Second Verse Same as the First!

Andrew wakes me up pulling on my feet and calling out

"Mom! You slept in! We have to go!"

I open my eyes and see Andrew, fully dressed including shoes, and wearing his backpack.

"What???"

"Mom! Get up! I'm all ready! I just need you to help me get my breakfast."

Thinking there is NO WAY I've had a full night's sleep - I glance over at my clock....

2:48 a.m.

Somebody shoot me.

After some convincing that the large moon was what was making it so bright, he reluctantly agreed to take off his backpack and shoes and fall asleep on my floor.


And I'd like to make a note that neither last night nor the night of Amelia's screaming did Mike even flinch in his sleep. What is up with that?!?

Delirium

At 1:00 am I awoke to SCREAMING (blood curdling and terrifying) coming from Amelia's room. In one motion I leaped from bed and sprinted upstairs and then had a mini blackout as I knelt next to her bed (nice help, huh?!)

She was delirious and was screaming that bugs were everywhere. Her body was on fire, I tell you. When I tried to pull back her covers, she screamed. When I tried to put a cool cloth on her forehead, she screamed. She thought bugs were in her water, on her toast, eating her toes when standing naked in the bathroom with even the rug removed. I can't even describe her terror. It would be comparable to my nightmares I wake up from when someone has thrown huge snakes on me.

Poor girl.

We both pretty much passed out from sheer exhaustion a little after 3.

Here she is in February helping me make Valentine treats.
Her words as she is sitting next to me right now watching the picture I choose...
"Ohhhh! Dat's cute! I helping you in da chichen, right mom?!"

Saturday - Sickies & Sliders

Yesterday we started off the day way too early at a soccer game and then as Mike and the boys tried to hit a bday party in between soccer games, Amelia and I headed to the E.R. Joys. We've got the flu and had to sit there for Millie to get breathing treatments and a lot of medicine. She was a model patient!

Came home. Slept FOREVER. She and I woke up in time for dinner and then she sat out in the beautiful weather while Jacob read to her. So sweet.


As they kept busy in the front doing this, Andrew had a major league baseball game in the back, in which he played all the characters complete with conversations. Here he demonstrates Babe Ruth.

And after looking at the above pics, I realized how necessary a haircut was and this morning gave Andrew his first haircut by ME! (and then Amelia and I crashed again.)
I wish I could save some of this weather in a bottle and occasionally pull it out in July and August. It truly feels life giving. A cool gentle breeze with the smell of barbeques and blossoms. Mmm.

So I have been extremely busy at the school, more on that later, but good things are happening. As a result of me being so busy though, dinner time often was moved back to 7:30ish, okay - maybe 8 sometimes, and everything was rush rush. Even though a lot of what was causing crowded days was for a good cause, it made for stress in the home and bad habits started forming. We got in a bad cycle of behavior and how I would respond to that behavior. Repeat.

Some of my good girlfriends from law school came out and stayed for a weekend.

(Hi Ronna & Emily!)

We had such fun!!!! But an important side benefit for my family was that the four days that my kids and I were apart provided a natural break in our cycle. I was able to step away and evaluate and things have gone SO MUCH BETTER around here!

I am being a better girl, and the boys (obviously) are responding to a nicer mom, dinner at a normal time, earlier bed times, and not so much of the "alright, everyone has 20 minutes to finish all their homework and then we're gone!" stuff.

They also found the energy to set some of their own goals and I am SO PROUD of them! I decided to throw an impromptu party for them one night to recognize them. Just threw up some streamers and made some quick blue ribbons while Mike made dinner. They were both surprised!

Jake's says, "Faith in God & Hard Work: Positive Life Change Award." He has been working really hard on being nicer to Andrew. He decided that he needed to say a prayer every time he thought about hurting Andrew and has remembered to do this. His behavior has changed drastically and has had a noticeable effect on the household. Hooray Jacob!!

Andy's says "Determination & Honesty: No thumb sucking award." He eliminated his "slippy dippy" from his sleepytime diet and is now thumb free! Woohoo! If he found his slip lying near his bed at night he would grab it and throw it onto the highest shelf in his closet and say "Not tonight!" He decided on a two week chart and excitedly put his big X in the box each morning.

Both boys came up with these goals on their own, and monitored themselves. I can't say it enough.....I am so proud of them!

Scrumps to all of us for getting our act back together again! I love you family!

Middle School Journal Flashbacks

You know - where you start every entry with "I can't believe how long it's been since I've written. So much has happened!" And then follow that statement with something like...."so we moved last year and I have a new little sister who is now two and I've gotten braces on and am now done with them"....

Anyway, had to document one of my cuties.

Andrew has such a sweet heart. So loving and thoughtful. Below is a picture of something he rigged up right outside my kitchen window so "[I] can look at something beautiful while [I] wash the dishes!"


Here's a closer look. He took a branch that had been recently trimmed off a bush, stuck it in the ground, picked a rose, and affixed it to the center. Voila!


A couple weekends ago we went to a park and had a picnic after the boys' soccer games. While Mike and I laid on our backs, eyes closed, enjoying the sunshine (and discussing how awesome it is that our kids are old enough to watch each other and allow us to relax like this at the park), Andrew was on a mission. He tapped me and told me to open my eyes. The first thing I saw was a huge grin on his face and his shining eyes. Next I beheld his creation. He had scavenged an old water bottle, filled it with water from the ravine, and picked some little crocus-like flowers to put in it. Oh my goodness I love him!

And this is another example of things he just does on a regular basis. It was Saturday. Dad had run to Home Depot. Andrew made him this sign and taped it on the garage door before Dad got back home.


He's here to melt my heart, and he's doing a pretty good job.