Crazy days are here again.

Congratulations to Christopher on receiving the Sacrament of 1st Reconciliation!  Our friend Father H. was able to be the priest for him, which made it an extra special day.  We then went out to lunch with Father and boy was Keener a lunatic.  She climbed all up and down everything. Luckily Father H. is from a big family and enjoys all the children.    Sometimes though I wonder if he thinks we are all crazy!   

Rolo is at Auntie's house because we were having such a busy, busy day for Christopher and I was hoping to let him have more fun with his cousins than drug all over tarnation with me. He is right in between my identical twin sister's two younger kids and it makes it easy for him to find someone to play with.

On to more adventures,  After lunch, we raced off to the basketball game where Christopher managed to steal the ball from the other team about 20 times in the first half and shut them out from scoring.  Luckily for the other team, they had a good defensive too and Christopher was not able to score, but his teammate got one basket.  At halftime we raced off to the 1/2 of  lacrosse practice that we were able to attend. Christopher had a wonderful time.   All his practicing in the back yard must have paid off because at the end of practice his coach said that he had done really well and looked like he'd already played the game before!  I am very proud to know that his practice paid off.  He is in the U9 league and that means that some of the boys are 9 and some are 7 like him (okay, okay, he'll be 7 in 2 weeks... picky, picky.  He's 6 & 353/365ths).  He probably won't be one of the best players on the team this year (despite his desire to be), but it is good for him to have older boys to model proper lax skills.    Keener had a grand time at the practice.  The team practiced in a huge field house and only used half the field, so she ran all over the other half.  She sure wore me out!!  

Home again, home again jiggity jig, will I ever be out of the car? I do care a fig!  So is my day over, No.  I have a baby that needs her nap and a boy that needs to get cleaned and dressed for his Boy Scout Blue and Gold Ceremony.   Now that he's off having a grand time with all his friends and I can finally sit down and write a little for Honey before I must make dinner.   I'm tired.  It was much easier having a little baby to take care of than having even one kid to drive around town all day!  Despite all the time and energy, I do love it.  I love to see the smiles on their faces when they score a point, sing in a recital, catch the fly ball,  create a masterpiece, like this barbie interior design that Elizabeth built today.  

I love watching an imagination grow.   This truly is the best job in the world!

Sports

Christopher is a mad man on the basketball court. He scored 8 points in the last game and looks forward to practice. If it were up to him he would go everyday. He is one of the best defenseman on the team. Surprisingly, if I give him a bit of advice about how to play better, he really listens and applies what I suggested. I like seeing the natural competitive spirit in him. He is such a sports lover already. I don't have the heart to tell him that with his height genes, their ain't no way he's gonna make it to pro. Oh, well, why squash his dreams? He could always be the next Spud Webb!

His real love is lacrosse and his first season starts this weekend. He is so excited. Elizabeth has already started her 2nd season of playing lacrosse (lax). She is not quite as obsessed, but she loves that she has something in common with Daddy. He coached her team last year. Of course boy's lax is not the same as girls lax. You knew that right? Well, plant me on Mars and call me a tulip, because I did not know! For a few years while the kids were small Honey would say, "I will coach lacrosse when the boys are old enough." When Elizabeth wanted to play last year, I signed him up to be coach despite the fact that he told me that girl's and boy's lax were completely different. I thought, "Come on! How different can it be? a ball, a stick, a goal, a field. What's to know?! So to help Honey out I went to the library and got two books on coaching girl's lax for him to read. I decided to read the first chapter just for fun. After the introduction, I knew I had gotten him into a completely different game. So what did his great supportive wife do?

I tossed him the book and said "good luck!"

A Special Thanks

We owe a debt of gratitude to the men of the Bad Backs Lacrosse Team. They paid for the kids to play lacrosse this season as a thank you to Honey for serving our country. I am so grateful that there are people who care so much about our family.

Oh, I wish it was strep instead....

Christopher and Rolo have had the stomach bug this week.  As I [not eagerly] await the next one in line to be sick, I wonder why is this the disease we always get?  Why can't it be strep?  In the almost 10 years since Elizabeth was born, we have had strep one time.  At least since this is our family's "disease of choice", I am well prepared.  I keep Chux pads in stock in my house,  a special bucket, an isolation plan (to assist in decreasing the spread of the virus), and a good washing machine.  I have washed the couch cushions more times than I can remember even though they are "Dry Clean Only."  AS IF!!!  I'm already sick of the fabric on the couch, so who cares how long it takes for them to wear out!   The couch manufacturers should make everything machine washable to encourage us to wear them out and buy another couch.  

       On a more positive note, I am winning the battle of the clean room campaign.  The kids are not allowed to watch TV unless the playroom, living room, and their room is clean.  No exceptions.  Doesn't matter who got the toys out.  That is for them to figure out.  Bargaining is a useful life skill and this is the perfect opportunity for them to learn about making bargains, compromising, and how to effectively deal with people who aren't pulling their own weight.  I am soooooo loving this! Keep your fingers crossed that this continues to work.XX

Save a kiss for me

While sitting on the couch reading with Rolo and Keener, Christopher came over and gave me a kiss on the cheek.  I put my hand up to my cheek and held it there. 

Christopher asked in a sad small voice, "Mommy, why are you wiping away my kiss?"

"I'm trying to hold onto it a little longer."  I replied.

I got a big smile, a hug and another kiss.  Boy, do I love my job!

A Song is just a song, or is it?

Days are filled with good and bad,  Thank God for the good days and the sweet moments of life. Today I was serenaded by my almost 5 year old, Rolo.  Here are the versus (a little more was ad libbed).  The song went on for about 2 minutes with a couple repeats of this Chorus.

"I love my mommy, 

My Mommy is great.

Mommy is special.

I love my Mommy"

As if the song was not enough of a gift and blessing, I then got a huge hug and kiss and a whisper in my ear "I love you. You are the best Mommy".  What more could I ask for in this world?

National Health Care

Today my adventures were quite sedentary.   I sat waiting in the military health clinic for a doctor, and thought, "Would it kill them to put chairs that were at least a little comfortable?"  I guess it helps weed out people from seeing the doctor.  Since it's Sunday I had to go to the "Emergency Room"  I say this in quotes because 98% of the people there had sinus infections like me and I only saw 2 people that had actual minor emergencies.   The blessing of the military ER's is that they rarely ever have real emergencies.  But after 5 hours of waiting, 6 minutes with the doctor, 5 minutes looking for my ID that they lost, & 10 minutes waiting for my bag of prescriptions, I asked myself,  "Why would I ever want National Health Care?"   This is the best that the government can do for the people that protect the country,  how bad would it be if they "cared" about all of us?

Duck tape

I need a new role of duct tape for the children.  I think I should start by taping Keener's clothes on.  She streaked by when Christopher's Basketball coach brought him home from practice.  How am I supposed to apologize for that?  She needs to be potty trained because I'd rather not have to clean the rugs anymore. She's worse than a puppy!  And to think everyone says that you "miss" this when they're gone.  It's very hard to imagine missing this, but as I saw a friend's 3 month old today, I did miss the little baby stage.  

    Ah, ... time,   how quickly you pass & how much of you I waste.

   

And the Winner is........

The results are in.  The baby is Allergic to EVERYTHING!  Don't know how severe (yet), but the list includes:

peanuts

green beans

tomatoes

apples

peaches

pears

oranges

trace banana 

trace oats

possible sweet potato.

Uhh, I guess it would be easier for them to tell me what she can eat!

Of course this is all on top of the milk intolerance that brought me to the allergist in the first place.  I thought I had finally found my way out of biweekly doctor appointments.  I guess not.

A haircut for the Bushes

Today  I decided to do my January task of trimming the butterfly bushes.  Rolo decided to help me and he was quite a big help for an almost five year old.  He was a little upset at first that I was hurting the plants, but when I told him that I was just giving the bushes a haircut he was happy to join me.  We trimmed the butterfly bushes and the "christmas tree" bushes and some of the roses.  The knock out roses still need to be done but not today!! The Spring chores are just beginning and it looks like I still have a lot to do!  But then again, what gardener ever considers their garden as finished?

Now and Then

   

As I attempted to look for the cord to the camera today, I came across this picture and could not help but want to show a Now and Then photo of Honey.   The cord is of course MIA, or rather it's been kidnapped by a child and is lost in some low lying country that I will never see. The newest photo is from Fort Jackson where the Navy sends it's best Submariners to join the NArmy.  Apparently the Army isn't able to handle a land war anymore and must rely on the experience and expertise of those who spent months surrounded by water??!  Sand, Water I guess its all the same.  As this last photo sent by Honey will surely attest too.

Graceland

Elizabeth and I were having a quick conversation while looking at the world map this evening and cleaning the dishes. 

Elizabeth says. "Well, it's very popular with people in Canada, Mexico and the United States, but not that much to the people in Graceland?"

"Uh, ... Graceland?  Where are you talking about?" I replied.  Instantly I was drawn in from the distraction I had felt moments earlier.  Quickly trying to remember the subject matter, I asked myself  "What in the world would be so popular in North America, but not to the Presley family?"

Elizabeth answered, "You know, right beside Canada.  It's the big island."

Ahhhh ... 

            epiphany

                      ....Greenland.  

"Honey, it's Greenland, not Graceland."

"Oh, ... well ... Greenland, Graceland what's the difference?!"

I couldn't help but laugh, but  I guess I need to work a little bit on geography!

Jumping in the Deep End

Trying to keep Honey up to date on the kids while he defends the country.  He has his adventure & I have mine.    Today though, I think I had a dirtier day!

    The baby has decided that diapers are optional.  So needless to say, I have found a half naked baby 3 times already today!  The carpet is cleaned, but I think the door to her room will never recover from the stigma of being used as an artist's canvas with natural elements.....!!!

   She still looks like an art project herself as the remains of the allergy test wear off.  I wonder what the doctor would have done if she was allergic to the permanent marker?