The Front Porch Swing

[luvblues7]

Oh my very favorite ages are between 2 and 6. You can have the most interesting conversations with them, ala Linkletter. Lots of times I get us a snack sit at the kitchen table, and then just let them talk. Hilarious! This was one of my very favorite conversations with my then 6 year old granddaughter, Little Diane, shortly after we were granted full custody of her and her brother Jamie.
They had very little, if any, spiritual guidance, so when Little Diane came into the kitchen one day and asked me if I knew Noah, I was all ears. I poured us each a glass of Kool-aid, sat down across from her at the table, and settled in for the story.

"Okay, Gramma. A long long time ago before there were cars, there was a man named Noah and he lived in Illinois." Okay, this is already getting good! "Him and his family was really good, and they were nice to everybody, even mean people." I nodded and waited for her to go on. No point correcting here, let the story flow.....

"There was a lot of mean people. They were bad, really REALLY bad. They was LY-in', and STEAL-in', and CHEAT-in', and they did lots of other bad stuff."

I nodded again, smiling inside as her big, green eyes grew wider with every breath. She was so earnest, and was so into her story it was just heartwarming. "What happened, Bumbley?" I reached for my Kool-aid and started to take a big drink just as she told me,

"One day God looked down and said, (here her forehead crinkled up and she made her voice sound as deep and God-like as she could make it) 'Well, that's enough of THIS crap.....'"

Do you know how long it takes to get cherry Koolaid out of white curtains?

Oh Blooie, I have learned a valuable lesson today reading your story..... Note to self: ALWAYS GO TO THE RESTROOM BEFORE READING BLOOIE'S STORIES! That was so funny. I am the only woman at my place of work working with 18 men. I laughed so hard one of them actually came in to make sure I was okay, he left laughing just as hard. You need to put a warning at the start of your stories that's going to cause us to "spew" from either end.

 

[Triple Willow]

I love 'em in all ages until they hit over 18...then you can have 'em.  I love kids and they seem to love me for some reason, so that works out well.  I love their smell, their laughter, their energy, the way their skin feels, the little feet and hands, the innocent eyes and stories and all the things they are learning for the first time...simply fascinating.  I miss babies and when my boys were little..we had so much fun just being a family...we still do but it's more complicated now. 

Those little hands and feet are sooo perdy, aren't they? I love the little ones. Yep, those older ones get complicated for sure. Definitely impossible to figure out at times. I wonder after 18 when those boys make sense again, if ever.

 

[luvblues7]

I love those little ones. God bless them they are so sincere and honest. We have a little 3 year old grandson who says his name is Triton Steven Come Here! He truly believes that is his name. His parents are very mindful of his and his 5 year old brothers manners. A couple weeks ago Grandad took all of us to Chilli's for supper and being the true Grandad he is, he loves to pesters the boys and of course they want to retaliate. Well daddy didn't see Grandad pick'n on Triton but he DID see Triton not using good table manners and scolded him. Triton looked at Grandad and said "Well Grandad it looks like YOU got me in trouble AGAIN!"

 

[Regin]

My favorite age for kids is the tweeners, between 9 and 13. There just at the age where they're trying to decide who they are. Especially the boys, mischievous 10 year old boys are my very favorite.

 

[rrrmamma]

Hi everyone.
Blooie, I laughed so hard at your "Noah" story my husband came in to see if I was ok. I attempted to read it to him between gasps for breath and wiping my eyes. He just went to feed, laughing hard. I don't know what the critters will think, but I love it when he understands why I am on this thread. You really do need to publish your stories. Dedicate it to your dad for encouraging you to write it down.

I brought some of my famous shortbread for the goodie table. Hope you all enjoy it. Goes great with coffee or a cold glass of milk. (can't do buttermilk though) I love to cook with it and use it to marinate chicken and pork.
Spent the day deep cleaning the house. Guess it is spring fever.

Our friends were supposed to come to their cabin this weekend, but family stuff kept them up north again We have been trying to get together since before Christmas but things keep coming up to keep them from driving down. My husband was the minister that married them and we have become very close. I just hope that there is no problem with their relationship. They always made time to come down to their property. This is the 3rd weekend in a row that there has been a problem. Can you guys put your Prayer Power to work and ask for a blessing on them. Their families keep demanding so much time for themselves they don't have time for each other and their marriage. The husband lost a son last year unexpectedly and he hasn't been the same since. He really needs help to heal. Thanks.
Deb W

 

[lindz8504]

Loved the story about your grampa - wow...I'd have been right behind him giving you another whack! Do we allow banister sitting here on the porch?

I guess I'm one of those people who says, "Ewww!" and makes a face when it comes to buttermilk. And yes, I have tried it. I don't know what it is, but it seems to get all hung up on that little red bouncy thing at the back of my mouth and then it just hangs there - can't get it down, can't spit it out.....and then the gagging begins.

I am flattered now, instead of jealous, that I get to sit on the bucket. First time I've ever been told my backside was little enough to fit, so even though none of you have actually SEEN said portion of my anatomy, I'll go along with your findings. No more crybaby! I think we need to call it the "story telling pulpit" and whenever someone has a story or memory to share they can "pull up the pulpit" and feed our story cravings!

OH I could see that one.... I too only got a whippin when I scared mom. Usually me being held by one arm and her swatting at me with the fly swatter as I ran around her to get away from it.

Dad never laid a hand on me.... Though He would grab the hair on the back of my neck or Thump me with a flick of his finger on the back of my head.... To get my attention....

deb

LOVE this story! Oh, if only more grandpas were like this now, the world would be a better place....

My grandpa was an old southern Baptist preacher, and in his younger days he also was a moonshiner..... He had mellowed out alot by the time, I came along... I was "Pa's lil' darlin'..... the last words I said to him the day he died was that I loved him and I'd always be his lil' darlin'..... That man held a very special piece of my heart! He's the one who walked me down the aisle at my wedding, because he refused to be the preacher that married me....

Anyway, another story!!!!

I was around the same age, and they had bought me one of the big wheels jeeps.. "not one of the Barbie ones because they were too girly!" , but one of the red, "off-roadin" kinds.... LOL... Anyway, I could drive that think like "a boot-legger, runnin' from the law!" My grandpa was working on building something behind the house, and had a big stack of lumber piled back there. It was roughly chest high on him, and he was a good sized man around 6ft... somehow, there was boards or something laid down that made a perfect ramp.... So, here I go in my little red jeep, tearing down the hill hollaring "Look Pa! I'm gonna yump it!" (I was 4, so it didn't come out as jump, but as YUMP) He started hollaring, "NO Lindsey!!!!!!", but it was too late! Here I go, up the ramp, and over the big lumber pile.... well, almost........ my back tires caught on the top boards and I got stuck! Which is actually a good thing cause if I had made it across the pile, I would have been heading on down the hill, towards the river, which was only a 100yards or so through a little stand of trees! Pa always loved telling that story, and would laugh one of those deep belly laughs everytime! Oh how I miss that laugh!



On my wedding day

 

[Blooie]

I love those little ones. God bless them they are so sincere and honest. We have a little 3 year old grandson who says his name is Triton Steven Come Here! He truly believes that is his name. His parents are very mindful of his and his 5 year old brothers manners. A couple weeks ago Grandad took all of us to Chilli's for supper and being the true Grandad he is, he loves to pesters the boys and of course they want to retaliate. Well daddy didn't see Grandad pick'n on Triton but he DID see Triton not using good table manners and scolded him. Triton looked at Grandad and said "Well Grandad it looks like YOU got me in trouble AGAIN!"

Oh out of the mouths of babes! I would love to have been a dot on the tablecloth and watched the look on Granddad's face at that statement! Too funny!

 

[Blooie]

My grandpa was an old southern Baptist preacher, and in his younger days he also was a moonshiner..... He had mellowed out alot by the time, I came along... I was "Pa's lil' darlin'..... the last words I said to him the day he died was that I loved him and I'd always be his lil' darlin'..... That man held a very special piece of my heart! He's the one who walked me down the aisle at my wedding, because he refused to be the preacher that married me....

Anyway, another story!!!!

I was around the same age, and they had bought me one of the big wheels jeeps.. "not one of the Barbie ones because they were too girly!" , but one of the red, "off-roadin" kinds.... LOL... Anyway, I could drive that think like "a boot-legger, runnin' from the law!" My grandpa was working on building something behind the house, and had a big stack of lumber piled back there. It was roughly chest high on him, and he was a good sized man around 6ft... somehow, there was boards or something laid down that made a perfect ramp.... So, here I go in my little red jeep, tearing down the hill hollaring "Look Pa! I'm gonna yump it!" (I was 4, so it didn't come out as jump, but as YUMP) He started hollaring, "NO Lindsey!!!!!!", but it was too late! Here I go, up the ramp, and over the big lumber pile.... well, almost........ my back tires caught on the top boards and I got stuck! Which is actually a good thing cause if I had made it across the pile, I would have been heading on down the hill, towards the river, which was only a 100yards or so through a little stand of trees! Pa always loved telling that story, and would laugh one of those deep belly laughs everytime! Oh how I miss that laugh!



On my wedding day

I think I would have liked him very much!! And what a super picture!

 

[perchie.girl]

Quote: My son was not a snuggler.... didnt want anything to do with a cuddle. Not for lack of trying on my part.... but he was a hot box... MY goodness just a few minutes of holding him as an infant and he would be red in the face. Breast feeding was something we were very unsuccessful with... come to find out after going to a Lactation nurse his jaw was kind of crooked so latching on was difficult for him. He was a Franks breach And we tried to turn him too with no success. But the nurse said sometimes Franks breaches have issues.... So we worked on techniques and i was able to breast feed him about two months...

But for the most part Every portion of his life I have loved.... Except those first few scary months. He is Kind and logical and very scientific... Even when he was a toddler I would watch him do experiments with his food or toys. I allowed him to watch anything he wanted on TV because what he wanted to watch were shows like Cosmos, and Discovery channel and the history channel... I am a voracious reader and of course he is too... By the time he hit the second grade he was reading at College level.

He would come home disgusted with grade school because He had wanted to learn something the teacher was going to teach only to have it all interrupted when the teacher had to discipline a few that were causing trouble. On several occasions he would correct a teacher when they got a fact wrong.... Needless to say this made him kind of stand out to the bullys..... Sigh He didnt tell me any of this till after he started highschool and started having panic attacks. I tried to get him into some classes where he would have a male teacher and small classroom... Like small machine repair.... He liked the class but still panicked.

We found a solution because home schooling wasnt an option and i couldnt afford to get him into a private school. Here in San Diego we have a program called Phoenix High. It runs through the school system but is an off campus class room. Primarily designed for students that have to work to help support their home. Dean was the first freshman ever allowed to enroll. Primarily due to his panic attacks and the bullying in his past. Phoneix is run wayy different than Highschool. Same classes but each class is taught one at a time. It takes 40 hours of class time to cover a subject. So he would go in Take a test get a lecture then reicive his class work for the next week. So essentially he went to school one day a week.

He would get his homework done in about three days.... then he was off reading or researching stuff that really interested him. He passed his California High School Proficiency Exam with flying colors. Yet he will claim he did horribly because he didnt get straight As. You Know I never required that of him. I always told him to do his best. Even when he had trouble in math. I know that math skills can come later..... they did for me. I explained that it will take a teacher you connect with or something you have to deal with and you will have an "Aha" moment and all the math will fall in place.

His Aha moment came after he got his Associate of Science degree. And he decided to switch from Marine Biology to Astronomy. Astronomy is all about math and physics. So he took a Pre Calculus class. Yep he was at that level and still thought he was bad in math. He had gaps.... and he felt since he was a good test taker he was "faking it". I felt he really knew the subject deep down but didn't recognize it. He made the connection in Pre Calculus because there are alot of word problems in there.... (same thing happened to me... go figure) We are both deeply into words and meanings.... He more so. Plus he had a good teacher.

Now hes finally transfered over to San Diego State into the Astronomy program. His next semester he will be taking Astrophysics. He is working on analyzing the data from the Kepler satellite. Looking for XO planets.... for Doctor Aros. He just got trained on how to operate the ancient planetarium at SDSU and now hes going to be operating it tomorrow for a group of visitors to the College. Hes never done this before.... and for a kid that was afraid of groups of people he has come a very long way.

When people in our family and even freinds admonisah me for allowing him to waste money on a degree program he could never use.... I simply say... "its his life and his choices he needs to do what will make him happy, because if you do what makes you happy the money will come.... " Then I point out the things he will learn, computers, Databases, Engineering, Physics, Optics, Programming. He will be able to choose any field he would ever want.... Though he hopes to get involved with the commercial space effort starting up in New Mexico.

Besides hes gotten every grant he ever applied for.... and so far his classes have been paid by them. Hes only had to pay for books.

He turns 25 in October.


deb

 

[Blooie]

My son was not a snuggler.... didnt want anything to do with a cuddle. Not for lack of trying on my part.... but he was a hot box... MY goodness just a few minutes of holding him as an infant and he would be red in the face. Breast feeding was something we were very unsuccessful with... come to find out after going to a Lactation nurse his jaw was kind of crooked so latching on was difficult for him. He was a Franks breach And we tried to turn him too with no success. But the nurse said sometimes Franks breaches have issues.... So we worked on techniques and i was able to breast feed him about two months...

But for the most part Every portion of his life I have loved.... Except those first few scary months. He is Kind and logical and very scientific... Even when he was a toddler I would watch him do experiments with his food or toys. I allowed him to watch anything he wanted on TV because what he wanted to watch were shows like Cosmos, and Discovery channel and the history channel... I am a voracious reader and of course he is too... By the time he hit the second grade he was reading at College level.

He would come home disgusted with grade school because He had wanted to learn something the teacher was going to teach only to have it all interrupted when the teacher had to discipline a few that were causing trouble. On several occasions he would correct a teacher when they got a fact wrong.... Needless to say this made him kind of stand out to the bullys..... Sigh He didnt tell me any of this till after he started highschool and started having panic attacks. I tried to get him into some classes where he would have a male teacher and small classroom... Like small machine repair.... He liked the class but still panicked.

We found a solution because home schooling wasnt an option and i couldnt afford to get him into a private school. Here in San Diego we have a program called Phoenix High. It runs through the school system but is an off campus class room. Primarily designed for students that have to work to help support their home. Dean was the first freshman ever allowed to enroll. Primarily due to his panic attacks and the bullying in his past. Phoneix is run wayy different than Highschool. Same classes but each class is taught one at a time. It takes 40 hours of class time to cover a subject. So he would go in Take a test get a lecture then reicive his class work for the next week. So essentially he went to school one day a week.

He would get his homework done in about three days.... then he was off reading or researching stuff that really interested him. He passed his California High School Proficiency Exam with flying colors. Yet he will claim he did horribly because he didnt get straight As. You Know I never required that of him. I always told him to do his best. Even when he had trouble in math. I know that math skills can come later..... they did for me. I explained that it will take a teacher you connect with or something you have to deal with and you will have an "Aha" moment and all the math will fall in place.

His Aha moment came after he got his Associate of Science degree. And he decided to switch from Marine Biology to Astronomy. Astronomy is all about math and physics. So he took a Pre Calculus class. Yep he was at that level and still thought he was bad in math. He had gaps.... and he felt since he was a good test taker he was "faking it". I felt he really knew the subject deep down but didn't recognize it. He made the connection in Pre Calculus because there are alot of word problems in there.... (same thing happened to me... go figure) We are both deeply into words and meanings.... He more so. Plus he had a good teacher.

Now hes finally transfered over to San Diego State into the Astronomy program. His next semester he will be taking Astrophysics. He is working on analyzing the data from the Kepler satellite. Looking for XO planets.... for Doctor Aros. He just got trained on how to operate the ancient planetarium at SDSU and now hes going to be operating it tomorrow for a group of visitors to the College. Hes never done this before.... and for a kid that was afraid of groups of people he has come a very long way.

When people in our family and even freinds admonisah me for allowing him to waste money on a degree program he could never use.... I simply say... "its his life and his choices he needs to do what will make him happy, because if you do what makes you happy the money will come.... " Then I point out the things he will learn, computers, Databases, Engineering, Physics, Optics, Programming. He will be able to choose any field he would ever want.... Though he hopes to get involved with the commercial space effort starting up in New Mexico.

Besides hes gotten every grant he ever applied for.... and so far his classes have been paid by them. Hes only had to pay for books.

He turns 25 in October.


deb

Holy Cow! That's impressive as all get out!! You are obviously so very proud of him! And you should be proud of you too, for your unwavering belief in him even from the start of his little life. What difference does it make what others think of his plans for his future? He can see it clearly and so can you. Not to be critical of anyone for their dreams, but the background he's worked so hard for will do him a darn sight more good in the real world than many other degrees do for the folks who paid out the nose for them. He could have gone such a different way with the bullying and the insecurity he felt in his abilities. If I had my story pulpit handy.......