Girl friends, face punches, and drugs. Oh, my!

Jordan has been so funny this week.  Here are a few of our conversations, to the best of my memory.

Jordan:  Mom.  What would you say if I had a girl friend?

Me:  You mean when you're older?

Jordan:  No.  Now.

Me:  You're too young to have a girl friend.

Jordan:  But if I did.  What would you say?

Me:  I'd say there's really no point in you having a girl friend since you don't have a job or a car.  Flash backs of Judah Smith sermons filled my mind.  Anybody remember that one?  J-O-B?  

Jordan:  Well I want one.  And just to let you know, I'm on the lookout.  

Here's one more, from later the same day.

Jordan: When Violet gets a boyfriend, I will tell him to leave my sister alone or I'll punch him in the mouth.

Me:  Wow, that's really harsh.  What if I said that to your girlfriend one day?

Jordan:  Mom, you could never say that.  Unless she was on drugs.  Then you could say it.  He then got up and ran out of the room.  

Me:  Wait.  What?!?!

I love this funny, feisty son of mine!   

Snowbound

That's been us this week. It snowed Sunday night. A lot. And it all stuck. And then it all froze over. Which made driving difficult.

So, the Hubs had to spend a few days at the hospital, where he works. He was on-call and had to be within 30 minutes of the hospital at all times. Which left me home alone. With my sweet, lovely, hyperactive children. Stir crazy doesn't begin to describe it.

Okay. It wasn't all that bad. We played a lot of video games. Shaun "skated" on the frozen snow in the yard. Jordan became addicted to "The Wonder Pets" on NetFlix. Shaun beat several levels in "Lego Star Wars". We all engaged in countless light saber battles. Jordan learned to write his name. Shaun finished a up a unit in math. We ate a lot of peanuts and vegetables. We squabbled. We played with Legos, Moon Sand, and Play Doh. Jordan performed a few puppet shows. My dad braved the elements to drive over for a visit. We screamed like school girls when the Propane man drove up in his big huge truck to make his delivery before we ran out of Propane. (I think we were really just excited to see a human who wasn't related to us)

By this afternoon...after Day 3 of being stuck inside with nowhere to go, we were more than just a little sick of each other. So my sister and her family came to visit. Then, in a desperate attempt to get out of my house, I convinced the Hubs that we needed some groceries. We piled in the car and slid to Kroger. I planned to spend $20 and would up spending $60. Ouch.

Our Thursday activities have been canceled for tomorrow due to the "inclement weather". So we'll be here again. Hopefully we'll get out and do something on Friday. When the temperature will actually be in the 40s.

40 degrees. That seems downright balmy right now.

Have I mentioned that I don't particularly like the snow?

Firsts

There's only one word to describe my family's life lately. Busy. We've been so busy. We're finally back in the swing of things with school. The kids have started attending a co-op. Chris has been working tons and tons of overtime. Etc, etc, etc. Its been awhile since I've posted anything, and a lot of "firsts" have happened since last time:

1. Jordan's first bike ride. While at my mom's for a visit, my babe taught himself how to ride a bike sans training wheels. I was pretty amazed. He's now a pro.

2. Shaun's first sleep-over. Shaun spent the night with a friend. This is the first time he's ever been away overnight, aside from spending the night with family. I was a bit of a nervous wreck, but things went just fine. When I left him, he had tears in his eyes, so I fully expected a phone call from my friend Rebecca at 2:00 am. But things went just fine. Shaun and his friends actually were sound asleep by 8:00- they had played hard outside all day long. When I picked him up the next day, Shaun asked why I was there- apparently he wanted to stay longer. He's growing up.

3. My first meal at Red Robin. While Shaun was "spending the night", I was having a mom's night. At Red Robin. Oh my. Delicious isn't the word. I'm hooked. I want to go back. I had this monster burger topped with avocado dip and feta cheese. My mouth is watering just thinking about it.

4. Chris' first Dad's Night Out. I've been having a lot of "me time" lately, and I guess Chris was jealous. At any rate, he informed me that he was going out to a movie with a friend from work. Since I'm such a good wife, I had no problem with this. And I didn't laugh at all when Chris' friend would up having to work late, forcing my Hubs to see a movie by himself. Hee hee!

5. Jordan's first self-inflicted hair cut. Jordan's co-op teacher came up to me in the hallway at church and exclaimed, "That baby of yours! I looked at him and he was leaned over the table chopping his hair off..and hiding it in his pencil box". I went into Jordan's classroom to survey the damage and found a huge chunk cut into his bangs and the hair on the back of his head. When I asked why in the world he would do such a thing, Jordan informed me that he needed a haircut. Sigh.

Patty

Today's been a hard day. Especially for Shaun.

This morning, the boys and I had plans to head to Wal-Mart with my sister. I was waiting for her to arrive to pick us up, when I heard an awful howling noise from outside. It was so loud and agonizing that I was sure a coyote had attacked an animal in the woods behind our house or something. Then my phone rang.

"Erin. I just ran over Patty", my sister whispered to me.

I jumped up from my chair, thinking "Oh my gosh, I can't believe our little dog made that horrible, loud noise". Thankfully, Shaun and Jordan were absorbed in their video game and didn't hear a thing. I walked out onto our car port and there was our little Patty...hobbling around, pulling herself with her front legs. Looking up at us with such sad eyes.

My sister had tears in her own eyes as she apologized profusely and begged me not to tell my boys that she was the one who did this to their dog. We decided to take her to the vet. I went inside and told Shaun and Jordan that Patty was hurt and needed to go to the doctor. We put her in a crate off we went.

When we arrived at the vet's office, we were ushered to an exam room...me, Shaun and Jordan, and my sister and two of her children. The doctor came in and took Patty to a back room to examine her. When she came back in, she informed me that something was definitely broken but x-rays were needed to see how severe the injuries were. She brought out a price list that totaled more than $600.

In a panic, I whispered how much we would need to pay today. I told her that I didn't have an extra $100, let alone $600. I talked to the office manager and we were working out a payment plan. Then, this sweet woman asked if she could talk to me in the hallway, away from the children. Once we were alone, she looked me in the eye and asked me if I was willing to pay that much money for a dog we had only had for a few months. She went on to say that the $600 was just a minimum of treatment costs...the total bill was likely to be closer to $1300. And, she went on-- it was likely that Patty would have to be put down anyway.

She proceeded to talk with me through my tears, suggesting that we may want to consider just having Patty put to sleep. I went outside to call Chris, who of course, left the decision up to me. While I was on the phone with him, a "God Thing" occurred.

The vet and nurse came outside onto the porch. They told me that, while Patty was in the treatment room, one of the technicians working on her had become attached. And...get this...this sweet woman became aware of our financial situation and offered to adopt our dog- and pay for all of her medical expenses. Wow. At first I was a little taken-aback. But then, when I considered it, it made the perfect solution. But- I still had to run it past Shaun. I brought him outside and told him what was going on. A heart-breaking conversation. He cried and cried. And so did I. But, proving once again that he is indeed growing up, he agreed to let the technician take his dog...as long as he could meet her first.

We went back inside and met with Bar. One of the sweetest, most compassionate people I've ever met. She was so good with Shaun, explaining that she lived on a huge farm and had a retired husband and several other dogs for Patty to play with. Plus, she worked at the vet's office, so all of Patty's injuries would be taken care of. She passed the test with Shaun, and we left the vet's office minus our little dog.

Jordan still doesn't understand what's going on. Shaun's still sad. So are Chris and I. I told Shaun that once our hearts don't hurt quite so badly anymore, we'll go to the Humane Society and pick out a different dog. He said he didn't think he'd be ready anytime soon. :(

So, that's been our day. My eyes are gritty from tears and my neck is tense from the stress. But even so, I've been amazed once again at how God takes care of us and provides us with everything we need.

Yes, today was definitely a "God Thing" day.

And I Had a Bad Day

I know I'm probably jinxing myself, but its been a really long time since I've had a really bad day. Until today. It was just awful.

It began when I accidentally dropped my iPhone into a glass of water. I still can't believe this happened. I loved my phone. When I realized what I'd done, I did some internet research, removed the SIM card, dried it with a hair dryer and stuck it in a bowl full of rice. And there its gonna stay for a few days. I know its silly, but I feel LOST without it. Cut off from the world. No Words with Friends. No texting. No listening to music while I wash dishes. It stinks not having a phone.

As if that wasn't enough, my children have...lets say...kept me on my toes today. Especially my youngest little darling. Some of his shenanigans today have included, but are not limited to : spraying the living room with water from the garden hose, spilling multiple bowls of water on the living room floor while trying to water the dog, dirtying at least 4 different outfits from playing in the mud, and taking a bath with the dog, trying to "make a break for it" by sneaking outside. Sigh. I get exhausted just thinking about everything he's done.

He has also picked on his brother. Non-stop. Shaun took it for awhile, but finally let go tackled Jordan...which led to tears...and drama...and whining. I was SO looking forward to Chris coming home, thinking that we'd take the kids swimming or to the park. Anything to get a little energy out!

Five o'clock came. Then six. And finally he called to let me know that there was an emergency case at the hospital, and that he'd be working late. Its now after 11, and he's finally on his way home. The kids are in bed. 1/2 of them are sleeping. I bet you can guess which one's still awake!


I'm about to give myself a dose of Benedryl so I can go to sleep at a decent hour myself. I'm ready to get this day behind me!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to < target="_blank" href="http://www.mycharmingkids.net">her blog /a> to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did NOT become extremely embarrassed after church last week when my youngest little darling waltzed up to our pastor's mother and asked her if she was a senior. As in "senior citizen". Then, when she asked "What did you say? Am I a singer?" I most certainly did NOT tell a lie right there in the church parking lot, nodding emphatically and saying "Yes! He asked if you were a singer!" Not Me!

I did NOT place an order for a Twilight bumper sticker on eBay. In my excitement over the low cost and free shipping of said bumper sticker, I did NOT mistakenly order it in black....SO black, in fact that it doesn't even show up in my Jeep's back window. I also did NOT order another one, in white, the very next day. Not Me!

I am NOT currently unable to do any laundry because I let myself run completely out of my homemade laundry detergent. I was not simply too tired (i.e. lazy) last night to go to Wal-Mart for the supplies to make more. The laundry mountain in my laundry room is NOT magically multiplying as I speak. I would NOT do that to myself. Not Me!

I did NOT spend sixty dollars at the local RedBox machine this weekend because I rented two movies over two weeks ago and forgot about them. I did NOT ground myself from the RedBox after this. Not Me!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

While shopping at Target for hair color last week, I did NOT become so engrossed in my task that I totally failed to notice Jordan as he knocked every single box of hair color off of the two bottom shelves. Not Me!

I did NOT feel the need to purchase a pregnancy test from Wal-Mart last night. Babies are blessings from God and I would love any blessing He chose to give me. So, I did NOT jump for joy in the bathroom when results of said pregnancy test came back negative. Not Me!

At the present moment, I do NOT have a ginormous mountain of laundry that needs to be folded and put away. I'm also NOT blogging and playing around on Facebook instead of tackling this chore. Not Me!

I did NOT stay up entirely too late one night last week watching reruns of "My So-Called Life" on Hulu.com. And I did NOT totally think it was worth it the next morning when I was so tired I could barely function.

Happy Monday, everyone!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I am NOT (healthily) obsessed with The Twilight Saga. Nope. And since I'm NOT obsessed, my 9 year old son has NOT seen the movie and knows nothing about it. Therefore, I did NOT catch my children playing Twilight last week. It also goes without saying that I did NOT overhear these words coming out of my oldest son's mouth while I was eavesdropping on their "play acting" : "Jordan. You can be James. Just give me your arm so that I can throw you down and break the floor". After hearing these words, I most certainly did NOT heave a sigh of relief when I realized that Shaun is totally "Team Edward". NOT ME!

I did NOT adopt my * "Thursday" attire today. Just because I was so, so tired.

I always possess complete control of my children. So NO WAY would I ever turn a blind eye while my 3 year old ran around the house completely nude...just so that I could finish up Shaun's math lesson. NOT ME!

Organization is my middle name. I am totally on top of everything, all the time. So I would NOT forget to check the gas level in our Propane tank...until I felt the hot water run out in the middle of my shower. That's right, I would NOT let us run out of Propane on the coldest weekend of the season. NOT ME!

*See previous post

Blessings to you all!

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did NOT oversleep this past Saturday and completely forget about Shaun's appointment for Karate pictures.

I did NOT become extremely upset that I missed the New Moon tour at The Mall of GA. I also did NOT immediately begin texting a friend of mine to commiserate with me. Please. We're almost 30 years old. Way too mature for such things.

I am NOT counting the days until I get to actually go see New Moon. Since my husband makes fun of my Twilight obsession, I did NOT make a "date" with a fellow Twilight obsessed friend of mine to see the movie. I am NOT super-crazy excited about it. Again, I'm almost 30 years old. I have way too much pride to act like a fan-crazed teenager.

I did NOT pick up my husband's phone and pretend to be him in a texting conversation while he was sleeping last night, just for fun. My plan did NOT backfire when said conversation became inappropriate. I did NOT go to bed wondering why grown men are so disgusting with each other.

I did NOT look the other way when Jordan dropped him gum on the floor, picked it back up, and returned it to his mouth yesterday at church. I also did NOT rationalize this in my mind by remembering that the cleaning crew had just cleaned/sanitized the floor a few days before. Not Me!

Out of the mouths of 9 year olds

While driving home from Cleveland today, I overheard (or listened in on, if you really must know!) this conversation between my children, in the backseat:

Jordan: Is Mamaw dead?
Shaun: Yes, Jordan, she's dead.
J: Why? Who killed her?
S: No one killed her. She just got cancer. So she died.
J: But is she at the church?
S: No. Just her body's still at the church. In the ground. But her soul's up in Heaven. I'll be up
there one day.
J: Me too?
S: You'd better hurry and get saved, Jordan.

Even though I had to swallow the lump in my throat, I had to smile, too. Priceless!

Get-Togethers

We've been "getting together" with old friends lately. And when I say "old", I'm referring to the amount of time we've known a particular friend. I am definitely not referring to the age of any one of these friends. Although one of us has recently officially become a grandma!

Anyway.

We spent Saturday night with our friends Ben and Jada. We love them and miss them so much that we drove clear across the state in the pouring rain just to spend the evening with them. Okay, so I'm exaggerating a little bit about the drive. But it was worth it! We had a wonderful dinner, and these great friends of ours even made a portion of Chicken Alfredo with rice noodles just for our boys. Wow. I can't tell you what that meant to me.

The food was great, but the company was better. This wonderful couple has become a source of encouragement and support for Chris and myself. And I just love Jada to death. What can I say about her? She just "gets" me. And I hope she feels that I "get" her. I am so blessed to have her as my sister in Christ. I absolutely cannot wait to see them again in December. And then again in January!

I did bring my camera along on Saturday night, but I didn't get many pictures. Here's one of some of the kids.



Today the kids and I met 2 of my childhood friends and their kids at the park. We had a great time! Even Shaun...who was not thrilled about playing with "babies"....was the perfect gentleman and was quickly adored by almost every child at the park! He was great with all the little ones.

I love the fact that Mandy, Kelli, and I grew up together. Not only that, but our parents have known each other for years. And now our kids are following in our footsteps. This is one of the good things about living in a small town. I'm already looking forward to next week, when we're getting together again.

Here are some pictures of our outing:

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I was NOT called the "Best Teacher in the World" by Shaun this week.

I did NOT walk outside to pick up a package from my mailman with my wet hair still wrapped up in a towel from my shower. And I most certainly did NOT rationalize this action my reasoning that at least I had clothes on.

We had a busy weekend. REALLY busy. We were out late and in bed way past our normal bedtimes and the children were so tired. But NOT tired enough that I would forgo the brushing of their teeth two nights in a row. No amount of sleepiness should take a toll on my children's dental health. So NO WAY would I choose to not pick this battle. Nope...NOT ME!

I am the wife of a worship leader. We take this calling seriously and are always reverent and respectful in our worship. So, there's no way that my sweet husband's band would get kicked out of the church they were invited to play at because their music was too loud. NO WAY! I would NOT marry that kind of man!

And lastly...I did NOT get squirted in the face with my homemade vinegar and lemon juice cleaning solution by my three year old. This son of mine did NOT do this to his wonderful mommy because he was mad and grouchy and didn't like what I had to say. I would never be that unreasonable! NOT ME!

Randomness

Here are some random things I did today:

Killed a ginormous, hairy spider in the bathroom.

Gave Shaun his math test. (He made a 93!)

Listened to a VERY interesting "Focus on the Family".

Took a bubble bath.

Sent my sweet husband to the store for "femenine products".

Rescued Jordan from the top of our truck.

Got my laundry pile down to ZERO.

Started to make dinner, only to realize that the particular dish I wanted to make takes an unbelievable 4 hours to make.

Fed my family some leftovers instead.

Walked to get the mail.

Watched the boys play in a big, huge, mud puddle on the way to the mailbox.

Stayed up way too late.

Not Me! Monday

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her/'>http://www.mycharmingkids.net">her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.

I did NOT force my 3 year old son to wear his female cousin's jeans out in public while we went to dinner the other night. This was NOT due to my neglecting to pack extra "accident clothes".

I am NOT seriously considering becoming a doula for some extra money.

I do NOT have a child with a 100 test average in math!

I love God and love going to church. I so look forward to church service on Sundays. So, there's NO WAY that I was so exhausted that I kept nodding off during yesterday's service. I also did NOT finally just get up and leave in the middle of the service, reasoning that I didn't know what Pastor was speaking about anyway. NOT ME!

I am a stay-at-home-mom and part of my job duty is keeping an orderly house. Therefore, I did NOT put off cleaning my bedroom for an entire year. That would be disgusting and unsanitary. And, because I did NOT wait so long between cleanings, I was NOT forced to spend my entire Labor Day cleaning my room. Nope! NOT ME!

Have a wonderful week!

The Smith Family's Weekend

Here's what we did this weekend:

Friday: We attended the Homeschool Kickoff Party at church. Chris led some worship, we all ate some tacos, and Shaun joined a Performing Arts group. We all had a great time. Chris and I had no idea we were in the midst of so many fellow homeschoolers on a weekly basis. Sweet!





Saturday: Sparring class in the a.m. Then we came home and cleaned, watched movies, and folded laundry. Then we decided to go to the park. We played a little on the swings and slide, then all three boys decided to play football...with lots of tackling!








After our park visit, we headed over to the grandparents' house, where my two children had way
too much fun with a hamper:






Now its Sunday. This weekend went way too fast!

Just call Erin...

I volunteer at church on Wednesday nights, in the children's ministry. Last night, right in the middle of the service, one of the other workers whispered into my ear "You need to go down to Jordan's class, just for a minute". I was full of chagrin because I had left my pager in my purse, which was in another room down the hall. So I quickly made my way to the preschool classrooms.

There sat Jordan, in the director's office, surrounded by women who were all giggling. I asked what was wrong and found out that my potty-trained 3 year old had had a "number 2 accident". In Jordan's words, he had "pooped in my underwear".

When one of the workers lovingly commented that if Jordan was big enough to tell them this, then he should be big enough to use the potty, my sweet 2nd-born looked at her and replied "Just call Erin. She'll change me!"

Needless to say, the staff got a kick out of that. It WAS funny, but it warmed my heart just a little. Its nice to know that my son knows that I love him unconditionally and will always take care of him...even when he poos in his brand new underwear!

What's for lunch?

I begin hearing these words around 10:00 am every day. Months ago, I had a ready-made answer: Sandwiches!

But not anymore. Shaun's wheat allergy has changed all that. Oh, I tried to keep making sandwiches work as a suitable lunch. I bought the rice bread. The rice bread that's really thick and dry and gritty. And costs 4 dollars for one small loaf. And that the kids wouldn't eat. So, no more sandwiches for us.

During the summer, I would cook a great meal for my boys at lunch time. Then, when our home school year started, I realized that I was wasting over an hour of my precious time cooking and cleaning up. Since my children still need to eat, despite how crunched for time I am, I came up with some quick, simply recipes that my children love. They're healthy, and I don't have to give the kids anything they shouldn't be eating. I'm really quite proud of myself. Here they are:

Mexican Beans and Rice (I made up this title)

white rice (kids are allergic to the brown)
black beans
salsa
Monterey Jack cheese

I just mix it all together and then top the mixture with some additional cheese. Then I bake it for awhile and its done. The kids eat this like its going out of style. I make a big casserole dish full, so we can eat on it for at least 2 days.


Pizza

Bob's Red Mill Gluten/Wheat Free pizza dough
flax mill and water (as an egg substitute for the dough)
tomato sauce (made without high fructose corn syrup)
ground beef
onion
Mozzarella cheese

I just make the dough, sautee the beef and onion, spread the sauce, sprinkle the cheese and bake. One bag of Bob's Red Mill dough mix is enough for 2 huge pizzas. So, once again, we can eat this meal for more than one day. The great thing about this dough is that it tastes almost like thin-crust dough made from what. Its actually pretty good. And again-- my boys eat it like its going out of style.


Veggies and Mac and Cheese

2 boxes of rice mac and cheese mix
green beans (fresh or canned)
crowder peas or black eyed peas
any other kind of vegetable I have in the house

Mac and cheese has been a favorite food of Shaun's since...um...I guess since he could eat. Ditto on the crowder peas. My granny has fed him crowder peas from her garden since he was about 9 months old. They're delicious and full of protein. I was so thrilled to find boxes of quick mac and cheese made from white rice noodles. Just like Kraft, only the kids can eat it. Its also really good. You can detect a difference in the noodles. Not a bad difference, just a difference. I also mix in some ground flax seed for additional nutrition. Served with vegetables, this is a quick and nutritious meal.


There you have it. What we've had for lunch this week. Not quite as easy as slapping some ham and cheese sandwiches together, but not too difficult either.

Welcome to Not Me! Monday! This blog carnival was created by MckMama. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have not been doing this week.


I did NOT become a home schooling parent last week. I was not extremely nervous about is, and it did NOT go extremely well (for the most part).

I did NOT get the run-around from the school system again today when I took Shaun to his old elementary school to officially withdraw him. The wonderful office staff there did NOT disappoint me with the same rudeness and lack of knowledge I experienced last year. Once our withdrawal was complete, Shaun and I did NOT practically skip with joy as we made our way back to the car.

This past week it did NOT become apparent that I do NOT have a green thumb. I have NOT been waiting in anticipation for my first tomato harvest for the entire summer. And, since I love fresh, homegrown tomatoes, I was NOT completely disappointed when THIS is all my many plants have produced so far:


The larger tomato on the far left is NOT a store-bought Roma tomato.

I am NOT about to become an aunt again in 3 short weeks. And my sister/best friend is NOT naming her new baby boy after me.

Chris and I did NOT lose Jordan at church yesterday. After he was found, Jordan did NOT get his little hiney spanked really hard by his two frantic/terrified/relieved parents for running away and hiding from us in order to sneak back outside to the play ground. Nuh-uh. No way. That would NEVER happen!

Have a great week!

Parties!

Our family spent the day going to parties today. At least, 3 of us did. Shaun decided to stay with my parents, opting out of Jordan's friend Destiny's 5th birthday party. He was missed, but I know he still had a good time.

Here are some pictures from today:

We started out at Free Chapel, for Destiny's 5th birthday party.

Here's the birthday girl. I met Destiny back when she was 3 years old in my class at church.

These sweet girls were guests at the party, and also my former "students". I love them all!



Jordan was pretty much the only boy his own age at this party. I don't think he liked that too well. Which is why he spent most of his time by himself.




After we said goodbye to Destiny and her wonderful family, we headed across the street to our friend Naysia's "Berry Bound Celebration". I met Naysia last summer during Summer Xtreme. We hit it off and became great friends, in spite of our age difference. Maybe that's because I'm not very mature! She was also one of Jordan's teachers at church, last year when he was two years old. Our family has become so attached to Miss Naysia and we'll miss her so much!

Here I am with Naysia.


I think that Jordan was more than just a little tired out from Destiny's party by the time we arrived at Naysia's. That's why he was doing this:

And this:


And this:



He even had the nerve to snub the guest of honor!


Can you tell he's trying his best to wriggle out of her arms?!

He was one grouchy dude...until we gave him some cake. Then he sat quietly, happy and content, for a good 15 minutes.








We were feeling kind of sorry for Shaun because he missed out on such a great time today. Then we got back to my parents' house and saw that Shaun and my nieces were having a party of their own:





We finally called it a night after eating dinner with the family. What a great day!

They're perfect for me!

I had a rough day today. Maybe it was the weather. Maybe the kids were tired or bored. Or maybe I just need to send them to reform school. For whatever reason, my children were definite challenges today.

Shaun wouldn't listen. Or concentrate. Or obey. Or do any schoolwork without whining and crying. Jordan was just as bad. He cried. He whined. He pestered his big brother. And yes-- he pee'd in the floor. The home schooling daily schedule that I had so tediously planned out was slashed to smithereens as my kids tested and tried me in every way they could.

All of this, plus a bout of apparent PMS had me questioning everything. At one point, I was actually tempted to look up the phone number of Shaun's old elementary school and tell them that he'd be there tomorrow! I really felt like throwing in the towel with this whole home schooling thing.

Okay, so I knew going in that this wouldn't be easy. I knew beforehand (from trying to accomplish homework last year) that getting Shaun to hunker down and do some boring old school work was going to be tough. I knew he has trouble paying attention and would take longer to complete some tasks. I knew I would have to practice patience- lots of it!

I'll just have to start tomorrow!

We finally made it through the day and on to karate. During the drive my mind replayed our day. All the failures. All of my mistakes. Then the pity party began. I started again asking God all of the same old questions. Mainly, "Why can't my kids be like everyone else?"

Then came the answer. Right in my ear, clear as a bell, God whispered to me "They may not be perfect, but they're perfect for you."

Wow. How true. Now, I did NOT understand this to mean that my kids aren't perfect in God's eyes. Of course they are. My Heavenly Father just chose those words to communicate to me that He formed my two boys exactly the way He wanted my kids to be. And He thought we'd be a perfect match. My whole outlook on the day changed. What a humbling experience.

So, I'm heading into tomorrow with a new outlook. Of course Shaun's study habits and behaviors won't be perfect...but with God's grace we'll work around them and find what works perfectly for us.