Wade has spent the entire week traveling for work. He left very, very early Monday morning for Belgium and he got home this afternoon. I wash shocked he didn’t immediately crash, but he had dinner with us and then provided dessert with a variety of treats he brought home with him. We all took a sample of everything and everyone had a different favorite.
A month or so ago, I decided Ben’s brown shoes (from last year) needed to be replaced. I was shocked to find that he needed shoes almost 2 sizes bigger than the shoes he had been wearing, which he insisted still fit. The problem came when he realized I was going to through away his old shoes. He got quite upset and demanded to keep one of the shoes. I’m not sure where he keeps it, but every once in a while he will randomly appear with one new(er) shoe and his old favorite shoe.
Ben got to stay home with me today. He mentioned right before swim lessons last night that his ear hurt. I just brushed it off and forgot about it until he started acting agitated and grumpy as we watched a movie before bed. Then Ben proceeded not to sleep all night long. He was very vocal about his ear hurting until about 5 am.
When he woke up at 9, he seemed great. He said his ear didn’t hurt but felt a little stuffy. I had already decided to keep him home from school due to the lack of sleep. I feared an ear infection, but with four kids, we’ve only had one ear infection so I don’t know a lot about them. I called the doctor to see if they thought I should bring him in and they said yes. We had time for breakfast and Ben wanted to make donuts, so we did.
The doctor told me she was very surprised to see an actual infection. She had anticipated fluid or redness. We got medicine and spent the rest of the day doing fun things like the grocery and a very long nap for me.
I’m not sure if the time change hit Ben extra hard or if he just really loved his back rub, but we were ready for church early this morning. I sat down on the couch to read, Ben crawled in my lap, pulled up his shirt, and asked for a back rub. It was only a few minutes before I realized he was asleep.
This lazy Saturday morning didn’t even start with cartoons. When I got downstairs Ben was entertaining himself by jumping backwards off the arm of the couch. As soon as the cartoons were done and chores started, the littles decided building a fort sounded like a much better idea than just plumping the couch cushions.
Ben has been asking to buy his teacher flowers for weeks. The other day I finally remembered to grab a bouquet when I ran in to get a few items. I had them waiting when Ben got home from school. He took one look and his first question was, “They are going in a vase, right?”
The next morning I got them in a vase and agreed to drive him to school. He wanted me to carry the vase till we got inside the school. Then he told me, “I got this mom” and off he went down the hall.
Tonight we had a dinner and game night at the elementary school to raise money for the 6th graders trip to Nature’s Classroom. I went to the school early afternoon to help set up and work the cashbox behind the bake sale. Wade showed up with all the kids (after Alex plainly told me he would not attend earlier in the week) for the second seating and I did take a short break to sit with them. The littles immediately checked out the prize table and couldn’t wait for Bingo to start. Ben seemed to have the worst luck and couldn’t fill a single square in on his card. Amazingly, Alex got a Bingo and immediately gave it to Ben. Before too long Kaitlyn won and got her desired prize (which one of the principals had hidden behind the table to keep safe.) The kids had a great night and it was fun to see some friends and raise some money for the sixth graders!
Ben’s school has a night dedicated to specials – art, PE, music, computer, etc. The students and their parents come for an evening and visit each speciality and the activity they have planned. It was loud and hot and hectic, but the kids had a great time and I couldn’t believe the number of people I ran into.
I also got to see The Tower of Books Challenge. Ben has been bringing home a sheet of paper that tells him what types of books to read (a book that rhymes, a nonfiction book, a Dr. Suess book, etc). Every time we finish a sheet there is a new one. Ben’s class has the second most sheets turned in for the school!
Ben had his yearly eye appointment today and afterwards we went to pick out new glasses. We walked by the blue dog and it seemed only right to take Ben’s picture. I have years worth of Teague’s picture (see here) in the same spot.
The sunglasses are to help with the bright sunlight. His eyes are dilated and he was having trouble seeing.
I love winter Saturday mornings. We rarely have anywhere to be and have very slow mornings. Alex sleeps late. The littles get up first and start the morning with a cartoon each. Teague appears at some point during these and usually chooses to watch a cartoon too. Then at least one child usually wants to cook something for breakfast – waffles pancakes, muffins, crepes, etc. After breakfast, we finally get around to starting our weekly chores. I am not looking forward to spring sports and the hectic mornings that go with them.