I had kids to make me laugh...and cry and scream

I was pushing Andrew in the stroller (for which he is getting too big,) and he was trying to get me to push really fast. "I'm lazy," I answered. To which he responded, "Lazy people are crazy. And crazy people go fast!" A=B=C. He's already full of logic.

We were in sacrament yesterday, and when the water tray came to us, there weren't enough cups for the last few kids, Caleb included. He was very disappointed, but I calmed him by telling him it would be coming. He waited patiently, but when it came, he surprised us all by yelling loudly, "WATER! I love it!" Then, he proceeded to spill it down his front in his excitement.

The brainy one in the family?

These glasses look like they belong on him, don't they?

Our Little Book Worm

We went to our cousin's wedding last night, and while Caleb was busy tossing table decorations into the stream, Elsie sat down to read.  They both make me laugh.

The Little Drunker Boy, Part I

I was at Scouts a few weeks ago and didn't have my cell phone with me. When I came home and saw Heather's car gone and Robin's truck in front of our house, I smelled trouble.

Turns out Caleb bit 3/4's of the way through his tongue vertically and about 1/3 of the way across his tongue horizontally.

I rushed off to be a part of the fun (thank you Robin), and boy o' boy did I have it. Lots of it. Caleb was actually very happy pre-surgery we played and laughed and had fun taking pictures.

He couldn't have surgery until the food he had eaten a few minutes before the accident was out of his system so we had time to play.

He didn't like the IV though and it took 5 tries and the special team to get one successfully in.

Anyway, the surgery went well, just before they started the Nurses brought us some slushies, I felt like I was at the movies, watching surgery while slurping a grape slushy.

After the surgery the doctor wouldn't release Caleb until he could show that he was off of the effects of Kedamine. The nurse suggested that we get him to play a game or move around. He was so funny. He acted just like he was drunk. He staggered, he swayed, he drooled.

For a while he played the game of repeatedly hitting me in the head with a stuffed dolphin. Each time he hit me I would cry out "ohhh." He would laugh in his adorable drunk way.

He reminded me so much of the boy on this short video (well worth the watch):

http://www.thedoorpost.com/sacrifice/theboywhostoldchristmas/

The Little Drunker Boy part 2

Here are some more hospital pictures from our wonderful "little drunker boy."

Is he blaming Heather?

Don't look at me, look at the baby.

“When life gives you lemons...

...make fruit cake, and then start a food fight. Because, that's the way I ride baby.”

-Written by the Joe, for the Joe

I don't know why it is, but for me one of the biggest frustrations of being a parent is brushing and flossing my kids teeth.

I recognize that the timing is wrong. Don't do anything stressful when tired. The kids are tired, I'm tired. Its amazing how tired I am at 7:30 at night.

The motivations are also wrong. I'm Speed Racer, I want those teeth flossed and brush. After the flossing comes the brushing, then the reading and praying and then? It's Joe-Time. The kids motivation to brush? Hey, never is too soon for them.

Then there's the minor pain of sensitivity. Over zealous floss that catches on teeth and then slams into the gum.

Some times there's major pain too when the tooth brush slips out of their mouth and into their eye. Mud in your eye nothing, try mint in your eye.

The squirming, the whining, the complaining, the crying really bug me. Really, really bug me. Neither I, nor the kids enjoy this part of the bedtime routine.

Because it has been so hard, I started to pray to know what to do to make it bearable. A few weeks ago I felt inspired that if I just smile and laugh while I brush their teeth things will work out.

The amazing this is that brushing their teeth isn't become just bearable, it is becoming pretty fun too.

Cy likes for me to tell him stories. Andrew likes to laugh and be silly. They both like me to make up songs. Even just laughing for no reason is fun (try it). It's amazing how happy I can feel when I just start laughing.

Anyway, the Lord says:

“And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.”

I am impressed with how this “thing” that was such a weakness is becoming a strength. It was something I dreaded, now its getting fun.

I am impressed that in such a simple way the Lord has helped me become better, I am excited to work on my other big weaknesses, and I feel like they won't just get bearable or manageable, they will become strengths. Hopefully strengths that make me laugh too.

Ballet girls

Elsie and her friend take Ballet together and they recently were before their recital, their studio sponsored pictures. Neither her friends parents nor us wanted to buy these pictures. Then, just a week after the show, Elsie's friend offered to take pictures of the girls in the studio. I'm so glad that we didn't get the studio photos!