VBS and other things

I registered all three boys this week online for school.  It felt so techie. 

While helping the boys with their laundry this week I folded 5 pairs of underwear for Clayton, 5 pairs for Andrew and 1 pair for Jack.  This means one of two things:
1.  He did not change his underwear all week. 
or
2.  He did not take a shower all week. 
Either way I am a failure as his mother.  Goodness. 

 Sunday I decided to go for a run...at 2:30 pm...when it was 95...after I ate pasta, broccoli, cake and Diet Coke at a church potluck.  Not my best judgment call. Whoops. 

 Then Monday night my friend Colleen thought it would be a great idea for us to go to Zumba together.  I called my friend Krista to see if she wanted to join us and she did.  Plus Colleen's daughter joined us.  I rocked the class.  And by "rock" I mean I moved around like the whitest Baptist girl you have ever seen.  Yes, I did. 

 My friend, Missy, gave me this coffee mug because she said it reminded her of me.  Sweet, right?  Two weeks ago she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She found out on Tuesday that it is stage 1b to a 2.  She will have chemo and surgery.  I will use this cup from now until she gets an all clear to be a visual reminder to pray for her.  I'd like to humbly ask that you join me in praying.  We serve a big God who is able to do immeasurably more than we can ask for imagine.

 VBS was this week.  I love these kiddos in this picture.  It was a crazy good week.  We decorated before Sunday so excitement would be in the air.  The curriculum was a jungle theme.  One of our older men walked through the church and calmly said, "Bingle bangle bungle, I think I'm in a jungle."  I don't know why this was so funny to me, but I doubled over in laughter. 

During VBS the boys and girls always have a competition to see who can bring in the most change.  This year our offering is going to help the Faith Vietnamese Baptist Mission trip to Vietnam (Faith is a Vietnamese church that meets on our campus.) conduct a VBS while they are on their trip.  How cool is that?!?  Our kids are supporting a VBS in Vietnam.  Back to the competition...Jack, without me knowing, took $20 of his own money and put it in the offering bucket.  (You should know he gets $10 for his allowance a month so this is 2 months worth of allowance.)  When I figured out what he had done I said, "Jack.  I didn't know you were bringing in that much money.  You were supposed to bring in change."  To which he responded, "It was my money and I want to win...(as an after thought)..AND I want to help the missionaries."  Yes, helping the missionaries...that's what we are all about. 

Excuse my thumb, but honestly, does this not just sum up the perfect summer?  A swimming pool, good friends and a good book.  Yes, please. 

Andrew is the baby.  Always has been, always will be, I guess.  For several months now I've been trying to prepare him for kindergarten.  One of the ways we've been preparing is...how shall I put this delicately...getting him to wipe his own bottom after he...goes big bathroom.  He is not a fan of this...at all.  Even when he does it I am summoned to "check" how he did.  I'm really ready to move on from this stage, but we seem to be stuck here.  I think I may go to college with him to continue in my duties.  (My boys think duty/duties is the funniest word ever.  Say it in a sentence around them some time.  They will literally hold their stomachs in fits of laughter.)  Anyway...the other day he went to the bathroom and called me in there to wipe.his.bottom.  When I came in I gave him my usual "you are a big boy and will have to do this at kindergarten" speech.  He looked up at me sweetly through those glasses and said, "Mom, you are just so good at it.  You really can do it faster than anyone I know."  Yes, flattery will get you far in this house even if it comes to wiping a bottom.  Yes, it will.  I may have to go to college with him, but that may not be so bad.  I'll already be there with Jack, so no big deal.  (Yes, I will be Jack's college roommate.)

While we are on the topic of Andrew's bathroom habits I should also tell you that he has a knack when we are out to need to go big bathroom as soon as our food is delivered to the table.  This little habit gets on my last nerve.  I try to avoid it by encouraging him to go as soon as we get to the restaurant, but inevitably he doesn't have to go.  Well, last week I took him as soon as we ordered and I told him to go at that moment.  Then I said, "I'm not leaving the table when our food gets here so you better go now."  Our food came and everything was good...until I had about 5 bites left.  Then he just came and stood by me.  I asked him what he needed and he said nothing.  He stood and I took a bite.  Then he asked me if I was finished and I said no.  I took another bite and the same thing happened.  Then it dawned on me.  I told him I was not going to the bathroom with him until I was finished.  His plan was to stand over me until I was finished with my meal.  Thankfully, Fred was finished and agreed to take him (even though he clearly does not have my bottom wiping skills!).  I'm not sure which is worse...having to leave the table just as the meal arrives OR having a child stand over me asking me if I'm finished yet with every.single.bite. 

We closed out a great week with a little birthday celebration for Jack.  As it worked out our sweet friends from Paris were in town so they got to go to the party with us.  My heart just about exploded with all the friends for Jack.  We started at Jumping World, went to Fred and Renee's for swimming, pizza and cake.  Know how many pizzas 11 boys can polish off in 5 minutes?  Me either.  We bought 5 and they were gone in 4 minutes with several asking for more.  Ha!  A good time was had by all!