"I praying to Jeezus"

If nothing else, our move to Tucson has enhanced my need to pray and look to the Lord more for strength, guidance, and patience. I have always been a heavy pray-er, but I have not always pushed prayer before meals. Turner has never gone to bed (in my presence) without his "Now I lay me down to sleep" and my special blessing over his sleepy head. In Tucson, however, I have needed my faith more than ever. Actually, I've always needed it, it is just that now I am actually appreciating the total lack of control I have over my life. So, at every meal time we are praying. Andy offered up the prayer he remembered from childhood: Come dear Jesus, be our guest, and something the food which thou has blessed. Turner recites this (obviously much more adeptly than I) but he always laughs before he pushes out the first line. I don't know why it is so funny, but I think he likes the way "Jesus" fits into his mouth. We do the standard prayer and then I or Andy top it off with our individual prayer much like the set up for night time prayers. Normally, Turner gets though the reciting part and starts scooping food into his mouth about half-way through my part. I've mentioned it before, but when Turner is finished praying he normally makes it known that the prayer is over for everyone.

Night before last we are putting Turner to bed and as we begin his standard prayer he stops us and says "I want to pray to Jesus". The way the word comes out of his mouth, though, sounds like a Texan - Jeeezzzusss. The z is super strong and the s is so soft and snake-like. So we altered our prayer to be to Jesus instead of Dear God. I must rush off to orientation stuff. I am really wanting to pray to Jesus right now that we get the Internet at home so I can keep my family in touch with Turner's life.

One last thing...Turner is LOVING school and, surprise surprise, they are LOVING him. He is using his manners more than the other children and both of his teachers go on and on about what a sweet boy he is (and smart too of course). They've had only three days with him. Think how much he can wow them in a month. Yesterday...ahh there is so much to relay and no time in which to do it...it thundered and I had promised to take him to the park if he was a good "rainbow fish" (a book abotu sharing). When I got there he said first thing "I was a good rainbow fish Mommy." His teachers looked puzzled. "It is thundering, but no rain Mommy. Ducks are scared of the rain." I explain to his teachers that we are going to the park if he is a good share-er. We go and feed the ducks in the rain with bread some other mom offered to us b/c this mom didn't have any bread that was stale enough to throw away...ahhh money really is a valuable resource and the last piece of bread for half a turkey sandwich is much more important than taking it to the ducks. Besides, there is always a mommy like the one I was in Lexington who brings extra bread for the "poor kids who have mommies too busy to remember". We all eat thoughtless words of judgement sooner or later don't we? sorry no time to proofread. forgive the errors