When honesty isn't the best policy

"You guys, I'm so sorry... but we're going to have to run back home."

We were on our way to a family reunion, and I had already made three trips between the van and the house for things I had forgotten. During those lightbulb moments, the van had still been parked conveniently in the garage; this time, though, we were a good mile or two down the road. I had just realized that the watermelon I was contributing to the evening's dinner was still sitting in the fridge.

"We'll get to Nana and Papa's as soon as we can, I swear. But I really need to take that watermelon."

My poor hubby was stuck working late, so it was just me and the kiddos, who were anxious to see their grandparents and cousins. The sooner, the better.

I dashed into the house, grabbed the food, and waddled back out, channeling my inner Jennifer Grey. ("I carried a melon.")

This, I decided, was a teachable moment. Sure, we could be frustrated about the delays. I could be mad at myself. I could be impatient and short with them. But wouldn't it be better to enjoy and have a little fun?

"You kiddos are so lucky," I told them. "You have such an amazing and wonderful mom... If it weren't for me being a little clumsy and forgetful, I would be so perfect that you would feel like it was impossible to live up to my standard. Instead you can just think, 'My mom is so awesome! But you know, she's not perfect, so that helps me to know that I can be awesome too, just like her.' Isn't that great?"

There was a pause as they considered this highly informative revelation. Then Monkey chimed in, "Well, it's OK... but I wouldn't mind if you were just a little less forgetful."

Or, you know, if you were just a little less honest.

First Day(s)!

Do you know what happened this week?

This happened...

 

And this...

 

And this...

 

 

And this...

 

And yes, if you're paying attention, Roo is wearing 2 different shirts in these pics. My big kids actually started school yesterday, but Roo's first day was today. I still wanted to get a pic of the three of them together, though, because it's just so darn cute with all three of them there.

 

And then, because they continue to be so cute, I have to share some more photos with you.

He loves his big sister!

One year we'll get one with ALL FIVE of us smiling at once. I refuse to believe otherwise.

Me: "Roo, say 'Cheese!'"

Roo:

He's a stinker.

 

 Singing "Old MacDonald" with Papa

 

Time for the bus...

 

And they're off!

 

 

Heart to heart

We had a serious talk this week as a family. I was sharing some parts of my story with my kiddos, trying to figure out how to explain without oversharing, wondering what they were ready to hear, wanting to make sure they had a clear picture without, well, trauma.

At the end, I took a deep breath and asked, "OK, guys. Do you have any questions?"

Pause.

Monkey looked up at me and said, "Well... Mommy?"

Half-glad and half-nervous, I said, "Yeah, Baby?"

"Can I take skateboarding lessons?"

Oh. I guess they're handling it OK.

Just one boring summer day

I am a big believer in free time. I don't like to overschedule my kids (though I struggle with that in my own life). I'm all for church programs and sports teams and piano lessons, and even trips to the zoo and play dates and other activities to keep them well-rounded and create memories. But I also think there is tremendous value in just being home. No agenda. No plan. And sometimes, Mommy isn't available to drop everything and solve all the world's problems--sometimes they have to figure it out while Mommy folds laundry. I think this is good. Important, even.

Do I sound a little defensive? A little like I'm trying too hard? Because I really do believe that, but sometimes I have to remind myself. Sometimes I have to say, "Remember, my heart, we do not HAVE to leave the house every day. I am NOT a bad mom just because Monkey's eyes plead with me when he says, 'I just can't find anything to DO.'"

Yesterday I was reminding myself. We are leaving for vacation in a few days, the boys had both been sick, life had been busy. I needed to catch up, do laundry, wash dishes. Monkey and Lamb were bickering, snarking. I sat them down and read out loud to them for a while, then gave them required separate play time. "You can play anywhere in the house, but not together. You cannot pester each other or ask each other questions or even comment on what the other person is doing. Play by yourself for a while, and I will let you know when you can play together."

There was eye-rolling. Followed by a little bit of moping. Maybe even a door closed juuuuuuuuuuust shy of slamming. There was silence, broken only by a sigh here and there.

I decided to make myself scarce, closing myself in my room with a big pile of clean clothes. And I wondered. "Maybe we do need to be out every day. Maybe they need me to keep them busier. Maybe I need to make them a list of things they can play. But I don't want to squelch their creativity. Do they have creativity, or have I already squelched it by scheduling too many things for them, and now they are ruined for life?"

I emerged to find the start of something wonderful, although I didn't realize it at the time.

Monkey had begun a game of "stuffed animal bowling." My kiddos have a couple of stuffed animals that are basically plush balls with faces. He was using those to knock down other animals, and was quite delighted with himself.

I lifted the ban on playing together, then went back to work.

My friends, what happened next was absolutely amazing. My two kiddos (Roo was at camp) put together their own obstacle course of fun, complete with six different stations. They used stuffed animals, empty paper towel rolls (from the recycling! no piles of unused towels laying on my kitchen floor!), markers and crayons, paper plates--all kinds of things that were laying around the house. They made six different stations of activities and games. And then they went through all of the stations together, laughing and giggling through the whole thing. They kept score of sorts, but it was sort of like "Whose Line is it Anyway?"--the points didn't seem to matter.

They laughed more than they have all summer. They created something--a whole assortment of somethings--and they worked together to do it. They brainstormed together and helped each other.

And I. was. vindicated.

Just one boring summer day. Probably the best day of our summer so far.

Friday Funny: Appropriateness

Coming home from Lamb's spring concert, we decided to walk along the front of the house and in the front door (instead of going through the garage) to enjoy the flowers that I had spent all day planting. Mr. Fantastic was carrying a rather odorous Roo.

"It's funny," Mr. Fantastic began, "to have two distinct smells at the same time... Roo's a** and the flowers..."

I had barely given him the look when Monkey chimed in, "Yeah, you've got Roo's a** in this nostril and the flowers in that nostril!"

The look got even sterner. And I may have simultaneously stifled a laugh. That's what happens when you don't watch what you say.

"Buddy," I told him, "we really should use that word. It's not appropriate."

Monkey looked up at me with big sad eyes and said, "I'm sorry, Mommy. I won't say 'nostril' anymore."

I decided it was best to just let it go.

Monkey loves his Mama

God has given my sweet Monkey a tender and amazingly sweet heart. He has not, however, given him a very sneaky disposition... something that he may want to work on, since he intends to be a spy when he grows up. Let me tell you a little bit about my week leading up to Mother's Day...

Monday
"Mommy, for Mother's Day, I think you should get to sleep in. Just sleep in as long as you want. That's what you should do, because you deserve it."

Tuesday
"Mommy, are you going to sleep in on Mother's Day? Oh wait, we have church that day, so you can't. Well, you should sleep in on Saturday, then. You definitely need to sleep in on Saturday. Like, really sleep in. On Saturday. This weekend."

Wednesday
"Mommy, are you going to sleep in on Saturday? I really think you should. I need you to sleep in. On Saturday. For Mother's Day. Also, I need to give you your Mother's Day present a day early. Is that OK?"

Thursday
"Mommy, I'm going to give you your Mother's Day present a day early. And I'm not going to tell you what it is, but I'll give you a hint... It's something that we do every day in the morning. But that's your only hint. Also, you're going to sleep in on Saturday, right?"

Friday morning
"Mommy, what's your favorite cereal? I don't mean, like, of all the cereals in the whole world. I just mean... you know, if you had to choose from the cereals we have here at home... what would you say is your favorite cereal from those?"

Friday night
"Good night, Mommy! Don't forget to sleep in tomorrow! No matter what. You need to sleep in until at least... like, 7:00. OK?"

And then there was this...
Saturday morning - 6:08 AM

Me (groggily): Hello?
Monkey (whispering loudly): No! Mommy! You're supposed to be asleep! Remember?
(Why exactly was there knocking, then?)
Me (looking at the clock): What's up, Buddy?
Monkey: I'm trying to give you your Mother's Day present.
Me: But... but it's too early, honey. Go back to bed for a little bit and THEN give it to me, OK?
Monkey (tearing up and on the verge of a meltdown): But, Mommy, I already got it ready.
Me: You did? That is so sweet, hon.
Monkey: Will you PLEASE go back to sleep now?
Me: I will IF you will go back to sleep after you take care of my present.

So much for sleeping in. But a few seconds later, that sweet boy left a bowl of Cap'n Crunch and an apple sitting by my bed, along with a poem and a picture that he made (which included his handprint). I might have had to get up early, but it was worth it.

But Monkey's Mother's Day celebration wasn't over yet. On Sunday afternoon he came running inside and announced, "Mommy! I have another Mother's Day present for you!"

Oh, that is so sweet. What did he think of now?

"I just found it! Outside! It used to be alive--well, it used to have something alive living in it!"

Um... I suddenly don't think I like the direction this is headed.

It turned out to be a shell that he had found in our yard. Of course. You know, being that we live in Ohio, not anywhere near a body of water. That makes perfect sense. But hey, it wasn't a snake skin... not that that's immediately where my mind went from his description or anything. I'll gladly take a shell of unknown origin.

Happy Mother's Day!

It's the thought...

"Mommy! Mommy!!!"

Monkey is home from school today on doctor's orders. He has strep throat, but is really feeling pretty good. It's like a dream come true for a 7-year-old boy--you HAVE to stay home from school when you're feeling well enough to enjoy it. It's almost like you're getting away with something.

I was folding laundry upstairs when he came running, calling excitedly.

"You'll never believe what just happened! I was downstairs, and I thought, 'I need to do something nice for Mommy.' So I decided to play Mario Kart, but I picked YOU at the beginning instead of me. And guess what! I got first place--and I won you a new circuit AND a new vehicle!!!! And I did it just for you, Mommy, because you're such a great mom."

He flashed me a proud smile & a thumbs up, give me a wink (Where did he learn that?!?), and practically skipped back downstairs, so proud of his kindness.

Maybe he IS getting away with something.

SEVEN

This is no ordinary Tuesday.

This is one of the best Tuesdays E.V.E.R.

Especially if you're this boy.

Because if you were this boy... on this day... you would be SEVEN. Today.

Yep, yesterday he was 6. (Actually, according to him, he was "6 and 3 quarters and 2 dimes." He's his father's son, what can I say?) But today... he's SEVEN.

Happy birthday, Monkey!

 

Thank you, Lord, for every second of laughter with this boy ("You are the best mommy ever--and the second best parent!"), every tender hug, every moment of thoughtfulness ("Mommy, I'll tell you about that later. I want to hear about your day right now.")--for every rock and stick and blade of grass that he brings me as a present. You really outdid yourself when you made this one, God. And then you saw fit to give him to me--I am crazy blessed.

And we wonder why moms are a little bit crazy...

Thursday afternoons are hectic.  Partly because I am just.so.over the week at that point--swimming lessons after school on Tuesday, church Wednesday evening, and an after-school science program on Thursday. Our afternoons and evenings are NON-STOP, from the minute they get off the bus until the magical time when they are finally in bed for the night. For two days I have been pushing them, "Guys, we have to get going. PLEASE get that done. What else do you still need to finish?" As if a typical day wasn't cramped enough, on these days we have chunks of time stolen from us. And suddenly it's Thursday and I'm tired of it, and I know that I have to do it again.

And when I do go pick up the big kids from their after-school program, I have Roo with me. And he is excited to find his big brother and sister. Who are in two separate rooms. On the exact opposite end of the school from the parking lot. And I don't know if you have guessed this, but Roo can be a lot to handle.

As an added bonus, on this particular Thursday, it was raining. Strike that, it was POURING DOWN RAIN. So I didn't bother to pull the stroller out of the van and set it up, I just grabbed Roo and ran for the building.

I have to admit that it was comical to let him run through the building, partly because it is just plain hilarious to see the way he runs, with his arms flying and his feet still a little unsure. And also because he would stop at every open door and BELLOW his siblings' names, in language that only our family could understand. I did, however, get weary of having to run and grab him every time he turned down a wrong hall (on accident or on purpose!) or ran into a room where some poor teacher was trying to finish up for the day.

And then... the program ran over the regular time slot. So we finally got back to the appropriate place in the school... and we had to wait. And Roo doesn't wait well. (The previous week, by the way, I had arrived at the correct dismissal time, and my kids were the only ones left. And I had to answer questions like, "Why did you come so late, Mommy? Why weren't you here when we got done? Did you forget?")

It feels a little like an understatement to say that I was frazzled by the time that they got dismissed. I think you have probably done that math in your head already.

But what you don't know is that my kids LOVE the after-school science program. And that they come out with the energy one would expect of a person who has chased a Monster drink with a 5-Hour Energy.

They were a little amped up.

"Mommy, guesss what!"

"Mommy, I can't wait to tell you!"

"Mommy, look what we made today!"
"Mommy, my project is hanging in the hall!"

"Mommy, Blake said he'll come over sometime!" (I have never heard of this Blake person. When did we decide to invite him to our house?)

"Mommy!"

"Mommy!"

"MOMMY!"

And as a grabbed Roo's hand for the 10th time in 5 steps, I finally said in as nice a voice as I could muster, "You know, guys, I'm having a hard time listening to you and chasing your brother. I can't talk to anyone until we get into the van."

Good job, Mommy. You handled that like a pro. That should solve all the world's problems.

"Mommy?"

"No. Did you hear what I just said? You have to wait until we get to the van."

Pause.

"Mommy, guess what!"

"Not until we're in the van."

Pause.

"Hey Mommy?"

"Nope. In the van."

Pause.

"Oh, Mommy, I forgot to tell you--"

"NO. Not until we're IN.THE.VAN."

Pause.

"Mommy?"

Look of death.

"Oh yeah."

Finally we reached the magical place where I could buckle Roo in, unload the bundle of things I was carrying, and plop my weary body into a comfy seat.

SIGH.

"OK, guys. We're in the van. I've had a minute to collect my thoughts. Now, what did you want to say?"

Blank stares.

"What do you mean?" (Lamb.)

"I told you guys that I couldn't talk until we were in the van. You wanted to say some things on the way and I told you to wait. Now we're here. What did you want to say?"

Pause. More blank stares.

"I don't think I needed anything. I think it was just Monkey." (Totally not the case.)

Monkey shrugs and says, "I don't know. Guess it wasn't that important."

Oh for the love.

A little privacy, please!

This may be a little too personal. Just be warned.

Lamb: "Mommy! Mommy! Moooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyyyyy!!!"

Me: "I'm in the potty."

Lamb: "I know! I need to go potty! What do I do?"

At this point, it's important that you realize that there are FOUR bathrooms in our house. FOUR.

Me: "This is not a problem I can solve for you. You're going to have to figure that one out on your own."

Lamb (dejectedly): "OK, I'll use the potty upstairs."

{5-second pause}

Monkey: "Mommy?"

Me: "I'm in the potty."

Monkey: "OK. Mommy?"
Me (hoping that I sound more patient than I feel): "Can I just.go.potty?"

Monkey: "OK. But Mommy?"

Me: "Does this need to be handled RIGHT NOW???"

Monkey (saddened): "Nooooooooo. I'll go start my homework."

{5-second pause}

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK (on the bathroom door)
Roo: "Min!" ("Come in!" This is what he says when he wants to open a door.)

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK
Roo: "Min!"

Me: "Buddy, I need.just.a.minute.PLEASE."

{5-second pause}

Roo: "Mommy! 'Ere go."
And he slides a magazine under the door.

For the love. Where did he come up with that?????

It's super cute. I have to admit. But a little privacy would be nice too.

The Gift Giver

My husband is a fabulous gift-giver. This is one of my favorite things about him. It's also quite intimidating, when it comes to birthdays and anniversaries and Christmas and such. I always try to have a great idea, because I know that whatever he gets me is going to knock my socks off. From handwritten notes to flowers to the year that he "bought" a penguin (sponsored one in my name at the zoo--I absolutely LOVE penguins) to this year's surprise trip to FLORIDA (yes, a COMPLETE surprise--I didn't know about it until we pulled into the airport!), he amazes me over and over. But the best part is never the actual gift, no matter how great it is. The BEST part is always the look on his face. He is every bit as excited as I am, maybe more. He loves to give gifts.

And now... now, he has passed that along to one of our children.

Every day when the kids get off the bus, Lamb comes in first. We catch up a little, go over the papers in her backpack, get started on the snack... and then Monkey comes in. Always a few minutes behind. And always, ALWAYS bearing a gift. Sometimes it is a dandelion, sometimes a clover, sometimes a leaf, often it is a rock. But every single time, it is given with a look of complete and utter love. THAT is the gift.

My heart has been stolen, not by this rock, but by the hand holding it.

Confidence

Me: "Monkey, if you could be anything in the world, what would you be?" (I meant as a profession, but decided not to clarify.)

Monkey: "Me. I just want to be me."

I love this boy's confidence. Maybe I DO get something right every once in a while.

First Day

At our house, we like to play a little game called "High-Low." It's a pretty simple game--we simply go around the table (or around the room, if it's not dinner time) and tell our high and low for the day. I'm sure many of you do the same thing, or something similar. It's a good way to get people talking about what's going on in life.

So today, on the first day of school, I am going to tell you all about my highs and lows...

High: Everyone got up and ready with no complaining! We had a delicious breakfast (waffles, at the kids' request, and scones that my mom made), got the bookbags loaded up, and had plenty of time for pictures. Nana & Papa (my parents) and Gram (my mother-in-law) came to see the kiddos off, too.

 

Low: My babies got swallowed up by a big yellow monster. Two of them, actually.

 

High: Everyone got through the morning tear-free, including Mommy (mostly).

 

Low: When I got back in the house and tried to upload the many, many pictures I had taken, I found out that my memory card was dislodged. I didn't get ONE.SINGLE.PICTURE. :-(

 

High: At least the grandparents had some photos. I have the photos from Gram already (which is why I have some of the morning shots) and am looking forward to getting the shots from my parents as well.

 

High: I got to spend some quality time with two wonderful friends. :-)

High: More work is getting done on my basement! Yay! The painting should be done tomorrow, furniture will be arriving soon, and carpet will be ordered on Thursday.

 

Low: First day of school = first call from the school nurse. She is a lovely person. Last year we talked a LOT because of Monkey's headaches. Today, though, his head was fine--this time she called because he had fallen off the monkey bars and landed on his shoulder. She was calling to tell me to keep an eye on his collarbone, because his range of motion was definitely affected. Fortunately, I could hear him in the background, and he didn't sound upset.

 

High: Everyone came home happy! :-)

High: After-school snack...

Funny: A direct quote from Roo's teacher (in a note she sent home): "He certainly is curious!"

 

High: I shamelessly made the kids redo the morning's photo shoot, which is why we have so many good photos here. :-)

 

Low: Monkey's arm was still hurting when he got home. He could lift it to the side, but not in front of himself. Oddly enough, though, it didn't seem to be bothering him when he was playing--not even when he reenacted the event that led to his injury. ;-)

High: By the time bedtime prayers came around, Monkey and I had a talk about the cost of medical care and dramatizing an injury just so one can get an x-ray. And then he realized that, whaddayaknow, his arm didn't hurt anymore.

 

 Low: As the kids were heading up to bed, Lamb tripped on a dog toy and went down crying. This led to some major overly-tired-and-already-dramatic 8-year-old drama. She started off with, "Life is just so hard when you're in school!" and moved to "Sometimes I just feel like parents don't understand" and then she sobbed, "Today just wasn't very exciting!!!!!" Oh for the love. I think it's time for bed.

High: Everyone is sound asleep, and I am thankful for my kids, their schools & teachers, and the opportunities they have before them. Lunches are packed, kitchen is clean, and now I can relax. And tomorrow I get to hang out with my Roo! :-)

 

 

Thanks for joining us on our first day of school. See you soon!

EVER

I have run the full gamut today. During a grocery shopping trip this morning, I was declared to be "the best mommy EVER" when I dropped a box of frozen smiley-face potatoes in the cart.

My reign as Queen Mama was short-lived, however. I received a new title as the kids cleaned their rooms. When I told Monkey that we would not eat lunch until it was done--and then proceeded to pull out all of the things that were stuffed under beds, dressers, etc--I was promptly renamed "the WORST mommy ever."

I had no idea that my position was so precarious.

Just wait until he finds out that we're having waffles for dinner. Maybe if we eat close enough to bedtime I'll be able to reclaim the more desirable title... and hold it all the way until tomorrow morning.

EEG

Thank you all for your prayers for Monkey (and me!) yesterday... and for putting up with my multiple Facebook posts... and your patience with my lack of an actual update. It was a long day, but overall it went well.

Monkey had a hard time waking up at 3 AM, and really didn't get up until about 4. I picked him up from his bed and carried him to the (finished) basement to watch some TV, but he just curled up on my lap and slept for another 45 minutes or so. Eventually, though, he roused and watched television until everybody else was up and getting ready.

On the ride to the doctor's office, though, he was starting to fade. I glanced in the rearview mirror and saw his eyelids fluttering. I called out, "Let's play a game!" in some sing-song, fake-high-energy voice that was totally not me. Maybe it's because my eyelids were feeling a little heavy too. But we both stayed awake (whew!) and got to the appointment on time... which turned out to be a mistake, because we sat in the waiting room for an HOUR before they were ready for us. Apparently the first appointment had run long, and now they were backed up. Oy vey. Thank God for technology--Monkey and I must have been quite a site, sitting there with an iPad, iPhone, and Kindle Fire between the two of us...!

Anyway, the EEG itself went fine. He took some stuffed animals along to snuggle (I had to cut him off at three--he had 5 with him in the van, but two were forced to stay behind and stand guard.), and was asleep within minutes. In fact, the hardest part was waking him up!

Afterward we had another long wait, as the doctor had gone to the adjoining Children's Hospital for rounds. So we spent another HOUR getting our screen time for the month (seriously, 3 AM to 7 AM, then an hour in the waiting room, and now this? No wonder Monkey thought it was the "greatest day ever!")

Basically, here's what we found out: not much. Monkey had a seizure during the test, but not one that was physically noticeable. The doctor assured me (and previous experience with nieces and nephews has taught me) that this is not uncommon, although he was suprised by the location of the seizure. He said that kids who get migraines (which he suspects Monkey has) usually have seizures in the very front or very back of the brain, but that his was "deep inside" the brain. I have no idea what that may indicate. But the bottom line is, he doesn't feel that we need to do anything more at this time. As I said before, Monkey hasn't had a headache since school let out last week, so I am really thinking that it's an environmental cause (like the fluorescent lights are bothering his sensitive eyes). For the time being, we're just going to keep his headache journal (which we started back in April) close by and monitor. As long as he doesn't have noticeable seizures or major headaches, we're just going to keep an eye on him. The doctor did give us a sheet about an elimination diet we can try, but he said that it is only effective in about 10% of cases--and again, since he's not having headaches right now, it seems like a silly thing to try. How would we know if it's working? So for now we're just going to hold tight.

I have mixed feelings about this, honestly. I'm glad to know that there is nothing majorly concerning going on in his brain... but I'm a girl who likes answers. WHY is he having headaches, and more importantly, WHAT are we going to do about it? The doctor had initially recommended an MRI as the next step, but given the cost of the test (we have a tremendous deductible, so we would end up paying for the whole thing) and the current level of concern, he suggested we wait and see if it becomes necessary. It's a good decision, but a hard one for this mama who just wants results.

So thanks again for your prayers and for the texts and e-mails and all of the follow-up. Y'all are the best.

And now I'm going to try to catch up on some sleep. :-)

Tomorrow

I have titled and retitled this post a thousand times (Is "retitled" a word? Just go with it.), and I've only just begun to even write it! I come to you tonight, humbly asking for a little prayer, but not necessarily for the reason you might expect.

I don't remember if I have shared this on the blog, but for the past 2-3 months, Monkey has been having chronic headaches. He's always gotten headaches easily, and has often gone through periods of a week or so where he'll get them daily. But when he approached the one-month mark in April, the school nurse and I had a chat about what to do next. We had his eyes checked (they are great), we made sure he was drinking lots of water during the day. What next? We went to our pediatrician, and for the sake of maintaining my image as a sweet, polite, genteel lady (That's how you all see me, right?), I'll just say that she wasn't helpful. And leave it at that. And just swallow the pain from biting my tongue.

ANYWAY, I took him to a neurologist, who believes that Monkey is suffering from a combination of tension headaches and migraines, but he wants to take a closer look, just in case. He scheduled us for an EEG, which is tomorrow.

Think I'm nervous about the EEG? I am. But maybe not for the "right" reasons.

I'm really not worried about the results, not much anyway. I am becoming more and more convinced that much of his problem stems from the fluorsecent lights at the school (He hasn't had a headache since Wednesday, the last day that he spent any real time in the school building. Thursday was their last day for the year, but he was on an all-day field trip that day.), and I don't expect there to be any major findings from this test or the MRI that the doctor wants to do next. (Thanks for helping us reach our deductible for the fourth year in a row, doc.)

I'm more worried about the LOGISTICS of the test. You see, they really want him to fall asleep for the EEG, so our pre-test instructions call for us to keep him up until midnight tonight... and then wake him up at 3 AM. For the day. 3 AM. NOTHING good happens at 3 AM. Then I need to keep him up until the test, which is at 10:30 tomorrow morning. It takes approximately 1.5 hours, after which we'll see the doctor. So just to recap, here's our gameplan for our 6-year-old: stay up until midnight, sleep for THREE HOURS, then wake up (and STAY awake), go to a doctor's office, get him back to sleep (ha ha) with electrodes all over his head, then wake him up again after an hour or so, then stay up until bedtime tomorrow night.

Yep, THAT has my stomach in knots a little. Because I'm not very patient with whiny children. Because I have two other kids who don't really care how much sleep anybody else gets or how that might affect their behavior. Because I'm the one getting up at 3 AM. (Mr. Fantastic is staying up with both big kids until midnight. I can hear the Wii as I type.) Because Monkey is already my emotional, (overly)sensitive child.

And maybe because deep down, I might be just a little bit worried about the results, too.

So if you read this tonight, could you pray that this whole staying up until midnight and getting up at 3 AM thing goes smoothly? And if you are reading this on Monday morning, I'd appreciate a prayer or two for Monkey and me as we head to the neurologist's office. Please pray that he will actually sleep during the test, that I will have peace (which I really do mostly have right now) (mostly), and that we will both be functional until we can get a good night's rest (and that I will remember that *I* am the adult and need to act like one, even when he is not acting like the mature, sophisticated 6-year-old that I feel he should be).

Thanks, friends. I'll keep you posted.

Monkey-isms

Here are a few of Monkey's latest takes on life...

Me: "Julius Caesar was a real person who lived a long time ago."  (Don't ask why we were talking about Julius Caesar.  It's a long story.)
Monkey: "Did he die?"
Me: "Well, yes, Honey.  He died a long time ago too."
Monkey (suddenly very serious): "Oh no.  We should pray for his wife."

---

Forget creation vs. evolution--Monkey has made the most important dino discovery...
"Lamb, dinosaurs are extinct.  So if you smell something really bad, it's all because of the dinosaurs."

---

His knowledge isn't limited to dinosaurs, though.  He can tell you about sharks, too...
Monkey: "Did you know that sharks don't have bones?  They're skeletons are made of cartilage."
Me: "That's right!  Do you know what cartilage is?"
Monkey: "No."
Me: "It's the stuff that's inside your ears and nose."
Monkey: "Wow!  LAMB!  Sharks' bones are made of BOOGERS!!!!!!!"

---

And he's loyal, too...
"Mommy, if you get arrested and I'm still a kid and small enough to sneak past the guards, I'll use sharp scissors to cut you out of your cage."

Bible Stories... sort of...

My breakfast conversation with Monkey this morning...

Monkey: "Is the Ten Commandment Boogie in the Bible?"
Me: "Well, the Ten Commandments are... the boogie is just a song someone made up to help us remember them."
Monkey: "Yeah, 'cause they didn't know how to boogie then."

---

Monkey: "Mommy, do you know what happened after David knocked Goliath down?  He cut off all. his. HAIR."
Me: "No, Buddy, he cut off his head."
Monkey: "Oh yeah.  And without a head, you can't hear or see or talk or... or... or smell anything. So that's bad."


Can he just stay 4 forever?  Please?!?

Looking up

Well, I think we all know that yesterday didn't start off too well.  It was one of my DS low points, and there were definitely some tears involved.

But what I didn't tell you is that yesterday wasn't just Assessment Day... It was also my birthday. What a way to kick off the day, eh?

But you know what?  There was nowhere to go but up... and it went up.  A few hours after the assessment, the kiddos and I had lunch with my parents and mother-in-law, where I got my first round of birthday presents.  My parents gave me money for a much-needed trip to Ann Taylor (Aahhh, Ann, my BFF... how I have missed you!), and my mother-in-law gave me this fantastic find...

 Can you believe it?!?  I cried.  She used some of my pictures, so those photos are actually from my trip.  This is just the COOLEST thing!

After our fabulous lunch (and ice cream!) we came back home for naps & some housework, but little did I know that Mr. Fantastic would pop in the door at 3:30 in the afternoon to snatch up the kids for a "Top Secret Mission"!  They took off, and I felt like the peace & quiet that ensued was quite possibly the best birthday present ever.  And that wasn't even my gift!!!  What more could I possibly need?!?

They were gone about an hour, and they came home carrying armloads of presents.  OK, Mr. Fantastic had an armload--each of the big kids was carrying one present.  But it was kind of an armload for them.

First I got a gift from Monkey.  Let me give you a little bit of background... Monkey got a Nerf dart gun for his birthday in February... then Lamb got one for her birthday in June.  Monkey then determined that his daddy needed one for Father's Day, which left me the only one who was unarmed--well, you know, the only one who is big enough to hold a dart gun.  So Monkey handed me his present, with a handmade card on the front, where Mr. Fantastic wrote the message that Monkey had wanted to say.  It said, "Dear Mommy, I'm sorry you don't have your own dart gun.  But open this present and you'll be surprised!"  Can you guess what I got?!?  :-)  But here's the best part: My gun holds 10 darts, and all of theirs only hold 6, so while they're reloading I can take them all down.  Oh yeah, baby.

Then I got my present from Mr. Fantastic--a window box to attach to our deck!  And Roo got me 4 different herbs to plant in it.  I am SO. DARN. EXCITED about this--it is exactly what I asked for.  And if you knew Mr. Fantastic, you'd know that this is in itself a miracle--normally the thing I ask for is the one thing that he WON'T buy for me, because he wants me to be surprised.  :-)  I love that man.  And I am SO VERY HAPPY to have gotten exactly what I wanted this year.  :-)

But it wasn't over yet.  I still had a present from Miss Lamb.  I opened it up... and it was a plate.  But not just any plate.  It was THE plate.  You know, the collectible plate that my birth mom had given my parents and my mom had given me?  The one that I dropped and broke as soon as I brought it home?  Yep, that one!  No, it wasn't the broken one--Mr. Fantastic must have found it online somewhere.  (At least, I'm assuming that it was him and not my 6-year-old... ;-) )  I thought my tears were done for the day, but no--that plate and the love and effort that went into finding it (again)... oh my goodness.  Have I mentioned that I love that man?  Oh, and here's my plate...

And just to top off my wonderful birthday, we piled into the van and went to a local nature preserve and then out to dinner.  Yes, you read that right--I didn't even have to cook!  ;-)

OK, and I know you're probably tired of hearing me sing the praises of Facebook (If you're not, talk to my husband--he definitely is!), but I also got almost 100 birthday messages/posts on Facebook, and it made me feel so darn good!

So yeah, the day got off to a rough start.  But it came to a wonderful conclusion.  Absolutely wonderful.

By the way, just a couple of orders of business... I am still working my way through my FIA goals, although this week has seen a few changes.  I'll write more about it soon.  And with all that's been going on here, I have completely forgotten to post the next installment(s) of my adoption story!  I'm so sorry.  Next Wednesday.  I promise.

That's all for now.  It's time for me to snuggle up my Monkey and watch a little "Bolt" before bedtime.

Faith in Action, Days 7 & 8: Kindness cooks & reading books

Happy Friday! Is it just me, or is the summer absolutely FLYING BY?!? Lamb is only going into first grade, and already I miss when all of my kids were "little" and we didn't have to worry about dumb old school schedules. I actually wish (and those of you who have known me IRL for any length of time will probably fall over laughing at this) that I had my act together enough to homeschool her... not forever... just for a year or two. But I don't.  So we're going to have to pack as much fun as we can into the next 6 or 7 weeks.

Yesterday's project was to bake a cake for someone, and it was SO. MUCH. FUN. My kids love helping in the kitchen, especially Monkey.  Take a look at how our project went...

It takes a super hero to bake a cake from scratch!

And a beautiful princess, of course.  :-)

Now THAT is some sisterly love right there.

She made sure there was enough left for herself, though. :-)

Monkey's cars had to watch.

The finished product!  Complete with yellow sugar sprinkles (which you totally can't even see, but that's what Monkey picked out...) and dolphin sprinkles (Lamb's choice).

This was my favorite day of the FIA month so far.  I had tons of fun making the cake (& frosting) with the kids, and I loved listening to them decide who should get the cake.  They settled on a GREAT family.  Not only is the little boy Monkey's favorite person in the world--and both of their kids are great friends to my kiddos--but their mom has been a super friend to me, always willing to lend a hand with babysitting or meals when we needed them or anything else.  She has shown our family so much kindness, I was so happy to be able to do a little something in return.

And as we baked the cake, we talked about other ways to show kindness.  The kids came up with all kinds of things we could give people, so I asked them how we can show kindness without "things."  That really got them thinking.  I loved hearing all of their ideas!  Everything from hugs & kisses to just the tone of voice we use when we talk to someone.  And on the way to our friends' house, we all took turns praying for the family.  It was such a great day with my kids!

Today my task is to start on a book that Mr. Fantastic and I are going to read together.  Also... I am ashamed to admit that I got behind on my Bible reading--I missed the last TWO DAYS. And since the reading is 4-5 chapters per day, I have my work cut out for me tonight!  I just completely and totally forgot about it.

So I guess I'd better quit jabbering and get reading!  Talk to you soon...