Paying Back the Guy Across the Street

Whew- bet you thought I wasn't going to make my two post a month minimum for January! Let's see, what have us Cunninghams been up to lately. Oh yes! We finally got to do something nice for the guy across the street (the saga continues)!!

Bill came over to leave us a note asking if we wouldn't mind letting him have our free paper. I like to imagine that he didn't have time to stop by the ATM for the traditional bank roll he feels obligated to give gretyl, so he intentionally planned to come over when no one was home. Unfortunately for him, Gretyl got home as he was getting ready to leave the note, so he just left the note (and no cash) with her.

Luckily for him and us, we have another friend whose son delivers the free paper! They had six extras and if you believed Gretyl's version of this story, I sent her out in the 50 below blizzardy weather with no shoes and a two ton boulder on her back, to get these papers from our friend who lives 16.3 miles down the road.

Apparently, Bill's son's wedding announcement was in that particular week. So he was happy to accept them all. But not before double and triple checking to make sure Gretyl didn't have to pay for the papers. (Did I mention this was the FREE paper?)

Keenan is preparing his act for the talent show! I was very surprised, but excited, that he wanted to be in the talent show. He is going to be telling knock knock jokes. He is so cute, I hope it goes well. He has such a cute and naive presence about him, that I am sure he will be well received. We are working on making sure he remembers to speak loudly enough for everyone to hear.

I don't worry about him being nervous. He has never really known enough to be nervous about these types of things. He is always very excited to share poster, book reports, etc. That sort of thing would have made me very nervous when I was his age.

I remember when we were teaching Gretyl how to ride a bike without the training wheels. She was about 6, it was shortly before Kyle's grand entrance and Keenan had just turned four. Already at four, Keenan was hell on wheels, literally, with his tiny purple bicycle with training wheels. So we are in an empty parking lot and had just taken Gretyl's training wheels off. She is, as most kids would be, really terrified. "Don't let go, Don't let go". She is wobbly and in tears at the thought that we may actually let go of the back of her seat. We are out of breath and exhausted from running beside her.

Throughout the ordeal, Keenan is pestering and pestering. He wants his training wheels off too--like big sister. Finally, just to get him to be quiet, we throw our hands up and say "fine--we'll take them off," NEVER in a million years really thinking he will be able to ride it.

Keenan gets on his bike--and pedals away. End of story. No one ran beside him, he never faltered, just rode off smoothly, as if he had been doing it for years. Never comprehending that he could fall and get hurt. Of course stopping was an entirely different story. I seem to remember him not knowing how to stop and always riding into the grass and tipping over to stop. Eventually he learned, though. And his little antics actually did wonders to shame poor Gretyl into succeeding, too!

We are all waiting around to see if there is a snow day tomorrow. Lots of things cancelled already, we keep checking. My favorite is a place of business called Champion Windows. Most schools/business simply state the county and the status--such as cancelled, closed, etc. Not Champion Windows. Theirs simply says "PLAN B". I guess they must all know what "PLAN B" is. It's all so cloak and dagger sounding. Such secrecy for a Windows company.

Five Things...

You know what it is like to want something? I mean really, really, really want something badly? So badly that you find yourself bargaining with greater powers and making little *deals* in your head...."If I could just have this one thing, I wouldn't want anything more. This is really the most important thing to me ever. If I get this one thing, I will feed the hungry and stop complaining about stupid things. etc..."

Then you get it. And you do the happy dance and try to live up to all those little *deals* you made ..... For about a week..... Eventually you get used to having this *thing* and fail to appreciate how lucky you are to have said *thing*.

A friend of ours is having major health issues due to his diabetes. He is in need of a kidney transplant. Unfortunately, due to other complications he is at this very moment under-going a coronary bypass. Because of this, they want his body to have a good 6 months to recuperate and have to postpone the transplant (not that he has found a kidney). Mostly likely, he will have to go on dialysis shortly after surgery. At least until he secures a new kidney and is healthy enough for the transplant.

I believe he is only in his late 30's. He has a wife and three young children ages 4 through 9. His oldest child is severely affected by Autism and has epilepsy as well. He is the sole breadwinner for his family, and neither of their families live near them. I can't imagine how stressful and scary this must be for them. If it were me, I would probably be hoping, begging, and pleading and making lots of little *deals* with myself. It really makes you stop and think.

So here are my five things to ponder for today:

1. Waking up every morning to the man of my dreams
2. Filling our lives with the most beautiful children
3. Earning my college degree
4. Owning our very own home
5. Getting Keenan into Oakstone School

Each of these things is something I wanted very badly. Each of these is something that at some point in time, I couldn't imagine wanting anything more. Each is something I have come to take for granted. Today I find myself really focusing on them and appreciating them more than ever.