That's how Evan was the first time he went into the Butterfly House - screamed like that gal in the horror movies who always trips while running away from the bad guy. (You know her - she's always wearing a white, flowy nightgown in the dark woods, turning her ankle, falling down, then looking up as the monster is coming instead of getting up and hitting the road again.) Anyway, Austin (Evan's brother) was really bad...an ant sent him crawling up my pant leg in tears. Until the day he died he hated any kind of bugs. Evan isn't as bad. The butterflies freaked him out. He'd pull his arms in tight to his body and kinda do this run-in-place thing, shuddering the whole time. Well, Grampa Paul always walks around with Lily on his shoulder, and after an initial hissy fit Evan got used to that, then Grampa just took it slow. Last year Evan held Lily just long enough for a quick, blurry photo, and now look at him this year! He asked if he could hold Lily. Then I guess he sat on the bench and just talked to her. Grampa Paul told me that Evan really enjoyed the gasps and shudders that came from visitors to the House when they'd see Evan holding her too.
I'm so glad that Tammy's ex, his new wife, and his parents are still active members of a united family. There is no absent parent bashing here from us, and none from Dan and his family when he's back there. Earlier in the year Evan was really acting up in school. Tam had tried several things to correct it, but Evan would slide back into that bad behavior every couple of days. So Tam spoke to Dan, they set up a Facetime, and Evan was presented both parents at one time, united and firm in addressing what was going on, letting him know they loved him but would not tolerate this, setting the consequences together, and it worked. They lovingly parent together despite the divorce. Grampa Paul, Gramma Jan, and Ken and I are all friends so there's no "grandparent competition", just "grandparent unity". Dan's new wife is really good with him too, and she and Tam have openly talked about what her role is so she knows there are boundaries she must respect, which she does. I know so often kids end up as pawns in an ugly tug-of-war, but I'm proud to say that that doesn't happen in Evan's life. I got a call last night from Gramma Jan asking what the latest news was on Kendra, and letting me know that she'd put Kendra's name on the prayer list at her church. So we don't worry when Evan goes back to South Dakota for the summer. He's well cared for, happy, respected, and because the rules are similar in both places he's not confused when he comes back. It can be done.....but both parents have to love the child more than they are angry with each other.
A little news on Kendra. The MRI they ordered was what they call "Shunt Specific". Now I ain't no medical expert, although I've had to learn more than I ever thought I would, but that tells me that they are looking at shunt placement to treat Kendra's Chiari. When I said that to her, Jenny cautioned me this morning that everything rests on the results and not to get set on it. So I'll back off for now but if they can relieve the Chiari by removing some internal brain pressures that would be what I'd like to see done. Tam and I are still going on our cruise - orders from Jen, Kenny, Ken, and my friends here.
I was getting ready to go to my meeting last night and Katie gave me a letter to take with me. I read it to the town council at our meeting last night. She's still pretty mad that the tornado was handled the way it was, and she let them (us) know about it! There is a video online of the tornado, and it's a full 5 minutes before the sirens went off. So she told council that I have "evidence on the computer". I also told her that it could be another 50 years before a tornado ever hits Cowley again, and for some reason she heard "15 years", so she told the council that they have 15 years to get a plan. That led to a 15 minute discussion, a committee being appointed to put a disaster plan in place by the next meeting, and Gramma busting her buttons. It isn't what she wrote, but the fact that she's learned that she has a right and an obligation to contact her government with her concerns that made me so proud. I've always said that we elect people to do a job, and then we go about our lives and don't supervise those we hired. Katie just got proof of that. I got home and she was still up with Grampa. I told her what the council was doing about her worries, and she absolutely beamed. "Well," she said, "I guess I told them!" Yes, you did, Katie!
