Day Two, No Drew

 


Drew is in the US for a week and half doing business in Boston and Portland. We're so glad. Earlier we prayed that he would have a chance to visit family this spring. He's got a whole weekend in Minnesota.

Well, it's me and the little boys back at home and so far, Day Two, we are having tons of fun even in the absence of our fearless family leader - bowhunter - picnic manager - tadpole captor -- Dad.

That day, we brought home a billion tadpoles in peanut butter jars. Despite faithfully changing the water in their tank and feeding them cooked chopped lettuce which they apparently love, the survival rate has been a little bit...unpromising. Will anyone make it to frog?


Back to today! Day Two, No Drew.


The day kicked off as the boys decorated my hair with tiny purple flowers and made attempts to retrieve a pink balloon from the tip-top of a tree. You can guess how that went. Pink balloon recovery, the balloon having been spotted yesterday from our sunporch window, was the impetus causing 2/3s of my kids to feed, dress and brush themselves and rush out the door. So I love that balloon.

Then it was Chinese moms & kids playgroup at the park all morning, which including sliding down a steep slippery grassy hill, shelling each other in a flower bud pellet bomb war (I won against two 5 year-old boys, what's up now) and fishing in the pond.

Next we walked over to close friends' home for lunch with their two kids. We started a weekly storybook exchange, and this week they also sent us home with a big bag of family-raised chicken eggs.

Auntie Wang came over to help with housework while the boys were still napping. How would I manage without her??? I ran errands outside.

The sun was shining warmly in the afternoon as we walked down our main road, swarming and cheerful with Friday evening window-shoppers. Titus, Jon and Mike sat still and patient for haircuts. Across the street in the guitar shop we played hand drums and ukeleles. Ran into a special friend who I haven't seen for awhile. Kids devoured their suppers in the mall basement shop we call, "Hong Kong restaurant" only because we heard that the guy who originally ran it was from Hong Kong; the restaurant itself doesn't have a name or any signage.

Proceeded to collect a few things we needed at the mall supermarket. Next to the frozen chicken breasts we ran into Titus' preschool teacher, Mrs. Zeng, her husband and her daughter who is Michael's favorite classmate. Mrs. Zeng's like, "Did you know that it's POURING outside?" Thunder, lightning, flooded streets. Clueless. They gave us a ride home. If not for their kindness all four of us and our bags would would have been completely drenched, cold and miserable with a soppy bus ride and long walk home.

But as it is we are dry, happy and aware of our blessings.



WHAT is the point of all this Rachel?

A.
Drew is not home tonight to listen to my daily account delving into minutia, so you get to. (Oh JOY right!) I have this strange need to retell all my stories to someone.

B.
Walking up the stairwell to our door tonight, Titus and I were laughing out loud, "Jesus cares about us! I can't believe he planned for Zeng Mama to meet us and bring us home! Hahaha!"

counting the graces

thank you Father for

all of the above