Five on Friday

1.  Several weeks ago someone broke into our church.  The police caught them...all four of them.  They took several things.  One of which was a lap top computer.  Fred and I got a good chuckle out of the lap top they took.  It was seven years old, password protected, with an internet filter, missing keys and a power cord that would not charge.  We felt like they would be totally disappointed once they got home.  All that work for...this?!?!  Apparently we were correct in our assumption, they tossed it in a ditch that night.  Ha!
2.  It feels like I've been chasing my tail all week.  Ever have one of those weeks?  I'm trying to determine how to have an adult time out.  You know, like 12 hours, just to catch up.    
3.  Clayton asked me when I was going to take him to the doctor for them to draw blood to see if dad was his real dad.   What?!?  Any volunteers to take this question from my seven year old?!?  Then it dawned on me...One of my good friends has diabetes.  Her young son has just been diagnosed with it as well.  The remaining family members had to have some testing done by having blood drawn. One of those family members is Clayton's age.  When they drew blood they laughingly told her they were testing to see if who she called dad was really her dad.  I think she told Clayton.  Ha!  He was genuinely concerned.   
4.  Jack loves Mrs. Alma.  She lives in the nursing home.  Loves her.  Prays for her.  Hugs her.  Wants to go see her.  Asks about her.  Well, at scouts a couple of weeks ago he made a bug box.  He asked if he could give it to Mrs. Alma.  "Yes!,"  I replied.  Every 80 year old needs a bug box, don't they?!?  FYI--she loved it!
5.  I have posted before about Andrew's bed head.  It is awesome.  I got him out of bed this morning and it was sticking straight up.  Straight up.  As in perpendicular to the floor.  I could not contain my laughter.  Sorry I don't have a picture.

Andrew's cuteness

I find joy at each age as my children grow and develop, but if I had to pick a favorite age it would be between 14 and around 20 months.  They are walking and talking so cute.  I guess since he's my third (and last!) I notice every milestone.  I sort of hold on to it because I know it's fleeting.  Here are a couple of cute things that he's done the past few weeks.

We've mentioned before that he loves the book Go, Dog! Go!.  Everyone in our family has it memorized.  The boys fight over who will quote it for Andrew.  When you quote it he listens intently.  When you finish he claps, grins and says, "Yeah!".

Tuesday night we went with my brother and his family to Crazy Chicken Night at Paris Landing. (YUM!)  After we ate we walked along the docks.  Andrew was so excited he was literally trying to jump out of Fred's arms.  He was grinning, pointing and shouting, "Bath, bath, bath, bath, bath, bath" over and over.

I put Andrew in his car seat the other day.  He had my phone in his hand.  In an attempt to get my phone back I took it and gave him a train.  He looked up at me, shook his head and said, "No, Uh,uh."

Andrew has pretty bad eczema.  Right now it is out of control.  He does not like being contained while I put medicine on all of his infected areas.  Sunday while I was putting on his lotion he looked up at me and said, "No, no.  Not nice.".

Andrew cried after my mom today.  He went after he and said (for the first time), "Mimi!"  I think she swooned a little. 

Five on Friday

1.  Fred still has not gotten the bug we all had last week.  Unbelievable.
2. I am in full-swing PTO mode.  We have two huge events coming up:  World's Biggest Reading Celebration and the 5K@ Rhea.  I generally do not have ANY trouble sleeping...I mean NONE!!  I have a few responsibilities with these events.  Consequently, I was awake from 2:40 a.m. until 5:00 a.m. going over everything I needed to do with these.  When my alarm clock sounded 45 minutes later it was slightly difficult to roll out of bed and put on my running clothes.  
3.  Clayton will be on Spring Break next week.  I'm trying to think of some "cheap" activities for us to do while he is out of school.  (I'm going to mention sleeping in, but I don't think he'll go for it!!)
4.  I registered Jack for kindergarten this week.  Kindergarten?!? 
5.  Andrew knows the word "no".  He uses it all the time.  He does not know the word "yes".  If you ask him a question and he responds with his version of yes he says no and grins really big.  

I heart potatoes.

I have always loved potatoes, but since I've gotten older I really try to limit my carb intake.  Unfortunately, this includes potatoes.  Potatoes (and grease) do strange things to me...such as cause my pants not to fit in the thighs or (ahem) seat.  This is so sad to me.  Said all this to say...when I eat a potato it better be good!  Here it is.  What is it you may be asking?!? 

The above picture is homemade tater tots!  Yes, homemade tater tots!!  They are delicious and simple. 

Here is the recipe:
Place 5 potatoes in the oven.
Bake them until done.
When they are baked put them in a food processor with an egg.  Once they are nice and blended scoop them out with a melon baller and place them in 1/4 inch of hot oil.  Let them get good and crispy and them carefully flip them.  Once they have cooked on both sides place them on a paper towel to drain them.  Sprinkle them with salt and dunk in ketchup.  They have a creamy center and a crispy exterior.  Perfection. 

Five on Friday

1.  Fred went to Nashville this week for Tennessee Baptist Convention meetings.
2.  I was supposed to go with him for a mid-week retreat..."free" hotel stay and dinner at Amerigo's (NO CHILDREN, people!!), but I did not get to go because of the picture below...

What do all of these things have in common?!?  You got it...Stomach virus...
3.  Clayton started Sunday afternoon.  He was out of school Monday and Tuesday.  Wednesday morning right after Clayton got dressed for school...
4.  Jack started.  He is still going.  We were up in the night last night.  (Praise the Lord for friends that picked up my children from school, brought Gatorade, lysol, etc., while Fred was out of town!!!)
5. Thursday morning, Andrew (and I) got it.  Oh yes, that is four out of five of us.  Fred is scared, very, very scared.  (He should be!)
As a side note...I don't think you can get the bug by reading our blog, but just in case....Go wash your hands...now...no, seriously...now!!  

Favorite Book

Each of my boys has had a favorite book.  Andrew's has to be Go Dog, Go!  He doesn't talk where others can understand too much, but one word he has down pat is, dog.  He will pick up this book and bring it to me.  When he picks it up he immediately starts saying, "dog, dog, dog".  We then have to read it.  I wanted to get it on video because I know I will soon forget this sweet voice of his.  He will start talking back plainly before we know it and I won't have a baby talker any more...sigh.

Home Improvement

After two entire months of renovations on this house we finally moved in.  Upon moving in I promised myself it would be a LONG time before we started any home improvement projects.  As a matter of fact the door stops, still in the package, sat behind each door for over a year before we installed them.  Yes, a year...still in the package.  When we moved into this house we had one 17 month old boy.  He was rather calm at that point.  I was thinking in 1.3 years we would add one girl and possibly a picket fence and continue living out the American Dream. Done. Life has taken a few twists and turns.  (I wouldn't change it for the world.)  

So what, pray tell, does all of the above have to do with the picture below?...Six years and two more boys later it is time to replace our carpet.  It is nasty and I'm not putting down real hardwood.  Maybe someday when they leave this house I'll get around to that, but for now I'm going to let this sit in my dining room until we install it in our living room and bedroom.  Stay tuned for before and after pictures.  It's gonna be great!  Bring on the boys.  Bring on the mud.  We're ready. 

Five on Friday

1. Fred and I are going on a date this weekend with these people...

We are going to dinner and then to see Tim Hawkins...without children!!

2.  I go to Jackson on Thursdays to teach.  Generally I don't have a lot of extra time before I leave the house.  I've started stopping for breakfast in McKenzie at Subway.  Have you tried Subway's breakfast flat bread sandwiches?!?  Try it.  They are delicious.  I crave them....like right now...I could eat one...
3.  This week at Rhea they celebrated Dr. Seuses' birthday.  They ate green eggs and ham for lunch, had guest readers and got to dress wacky.  The photo below is how he looked before he left for Wacky Wednesday.  Doesn't he look big??

4.  Jack loves to play outside.  He has really enjoyed the warm weather this week.  He even got to go to the park with a friend.  It's the little things in life that make him happy!!
5.  We are trying to take Andrew's pap pap (pacifier) away.  He can have it when he goes to sleep.  I ask him to put it in 'his bed when he gets up.  He has gone to his bed, stood on his tip toes, stuck his arm in his bed and cried, "Pap Pap!!".  It sure is hard to take it away.