February 21, 2009

lessons learned from my son

I thank God that He continues to teach me things about my kids when I really sit and listen to Him. I consider my oldest son to be "challenging", which is another way to say that sometimes he and I butt heads over issues. I have already figured out that he is a very slow adaptor. I learned something new about him on Febrary 20th. That night, he and I had a "date" night sponsored by the park district. I thought that I had told him that there would be sports, but I used the word "games" which made him think that we would be playing board games. He kept insisting on getting "dressed up" (sweater and brown shoes) even though I told him that we would be running around playing games. Needless to say, he was very disappointed when we walked in and he was given a choice to play basketball or hockey, neither of which he has played much in the past. As I saw his face drop, I pulled him aside and we started talking about what he wanted to do, since it was obvious he had no intention of playing either sport. We decided to stay and watch hockey instead. As I watched Kyle, I saw him observing the game closely and how they used the stick to move the ball around (a nice soft squishy ball). I realized that he is totally a visual learner and must observe for a long time (being a slow adaptor) before he will participate in a sport because he doesn't want to fail or even to play badly. I tried to get him to play a little later, but he declined. After dinner, everyone else switched sides. In the meantime, I had found scooter boards they were using to make basketball fun. Instead of joining the group, we found an empty area and used a hockey stick to pull and push each other around on the scooter. Eventually, it became almost like a dance. We had so much fun doing our own thing and that is all that matters, isn't it?

In regards to my own personal development, I have learned to like dodgeball.

February 18, 2009

The Tribute Series Continues--My brother

My mother remarried when I was five. Fairly soon after they married, I remember asking her if she would supply me with a brother or sister. She said that we had to wait for a while until my dad graduated from college (another reason to admire him). I had to wait until I was eight and a half to get the brother I dreamed of having. However, because of the age difference, most of our lives have been spent apart. He was about 10 when I left for college. I totally missed his high school years and all of his football games. I didn't meet his future wife until the time of my wedding. However, there are two things about my brother that I really admire.

First of all, he is so kind and loving. When he was younger, I saw him help out his friends and defend them. I think if he had been older than me, or at least closer to my age, the people who teased me would have had to deal with him, too. He makes friends easily, probably because he is a good listener as well as a good conversationalist.

He is also a very calm person. I have seen him upset a few times, but it is a quiet anger and he can quickly shrug it off and deal with the situation. I wish I had his calm, cool demeanor when my kids start arguing and whining. Both of these qualities will make him an excellent father.

He is the little brother I always wanted and I am glad for the times we have had together and for any time we can spend together.

I love you, Bill!

February 5, 2009

God provides--Part II

My husband wrote a blog a while ago titled "God Provides". This is my follow up.

Six months ago, my husband was promoted. This happened right about the time that Motorola was announcing big problems and a plan to spin off it's cell phone division, which is when God said, "Stay here. I will take care of you." However, his promotion paperwork somehow got "lost" and he never received the pay increase that went along with the promotion. This was brought to light as he reviewed his layoff package. Human resources acknowledged their mistake and agreed to give him back pay and adjust his severence package. So, we didn't get the extra money when we didn't really need it. However, the extra money coming in now means that Eric doesn't need to fret about trying to find a job immediately. God already is providing. Read his blog to see what he has been doing during his first official week off of work.

Praise God!