Shiny Dots...Hair Cut...and Bruises...

Ok, long post. In short...we're all fine. MS is gone. Kids are great. Life is busy.

I can’t believe it’s been an entire week since I last posted…we’ve been busy little bees around here…last weekend Mama came to town and ironed and made a fabulous pot of homemade chicken soup and a big bowl of homemade chicken salad. Ahhhh…sweetness. She was a HUGE help with the children. T had to work and it was so nice to have the company of another adult, as well as the tremendous help she was! Thanks Mom!

While she was here, MW and I made several little pots of lip gloss. I had some beeswax from an old Martha Stewart kit and after a little research, we were able to procure the few necessary remaining ingredients here at the house. It was loads of fun. We made 8 or so pots and MW had the best time wrapping them and giving them to her friends. We made labels for them and she came up with her own “logo” and “name.” “Shiny Dots Lip Gloss” – handwritten in black ink with cranberry and pink polka dots in a circle around the name. Pretty cute, huh?


Like a crazy woman I gave the little man a haircut. Not sure I should attempt that again. I just about had an out of body experience. He NEVER sits still, even with a sucker in his mouth and one in each hand…it turned out alright. After the last time I cut his hair, I promised myself I’d never do it again, but I called to make him an appt. and never heard back from the girl who cuts our hair and T has faithfully asked me every day if I’ve made that appt. so I just took matters into my own hands. After finishing, I was worried there might be a few pieces that still needed trimming to even things up, but he wouldn’t be still…then it hit me. What am I worried about? No one will notice. He’s NEVER still! Ha!

I've come to one of those realizations I cannot deny…my calling is NOT education…(My hat is off to ALL teachers! You amaze me! I could NEVER do what you do!) I’ve been working with MW on her numbers…and it’s been a humbling experience (for me). There are about four numbers she is struggling with keeping straight. (in terms of identifying the written number.) I’ve made up rhymes and danced around the kitchen…I’ve pointed out these numbers on gas prices and signs, etc. I’ve tried really hard to creatively point them out to her. My mom and sister and a few others have offered "teaching" pointers (because this teaching thing is foreign to me)…and so we’ll do our #6 rhyme and she’ll write the number 6 six times and then I’ll pull out the number six and say, “Which number is this?” And she’ll struggle with identifying that it’s the number six. So as I am feeling the overwhelming desire to bloody my head against a brick wall it suddenly hits me…how many times has my Savior shown me something again and again and again. How many times has He made something abundantly clear…and still, I completely miss it, as if I’ve never been shown before. I stare at it, turn away, and do not remember what I just sat staring at. Yeah, so that whopping bit of conviction, along with the control of the Holy Spirit, has refreshed me in working with her on these numbers. And by the way...she got them all right tonight!

A few nights ago I served our dinner plates…blackened salmon and asparagus…T got a huge grin on his face and said, “you’re back!” Yep, I think I’m back. I am SO HAPPY to be through with the nausea stage!!! HOORAY!!!! So happy about that! I’m cooking again…homemade chicken noodle soup and homemade white chicken chili…I made banana/blueberry bread…and even rice krispy treats (which, you know, require a great deal of culinary effort)… It’s been so wonderful. MW helped me make the chicken noodle soup. We toiled all day long…boiling the chicken, straining the broth, picking the chicken off the bone. She peeled carrots, etc. and at the end of the day I was serving bowls and she said, “I thought we were having the kind of chicken noodle soup we eat when we go camping.” To which I replied, “You mean Ramen noodle soup?” To which she answered, “Yes ma’am.” So T and I enjoyed homemade chicken noodle soup and my little angels happily devoured a pot of ramen noodles. Oh well…it’s the simple things in life, huh?


In other news…”sassy spray” (my soap and water concoction) is NOT working. I found little man sucking the soapy water out of the bottle…so I’ve resorted to putting him in the pack n play, by himself, until he stops whining…at which time I go and get him out…he spent a lot of the afternoon in the pack n play.


MW, T3, and I were in the den hanging out. T3 ran for the kitchen. I could hear him scooting a chair…I found this…GUILTY. It took me a sec to grab the camera. When I first walked in he was on top of the counter from the waist up…turning on the water. Before I nabbed him, he managed to put his metal globe keychain down the drain...into the disposal. Genius.


More little man news…he looks kind of battered…he came home with the scratch on his right cheek, which is now a lovely scar, from MDO. Tuesday, he fell out of an infant swing, again, at MDO, and landed face first…or rather, cheek first…first it looked like a bad carpet burn, and now it’s more of a big bruise and a slight black eye…poor guy. Last week he fell head first from about half way down the steps and miraculously, was fine. Oh yeah, that was probably because the foam pads from MW's "anywhere" chair were stacked at the bottom of the steps...Oh, did I mention that I was beside him when this happened. Great job monitoring - huh?

He and MW “sailed” north to Memphis, but they had to “hurry home because we don’t have any mittens and we will freeze if we don’t get home soon.” That's their dog (behind MW) named Peeka, because she likes to play "peeka-boo."

And here we have MW…as an ant (hence the monkey grass taped to her forehead)…playing “paper, rock, scissors: and …

Here as a “teenager.” You can’t see it in the picture, but she had her Disney “digital camera” with her…”cause teenagers carry cameras.” Note the eye makeup. Lovely. Lovely.

Little man got his hands on some hand me downs...I know T will love this pic! At least he's wearing his train conductor hat.

If you’re still reading…wow. I am impressed. Have a happy night.