spiderman princess

I know I just blogged about my fabulous daughter, but I must paint a picture for you of what I am seeing through my office window.

Keona is walking with her daddy outside--they normally walk together in the mornings. Today, Keona is dressed in her big brother's red and blue spiderman costume complete with bulging muscles. On her feet she has pink rain boots and on her head she has a silver princess crown.

My dear spiderman princess is also smiling ear to ear as she holds her daddy's hand and looks up at him with wonder.

These moments are beyond beautiful. Often in these moments I breathe a prayer of blessing over Keona's birthmom. She chose to give Keona life. And she chose to give Keona the opportunity to have an incredible daddy who treasures her, protects her, and treats her like the princess she truly is.

As I watch Keona grow from day to day I know beyond a shadow of a doubt: that choice will change the world.

the back of my heel

"Mommy," Keona said, "the back of my heel is sleepy but the rest of me isn't. So let's be quiet so I can rest for a while."

I responded with, "Okay baby," and immediately began counting silently to myself: "one-one-thousand, two-one-thou--"

"Mom, do you think we'll be able to visit Jupiter some day?"

I guess her heel had rested :-).

a frog in his pocket

It was an unusually quiet and peaceful drive into town this morning. Jona was sitting so calmly but I was curious about the Calvin-esque smile on his face. He walked with equal calm into his speech therapy session and emerged 45 minutes later with a full-grin and dancing eyes.

I didn't even make it through, "What's up buddy?" before he opened a tupperware in his hands and a frog made it's debut in the waiting room much to the horror of Keona and her little friend. The next few minutes were filled with Jonathan's fabulous laughter, shrieks from the girls and waiting parents, the clinician's concerned, furrowed brow, and my failed attempt to stifle my own cackling. There in that waiting room, Jonathan enjoyed a few minutes of normal, mischievous, 11-year-old boy silliness. He wasn't a boy with Aspergers. He was just a boy.

So some people don't like frogs...they'll recover. But the dear young clinician, evidently Jonathan had waited until they were seated together in the speech therapy room before he pulled the frog out of his pocket and it hopped on her. She caught it and deposited it in the tupperware. I assured her, between dabbing my laughter-induced teary eyes, that he would have a consequence.

"But mommy, it was fun!" "Yes, my love. It was fun and funny. But not everything that's funny is appropriate. Did you think it was obedience or disobedience to stuff that poor frog in your pocket and unleash him on the speech therapist?"

"Disobedience. [Then in a whisper with a far-off look and smile.] But, it sure was fun."

The frog is free. Jonathan won't be on his computer today. And Bear and I have had to go on the porch or leave to a different room several times to keep laughing.

Thank God for frogs and little boys.

a new writing season♠

There's something about beginning a new book that's both exciting and overwhelming. I'm not sure what other writers do, but I start by spending time attending to the environment I'll be writing in. For the first time, I'll be writing a book in the office my handsome hubby built for me. Let me know if you'd like to see some pictures!

Until then, picture teal walls, dramatic ceiling angles, brown trim, wood floors, an iron and wood carved desk, a big stuffed chair besides a hanging red Persian rug, and a view that faces the sunset. I am blessed!

Today I dusted and mopped, cleared off my desk, set up my (teal) laptop stand and remote keyboard, and am going to spend another hour or so re-familiarizing myself with what I already wrote for the initial proposal.

The book is due September 1st.

Pray.

Consider fasting.

This book will be based on "Reflections of a young atheist: 5 things I really like about God." The publisher's title will be, "Finding an unseen God: reflections of a former atheist."

I'll check in every now and then to tell you how it's going.

Bethany, a future vision, and overflowing cups

Late Sunday night, my mom, Keona, Amy and myself returned from a wonderful time in Louisiana at Bethany World Prayer Center. This great missions church was holding their first women's conference and I had the joy of participating as a speaker. These women were a joy! Thank you Pastor Melanie, Ellen, Kevin, Angie, Jenny, Billy, Spencer, Beth, Nicole and all the many new friends who made the conference such a delight! Keona participated in the children's program and asked if we could move there!

Then on the way home...my computer died (for the third time in as many weeks), the rental van blew it's transmission as mom was driving it back to turn it in, the folks at the rental place okayed mom's suggestion to leave the keys in the van and lock it...but then charged us for Mr. Pop-A-Lock (when they didn't have an extra key) AND an extra day rental since they didn't inspect it until after it was towed to the shop. Yes, I had a polite but firm discussion with the manager :-). Yes, the extra charges are being removed...

Coming home I'm happily drowning in hugs and kisses from the boys. We're unpacking and storing all the new Anonymous: Jesus' Hidden Years and Yours DVDs, bible studies, and journals (they're in!!!). I'm gearing up to write like the wind in August. And Jonathan has added a new ending to his usual nighttime prayer.

For years, Jonathan has ended his day with, "And Jesus, please forgive me of my sins and let my dreams be about things I do like, not about things that I don't like. Amen." But for the past two nights he has been tagging on, "And please, please, give me a future vision."

"That's a beautiful prayer buddy. What does it mean to you?"

"I want Jesus to give me a vision of the future, to show me what he wants me to do in life. How big is that cup mom?"

Sidebar. Long ago I used an illustration of a cup under a dripping faucet to demonstrate that prayers are always heard ("caught") by God and we never know when one more prayer will cause the cup to overflow and contribute to an answer...so we should follow Jesus' encouragement and never stop asking or praying.

"Well, buddy, I really don't know how big that cup is but I do know that God hears each prayer. Do you know how long I prayed for you? Seven years. For seven years I asked Jesus to send me a son."

"Wow. Seven years. That's a BIG cup! Thanks mom. Thanks for persevering."

I stroke his hair as he falls asleep. Listening to his steady breathing I pray for his "future vision" knowing that every drop, every prayer, makes a difference.

dancing with daddy

Ah, a precious mommy-daughter mini-date at a store. I'm looking for a brown shirt. Keona is looking for a new dress. She was in la-la land! At one point she actually wrapped her arms around a row of garments and said with a sigh of contentment, " I LOVE clothes."

Cha-ching.

In the dressing room I'm sharing with her how I separate clothes into three piles: "no", "maybe", and "wow". She tries each potential on, twirls in the mirror, sorts them into piles, and then settles on a pink summer dress.

As SOON as we get home, Keona rushes upstairs and within a few minutes I hear clunk-clunk-clunk of her play shoes. "Sweetheart, " I ask, "what are you doing?" With wide eyes and love in her voice she said, "I'm all dressed up in my new dress so daddy and I can dance together."

What a feeling. I grab the video-camera as Bear bows and Keona curtsies. Jonathan picks a song on the keyboard and Keona and her daddy dance around the room. Can I freeze-frame this moment? They often dance but there was something especially sweet about this window. She was just a baby yesterday. Now she's dancing with daddy.

on ticks and teeth-marks

What a week! It's been filled with laughter and tears. Here are a few moments from life in the Chole home this week:

• Keona's second tick: We live in the country and ticks come with the scenery. This one however embedded itself in the back of her neck. We made an appointment immediately and right after her ballet and tap class (it would warm your heart to see our baby girl worship through dance--she was born to dance!), we went to see the doctor. After THREE different tweezers, the doctor emerged with the tiny tick and all was well. As we were driving to fulfill Keona's antibiotic prescription she sniffled from the back of the van, "I did NOT have a blast at the doctor's office today." Indeed. Mommy did NOT have a blast either. I thought I was going to faint and I was so grateful that Auntie Wawa (Stefanie) was with us for the ordeal!
  
• Uncle Erik came for three days and Auntie Wawa for a week: Two dear friends came into town this week and we had so much fun playing late night ping-pong, farkle, and rummicube.
  
• "Are those teeth marks?!": Louie emerged from the infant nursery at church today with a perfect set of teeth marks on his arm. They were red, clear, indented...but he seemed unmoved. The dear nursery workers were shocked--he hadn't screamed so they hadn't noticed. His arm will be fine but I'm a bit concerned for the other mystery child with perfect teeth. Louie may have started at 5 pounds but he is a CHUNK now and quite adept at leveraging his mass!
• "I just don't think I can do it mom": Precious Jonathan had another difficult time in a group context this week. He does fine, well even, with 1-3 other children but there's something about many children that triggers him and makes it very difficult to remain self-controlled. Even in public school, classes like music, art, and p.e. were very difficult for Jonathan--he was in trouble almost weekly for being silly or trying to be funny. Please pray for little buddy. He is so frustrated at his own actions. We really need Father God's help.