Our family has become somewhat addicted to a YouTube show called “Good Mythical Morning.” It’s a daily show that is goofy and silly. We prescreen any episodes the kids watch so we know they are safe, though for the most part it is pretty family friendly.

The show does a lot of “Will it…” episodes. Basically they ask a silly question and then proceed to answer it.

For instance… Will it cookie? Then they take random things and bake them into cookies and taste test them. Then they vote on whether or not those things will in fact cookie. Sometimes the thing they use is just a food with a conflicting flavor, sometimes it is something that you wouldn’t normally eat, but isn’t toxic. C loves the episode, “Will it Ice Cream Sandwich?”

And sometimes it isn’t about food, as in Big E’s favorite episode, “Will it shoe??”

I’ve been having problems getting the kids to eat lately, so I started doing our own “Will it” episodes. For instance, in order to get them to eat breakfast, we played “Will it combine?” And mixed different cereals together. In fact, my kids both agreed that Fruit Loops and Reeses Pieces Cereals will combine.

This evening at dinner we played “Will it combine?” again. We learned that french fries and chicken combine while french fries and green beans do not.

While we are playing the game the kids don’t even realize that they are eating more food than they normally would. It’s also funny to watch them slowly chew the foods, deciding whether or not something will and then giving their sophisticated answers.

It’s a silly game, but it works and we all have fun.

 

“Most of us won’t even be a footnote in history. Therefore if we do not embrace the reality of the ordinary, the immediacy of the routine, the privilege of the little bits and pieces that make up life, we’re in for a sore disappointment.” Alistair Begging

A few moments after we closed the door for bedtime, Big E wandered out to find us. Normally I tell him to go right back to bed, but this evening I allowed him to crawl into bed with me. We laid there as he told us about all his future children and what he would name them. He relished every moment of his alone time with mommy and daddy. As the middle child he gets this less than the others, so this evening we embraced it. We embraced him. You are loved sweet boy. So very loved.

“Jesus loves me!” He said proudly as we walked to his classroom. We had practiced this phrase all morning and he was ready to recite it to his teacher. Big E is loving Cubbies. He really has enjoyed going each week, and asks almost daily if it is Cubbies night. Tonight he earned his vest and painted this picture.

C was eager to show me the book she wrote for me during class. (I got out of bed. I love my mom and my dad. I just love my family.)

Picking the kids up from their classes is always kind of daunting. Three kids… Three classrooms… All of them tired, yet all of them hyper. Getting them to the car without a scene is next to impossible, so this evening I decided to try something preemptive.

We would be spies… hiding from the Snarfle Monster. (In case you are wondering, the snarfle monster, as described by my children, is a large nose that drips boogers that turn you into blood if they land on you. It seemed a little graphic to me, as I imagined a large round monster covered in long curly hair that made snarfly noises while it walked, but I digress.)

Anyways, I convinced the kids that it was safer if we travelled together so the Snarfle Monster couldn’t get us, so they stuck close by through the parking lot. They hurried to the van and got in their seats very quickly and closed their eyes. The Snarfle Monster chased us out of the parking lot and down the road, where I was instructed that I should drive fast, but not too fast because we don’t want the police to stop us. Fortunately for us, the Snarfle Monster was apparently zapped by some lightning, and therefore couldn’t chase us all the way home. We arrived home happy and smiling and ready for bed. Minimal fussing and everyone was fast asleep!

Thank you Snarfle Monster for making our evening a breeze!

And a huge shout out to all the people that volunteer their time to Awanas. I know a lot of planning goes into each week. The kids love it and they learn so much. Thank you!!

I took a Benadryl just a few moments ago, so I probably have a good 18 minutes before I completely pass out for the evening!

Tim and I have an ongoing disagreement. Whenever I get a cold, I take Benadryl at night. His argument is that Benadryl is for allergies, not colds, and really doesn’t help with the symptoms. I can conceded that he has a valid point, however, Benadryl knocks me out pretty strong, so I figure if I’m sleeping, the symptoms won’t bother me anyways! And that’s what your body needs to fight a cold, right?? Sleep??

The problem is I usually take it too late in the evening and then have a Benadryl hangover in the morning. I decided to try taking it right away and hopefully I will avoid that!

I can already feel it working. That stuff is potent!

The kids actually did great at bedtime this evening, especially once I mentioned that I wasn’t feeling well. They crawled in bed and didn’t fuss. They also both wished me a good evening and a get better soon before I closed the door.

Ok, that’s enough for now. Good night!!

I look over as he starts screaming. There is a soup crusted into his hair. His eyebrows have small chunks of green bean embedded in them. And there is blood dripping out of his mouth. He is screaming and hysterical, so it takes a moment to track down the source of the blood. Apparently he bit himself as he devoured his soup. Just moments earlier he had thrown a fit because I placed the soup (sans broth) in a plate in front of him. I had tried to hand him a fork. But he grabbed both and attempted to toss them on the ground, arching his back as he screamed no. I shrugged and placed his plate on the counter. He will get hungry eventually. 

I spoon some soup into my bowl and walk toward the table. Baby E starts to squeal and beg for my bowl. The bowl that is filled with the same contents that were on his plate. But somehow it must taste better in a bowl, because he begins to inhale it the moment I put it in front of him. Soon his shirt is dripping in soup, and he has a hard time holding the spoon because it is so slippery.

Eventually the bleeding stops and he begs for more soup. At least one child likes it.

It never fails that my children are starving until the very moment that I set food in front of them. Then all of a sudden they aren’t hungry, or they find the meal completely disgusting. I used to sigh and give in and prepare them something more to their liking, but one day I decided that that was a ridiculous, time consuming practice that didn’t work with our lifestyle, so I no longer do that. Tonight, as Big E stared at that table he said, “I guess I’m going to bed hungry.”

Yup kid, I guess you are.

Before you think that they are justified in turning their noses up to dinner, I would remind you that I do not serve them things like liver and onions or frog legs (both of which were served to me as a child) but I stick to pretty standard meals like soups, pasta, tacos, chicken, etc. And I serve them things that I have seen them eat before, so there is no pity!

I really don’t want my children to grow up thinking that it is ok to demand a certain type of food from other people. I want them to be respectful and accept what is put in front of them, wherever they are. And that needs to start at home. So if you ever hear my kids whining that they don’t eat much dinner, gently remind them that it isn’t because of lack of opportunity!

It was dark when I left the grocery store this evening… chilly too. Further witnesses that the days are getting shorter and summer has retreated. I knew my 7pm Starbucks run was a bad idea, but I plowed through anyways, determined to get through my list of chores this evening.

I like grocery shopping alone. It’s a necessity really. With three small kids I would spend more time chasing them down and less time adding things to my cart. I can’t imagine a more pointless exercise. So I leave them at home. For a few hours it is quiet.

When I got home they were already asleep, but I will sneak in and give them kisses before I go to bed.

I dressed Baby E in a tie this morning, and even though Big E was already dressed for church, he insisted on matching his brother. He said he wanted to look more like a man. So, I obliged and found him a shirt and tie. My boys were very handsome this morning!

We didn’t need our beach pass to get on the beach this morning…

The pirate ship is closed up and the swings have been taken down…

Rita’s is closed…

 

I guess summer is really over.

 

This morning seemed like a good time to hit the beach while the weather is still a little warm. The sky was overcast and there was a constant breeze, but other than that, the beach was perfect. C and Baby E went with me and we spent a couple of hours playing in the sand. C made sand cupcakes… yummy… and Baby E compared small rocks.

I found 76 sharks teeth without even going near the water! C played on the pirate ship for awhile. We finally headed home when we got hungry.

After nap time we got up and headed out to the kids’ favorite restaurant for dinner… IHOP. It’s been ages since we have all gone out to dinner together, and even longer since we have been there. We tell the kids every time we go there that they will regret their decision to order the funny face, i.e. – a chocolate chip pancake with whip cream, but they insist on ordering it and succumb to a sugar stupor within moments! However it was wonderful to spend time together as a whole family.

I was lamenting what we were going to eat for dinner this evening when I remembered that I had a coupon code for a free pizza from Papa Johns! Wahoo! Dinner, check!

I picked up the kids and we headed home. We decided that a picnic on the front lawn would be wonderful so I found a sheet and we laid out our plates. We sat and talked about our days and just enjoyed each others company.

A perfect Friday evening!

“That’s where all the people die,” Big E said as he stared out the window. We were driving past a cemetery next to a picturesque white church. We pass this cemetery multiple times a week, and on more than one occasion we have had this conversation.

“No,” I respond, “That’s where they bury people after they die.”

He pauses for a moment as he thinks about this.

“When I die, I don’t want them to bury me in the ground. Won’t that hurt??”

I really do hate having conversations about death with my children. In one sense it is a great way to lay out the gospel for them, explaining what Jesus did on the cross and the freedom we have from death, but on the other hand, I know that it is a very difficult concept to explain, especially to a four year old, and I worry about frightening him. I explained to him that when we die, our bodies won’t feel anything because we will be in heaven.

“But how can we be in the ground and be in heaven??”

“Our souls go to heaven.”

‘What’s a soul?”

So I started my monologue about souls and how they aren’t like bodies, and yet they are everything that we are- our thoughts, feelings, etc. After a moment of silence he simply replied, “So souls don’t have bones?”

“No, they don’t.”

“Can we see Jesus in heaven?”

“Yes, we will be able to see him in heaven.” I respond.

“Good. Because when he was on this world before we didn’t see him because he was always camouflaged.”

“Well, he wasn’t camouflaged, he was in a body.”

“Then why didn’t we see him?” Big E asked.

“Because we weren’t alive then.” I answered. “He came to earth a long time ago.”

“Oh.”

From there I tired to explain to him that Jesus can live in our hearts if we ask him to.

“Wait!!” He exclaimed. “Jesus can live in our bodies?!?!? But how can he fit in there?”

My ever literal child strikes again. Before I could answer, he had come to the conclusion that it would make sense if “Jesus didn’t have any bones.”

With that, I pulled up to pick up C. As she climbed into the car and got buckled in, Big E excitedly told her that Jesus can live inside your heart and he can do that because he doesn’t have bones.

“She knows Jesus can live in your heart because He lives in C’s heart.”

And at that moment, the most beautiful thing happened. C spent the short drive home explaining the Gospel to her brother. She explained how he died on the cross for our sins and to help us make good choices. There were moments that were a bit off, but to hear her talk with that enthusiasm, it just made me smile. She talked in terms that he could understand, and didn’t get bogged down with the questions that I can find difficult to verbalize. It was all simplified and concise. And it was exactly what he needed to hear.

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I can already tell that homework is going to be a challenge. I was quizzing C on her spelling words this evening because she has a spelling test tomorrow. I was having her write each of them down as I said them. She asked if she could do rainbows with them. It took me a little while to decipher what she meant, but eventually figured out that she planned to write the word with pencil and then trace it with different colored crayons.

Then she asked me if she could use tallies. I admit that the rainbows made me stumble, but the tallies had me completely stumped.

“What are tallies??” I asked.

“Didn’t you go to kindergarten?!?!?” She asked incredulously.

I did in fact go to kindergarten, but I certainly don’t remember tallies. I’m pretty sure we played on the playground, had snack time, and ate glue, but then again, my memory of kindergarten is bit foggy. After all it was “ahem” years ago.

“Yes, I went. But we didn’t talk about tallies.”

“Did you ever go to math class??? “

Well yes, I did, but we are currently working on spelling so I’m not sure how this is relevant at all. And what are tallies?!?

After a few more questions said in a tone of utter disbelief that she might actually know something that I don’t she explained, “Tallies are when you make four lines and then a line through it.”

“Ah ha! Of course I know what a tally is, but seriously what does that have to do with spelling homework?!?” I’m still terribly confused about that, but she just looked at me strangely and went back to printing her words as if I was being the unreasonable person in our conversation.

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Big E had a small amount of homework to do this evening and when he was finished he asked to draw a picture. I told him to draw a picture of Naona and GP. This was the result.

Big E- I drew Naona. I gave her lots of hair. I gave GP a little bit of hair.

Me- What are the spots all over GP’s face?

Big E- Those are his whiskers.

Ha ha ha ha!

This little fellow hung out with me this evening as his siblings were in Awanas at church. He fussed when I carried him into the grocery store, but once inside he begged to be set down. He held my hand as we wandered the store. I would stop, take something off the shelves, gently hand it to him and watch him toss it into the basket. With each successful throw he would clap his hands together and say “Yay!!”

The ride home was not even five minutes, and yet he protested the entire way, indignant that he had to be strapped in his seat. Once home, he complained when I walked him to the mailbox, and he wailed when the neighbors said goodnight. I brought him in and he whined about his shoes and he shrieked when I told him it was bedtime.

And then he saw Molly. Litty Litty Litty is what he calls her. He saw her run upstairs, and that was motivation enough to follow her. Once there, he didn’t complain about brushing his teeth or getting his diaper changed. Instead he smiled sweetly and chatted nonsensically to me. When he asked for his paci I told him not until he was in bed. He ran to his crib and lifted his arms.

Once snuggled in under his blankets he looked at me and smiled. Night Night! He grinned and as I walked out of the room and closed the door I heard him whispering and giggling to himself.

Goodnight sweet boy. Sleep well!