A Historic Day

As a person of mixed race (Chinese and Mexican), living in the midwest, in a city where the last census showed a 97.3% caucasian population, I have worked for inclusion in the workplace and beyond for awhile now.
At first, I suffered in silence while co-workers made racist remarks, shocked and honestly not knowing how to respond. About 5 years ago, the company that I work for adopted a diversity initiative that was announced in an all employee meeting. I was so happy to discover that I worked for a company that would no longer stand for disrespectful comments about any of it's workers. I became the Chairperson for the local diversity council, and worked countless hours to try to educate my coworkers about other cultures, and to show other facets of diversity, so that the message of inclusion could be more easily understood by all. I also helped organize a celebration of Hispanic culture in the community for a few years, and then I became the Chair of the Kearney Chamber of Commerce Diversity Task Force. I've helped bring the message of inclusion to kids at Kidz Explore, a children's festival, and an assembly of Mariachi singers to Horizon Middle School students. I've helped to bring Inclusion Public Service Announcements to the local radio station.
As a mother of children who have suffered being excluded, and not understanding why - as the mother of a new little girl who looks different from even her siblings - the message of inclusion is one that is close to my heart.
I have heard for many years Martin Luther King Jr's "I have a dream" speech, sadly believing that I would never live to see the day when Americans truly would judge a man not by the color of his skin, but by the content of his character.
But tonight, 45 years to the day after that famous speech was given, a black man accepted the nomination of a major party for President of the United States.
I am moved beyond reason. No matter your party affiliation, if you are a proponent of inclusion -
this is a historic day.
Blessings all,
Lisa

Concert - Paul Wright

Hey all -
Nick, Ter and I just got home a little while ago from seeing Paul Wright, a Christian singer, in concert! It was a free will offering concert at Kearney's E-Free Church. Ter and I felt a little old, since 95% of the attendees were from local youth groups, but it was really a great concert. He reminded me of Blake on American Idol a couple of seasons ago. He did some sort of bee bop thing with his mouth. I'm absolutely positive that is not the correct terminology, but what do you expect from an oldie like me? Anyhow, if you're an AI watcher, you'll know what I mean.
Akaela stayed home with Billy (oops I mean William), Noelle, and Alex, but the concert was so good that Nick sent her a video and I actually called her and had her listen for awhile. I think she would've really enjoyed it. We brought home a cd, so she can judge for herself.
Work is crazy busy, and we will do inventory on Friday, next week I'll have month end reports to do, plus at least a couple of Red Cross meetings. Akaela now has started soccer practice, so she has volleyball on Monday, Tuesdays and Thursdays, and soccer on Wednesdays. In 2 weeks, we start family night on Wednesdays, and she will have gymnastics on Thursday nights. Ter and I are planning on dance lessons on Thursday nights, too. And all this is before her games start!
Noelle is doing a great job of practicing her spelling words, and learning her memory verses. Both are difficult for her, as in many cases, she has no idea what the words mean, so I have to explain what the word means, in the case of the scripture, what the scripture means, then she has to learn how to say them, and spell the spelling words. She is really struggling with the books of the Bible. This week she missed "Chronicles". She is also still working on the mechanics of English. She often says sentences with the words in the wrong order - I'm sure she is saying them in the order the sentence would go in Chinese. Once she started speaking English, I would listen to the whole sentence for the meaning, not word by word, and I have become quite adept at knowing what she is talking about. I don't even realize I'm doing it until one of the kids or even Ter ask me "Does that make sense to you?" Anyhow, I haven't corrected her every single time, since I knew what she was talking about and I didn't want to frustrate her, but now she is getting questions wrong on her papers. I know that her teacher needs to teach her the correct way to say and write things, but I know it's hard on her. In China, she was at the top of her class and I think she struggles knowing that she misses some questions here. She looks dejected when we work on her spelling. I can't help but feel for her. So much to learn, so far to go!
Keep the little one in your prayers for understanding, patience, and encouragement.
Blessings,
Lisa

Crush!

It seems that at least four kids in my house have developed crushes!
In order to retain my life, I will not mention the names of the "crushees" or even the "chrushers", but it has been interesting. :-)



One of them has come home every day with a big grin and stories of the respective chrushee's smile and other faces, and how they were "kicked" by the crushee.



Another has revealed the name of their crushee, and admitted to the crush itself, a first! (the admitting, not the crush)



One other has not mentioned the crush directly to me, but I heard it through the grapevine (we have quite a bunch in the house!)



Another one did not mention the crush, but I happened upon a text message that revealed to me the fact of the crush...much to my surprise - and to the dismay of the crusher!



There is only one who has not mentioned a crush, nor have I heard rumor, read secret texts. or even caught a dreamy look from.



So...our house is alive with possibilities, dreaminess, grins and oh yeah, homework! School has started!



Blessings!

Lisa

Olympicitis

I love the Olympics - the pomp and circumstance of the opening ceremonies - and the anticipation of all the atheletes - during that opening ceremony, they are all gold medal winners in their minds. This year they were incredible. And we have the added attraction of them being in China this time. Noelle is excited and so are we. She loves it when we get to hear someone speaking in Mandarin. She gets a certain smile on her face and tilts her head to listen, then translates to us. She cheers happily for the Chinese or the US, running around the table during track, her arms making wild circles during swimming, her unschooled toes trying to point during gymnastics.
It seems, though, that so many of the great moments on very late - I have spent many nights in the living room, all alone while the rest of the family sleeps, pumping my "yesssss" arm and blinking back misty eyes during the playing of the star spangled banner. And so...I am exhausted. I have spent more than two weeks staying up two or more hours past my normal bedtime. I am fighting illness, it was ahead the first week, then I rallied early in the second week, but it hung around till I weakened again. As I write this, the US women are fighting for the Gold against Brazil (volleyball), my head is throbbing, even after three different types of medication. Earlier, as I was watching, I dozed - lightly, I thought, but Akaela tells me that she laid down with me, that Alex was playing with my hair, and that they kissed me on the nose. Apparently, lightly is a matter of opinion. :-)
Though I am exhausted, and sick, I'm still a little sad that tomorrow night will be the end of the Beijing games. Sure, it will be great to sleep for more than 5 or 6 hours a night again, and regain a clear and hopefully, painless head...but for two weeks every four years, I watch the best atheletes in the world compete and make friends. I see the promise of youth and hope and excellence ... and I recall other Olympics, when the kids were young and I was explaining what the decathalon was.. and even further back, when I was watching Nadia or Olga with my siblings and parents. Little capsules of time captured in my memory, where the world gathers around their television sets cheering for the youth of the earth. How great is that? I'll take the headache, and keep watching for as long as I can...
Blessings, all!
Lisa

Hi All!
Our friend Larry is not going to be doing the Red Thread Kids site anymore....so we have moved to this site -

Billy and Alex have moved in with us!

Last weekend we went to North Platte to visit our new grandson, Shane ... and Kenny, Kristi, Breanna and Derek, too. For the first time in a long time, Derek and Alex got to see who was taller!
We have been glued to the tv watching the Olympics. Seriously. I actually got sick last week (from lack of sleep, I think!). I end up going to bed about 12:30AM. This week has actually been easier since I go to work at 8, because I take the kids to school first. We have to leave at 7:30 becuase I need to take Nick to Kearney High!

Yes, my baby boy is in High School! :-(
Billy will be going back to college and we will be helping out with care for Alex while he goes to school and works part time. It's great to have them around - this is the most we've seen them for years - and it's terrific to be able to spend some quantity of time with Alex (who is 6).

On one of his first days here, I asked him if anyone had explained to him about Noelle. (no one had) I told him that she used to live in China (he said, "All the way on the other side of the world?!" ) and that we went to get her around Christmastime last year. I told him that when we got her she didn't speak any English. He said, "Oh, is that why she speaks French now?" Kids are so fun!
Noelle has started the third grade. She said, "Mom, third grade books a little bit hard." Today she came home with spelling words, and by the time I got home, she had written them all five times, but she didn't know what some of them meant, so I had to explain the meaning of them, then she practiced saying them out loud as she wrote them, "scarf, scarf, scarf, scarf" And she has started learning memory verses...
She learned the first one last night and this morning she came bounding out of the bathroom and said it to me, "Inna beginning, Goda created da heaben anda da earth...Gena 1:1" Very sweet.
How very blessed we have been to add this little sweetie to our family!

Blessings to all of you!
Lisa