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little ponderings with the Big Guy

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Neighborhood Christmas Thieves’ Market

December 23, 2013 by Southern Sea Muse

Nobody prepared me for raising an adolescent. There simply was no handbook.

That is, unless, you count my mother, who shook her finger at me early one morning when I rolled in two hours well after curfew and she admonished, “Just wait until you have children of your own!”

And that same Nobody failed to prepare me for the digital age of eBay, when my teenaged fifteen year old who drove us all to the beach yesterday without incident, decided to do his Christmas shopping online after choosing the surfboard of his dreams.

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His mother loves a bargain but she didn’t fall for this one, other than the photo op…No, the piece de resistance was upstairs among a row of gently used surfboards, suitable for beginners.

Shopping for himself, that is. I had to gently remind him tonight about his budget and what he had (or had not) set aside to buy gifts for his siblings, father and…his mother. Um, hadn’t thought that far ahead. We had a lovely lesson this evening in the blessing of giving, of budgeting, of thinking beyond one’s own means. Of trusting God for the details and of thinking of others before self.

So as I’m preparing supper tonight, I overhear a conversation ensuing on the house phone, regarding fishing apparatus:

“Okay, so I  buy the reel off eBay (inferred: because I think I can convince my mom before you can convince yours). ”

Neighbor kid then says, “Then I’ll trade you the one I have that’s actually worth more. You get your mom to bid on the one on eBay tonight and you can have mine, and you can actually sell it for more.”

“Okay. Lemme ask.” “No, don’t ask…just see if she’ll do it…” “Okay…, but she might not do it until the morning.” “It’ll be gone by then…”

And so it went.

So he approached me in the kitchen in between that last load of laundry getting folded and supper to the table, and he did a very fine job buttering me up.

I smiled and told him no, not until I had a chance to ask Daddy (who was at work) and to contemplate the budget in light of all the flurry of Christmas purchases. This did not set well for anyone, apparently – my son dug in a little further and threatened that if I didn’t “act now,” all would be lost.

So I lectured him about trusting the Lord for all good things and not acting on impulse.

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Thank goodness nobody acted on impulse going in the water today – these Portuguese Man-o-Wars were all over the place, breeding season. Their royal purple hues match the royal purple colors at church celebrating the birth of our Christ Jesus, n’est-ce pas? Very timely….and seasonal!

I also reminded him that this same beloved neighbor kid still owed us a Tonka fire truck since 11 years ago he carelessly threw our son’s beloved truck  on to our play dirt pile and broke it. Son and I shared a hearty laugh as we recalled that dark day when both boys were four years old in our yard,  a couple years before Katrina when we all knew no hardships to speak of.

I believe I wrote a poem that day about them – I’ll have to dig that up. It was the one that didn’t get published in a mainstream children’s lit magazine – they chose the one that was glossy, not real.

But in the end my fire truck argument held no water, because que sera sera, and his “must order now” argument held no water, either, because the buck stops here.

I trust that the boys will work out their fishing reel dilemma with or without eBay, with or without the blessing of the mothers, and with or without the decade-old fire truck mishap.

I trust that the Lord will see to all our needs this Christmas and beyond, if we trust in Him and act on faith, not impulse.

May your Christmas be filled with faith, circumspection and hope for all things right and good.

Merry, merry Christmas, my dear readers!

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Posted in Christianity, Family, Humor, Parenting, Photography | Tagged Portuguese Man-o-War, Surfboards, Teenagers, Thieves' Market | 7 Comments

7 Responses

  1. on December 24, 2013 at 15:48 Our Life In 3D

    Great story SSM! You all seem like a great bunch! I hope you all have the Merriest of Christmas’!


    • on December 25, 2013 at 08:14 Southern Sea Muse

      Thank you, Mr. 3D…and a blessed & Merry Christmas to you and your family!
      ~~ssm


  2. on December 24, 2013 at 08:38 Let's CUT the Crap!

    Kids, especially teenagers…WAIT…it started when my granddaughter turned nine…Ya gotta love ’em but they do make your hair gray. 🙂

    Must hand it to you, Mom. Great job!


    • on December 24, 2013 at 09:28 Southern Sea Muse

      Thank you, Ms. Tess! Yes, our ten year old is already starting to give us similar fits…and more gray hairs. But at least I’m laughing all the way to my hairdresser 😀
      ~~ssm


      • on December 25, 2013 at 15:57 Let's CUT the Crap!

        At least the bonus of laughter helps parents stay in the game. Persist in the job. 😀


  3. on December 23, 2013 at 22:31 Betsy at Parenting is Funny

    I do not look forward to adolescence. In my children, that is! 😉 God bless you. And yikes on those man-of-wars!


    • on December 23, 2013 at 22:38 Southern Sea Muse

      Had they not been so iridescent and, well, everywhere, we might have blindly plunged headlong into the surf! That goes for both the jellyfish AND the adolescents 😀 Thanks, Ms. Betsy!
      ~~ssm



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