have been cool – but not cool enough to keep us from turning on the A/C.

            I finally left the room at 3:45.  Jenna said “Happy Birthday, mommy!”  quite loudly. 

I’d forgotten it was my birthday – even though I had been reminded of it last night when I called the RS pres. 

My stomach was growling.  I had a glazed doughnut as Roland had brought them home and we have to eat them before they go stale – right?

Jenna bopped into the living room about 15 minutes later bearing gifts wrapped in Christmas paper.  I was not allowed to open any of them until Roland joined us – which wasn’t until four hours later. Meanwhile she played an array of music beginning with “Celebration” by Kool and the Gang.  Jenna never seems to love her own birthday as her enthusiasm increases for others’ birthdays.  She seemed particularly excited for my birthday yesterday.

Before I opened the gifts, Roland, Jenna and Alexa sang “Happy Birthday” to me. We didn’t take any pictures of me opening the gifts.  The first one Jenna handed me was a bag (which was a birthday bag) that contained two puzzles – one which I was certain I could finish in just one day and another hard looking one that I’m not as anxious to start to be honest. 

We still have another puzzle that is too long for our table.  I would like to put that one together. 

After I opened the puzzles, Jenna handed me a large box which contained wireless keyboard and mouse.  I now have three keyboards, though the oldest I will be throwing away as it is temperamental about if it wants to work or not depending on what position I have it in.  I cannot deal with it and have been using a smaller keyboard that I kept around for the laptop (as I prefer a raised keyboard to the built-in flat that frustrates me whenever I accidentally touch something that wipes out my screen) though number 7 has been sticking for quite some time and now the letter C seems to be having a mild attitude also. 

the paper she had used for the keyboard didn't quite make it
all around the box, so she taped this piece onto it to patch it up

The last gift was a game Jenna had picked out – one that we decided to play right away.  

 Of course she skunked me.

 I signed in to facebook to comment on a message my brother had left me.  While there I also said a thank you to those who had sent birthday greetings.  

I heard Jenna unloading the dishwasher, singing, and baking a cake.  Well, I didn’t actually hear her making it.  I heard her set the timer for it.  And then she started a conversation with Alexa and eventually triggered the 'echo' in my room to join in.  Thus I returned to the kitchen.

I don’t know if Melanie stopped by before or after the cake.  She brought me some flowers and four candy bars with the message:

You bring a mountain of joy wherever you go.  I really scored 100 grand when I got you as a RS counselor.

Randy, my youngest son, had called to wish me happy birthday and after I hung up with him, Roland said I had to come and get some cake.  They put three candles on the cake and sang “Happy Birthday” for a second time (but without Alexa) and we had cake at 9:00 a.m.

German chocolate cake with German chocolate frosting

But do not fret thinking I ate so poorly on my birthday.  Before we ended the “Meme” game, Jenna and I both had bowls of Cheerios and after cake we had scrambled eggs and sausage links.

 Jenna and I put the Mickey Mouse puzzle together in just a couple of hours.  It was a challenge using three different size puzzle pieces.  Though Minnie, Mickey and Donald seemed to work up rather quickly, Goofy and Pluto did not. (What am I talking about?  Jenna really did the majority of the puzzle)

My eldest son, Biff called to wish me happy birthday while we were putting the puzzle together.  Meanwhile I really enjoyed Jenna's enthusiasm as we listened to music and swayed and danced to a wide assortment of songs.

After Roland got off work we went to the big city of Roseburg where the majority of personal were wearing masks but the majority of clients were not.  No such thing (or room) for social distancing at some places.  Though some businesses have started to open in phase one most summer activities have been cancelled. No summer fairs, outdoor movies (which I would think would be safer than the indoor cinema if that should open) and music in the park. 

We stopped off at Arby's on the way home.  After we returned we played another game of "What Do You Meme" this time with Roland.  My other son, Tony, was the last of my boys to call with his birthday wish.

What an odd year.

Mommy, Take My Picture!

She seemed fascinated

with the toilet.  I thought

she’d train early. 

She didn’t.

She took off

after she turned one. 

How cool to

move herself

with her feet, to go

from room to room. 

To explore. 

                                                      She collected balls and rocks.

Whenever we’d go

out walking she would climb

on fire hydrants and

pick up anything

she found in her path. 

She loved roly-polys. 

They resembled small balls. 

She did attempt

to put one in her mouth.

                                            She collected whatever she could carry.

She started preschool

when she was three. 

We’d walk to school. 

She would balance

on the way, walking over walls

as though she was on a tightrope. 

I would entertain her

with imitations of circus music

and emcee her “daring moves”

and I would take her picture

She dawdled

as she explored every yard

between our house and the school. 

                                                    She collected rocks and pinecones.

She loved each season

and enthusiastically greeted

anything that was new. 

The wind,

crunching leaves,

sleds,

snow banks,

blossoms,

snails

 fascinated with

every part of nature. 

                                                    She collected rocks and leaves.

Today she dawdles

much as she did when

she was three.  She explores

whatever God has created. 

She climbs trees and

snow banks and continues

to make snow angels. 

She continues to

balance on walls as she did

when she was three

and asks for me to make the sounds

of the circus as she performs

on her “tightrope” and ask

"Mommy, Will you take my picture?"

                                             She collects Pokémon cards and rocks

She will stand on top of

 rocks and stumps and ask me

to take her picture

lying on balls and

fire hydrants still exploring

as she had when

she was three

                                                        She now gives her rocks faces.

Design by Jenna

            My daughter LOVES arts and crafts.  In school she made a paper mask of a female skull.  She is quite proud of it and so wanted me to have my own skull, which she tried to make identical to her own.

            She decided that when we boarded the bus this morning, we would hold up our masks over our faces.  She made up lyrics on the way to the bus stop and sung them to the tune “Carol of the Bells”

            She made me learn her song before the bus came so that we could sing the song before we held up our masks.  I learned the song but told her that we would not be able to sing its entirety before boarding the bus.  And so she sung only the last line as we held up our masks.  Our bus driver laughed.

            Twin Skeletons, Twin Skeletons

            Found here and there

            Twin Skeletons, Twin Skeletons

            Both have yellow hair

            Twin Skeletons, Twin Skeletons

            Both wear a flower

            Twin Skeletons, Twin Skeletons

            Together we have power

            Twin Skeletons, Twin Skeletons

            Each wearing braces

            Twin Skeletons, Twin Skeletons

            We have skulls for faces

Okay, maybe it’s not exact, and the tune did change a bit as she sang.  But you get the jest.

            I love my daughter’s enthusiasm.

Garden Enthusiast

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When Jenna was three she discovered some blue gravel that had been dumped by the shed.  Biff had left it there after cleaning out a fish tank.  Jenna thought that they were beautiful seeds and wanted to plant them.  I tried to explain that they weren’t seeds – but she was insistent that we bury them so that they would grow into a beautiful flower.

Everyday she would check the spot where the “seeds” had been planted – impatient that the flowers had not bloomed overnight.  Again, I tried to explain to her that even if the seeds had been real seeds – flowers do not spring up overnight.  It takes time.  Especially in our family, it seems.

Jenna did not stop checking.  She was determined that her flower would grow.  She watered the area.  She talked to it.  She was certain that a flower would grow.  I really did not want her to be crushed and so devastated that she would not want to try real seeds later on. 

I went out and purchased two pinwheel type garden decorations and put them in the ground above where the gravel had been “planted” – real as the seeds.  Jenna was thrilled.  And so when the time came for the preschool students to grow their own seeds she was not at all reluctant.  Her bean would grow just as her flowers had.  It was very exciting.

Jenna also liked snails.  They were very fascinating creatures.  She would watch them and talk to them.  One day she found a whole family of snails.

“Look mom!” she pointed with sheer excitement, “A mommy, a daddy, two teenagers, and a little bitty baby.”

She stopped to talk to them.  I gave her about ten minutes before I reminded her that we had barely just left the house and had to continue on our way to school.

“Bye snails,” she waved and continued on her way.  She was so disappointed that they weren’t there as we walked back from school – nor were they there the next day. 

Perhaps a week or two had gone by before she found three snails out on the sidewalk near our house.

“Do you think these are the same ones?” she asked.  “I wonder what happened to the parent and the other teenager.  Maybe they’re out looking for food.”

It was a year and a half later when Amber’s mom asked if she could leave Amber with me as she a mandatory class for her work.  I told her that I had planned on going to Midvale to pass out invites for my mom’s surprise birthday party but I could take Amber just as well – and that was fine.  Amber came with car seat and I strapped both girls into the car.

It was nice having them with me as I could just hand each of them invitations and give them direction to take it to this house or that and then I didn’t have to keep stopping the car and turn the motor off to do it myself.

When we got to Ruby’s house, I had only five invitations left.  The girls found a haven in Ruby’s yard, and I asked Ruby if it would be okay if I left the girls with her while I went and got the last five.  

Ruby was working in the garden and her yard was lovely.  She was digging holes and making remarks about “all the snails” Both Jenna and Amber perked up and assisted Ruby by picking up snails and each started her own collection.

When I returned, the girls had lined their snails up on the table and were eagerly watching them “race” as they’d speak words of encouragement hoping that one of her snails would win.  Jenna announced that we’d be taking them home.

“Snails don’t belong in the car!” I said firmly.  “Not my car anyway.  Even if they’re in containers.  We are not taking the snails home.  Sorry”

I think Ruby distracted them with something else.  I believe we threw the snails away.  Ruby and I told both girls that snails are bad for the garden.  I don’t think Jenna believed me.

She wasn’t reading when I purchased a kid’s gardening book at a thrift store. We looked at it.  I pointed out that snails were in the “pest” category.  But then so were caterpillars – her absolute favorites creature.  A book against snails and caterpillars certainly was not a book that she was interested in.  I put the book away and forgot about it.

 Recently, while searching for something else, I came across the Kid’s Gardening book.  She has been reading it and telling us everything that we’ve been doing wrong in our home garden and how to improve it.  She still loves snails and caterpillars but has accepted that they do damage to gardens. But they are fascinating creatures and she loves them.

Some of us are gardeners that plant and sow seeds.  Some of us plant actual seeds.  Some of us bury gravel or “magic beans” in the ground and leave it at that.  Some of us work like lady bugs or bees and help the garden.  Some of us are like snails and caterpillars that crawl through life expecting free handouts without working for it.  And it doesn’t matter our capacity.  God loves each of us.  He doesn’t attempt to throw any of us away.  His love for us is perfect. Even more than Jenna loves snails.

The Bread Box and the Coveted Cowboy Cup

After the pathetic attempt of a yard sale, I loaded the trunk of my car with a few items that hadn’t sold.  Two of the items I brought home with me were: the practical bread box and the fun cup full of memories.

When I was younger, I remember getting bread out of a white tin box with copper trim.  The box could hold up to four loaves and then some. 

Mom also had two canisters that held sugar and flour.  I don’t know if the three came together, or if it was just coincidental that there was a very similar appearance.

I don’t remember what happened to the tin bread box, but I remember it had to be replaced.  I remember mom and I had to hunt hard to find one – and then the only ones we could find were less than half the size and made out of wood.  This one holds only two loaves at best.

The bread box is quite a practical item for me as we live in this cracker box house in which all the furniture and appliances are squashed together.  Our back door does not open all the way because the dryer is in the way, next to that is the washer, next to that is the stove.  Our loaf of bread seems to move from counter to stovetop to table to washer – it really needs a more stable home.  (I hope the breadbox will be able to stay put)

I took the cup to give to Jenna and hoped she would find as much pleasure as Ellen and Kimball had.

The cup itself is not all that special, but the memories are.  The cup is plastic coated with silver and the initials WJW are engraved in fancy letters.  I don’t know if at one time it belonged to someone with those initials or if that was the manufacturing company or what.  I have no idea where it came from or why it was in my mom’s cupboard.

The bottom was clear – and so you could see the consumer’s face as he/she drinks – and likewise the drinker can see you.  I don’t know who it was that told us (maybe it was my mom) that the reason why it had a clear bottom is so that the cowboys who were playing cards could spy on their opponents while they drank.  Patrick and Sunny’s oldest two thought that was the coolest thing ever. 

I remember my mom and I had hunted around to find at least one other “cowboy cup” so that each child would have his/her own.  Alas, we searched in vain.  If we did come close, the price was just too outrageous.  So Kimball and Ellen took turns using it.

Jenna’s enthusiasm isn’t near what was expressed with Ellen and Kimball.  Never has been.  But we still have Anna and Garrett to explore the wonders of this “cool cup” - and watching the excitement on the faces of my dad’s posterity is mainly why I took it.  Because the memories of the cup far outweigh the bread box.