Gratitude

Yesterday Caleb woke up for the third morning in a row with yucky red eyes so I finally took him to the doctors.  He wore a bright red shiny super hero cape.

He was all stuffed up with a terrible sinus infection so he is on antibiotics now.

When we were waiting for the prescription to be done I took him to Panera.  He was still wearing his cape but I never thought anything of it except for now and then when I noticed some smiling looks from other people.

When he ate his cookie, he lifted his plate to lick it.

I held myself back from reprimanding him, he's only four; and I actually, thank you Lord, felt honored when he held his plate out to me and said, "Taste my crumbs."

I did.

I had left Seth home with Jacob.  He slept the entire time I was away.  As soon as I got home, I threw my coat on the couch and went in my room, where I had left him two hours earlier in his playpen, sleeping.  He was sitting up, silently.  Oh how my heart melted when he smiled at me and I scooped him up. 

Yesterday afternoon all the kids had dentist appointments.  Even though Caleb had his sick eyes, I still went so that the four other children could have their cleanings.  As we were waiting, I happened to notice David, with a chunk of hair missing, about the size of a silver dollar, off the top of his head.

"What happened?  Why did you do that?"

"I did it at school, with a pair of scissors.  No one noticed.  It was sticky, so I cut it off."

When he came out from his teeth cleaning, the dental hygienist congratulated me on my pregnancy, she found out from David.  "When is she going to have the baby?", she asked him.  "In two years."  "Is she having a girl or a boy?"  "A girl."  Bless his heart.

Ethan made a pillow this week.  He embroidered a house and a sun on a piece of felt, and then I sewed it into a pillow for him.  He is dying to crochet a blanket.  I am worried about what all this time spent with me is doing to my boys.  But then, after about a gazzillion swords made from all sorts of sticks and tin foil and cardboard, and lots of fighting and battling, I don't worry anymore.

Last week,  I was hugging Caleb on the floor and I wasn't going to stop until he said something.  He finally said, "Let. me. be. free."  I chuckled over that one for days.

Grace has been busy cutting paper snow flakes and taping them all over every wall of her room.  She is also hanging paper chains across her windows.  She's getting ready for Christmas.

Jacob is excited to help cook Thanksgiving dinner.  "You can sit on the couch, Mom." 

Yesterday I gave Seth a frosted sugar cookie (store bought) in his car seat and he loved it, but when he was done he was absolutely covered everywhere with thousands of crumbs.

We watched the movie "Babe" the other day and when it was over, the kids all clapped and clapped.

I'm really sleepy today but I'm happy.  I love my life and am so grateful for each day.

My great Grandma made this sweater for ETHAN, 11 years ago.  She has since passed away but her handiwork continues to make my heart happy.  I have three of these sweaters for the little ones, and they're so nice.  They have a zipper up the back.

Freezing orange juice in cups, with a spoon, was all the rage here lately.  Caleb made his own and said, "Mom!  I can spill my own juice in a cup now!"  Every time I turned around, he was checking to see if it had frozen yet. 

We found an empty bee's nest on a low branch and I took pictures of it.  The next day, Ethan brought it to me, branch and all, so we hung it in the office.

I found Seth picking garbage.  This is the reason why the can is up on the counter most of the time now.

I took this picture last week when I was too tired to make dinner and Ethan made it.  He still needed my coaching though (he made homemade sausage and gravy) so I brought my rocking chair and sat while he cooked.  At one point all the boys were around me so I snapped their picture.

One morning Seth woke up early and after breakfast, he fell back to sleep with his Papa.

It's sunny but chilly outside today.  I've been cozy in the house, spending time with the children.  We are looking forward to a lovely weekend and tomorrow we have a special outing planned, which is Grace's birthday gift from us this year.  The days are flying by so quickly and so many things happen that it's hard to keep track of it all.  I just wanted to sit and type some little things out today, to help me remember.

Gratitude ought to be, and I believe it is, in the heart the most powerful force in
human motive.  ~Charles Spurgeon