The Streetpoet

I woke up sick today, so we didn’t get much done at all, and that’s not a very good feeling. But as hot as it was the boys were happy to spend the day inside listening to stories. I’m so grateful to have the Your Story Hour collection of Bible stories and historical stories that family and friends have given the boys this year. They love listening to them and I enjoy having something to put on that builds up their knowledge and spirits.

This evening I took my friend Erika out to dinner because today is her birthday!

She’s a new friend of mine and has a little boy about Jerome’s age and a baby a few months older than Ian. I really enjoy talking to her and getting to know her more. Although the talking we get to do is between correcting the children and the children’s interruptions…it was wonderful to be out with a friend.

Erika is a beautiful person. Her love of life is contagious, and her gentleness with her children is exceptional. She is eager to learn and is just as willing to share with others what goodness she gleans.  I’m so grateful to know her.

Happy birthday, Erika!

This was the best we got of my boys today. Oh, I forgot to mention that my precious two year old drew in blue crayon on the back of the booth in the back of California Pizza Kitchen!…They said it should be washable.

Ian’s hair looked so red in the evening light at the mall! He wasn’t as mad as he looks. honestly.

The boys and I stayed and got ice cream and met their aunties to listen to some live big band music. Not a whole lot of listening happened, but the boys enjoyed test riding the new “skitters” and playing with the remote control cars that were desperately wanting to be sold. As a parent I’m getting better at saying “no”. 🙂

Our day was not over yet. We were invited up to the Barlow’s for fresh baked cookies to celebrate Anna’s taking the CPA exam today! The Partridge children were there, too, so my boys boosted the children count to nine!

It was a wonderful, long evening and I came home feeling better than I did when we left.

And Peter had just walked in the door too. 🙂

Since I still don’t drive the freeways, Jane picked us up and drove our car up to Ventura for the day. We got to the beach before the crowds and before the sun. But there never were many people, since they tell me this is the first day of school, but after a while there was plenty of sunshine.

Before we left Jerome told me that he didn’t want to get in the water because he was afraid he would get stung like last time. (In April something stung him in the water on his hand and he had a terrible reaction and had to go on antibiotics.) So I told him he didn’t have to get in the water. Auntie Jane took him to the edge of the waves to get bucketfuls of sand to build sandcastles with, and he quickly lost his fear.

On the drive up Seth told us “I’m afraid of the beach.” but I think he meant the ocean. He stayed at a safe distance all day.

And on the drive home he confirmed it to us several more times…but I think he had a fun day digging in the sand, climbing rocks, and trying to play with other people’s sand toys. 🙂

It was startlingly different. After a while the wind and brightness and noise became normal, even peaceful. But walking among the rocks there was an immediate reprieve. Quiet. Warmth. Shade. I hadn’t noticed the harshness of the afternoon until I found an accidental shelter. However the rocks were sharp. My boys must be part mountain goat, though, because it didn’t phase them. And they enjoyed the refuge of the rocks. I pray they find refuge in the Rock of our salvation!

This was Ian’s first beach experience! And he slept through most of it…

Thank you, Jane and Donna, for a lovely day at the beach!

I hadn’t let Jerome carry Ian around by himself yet…although Ian is over 16 lbs. now. This afternoon Peter handed the baby over to Jerome’s care and we were impressed with his strength and carefulness. He was absolutely thrilled to be trusted with his baby brother and would tell us if he was getting too tired. I am increasingly aware of his need for my trust.

Here’s the proud brother.

Rain! We got a tiny bit today and the sun shone so bright I thought we’d have a rainbow…but I never saw one. The smell of rain is one of my favorite things. They said it was humid today. It was a very calm, mild day. I enjoyed it very much.

Our landlords were out today too, working so hard taking care of this place. They spread fertilizer around the trees and plowed it under, then ran the water lines out to wash it all down. The sprinklers will be running all night…it sounds like rain.

California State University of Northridge started classes this week…

Jerome builds the neatest stuff…

And Seth is digging and working. 🙂

They say it’s because of a hurricane…

Peter built a bonfire for us and we ate dinner around it together as the moon rose.

“The heavens are telling of the glory of God; And their expanse is declaring the work of His hands. Day to day pours forth speech, and night to night reveals knowledge .” Ps 19:1-2

Just a few images from our day…

The gardeners come every Tuesday and this week they trimmed the lantana bush outside the livingroom window while Seth watched them. Today he was “lawning” in the side yard and he told me pointing to the lantana “That’s for working.”. 🙂

How small Jerome looks in front of that bouganvilla….

And here’s our little three month old Ian Daniel!