My Right-On-Time Valentine

I am sick today and obviously not feeling well. My preschooler is here at home without his brother and sister and without a mom who feels like doing much. So he went into his room, unbeknownst to me, and drew me a card. It showed several little hearts arranged together in the shape of one big heart and said "i love U mom, OK." As he presented it to me he said, "Mommy I know that it's not Valentine's Day anymore but this is my Valentine for you today anyway. I hope you feel better!" Well, after that, you bet I do!

Our Weekend In Snippets

O.K. So I know that it is Thursday night and I am just now getting around to posting about our active fun-filled weekend with Grandma and Graypa. But I figure this type of a post is really more for our own family memories anyway than any sort of quality entertainment for a potential lurker or two.

Friday evening, my hubby raced home from work to put the finishing touches on his (uh, I mean my son's) pinewood derby car before loading up his tools to head over to the church to serve in his official capacity as "Check-in Manager." He is excellent at helping the boys to tweak their cars for speed, so they call on him each year to do so.

My daughter and youngest son stayed home with me since he was sporting a low grade fever and we wanted to stave off any reason for non-attendance to the big race on Saturday. I spent the evening cleaning and preparing beds with clean sheets for Grandma and Graypa's arrival.

Hubby and son returned home at the very same time Grandma and Graypa arrived after ten p.m. No one wanted to say hello and goodnight, so we all stayed up past midnight talking and catching up.

The next morning, Grandma and Graypa headed with us girls to cheer leading while the boys made their way to the derby. It was a BEAUTIFUL spring morning! My girls (the cheer squad) were all very tired (I don't know why) and embarrassed to have MY mom and dad watching them, so they did more giggling and laying across the floor than cheering. Graypa decided to make them laugh in his typical fashion. He spent the morning making up cheers about breakfast. "I want bacon. I want toast. I like cheers about food the most! Yea, Pancakes!" I think he may have been hinting since I only offered cereal after my lack of sleep....... :)

After the game, we all raced over to join the boys at the Pinewood Derby on the other side of town. The championship heat was beginning as we found the boys. For the first year ever, my son didn't place in the speed category. But he won first place in design! This was so special since it is also the first year he's done the work primarily on his own! Way to go, Dalton!

I held and hugged my friend's baby while feeding her cookies (only and they were quarter size!) and attempting to teach her to say "Aunt Nikki gives me chocolate." I'm going to make a good Grandma, aren't I?

We went home and watched "Facing the Giants" just like the plan, except for all of us falling asleep in 10 minute increments, waking only to take turns asking "Does anyone want me to make lunch?" The answer was always yes, but none of us could quite manage it for about half an hour. Finally I put some sandwiches together and we prepared for Allie's Birthday Party.

I was so glad to get to see Allie when we arrived at her Aunt Toni's house, just two streets over. The party was a karaoke/movie theme with outstanding decorations and the two most perfect cakes made by Allie's Aunt Toni and Aunt Rae. I know where I'm getting my cakes from now on! One was decorated like a movie clap board and one like a ticket. The girls all decked themselves out with movie star hair and makeup and sang and played and just generally delighted us with their sweet innocence. Allie's favorite part of the evening, though, was playing the vendor of the concession stand, which was made remarkably real with a card table, play money, and every type of typical boxed movie candy you can imagine. I have to admit I made myself sick eating so many "Bottlecaps" just so I could see the joy it brought Allie after her original rush of customers had tapered off for too long. Once the girls were started in on watching a movie, us "big girls" played a game I've never been introduced to before. "Sequence" is my new addiction! It was so much fun to play that we didn't leave to go home until 1:30 a.m. - with church to attend the next morning.

After about 4 1/2 hours of sleep, we woke up to get ready for services while Grandma and Graypa prepared to leave. It was a rather quick sendoff so we could all make our deadlines. Grandma and Graypa needed to have Allie home in time to prepare for school Monday. We had a fabulous church service, even if I did have to poke Greg to prevent him from snoring.

After church, we ate lunch at a Mexican Restaurant that we've eaten at for years. Our last time there, however, we received both bad food and mediocre service. This time, the service was TERRIBLE! As in, they forgot about us entirely multiple times. And every other table in the place. Seriously, all of us customers were talking back and forth in disbelief. It was so bad that I think we all only stayed to register whether such a thing was truly possible!

On the way home, I stopped off at Walmart with my daughter for the next day's necessities and ran into old friends I haven't seen in ages. We talked for over an hour about our lives, our churches, our mutual friends and God's goodness towards us. I love this couple. They were both students in my husband's and my youth group before they even dated.

Since my husband needed to go to work, I went home without any purchases and gathered the boys to go back with us to the store to complete our shopping. Then we returned home and readied for school, played three rounds of Whoonu and went to bed early. But just before bed, both of my husband's brothers called. Paul called to tell us his new school was accepting ALL of his old credits from several years ago and that he will most likely be graduating with his Bachelor degree in business at the end of this semester. I am so proud of him.

But the BIG news came from our other brother, Jason. He called to ask if we had heard that my niece's boyfriend had asked her parents permission to request her hand in marriage! Yay! I love my niece's boyfriend. None of us were too sure when their relationship started where it was going, but we all hoped he was "The One" way before she was sure about it! Welcome to the family Leo! (She of course said yes) You have already been one of us practically since we met you. And "my handsome nephew" just sounds so much better than "my adorable perky niece's boyfriend." The kids especially CAN'T WAIT for the wedding. They have so much fun with Leo. He is one of their favorite jungle gyms. And an absolutely fantastic, talented artist.

So, there you go. Our weekend in a nut, er uh, coconut shell.

Monday as the day fell apart and I blogged about all the sordid details, I told my youngest son "I'm sorry Mommy spent so much time on the computer today. Thank you for being so patient." He just looked at me and said flatly, "I'm not."

Thank YOU for being so patient (or pretending to be) with this post. It was purely to fulfill a request from someone who actually DID want to hear about it. Well, that's what they said anyway. Go figure.

Bedtime Kisses

Bedtime is a big ritual at our house. We have several little routines that often come into play, although they rotate as spontaneity dictates each individual evening. These repetitions were developed naturally out of play that progressed from the living room to the bedroom some fateful night. Once in particular, we were all trying to stall the bedtime process just to extend all the wonderful fun we were having. No one REALLY wanted to end such a great day, myself included. So after our regular goodnight kisses, somebody offered an Eskimo kiss. Then more were exchanged all around. Then we moved on to the "European Kiss," kissing first one cheek and then the other. Then blown kisses and "butterfly kisses" followed. We also made up "fishy kisses" (with puckered lips), "old people kisses, (where our heads shake as we move in)" sappy kisses (with hands cupping the face) and "polka dot" kisses (all over the face.) Oh, and a particular favorite to me are "Great Aunt Bertha Kisses." We don't have a great Aunt Bertha. But if we did, we're sure she would grab our faces, squeezing our cheeks between her puffy grip to hold us right where we don't really want to be. The kids pretend to hate it when I do that one.

Tonight the sweet familiar ritual played out again. But I was in a bit of a hurry to tuck the kiddos in and get back to my chores so they would get enough sleep for school tomorrow. I let them each pick one special kiss to receive. "O.K." my oldest declared with suspicious giddiness. "DOGGY KISS!" And with that he licked from chin to hairline clear up one side of my face! I love that kid! So do his brother and sister. Dearly. So each one of us is all wet and sticky now, but I at least get to go shower. I love what memories are made of!

(Sometime soon, I'll have to tell about our bedtime ritual of "Making Sandwiches.")

Good night!

P.S. - I'm sending a cyber kiss and hug to RTH. You're on my mind!

Monday (Cont.) See Previous 2 Posts To Get The Whole Sordid Sob Story

There was a part 3. It involved tears (mine as well as the kids), lost haircutting scissors (the new pair bought to replace the never found old ones), a fight with the hubby and being late to the banquet (alone - with two of my three children and my dirty hair still in a ponytail.)

"This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm something-or- other

As I was convicted to look for God's silver lining, it was this. At least I have children who, when they see me struggle like they did today, try very hard to obey and draw sweet pictures to cheer me up - rather than take advantage of my breakdown. And their forgiveness for my picture day mistakes was instant. They rarely ever whine or pout when things don't go "their" way. They adapt. I am so very proud of them for intentionally practicing this trait! I have a God who knows that deep down inside, I am a willing worker and a diligent homemaker despite what my home and any spontaneous house guest might currently attest to. And He has so kindly blessed me with a warm and fluffy bed just calling my name after I finish 2 loads of laundry well into the wee morning hours. Innocent encouragement, a comfy bed and at least a little sleep. That's more than our soldiers in the Middle East will get tonight. So tonight, I will just pray for them and praise God despite it all.

Good night.