10-12-11 Communication

This morning Isaac was up at his usual time of 7am, showered, and getting dressed when the phone rang from the front desk. Apparently OT was coming to observe his ability to get his morning routine done. They arrived at 7:20am. Not very punctual in my book.They said they would come back. Hopefully the next time they will be "on time".

Dad arrived after Isaac was back from the clinic. I stopped at home to change clothes after work, since I work close to the house. I got to the apartment a few minutes after he did. Already watching cartoons....Typical boy!

We watched them for about 45 minutes, then he and I played a card game. I played one with the same concepts of the games we play at home. He was working on his hand, but despite my best efforts kept giving me the cards I needed. (Ugh) So I went a few rounds waiting for him before he looked like he was getting bored, then put my cards down.

We have decided that we need another car. Our two have been paid for since 2010 and 2008. Hers has over 100K and mine is getting close to 200K. They are driving fine, although neither is great on gas, but with two teenage drivers about to put the extra stress on them by driving different than we do we fully expect one will give.

The problem in our decision is that one of us is always with Isaac but we both need to drive the car to approve and sign the papers. I had a brainstorm and talked with Jesse, my college son, who agreed to stay with Isaac Friday night to let us both go and drive the style we found that we think will work for us. God give me strength to verbally "out muscle" the sales and finance guys to give us a better deal than our pre-approval with the bank.

Isaac, however, is going to the State Fair this weekend. We are not sure who from the family is going, but since Jesse cannot drive legally yet and they will not let us ride in the bus with them, one of us will be going also. I suspect that will be me, since Jackie really does not like the Fair. I will be going Saturday afternoon, then taking my daughter on Sunday since she is in a band competition all day Saturday.

High School marching band continues, despite life happening around it, you know. As a side note, if you can get your kids into band I suggest doing it. That is the best organization in the entire school (from 6th to 12th grade), in my honest opinion.


Lastly, prayer warriors, please rev up your engines. Next week Brea will be having her outpatient surgery. We are all a bit nervous, but she is (in her words) "wishes the surgery was tomorrow and not next week."

I watched a "discussion" today at work, between two people who have worked together for over a year without incident, that saddened me greatly.  If you find yourself angry at another tomorrow, please remember three things:

1. It will not hurt you to wait until you are no longer angry to deal with the situation.
2. What you see may not be the whole story, and the full story may reveal itself in the time you take for #1.
3. Words said in anger or frustration CANNOT BE ERASED when you later learn that the rest of the story would have made you react differently. 

I'm going to write the next entry about a story that was told to us by our cousin, that I later used with my older son to help him understand his place in the accident. For tonight, sleep on the fact that everyone would rather have peace, despite the battles we face each day. It is our choice to fight fire with fire, or with kindness and common sense.

Goodnight.