Britany's Blog

So not a lot to report but today was a particularly successful day – in a couple of ways. 1) We switched Peter and Samuel (their rooms) and put together Peter’s new bed. Pictures to follow. 2) We rested. 3) We did both 1 & 2 while taking care of sick kids. I guess we’re finally getting the hang of it after all these years. I don’t know if this is THE SWINE FLU or just a virus but who cares? In my mind, it’s just sickness like all other sickness. So besides that, we have been enjoying family time with movie night tonight (purchased Monsters vs. Aliens and I laughed harder than the kids – cute movie), dinner at Sonic one night (the boys pooled their marbles and we sat on the benches at their request. I personally didn’t see the appeal but they loved feeling like all eyes were on them) and then working together to switch rooms today. Good times. We have also made a couple of trips to the park, which is included in the pics below, and then there’s one pic of Samuel cleaning off his wall. Again. The child is obsessed with writing on anything and everything. Except, of course, any of the thousands if sheets of paper or hundreds of coloring books I have provided for him. I guess you can tell he’s our third because he’s not afraid to keep doing it like the other two would have been.

Finally, I just got an email from Bethany and (drum roll please) – they won custom builder if the year again!!!!! I’m so excited for them – 9 awards at tonights Star Awards at the Gaylord Texan!!! I wish I could have been there to see their faces! They emailed a pic but I don’t know how to move it from my email program to my blog on my phone. Anyway, congrats to the 2009 Custom Builder of the Year, Jenkins Custom Homes!!!!!

I always thought the little sheets the preschool sent home was a waste. I mean, it’s nice that today Samuel was line leader and they read the story of Jonah, but seriously? I’m just after the six hours of freedom from the non-stop questions that Samuel dreams up in order to keep me engaged in constant conversation. Questions like the ones he is asking as I type this: “What if we played outside? What if someone runs over that sign in the road? What can Grammy’s car do? Why can it drive in dirt? What if I drives in the dirt with him?”. On and on the questions go, and it’s very taxing. So forgive me if my four-year-old’s education is the least of my concerns.

But today, I came to appreciate the little piece of paper in a new way. I picked Samuel up as usual, then scanned the sheet, which said that they had a special visit from a Dental Assistant. It then went on to describe how she taught them the importance if brushing twice a day, as well as what foods are healthier for our teeth. Makes perfect sense – to a grown-up.

But this was the report I got about what Samuel learned in school today: “Today the doctor came to my school and told us about salt bugs. Salt bugs come up to my chin and bite it – see the bite, Mommy? – then they dig a hole in your tongue and eat the salt and stuffes you put in your mouth! But if you don’t eat too much salt then they will die.” This colorful story has gone on for half an hour now and currently, we are on the chapter where the salt bugs are afraid of cars and are being scared away by them.

Earlier today, I asked Samuel what he wanted to be for Halloween, he said “a scary superman!”. Then he went on to tell me he wanted to wear his new superman pjs with the cape. I’ll probably let him. Then he went on to tell me he wanted to wear them for Halloween – and Easter! Of course! The scary superman that visits your house on Easter morning!

Brad tells me that when they were driving home Sunday night, there was quite a lightening storm going on around them. This precipitated a conversation about what heppens when lightening hits…(fill in the blank). The most entertaining question was “What happens when lightening hits Jesus?”. (I’m glad Brad was there to handle that deeply theological question.) When we prayed tonight at devotions, all we could figure was the part about Jesus using shock to kill the bad guys was the result of that conversation. Who knows? I, for one, have given up on ever understanding how his mind works. I just hope he doesn’t have nightmares tonight about those salt bugs. Then again, I hope I don’t either!

On the way down to church tonight, we passed this apartment fire in Plano. Don’t know anything about it but hoping everyone made it out okay!

Mom,

It’s only been a few hours since you left but I’m feeling your absence already.  I’m sitting in the guest bedroom – YOUR room – and smelling your lingering perfume and it’s all I can do to keep from crying an ugly cry.  And I don’t want to cry because 1) I already put on my mascara and 2) I’m wearing contacts.  So let’s just move on.

You said you felt like we didn’t get much done while you were here, so I want to prove you wrong.  Because my heart and mind are full of all the blessings your visit brought – not all of them tangible or picture-worthy – but I want to do my best to record them here for all posterity.

Let’s start at the very beginning (a very good place to start, FYI).  Here are some before pictures:

Here is what my house looked like:

Living Room With Garage Sale Piles

Living Room - Before

Here is what Matthew’s hives looked like:

Matthew's hives

And here is what Samuel looked like:

Samuel's PJ dilemma

Unfortunately, I did not get a picture of the flowerbed with all the grass and weeds.  Or the guest bedroom without the new nightstand.  But I just happen to have a few after pictures:

Here is the new bed we found for Peter – on clearance – then transported home by ourselves.

Peter's new bed

Here is the guest room nightstand:

New nightstand

Here’s the living room:

Living Room - after the maids and donations

Here’s the front of the house:

House with cleaned-out flowerbeds

Close-up of the front door decorations:

Fall Decorations

And the Dining Room:

Dining Room

But wait!  There’s more!  Here’s Samuel in his new PJs:

Super Samuel

And Matthew’s hives are gone (as well as a lot of his hair, but this picture was prior to yesterday’s haircut):

Matthew post-hives

The truth is, mom, your presence in our home was like a warm, comfortable blanket.  You provided help for all of us – just what we needed, when we needed it.  The boys cherish your friendship.  Brad loves you and appreciates all your help.  I – well, what can I say?  I love you so much it hurts but that’s okay.  I mean, as we both know, there are no words to describe a mother’s love for her child, or a child’s love for her mother.  I have a great mom.

Thank you for nursing me through bronchitis.  For driving the kids back and forth to school.  For all the meals.  For just being here.  I will miss your hugs (I wish I had gotten more of those while I had the chance).  I will miss our visits, finally saying everything we never remember to say on the phone.  And we will all miss beating you at UNO Attack.

Because, after all, that machine really hates you.

UNO Attack!

Matthew dealing

Grammy playing UNO Attack!

I apologize for not posting sooner.  With all the strep, and then mom coming and so on, we’ve been busy.  That seems to be the mantra lately – busy busy busy busy busy.  Boys get up – run around getting them ready for school until they leave and I breathe a sigh of relief.  Run around chasing my tail all day trying to do everything that needs to be done for the day.  Boys come home – spend the next 5 hours filling out forms, helping with homework, coddling tired and hungry kids and preparing meals: dinner, tomorrow’s lunches and if I’m feeling ambitious, even breakfast.

Once baths are finished and the boys are down, Brad and I collapse in a heap until we are finally able to drag our tired bodies off to bed.  Then we start all over again the next day.

It’s a crazy life, but I have to admit that I’m enjoying it.  Especially since we have been cleaning out and clearing out and have been blessed with the help of my mother, a maid service and potentially a crew to clean the grass out of our flowerbed.  For me, it feels like Spring cleaning.

So enough about all that.  The boys are doing well and since I know that’s why 95% of you read my blog, here are some recent pics.

Blocks at doctor's office

Lunch at school with Peter

Samuel put on his own pjs - backwards!

Peter's "scientist" shows what he wants to be when he grows up.

Peter reading the Chronicles of Narnia

Matthew's "scientist" has some serious bling!

Peter's playing flag football...

...and loving it!

First football game