Blondie, One of My Life's Joys

Around 9:45 every morning the church school that is literally right behind my house makes an announcement that includes a daily verse. I like to let the dog out at this time so that I'll hear it. I let the dog out so that the Stalking Fairies think I have a reason to be out there at that time every day. I don't want to look like a creepy church school stalker, yo.

Today's verse was about counting your joys. It was very timely for me to hear this verse this morning. Every day the devil does his best to take away my ability to count my joys. A crazy schedule, a lot of bodies in a small house, the many demands & varied needs of each of those individuals, my own needs, the work required for a successful marriage & husband, others outside of my home who hurt me intentionally or otherwise...it all sucks my energy & brain power. 

Priorities, Eddi Girl, priorities. Count the joys & it all falls into place & anything that is fighting to bring me down just doesn't have that power any longer. 

I have so many joys in life to count. They're truly endless, every day. Out of all those joys, of course each of my kids share a high place in that list. 

I often think of what I would answer if someone asked me to describe each of my children or husband in one word. It's hard to sum up how you view the loves of your life, into one little word. When I do that, that little word holds so much meaning. 

With my 13 year old, Blondie, words that always come to mind are happy, sweet, loving, big-hearted. With today's verse, it's natural that she would come to my mind because, joyful is a great word to describe her. No matter what is going on, she finds the joy in it. 

I remember when my beloved Grandma J (Mama J as Amazing Grace called her) passed away suddenly quite a few years ago. The news was a shock & I dreaded telling my children. Every time I tried to tell them, a knot would choke my throat. After I finally got the words out & looked at my 4 children, 3 of them with eyes welling up with tears, I saw a smile spreading across little Blondie's face. 

I put my hands around her sweet little face & said, "Sweetie, do you understand what I said?" 

I will never forget the joy in her face as the smile got bigger & she said, "Yes! Grandma J is in Heaven with Jesus!" Then her little face got worried as she took in the tears around her, "Why are you all sad?" 

I hope she never loses that joy. I have learned a lot from Blondie & how she views life. No matter what is going on she has a smile to brighten my day & can always find something to be happy about. 

You know those people that march to the beat of their own drummer? That statement was never truer about anyone but Blondie. She truly does. Random. That's the word we use to describe her drummer's beat. 

And her favorite spots to chill out. This is the corner of my sectional couch. Because it curves & my living room doesn't, there is a little space in that corner...

...known as Blondie's Corner. I can't count the number of times I called her name to find her head pop up from behind the couch. With a smile on her face, of course. Every once in a while I peek back there to see the space she has transformed into her own. There is a pillow, a blanket, a cord for her phone, drawing paper & various pens, pencils, markers, colored pencils, crayons. 

There is also a Christmas decoration back there that my lovely Sister In-Law decided I MUST have in my home. It was originally my Mom 2's. That is its own blog post, so I'll just say that it's back there because Amazing Grace decided Blondie needed it to liven up her personal space. The fact that it is behind the couch where no one else will see it does not factor in at all, I'm sure. (Sorry, Mom 2!)

This brings me to Blondie's other favorite place to chill...

...the end of my bed between the mattress & the foot board. Okay, the back of the couch can make sense because when you have 8 people in the space we have, you carve out your own niche wherever you can. I get that. But this one...I can't explain. And I don't ask. 

While I'm on the subject of Blondie & her Randomness, which you all know that this is The House of Random, I must share 2 recent conversations with her. 

Blondie was telling me about a boy in her class that just annoys her to no end. Earlier this week they were playing floor hockey in gym class & Blondie just loves it. This kid was nothing not playing & decided he should just lay on the floor. Blondie, as sweet as she is, does have a competitive edge to her (I have nooo clue where she gets that from *ahem*) & she did not appreciate his noncompliance to actually playing on her team. 

Blondie decided that when he got up she was going to push him back down, "If he wants to be on the floor, I'll give him a reason to be on the floor." Is it really horrible that I laughed so hard I had tears in my eyes? Should I have taught her how to be nice to other children & how some people just don't like playing sports like we do? That's probably what a normal parent would do in this situation. I, however, am not normal.

I cannot forget the night Amazing Grace was telling us about something at dinner. It had nothing to do with drawing, pencils, or even colors, but as soon as Amazing Grace was done speaking, we hear, "I want to eat colored pencils."

Many heads turned to Blondie's direction, mouths full of food stopped chewing, as no one knew what to say to that comment. 

Blondie looked back at all of us, "What? They're just so pretty, I want to taste them." 

With a child like this, how could you not count your joys?