Laundry

"Hey, Mama, Can I help you fold this laundry?"
"Good, I'll just work on these PJ's!"
"OK, maybe I'll just sit here, chew on the clothes and look cute - sound like a good deal?"

Night Owl

The last time I pulled an all-nighter was back in 1994 - my first go around in college. It was finals week of my freshman year at FSU and I really needed to cram for my college Algebra exam. Do you remember this Erika? We stayed up all night studying and I just about fell asleep during the exam that morning because I was so tired. I vowed never to pull an all-nighter again - some sleep was better than whatever I might try and cram in my little head.

Since then I've traveled on trains across Europe (and gotten pick-pocketed while I slept), I've written papers until the wee hours of the morning, I've been up for much of the night in my PJ's with a child in my arms or snuggling with a newborn but I've never stayed up without atleast a nap. I'm just not a night person - even early on in our marriage I made a gentle suggestion that if there was any deep conversation to be had - it should be had before 9 pm (my dear husband doesn't share my inability to talk deep philosophy after dark).

But recently I've been pulling all-nighters - for real ones. I've become a night-shifter in the ER and I'm surviving. I'm not sure I will ever get used to it but for now I'm making it and my family is being super supportive. So if you don't hear from me for a while it's because I can't remember what time it is for the rest of the world - is it 02:00 or 14:00? - and I'm living life in that twilight just before bed or the morning after pulling an all-nighter...while trying to play Littlest Pet Shops, change diapers and finish First-Grade homework...the real work I love.

Jumping bean

First real big girl haircut

Before -

After -


Today Lucy got her first real big girl haircut at a 'salon'. She got about 4-5 inches cut off but there is still so much hair! When we got home we had tea outside and enjoyed the daffodils in the yard and the beautiful day together - I love my sweetie girl!

Cuteness uncovered

Sweet Prayers

These were the prayers my children prayed tonight.

Lucy - "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you that we got to have Cheetos for lunch. Thank you that we got to praise you today. Please help Eden with her heart surgery and help the doctors to take good care of her.

Samuel - "Dear Heavenly Father, please help Eden's brother, Josiah, to behave for his grandparents and for Titus to drink from a bottle. Thank you that I got to spend time with my family today and that I get to spend time with them tomorrow."

AMEN!

We are praying for cousin Eden's surgery this week - read more here

Eating carrots

Fast and furious

1 rolling happy 8 month old with a desire to put everything in her mouth
plus +
1 broken vacuum cleaner
plus +
Unusually warm weather for older siblings to enjoy being outside and tracking in all sorts of natural things
equals =
1 Mama finding Christmas tree parts, leaves and a ladybug in happy 8 month old's mouth.


If you've tried to call in the last 3-4 weeks - well, the phone is out and the internet has been hit or miss - just keep trying. We are here - praying Lydia doesn't crawl until she's 4 years old.

Quotes

Tonight we were all sitting on the couch talking and Samuel says -

"I don't want to be THE president (for a brief moment I was surprised and wondered what he wanted to be and he quickly replied), I want to be THE government...I want to make the laws"

After a discussion that involved assassinations of presidents and the secret service Lucy says

"I don't want to be in the secret service. I want to be a cowgirl."

THE government and a cowgirl - sounds like Lydia's got a wide open field of possibilities to choose from.

Just Looking

Quotes

Yesterday afternoon Samuel was watching football with Jeremy. After seeing a score of 42-3 or something like that he exclaimed -

"They have this game in the bucket!"

probably meant "They have this game in the bag" - but a bucket will work.