We're Thankful for Blue Skies and Laughing Children

The doctors say Ed's mother is dying. On Thursday they were planning to install a feeding tube, but now they have decided there is no point. Prayers for Minnie's comfort and also for Ed's father and younger brother would be much appreciated.

Today has been good. The weather was absolutely gorgeous, and the kids spent hours outside. No one fell from the monkey bars or got a stick in the eye, and they are now all nicely mellow from having gotten plenty of exercise. Poor little N. got terribly upset this afternoon, though, when emergency vehicles were passing with sirens screaming. Apparently, she associates sirens not with "some poor person has had an accident," as my children do, but with "Mommy is about to be hauled off again by the police." So my usual line about "the policemen are there to help you" wasn't much comfort. They weren't really police cars anyway, but she was still very shaken, and I realized a little better that these poor kids, so young, have already had an awfully rough time of it. I hope that their aunt turns out to be kindlier than P. remembers her. Both kids have told me that their mother makes N. (four years old) stay in her room much of the time, and she is such an affectionate, creative little kid that that just makes me sad. So prayers would be nice for N. and P. too, if you are inclined.