Five on Friday

1.  Fred is going on a 100 mile bike ride tomorrow.  Yes, 100 miles.  That is a long way.  A really long way.  He is excited!  I say, get to peddaling Mister.
2.  Fred is keeping the boys and I'm getting away for the weekend with these girls (plus one more).  This year has moved several of us to different places, making us farther apart.  You gotta love life long friends.  I don't have many childhood memories where at least one, if not all, of these girls is not involved.   Oh, the stories that will be recalled and told.  Good times.

3.  Clayton's Sunday School teacher is just precious.  We call her and her husband the our Paris grandparents.  She hosts a water party each year for incoming and outgoing students.  Clayton is an outgoing student.  Sniff.  When he got home from the party I told him it might be a good idea to write Mrs. Patsy a thank you note for all she did for them.  He said, "Mom!  It's the 21st century.  Can't I just call her or send her a text?!?"  He will be writing that note this afternoon.

4.  Being the middle child is tough.  Jack did not get to go to the above mentioned party.  He was heart broken.  By heart broken...I mean mad.  I thought we had settled him down, but then Clayton got in and let it slip that they got to eat pizza.  Jack responded through gritted teeth with, "What?!?  Pizza?!?  I had to chicken and rice AND rest while Clayton was eating pizza.  Not fair!"  He was not happy.  Oh well, that's how you develop character, right?  That's what I'm telling myself.  Sigh. 

5.  Andrew does not like the car wash.  Can you tell?!?   I thought maybe it wouldn't be so bad this time, but I was wrong.  Can you see the tears?  Oh, dear.

 

Five on Friday

1. Things are getting kicked up for Fred at TBC.  He has had several meetings this week and will continue to have meetings until November.  This has been the best year in a lot of ways.  What an opportunity to serve, learn and meet new people who, although may go about things differently, have the same goal as we do--To know Jesus and make him known. 
2.  The past two weeks have really been the calm before the storm for me.  I have tried to enjoy each moment.  This coming up week I start back teaching one day a week, the boys will start flag football, swim team will get rolling and I will start cooking Wednesday night meals at church.  Wow...do you hear the storm approaching?!?  I can see it on the horizon.  I'm going to try my best to hold on to every moment, because I have learned that before I turn around another year will have passed me by.  3.  Clayton's teacher sends home a paper called a sneak peak.  It is basically a calendar for the next week.  Typically, I glance at it and toss it in the recycle bin.  Well, apparently you are supposed to keep it in their folder.  I discovered this at parent orientation when Clayton's teacher came up to me laughing and saying, "I have to tell you what your son said."  Oh dear.  My worse nightmare.  She put another sneak peak in his folder and Clayton looked up at her and said, "Oh, that's okay.  You don't have to give my mom another one.  She just throws it away."  Wow...he totally sold me out!!  Bahahaha!! 
4.  Jack had to take a bag this week to school that was called "All About Me".  He had about five different things to include in the bag:  favorite snack, favorite color, something that made him smile, something that was special to him, etc.  When I asked him what he would like to take for something that made him smile he (without hesitating) asked to take a picture of his brothers.  Ahhhhhh. Made my heart skip a beat.
5.  Andrew and I went to the park this week.  He is pretty timid with all things.  The park is no exception.   He approached this green dinosaur and said, "Mom, you see this dinosaur?  I fink he wuvs me!"  Of course, he wouldn't climb on it...no, he hugged it.

Five on Friday

1.  Fred ran late in the afternoon one day this week.  It was extremely hot.  By 7:45 that night he was zapped.  He mentioned something about it just being embarrassing for an adult to go to bed at 7:45 pm, but he thought it would be possible tonight.  I told him I would not judge if he wanted to go to bed...and he did...at 8:00 pm, because 7:45 pm is embarrassing.
2.  On the way to visit my grandmother last week I stopped at Trader Joe's.  Oh.my.goodness!!  I am in love.  I could have spent three hours in that store just walking up and down the aisles.  Seriously.  While there I treated myself to a couple of things.  One of those things was (note the word "was"...it is gone!) Kettle Corn.  Yum!  I would almost drive two hours to get another bag.  Wait...I wouldn't get one bag...I'd get ten!! ;-)
3. 

We have 10,000 Legos at our house and all of them have been on the floor in the playroom the last couple of weeks.  When the boys went to school I reclaimed the playroom floor.  I told Clayton it might not be a bad idea to organize the Legos by color.  He responded by saying, "Yeah, that is a really good idea, but not today, okay?!?"  I didn't ask him when would be a good time for him.  I think I know the answer. 
4.  Jack loves being outside.  He has really been a help this summer in the garden, starting with helping Fred plant and water it.  Typically, each morning he would go out with a bucket and gather all the ripe produce.  For several years now we have tried to grow watermelons with no luck.  Not this year.  Jack is so proud of those watermelons.  He has checked them daily this summer.  Well, this week is the Henry County Fair and we decided to enter his watermelon in the biggest watermelon contest.  It weighed 40 lbs.  He got a ribbon and is so proud.

5.  Andrew does not like a carnival ride.  In fact, if it gets a little over a ride in a stroller he is not a fan.  According to him, "he just likes to watch the big boys."  Last night at the fair he did not ride anything, but he did want to fish.  He had the best time.  He got a red horn and couldn't be any more pleased with his experience. 

Happy Birthday Clayton!

Today was a big day at our house.  It was the first full day of school.  Well yes, but the reason it was important is because we celebrated the birthday of our first child!  He is nine years old today.  We started our day with donuts at NeNe's.  (I do not have pictures.  As mentioned above...it was the first full day of school and I was a bit frazzled.)  Please know that the boys totally enjoyed their treats.  Andrew's order was priceless..."I want donut holes.  They are yummy!" 
We continued our celebration once the boys got home from school with a few presents.

 Then we moved the party to PI Pizza for a little more celebrating with the Snow Family, Mun, Janice and Mimi.  Clayton asked for a giant chocolate chip cookie with peanut butter frosting.  It may not look beautiful, but it was yummy...in the words of Andrew. 

 Fred's parents celebrated with us Saturday.  I'm not sure how it happened, but I don't have any pictures.  This Friday is Clayton's friend party so I'm sure we'll have another update.  Good day.

I love that little fella in the picture above more than my own life.  I remember holding him by myself after he was born and feeling a tremendous responsibility to him.  I remember being up in the middle of the night in a dark hospital room with him.  He was wrapped in a white gown and a white blanket and he was looking up at me with his big, wide open eyes.  I unwrapped him and just marveled at his tiny little fingers and tiny little toes.  Moonlight was shining through the window and all was well with the world.  For a moment it felt like time was standing still.  Since that moment time has not stopped.  It has just marched on.   What a privilege and pleasure it has been watching God work in his life over these last nine years.  Nine years old.  Wow.  It just doesn't seem possible!

First day of school

First and fourth grade?!? How did we get here??  Everyone was excited Monday morning!  Jack woke up all smiles at 6:10 am.  He told me he knew his teacher was going to be sweet.  He also said, "I will be a hard worker for her."  Our friend Mr. B is not in our class this year and it is a hard adjustment.  He told me B was not in his class and that was just the way it was going to be. Bless his heart.  I'm sure B will come over and play after school! 

 When you are in the fourth grade you are too big for your mother to walk you to class.  (That is my way of saying I have no pictures of Clayton after he left my house.) When you are in the first grade you are not too big to hang with your mother.  You are too big, however, to have your picture taken at the door of your class.  You must do it around the corner from the room, with your arms folded and a nonchalant look on your face.   You are, however, too big for your mother to kiss you and tell you she loves you in ear shot of other people.  This makes little/big six year olds blush.  I learned this the hard way. 

Meanwhile back at the house, Andrew and I had a big day.  I reclaimed several areas of our house that had been overtaken with boys during the summer.  I picked up 10,000 Legos and declared us full of Legos.  I also vacuumed the floors.  Goodbye summer, hello routine and clean house!  As much as I resist change, each season of life seems to have a silver lining, doesn't it?!?