Tea with Milk and Sugar

Joseph Jr. (7) found a label machine in our garage.  Is it even called a machine?

Type- short term hazardous conditions

SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS OF LESS THAN AN INCH TO LOCALLY AN INCH OR TWO ARE POSSIBLE IN THE HILLS ABOVE 500 TO 1000 FEET…BUT POSSIBLY SOME LIGHT ACCUMULATIONS LESS THAN AN INCH MAY DEVELOP NEAR THE VALLEY FLOORS ALSO.

(as printed on local news blog in bold red… must run quick to get provisions…)

(mimicking writing on a pad of paper at the table, while I make my dinner)  Violet almost 3.

V- ok I need fruit, salad, eggs… what else Mama?

B- bread.

V- bread… see!  I told ya! Now another order, fruit, eggs.  Now that’s what I meant.

(busts into song)

V- away in a manger where a crib in a bed,

the little old Jesus lay down his sleep head,

stars in the sky lay down where they lay,

the little old Jesus lay down his sleep head.

(she stops)

What question do you like Mama? (as cheery as you can imagine.)

B- What question do you like?

V- (now even cheerier) um, happy birthday Apple Dumpling!

Our home is a quiet peaceful children’s museum by night.  I can gaze upon any of four adorable

round sleeping cherubs.  Take the tour from bed to bed and sigh with love.  How sweet, how still… Ahhh.

By day I am living in a pinball game, boys whiz by and I dodge them, lights flash and I squint,

toys and pots clang, kids crash and things break.  How loud, how busy, how fast!  Aghhh!

Today was the first day of school, first grade for Joseph Jr, Pre-school for Jordan.  We kicked it off with a treasure hunt complete with X marking the spot.  Jordan’s dream come true.  They found goodie bags with special cookies, stickers and Spider-man pencils (butterfly cup for Violet).  We set up notebooks and decorated them.   Joseph taught Jordan A and B using some library books and the chalkboard easle.  He then helped Jordan look through books to find words starting with A and B phonetically.  Then we read an Aesop fable and after discussing it they acted it out a few times switching characters.  The boys took great joy in acting mad at eachother since it was part of the story and they didn’t get re-directed or scolded.  Violet always played the mouse (there was no mouse) and would squeak as I directed her, always waiting for the prompt.  Then reading time for Joseph and a review of writing lowercase and uppercase letters.  A quick walk with the dog, lunch and surprise visit by Mamaw with new books capped the school day.  The rest of the day they’ve spent enjoying their new books and Joseph left for a special time with Mamaw.  Tomorrow we’ll dive into an astronomy unit and cover more.  It was a fun day, Willow fit right in thankfully and it seemed so much easier including Violet and Jordan with specific direction and activities rather than last year when they were “kept busy” when Joseph did school. 

My sister Kerri came and spent the day painting murals on the kids rooms today.  I picked up a brush and thanks to her encouragement, helped.  Eeek.  It was so fun and I love what she did.  She is a great artist, she even painted murals around her teachers doors for her senior project this year.  Here are pictures of the kids rooms.  Violet and Willow’s have a willow tree and some violets of course.  Joseph and Jordan’s have some great bold stripes.  Thanks Kerri! 

I finally (after 32 years) have the big yellow dog I’ve been waiting for.  Of course the kids love him, he does tricks, is so gentle, and willing to pin down any bad guy.  He’s a keeper and it’s been a blessing having him around.  It’s so great with 4 little kids knowing he’s on guard.  Joseph Sr. is happy not to have to get up and check the house if I “hear something”.   Here’s Arliss.   He’s half Labrador (sweet and responsive) and half Siberian Husky (protective).  If you have never watched Old Yeller, what?

Sweet little baby girl, Willow Bethany is now 2 months old.  This is her at 2 weeks.  Life is good with her and the adjustment has been so smooth.

  Isaiah 44:3 and 4

3 For I will pour water on him who is thirsty,
      And floods on the dry ground;
      I will pour My Spirit on your descendants,
      And My blessing on your offspring;
       4 They will spring up among the grass
      Like willows by the watercourses.’

Love you Willow!

Mommy, Daddy, Joseph Jr., Jordan and Violet

Since I’ve been on bed rest for 13 days now and counting I’ve seen what a good mother Joseph Sr. can be and he deserves some praise this Mother’s Day. I also now see why my Mom mentioned a few times growing up that she could use a Father’s Day card (single mom). When one parent is taken out of the picture (bed rest in this case) the other parent has an opportunity to shine or freak and Joseph has shined. He’s served, washed, disciplined, scrubbed, catered, sang to, entertained, prayed for, on and on and on for the kids and I while keeping up with work. Thanks to our amazing family and friends and the enormous amount of help they have given us, he hasn’t yet cracked in this season. I’ve been so blessed to see him carry this outrageous weight of responsibility and still super syrupy call Violet Sweetie 2 hrs. past her bedtime when she has gotten up. He’s amazing, the best husband, father and on this day “acting mother” of our home.

I peeked in the kids room after lunch to see Jordan sitting down on the floor,  lifting his shirt, exposing his 4yr. pot belly to Violet and saying ever so sweetly “say hi to your baby sister.”  She will be so surprised when her sister arrives as an actual baby and not a big fat belly or bellybutton.