Play the Ball Where the Monkey Drops It

This is a book I picked up at work by Gregory Knox Jones about why we suffer and how we can hope. This book is really helping me to reevaluate some of life's circumstances and unexpected events in a new light. The title comes from a story told in the introduction. British colonizers who were in India wanted to build a golf course and play golf. The monkeys in India at this time were quite prevalent and they became a nuisance to the British golfers. The men attempted to build fences to keep them out, but the fences could not keep the monkeys out. Furthermore, the monkeys liked to take the golf balls and deposit them other places. Eventually it became more of a nuisance trying to keep them out than to just deal with them. That's when the golfers decided to just play the ball wherever the monkey dropped it.

Yesterday, while reading, I decided to make a few lists. A list of the past (times in my life where the monkey has picked up the ball) A list of the present (things I'm worried about) and a list of the future (things I look forward to). The things I look forward to ended up being the longest list, but it sometimes gets the least amount of attention because so much is focused on the things I'm worried about and the hurtful things in the past when the monkey has picked up the ball.

So, on the days I need a good reminder, here's my list of things I look forward to. In no particular order, except the order at which they popped into my brain.

ordering graduation invitations
turning 27
getting my class ring
baby boy's birth
not being sick anymore
going to a UNT football game
mashed potatoes & gravy
creamed spinach
Life group
Rémy's first steps
studying for & taking my certification exams
Halloween with my little bat
graduation day
job interviews with school districts
developing my curriculum & meeting my students
prized alone time with Walker
putting together my boy's comic book themed room

It helped ease my mind a bit about the worries of the past and of the present to reconsider my short term and long term goals and take a peek at what the future may hold.

In Red Chair Series 9 Months

Just in time for Halloween....here's Fang! Our little vampire bat. Rémy can now stand on her own, and takes small steps toward mama or dada when she's motivated. She has three teeth; two i-teeth and one incisor on the bottom. Her knees never touch the ground when she spidercrawls, guess it's unladylike to get them dirty. She's had some adventures these past few weeks spending a day at the Dallas zoo, visiting with her great grandparents, an overnight trip to nana's house and a couple of baby play dates.

Baby Plagge 2 Sonogram

Here's our little guy...

In Red Chair Series 8 Months

Whew...better late than never, right? These past 2 months have flown by and dragged on at the same time. Who knew that was possible?

Rémy has developed so much this month. I didn't think I would have a favorite phase or time of her life, but I was wrong. I love this age in her development and learning. The possibilities seem endless for her. She is crawling around the house, standing and moving from object to object. She uses a little push toy to walk herself around. She is eating all sorts of foods, but loves to eat off of mommy and daddy's plates the best. She caught on very quickly to holding her own bottle and feeding herself after stopping nursing. She says 'mama', 'baby' and 'dada'. She understands the words diaper, more and bottle. She cut a canine tooth on her upper right side today! (finally) She's going to look sooooo funny in pictures with one tooth on her far right side! She caught her first sickness this month and had a cold that held on for a few days. She had some adventures visiting at Nana's house for a week and then at Grampy and Grammy's house another week.

While this next one certainly caught us by surprise, he/she is growing on me a little more (he he) and I'm becoming more acclimated to the idea.

These past two months in our lives can be summed up in the following statement....'If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.'

In the past 9 weeks since Walker's last day in the banking world we have had a scare with termites invading our bathroom, our air conditioner quit, we found out we're expecting, Walker had 2 failed attempts at the Math certification exam, Truffle was attacked by a wild animal and had to go to animal emergency to have stitches...among a host of other 'minor' things. We're holding on to the end of the rope...luckily we can only go up from here!

In good news, I started school last week and have applied to graduate on May 16, 2009!!!! MARK YOUR CALENDARS. Just kidding about the marking your calendars...but not about the graduation. Also, five minutes ago Walker got a call for a job interview tomorrow. YAY! And tomorrow we get to have a sonogram and see baby Plagge #2!

We'll let ya know how it all turns out.