A Long Day and a Little Lie

Erik and Sean went away on another one of their sports related vacations, so I had the kiddos all to myself for a few days!! I missed my husband like crazy, but the boys and I had a pretty good time if I do say so myself!! Saturday was especially busy and fun thanks to the wonderful spring weather!!! The day went something like this. . .


5:00 my alarm goes off, and I hit snooze. . . This continues until. . .
5:39 when I finally decided to get up so that I can get a shower before my early risers rise!
6:20 I am greeted by 3 red-headed boys as I exit my bedroom! Thankfully, I am dressed with make up and the whole deal!
6:30 Take Rain out.
6:40-9:00 Sip coffee and watch cartoons with the boys/watch them play/make breakfast/try to hold them off on going outside. . .
9:00 Give in and take the anxious little munchkins outside to play. . .
From 9-11 I. . .
*Kept score for the Duke/UNC rivalry game ~

*Took boys to the swing set to play. Erik Daniel has learned to climb the bars and get into the clubhouse, and this is very, very scary!!! He may have fallen once between the bars, and it may have been a really ugly fall, and it may have scared me to death. But, thankfully the soft ground cushioned his fall. Yikes! Little boys! There is no stopping them! There is no talking sense into them! Dr. Dobson is right ~ they do think that they are indestructible no matter how many times they get hurt! Here are my four loves all sliding down the slide together!!
Eriky D. loves being big enough to climb the bars and slide down by himself! He absolutely refuses to let me catch him. He will not slide down unless I move out of his way!!! He's an independent little sucker!!!

Sweet silly big brothers. . .

*Then, we jumped on the good old trampoline! Can you tell it was getting close to someone's naptime???

11:00 to 11:30 We had a little picnic lunch. . .

The only really problem here was that Erik Daniel wanted to eat off of everyone else's plates! Silly boy! He was all over that blanket! So, when everyone had pretty much finished up but were still sitting on the blanket, I looked at Eriky D. and said, "Run, run, as fast as you can! We can't catch you, you're the gingerbread man. . ." He jumped up to run, and we all burst into laughter because in all his wiggling around on the blanket, he must have plopped himself down on someone's yogurt. This is what we saw when the gingerbread man took off running. . .

We laughed hard, and I laughed harder as I tried to chase him down to get a picture of him!!
11:30-12:00 Put little boys down
12:00-2:30 Littles napped, and I took baby monitor outside and played with the big boys. I played basketball ~ Joshua and JCT against me. They beat me! Man, was it fun!!! I am usually watching the little boys in the afternoons after school when Joshua and JCT play. But, since it was nap time, I got to be a part! It was such a blast! I may not have taught them about basketball, since I know virtually nothing about how to play, but, I did teach them a lesson in talking trash!! I had Joshua in stitches!!! At one point I was playing awesome defense (ha! :-), and Joshua could not get around me to get close to the goal, so he stopped dribbling for a second, looked me right in the eyes, and said, "We're beating you!" As if he could intimidate his mama!!! Oh, it was a fun, fun, time! Joshua tried to bounce pass the ball to JCT through my legs, but JCT wasn't looking! Oh, how funny it all was!!

I think my favorite part of the day was watching Joshua who is usually only interested in playing sports find joy in little boy things once again!!! He is usually too busy orchestrating football, soccer, and basketball games that he doesn't have time to stop and do fun little boy things like. . .

* make believe ~ they pretended to be Paul and Silas in jail. JCT was the guard. . .

* And, he played dinosaurs in the mud. . .


* I also caught him in the sandbox playing with his little brothers!

After being outside ALL THE LIVE LONG DAY, I brought the boys inside with the promise of a bubble bath!!!

Then, we made homemade pizzas and chocolate chip cookies!! Yum! When it was time for bed, they settled into their sleeping bags in the living room! I promised them that they could watch the Duke/UNC game until they fell asleep. . .

They were asleep before tip-off!!!!!

It was a fun-filled day, and I went to sleep exhausted and completely fulfilled. I had given myself away all day, and it felt great!! I love to cuddle deep into my blankets and covers with a tired brain and a worn out body and know deep down in my heart that I have been a good Mommy. I have put their needs and wants before my own.

There is lie that often creeps into my head, and it says that doing what I want will make me happy. Playing on the computer will make me happy. Organizing and cleaning will make me feel fulfilled. Sitting on the couch and reading a book will make me peaceful. But, when little boys with long faces are sitting all around me ~ creativity and joy stifled in them, their is no true gain ~ for me or for them. I may get what I want, but it comes at a cost. And, it is not worth the cost! It is simply a lie that I choose not to believe. Fulfillment, peace, and joy come from giving myself away in whatever way God calls. And, on this particular Saturday giving myself away meant getting my hands dirty, my body sweaty, and my mind filled with little boy ideas!!

When God gives you Bananas (or 4 monkeys, rather), Make Banana Bread Muffins!

Oh, what a day, and it is only halfway over!! These are my favorite days. . .

Calm, quiet, no where to go, nothing that absolutely has to be done right now!! I love it! I slowly drank 2.5 cups of my morning coffee, and mid-morning JCT and I made banana bread muffins and eggs for brunch! Slow and easy ~ just the way I like it!

Oh, but did I mention that I decided to potty train my little middle (Elijah) this morning! And, ya'll he is almost there! He has gone tee tee over and over in the little potty and even went number two in the little potty once! Yay!!!! He has wanted to be potty trained for a while now. I just wasn't ready, but this morning I decided to give it a try. And, I am so glad that I did!

A little bit ago I took the boys down to the swing set to play. Most of the leaves have fallen, so the yard is nearly covered in crunchy brown leaves. We raced down to the swing set, and the sound of all the leaves rustling made my heart sing!!!! JCT and Elijah got their play rakes and attempted to help Daddy with the leaf raking!!! :-) Oh, and, JCT gave a demonstration of how to tinkle in the woods to Elijah, and Elijah very proudly pulled his pants down and successfully watered the woods just like his big brother! Cute!

And, now I have two babes asleep and one immersed in a TV show. I'm about to make a cup of Chai and smile over its warmth! I'm going to make Chili for dinner ~ a comfort food to me! And, I hate to break it to my sweet Joshua-boy, but we are not going to the high school football game tonight! I have a nice evening planned with games and a movie! We are all fighting a little cold, and there is no reason to drag everybody out in the cold weather tonight! It is a cuddle up inside kind of night to me! I can't wait!!

A Very, Very, Very FULL Day!

Joshua and JCT were out of school on Monday, and I was so excited!!!!! I couldn't wait to spoil them with fun things to do! But, as per my usual I did not ever get around to making a plan for the day!!! So, I just decided to wing it! We went from one ordinary, but fun, activity to the next! And, I was as happy as I could be just to be completely surrounded by little boys for one extra day!!!!

They watched a show on beavers first thing in the morning, so this sparked their desire to make a lodge. Since they couldn't figure out how to do it on their own, I was called in for support! Together we constructed a beaver's lodge that they played in for all of about 15 minutes. . . .


Then, I gave them a bubble bath!!! They are always up for this one, and I love it because: a.) they love it and b.) they get clean!!!


After this we settled in for a Veggie-tales movie/picnic lunch. . .

After lunch the little boys went down for a nap, and I made a cave in my room for the big boys to read in a little while. I turned out the lights put pillows on the cave floor and gave them little lights to read by. . .

While they were in the reading cave, I made a special snack for them. Cookies with chunks of Reese PB cups in them!! Yum! (From this month's Real Simple magazine!)

I also set the table up for painting. They love to paint, and we rarely have time to stop and do it!! So, I surprised them with a chance to paint while their cookies were baking. . .

Then, I served my biggest Reese fan the cookies that I made especially for him. . .

He approved!

After that I settled Joshua in with a pencil and his spelling notebook to write this week's sentences. JCT wanted to do homework, too, so I found some pre-k worksheets for him. . .

After this they watched the rain and played on the back porch. And, then they came in and crashed on the couch and chairs for an episode of the Electric Company! I didn't even know that show was still around!!! :-) And, literally, they crashed. . .

And, this was a good thing because there were still a lot of things to do. . .

Next, we met some friends and ate pizza with them!! Pizza Inn was hosting a benefit for the Make a Wish Foundation, and Daddy was asked to be a "celebrity" waiter!!!!!! :-) Here he is serving us!!!!!

Sweet family friends. . . These two are two peas in a pod. . .


Next, we walked over to the high school football game (postponed from a rainy Friday night!). We've had a lot of that lately!!! This was a huge game ~ one of the teams everybody comes out to watch our team play! And, since I had my camera. . .

My handsome husband on the sidelines doing what he loves most (and, I'm not talking about watching football!!! :-) I'm talking about taking care of some of his favorite athletes!!!). . .

Joshua, JCT, and Eli (Joshua's buddy) trying to catch one of the footballs the cheerleaders threw into the stands!

Elijah making rounds visiting friends sitting near us. Mr. Bobby. . .

And, sweet Jon Andy (home from college to see the big game). . .

Time to go. . .


It's been a long, long day and bed was calling us home!!!

What I did today. . .

*Woke up at 5:50 to the sound of a hungry 10 month old.
* Nursed him and rubbed his cute little fuzzy head.
* Showered, made coffee, and held 3 little boys in such a way that they all thought they were sitting on my lap and sipped coffee without burning anyone!! :-)
*Checked email, my calendar, and made breakfast.
* Kissed Erik goodbye.
*The boys and I prepared a small cooler with bottles of Gatorade for the garbage collectors to pick a drink from. Posted a sign on cooler instructing them to do so and letting them know we appreciate them. Oh, yes ma'am, we appreciate them!
*Got boys dressed and ready to play.
* Put Erik Daniel down for morning nap.
* Boys played inside while baby slept.
* Erik Daniel woke up and I took boys outside to play and to wait for garbage truck.
*An hour later, sweaty and still waiting. Decide to regroup, make lunch, and have picnic in the 90 degree heat.
* Hear garbage truck coming. Boys are giddy! Garbage collectors see cooler and wave with big smiles.
* Boys are more than pleased!
* Hey, wait a second, they took the cooler! They weren't supposed to take the cooler ~ just the Gatorade! This concerns Joshua. I assure him that we can replace the little cooler. All is well. Joshua says to JCT, "Doesn't it make you feel good to do something nice for someone else!" I think he has heard that line before??? :-)
* Finish up lunch and head inside for afternoon naps and rest-time.
* Nurse Erik Daniel and put him down.
* Sing to Elijah and put him down.
* Settle big boys in their room with puzzles and books.
* Go downstairs and spend 30 minutes looking for a babysitter to watch the little boys while I take Joshua to 2 birthday parties on Saturday. No babysitters available.
*Call Erik and complain that I cannot find a sitter to save. my. life.
*Unload dishwasher and reload.
*Straighten kitchen.
* Read a friend's blog.
* Tell big boys that they can come back downstairs.
* Hear Erik Daniel waking up, nurse him, and pack diaper bag.
*Wake up Elijah and load the boys in the van to go get hair-cuts.
* Call 2 of Joshua's friend's moms on the way to salon and ask if they could possibly take Joshua with them. Strike 2 and 3.
* Joshua overhears me talking on the phone and from the back of the van I hear my sweet boy say, "Mom, I don't have to go to both parities. Really, I don't. Just don't worry about it. I don't have to go. I'll just stay home."
* I assure him that I will get him to both parties ~ no worries!
* Spend the rest of the drive threatening JCT not to touch anything that doesn't belong to him at the salon.
* Get to salon. Load Erik Daniel in stroller and walk inside. Want to cry when I see a customer sitting in our hairdresser's chair with wet hair. Begin to point out chairs for each boy to sit in when I notice sidewalk chalk sitting on a little table.
* Ask Ann (hairdresser) if we can play with it. She says yes, and we head out to find a little corner of concrete to write on.
* Ann comes out to get us, and boys get hair-cuts.
* Laugh at my Elijah as he is getting his hair-cut. The child who never sits still looks as if she has put him in a trance! :-)
* JCT obeyed! He managed to keep his hands to himself! Hooray! Ice cream for everyone!
* Drive to Sonic.
* Make one last attempt at finding a babysitter.
* Bingo! The brave soul agreed to watch my boys! :-) God be with her and bless her abundantly!
* Pull into parking place at Sonic and order ice cream.
* Receive order, get boys out of car seats and head to picnic table area.
* Grab entire roll of paper towels from van.
* Feel like Mother of the year as I walk my well-behaved little boys in a straight line to eat their ice cream.
* Oops. Not feeling like Mother of the year anymore. Mother of the Year would have realized that eating ice cream in the summer heat would not be a good idea. Ice cream is literally running down their arms, their shirts, and onto their shorts and crocs.
* Have to laugh at what a bad idea this was and at how adorable my little men look with ice cream goatees!
* Try desperately to clean them as they eat all the while holding Erik Daniel on my hip.
* Attempt to sit down and look as if this is easy and very much under my control since I have a captive audience of hamburger eating folks gawking at me. But, when I sit down Erik Daniel grabs the roll of paper towels on the table behind me, and it falls to the floor unraveling all over the dirty concrete.
* I attempt to collect myself and the runaway paper towels without dropping the baby!
* Praise God when one by one they begin to finish their cones!
* Head back to van.
* Go to the library because I love books, and it just makes me feel good and peaceful.
* Let the boys pick out one book each, then head to the front to check them out.
* Realize that my library card is at home in our library bag. Where else would it be?
* Ask if she can just look me up in the computer.
* She says she needs to see my drivers license.
* No problem, only it is in the car. So, I leave books at desk and haul all four boys back to van. Elijah begins crying because he thinks we are leaving without his Barney book. I assure him that I would not do such a thing and try to explain that we are coming right back.
* Go back inside, check out books, and head to park. . .
* Yeah, I'm a sucker. They asked and the park was completely vacant, so I said yes.
* Drive to park, load Erik Daniel in stroller and head out to play.
* Again feeling a bit like mother of the year until I hear. . .
* Wailing and Gnashing of teeth! JCT realizes that he! has! a! blister!
* Go back to car where I remember seeing that someone stuffed their sock in a cup holder. I have been meaning to bring it in for a week at least, but I'm glad that I didn't! Give JCT the sock to put on and head back to play.
* Play for 30 or so minutes until JCT is almost asleep on the swings, then load everyone back into van and head home.
* Get home, make dinner, bathe boys, read to boys, take out Rain, slowly one by one put boys down.
* Take 2 Extra Strength Tylenol for my aching legs, get a glass of milk and three chocolate oatmeal cookies and sit down at the computer. . .
* Talk to Erik, and now I am calling it a day.
* Amen.
* And, amen, and amen, and amen.

Snapshots of the morning. . .

Here we go, back at it once again! After a week of play, I woke up this morning ready to get our life back into some kind of working order.

Yeah, right.

Everything in me wants to throw my hands up and not even attempt to work until the kids are out of the way, and I can truly focus on the task at hand. But, because that realistically won't happen for years, I have to learn to do things in tiny bite sized increments. And, that is hard for this all or nothing girl ~ especially when my home is completely 100% out of control.

Out. Of. Control.

Lest you think I am exaggerating, may I show you what my laundry room looks like this morning. . .

Pretty bad, huh? Just wait it gets worse ~ check this out. . .








The counters I use to fold and sort 6 family members (3 of which are boys who play in the dirt, mud, and sand :-) worth of laundry on top of ~ yeah, like where did they go? I'm determined to find them this week!


It makes me want to scream, but I am helpless to fix it because I have so many other responsibilities which come first. Having a play week last week was fun, but I am going to pay for it this week!



But, it was still worth it, and I'd do it all over again if I could!!!


Anyway, on a more positive note, look at these cuties watching early morning cartoons. . .






And, this is how I attempted to do my Bible study this morning. . .

Is it any wonder that I am a week behind in my homework?

But, he is an awfully cute distraction wouldn't you say?

Elijah is one of those children who eats everything in sight. And, what I mean by that is. . . if you put 5 grape halves in front of him, he will put all 5 in his mouth at one time. He knows no limits. So, I have to feed him bite by bite. I can put, at most, 3 goldfish on his tray at one time or he will fill his mouth until he gags. So, now that I am solid feeding Erik Daniel, lunch looks like this (except imagine me sitting on the end of the bench feeding one cheeto to Lijah, then one spoon full to Erik Daniel, then one more cheeto to Lijah, then one more spoon full. . . you get the idea!). . .

Oh, and the bowl on Elijah's tray is full of peanut butter. He likes to dip his goldfish in peanut butter. If you could zoom in and look closely at Elijah, you would see that he has pb covering his hands, face, and hair! Ahhhhh!

Such is life with little ones!

Learning to coexist. . .

That is what I call these pictures. If Erik Daniel hopes to learn to crawl one day, then these two little men must learn to be in close proximity. Up until now, I have done everything in my power to keep Elijah as far as possible from Erik Daniel. Elijah is, how do I say this?

Wild.

Crazy.

Unpredictable.

So, when you think of it, will you please say a prayer for Erik Daniel's safety.

Thanks.

Birdseed, "Cuck-cakes," and Movies. . .

Yesterday afternoon the boys and I made little pine cone bird feeders. This isn't the first time we have done this, but I think they were to young to remember the first time. . .

Anyway, after the one thousandth time they asked me for something "fun" to do, I decided that we would make the little bird feeders.

They loved rolling the pine cones in peanut butter and birdseed. The only problem was trying to keep JCT from eating the the peanut butter after the pine cones had been rolled in it! Yuck!!

Then, we took the pine cones outside and hung them on a few small trees near the window in our kitchen. This way they will be able to watch the birds enjoy their little kind gestures!

Enjoy our treats, little birds!!

After dinner, I made cupcakes for the boys. Partly, I made them because Erik asked me to make them, and partly I made them because I wanted to hear Elijah say "Cuck-cake!" and get all excited over them! "Cuck-cakes" are his favorite food!!!

Here is a little video I made of him when I showed him what was cooking in the oven. . .

After we enjoyed the "cuck-cakes," Erik took the boys up and gave them a bath. Then, he put Elijah to bed, and I started a movie for the big boys ~ The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything.

If you can imagine me sitting beside JCT, then, this is what we looked like as we watched the movie! I love watching movies with the big boys after Elijah has gone on to bed. They are old enough to sit still and enjoy a good movie. It is something special just for them. They get to stay up late and eat popcorn. And, to little boys this is very exciting and wonderful ~ and for mama's who enjoy spending time with little boys it is exciting and wonderful, too!

After we put the boys to bed, Erik and I watched Juno. It made me cry, and it made me think. In fact, I lay awake quite a bit last night thinking about it.

What a day! This is why I think everyday should be a Saturday!!!

The Plan for the Day. . .

Yesterday Erik said that he wanted to do something "fun" with the boys today (Saturday). Well, he woke up this morning with a little less enthusiasm. This is due partly to the fact that he has a virus, but mostly it is due to the fact that it is December and the thought of going anywhere to do anything with four children in the midst of all the craziness of Christmas shopping, etc. is enough to make even the strongest of us feel weak and powerless.

So, this is the way the day is playing out. . .

Erik is outside with the big boys. The big boys dressed themselves in adventure garb ~ complete with backpacks and boots. They are pretending to be in search of adventure in "Texas" because Texas is equivalent to the ends of the earth in their sweet minds! They do this from time to time. Erik walks with them, guiding them in their pursuit. They look for animals of all kinds from spiders and worms to turkey and deer. . . It is great fun as they search our property for all the wonders that little boys can find.

This, to them, is much more "fun" than Chucky Cheese or the park or anything else that Erik could have come up with to do today.

And, as for me, I have been left in a quiet house with two sleeping babies. I am in the process of putting together lasagna for dinner, listening to Christmas music, straightening up the downstairs, and playing on the computer all the while sipping cream colored coffee! I couldn't ask for a better Saturday!!

And, the plan for the afternoon/evening is as follows. . .

I will go to the movie rental store and rent two movies while Erik and the boys watch the Florida/Alabama game. I will get one movie for the boys and one movie for Erik and I. After dinner and bath, we will let the boys cuddle up in their sleeping bags and watch their movie. Then, we will put them to bed, and Erik and I will cuddle up and watch our movie!

Yay for Saturdays!!!

From the Whirlwind. . .

This is how I feel!

Seriously.

I have never been one to overcommit myself. I enjoy peace and quiet. I enjoy being still, being at home. Now, my life is a mad dash from one thing to the next ~ from picking JCT up from pre-k to lunch to nap to pick up Joshua. . . And, even when we are all home for several hours at a time, my life is anything but relaxing.

Here is an excerpt from a typical evening at my home. . .

I am nursing Erik Daniel, while Elijah is literally climbing me to get to his baby brother, JCT and Joshua are playing football in the living room (and I am yelling at them to stop before they break my favorite lamp, that cannot be replaced, and I'll be really upset if they break it, and they better stop the tackling and wrestling right now!), dinner is nearly burning in the oven, laundry is waiting in the washer and the dryer, there are clean dishes in the dishwasher that need to be put away before dinner ~ so I can load our dirty dinner dishes, Joshua has a project we must complete, we really need to practice his speech worksheets and do his flashcards and work on his handwriting, Erik calls to tell me that he has to stop by football practice on his way home ~ someone hurt their knee (translation: it will be at least 45 minutes before he gets home), Rain is barking his head off at Mr. Cole walking his lab Bruno in front of our house, a little someone is yelling "I'm done! I'm fun! I'm done! I'm fun!!" from the powder bath on the other side of the house, I feel a tension headache coming on, and all I want to do is tinkle, but just as I get up (still holding Erik Daniel and nursing him ~ it is an art I am perfecting with time), I hear a pot boiling over on the stove top, and I see that JCT is already up walking around with his pants off ~ bottom unwiped because he just couldn't wait three seconds for me to walk across the house!

This is my life. And, it is not an isolated incident. I could write this paragraph with different sentences all day everyday! Do you feel me? Is anyone else with me here? Because sometimes I feel very alone in my craziness. It is then, when I am feeling all alone, that I turn on Jon and Kate Plus Eight, and I smile because someone not only understands, but their life is even crazier than mine! And, for some odd reason, I find comfort in that! Man, I love that show!

I do love my life, but I have been feeling a bit out of sorts lately. One of these days, one of these sweet days I will get it together, at least a little bit!

It might be a crazy life. . . but it's my life. . .

Today I...

* Got up at 5:30.
* Did my Beth Moore - Jesus the One and Only Devotional and prayed for my family & friends while sipping Bifferdoodle coffee and eating a Snickers Protein Bar.
* Received good morning cuddles from 3 little boys.
* Showered and got myself ready.
* Got 3 little boys dressed, fed, and ready for the day.
* Kissed my husband and oldest son good-bye.
* Started a load of laundry.
* Made a few phone calls.
* Put 2 baskets of folded, clean laundry away.
* Rocked Elijah to sleep for his morning nap.
* Changed laundry and took JCT outside to play a bit.
* Came inside, made JCT a snack & read the Squire and the Scroll to him. He loves that book!
* Made boys' lunches and packed them in baggies.
* Went in to get Elijah and fed him some yogurt, bananas, and applesauce.
* Took Rain out with boys.
* Let boys play outside for a few minutes.
* Took boys on a walk to see the horses - 6 horses were standing at the front corner! The boys were so happy to see so many all together! And, a beautiful white one came to the fence beckoning us to pet her. And, so I obliged.
* Walked home & loaded boys in the van to go get Joshua from preschool.
* Read an animal book to Elijah while waiting for Joshua in the pick-up line.
* Gave big boys their Pb&js & fruit for lunch to eat in the car on the way home.
* Drove home & let boys play outside for a few minutes.
* Corralled everyone back inside, folded clean clothes, and changed laundry.
* Took a tired JCT upstairs for a nap. 3 songs later, he was sound asleep in my arms.
* Put dinner in the oven - a sirloin roast with potatoes.
* Fed Rain.
* Ate some scraps from the boys sandwiches and some fruit for lunch. Then, I pigged out on chocolate peanut butter cookies.
* Rocked Elijah to sleep for his afternoon nap.
* Biked on the stationary bike for 30 minutes & read "That's My Son" by Rick Johnson while Joshua unbeknownst to me made some sort of "dinner" in the kitchen using a large tupperware bowl, goldfish crackers, a slice of American cheese, soap, and water. Then, he proceeded to pour this "soup" into several other tupperware containers. Needless to say, I had a bit of a surprise to clean up when I got off the bike.
* Payed bills and balanced the checkbook.
* Sat outside in the breezeway and read 2 chapters of Stuart Little to Joshua.
* Cleaned up Joshua's "dinner" mess while he played in breezeway with cars.
* Started Dishwasher.
* Gave JCT a big welcome to our world hug when he woke up from his nap!
* Washed the van with the help of my big boys! They loved it! Joshua asked if we could do it again tomorrow! No doubt, I'll have a clean van this summer!
* Went inside to grab my sweet 'Lijah and welcome him back to our world after his nap!
* Pulled his superyard outside and set it up.
* Looked over my calendar while boys played. Well, I looked over it for a second before about six gazillion requests came my way. "Mommy could you get the. . .", "I hurt my toe. . .", "Can we have juice?", "Let's go to the swingset!", etc.
* Pushed 3 boys on swings.
* Stopped playing to say a prayer for Bubba (Erik's brother) who has been at the hospital all day having tests run to figure out why he is in so much pain. Ended up being his gallbladder and surgery followed.
* Kissed a few boo boos.
* Walked up the street and back, pushing Elijah in the stroller while Joshua and JCT alternated between riding bikes and walking.
* Took Rain out.
* Corralled boys and superyard back inside.
* Fed Elijah some yogurt and cheerios to tide him over until dinner.
* Folded laundry and started last load for the day!
* Put dishes in dishwasher away.
* Put clean clothes and towels away.
* Bathed 3 little dirty boys in one big tub! Fun!
* Got everyone out and dressed in PJs. Got hugs and kisses from clean, happy boys!
* Took roast out of oven. Pulled some potatoes off to cool for Elijah to eat with his leftover green beans.
* Made Salads and put french bread in the oven.
* Freshened myself up a bit for Erik - a splash of perfume on my wrist and a dusting of powder on my face.
* Got a call from Erik - on his way!!!!! Yay!!
* Had boys set table while I prepared everyone's plates.
* Received a sweet kiss from Erik.
* Dinner is served!
* Clean up dinner dishes, wipe down table, stick sugar cookies in oven, and sweep kitchen floor.
* Feed boys their well-deserved dessert of sugar cookies.
* Kiss Erik goodbye, so he can do a little training for his triathlon.
* Lay out clothes for me and boys to wear tomorrow.
* Rock Elijah to sleep. One down, two to go. . .
* Make a few phone calls and wash my face while big boys wind down and play cars in sunroom.
* Take big boys upstairs for bedtime routine - beginning with brushing teeth and going to the bathroom.
* Snuggle on JCT's trundle bed and read the story of Samson. Joshua talks me into reading 3 stories, and I am a sucker. So, we read about Ruth and Naomi and then last but not least about Hannah praying for God to give her a son - Samuel!
* Pray.
* Sing songs and scratch backs.
* Say goodnight and go downstairs.
* Text Jen - to make sure she is hanging in there with her husband having a surprise surgery and all!
* Pulled van into garage and stood outside for a few minutes to listen to the prettiest, clearest whippoorwill sing his song from a tree near our home.
* Get out laptop and sit down on couch with a glass of ice water with lemon. Ahhhh. . .
* Joshua comes down, sits next to me, gives me a hug and a kiss and a really cute smile, and tells me that JCT needs to "poo poo." He asks if he can sit downstairs with me until JCT is done. I tell him of course he can.
* We look at pictures of him on my blog until we hear JCT moving around upstairs. This means one thing and one thing only. He has gotten off the potty with a dirty bottom and is doing heaven only knows what with his pj pants down around his ankles.
* I take off like lightening, pushing Joshua to the side, and run upstairs. JCT is standing by the bathtub looking at his bath toys with his pj pants down around his ankles as I expected. I pull him back over to the toilet and wipe his bottom. He flushes, and we wash our hands.
* I say good night for the last time (I pray) and go back downstairs.
* Sit back down on the couch and write this post. Boys actually quit talking and went to sleep! Enjoy feeling my youngest son wiggle around in my belly!
* Now Erik has called and is on his way home! Yay!

Just another typical day for us, but I thought this might be fun to read in 10 or so years.