Saturday, August 2, 2008

Melody, My Bud of Joy

Dear friends,

It's my little Melody's 3rd birthday today! I've often quipped that it would be a miracle if I survived until this milestone, but I guess I did it!
















About a week before Melody was born, I had gone into the hospital for a pitocin induction. I was on high doses, but it didn't work. After two days we gave up and went home. A week later, my midwife told me to drink an ounce of castor oil ($1 at the grocery store, much cheaper than two day of pit) and Melody was born the next morning! In the meantime, I thought often of this poem by Amy Carmichael...

Bud of Joy
Amy Carmichael
Come, bud of joy, the driving rain
That all thy young, green leaves doth wet,
Is but a minister of gain
To that which in thy heart is set.
Come forth, my bud; awake and see
How good thy Gardener is to thee.

And pass, my bud, to perfect flower,
Dread not the blast of bitter wind;
Thy Maker doth command its power;
It knoweth not to be unkind,
Haste thee, my flower; unfold and see
How good thy Gardener is to thee.

Melody is my "bud of joy" indeed! She brings a song to my heart.


I took these pictures this morning. Melody is wearing her "bud of joy" dress with chunky flower buttons. Ben offered to help me button her up. We're having a little family birthday party for Melody tonight. Lydia is going to make carrot cake. The only two presents we have given her so far are a little green table and blue chair that I got for $1 each at a garage sale. Melody seems to think the table makes a better bed...

















Here are Ben, Rachel, Naomi, Joanna, and Melody. Melody loves to climb on Naomi's top bunk, but she can never get down. I tried to teach her, but for now I'll just have to keep rescuing her!









Melody can be such a ham sometimes. Joanna gave her this funky hat. I also bought her a baseball cap with blue fake hair attached to it, but I couldn't find it this morning when I went to gather up her presents to wrap them.







Melody fell asleep at the table the other day. Joanna took this picture, and the flash woke her up. Startled, Melody immediately started shrieking, "That's MOM'S camera!"





Melody holds a special place in the heart of her big brother, Benjamin. I thought you might get a chuckle from some posts that her 15 year old sister Joanna put on her blog about them.

Ben by Joanna on July 22
Last night, when I was about to start reading No, No Bunny to Melody, Ben (who's 5) came in the room. He walked over to us, and said, "Melody, remember, God is always watching over you, even when you can't see Him." And then he gently patted her on the head and walked back out. I just sat there with my heart melting! It was the epitome of childlike faith.

"The Daily Episode of Ben and Melody" by Joanna on July 31

Around mid-morning I walked into the boys' room...
Melody was bouncing around on Ben's bed. He wanted her out.

His solution? A trail of toys going from his bed out the door. Good idea? For most kids, but not when Melody is concerned. She just grabbed the toys she liked (carefully not getting too close to the door) and went back and plopped on his bed to play with them. She even counted them (a little gloatingly) "one, fhree, four!"

I could've easily brought her out, but I wanted to see his next tactics.

"I have to find something really special," he told me. He picked up his toy gun, and said something to the extent of: "Here!! Look at my toy gun!! It's awesome...don't you want it?! You can play with it if you leave!" She gave him a look that said, "Yeah right, why would I want that?" and went back to cheerfully playing.

"Gahhh, now I have to find something really lucky!!" He rustled around in a drawer of his favorite possessions and pulled out a plastic hippo and antelope. "Melll-o-dy! Look at this HIPPO! and antelope! Ye-ahh!!" He waved them around telling how great they were.

Again, the"yeah right" look from her. He tried bribing her some more, but to no avail.

I eventually left the room, but I think he was exhausted of ideas and finally let her stay in and play with him, Either that, or she decided to leave, probably to get herself a graham cracker. Typical.

~*~*~

About two weeks ago I took the five younger kids to Leu Gardens. Admission is free on Monday mornings if you enter before noon. Since our home school co-op classes start next week and they are every Monday, I figured we'd better "do" Leu Gardens while we could.









We always bring a drink and a snack to eat at the gazebo in the rose garden. Here is Melody watering up!




















The kids seems so small next to this thatch of bamboo!


We always stop by the lake to feed bread to the turtles and the fish. When Thad took me to Leu Gardens during our courting days, we ate apples and cheese next to the lake. So romantic!










A cypress tree with its roots in the water reminds me of the Psalm 1:3 -- "He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."








One of our favorite places, near the butterfly garden, is where there are two sculptures of orange pickers. Ben climbs up on the ladder to get a better look. If you've read my previous blog post, A Mother's Seeds, you will know that I am always waiting for the fruit to appear!





















Well, I guess this is the end of my blog post today. Happy birthday, my little bud of joy! I love you!


I've written some other blog posts about Melody. You can read them by clicking on these phrases...
Broccoli!
Me Too!
Miss Melody
Mommy Brain

Blessings,
Virginia (Mommy) Knowles

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