Alison Hodgson

Expert on the etiquette of perilous times.

Mini Insomniac

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This was taken several weeks ago, when Paul was out of town, right after my sister’s family returned from Vancouver.  I FOOLISHLY agreed to keep Rendini for a sleep over.  Number 1: a woman whose husband is on another continent should never add to the number of children under her care, especially, Number 2: one who is still on Pacific Time.

This photo was taken after midnight as Ren and I snuggled in for a sleepover.  The kid finally passed out around one.
But who could resist this sweet face?
“I’m happy I’m here.” She said while we were taking pictures.
“Oh, that’s a good one.” She said when we reviewed them.
I think so too.

Waiting

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Every time the phone rings I run for it.  Even when my sister is at my house.  I haven’t felt this…I don’t really know what verb to use…”tied” doesn’t convey it, nor does “controlled”.  I’ll start over: every phone call hasn’t seemed this important since my dad was dying.

Side note: If there is anyone in your life who has a loved one seriously ill, do call them, but know that the ringing phone causes a rush of adrenaline and a sense that your life hangs in the balance.   Don’t call early in the morning.
All that to say that Torey has NOT had her baby.  She is officially one day overdue.
This past Monday Paul flew off for Argentina, the same day Torey was going to be induced.  I was a wee bit concerned as the plan has been that I would take my niece, Ren, when Torey went into labor.  But I am trying this new thing that is actually an old thing, which is to trust God.  I prayed that I wouldn’t take on more than I could handle, but that I would have the strength to love and serve my family, nuclear and extended.
Paul is flying home today and will be here for a little bit, but there is still more travel on the near horizon.  We all know that P2 will be born when it is time, whenever that is, and I am still praying that I am able to help.
Last night Torey’s family came over and we ordered pizza.  I offered to keep Ren overnight if they got her tucked in.  We did prayer time together on my bed with all the kids.  Ren opened with an extremely long prayer, just when we thought she might be winding down she said, “It’s taking for a long time for P2 to be born!  When is she coming?”
Then she was quiet and listened.  “He says 25!”
Torey gasped.
Ren reconsidered, “I think God might be teasing me.”  She listened again, “He says 21.” 
We determined it was Monday and decided that was fine.
I’ll keep you posted. 

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My sister, Torey, is a beautiful woman. Those of us who love her probably take her beauty for granted. Because she’s pregnant I have been making a point of telling her when she looks especially pretty, but I don’t remark on it nearly as often as I notice. She’s really beautiful.

The other night my mom invited all of us to have dinner with some other family from out of town. Torey had done her hair and wore a shirt that is reserved for special occasions. She looked lovely. I wasn’t the only one to notice. Her daughter, Ren, did too.

“Mama,” she said, “you are beautifuller than roses!” My mom had a bouquet of roses on the table. We all laughed as Torey scooped her up for a hug.

Ren had just begun.

“You are beautifuller than tulips!” “Oooh!” We said

“You are beutifuller than princesses!” We all pretended wonder at that. I mean she was talking princesses.

“You are beautifuller than kitties!” She was getting into Holy Grail territorry. Kitties! Wow.

“You are beautifuller than puppies! Cept for Jack.”

We all burst out laughing. Torey was the first to admit, Jack is an extremely handsome dog. No insult there.

https://alisonhodgson.com/2007/11/621/

I’ve been meaning to tell you

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A couple of weeks ago we had my neice, Ren, for a sleep over to be sweet to my sister and her husband. Ren is an only child. Although it has been almost six months since she moved out of our home she still hopes to see her cousins every day. Many mornings my sister awakes to the sight of an eager little face and the question, “AmIgoingtomycousins’housetoday?” Seeing them every day is her heart’s desire.

So we had her for a sleep over and she was in heaven. She went down like a dream and woke up delighted to be at our house. That day Torey watched all the kids while Paul and I laid the underground fence. Her husband, David came by in the late afternoon and they proposed taking our big kids for a movie night and sleep over. The idea was to leave Ren with us so that Eden wouldn’t feel out in the cold.

Everybody was happy until ten seconds before I was going to scoot out of Eden’s room, having tucked them in. Ren became homesick. I had spent the entire day climbing up and down the hilly woods surrounding our house, sweating in a way that shouldn’t be legal and only wanted to collapse into bed. I called Torey. She suggested I sing “The Fox Song”, this song that has been in our family for generations. If that wasn’t enough, she recommended I tell her something to dream about. This would, hopefully, get her engaged and focused and keep her mind off her misery.

We, Ren, Eden and I sang the song which seemed to help and then I gave them their dream assignment which was rainbow colored puppies with wings who pooped flowers.

Both girls were delighted, but it was Ren who asked, “What do they pee?”

“I don’t know,” I said, “that is what I need you to find out.”

Both girls settled in and eventually went to sleep.

I just checked in with Ren and asked her if she ever found out what the flying rainbow, flower pooping puppies pee.

“Ooooh,” she said, “I didn’t…wait, I think I did…they pee good tasting food.” She looked up at me and blinked.

I think she just made that up.