A day of milestones

It's been a great day, and a day that is full of memories - both thrilling and bittersweet.

Jonathan's 4th birthday party was today. He actually won't be four for a couple more days, but he doesn't know any different. We had his birthday party at Burger King, and invited a whole bunch of his friends. Disappointingly enough, none of his preschool friends showed up. But several friends outside of school did, and he didn't have a clue that there was supposed to be more people there. They had a blast playing on the playground, and the folks at Burger King were very nice to us and let us stay as long as we wanted. Jonathan got a huge collection of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle stuff, which is his favorite thing on the planet right now. He couldn't wait to get home and play with it all....in fact, he wanted to leave the party right after opening the stuff! We finally convinced him to stay and play with his friends, and he forgot about the toys for a while - until we got in the van, that is! We barely even made it inside our front door when we had to stop, sit down, and take all the little parts out of the boxes they came in. He's been playing with them non-stop since then. Who would have thought that these little figures, who were popular when I was little, would bring him so much joy? I'm glad for him though....not a lot makes him happy, and this does, so bring on the Turtles!

Here's some pictures from his party:







Not long after Jonathan's party, Matthew had his "Crossing Over" ceremony with Scouts - which mean he transitioned from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts. It's a pretty big deal in the scouting world. He also earned the highest award that can be gotten in Cub Scouts: the Arrow of Light. It's a major accomplishment, and the only thing that can be taken over from Cub Scouts to Boy Scouts.

The whole thing was pretty neat...the two boys that crossed over carried lit candles across the room to where a Boy Scout leader was waiting. The boys lit a new candle that the Boy Scout leader was holding, and extinguished their own candles, symbolizing the end of one journey and the beginning of another.

Here's a few pictures of Matthew's Cub Scouting career, ending with the crossing over ceremony:

Wolf Scouts (1st year in Cubs):


Bear Scouts (2nd year in Cubs):


1st Year WeBeLoS (stands for We'll Be Loyal Scouts) (3rd year in Cubs):


2nd Year WeBeLoS (4th year in Cubs):


Matthew and his fellow new Boy Scout and their Cub Scout Den Mother:


The Crossing Over ceremony:

I love to see the temple....

We visisted the Atlanta, GA temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this past weekend. Actually we only visited the grounds...but it was still fun. Jonathan and Annah had a blast running around, and we had a fun picnic behind the temple. We got a couple of neat pictures, but my favorite is of Jonathan sitting happily in front of the temple, seeming to have not a care in the world. The truth is, however, that just before and just after the picture, he was Beelzebub! Or, as Austin sometimes calls him, Beelze-baby.

Anyway, it was a great day, regardless of Jonathan's mood, or the fact that Austin was sick and shouldn't have even gone to begin with. I can't wait to go back soon and go inside!

The Best of Us - Happy Valentine's Day Austin!

I love you...I hope this says it all.

Photo and video editing at www.OneTrueMedia.com

The best-laid plans of mice and men

Have you ever read the poem "To A Mouse", by Robert Burns? If you can get through the whole thing, more power to you. It's a jumbled maze of toungue twisters and broken words. But the moral of it is this: The best-laid plans of mice and men often go awry. After today, I'm pretty sure that Burns should have added another "m" to that little tidbit: Moms.

I've been out of work for several days, sicker than I've been in a long, long time. Flu, maybe. I think I'm back among the living now though. Thankfully! Anyway, after almost a week of being able to do nothing, I was anxious to get out and move today. So off to the gym I went.

Actually, let me back up. I got everything packed last night so I would have to do it this morning. I had my water bottle ready, my sneakers close by. I had to pick up the kids first. I got Matthew from school and got him started on his homework reading, and then drove to the sitter's house. I arrived a few minutes early, because I wanted to be at the gym by 3:30, and wouldn't you know it - they were still asleep!

I got them up and out of the sitter's house pretty quickly; it only took about 20 minutes. I made it to the gym one minute in the hole against the appointed time I'd set for myself. So we walk back to the daycare room, and I found myself in dismay. When did they chance the daycare time from 3:30 to 4:00?!! So we wait. And wait. And wait. It was okay though...there was a class at 4:30 that I wanted to take, and I could use the 4 to 4:30 time period to warm up. Finally the daycare lady showed up and I handed Annah off to her. Miss Annah, who'd been better known as Miss Cranky Pants since I woke her up 50 minutes earlier.

I got out and got my clothes changed. And started my routine. And less than 6 minutes later, the manager found me. Jonathan needed to potty. Daycare rules say the staff can't take them - which I'm totally fine with. So I took him potty. But as I took him back, I heard Matthew say how Annah had been crying since I left. So I looked in on her and she's actually laying in one of the baby beds in the daycare room, covered in blankets and sobbing. The daycare lady said she looked sick. And I knew that she really didn't feel well, because she'd taking cold meds all day for her running nose and crankiness. She'd felt warm when we got up this morning, but I didn't take her temp.

Well heck...what was I supposed to do then? Leave her in there sick and crying, with everyone thinking what a bad mother I was for bring my sick child to the gym daycare? Oh no. So I loaded them up and left. And 3 minutes after we'd walked out of the doors, she was fine; laughing, playing, etc. Little bugger. She just wanted to go home.

So home we came. Oh well. The best-laid plans of moms - I mean, mice and men.... right?

And just as a little added bonus, here's "To A Mouse", for your reading pleasure.

To A Mouse
by Robert Burns.

Wee, sleekit, cowrin, tim'rous beastie,
O, what a panic's in thy breastie!
Thou need na start awa sae hasty,
Wi' bickering brattle!
I wad be laith to rin an' chase thee
Wi' murd'ring pattle!

I'm truly sorry man's dominion,
Has broken nature's social union,
An' justifies that ill opinion,
What makes thee startle
At me, thy poor, earth-born companion,
An' fellow-mortal!

I doubt na, whiles, but thou may thieve;
What then? poor beastie, thou maun live!
A daimen icker in a thrave
'S a sma' request;
I'll get a blessin wi' the lave,
An' never miss't!

Thy wee bit housie, too, in ruin!
It's silly wa's the win's are strewin!
An' naething, now, to big a new ane,
O' foggage green!
An' bleak December's winds ensuin,
Baith snell an' keen!

Thou saw the fields laid bare an' waste,
An' weary winter comin fast,
An' cozie here, beneath the blast,
Thou thought to dwell -
Till crash! the cruel coulter past
Out thro' thy cell.

That wee bit heap o' leaves an' stibble,
Has cost thee mony a weary nibble!
Now thou's turn'd out, for a' thy trouble,
But house or hald,
To thole the winter's sleety dribble,
An' cranreuch cauld!

But Mousie, thou art no thy lane,
In proving foresight may be vain;
The best-laid schemes o' mice an' men
Gang aft agley,
An' lea'e us nought but grief an' pain,
For promis'd joy!

Still thou art blest, compar'd wi' me;
The present only toucheth thee:
But och! I backward cast my e'e,
On prospects dreaer!
An' forward, tho' I canna see,
I guess an' fear!

Be as a little child

There's never a dull moment in the Lewis home. Sometimes it's crazy, sometimes it's fun, and sometimes, it's just downright awesome.

We had a momentus occasion tonight. Jonathan pooped in the potty. Now I understand that, to some people, an almost four year old going poop in the potty isn't a big deal, but here, it's wonderful! We've been struggling with potty training for over a year, so his coming and telling me BEFORE he went in his pants was great. We rewarded him with six pennies (he uses them to "buy" skittles from a candy machine in our kitchen), and he was as thrilled about the whole thing as we were.

Anyway, besides potty training, we've been teaching Jonathan the proper way to say prayer. They've been teaching him cute little prayers at preschool, but nothing like he should be praying....you know, stuff like "A B C D E F G, thank you God for feeding me." Cute, but we want him to learn the right way, so we're teaching him about "school" prayers and "church" prayers. He had a turn at saying prayer in Primary at church the other two weeks ago, and he did great. He's been dong very well, and we've continued since then to work on it, to the point where he says them by himself sometimes.

Anyway, tonight he said his prayers before bed, and he said "Dear Heavenly Father, thank you for me going pee pee and poop in the potty. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen." Wow. Can you get any simpler? My almost four year old son thought to thank our Father in Heaven for what most people would consider the smallest of all blessings. To him, and to us, it was a huge deal though. I'm amazed at Jonathan, and I know that HE can teach ME a great deal about humility and thankfulness, if only I'll watch and listen.

"...and a little child shall lead them." Isaiah 11:6