Well tonight I have been extremely creative for the British comedy I am directing in October. In this hilarious play, Linda the wife, starts taking classes after kicking her husband out the door. Now the props call for "a sculpture of a roman girl with a bowl" and a novice painting. After looking around the antique mall and the thrift store, I decided that if such a sculpture and painting were to be authentic, then perhaps I should take up sculpting and remember art class from my youth.

The funny thing about the sculpture is, it is used as an ashtray, so it's not so good. We had the most riotous time in the kitchen tonight making a bake in the oven sculpture. It is definitely a "roman" girl because of the nose we gave her. The bowl is perhaps a tad large but who cares, we do have to use it for an ashtray and a deposit for some rather gross sandwiches. I can say I named the painting "passion" by Linda, the wife, and I don't think I will sign the sculpture. Perhaps I should, then it could become memorabilia of the most famous British play that won all the awards in 2009. Of course it would have to be signed by "Linda" to be authentic. I must add, it really is ugly.

We have had such an adventurous week I can't remember much of it! Isaiah is trying very hard at school and is doing very well. He so wants to be the very best he can, and does his homework, unless he can't understand it. Mostly that is math, he is learning his spelling quickly, and really practicing his writing skills of which there was not many. He tries so hard to please, which I understand, as he is the middle child the same as myself. His struggles just to be noticed and complimented are sad sometimes. I wonder how a child can get to 13 years of age, and be so uneducated in so many ways. But, God is good, and His mercy endures for ever, and His mercy is surely reigning down on Isaiah.

Just a short week ago, he decided to challenge or try out our methods of discipline. It was labor day weekend and Ce Ce our 18 year old (and his older sister) had friends drive over from North Carolina. She had known one of them from the orphanage in Liberia, where both of them came from, and his friend, who she had met briefly when she was living in N.C. She was very excited to see familiar faces as she has not made very many friends here her own age. Well our Isaiah, felt a little left out. It was like one of those episodes on TV where the central character realizes his name has not been mentioned or he has not been interviewed for a little time. He sat in the corner literally, and had a very pouty look. Upon reminding him these friends were his older sisters, and much older than him, he got even more pouty. As the day wore on into the next one, he realized that we were not going to tolerate his behavior. He, over a period of 12 hours, lost his beloved camera ( a gift from Dustin, one of our older twins), and all his technical rights (TV and computer).

Before this, when he had been punished he had been beaten, or if something was taken from him, he never saw it again. In fact, I know that when he was sent back to Africa, he had bought a camera with his own money and it was taken from him before he left. He considers himself a photographer so taking this particular item hits hard. Anyway, he thought very hard about his behavior and within 48 hours decided that he would change it.

What was the saddest thing was, when I gave him back his camera and his privileges for changing, he looked at the camera, looked back at me, looked again at his camera, and then with almost tears in his eyes said, "I never thought you would give this back". Needless to say, since then, I have had a child who is listening and trying to behave just as we need him too.