Day 4

I cheated today, so I'm not sure I can really count this as the official Day 4. Between grocery shopping this morning, a women's Bible study luncheon, and an afternoon visit from the Cooper clan (who brought us dinner, BTW...how sweet is that?!), the kids and I didn't really have much focused time together.

We started with a trip to Hoover's, a small produce market not far from our house. This drive always leads to a game of "Who can spot the covered bridge first?" which in turn makes me reminisce about those childhood summer trips to Maine and our quest to find "The Big Bridge." No matter how frequently we go to Hoover's, the sighting of the covered bridge never fails to inspire squeals of delight. I played the tourist today and actually snapped a picture for the sake of this blog...

The goodies we picked up at Hoover's made for a delicious fruit salad at our luncheon, which thankfully included several other young kiddos. I felt a bit guilty chatting it up with the ladies while Annabell and Liam played and dined in a different room, and the situation didn't improve when we came home and I herded them into bed for quiet time. I don't usually eat a big lunch, so between the full stomach and the intense heat of the day, I needed a nap. Not sure what's up with me this week...3 naps in 4 days? I'm starting to think the "crash" from last Friday's adoption fundraiser was on a bit of a time delay.

I awoke to the sweet sounds of the kids playing nicely with their train set. Once I fought my way out of the food-induced coma, we headed outside with the intention of playing together in the sandbox. Unfortunately, the discovery of a dead bird halted our progress. I ran back inside for a minute, warning the kids, "DO NOT touch it." As I returned a minute later, Annabell was nowhere to be seen, but Liam was hunched over the carcass with his back to me, furtively glancing left, then right, then down. I yelled to him and marched on over.

"Did you touch it?"

"Um...no."

"Tell me the truth, Liam. Did you touch it?"

"No." A pause, and then he holds up a sand scoop. "I didn't touch it. But my cup did."

Boys are fun.

Wondering if it was really necessary to disinfectant an outdoor sand toy, I disposed of the bird and got back to helping Liam uncover the sandbox. In doing so I was struck (literally and figuratively) by the overgrown branches of our apple tree. Being the child-focused mother that I am, I left Liam to play by himself while I fetched the clippers from the shed and gave the tree a trim.

That's when my friend Marty arrived, bringing a much-appreciated meal and playmates for the kids. While Annabell, Liam, Mina, and Jed screamed and splashed in the pools, Marty and I had a nice grown-up conversation in the shade. I didn't feel quite as guilty that time, considering how delighted my kids were to have some of their best friends over.

After a delicious, cooked-by-someone-else dinner, I threw Liam in the tub and helped Annabell build a new block/train creation: Sir Topham Hatt's Lookout Tower. Then we devised a scenario in which the New Lorry was driving on the tracks instead of the road, and the big man had to come down out of his tower and enforce some Sodor rules. The New Lorry proceeded to hide in some of the skillfully constructed tunnels Annabell had built earlier in the day, but to no avail. Sir Topham Hatt always gets his man. Or, in this case, his lorry.

Bible time came at bedtime today, and we studied the story of Paul and Silas in Prison. Through this abbreviated version we were able to see that God:

• is always with us.
• is in control of all things.
• changes people when they believe in Him.

We ended the day by reciting our memory verses - Psalm 19:1, John 3:16, Romans 8:28, and Philippians 4:4, which inevitably led to a stirring rendition of "Rejoice in the Lord Always."

Highlights of the day:

• Playing hide-and-seek with Liam this morning...he runs to hide in the closet, then proceeds to yell, "Don't look for me in the closet, Mommy! I'm not hiding in the closet!"
• During Bible time this evening...realizing that Annabell knows far more about the story than I've ever told her. Thankful for a great church and preschool curriculum for the kiddos.
• Watching Liam race around the yard in a wet bathing suit for the second day in a row, once again sporting his plumber's crack for the world to see.
• Annabell double-fisting the blueberries we picked up at Hoover's this morning, and proceeding to make funny faces when she realizes I'm watching.