Two Roberts

Last Saturday we planted the first annual Venable Humphrey vegetable garden. Gigi kept up with Ethan while Papa supervised the planting.

Robert was named after my paternal grandfather, Robert Venable. Grandpa Robert was a farmer and he loved it. He grew cotton and when he couldn't grow cotton he grew corn, and when he couldn't do that he grew vegetables. One winter he joined a group of men who went to work in an automobile factory up north. But it was dark and cold and too far from the land so after about two weeks he found his way home.

My Dad worked on the farm as long as he was at home, which is to say his whole childhood. He tells me about picking cotton and driving tractors and harvesting corn. But his dream was not farming. He has always said that Grandpa Robert was heartbroken that none of his boys wanted to farm. Now he keeps a few tomato plants, he has a pear tree he chases squirrels out of and makes pear preserves for us at Christmas. Not a farmer, but as close as he'll get now.

Of course, I am city girl. I don't camp, I'm horrible at growing anything. I forget to water houseplants, I don't even know how to cut the grass.

Which brings me back to Robert and our vegetable garden. My Robert is crazy about the natural world, maybe its being a boy, or because he is so curious, or maybe its the name. He is always talking about "the environment." He has single handedly forced us to recycle, often declaring "if you're not part of the solution you're part of the problem. " At Christmas he drew a diagram for his babysitter about how to stop global warming by forcing everyone to recycle aluminum cans. Robert also proclaims loudly how wrong hunting is (not a sentiment he got from me I swear).

I have wanted to have a vegetable garden with him for years. And this is the year. Robert worked so hard, he carried 30 lb bags of manure, he hoed and raked and planted and was actually paying attention for a change. Its like he was born to do it.

It was so cool to be working on this little patch of ground with my Dad and Robert, Daddy telling us about how they planted when he was a boy...I felt like Grandpa Robert would have been so proud. I am really trying to keep the veggies going and can't wait for Robert to have his first tomato from his own garden. I'm working on liking the dirt, but I definitely enjoyed playing in it last Saturday.

Career Day

Robert is having career day at school later this week. I received a form to fill out and send back in. Let's fill it out together, shall we?
What is your occupation? Not to be too obvious or anything, but Social Worker/Mommy
Do you have a uniform? Not unless you count the extra shirt I carry around for the inevitable grimy hand prints of peanut butter or unknown substances that wind up on my first one.
Did you have any special training or education for your job? Social Work, yes. Mommy, unfortunately no I'm like everyone else figuring it out as I go and hoping I don't screw up too badly.
What do you do in your job? I could write a book on this one. I feel compelled to start with what I don't do. I don't work for the state (never have) don't take kids out of homes, don't help anyone get on or off public assistance of any kind (unless you count the little old lady who misreads the ad in the phone book once a month and calls about her social security). I also don't do dishes or Hunter's laundry...a girl has to have boundaries. As for what I do... aside from managing a household, trying to be a thoughtful and effective parent... I would say in my paid job I help people figure out how to make their lives better. Sometimes its their marriage, sometimes its dealing with grief,sometimes its parenting. I hope and pray I do offer some small comfort to someone each day -whether its my son who got in a fight with his best friend, my husband who is stressed at work or a client who just lost their father. Some days my biggest and best accomplishment is to get green vegetables on the table, others its helping a wounded soul figure out to heal.
What do you like most about your job?
Its never ever boring, I get a ton of hugs, and I know I am doing what I was put here to do.

Easter people

After a long and fulfilling Easter weekend, I am using Monday to catch up on lots of things. Including this blog. The community Easter egg hunt was a huge success! Four churches and over 300 people joined us to enjoy the park and beautiful day. Its a go for next year, although I may hand the organizing over to someone else. Mom and Dad came for the weekend, and thank goodness they did because it was a circus around here. Between me heading up the egg hunt, Robert's game and hosting an Easter lunch with all the grandparents, if it hadn't been for Gigi and Papa helping us out something would have surely fallen through the cracks.

We had a beautiful service on Easter morning, and even survived photos..the hardest part of any Easter. The only dark spot was Emily couldn't make it because she has the flu..feel better Tia.

What I'm reading : Nothing which is about to drive me crazy...waiting on a book from the library

What I'm knitting : and iphone holder

What I'm listening to: Diana Krall

Palm Sunday

Our church puts out a Lenten devotional. My submission made it in this one here it is...

Matthew 21:9
“The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted, “Hosanna to the Son of David!” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”“Hosanna in the highest!”

My oldest son Robert is made of pure energy. For example, he woke up at 6 a.m. this morning and by 6:15 he was literally running in circles and singing at the top of his lungs a song he’d just made up. All this was while I made breakfast on an average Monday morning. Robert loves church, he loves Jesus and he knows he wants to be his friend forever, but he really loves church. Unfortunately, his energy and my need for him to “behave” often make Sunday mornings less than joyful. There is lots of fidgeting and shushing and prompting and when he goes down for Children’s Moment I hold my breath and hope he doesn’t reveal some dreadful secret or inappropriate fact he learned on the History Channel.

But Palm Sunday is different. He lines up with all the other children in their new shoes and pastel shirts, clutches his Palm branch and for a few minutes he is free to shout and jump and generally express the joy he feels at being in church. I can’t help but think of the children in the first Palm Sunday processional. Caught up in the excitement of an impromptu parade and straining to see the man their parents have been speaking so passionately about. And then they see him and their joy is perfect. I think they recognized in him love and light and energy and a Messiah. Their joy could not be contained, “Hosanna in the highest!”

This Palm Sunday look for Robert his shirt will probably be untucked and he will certainly be loud. In his enthusiasm he may even whack another child with his wildly waving palm branch. But I will be smiling and trying to remember that church is supposed to be joyful and that he and all of his friends are teaching me something about my own faith.

Prattvegas

When I first moved here from Birmingham I never imagined how much I'd find to love about living in a small town. Today was full of moments that made me smile. They are in no particular order :



1. Opening day for Little League baseball complete with the national anthem, the mayor throwing out the first pitch and the kids throwing their hats in the air like they'd won the World Series.



2. Watching the air show from a picnic blanket at a place called (wait for it) Cooter's Pond.



3. All the kids in their prom dresses and tuxedoes taking pictures downtown by the fountain.



4. Having an impromptu cookout with our neighbors while the kids literally roam the neighborhood until the street lights come on.



Long live small Southern towns.

Baseball, bloody nose and fishing for jewels

Lots of excitement in the last couple of days here. My iphone arrived and although very impressive, it doesn't work inside my house...not at all. I am trying to make myself send it back but it is shiny and new....Hunter took off for a quick trip to Bham and a visit with Nolen. While he was gone we had lots of adventures, Robert got his first bloody nose. An accident while playing but very dramatic nonetheless. This morning he had his first baseball "practice" game. He got a good hit but was thrown out at first. Ethan roamed about and caused lots of ooohs and aahs but stayed off the field. Also, I managed to dodge being team Mom.

After the game we headed for a trip to Target and lunch at Cici's. (Robert's choice). I did break my Lenten fast and buy a new spring top, didn't realize I'd broken it until I was out the door. Which is the whole point I guess to make me more intentional and less unconcious in my spending habits...I did walk right by the Starbucks though.

Then home for more excitement as the smoke detector went off, the cat threw up and I lost my pearl bracelet (which I wore on my wedding day) down the sink. I handled the smoke alarm and cat issues but left the sink for Hunter. He was successful, thanks to some creativity and excellent fishing.

Spring Break and Jenvention 2010

Spring Break is almost over, Robert's room got cleaned. Tax Cut says my taxes are 75% done, not sure I believe them but I'll take it. We enjoyed our visit to Tuscaloosa for the annual Jenvention..we're down a Jen but it was lovely nonetheless. Check out Jen Mat's photo journalism of the event at jkmland.blogspot.com. Today Hunter took off and we enjoyed a family trip to the zoo. I am happy to report no tears or raised voices and the chimpanzees although violent did not precipitate a birds and bees talk. All in all a successful day.