The things children remember us saying!

Isn't it funny what children remember? The other night my daughter was dragging the chain. It was past her bedtime and she was supposed to be in her pj's, with teeth brushed and in bed. What I heard was my daughter singing at the top of the stairs, what I saw was her dancing while watching her shadow on the wall. What I said was "I do not want to see you dancing or hear you singing. In fact I do not want to see you unless you are in bed."

The next morning I go in and give her a kiss, she pushes me away and says, "why are you here, you don't want to see me." I assured her I did want to see her, that is what mums love, now lets get up and cracking. "BUT last night you said you didn't want to see me!" "Actually what I said was I didn't want to see your cute self dancing and singing at the top of the stairs when it is bed time." That brought a grin to her face. "Do you know that I come in and kiss you each night whether you are awake or asleep?" "Really?" "Really." With that she was up, happy and off to school.

I later thought, isn't it funny what part of a sentence children remember. A wise friend once told me that we are used to being raised with the negativeas in "don't fall off the chair", "you'll get hurt doing that", and that is how we express things. What I might say next time is …. I want to see you in bed, now! Short and too the point, unmistakeable really. Well I suppose it all depends what one hears and remembers.

 

Here is one of my latest paintings. Enjoy your day and your family.

Desray



Trio, a set of three 4 x 4 inch painted canvases mounted on
repurposed wood that is full of character.
See more of my artwork at desray.etsy.com



 

The tough side of Alaska

Read the saddest story in the local frontiersman newspaper. The title is “Some students just want a bed of their own” Here is a little of what the article said; The district identified more than 900 students who were either homeless or don't have a stable place to call home. Some students are younger (primary school aged) children and either living at local church shelters or with friends, teens couch surfing etc. More than 300 of them were at the one high school. All having to figure out where your next meal is coming from or where you're going to sleep that night, if they will get to shower, some haven't seen mum or dad for 3 or 4 months.

Get this, “..recalls the desperate look on the face of one girl who had her backpack stolen. Everything she had in the world, including clothing, was in it........ The look of a young man who was talking about “how it's so undignified to not have a place to put your stuff, …....It's not like I'm looking for luxuries like running water or electricity.” Can you imagine what it might be like here in winter when temperatures plummet to minus 72 F? Well I for one felt like crying reading that. I had visions of opening up a school boarding house. My god, these things tie you in knots. One positive action is the school authorities are having a stuff the bus project to supply students with school supplies. That is a little something that we can contribute to. I am so appreciative of what I have and what my darlings have, oh how we take these things for granted.