Love in Verse

During my culling of love and remembrance for Hart's 10th Birthday, I received this beautiful letter in the mail (the USPS delivered kind) from Steadfast Husband's lovely Grandmother.

Dear Ones,
Hoping all's going well for you and yours.
As I am not into videos, Ipads, tweets and such, I'll respond in my own way.
I have had this verse for many years; while the tense is wrong, the words are so true. Hoping you find meaning in it for you.

                                  I love you so,

                                        Grandma

God's Child and Yours -Unknown

"I'll lend you for a little time

A child of mine" He said - 

For you to love the while he lives 

and mourn for when he's dead. 

It may be six or seven years 

or twenty two or three 

but will you, till I call him back, 

take care of him for me?

He'll bring his charms to gladden you 

and, should his stay be brief, 

you'll have his lovely memories 

as solace for his grief. 

I cannot promise he will stay, 

since all from earth return 

but, there are lessons taught down here, 

I want this child to learn.

I've looked the wide world over, 

in search of teachers true, 

and from the throngs that crowd life's lane 

I have decided you. 

Now will you give him all your love, 

not think the labor vain, 

nor hate me when I come to call

to take him back again?

I fancy that I heard them say, 

"Dear Lord Thy Will Be Done" 

for all the joy this child will bring 

the risk of grief we'll run. 

We'll shelter him with tenderness, 

we'll love him while we may, 

and for the happiness we've known 

forever grateful stay. 

And should thy Angels call for him 

much sooner than we planned, 

we'll brave the bitter grief that came 

and try to understand.

Sammons Family Summer Games opening day!

Today was the first event of The Sammons Family Summer Games. Last week, the children received their first “assignment” which was to build a raft using materials found in nature to enter in a Raft Regatta. Each team had a week to work together and build their raft and aside from the all-natural materials requirement, the only other parameter was size; it had to be larger than 12 inches, but less than 36 inches. (Okay, I admit the size-thing was totally arbitrary, but it made it sound more official and well thought-out than the spur of the moment real-time situation that it actually was.) They divided themselves into 2 teams and got to work. After many raft incarnations, numerous meltdowns, and two race postponements, both teams rallied and had seaworthy entrants for today’s regatta!
Okay, if we had been in any type of official event, I would have caused our entrants to be disqualified! When the children placed their rafts into the river, I held them back with a fishing net so they could start side-by-side, at the same time. But, when I lifted the net, only one of the rafts started moving, so I gave the other one a little(ish) shove. The one that I helped along ended up pulling ahead-way ahead-yikes and won the race! Fortunately, everyone was content to call it a tie (or rather a “mom altered the outcome, so no one really won”!) Either way, The Sammons Family Summer Games is off to a great start-YIPPEE! The Raft Regatta was a big hit, and I didn’t hear, “Mom, I’m bored, there is nothing to do,” even once last week! The only downside of that is that I do so enjoy the opportunity to say “If you’re bored, then you're boring!" I’m sure I’ll have the chance before the summer is over!

The Sammons Family Summer Games event for next week is to ”Create an Original Parlor Game” (it was “Create an Original Board Game” until one underage smarty-pants pointed out that Yahtzee isn’t officially a board game because there isn’t a game board and “what if I come up with a really awesome game that also doesn’t have a game board-then it would stink because I wouldn’t even be able to use it, and that’s SO not fair and….blah, blah…whine…blah”). So, being the flexible, it’s all about the creative process, think outside the box..er… board, Mom that I am, I renamed the event. (Although I must admit, can-can girls keep doing a kick-line across my mind’s eye as I envision my children playing “parlor games” in a prohibition-era, smoke-filled back room!) But, fingers-crossed, the parlor game project will be as fulfilling (and time-filling) as the raft regatta!re bored, then you’re boring.” But I’m sure I’ll have the chance before the summer is over!