Remember when you were a kid and the word "carnival" just made you jump up and down in anticipation? Yes- the rides, the games, the food- it was such a great experience for you, but maybe not for your parents who wasted all that money on tickets and cotton candy and attempting to win you a giant Scooby-doo. I actually still like going to the carnival or the fair- at least once a year. It's a tradition.......

Well, today Nils and Marta were excited when they heard that we were going to a carnival. Annika and Mommy went to New York for the weekend, so we had to do something exciting! Thankfully Daddy met us out there- somebody had to finance this great adventure! :)

The carousel is the ride that you have to go on. Who doesn't like sitting on a fake horse that goes up and down while listening to classic carnival music? The kids picked their horses and off we went! After exiting the carousel, Kendall calmly walked over to the tilt-a-whirl, suggesting that we all ride it next. I immediately started objecting- things that spin me around in little circles while I'm already spinning in a big circle are not on my favorite list. But he had already handed a wad of tickets to the ride guy, and I stupidly kept walking toward the ride of doom. I have not ridden one of those things since I was a kid and passed out at the fair after getting off of one. And I hadn't yet thought about how Marta was going to react.
Starting out wasn't bad......but then the horrible spinning started- and you never knew exactly when it was going to come- first one little spin, then four in a row. Every time we started spinning, I screamed. Marta was crying after the initial spin, and it was downhill from there. Nils would laugh for awhile, and then he started saying, "oh, dear......oh, dear......oh, man!" I'm wondering if I said it first or if he just came up with that on his own. If it had been recorded- which it really should have been- you would have seen or heard this:

Spin
Melody- "AAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Nils, laughing- "oh, dear."
Marta, crying- "I want to get off!"
Kendall - just laughing- the whole time!

And why is it that the carousel is over in like 1 minute and the tilt-a-whirl lasts forever?

Then the ride guy asks me - while the ride is going- if Marta is o.k. Hello!!! She is crying with this horrible look on her face the entire time! Was he planning on stopping the ride if I could have said anything in response? I don't think I had time to answer before another spin came, which produced another round of screaming oh dear's and louder crying. I do remember saying at one point, "I hate this ride." That, of course, was answered by more crying from the little girl and laughter from both of the boys. A minute later Marta cried loudly, "I hate this!"

It finally ended. When it stopped, we all just sat there for a second. I actually couldn't move- I knew that I would just fall over if I tried to stand up. Kendall was trying to get Marta to stop crying....then Nils started crying because he realized we had to get off! It was definitely one of the most memorable carnival rides I've ever been on! Admittedly, between all my screaming, I was laughing, too. The kids were just so funny. But we have agreed to never, ever go on the tilt-a-whirl again.

Later, at McDonald's we were talking about the rides. Nils had gone on Pharoah's fury-the big ship that goes back and forth- and did great. He said, "That was not a spooky ride. That was my favorite one." And we all went down the fun slide twice. Marta liked that. But she gave a clear opinion on the tilt-a-whirl: "That was a stupid ride."

Funny Face

This picture just cracks me up. Nils was playing at the playground and stuck his face right up on the window to look at me. I was laughing so hard while trying to catch it on camera!

A Joke From Marta

Q: "Why did the chicken hug Melody?"

A: "Because he loved Melody!"

What Kindergarten Kids Say.........

Monday morning- not my favorite morning. Time to get back into school mode. Getting to school was not a problem today- and we were early! I walked into the classroom to a chorus of "Hi, Nils!" This was normal. Then I heard a little girl's voice:
"Melody, have you been married before?"
"No, " I said, as I tried to make sure Nils was going to his table and not running across the room to the video shelf.
"Well, then, get married!" She spoke it in frustration, and I just looked at her for a moment before turning to Nils to help him with his coat and backpack. It was soon forgotten as other kids arrived, but it was such a bizarre question from out of nowhere..........
I guess I'll have to make sure to let her know if I ever do get married.

Other recent quotables:

We were watching Fievel Goes West one day and had come to the scene where the little mice Indians capture Tiger the cat. From across the room I heard a girl say,
"Look. It's the Canadians."


Math class. The teacher was explaining vertical vs. horizontal. She asked if anyone knew what the "horizon" was. One of the boys raised his hand.
"It's a kind of phone, " he responded.

Reminders

I was sitting in the doctor' s office last night, hoping that the doctor would have pity on me and give me an antibiotic. My head felt like it could fall off at any time, and I was feeling rather sorry for myself. Of course, if I had gone to the doctor a week ago, I probably would not have found myself in such a predicament-but there I was in the convenient care office on a Friday night.

The last couple of weeks have been pretty insane for me. I'm super busy with work, and there are lots of things going through my mind about the current state of my life. Just last week I was having dinner with a friend and we were talking about some issues that I have been concerned about. As we parted, I said something about knowing that God is in control, but not really praying as much as I should about it. When I got home, I picked up a book I had been reading (The Discipline of Grace by Jerry Bridges) and read these words about depending on Christ: "Prayer is the tangible expression of our dependence. We may assent to the fact that we are dependent on Christ, but if our prayer life is meager or perfunctory, we thereby deny it.........God will work in us what is pleasing to Him, for He knows far better than we what really needs to happen in our lives at any given time."
Obviously I needed to read that that night. I knew that I needed to pray more earnestly and more often. Unfortunately, being the sinner that I am, I fell asleep while praying just a few minutes later. Well, I did better this week, but continually felt my body beginning to slow down- which leads me to the doctor's office on Friday night.

The nurse led me into an office and wrote down my symptoms, then left me alone to wait for the doctor. I sat hoping for some relief.........then I glanced at the wall and noticed something that you don't normally see in a doctor's office. Romans 8:38-39 was hanging in a frame on the wall. That kind of blew me away, but it was refreshing to read about nothing separating me from the love of Christ while sitting in that little room. Then I noticed the frame next to it. It contained the following words:

This I know
E. Margaret Clarkson
I do not know what next may come
Across my pilgrim way;
I do not know tomorrow's road,
Nor see beyond today.
But this I know --my SAVIOUR knows
The path I cannot see;
And I can trust His wounded hand
To guide and care for me.

I do not know what may befall,
Of sunshine or of rain;
I do not know what may be mine,
Of pleasure and of pain;
But this I know -- my SAVIOUR knows
And whatsoe'er it be
Still I can trust his love to give
What will be best for me.

I do not know what may await,
Or what the morrow brings;
But with the glad salute of faith,
I hail its opening wings;
For this I know -- that in my LORD
Shall all my needs be met;
And I can trust the heart of Him,
Who has not failed me yet.

The doctor came in then, and after a few questions, he gave me some free samples and a prescription and sent me on my way. I was, of course, greatly relieved to have some medicine, but the things I had read stayed in my mind all the way home. I am so thankful that the Lord throws little things in my path to remind me of His love and His sovereignty.