My sweetheart

I found this picture on hubby's computer.  I took it with my phone and emailed it to him while he was deployed.  I remember this...we were at a park in Kansas and I was trying to take a picture of lil' peanut who was throwing a fit.  C told me he would pose for a picture and he sat down and gave me the sweetest smile.  Today he came home from school and grabbed my face in his hands.  He opened his eyes as big as they can go and said "Come on Mom!  Come with me and we'll have our glorious moment together!"  (I don't know where gets this stuff!)  Then he whisked me away to his room where he shared his fun size candy bar with me.  Then we played a board game, built with lincoln logs, and created a picture on the lite brite.  Loved our unexpected one-on-one time this afternoon!!!  Such a sweetheart!

He loves his noodles

Freedom!

We finally made it out of the house today!!!  With the exception of a couple of "drives" just to get out of the house, Mommy and Daddy haven't felt like doing much other than laying on the couch this past week.  I came to the conclusion a long time ago that I would much rather take care of a sick child then try to take care of my kids while I'm sick.  Even now that I'm feeling better it's tough trying to keep up with the kids and the house on one leg!  Hubby is getting a little better each day but has yet to make a full recovery. 

 

Anyway, tomorrow is the deadline at C's school to turn in their Operation Christmas Child boxes so we ventured to the store this morning.  I snapped a few pictures of the kids in the car.  I had intended to get hubby to take a picture of me whizzing around Walmart on my scooter but I forgot.  I'll have to get one because I just know I look awesome on that thing. ;)

 

He is turning into a little ham.  I pulled out the camera and he gave me this grin without even being asked.

Back at home packing up his shoebox.

We are also sending a little package to the child we sponsor through World Vision.  C drew a cute little picture of her to send.

This is his message on the back of the picture he drew for the Operation Christmas Child box.  Oh, this kid.  He is always making me laugh.

I had fun doing this with C.  Last year I think I started moving in the right direction, but I'm making even more of an effort this year to be intentional about the ways in which we choose to celebrate the Christmas season.

Say Cheese!

This morning was the first time that lil' peanut has willingly smiled for the camera.  Big stuff!  I had to take advantage of his cheesy grin.

We are all still fighting off our own special sickies.  One of us gets over one thing and then some one else comes down with a totally new symptom.  Hubby spent about 4 hours this morning at the clinic waiting to be seen and get his prescriptions.  The boys were awesome though...playing so well together!  They made mama's job easy this morning.  And I'm calling the morning a huge success considering the first kiddo was up at 4:45 and the tv didn't come on until almost 10!  We rocked out the playdoh all morning.  C was actually in the middle of playdoh cake challenge when I snagged him for some brother shots!!

Silly faces!

Love these two!

We're hanging in there

Whew!  I am glad this day is over!  With the exception of lil' peanut, we are all battling varying degrees of sickness over here.  Hubby is currently in the worst shape and has been upstairs in bed since 3pm.  The man never gets sick!  At least never when I'm healthy and mobile!  Anyway, it made for a looong afternoon and evening.  But, I crawled my way (literally) :) to 7pm when I put the boys to bed early.  (I even managed to do the dishes and a few loads of laundry)  C, poor baby, is feverish and just feeling crummy.  He could barely keep his eyes open.  I'm just praying none of us get what hubby's got!!!  And I'm hoping a good, long rest is what he needs to make a full recovery.

 

A few days ago, before the plague hit our house, we went for a drive and some exploring out at a wildlife refuge.  Here are some pictures that hubby snapped.

 

Oh, he makes me laugh in this hat. 

Hubby got down the winter accessory basket so C could pick a stocking cap. He pulled this old, raggedy one out and said "What is this?!" I replied, a little defensively, that it was my Dad's. "Why do you have it? Your poor dad, you always take his stuff. You were just wearing his shirt the other day!" Ha! He would be referring to one of my favorite plaids. ;) I told him they are my memories. Every chilly memory I have of my dad, he's wearing this hat. I like remembering that when I wear it (or see one of my kid's wearing it!) Same is true of that plaid shirt, and the other plaid shirt, and those pajama's...ok, maybe I should stop stealing my dad's stuff.

Up in the look-out tower.

See our car in the background?  I'm in there. :)

Hoping it's not long before we're all well enough for another adventure!

Halloween Extras

Grace sent me her pictures today from Halloween night.   It was lil' peanut's first Halloween with us, so I didn't want to miss out.  I made hubby push me around the block in the wheelchair!  Then they dropped me back off at the house and hit the rest of the neighborhood.  I'm glad Grace was with them to play paparazzi while I was back handing out candy.  

The things he says...

While trying to sell his floam creations to one of the neighborhood girls.
Girl: Wow, you're a good artist.
C:  Whaaaaat?!?
Girl:  You're a good artist.
C:  I don't consider myself an artist
Ha!  Who is this kid?!

This is a long one, but oh so worth it when you get to the end. ;)
C:  Do you know why that girl needed a dollar?  She told me why she needed it.  She was going somewhere so she needed a dollar.
Hubby:  I think she said she was going to some kind of festival
C:  Yeah, so she needed a dollar to get something there.
Me:  Well, she didn't need it.  She wanted it, right?
C:  No, she needed it.
Me:  No, she wanted it.  Things that we need are things we wouldn't survive without.
Hubby:  Like air.
Me:  And food and water.  We would actually die if we didn't have those things.  But, everything else is stuff that we want.  If it was all gone we may not like it, but we would be ok.
Hubby:  Yeah, like me.  You and mommy want me here.  You would be sad if I was gone, but you would be ok.  So, you don't need me.
C:  Then go ahead and die already and go to heaven.

While putting him to bed...
C:  Are you not a zombie?
Me:  Nope.
C:  You're still your real self then?
Me:  Yep.

"You and Mommy call me Christopher Bowman, but you know Craig at school?  He sometimes calls me Christopher Bonehead."

Overheard from the backseat...
"William your hands smell like spinach."

Me:  Pickle pants!  Where did you get that?
C:  What do you mean?
Me:  Where did you hear that?  Was that on a show or did somebody at school say that or something?  I'm just wondering where you got that saying.
C:  No it wasn't on a show.  Well, I have heard somebody say pickle before.  So, I just added the word pants and I got pickle pants.

After taking lil' peanut's plate away because he was throwing his carrots at C.
"That's it, you're done.  You threw it at me so you're not getting it back.  I'm talking serious right now."

I recently put C through what I'm sure he would describe as the horrific experience of getting his flu shot. ;)  That night he returned the favor and got out his doctor kit to give me a check-up, and few vaccinations of my own.  After getting me a bandaid...
C:  Now where did I do that?
Me:  Right here.
C:  Oh, right there?  Right on that freckle there?
Me:  Yeah.
C:  Is that your lucky freckle?
Me:  Yes.
C:  Oh no.  I'm sorry.  I never would have shot you there if I knew that was your lucky freckle.  Sorry about that.