Thursday, May 31, 2018

Oops, There Goes Another Rubber Tree.....

Day 3.

Honestly, yesterday by bedtime, I was only semi-conscious.  I mean for dinner, Mr. L and I ate tiny burgers, no buns, slathered mayonnaise on his and mine wrapped in a piece of cheese....and I didn't even care.

Last night, in my delirium, a song came to me:

Just what makes that little old ant
Think he'll move that rubber tree plant
Anyone knows that ant can't
Move a rubber tree plant.

But, he's got high hopes, he's got high hopes
He's got high apple pie, in the sky hopes.

so any time you're gettin' low
'stead of lettin' go
Just remember that ant,
Oops, there goes another rubber tree
Oops, there goes another rubber tree
Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant!

So, I woke up with high hopes.  I was at the grocery by 6:05 am to replenish snacks and to get something to fix for dinner for poor Mr. L.  When the boys arrived, I told them we were starting our day a bit differently.    We gathered on the white sofa in the living room, held hands, and I prayed.  I prayed that we would all act like Jesus, that our only concern would be that the other person's needs were met before our own, that we would listen to what Mellie said, and that Mellie would not be grumpy because her knee hurts.  There are those who would think that a dumb, self-serving prayer, and perhaps they would be right, but I believe The Lord cares about the details of our lives, and I needed some details of this day tended to by someone far more holy than I.  It is almost 3:00 pm and, let me just say, every day of Mellie camp will begin with a petition for some Jesus attitude. I taught the song (a version of it) to the boys and they really enjoyed singing with me.  Oops, there goes another rubber tree...

Krispy Kreme boasts the Hot Sign being on from 5:00 am to 10:00 am so we timed our visit there in anticipation of  hot, melt-in-your-mouth glazed doughnuts.  The only thing hot at Krispy Kreme this morning was the inside of the place.  Apparently, their air-conditioner was on the fritz.  For someone who keeps her thermostat on 68 degrees, it was a bit unpleasant to me, but my campers were not deterred and enjoyed, immensely, the decadent breakfast.   Oops, there goes another rubber tree...

Off to the Downtown Library.  Nashville has a most excellent library, and the children's section is delightful.  There is a playhouse, a small climbing wall, a puppet theater, nooks and crannies and all sorts of wonderfulness.  We had a talk about having good manners, not running, and being ever aware of the smaller children with a reminder that once they were the little ones, and now they are the big ones.  As is typical, Simmy made friends with a group of other children and, today,  Max enjoyed them as well.

Because Max is in a summer reading and activity program through the library, one of his activities is to put on a puppet show.  We seized the opportunity.  The puppet theater in the library is made to look like the Ryman Auditorium.  There is quite an assortment of puppets available to create stories of every kind.  The plot was a bit thin in our show ~ a skunk sprayed a turtle, the turtle fainted and The Grinch came along to make life even more difficult, but the turtle was unconscious, so only the panda and the fox had to deal with the skunk.  The best stories come from true life they say, so I suspect too many days at Mellie's after the skunk sprayed this house was the impetus for the show.  I politely applauded and then texted Max's mom to say that she can mark "have a puppet show" off the list of library activities.  Oops, there goes another rubber tree....

Upon leaving the library, the boys wanted to get a souvenir.  I took them to the free magazines, flyers, and newspapers that the library stocks.  I told them they could each get two publications.  Who knew Nashville Arts Magazine would be the six year old boys Playboy.  Lots of giggling in the backseat over a guy without his shirt on and a "naked lady."  Oops....just oops.

Afterward, we went to see Sheri for a brief moment so Max could tell her hi, then we came home for lunch and our art project for the day ~ t-shirts for Fizzy and the dads for Father's Day.  I can't post pictures because we don't want the dads to see them, but they turned out better than I thought.  We used bleach pens and an added bonus is my house smells clean.  Oops, there goes another rubber tree....

By this time everyone was a bit tired so the campers watched the rest of the Planet Earth they fought through yesterday, we did a directed drawing, they wrote in their journals, and now they are out having "free-play." They are back inside and I continue to have high hopes for the next 40 minutes, when Simmy will be picked up.  Max's parents are taking advantage of Mellie's Summer Camp of Excellence aftercare today, so he and I will read and he'll do some sewing before dinner.  All in all, a much better day than yesterday.  Oops, there goes another rubber tree plant!

So, for today and always, I wish you, high hopes, high hopes, high apple pie in the sky hopes!!

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