The Results Are In

A trek through the creek *** one 4 inch crawfish in Calvin's shorts (the shorts under his shorts).
A swim in the pond complete with friends, games, and laughter *** one sliced knee for Calvin and two slices on Jacob Luzier's foot.
A ride to the E.R. in Newton, KS *** 10 stitches, altogether, for Jacob and 5 stitches for Calvin.
Calvin's weak stomach when it comes to blood, needles, thoughts of blood and needles... *** 3 filled "goody" bags at the hospital.
A chance for Wesley to night fish *** 4 lb catfish and Wesley's Sunday dinner!
Three boys sleeping in the same room *** a very late night.
A three-day-weekend with the Luzier's *** three exhausted Graham kids!

Hai Ku

Calvin's Poetry Contest has got the whole family making new poems, and even lyrics to hopeful songs! This Hai Ku is inspired from my view on the 14th floor overlooking Downtown Dallas:
Breezy summer day
Frequently out my window
A brown hawk glides by

Close your eyes, Mommy.

Those words are usually followed with, "And hold out your hands." The first question I always ask is, "It's not alive, is it?" Then I make sure it's not slimy or used to be alive. That was the drill this past Monday when we got home from school and Lelia stood before me. After the normal questioning and I was allowed to open my eyes, the image to the right is what I saw. Introducing the 2009 K.B.Polk Elementary School Third Grade Science Fair winner! Way to go, Lelia Elaine! She did her project on Freezing liquids and learned much from all her research. That event gave us just one more thing to celebrate!

Earlier that Monday I interviewed for a Receptionist position at a Law Firm located across the street from the hospital Lelia was born in 8 1/2 years ago. I was offered the job at the conclusion of the interview and accepted the offer Tuesday morning. Now we get to celebrate big!

Update: Poetry Contest

If you have read the two poems in my previous post you will be excited to know Calvin's poem was was chosen as one of sixty finalists in the Dallas Public Library Youth Poetry Contest. He will attend an awards reception in April when the top three winners will be announced. The contest was open to kids from grade 2-12. I love having such creative kids!

More Poems

Every year the Dallas Public Library has a poetry contest. We decided to have the kids sit down and see what they could come up with. Lelia decided not to enter.

Owls

by Wesley Hugh Graham

6th Grade

There once was a dog named Owls

Whose howls continually curdled his bowels

His bowels made growls that curdled the howls

Of that poor dog named Owls

Seasons

by Calvin Russell Graham

5th Grade

The seasons come, the seasons go

From Spring's green grass, to Winter's snow

They go by, but I wish they'd stay

If only the season would not turn any day

The Spring with its cooling mists

Can I get any more of this

Sometimes Spring gives us pounding rain

A soothing sound that cools my brain

Summer brings scorching sun

Making swimming very fun

It gives us a few cloudy days

But after that, more sunshine rays

Autumn comes through with cooling breezes

The more you rake the more it teases

By making more leaves come down

In very lovely shades of brown

Winter snows and snows and snows

So your garden never grows

It starts and then it ends

Because the seasons are about to begin

THe Generous One

Christopher submitted the letter below to the Children's Director at our church:

Our daughter, Lelia, certainly displays gratitude but there is absolutely no doubt that she is the most generous person in our family and one of the most generous people I've ever met...no exaggeration. It comes so easily and naturally for her that I'm convinced God created her this way and that as she grows in Christ, the Spirit is going to use her generosity in very powerful ways to serve others in the body and beyond.
It doesn't matter how little she has of something, she immediately offers it to those around her. She will be given a single piece of candy and immediately offer to split it up for her two brothers and her parents. And if it's too hard to cut up, she'll offer for everyone to take a lick. (I won't tell you whether we actually pass the candy around. That may be a little more information than you need.)
It is a rare day that she does not have something in her backpack that she is taking to school to share: an article out of the paper that she knows one of her friends will like, a homemade picture or card for a friend or teacher, cookies for the bus driver...
Just this morning she took a loaf of my wife's freshly baked pumpkin bread to school for her teacher. And this ties into the fact that her generosity often leads our family to be more generous. In fact, even though my wife made pumpkin bread and pumpkin pies earlier in the week, she was motivated to make more pumpkin bread on Sunday night because Lelia kept saying how much she'd like to take some to school for her teacher as she was eating some of her own during the weekend.
I do my best to let Lelia's sensitivity to others' needs serve as my guide for following Scripture's command that we love each other deeply from the heart. If she expresses a desire to share something we have with someone else, I have learned to stop what I am doing to seriously consider following her lead. And rarely do I override her inclination even if it includes unexpected time, money, or effort on my part. I'm that convinced that Lelia has a gift in this area.
So, while Lelia displays the virtue of Gratitude, she embodies the virtue of Generosity.
Christopher and/for Jill, Wesley, and Calvin Graham.

Happy Birthday!

I called my mom bright and early this morning to wish her a happy birthday - I wanted to be the first one! The kids and I were ready to walk out the door so as not to be late at the bus stop when I realized the date and decided we could take one minute to call and get her day started of right. After she picked up the phone and gave a groggy morning hello we all sang our hearts out with Calvin's, "Cha-Cha-Cha's" adding flare and ending the song quite nicely. Mom was so appreciative and then gracious when she said her birthday is actually tomorrow. "No," I replied, "today is the 20th." "No... it's not." "Oh," I said. "Well, we'll talk to you again tomorrow!" And off we went to catch the school bus. I was, indeed, the first one to wish her a happy birthday!