i got to pick up my kids from school yesterday. and i know, you are probably wondering what the big deal in that is. well, for me, it's a treat. because of my work schedule i don't ever pick up my kids from school. so when they left for school that morning, i told them i didn't have to work so i would be picking them up.

so was it really that special picking them up you might ask? and i would have to say definitely!! andrew was the first one out, and interestingly enough right on his heels was a little girl whose name we have heard pop up every now and again since the first week of school! she even sits at his table during lunch!! how interesting to note that even though we don't hear a lot about her, she seems to always be not far behind. he jumps in the car with his usual "hi mommy!" and it made me glad to get to see him in action.

then out comes the two little ones. they put their stuff in the back of the car and jump right in with avery barely getting the door shut before he starts telling me about a game they played at school that day and insisting that we play it right that second. so for five minutes we sat in the parking lot playing this game and trying to figure out exactly how it was played. we finally conquered it, and played the whole way home.

now in the middle of the game my daughter, who i might add, was thrilled to see me there when she walked out of the school building, quietly handed me a paper she had brought home from school. she had received an 109.5% on her early american report that she had to do. she had went to school the previous day all dressed up in her prairie dress as priscilla alden. she then had to get up and read her report, and show her picture to the class. and we had worked hard that week to get her report written, and that was a lot of work for a 3rd grader (and a 3rd graders mom). but we did it, costume and all and she was rewarded well for her efforts.

and i guess i was rewarded well myself. i got the privilege of being there on time to get them when they got out early, and to visit with them for the seven minute ride home. maybe not one of the biggest moments in their lives, but for me, it was rewarding. i know there won't be one of those moments again for a little while, so i enjoyed it all the way home.

Ahhh, yes!! kids do say the darnedest things!! and when they are your kids it seems like the funniest things. this was certainly the case in our little house this week, definitely the week for funny comments.

Andrew, our oldest, plays jr. varsity basketball this year. and since their dad is such a sports nut he is ALWAYS coaching, even when they are not playing. he takes them to the gym on off days to help them improve their game. so, he has been working with andrew on staying in front of his guy in his position of center/forward to keep him from getting the ball and or scoring. well, this weekend he dressed for the varsity tournament, and we really didnt think he would see playing time, but indeed he did, and indeed he did very well. (his mother was especially impressed) so down the court he goes to get set up for defense, and he executed perfectly, hand in front of the guy, and then to him being in front of the guy, and sure enough the guy missed the shot, but not before hitting andrew in the mouth and literally moving his teeth. so, needless to say, he comes out of the game, and yes, on saturday we have to make an emergency trip to the dentist. so as we are traveling his dad makes a funny comment, trying to lighten the moment, of "man, i cant take you and your brother anywhere. every time i do we end up in the emergency room." to which andrew fires back, "well, dad, you told me to get in front of him and i did, so this is your fault." to which we all just laughed, and then rejoiced over the fact that at least he had blocked his shot. GREAT JOB, son!! mom is proud!!!

then there is little avery!! little and definitely still innocent!! the other night after dinner my husband starts making these funny little comments to me that he knows make me blush. now why after 15 years of marriage i still blush, i really dont know, but i kind of get the feeling that my husband likes to do this. so, after he was done with his little banter, he proceeded to help me get the kids ready for bed. so as we are all in the get ready for bed mode, i went into my room to put laundry away, and as i was coming out chad comes barreling through the door to body slam me on the bed, another favorite pastime of his, and start very over dramatically acting like we are making out. as if we are crazy teenagers or something. so, of course in walks mr. avery, who looks at his dad in disgust and says, "dad, stop flirting!!" and walks right back out of the room. after we stopped laughing chad says, "i think i better clarify flirting with that boy" nah, thats ok, its fine for now!!! it means he is still my little boy, for awhile!!

and yes, last but not least is our little esther. esther takes piano lessons, and i have made a huge effort this year to sit down with her each night and help her with her lessons. and thankfully we have seen some improvement!! so friday, her piano teacher comes up to me because she wants to tell me something very "nice and sweet, about your daughter." now this is a switch i can handle, something good about my little hellion!! well, apparently in her last piano lesson, her teacher gave her a book with christmas songs to mess around with during the holiday seasons. so, as they were looking through the book, she proceeds to ask esther what her favorite part of christmas is. to which my daughter replies, "well, i DO like the presents, but my favorite part is the 'little people', to which her teacher said, "you mean the nativity?" and esther replies, "yes, the little people are my favorite." AHHH!!! so maybe there is something to my little esther pester after all!!

so, as you can see, my days are always full of surprises, and definitely a lot of laughs provided by the little people living in my house. and what a joy they are to me!! i love you chad, andrew, avery and esther!!

well, here i am again girls. i always wonder exactly what it is that i have to blog about, but it has become very apparent to me this week.....my little family. my little family consists of my husband, my oldest son, and my two little hellion children. and my what a week!!

i was reminded this week as i sat back and watched my little family at work how good the Lord has been to me. growing up all i wanted was to be a wife and mom, and i am still very amazed by it all, even after 15 years. almost daily there was some "happening" that either required me to be the disciplinarian or kept me in absolute stitches, and as i watched all this unfold it became apparent to me that i should be blogging all these incidents, so i will never forget them, and so in years to come i can amuse my children by saying, "i remember a time.....". so, that is my new goal, to blog each day about what has happened in my little world!!

so, here is a glimpse into my world this week, back tracking to tuesday evening.......on tuesday's i pick up all the kids from their various places after i get off work, andrew is my first stop at basketball practice, and then i go to get my little ones, lovingly dubbed, "the hellions". so by the time i get home its 6:00. on tuesdays my husband does not get home from class until 7:30, so in this hour and a half of time we finish any homework, do lessons, and i start dinner. on this particular day, the only one with homework was andrew, my oldest. so he sits down to do homework and i visit with him a little while i am preparing dinner. the other two are in the living playing a nice little game of school. now, the thing about the two little ones playing nicely together is that it is a rare thing, and always amazes me that they CAN get along when they want too.

so everyone is in their spots doing what their doing, life is good for a moment. while preparing dinner i decide to make lunches for the next day, and accidentally made andrew's, even though he had just said to me that he wanted to eat chicken chili at school tomorrow. he assures me its not a big deal he will catch it thursday, so i got on the phone to my friend who works in the cafeteria to see if they will serve that on thursday. yes, they will, so its all good, i redeemed myself, life can go on. well, in the meantime, i had noticed that in the living room we had gone from playing school to playing recess, this being demonstrated by the fact that my two little ones are wrestling on the floor, but its all good, its all in good fun. so, i continue with my phone call, get ready to hang up, when in from "recess" walks my two little school children, avery holding his hand over his face, and in obvious pain, and esther walking in behind him with her hand over her head. i quickly say goodbye, and get ready to assess the damage when avery pulls his hand away from his face to reveal a very red cheek, and a nice black bump as well. during "recess" esther had hit his face with the back of her head. so for a few minutes chaos ensued. we got ice for avery, a pat on the head for esther, and my oldest andrew just offered a shake of the head and his every so timely comment of, "hey avery, hows it feel to get beat up my your little sister?". thank you, big brother, that really helped!!!

but the good in all of this was, andrew still got his chicken chili on thursday, the two little fighting hellions were actually being nice to one another, and left "recess" with no hard feelings, i got dinner made (although i did burn my lima beans), and even in the middle managed to have a 10 minute conversation with my sister, sheri. and when dad came in the door at 7:30, things were in place, the table set, all was calm! and he says...."hey, what's happenin'"

"oh, nothing dear!!" i thought, "just another day at recess!!!!"