A Weekend, A Cell Phone and A Confused Mother.

I'm catching up from the weekend.  It's nice to be inside.  It's hot and extremely humid today, don't bother to fuss with the curls humid, frizzy sheep head humid, I should straighten the mess on my head humid.

Will is downstairs recuperating from his weekend.  He is running a slight fever and has no appetite.

We kicked things off with a bonfire at the farm for Will's baseball team on Friday night.  Farmer Boy is standing up with the ball cap. He is such a good coach.  He kept stats for each of his players and at the fire he awarded each boy with a ball.  He wrote each boy's tribal name on the ball, along with some of their more impressive stats.  We all clapped and hollered for a job well done.  The kids ran around and ate copious amounts of s'mores, pop, chips and other highly nutritious food.  It was a blast.

Saturday, Farmer Boy, Will, and Elizabeth headed north for a baseball tournament that Will participated in.  This was with a special tournament team made up of only fourth graders.  The tournament was all day Sunday, but they headed up Saturday to take part in some pre-tournament fun.

 The tournament was by the Iowa Great Lakes.  There is not a lot of water in Iowa but we do have some.

Farmer Boy snapped this one from his I-Phone right before Elizabeth's bottom hit the water.

I stayed here on the farm to wait for Kelli to get back from Kentucky.  She got in late Saturday night and was tired and a bit sick.  She was glad to be home.  She took a long hot shower, climbed into her clean bed and slept.  Sunday we took it easy while we waited on news from the tournament.  She ate bananas, rice, and drank ginger ale.  I read.  Will played three games in the hot, murky soup of an Iowa summer.

 Bunting.

 Batting.

Pitching, although that is not Will.

His team did great.  They took third place.  I would have loved to see him play but I'll get another chance this weekend.

I guess he took in a little too much fun and heat.  With a day to lay low and hang out inside in the air conditioning, I'm thinking he'll be back to normal tomorrow.

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A while ago Farmer Boy suggested in the way that only he can, that I should be more forthcoming with my blog posts.  He thought I make everything seem to rosy.  Well, I'm going to take his advice so prepare yourselves.

We had a birthday here last week.  The party was Tuesday, but the actual birthday was Thursday.  Farmer Boy and I decided to wait and give our present on the actual day.  Usually we open presents as a family, but with Kelli gone we decided that the birthday girl could open her present when she woke up.  She went to bed excited about her present prospects.  I think she had an inkling of what she was going to get, and in her mind had dreamed up endless possibilities of texting and talking to friends on her new cell phone.

She was right.  We had decided to give her a cell phone.  We agonized over what kind of phone to get the birthday girl as we didn't want her older sister to feel like her phone was outdated.  After discussing many possibilities we decided on an "old fashioned" flip phone and no texting.  Birthday girl's phone was to be for emergencies and for her to let me know when I could pick her up at various games and practices.

When the wrapping paper was shred and she sat looking at her phone, her face told a story of dismay and disappointment.

"This is an old phone.  When do I get texing?",  were the first words out of her mouth.

She then proceeded to call her dad at work and after he said hello, she responded with, "when will I get texting?"  He hung up on her.

I sat at the breakfast table with my mouth hanging open.

Surely this was not my sweet, sweet daughter.  As I processed what was happening, my temper began to flare.  I felt it coming on, took a few deep breaths, and proceeded to tell her that the phone she was holding in her hand was a gift from me and her father.  Although I was shocked that she didn't want to accept it, I guess that was her choice, so I took the phone away from her and packed it up.  The gift was free, I explained, but if she didn't want it, her consequence was to turn 13 without a present.

I was seething.  I couldn't believe it.  What the heck?!  Are you kidding me?!  She thinks that she's entitled to a phone?  What! She's not entitled.  She's 13. I could care less if she thinks everyone else has the newest and latest phone with texting.  They can text my you know what.

I stomped around for a while.  Said some things to her that I probably shouldn't have.  I ignored her pleas to give her phone back.  I let her know that the bathing suit we had bought her earlier that week was ten dollars and she could pay me any time.  I also let her know that I would be waiting for the payment for the contact lenses she wanted me to order.

I stomped back upstairs and plopped on my bed.  Now what was I going to do?  I took it away but what now?

I'm still stuck there.  I haven't given it back yet, and I'm positive I don't want to.  She's has been very sweet.  She has asked forgiveness.  She told me thank you for the phone.

I don't know.  I'm sure there is a lesson here on grace.  Grace is free, grace unaccepted brings consequences.  Forgiveness is also a part of this story.  Maybe I'm not quite ready to forgive.  Does that sound horrible?  I'm honestly not sure how to move forward but I'll keep you posted.

So that's it for today.  A weekend, a cell phone and a confused mother.