Darling Girl

Day 29

It is the beginning of week 5. How are we doing? Everybody still hanging in? We have two days left of “spring break” before we start back up with “school days” on Wednesday. Arden informed us last night that she thinks she should “pull an all-nighter” last night and tonight because she wanted to see if she could. 

First, how does she even know the term “all-nighter” and Second, what kind of mother does it make me that I was like “good luck to you, I’m going to sleep!”?  I’m fairly sure she made it until about midnight, and she is still asleep. So, if you see the Mother of the Year Award folks around, send them my way – because I am definitely WINNING that prize this week!

Before you call in the parent police – we will return to our regularly scheduled bed times Tuesday night.  But there are battles I’m willing to fight right now and others that I am not. And making sure the child was asleep by 9:30 p.m. was not a hill I was willing to die on last night.

All these days alone or at least separated from everyone but the three of us has me thinking back to the past. I’m sure we are all wool-gathering, as my grandma used to call it, these days. I get Facebook memory reminders everyday – and some of those have sent me down memory lane to more fun times, more connected times.

One of today’s memories was a picture of Arden in dress up clothes. She was dressed as a princess with a paper crown on her head. She was smiling a big smile and the caption read – Ready for the ball!

I remember those days of dress up.  She would try to put on every piece of play clothing she had. I would hear her sweet voice talking to her dolls and stuffed animals – instructing them on proper behavior. 

I would sneak down the hallway and stand outside her room and just listen to her.  She could talk to those “friends” for what seemed like hours. She has always had an extensive vocabulary – probably because we always just talked to her like “normal” – so those times of instruction with the dolls were full of very familiar phrases. It was like listening to a four-year old version of myself talking!  A very good reminder that little ears are always listening.

Now that she is 10 years old and nearly as tall as I am, there are times I miss those days, but mostly I love this stage of her life.  Listening to her explain things or reason through problems or tell a story, is one of the most fun things of my day. I love how her mind works.  I love how intuitive she is. I love how empathetic she is. I’m less enthusiastic about the emergence of some significant “tude” as Terry calls it.  She actually said “whatever” to me last night and, even though she was kidding, the hairs on the back of my neck stood up in fear of what her teenage years may bring! Lord, give us all strength!

Well, the princess has arisen from her slumber and now requires nourishment. We do live to serve!

News of the Day:

The worldwide death toll from the coronavirus passed 115,000 on Monday, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Over 1.8 million people have tested positive for the virus.

The U.S. has had more than 22,000 deaths and 558,000 COVID-19 cases, leading the world in both reported numbers.

A U.S. Navy sailor assigned to the USS Theodore Roosevelt died of COVID complications at a military hospital in Guam Monday.

The U.S. Supreme Court announced that it will hear oral arguments by telephone beginning next month.

New York State passed 10,000 deaths, but Gov. Andrew Cuomo said “the worst is over.”

Plan for the Day:

I pulled out some Bible studies I bought when the Lifeway store in Springfield went out of business a few years ago.  I never got around to doing them before now. My brain is dying for some study – so I am going to start one of those. Arden has a plan to do a lot of nothing. We will likely stay inside as much as possible today – the winds are gusting around 30 mph and it is 30 degrees out there.  Not fit for man, nor beast – especially on April 13th!!!

See you tomorrow!

Cheers!