Weeding

My Harvest

(Carol Lynn Pearson)

I did not plant you, true.
But when the season is done,
When the alternative prayers for sun
and for rain are counted,
When the pain of weeding
And the pride of watching are through,
Then I will hold you high,
A shining sheaf above
the thousand seeds grown wild.
Not my planting,
But, by heaven,
My harvest -
My child.

What a sweet poem.

Right now we're going through some "pain of weeding". It's called school work. Oh my. Tears and drama. Not just Alex but with one we "planted" ourselves, Rylee. Between the two of them I think someone was crying at all times during homework time last night. Alex on math-he's on grade level with math but just doesn't have basic multiplication down. Luckily Mr. Patient (aka James) was helping him. Alex sobbed and sobbed but persevered. I learned on the way to school he could have done his math at school today but wanted to have time to do his "sewing". His teacher lets them sew designs on cardboard, they're pretty cool and Alex really gets into it. Funny how this didn't come out until this morning and he missed his reading and English studying last night to get all this math done. So tonight he'll have to make up for what he missed last night.

I was on studying for spelling bee with Rylee. She tries so hard not to cry but tears just leak down her face as she struggles to spell. This morning as we finished up math & spelling and Rylee was sprinkling the paper with her sadness. I explained that her little cousin Sydni is just learning to potty train right? Yes. If she accidentally pees her pants do we spank her? No. Right, because she's little and she's just learning. Rylee you are just learning spelling too. Would you stop spanking yourself? She gave me a slight smile and we moved on. Do I think I've solved her crying issues...heck no! I've given her many of these scenario's some more brilliant than others-over and over!

James and I were talking about our son's vs our daughters and their scholastic outlook. Our daughters are so driven to do well in school and our son's could care less. With the boys it's all about doing the minimum amount and having fun! I told Alex earlier this week that his job is to study and learn. That's his main job-like my job is to be a mom and sell houses. He had conveniently forgotten to bring home his spelling bee study sheet and I was on his case about it. I could tell he felt bad. I asked if he felt bad he didn't study or felt bad that I caught him not bringing home his assignment. He replied "you caught me." See the problem? You need to be more concerned that you didn't study! My girls are like that. They freak out when they leave something at school or at home that they need. My boys just shrug their shoulders and think "Oh, well." How does that happen? I mean, Alex has an excuse, but Austin? We've raised him the same as our girls. Same parents, same environment, same emphasis. Totally different direction. Maybe Alex and Austin can hook up as adults and do a comedy routine or something as brain surgeon and astrophysicist-are not looking like an option.

We've made it through three dance concerts in the last five days. I will post pictures later. I love this part of Christmas time. The concerts. We have two more choir concerts this week and the Johnson Christmas party. I can't believe Christmas is approaching so quickly. Luckily for me I have six more days then most of you as Santa isn't coming until James is home from work so the 30th will be our Christmas Eve with Christmas morning on the 31st.

We attempted to have the Richhart Christmas party last Sunday but it was canceled due to bad weather. Many of our family members live a couple of hours away and of course we had a doosie of a storm. We've rescheduled for January 10th. Yes, that's then next Sunday that Jake and James will be home together. The joys of having husbands work away from home two weeks at a time.

James heads out tomorrow. Boo. I keep thinking about our military families and how long they go without seeing their husbands and dads and try not to feel sorry for myself. It's just two weeks right? It's just this two weeks falls over Christmas. Well, we will just have to shake it off and make the best of it! It's much harder on James than us, we have each other and will still have Christmas parties and celebrations and we'll be spreading Christmas out over a week. He'll be in dreary below zero Wyoming with a bunch of hairy, grumpy men that don't want to work over Christmas either! So if I should feel sorry for anyone, it should be for James...right? Yet, I can't help but feel sorry for all of us!

Well, enough boo-hoo-ing. We are so blessed. And it is not lost on me that we are fortunate to have work, have health, have each other and all the many, many other blessings we have.

Blessing to all of you today!