Hadn’t heard much from Leah in the last couple days
since Sunday. When I caught up with her this morning at toddler-baby ‘Stay & Play’ at St Stephens church (what a great idea – almost more for the moms than
the kids!), I learned more. (Because there’s the chance that little guys might wander off, the outside door into the play area was latched. Leah’s friend Libby,
whose husband is the curate at the church, let me in and
greeted me with the words, ‘Oh, hello, auntie; come on in.” Wow, noice to be
known – made me feel very welcome!)
I don’t know if you can appreciate it or not, but
I only have to go down from my house the length of four houses, to where Selly
Park Road goes up the hill, walk up for less than five minutes, and there I am
at St Stephens.* Pretty great, huh?! That makes TWO places, and both on Fridays,
where I can easily catch up with Leah, as I always know where I can find her.
Anyway, it turns out that Katya had gotten a bad case of tonsillitis earlier in
the week, and had had to miss a day from school. Took her into the docs, got
some antibiotics, and by the next day, Katya was good to go. Amazing! (It is
kind of sad to realize that when we were out taking walkies on Sunday with the
family, she had been complaining of not feeling very well, tired and with a
headache, but we grown-ups just brushed it aside as we are wont to do, and
humored the poor girl into a longer walk. (Oh, you adults, you think you know
everything. Can’t ya ever just trust a kid?!)
Also other issues have needed Leah’s nurturing
time and attention this week. She apologized for being SO busy and not being
available more. I said, ‘Leah, don’t you know, love is NEVER having to say
you’re sorry.” No, not really, I didn’t actually say that, but something to
that effect: ‘It’s okay – no worries, really. I know how things are - you don’t
have to explain. I’m just here for you when and if you DO need me!” (For
instance, I suggested I come over some evening next week so Martin and Leah can
have a date night, as everybody – both students AND teacher parents – has their
one-week fall break known as ‘half term.’)
Later in the morning as I was talking with Libby
(I like to know about everything I don’t already know – in case you couldn’t
tell!) she mentioned something about the vicar, and in the context I could tell
she was not talking about HER husband. (Somehow I had gotten the idea that
Libby’s husband WAS the vicar of the church, and didn’t realize there were
different levels of church leadership.) She informed me that whereas the vicar is the
top of the chain in an individual Anglican church, her husband was a curate – sort
of the vicar’s assistant in training, if you will. She said that when they
first came to St Stephens eight years ago her husband had thought he would always
want to stay in the position of curate. But recently, however, he was beginning
to find that as he develops ideas, he’s getting the urge to see them put into
practice. The way things are, he has to go along with what the vicar thinks
best – it’s his church, after all. ‘Then that means, to follow your husband’s
career path, you’ll eventually have to move to a church of your own to, right,’
I said? ‘Yes, regrettably, that IS true,’ Libby acknow-ledged, and Leah nodded
sadly in agreement, not liking the thought of losing such a good friend. (Katie is Libby's baby, and she and her husband have a couple other kids who go to school with, and are playmates of, Katya and Oliver.)
Also had a conversation with a fun lady about Leah’s
age with a very tall little son. The interesting thing about Gina was that
during her college years she had worked in Maine at a summer camp for youth for
about six years running. (And, yes, she is definitely British and attended university
in the UK.) It seems that at the end of her last summer as a counselor she and
the camp director’s daughter . . . and a kiwi, she said, (You know, someone all
the way from the wilds of New Zealand.) were able to get a car (through the
daughter’s family), and the three of them travelled across the United States from
Maine to Seattle, south to California, then back East along the southern route
of the country and eventually back up to where they started. Can you imagine?
Man, what an adventure! (Anybody out there envious?!) Obviously she had managed
to get a lot of experience into her young life WAY before she got married. I
think at this point she has two boys – besides a big boy to go along with them.
Oh, man, I wish you could all see those cute
little toddler-babies sitting at the long, low tables, on their miniature
chairs, eating their snacks. SO cute! And even cuter still is the sight of the
moms and kids during singing time. A box of percussion instruments is thrown
out, so most everybody is banging something. They sing a lot of old favorites –
most of them you or I would know. Every once in a while a child would remember a
hand motion or a line and suddenly burst into action, then zone back off again. Oh, my, I DO love babies.
They are the most delicious of creatures!
*[The sad thing about St Stephens, along with many other churches in this country, is that, no longer supported by wealthy benefactors, they struggle with bringing in enough funds to be able to keep up the building and grounds. Pretty sad - this big, old, magnificent edifice, and ever so slowly it is falling into ruin.]
*[The sad thing about St Stephens, along with many other churches in this country, is that, no longer supported by wealthy benefactors, they struggle with bringing in enough funds to be able to keep up the building and grounds. Pretty sad - this big, old, magnificent edifice, and ever so slowly it is falling into ruin.]
Photos_
1- St Stephens
2- another angle of St Stephens, showing the annex
entrance for Stay and Play
3- two peas in a pod - Katie & Ella (said KaTie,
not Kadie as we say it – according to Leah, ‘Kady’ is a totally different name here)
4- out of the feet of babes
