Lynette Bishop Snell

Family Exchange July 5, 2005

One of my fondest memories as a child were of summertime. Each summer, my siblings and I would spend one week with my cousins at their house in Ohio. It was always so much fun. I remember counting the days until we were all together again. We would go to Kings Island (an amusement park near Cincinnati), hike along old Indian trails, play games inside of the gymnasium at Cedarville College (now Cedarville University) where my uncle was a professor, catch lightning bugs outside at dusk, play hide and seek in their yard. The goods times were seemingly endless. And then we would switch. My parents would come pick up my siblings and me and take my cousins home with us where the fun would begin all over again. Except for some reason it was always more fun to be at my cousins’ house. New environments are always more fun, I think, than the same old familiar one. For a while anyway.

Now that I am a mom, I am making it a purpose that for at least a few days each summer, I take my older nephew and nieces (Ryan who is almost 15, Becca who is 13 1/2, and Elizabeth who will be 7 in August) and keep them with me. We play in whatever way we can and my own kids (Molly, age 7 tomorrow and TJ age 6 on July 27) are starting to expect it too. But I’m still not sure who enjoys it more: the kids or me!

This year, my brother (the father of Ryan, Becca & Elizabeth) and his wife, Ann, kept my kids for two days. It was the first time and my brother loved it. I was thrilled. My brother also has 2 younger children, Maggie, aged 4 1/2 and Nathaniel who just turned 4 in May. They are both Down Syndrome babies. Maggie is their birth child and Nathaniel was adopted from Ukraine in December of 2003. So my brother & his wife have their hands full 5 times over. The 2 oldest are very active in tennis, band camps, mission trips, gymnastics, pageants, etc. The 2 “babies” (as we call them) are in to everything and are true partners in crime. So it meant the world to me that my brother and his wife willingly kept my kids for 2 days…and actually enjoyed it!

Now I am going to make it a solid tradition I think. Summer time = Family Exchange time. I can’t think of a better way to pass the lazy summer days away!

Still here! July 3, 2005

Today was the big wave of my family get-together. We had a smaller crowd than usual and for the most part, it was a wonderful, pleasant and fun-filled day.

Tracy, my husband, started out by making his wonderful to die for pancakes. He had three “seatings” of pancakes: early birds (my in-laws and children), mid risers (me, my sisters-in-law), and the visitors (the rest of my family). I stuffed myself early on and that was a problem. When my mom arrived, she made my aunt’s famous “road kill dip.” It’s made of ground beef, hormel chili and velveta cheese…all melted and cooked and stirred together in a crock pot. It’s so delicious…I ate so much I almost wished I was the road kill. At least then I would have been flattened and the pressure would have been released.

Then lunch came…tons more food. I felt like I was just standing around eating. I think that is one of the things I hate most about big family gatherings like this. It’s just one large feeding frenzy all day long.

The afternoon (after several snoozes around the house) was spent shooting water guns at each other. No one was sacred: grandma’s, babies…everyone was fair game. I was so drenched (thanks to my 15 year old nephew) that I had to change my clothes. My mother even jumped in the fray and began shooting water guns at anything and anyone who walked by. It was wonderful to see her acting so youthful. She tends to be too “old” for her age sometimes and I like to see her acting young and foolish on occasion. My mother-in-law, Ann, is an 18 year old trapped in a 72 year old’s body. She always acts young and foolish! One of her best traits.

Another activity to while away the hours was target shooting with a bee-bee gun. We took turns trying to shoot the target and see who could get the bulls eye. I’m proud to say yours truly hit closest to the mark: One ring from the center. No one else got close!

The evening was spent on the St. John’s River swimming and jet skiing. My in-laws (Fred & Ann) live in St. Augustine. Because they have this wonderful place on the river, we generally don’t spend much time in St. Augustine itself. We have so much to do at the river!

We are now experiencing the traditional Florida afternoon/evening rains. Once they are done, we hope to have a wonderful early fireworks display off the dock.

It’s just tradition and it’s a great one. We had a wonderful day and I’m thrilled I got to spend it with my family, after all!

Laundry and Maid Service June 30, 2005

My 7-year old daughter stood up to me tonight and said in her best outraged voice, “Where are my underwear? You haven’t put them up yet have you?”

Suddenly I was seeing spots. And not the ones on her precious little pj’s. The ones floating in my eyes as the blood red fury slowly swelled up inside.

“That’s it!” I hollered. “I quit! I am never again going to put your laundry away. You are old enough to do it yourself. If you want underwear, go get it and put it away yourself!”

I left huffing and puffing down the hallway, muttering to myself, ” ‘Where’s my underwear?’ Who does she think I am? Her maid?”

I went down the hall to my 6-year old son’s room, meaning to kiss him good night, only to find him absent from his room. I said his name (in my sweetest motherly voice), “TJ?” I got no answer. So I said his name again (this time more in my best “Attila the Hun” voice), “TEEEEEEJAAAAAAAAAAYYY!”

“I’m out here mom!” His little voice yelled. I went stomping out into the family room hollering, “What are you doing? You are supposed to be in bed!”

“I’m using this cart to bring my clothes to my room.”

I could hear the wheels rolling along the tile flooring. Instantly I knew what was coming. I waited until TJ came around the corner pushing the toy grocery shopping cart, filled with? You guessed it, his clean clothes from the laundry room.

He happily pushed his cart down the hallway and into his room where he proceeded to put his clothes away.

I just hugged and kissed on him. It was so sweet…so innocent. There was not one iota of guile or manipulation in his sweet face. I was overcome. And immediately felt guilty. Here I was fawning over my son when my daughter was back in her room. Our dispute still unresolved.

I sat down for about 30 minutes. I knew it would come, and it did. Molly comes out and says, “Can you come here for a minute?”

I got up and went to her room. Not only had she put away all of her clothes, but she had taken everything out her drawers, refolded it and placed it neatly back in her drawers.Once again, I was completely overwhelmed and humbled. Children do that to a parent. Repeatedly and quite often.

I think it was about the 4th time that day for me.