Conversation Around the Table

Dinnertime is not peaceful time around here. We call it a success if food is on the table and at some point John and I can get a few bites in.

Last night was filled with tales of adventure and future aspirations from Bryant. As I sat in amazement at this little man who is quite sure of how strong he is (or will be) I asked, "Bryant, I wonder what you will be someday," and Bryant very quickly said, "I'm going to fly jets!" And Aubrey piped in, "I'm going to be a dancer!" and they started talking simultaneously about their plans for the future. And Stuart ended everything by saying, "I'm going to be a kung fu master," as he dumped another helping of cheese on his pasta.

And there you go.

The Gift of the Mess

I went to bed last night frustrated by the inundation of toys, of the constant feeling of being strangled by the clutter in my house. And as I started to doze off I was hit by a wave of grief. The toys and clutter will be gone in just a few short years. I won't necessarily miss the clutter but I will miss the little bodies that place those toys right by my bed to step on in the middle of the night.

And then today I wanted to be frustrated that my boys can't seem to remember that the couch is not a trampoline. And I was reminded that they won't always be here to jump on the couch.

It was hard for me to swallow when Aubrey and I were out shopping and she found the, "most perfect Christmas dress," and I saw the price. But then I was reminded that she won't always be available to take shopping and to buy pretty dresses for.

So while these days are tiring and difficult, the little voices and the huggable, kissable faces are only here for a short time. That is what I have tried to focus on this week. Not the clutter or the chaos, but the gift of having four busy bodies to chase after, to be chased by, and to have purpose with.

I've never been one who has felt sentimental about time going too fast but I understand now what that phrase means. The time is going at just the right pace but if I don't focus my heart on the gift of the mess then I will miss out. And then I will look back with longing at what I could have experienced and what memories I could have made with my children if I had my sight set on the right thing. So I am purposing to keep my eyes forward, and smiling, at my wonderful, glorious mess.

Clean Cars and Front Doors

 

 John and the kids washed the cars the other day. This is Stuart's version of helping.

 

 

 When I came home from my errand the front door was also very clean. As in dripping wet. As were the front windows. They were very thorough.

 "I love my Dad! And the American flag!"

 This is my latest project...I'm pretty excited about it and I wonder why I haven't done it before now. This was a not so pretty wood with an even not-so-prettier fabric cushion.

 

 And now it is this. The picture makes it look brighter than it is. It's more of a navy blue and the fabric cushion is a cute green and ivory geometric print. It cheers up the living room quite a bit.

Pumpkin Patch

We found a fun pumpkin patch to venture to on Friday. It seemed like a good, "get out of the house to stretch our legs," activity. Of course we had to drive 2 hours to do it but it was fun and the kids enjoyed picking their pumpkins out of a real patch, not a church parking lot.

 We were all ready to go with our rain boots and then we got there and it was 90 degrees outside. Something about that just doesn't feel right.

 It was a nice breather to get into the countryside, though, and actually see some rolling hills and farm land.

"Mommy, it's hot. And dusty."

 On the hay ride back with our loot.

 I'm so happy Fall is here. Pumpkin doughnuts, warm drinks, sweaters, boots...yep, I like the Fall.

Visit to the E.R.

It's been an adventure around here lately. Wednesday night I drove Stuart to the Emergency Room at the Children's Hospital because he was having difficulty breathing.

 

We have had a round of coughs/fever/cold-type symptoms but yesterday I noticed that Stuart was having to work very hard to get a breath. As the day progressed it got worse and at one point he sat on the couch with a panicked expression as his face turned purple from a lack of oxygen.

 

I'm really good at catching subtle clues like that so we bundled him up and I headed out while John stayed back with the other 3.

 

Turns out our little man has croup and his little body did not respond well to the nebulizer treatment he received so he won a ticket to stay overnight at the hospital. Here enters the problem...

 

Our 10 month old (that is not a typo, our littlest mister is all of 10 months old!) still needs Mommy in the night but Mommy was just told that we would be staying the night 25 minutes away. Enter our rescuers, Dan & Christina and Nathaniel, who loaded up their car and drove straight to our house. Dan drove John over to the hospital and we swapped out. I made it home around 10:30 (I think) and Christina had gotten the other 3 kiddos down for bed.

 

All tuckered out from all the attention in the ER. And because it was way past bedtime.

I was reminded how quickly life can change. I'm thankful the solution was as simple as it was. I'm thankful for friends who dropped everything to be our family. And I am thankful that I got to pick Stuart and John up this morning and that Stuart was smiling and talking like he'd never been sick. He asked if we could pick up milkshakes on the way home for Bryant and Aubrey. As we were ordering we asked him what he would like and he said he didn't want anything. Just something for his friends.

Last night was the first night in about a week that I haven't had a child up crying and sick and I woke up feeling like the day was a bit brighter. And I'm praying we are all on the mend now.