June 19 – “Where are the elves?”

Check off one more of those “oh, yeah, I almost forgot that one” chores that has to be done before we leave for camp.  In the grand scheme of things this was not really a big one.  Unless of course you are the one who has to do it.  I mowed the grass.  Can’t have it knee-high when we return home.  That would be like Chris going to bed with dishes in the sink or leaving for vacation without cleaning house.  I guess if I had left it, there was a small chance that someone would have come over and mowed for us.  You know, like that story of the shoemaker and the elves who would do all his work for him while he slept.  But when he stayed up all night to see who was doing it, they stopped because they wanted to remain anonymous.  Something about appreciating the gifts you are given and not worrying about why.  I promise I will appreciate any future occurrences of random elf-induced lawn mowing.  Or elf-induced anything, for that matter.

Cailyn also spent the day with us yesterday.  Well, she mostly spent the day with Chris.  They are like a couple of youngsters when they get together.  Female youngsters.  They do dolls and hairdos and makeup and dress-up.  Yesterday was dress-up.  Cailyn had on one of Chris’ skirts that she had rolled up and tied at the waist so that it would stay on.  And she was wearing one of Chris’ necklaces.  Gorgeous.  Just gorgeous.  After my shower we were talking to Cailyn about her upcoming summer activities.  Cheerleading she is very excited about.  She has been working hard on her two assignments: cartwheels and doing the splits. Ouch.  She’s getting pretty good at cartwheels.  She has the splits down.  Quite impressive.  After granting us a sampling of her tumbling prowess, Chris asked about her other big activity: swimming lessons.  Seems she has signed up for lessons with her cousin Josiah.  They are to be taught by Christina’s mom, who has been doing it for years.  So Chris asked Cailyn to give us an example of how she swims.  Undaunted by the fact that we were not in a pool at the time, she moved to the center of the room (the girl does enjoy center stage).  She raised her arms above her head to begin the movement … and the skirt fell to her ankles.  Couldn’t have planned a better comedic moment.  Her mouth dropped open, her eyes grew as wide as silver dollars.  She quickly squatted down to reclaim her cover.  All in the space of mere seconds.  And after another split second to process what had just happened, she burst into insane Joker-type laughter, joining her Nani who was already splitting her own sides, laughing so hard she was almost crying.  Nothing warms the heart quite like the sound of two little girls totally overwhelmed with a case of the giggles. 

Psalms 126:2-3 says, “Our mouths were filled with laughter, our tongues with songs of joy.  Then it was said among the nations, ‘The Lord has done great things for them.’  The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy.”

Father, thank you for giggles and dress up and a freshly mowed lawn.  Amen.