The Streetpoet

Poor Jerome.

Tuesday night he got a hematoma on his forehead when his friend jumped on him as he was hiding under a pillow on a tile floor. It wasn’t maliciously done, just thoughtless rambunctiousness, and they were both in tears. The bump gave Jerome quite a bruise, but he hasn’t complained about it hurting and the swelling went down fairly quickly thanks to soft ice packs and arnica gel.

Then last night I was putting the big boys to bed by 9 and it was quarter til and I told them they could  have a little ice cream while I read a book to them on the couch. Jerome came in the kitchen to help me. He got down the bowls and spoons and lifted out the ice cream for me. I didn’t get a good grip on the scooper (my wrist is still weak and bothering me from handling my big camera for eight hours last week), the ice cream was hard, and I should have slowed down. Just as I lost the scoop and my hand flew up, Jerome leaned in to see and the scoop hit him in the eyebrow. Now, if it had been any old regular ice cream scoop it would have been just another bump on the poor boy’s head, but it’s not…it’s a Tupperware fancy scoop with a pointed tip. Just from his reaction I knew it was bad. I had to pry his hands down to look at it, and I had cut his eyebrow pretty badly…with an ice cream scoop. We both cried. And I have been thanking God ever since that Jerome still has an eye. It was so close, and sheer accident.

He got three stitches. His first stitches ever. And it’s not even his fault, it’s mine. He was a blue ribbon patient, but mostly that’s on account of Dr. Tim’s patience and gentleness. Huge thanks to Tim for saving us an ER visit! The stitches will come out Monday night, and hopefully I can find some forgiveness for my own folly by then.

in our back yard.

It’s an orchard, so it’s not a problem to have an enormous mud puddle for days. The boys and their neighbors have been muddy for two days and counting. They’ve spent hours in the mud, and my shower still hasn’t recovered from all of them bathing after the adventures are over…a couple times a day. Jerome and I are learning about the River Nile and ancient Egypt in The Story of the World so it was just natural that one should appear in the freshly plowed dirt. It’s been a blast.

And the pictures of the wood and carving tools was taken by Jerome of his own carving with Daddy’s real tools!

“God writes the Gospel not in the Bible alone,

but on trees, and flowers, and clouds, and stars.”

~Martin Luther

Seth’s Words:

“Mr. Sun is drying my water off!”

“I shot a bad spot off the world!”

Jerome’s Words:

“Seth, help me like a trained monkey!”

Ian was up from 5 – 7 this morning and woke Seth up around 6 AM so Peter made eggs and hash browns and we had breakfast together in the early morning.The boys and I got to go back to bed, but poor Peter started his day and went to work.

Peter told me that Seth had commented on the foggy morning, “Daddy, the sky is messy!” 🙂

You’re a great cousin, and I’m so glad you’re part of my family! The boys LOVE you and your brother and really enjoy spending time with you. I appreciate who you have been to Peter and I. As Best Man you stood as witness to our marriage and oneness before God and have been an encouragement to us. You are much loved and I’m so glad you had a great birthday!