They turn the river what color?!!

While I was off learning to be a better wife and mother, Eric and the kids were gallivanting around the region and eating junk. Now we joke about what husbands are like when they have the kids to themselves but normally Eric doesn't fit this stereotype. It is a rare occasion for me to come home and the house isn't as clean (normally CLEANER) than when I left it. He makes the kids stick to their routines and feeds them the same stuff we normally would. Apparently this was NOT the case this weekend. They ate frozen pizza for lunch and dinner on Friday. On Saturday morning they got up at 6am, hit 2 doughnut shops, and made it downtown in time to see them turn the river green. They ate McDonald's for lunch and who knows what other kind of junk! But they had an awesome time and somehow managed to fill up a sink of dishes. The dishes are still sitting in the sink - a silent battle of wills between Eric and I is raging as to who is going to do them. Between you and I - I'll probably lose. I normally do. Anyway, here's some pics he took of the kids pretending that they are Irish!

Mommy Guilt - bye bye!!

I am at the Hearts-at-Home conference this weekend. This is the conference I attend every year that we commonly refer to as "mommy school"! It is a time of laughter and refreshment for moms of all types. Granted, most are stay at homes and that's how I was introduced to it, but the applications are relevant to any and all moms (there is even at least one stay-at-home dad here - poor guy, he is SO outnumbered and they've changed all but one of the men's bathrooms into women's - complete with "dismantling" the urinals by putting potted plants in them! Don't you LOVE women!) I can't even articulate how important this time away is for me. I spent yesterday learning and growing not only in my mommyhood but also in my walk with God. How in the world do people get by without Him?! I am far from where I would like to be spiritually but yesterday I was touched by the One who loves me. The One who knows me inside and out and yet still love ME! The one who knows how I fail on an hourly basis to be the woman that I should be - yet he still LOVES ME! He loves me in a way that is beyond comprehension but that love is not beyond being known and better yet - felt. How do I go back to normal life after an experience like that? And yet, I know I will. I will go home on this spiritual high and probably within days I will catch myself falling back into my old habits and patterns of thought. Within weeks I will have forgotten some of the things I am feeling right now. With months I may start doubting that what happens at this conference is real. BUT IT IS REAL! It is the very hand of God that has worked on my heart and will continue to do so as I seek him. Yes, I will fail and yes, the feelings will fade with time but His loving kindness to me never will. Plus - I have the promise that Hearts-at-Home will have another session of "Mommy School" lined up to refresh me one year from today!!

BEAUTIFUL WEATHER!!! I could get used to this!

Well Charity had quite the weekend. Grandma and Papa spoiled her rotten and she loved every minute of it. They went shopping for a gift for Amanda. While they were out Charity got new shoes, a new purse and some jewelry. They also went out to lunch with Papa and generally had a good time. On Saturday after a morning of playing with her cousins she and Papa made a trip to the maple syrup farm. And what's a trip with Papa (either Papa for that matter) without a stop for ice cream! Roger took a nap that day - Charity did not. On Sunday after church she drew her version of a hopscotch board on the sidewalk, helped pick up rocks out of the yard and climbed on top of my car to dance along to a song from High School Musical. How will we ever get her adjusted to REAL life again!
Luckily the "deprogramming" is going well and she is getting back into the swing of things. She and Michael have been fighting like cats and dogs trying to one-up each other with all the fun they had without the other. I'm so thankful for another beautiful afternoon because they are going outside to duke it out as soon as they wake up from their naps. Or maybe they'll end up playing nicely on their scooters and we can have some fun TOGETHER for a change. We're breaking out the grill tonight - YES!! That will make a Monday night feel like a Friday.

So this is what it's like to be an only child

Charity and I made a quick trip home yesterday so that I could attend the viewing for the father/father-in-law of some friends of mine. It's so hard to see my friends grieving and I just pray that God would provide peace to them in this horrible time. My prayers are with you guys!
It would have been wonderful to stay through the weekend but there was no way I could make it work with my school, Michael's school and Eric's study schedule. Instead Charity stayed with Grandma and I'll go home sometime tomorrow (again) so that I can be home for my cousin's fiancee's bridal shower. Michael's last basketball game is on Saturday morning so he won't be going with me. I know the boy is going to miss playing ball but I think Eric will be glad to be done coaching. He loves Michael but dealing with eight 4/5/6 year olds is about to drive him to drinkin'. So in the meantime, Michael is getting a chance to see what life would be without Charity around. Frankly I don't think he's minding it too much. He gets all the attention and doesn't have to fight over which books to listen too. Eric set up the tent in the middle of Michael's bedroom so it looks like it will be high times for Michael tonight. I've put some final pictures of Michael socializing at basketball since I'll be missing the last game and won't have any to show off. Don't worry though - baseball starts in about three weeks!!

We are returning to normal!

Well we've had quite a week! I told you all that Michael stayed home from school on Tuesday because he had a fever. Well he also stayed home on Wednesday and again on Thursday. We wasn't exhibiting any other symptoms besides the fever and he kept telling me that nothing hurt but Thursday morning I called the doctor. We were seen on Thursday afternoon and the doctor said his throat looked a little red so he did a strep test. (Any of you who know Michael and his gag reflex and tendency to overreact can bet how pleasant that was! Luckily there was no "clean up on aisle 5" needed!) Sure enough it came back positive. So, no school on Friday either! He didn't want to go to school more than 10 days in the month of February anyway. (Actually I think he went 11 days this month but who's counting!) Poor little guy still isn't back to 100% but he's slowly getting there. His appetite is still missing and he tires easily but at least he is doing more than lying on the couch. He got to play basketball today. He was alright the first two periods he played but during the third one he was obviously dragging. Even the coach for the other team noticed it. (His daughter played on the kids' soccer team in the fall so he has seen Michael in "action" on numerous occasions.) Thankfully we have a very easy weekend and he can rest up. Eric even broke down and let him play Madden on his computer. Michael (the Bears) lost to the 49ers 0-41. Not to be outdone, Charity played Duck Hunt on the good ol' Nintendo. (pictures above) We are HIGH TECH in our household. No fancy game systems for us, we rely on the original Nintendo for our gaming pleasure. Eric's dad is also up for the weekend so the kids are having fun climbing all over "big" Papa. They are taking naps now so Eric and I are watching the Purdue game while his dad is visiting a family friend here in town. I'm LOVING this game!! Purdue is on a 16-3 run and beating Northwestern 57-39. I always liked going to basketball games when I was at school (not as much as football games though!) and watching them on TV brings back all kinds of memories! It's so fun when they win and it just doesn't happen as much as I would like it too. It wears me out watching them though. I think I'll take a nap when its over.