I really do feel ashamed of myself. And so does Kieran. Yes! So do I!
It seems like a year ago that we did our Slobberdog blog. There were so many things that got in the way. And you know when you stop doing something, then you get out of the habit. Yes, and then after a while you don’t even remember HOW you did it anymore. You don’t know how to work your brain to think up the stories anymore. I know. It’s just weird like after a while you don’t even FEEL like doing it anymore. You get kind of lazy. Your whole brain goes floppy and doesn’t want to do it anymore. Like the writers always say it’s called writers block. Yes, that’s what it’s like. Like a great big block in the head. No blood flowing anymore.
Okay, that’s enough now, Jesse. Are you going to start?
Yes! Well about a week ago I went with Hannah Dobson and Kieran to the Glen. It was so fun. We were so excited to be with her again. We haven’t seen her in a very long time. So I was very happy. Me and Kieran were very polite to the waiters and Hannah said we had such good manners. (She did!) Yes she really did hey. She even said that to Mommy. And Mommy just smiled and said “Oh you good boys. I am so proud!” LOL! LOL!
I will never forget that day.
So now it’s my chance.
Hey everyone! I am very sorry that we couldn’t write. Please come back to us. I don’t want to go down in history as having the worst blog ever. You know like ... it’s such a shameful thing. Like ... yes it’s like committing blog suicide. Imagine! I wonder how many blog suicides there have been in this world. Must be a trillion. It’s so very bad nobody ever talks about blog suicide. People are just too embarrassed to talk about it. It like brings shame on the whole family. Kieran ... GROW UP!
Okay, okay! Becky you are the best! And Mairi you still haven’t sent me that picture of me and you. Travaughna, THANK YOU for the T-shirt and the pictures and the sweets. Mom took a photo. We will put it up now-now. It’s a bit big, but it is so nice. (It’s just that you forgot JESSE!) :-) But I’m not saying that in a mean way! It's just that it's true ... YOU FORGOT J-E-S-S-E!
Okay, Hello Ceri. I wanted to tell you that Harry Potter 7 is coming out on DVD on the 12th April. Isn’t that awesome? My brother just pushed in front of me in getting it! But I don’t mind, he can get it.
Oh, ya! I went to Gold Reef City. Ben and I went with Christian and Heidi. Oh my goodness! It was SO awesome. Except every single time I wanted to go on a scary ride, I heard the voice of my mother in my head saying “Don’t go on there!” And then I don’t want to go and I only went on about 2 rides because the other rides were too scary.
That’s so weird, because when I was just a little kid ... like about 4 or 5 years old I always went on all the scary rides when my Mom didn’t know. She was always cross with me when I got home and showed her the photo’s of me on those big rides. And she was cross with the people who took me. She would point her finger at them and say ‘YOU - WILL – NEVER – EVER – TAKE – HIM – ANYWHERE – AGAIN – DO – YOU – HEAR – ME? BECAUSE - I – CANNOT – TRUST - YOU!” And she would shake her finger very hard between every word. But now ... now that I am big ... I am terrified of going on most of the rides. I just keep thinking ... what if my heart stops? What will Mom do without me? She will be so sad. I just can’t do it. God won’t let me.
It seems like a year ago that we did our Slobberdog blog. There were so many things that got in the way. And you know when you stop doing something, then you get out of the habit. Yes, and then after a while you don’t even remember HOW you did it anymore. You don’t know how to work your brain to think up the stories anymore. I know. It’s just weird like after a while you don’t even FEEL like doing it anymore. You get kind of lazy. Your whole brain goes floppy and doesn’t want to do it anymore. Like the writers always say it’s called writers block. Yes, that’s what it’s like. Like a great big block in the head. No blood flowing anymore.
Okay, that’s enough now, Jesse. Are you going to start?
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| Kieran and Hannah |
Yes! Well about a week ago I went with Hannah Dobson and Kieran to the Glen. It was so fun. We were so excited to be with her again. We haven’t seen her in a very long time. So I was very happy. Me and Kieran were very polite to the waiters and Hannah said we had such good manners. (She did!) Yes she really did hey. She even said that to Mommy. And Mommy just smiled and said “Oh you good boys. I am so proud!” LOL! LOL!
I will never forget that day.
So now it’s my chance.
Hey everyone! I am very sorry that we couldn’t write. Please come back to us. I don’t want to go down in history as having the worst blog ever. You know like ... it’s such a shameful thing. Like ... yes it’s like committing blog suicide. Imagine! I wonder how many blog suicides there have been in this world. Must be a trillion. It’s so very bad nobody ever talks about blog suicide. People are just too embarrassed to talk about it. It like brings shame on the whole family. Kieran ... GROW UP!
Okay, okay! Becky you are the best! And Mairi you still haven’t sent me that picture of me and you. Travaughna, THANK YOU for the T-shirt and the pictures and the sweets. Mom took a photo. We will put it up now-now. It’s a bit big, but it is so nice. (It’s just that you forgot JESSE!) :-) But I’m not saying that in a mean way! It's just that it's true ... YOU FORGOT J-E-S-S-E!
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| Thank you Travaughna! |
Okay, Hello Ceri. I wanted to tell you that Harry Potter 7 is coming out on DVD on the 12th April. Isn’t that awesome? My brother just pushed in front of me in getting it! But I don’t mind, he can get it.
Oh, ya! I went to Gold Reef City. Ben and I went with Christian and Heidi. Oh my goodness! It was SO awesome. Except every single time I wanted to go on a scary ride, I heard the voice of my mother in my head saying “Don’t go on there!” And then I don’t want to go and I only went on about 2 rides because the other rides were too scary.
That’s so weird, because when I was just a little kid ... like about 4 or 5 years old I always went on all the scary rides when my Mom didn’t know. She was always cross with me when I got home and showed her the photo’s of me on those big rides. And she was cross with the people who took me. She would point her finger at them and say ‘YOU - WILL – NEVER – EVER – TAKE – HIM – ANYWHERE – AGAIN – DO – YOU – HEAR – ME? BECAUSE - I – CANNOT – TRUST - YOU!” And she would shake her finger very hard between every word. But now ... now that I am big ... I am terrified of going on most of the rides. I just keep thinking ... what if my heart stops? What will Mom do without me? She will be so sad. I just can’t do it. God won’t let me.
FAMILY FOCUS
MIGHTY
Mighty is Pippa’s 3rd heart-kid. He turned 8 in October and is in Grade 2. Pippa loves him so much, and he is really nice little guy. We all love him. He’s just got one of those kind of nice ways about him that makes everybody love him. We all think he’s a lovely boy. He always smiles about everything and that’s amazing because he has a few things wrong with him, and he has to take just about a bucket full of medicine every day. No man Jesse that’s not true. You’ll make people think he’s a freak! Ah well okay then, maybe just a cup of medicine. A cup of tablets is bad enough, right? Anyway, it’s not the kind of medicine that Paul has to take. Paul has to take medicine because when he doesn’t he wants to kill people. LOL! But Mighty ... well, he’s just got body problems and his body gets sick when he doesn’t take the medicines.
Mighty’s Mom and Dad are still alive and they visit him sometimes with his bigger brother. His bigger brother is in another orphanage, near to where his parents stay. But his parents are also very sick, so they told Pippa she can adopt Mighty and Pippa was so happy because she loved Mighty since he was a baby and she always thought he was very special.
I think Might’s a clever boy. I really do. Now he has a teacher who really likes him he is going to be clever like his big brother, Matthew. Sometimes people at school say he smells. But shame man, that’s only because there’s something wrong with his ears and they leak all the time.
It breaks Pippa’s heart and once I even heard her talking to Mom and she was crying about it. She thinks maybe that’s why some of the kids don’t like him. He takes a little packet of ear buds and some medicine made of Tea Tree stuff to school every day and then he goes to the bathroom every now and then to clean them. There’s nothing the doctors can do. Ah shame man. Poor Mighty. I hope they find a cure for that one of these days. I love him ... he’s really cool.
Our birthday is coming up in two months. And then our blog will be one year old! We will be 12. TWELVE! How cool is that? But it will be nicer to be 13. Then we’ll belong to the brotherhood. Except we don’t think there’s going to be a brotherhood anymore. Don’t say that Kieran. Well, that’s what Mom and Pippa said, anyway. They didn’t mean it. Don’t talk about it. It was just because of the money. But it will be fine. You’ll see.
Okay, well anyway, one day I am going to get a guitar and drums. They are so cool. I'll have a real band! But it’s too much money for now, so that’s why I am saving up and then my Mom will take me to the shops and I will get them. Also, I am getting an harmonica. Is that AN harmonica or A harmonica? Not sure.
Guess what, everybody? We got a new Polo. (CAR - not peppermint) It looks much better than the other one because the other one is full of Reuel’s junk. Because the Saints leave their breakfast bowls and things in the car because they have to leave home early for school – like before 6 - and don’t have time to eat their breakfast before they leave. The new Polo is a lovely car and is so nice and relaxing. Pippa loves it. She wants it to be her car. She said ... this is what she said: “Pippa’s Polo! Doesn’t it have a nice ring to it?” Mom just laughed. Pippa never gets to keep anything. Specially cars. In no time it becomes everybody’s car.
Okay, well anyway, one day I am going to get a guitar and drums. They are so cool. I'll have a real band! But it’s too much money for now, so that’s why I am saving up and then my Mom will take me to the shops and I will get them. Also, I am getting an harmonica. Is that AN harmonica or A harmonica? Not sure.
Guess what, everybody? We got a new Polo. (CAR - not peppermint) It looks much better than the other one because the other one is full of Reuel’s junk. Because the Saints leave their breakfast bowls and things in the car because they have to leave home early for school – like before 6 - and don’t have time to eat their breakfast before they leave. The new Polo is a lovely car and is so nice and relaxing. Pippa loves it. She wants it to be her car. She said ... this is what she said: “Pippa’s Polo! Doesn’t it have a nice ring to it?” Mom just laughed. Pippa never gets to keep anything. Specially cars. In no time it becomes everybody’s car.
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| Pippa with her new car |
The other sad thing is that Christian and Heidi left. I was so sad I wanted to cry. But I didn’t. I was very brave. But I felt very sad inside. Well, I really did cry. Like Waaaahh! The way a baby cries. Like real tears. And Heidi cried too!
Wait now. Wait. I have to say something.
Something bad is happening in Japan. And we are all going to die ... Aaaaah! The world’s going to end. Aaaaah! Slobberdog is sitting on my legs. Kieran you’re nuts. Don't be silly about this. It's very serious.
There was a Tsunami on Friday. There was a big earthquake and that’s what made the Tsunami come. I feel very sad for the people who lost their homes and some people lost their families and some parents lost their kids and some kids lost their families. Lost! Lost! Lost! I hope they all find each other again. But nah ... I don’t think they will, hey! All that sssstuffff. That rubbish ... all on top of everything. Cars, boats, trains, houses, rubbish. Ugh! No. You couldn’t. I don’t think so. You couldn’t find somebody every again if you see all that stuff. I hope Japan doesn’t have any more bad things happening to that country. Not ever again. Enough is enough. That’s what I say.
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| JAPAN! |
Pray for Japan everyone. Actually, we should pray for every country in the world.
I think this would be a good prayer: Come on everybody, say this good prayer with me:
God our Father please help all the people in the world who have no real homes to live in.
People who have to leave their homes, families and friends.
Who have to live in tents or shelters.
May they soon have new homes and friends who care about them.
Please comfort them and make them feel safe again.
Father we think of the people who have no homes right now.
May they find a shelter from the storm. I think it’s cold there right now.
We hold them in our hearts Lord and lift them up to you.
That was so cool, Jesse. Say another one.
Okay!
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for all the men and women who risk their lives to rescue people when they are in danger. They sail lifeboats and fly helicopters and make dangerous journeys to try and make people safe again. Please help them to do their jobs well.
Thank you dear Jesus for hospitals and for the doctors and nurses who work there. Thank you for the skills and knowledge they use to help make people better and keep them healthy. Amen.
I am enjoying home-school very much. We even do exams. Like REAL exams. We have to dress smart and we go down to the office and it’s got to be quiet and then we do real exams.
Guess what ... I now have my own e-mail. But I am not allowed to tell the whole world my address. Because what if someone actually acts like they are someone else and tries to find me? Evil child traffickers. Grrr. Better not come near me! I was so happy that I got that e-mail you sent me Becky. It was so lovely and I told everybody what you told me to say to them. They all smiled they were so happy.
My Mom told me she wants to change my name to ANTHONY. (She was joking). Because there is a saint called St. Anthony and he is like my saint because every single time something is lost in the house, they ask me to come and help. And then I ask St. Anthony to help me, and then I ALWAYS find the stuff. But my Mom says she will never EVER change my name because Kieran is the most beautiful name in the whole wide world!
One day I am going to teach kids how to read. I am such a good reader. And guess what? I have a lot of gifts and no-one can take my gift away from me. Plus now that I am at home-school I am learning Afrikaans. And my teacher, Nicholas is teaching me so well, that I can actually speak Afrikaans now. I can say ... Hoe gaan dit met jou? Wat is jou naam and in answer I can say, My naam is Kieran. I can say lots of stuff already. Nicholas is a great teacher. (But I still miss Heidi and Christian!)
Plus, I also have another teacher. He is so cool. His name is GEORGE! Imagine, having a teacher called GEORGE! We don't have a picture of him right now. I will get one for next time.
I think this would be a good prayer: Come on everybody, say this good prayer with me:
God our Father please help all the people in the world who have no real homes to live in.
People who have to leave their homes, families and friends.
Who have to live in tents or shelters.
May they soon have new homes and friends who care about them.
Please comfort them and make them feel safe again.
Father we think of the people who have no homes right now.
May they find a shelter from the storm. I think it’s cold there right now.
We hold them in our hearts Lord and lift them up to you.
That was so cool, Jesse. Say another one.
Okay!
Dear Jesus,
Thank you for all the men and women who risk their lives to rescue people when they are in danger. They sail lifeboats and fly helicopters and make dangerous journeys to try and make people safe again. Please help them to do their jobs well.
Thank you dear Jesus for hospitals and for the doctors and nurses who work there. Thank you for the skills and knowledge they use to help make people better and keep them healthy. Amen.
I am enjoying home-school very much. We even do exams. Like REAL exams. We have to dress smart and we go down to the office and it’s got to be quiet and then we do real exams.
Guess what ... I now have my own e-mail. But I am not allowed to tell the whole world my address. Because what if someone actually acts like they are someone else and tries to find me? Evil child traffickers. Grrr. Better not come near me! I was so happy that I got that e-mail you sent me Becky. It was so lovely and I told everybody what you told me to say to them. They all smiled they were so happy.
My Mom told me she wants to change my name to ANTHONY. (She was joking). Because there is a saint called St. Anthony and he is like my saint because every single time something is lost in the house, they ask me to come and help. And then I ask St. Anthony to help me, and then I ALWAYS find the stuff. But my Mom says she will never EVER change my name because Kieran is the most beautiful name in the whole wide world!
One day I am going to teach kids how to read. I am such a good reader. And guess what? I have a lot of gifts and no-one can take my gift away from me. Plus now that I am at home-school I am learning Afrikaans. And my teacher, Nicholas is teaching me so well, that I can actually speak Afrikaans now. I can say ... Hoe gaan dit met jou? Wat is jou naam and in answer I can say, My naam is Kieran. I can say lots of stuff already. Nicholas is a great teacher. (But I still miss Heidi and Christian!)
Plus, I also have another teacher. He is so cool. His name is GEORGE! Imagine, having a teacher called GEORGE! We don't have a picture of him right now. I will get one for next time.
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| Nicholas and Kieran |
And I wanted to tell you something about Slobberdog, hey! You see one day he was lying on the floor in the dining room, just under Nicholas’ feet. Mom and a few of us were sitting in Mom’s bedroom and we were just chilling and chatting. Then Dominique came running in and said: “Mom! Mom! Come quickly. Slobberdog is bleeding to death!” We all went quiet and just stared at her. Mom said ... “No man!” Then Dominique said. “Yes, Mom! Really! Come and see. Quickly. Quickly.” Then Mom got up quickly and said to Dominique. “You better not be joking with me Scallywag.” LOL! MOM sometimes calls us scallywags!
We were all trying to hurry behind Mom. Hopping and skipping and pushing and bunching. Because we were all in a hurry and we all wanted to see what’s going on. When we got to Slobberdog all our heads bent over him. He seemed to be fast asleep. And then we all saw it! A great, big puddle of blood on the floor by his belly, and it was squirting out of a hole in his tummy.
We thought of carrying him to the car but he is so very huge and heavy. And anyway, he didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong and he didn’t hurt or anything. So I rushed to the fridge and got a piece of polony and brought it to Mom. She shoved it under his nose and he was up like a shot. She ran to the car, and I ran to her bedroom and grabbed her car keys and handbag and took them to her. By the time I got to the car Slobber was already sitting proudly on the back seat. (He LOVES going in the car) But there was blood EVERYWHERE!
Mom drove off in a cloud of dust. We were all scared. We couldn’t imagine life without Slobberdog and we really thought he could be bleeding to death. So we got all quiet. We were sitting by the driveway. Just walking around in circles. Kicking stones and stuff.
Then Tommy said: “Jesse ... pray for us.”
Yeah, and then I said ... “Good idea, close your eyes guys.”
Yes, then we all closed our eyes. And Jesse prayed so loud I got a big fright! He just yelled that prayer out. I think even God got a fright. I think if he was having a snooze he would have nearly fallen off his throne! LOL! Stop that Kieran! You’re so disrespectful sometimes. Geez Louise!
So I just prayed and I was so worried, that’s why my prayer was really loud. I always get louder when I'm scared or worried. So I said:
“Oh Father! Oh Father! Help Slobberdog Father! St. Francis you were the saint who loved all animals so much that even the birds sat on your shoulders when you prayed. St. Francis join me while I pray and ask our heavenly Father not to let Slobberdog die, but that he gets healed and comes home with Mommy again. Please Father God hear our prayer. Please, please Jesus! Lord please have mercy on our dog.” That was how I prayed. I prayed with all my heart.
Then we waited and waited till Mommy’s car came in the gate. We all ran up to the gate and she drove past us up to the house. We were very sad. We didn’t see Slobberdog on the backseat this time. We thought ... oh no. Slobberdog is gone. Like Gandalf. Just like Gandalf. And Iceman. And Tequilla. And Maria. All dead and gone. And I really felt like crying.
But then Mom got out of the car she was SMILING! And we knew that God answered our prayers. Then she said. "That hole where the blood was shooting out from was a tumour. He has quite a few. So Dr. Shear is keeping him for the night and is cutting out all those tumours and he can come home tomorrow.” We were all dancing, and hugging each other, and singing. And I was just saying “Thank you God! Thank you God! Thank you God!” Because I knew that nobody else could have helped our lovely Slobberdog, except God. I love God so much!
Gee ... so do I!
I love all of you. And plus, pray for Japan. Don’t forget ... well, actually, pray for the whole world! AMEN and goodbye. Love you and lots of kisses.
We were all trying to hurry behind Mom. Hopping and skipping and pushing and bunching. Because we were all in a hurry and we all wanted to see what’s going on. When we got to Slobberdog all our heads bent over him. He seemed to be fast asleep. And then we all saw it! A great, big puddle of blood on the floor by his belly, and it was squirting out of a hole in his tummy.
We thought of carrying him to the car but he is so very huge and heavy. And anyway, he didn’t seem to think there was anything wrong and he didn’t hurt or anything. So I rushed to the fridge and got a piece of polony and brought it to Mom. She shoved it under his nose and he was up like a shot. She ran to the car, and I ran to her bedroom and grabbed her car keys and handbag and took them to her. By the time I got to the car Slobber was already sitting proudly on the back seat. (He LOVES going in the car) But there was blood EVERYWHERE!
Mom drove off in a cloud of dust. We were all scared. We couldn’t imagine life without Slobberdog and we really thought he could be bleeding to death. So we got all quiet. We were sitting by the driveway. Just walking around in circles. Kicking stones and stuff.
Then Tommy said: “Jesse ... pray for us.”
Yeah, and then I said ... “Good idea, close your eyes guys.”
Yes, then we all closed our eyes. And Jesse prayed so loud I got a big fright! He just yelled that prayer out. I think even God got a fright. I think if he was having a snooze he would have nearly fallen off his throne! LOL! Stop that Kieran! You’re so disrespectful sometimes. Geez Louise!
So I just prayed and I was so worried, that’s why my prayer was really loud. I always get louder when I'm scared or worried. So I said:
“Oh Father! Oh Father! Help Slobberdog Father! St. Francis you were the saint who loved all animals so much that even the birds sat on your shoulders when you prayed. St. Francis join me while I pray and ask our heavenly Father not to let Slobberdog die, but that he gets healed and comes home with Mommy again. Please Father God hear our prayer. Please, please Jesus! Lord please have mercy on our dog.” That was how I prayed. I prayed with all my heart.
Then we waited and waited till Mommy’s car came in the gate. We all ran up to the gate and she drove past us up to the house. We were very sad. We didn’t see Slobberdog on the backseat this time. We thought ... oh no. Slobberdog is gone. Like Gandalf. Just like Gandalf. And Iceman. And Tequilla. And Maria. All dead and gone. And I really felt like crying.
But then Mom got out of the car she was SMILING! And we knew that God answered our prayers. Then she said. "That hole where the blood was shooting out from was a tumour. He has quite a few. So Dr. Shear is keeping him for the night and is cutting out all those tumours and he can come home tomorrow.” We were all dancing, and hugging each other, and singing. And I was just saying “Thank you God! Thank you God! Thank you God!” Because I knew that nobody else could have helped our lovely Slobberdog, except God. I love God so much!
Gee ... so do I!
I love all of you. And plus, pray for Japan. Don’t forget ... well, actually, pray for the whole world! AMEN and goodbye. Love you and lots of kisses.
And by from Kieran too ... till next time!