Sickos

Not sure when it happens.  But it happens.  Every time.  

Maybe it's after the mountain of snotty tissues but before the knee deep in throw up.
Or maybe it's between the bottles of used tylenol.
Perhaps it's the smell of Vick's Vapors wafting in the air.

But when people are sick in my house, time stands still and nothing else seems to matter.

Kaley sounds like she is swimming. Her head and chest are so full of fluid.  And even the tiniest cough hurts her stomach because she's coughed so much.  So she's trying to do these baby coughs not to rattle her horrible headache.

Luke, meanwhile, has a VERY high fever and is throwing up.

And somewhere in the midst of it all ... I think of Jesus Christ.

He died a sinless, perfect life in exchange for us.  He paid the penalty of death so we could all live.  But that death could have come in any number of ways.  As long as He died, it would have served the purpose.

He went "above and beyond" and was tortured, willingly taking stripes on His body.  It tells us in Isaiah 53:5 that "with His stripes we are healed."  He purposely, willingly took on the beating of His physical body so we could have our physical bodies healed as well.

I know a lot of Christians 'know' this.  But when we're wading through snot and changing out bedpans and doing the piles of laundry, do we really consider this?  I mean, REALLY consider it?

I know that physical illness affects all of us from time to time.  And most times it's a temporary condition (like a cold or the flu).  And simply the passing of time will "cure" it.  But there are other times when it's more complex like cancer.  There are times when we know this will just "go away" and other times, we wonder how long we will live.

So it's at times like this that I wonder why sometimes we get an immediate physical healing and other times we don't.  I know many people speculate on it.  But the truth is, we don't know.  I don't think there's a formula with God for this.

I know some of you know that a few months ago I was going through all sorts of testing for lumps in my axilla.  Fast forward - one doctor thinks it is not a big problem and I should just get re-evaluated after 3 months.  Another doctor feels it's a big deal and wants the whole thing gone immediately (every lymph node on that side).  I'm awaiting a 3rd opinion to break the tie.

I have to consider that just one short year ago, my Dad was fighting for his life and had basically 0% survival rate.  They didn't feel he would make it off the operating table.  I knew that his life was completely in the hands of God.  If he was supposed to stay, he would live.  If God was ready to take him, he would die.  Plain and simple as that.

I could go down each and every one of my kid's and the miracles God has performed in their lives.  One by one.  It would take us weeks just to discuss them all.

God has touched my life with so many miracles - big and small.  I'm aware of quite a few.  Sometimes I ponder all the ones He did that I missed.

So my point?  If you're sick or you know of someone who is sick and needs healing ... ASK.  God has made provision for YOUR healing too.  And when He heals you, make sure to let me know... I LOVE hearing about the miracles of God!

The ebb and flow (Kids in School)

It's officially been a month now that the kids have been out of homeschooling and into public school.  We've had a few bumps along the way.

Among those lows: Sam's lunch got in Jacob's backpack.  I put notes in each kid's lunch and got bad reviews.  One kid is learning the value of bringing home homework to do and not put it off until Mom discovers it missing.  Kaley did get sick and have to stay home a few days (but truthfully, she's doing better than I thought she'd be doing!) Some nights, I'm spending more than 5 hours doing homework ... THEY are not doing that much, but by the time *I* get through each of them, *I* have spent 5 hours!!!  Yikes (that's more than a homeschooling day)

Among the highs:  They are all still enjoying school.  They get up easily in the mornings and don't complain.  (I do, but they don't.)  They are getting great reviews from their teachers and are well liked.

Yesterday, I got a note from Kaley's secondary teacher saying she had scored a 95% on her math test (that is a HUGE praise report) and he added that the students all seem to like her.  (I'm not surprised.)

When she got home, she told me she had done well on her math test.  She said, "Mr. Morgan asked me in front of the whole class, 'What do you think you got on your math test?'  and I said '11'.  The whole class laughed and thought I was funny.  He asked again and I said '15?'"  The great part is that she knew they weren't laughing AT her (they weren't), she knew they thought she was funny.  Made her glow talking about it.

Then Sam and Luke both had an "AR test" ... never heard of it but it's some kind of computer reading test.  Sam scored an 80% and was fairly satisfied with it.  He's a glass half full kind of guy (which I love about him because I was the kind of kid who beat myself up for the one question I missed and not the 95 I got right).

Luke was soooo excited to take his ... if he got 100% he would get THREE gumballs!!  (That teacher knows his love language for sure.)  I didn't want him to feel so pressured so I told him *I* would give him 3 gumballs if he just did his best.    But guess what?  He made 100%!!  He was sooo proud. I asked him what the questions were and he couldn't remember! (Typical) but at least he got them right.

Jacob is continuing to amaze me.  He has some "issues" we're working on .. but overall, he's making friends and loving school.  His teacher has a real heart for him - she has a 3 year old nephew who has recently been diagnosed with autism - she watches Jacob with real, personal interest.

Zoe is kickin' butt in school too.  3 hours every day plus 2 days of speech therapy.  At the beginning of the year she could already do all the goals for the END of the year.  So she is having fun, learning to socialize with others, learning to articulate for strangers.  Her only complaint is that she doesn't have homework!  She actually makes me do some for her every day.  So I happily do.  Her little mind is just a buzz waiting to be filled.

So there's a (semi) quick version of what is going on in the land of the Gores with school.

One month down. 8 to go.

Hope I make it. Them?  They're doing great!

Sibling Rivalry: The Luke and Zoe story

When Zoe came home 2 years ago at age 2, Luke was 4.  He was very, very excited to be getting a little sister.  I was seriously THRILLED because he was so gentle, kind and loving to my niece so I knew he would make a good big brother.

Zoe came home from an orphanage and she had some, er, um, "issues".  She played nicely with everyone, everyone except Luke that it.  Him, she hit, bit, slapped, and generally made his life miserable.  (Of course we tried to stop it and intervene.)  He took it for a long time.  Eventually, his feelings got enough hurt and he started doing the natural thing.

A rivalry was born. That was not going to be OK with me.  Ever since the first day home, I've been trying to build that bond.  Some days there is a lot of hope that it's working and then 5 minutes later, they're at each other's throat. 

I know many people say that sibling rivalry is fine, normal, no big deal.  But until this ... we had NONE.  And I want that back.  And the hitting, pinching, etc is over.  It's mostly just a verbal battle now.  But still. 

One thing I make them do sometimes is hold hands when they are upset with each other.  Then I give them a chore to do that can only be done with 2 hands so they have to do teamwork.  By the end of the 2-3 minute task, they're usually laughing and having fun with each other. 

This school year, they all started public school.  Zoe found a little boy to be her playmate.  He's blonde headed and blue eyed and looks a lot like Luke.  You'll never guess his name.  OK, maybe you will.  LUKE.  Her playmate at school ... out of all the kids she could have picked ... is Luke.  Hmmm.

Then Luke has been telling me about his friends.  Joey, Ricky, Ukari and Logan.  He tells me how they play together, have fun together.  Last week, I asked which was his best friend and he said Ukari.  Then I met that friend ... you guessed it.  An Asian girl.  Ukari is an Asian girl.

So ... it has birthed in me the HOPE that they are finding friends that are similar to their siblings.  Maybe all that stuff I am doing is actually working on a subconscious level. 

Isn't parenting grand?  Especially the parts where we make stuff up as we go?