Saturday

Remember how I said that our first week of baseball is kicking our butt?  Well here is the proof:

These are two very tired kids.  Robbie also took a nap because he was at a lock-in last night.  He slept for about four hours.  Victor even went to check to make sure he was OK.  I did not get a picture of him.  Right after I took the picture of Jonah, I carried him downstairs because he needed to wake up for baseball practice. 

When Robbie finally woke up, it was 6:00.  We went out to eat and here is what they found:

The biggest chips on the planet!  Goodness, that is almost the size of his face!

Friday

We saw a bunny in the backyard when we came home tonight!

Do you see him?  Yeah, me neither.  Next time I will realize it is too dark to take a picture with my cell phone.

We play baseball one town over.  Each of the boys moved up to the next league.  Robbie is on a team where he is one of the younger players.  I am used to him being the tallest kid on his team, but this year, all the kids are just as tall/taller and some are thicker (not fat, just built).  He will have to step up his game.

Jonah is playing in a league where he is younger. I already saw a kid who was bigger and rounder messing with him.  I have told Jonah he had better not be scared of the kid, I did not say, "take him out"  not in those words anyway.... 

Today a big decision in our house was reached...Victor is coaching William's baseball team.  This is a big decision because baseball is not Victor's sport.  It's mine.  He is headed into uncharted territory.  Now I don't want you to think this is Victor's first time coaching.  He has coached basketball several times.  That is his sport.  It was also Upward Basketball.  That is where all of the kids play equal time and the coaches get a book with suggestions for drills to help the kids improve.  This is NOT Upwards.  The league we are in is hard core.  You are in it to win it. 

William is so excited because it is also Victor's first time coaching him.  This also means that I will be the coach's wife.  This entails collecting money for hats and tournaments and keeping the books.  The fact that I know how to keep the books has been one of my best kept secrets.  The cat is out of the bag now!!  In my defense, the reason I never told anyone or volunteered before is because I had to keep one eye on William.  When I finally did keep the books last year, he just walked off with some people that I did not even know.  There was a pause in the game and I stood up and looked around and he was gone.  A friend went searching for him.   Now that he is playing, I really have no excuse not to keep the book. 

Another big debate in the house is this beautiful baby.  He has his claws and is tearing up the new furniture.  Victor stops every time he walks by the couch and chair to inspect them for more damage.  Silvester is 13 years old and it seems a bit late to get him declawed.  I called the vet and they said that they would do it, but the recovery time would be longer.  I asked,  "emotional or physical?" and she said, "both." Silvester has also been throwing up A LOT.  Now, he is very ornery. If you do not feed him when he wants you to, he will make himself throw up.  Knowing this, we think he is still throwing up more than normal.  I need to buy a new cat carrier and get him to the vet for a complete work-up.  You have to admit, that is one cute picture.

Decisions Decisions

Tornado Party

I had scheduled a jewelry party for tonight.  I had prepared what was supposed to be the most amazing brownies.




 I had made enchiladas, chess box pie, and served a fruit tray. 

Then the tornado came.  Yes, I said tornado. 

 Fortunately, I have friends who braved the storm and came anyway.  We had a great time and even though the brownies were burned, I think the evening was a success.

No Picture

Baseball has started back.  It is kicking our tail in a big way.  We have been out of sports for too long and our bodies and minds are getting readjusted.  Be patient with me...

Friends

Retainers, Shoes & Baseball

Robbie got his retainer today.  He also had his first baseball practice.  This meant that I went shoe shopping with all three boys by myself....For a little while anyway, my husband does love me.  He came straight from work to help.  Everybody needed cleats.  Jonah also scored an additional pair of shoes because his were tearing apart.  Everybody needed baseball pants.  Jonah also scored a new bat because his bat weighs more than Robbie's.  Not good.  William was asking for everything - new glove, which I tried to buy him, but they did not have his size.  He wanted a new bat.  He wanted a new helmet.  Man- that kid - he was right about his glove and probably about the bat too, but he doesn't even have a team yet and we were on a time crunch.  So I paid for everything with him crying big crocodile tears on my leg.  In his defense, he hadn't eaten dinner and had a school lunch.  School lunch is code for he didn't eat.  My kids do not eat the food at school because it is so nasty.  We were out of peanut butter and time this morning, so they had to try to suffer through or starve at lunch. 

I tried to take a picture of Jonah and William crying at the store.  Did I mention that I popped Jonah on the leg and had him crying too?  They would not let me take a picture of them crying.  It made William laugh. Jonah sucked it up and stopped crying so I could not get a picture.  They know all about the blog. 

Robbie and Victor are in the back trying to find a pair of shoes for Jonah.

Let me just give a big shout out to the staff at Academy Sports.  They earned their money tonight.  We had a total of four different employees helping us find shoes and sizes and gloves.  William walked off with one of the employees (the guy was about 7' tall, so I knew exactly where he was at all times).  He was searching for a glove to fit William's hand.  Then another employee was trying to find Jonah's size in cleats.  He also took Robbie to the men's section.  Then Victor had another guy looking for a lighter bat for Jonah and baseball pants to fit all three.  Then I had a fourth guy cutting the strings because the only size of regular tennis shoes that fit Jonah was the display.  They were all very helpful and polite.  I know they were glad to see us "high-maintenance Wallaces" leave, but if you can't tell by the list, we spent a ton of money. 

Here is what my VDay flowers look like.  They continue to bloom and be beautiful.  They smell sooo good. I wish I could project the smell through the computer so you could enjoy it too.

Mercy

Have you been at the mercy of others?  Or felt their mercy for you?

Today, I experienced both.  Victor was home sick and I had Children's Church.  There was no way I wanted to go in there alone.  Have you ever lost control of a room full of three and four year olds?  It is nearly impossible to restore order.  So I asked for mercy from my Manny and daughter.



This is Jay and Alliyah.  We used to live next door to them at our old house.  We became very close to them and their mom, who by the way, is the one who put the roses and candles in my bedroom and watched the boys last week.  We love them like they are our own children, and their mom like a sister.  She has been subjected to all my mood swings and still likes me.  If that isn't family than I don't know what is!

We grew really dependent on Jay for taking care of our boys.  That is why we call him our Manny (you know, Nanny but a guy).

So they showed me mercy and came into Children's Church and helped me maintain order in the class while everyone, hopefully, also had a good time. 



Another example today of someone showing mercy on me was a complete stranger.  The boys and I were running painfully late for a birthday party.  This was partly because we were overbooked and also because my children need to learn that waiting for me to get in the car does not involve riding a bike to the neighbor's house.  That is not waiting!  But I digress, so not only were we late, we were lost.  Yes, I did take the time to go on Mapquest and get directions.  We were still lost.  We pulled into a gas station and asked directions.  The worker had no idea.  This young man (high school) piped up and told me that he knows where it is and I am way past where I am supposed to be.  He OFFERED to show me how to get there.  So I followed this young man to our destination.  He even pulled up in the drive to be sure that I made the correct turn.  What a sweet young man.  He showed me mercy when I was lost.  He is my hero and I did not even catch his name.  We arrived at the birthday party in time for cake.  How embarrassing!  In my defense the Mapquest directions were wrong, ridiculously wrong.

We can also be at the mercy of others.  This is a much harder concept.  It involves a lot of patience and you end  up being the one giving mercy.  Victor is supposed to go out of town state THIS WEEK.  He cannot tell me what day and for how long.  Why you ask? (I asked this very same thing).  His boss is traveling with him and is making the final decision.  Victor is at his mercy about a schedule.  So when you see me just say, patience, patience, patience!  Then remind me how others have shown me mercy today and make me feel guilty for not showing it to Victor's boss.  I am sure he has a lot going on too.  I wonder if his kids know that waiting for someone does not involve riding bikes around the block?

Anyway, we are on week 2 of our new Bible Study with Robbie about children in poverty.  We learned what orphanages are like in other countries.

Haircuts, Fire and Friends

This morning at the crack of dawn, Victor took Jonah and Robbie for haircuts. Robbie lost about three inches I am sure.

When Victor came home, he went to bed for the day - at least that was his intention.  He was feeling really bad.  However, he received a phone call informing him that his parents' home was on fire.  So he got out of bed, packed, dressed and drove to their house.  I have since learned that the damage was only to one bedroom, but they had to break a window to get in because no one was home.  I still consider it to be a blessing that the entire house did not burn.  I was not aware that there was a formal fire department in Victor's hometown.

So I have four kids to entertain.  We went to the park and met up with another friend and his dad.

Can you see how much shorter every one's hair is? 

Tears and More Tears

Not for any good reason mind you - just because.  I was supposed to be working on a wedding album for a gift for Victor for Valentine's Day that I never finished.  Yes, I am aware that Valentine's has come and gone.  Yes, I am aware that my husband went all out to show his love for me. 

"Schmuck, table for one?" Yes, I know.  No excuses.

So anyway, I was going to spend the day working on it when I made the fatal mistake of turning on the TV.  I was sucked in.  There was a movie on called Walk to Remember.  It has Mandy Moore in it.  She is a high school misfit, her dad is the town preacher, she is very faithful and falls in love with the most popular boy in school.  This would be your typical movie, except that she is dying from leukemia.  It is really sad - so of course I had to watch it and get a good cry going. 

So after the movie, I noticed that I had not watched Grey's Anatomy or Private Practice.  Why not?  So I settle in.  Well guess what?  Both of these are tear-jerkers too.  There is death in one and a funeral in another.  So basically, I spent my Friday morning on the couch crying while watching sad TV.

Around 1:30 I peeled myself off the couch to wipe the tears away and open the door for the young man who would be spending the weekend with us.  We went and picked up the kids and then treated ourselves to McDonald's.  Did I mention that I was too busy crying to eat?  Honestly, I was fine after I turned the TV off and removed myself from depressing shows.  I guess I just needed a good cry.  Its a girl thing right ladies?  Any ladies?  Anyone?

Anyway, here we are at MCD so I can finally eat.

Notice that dark hand?  That is Victor who got off work early and met us.  He took William with him to get a hair cut.

Today Was A Good Day

I can't decide what to write about. 

Should I write about how I love my Shark that got my floors clean before company came over?

Should I write about my friend and old next door neighbor who came over to keep the boys so that Victor and I could go out to eat?

Should I write about my husband who after already buying me flowers and chocolate covered strawberries, took me out to eat at a really nice restaurant?

Should I write about how we got some proofs back on a photo shoot we did on Monday night?



Or should I write about how my friend who kept my kids while Victor and I went out - MADE MY BED and then covered it in rose pedals and CLEANED OFF my nightstands and lit candles on them to make a for a very romantic rest of the evening? (no picture for this you can just use your best guess)

I really cannot decide.

Wednesday

These are the flowers that Victor bought me for Valentine's Day.  They are just beginning to bloom.

Valentine's Day Part 2 - The Chronicles of William

William did not have school yesterday, so they had their VDay party today.  They also made Sundays.

 This is William's best friend at school.  He once told me he wanted to cut his hair short and dye it black to look like him.  Together, they terrorize their classmates by growling at them.

Last night we went and had family pictures made and he could not get enough time in front of the camera.  Today, it is a burden to have his picture taken.  He is too much!

Valentine's Day

William did not have school today, so he got to go to both Robbie and Jonah's Valentine's Day parties.

Honestly, I did not even ask them to make the same face. 

Here is Jonah looking so sad to be eating ice cream.

Wow Jonah, really?  Life is tough.

There we go. 

Robbie's class played pictionary.  I have finally found something that Robbie and I share -

We are fierce competitors.  He is trying not to yell out the answer.

Jonah passing out Valentine's.

This is how the day started.  I am up at 6:30 AM creating boxes for the Valentine's to go in.  I forgot all about today being Valentine's Day.   Both boys needed decorated boxes.  William and Jonah, thankfully, had their cards filled out and in their backpacks already.  BUT ROBBIE - told me this morning that he needed cards.  We went to two different stores before school to get some. 

I win the Lamest Mom of the Day award I know.  I have a wall full of them.

Then Victor surprises me with not one, but two gifts.  Flowers and Edible Arrangements roses (aka chocolate covered strawberries).  Man!  Gotta love him!

Sunday

This is what is left of The Great Blizzard of 2011.

We started a new class at church.  We are learning about children in poverty around the world.  We are taking the class with the 5th and 6th graders. 

The teachers showed us what other uses the drinking water had in poor areas.  I almost threw up, so I won't tell you what else happens to it.  Suffice it to say, it is the wrong color.  See it up there in the punch bowl?

We learned how the continent of Africa's population barely has one Oreo cookie for two people.

This, of course, was a way to break it down to make it easier to understand how little food there is to go around.

It was very interesting.  I am looking forward to hearing more and see what Robbie's reaction will be.

Baseball Tryouts

Today I managed to clean all three bathrooms by 10:30 am!  That was quite an accomplishment. 

The boys have tryouts today.  Robbie went first, then I brought the other two to Bryant for lunch so that Jonah could go to his tryouts.

This is Robbie and William hanging out with me.

Then a friend of mine gave me two really cool things.  One was a Shark cleaner for tile.  The other were these wall sconces. 

Isn't this the coolest?  I cannot wait to hang them.  Any suggestions where?

Freedom!

Well, not for me, I am still stuck at the house.  The Egyptian people. Today President Mubarak stepped down.  Victor, Robbie and I have been watching all of the demonstrations and protests.  I had never seen anyone be attacked by a man on a camel before.  To be perfectly honest, it never occurred to me that camels could run.  That day of violence was awful, but today there is singing and dancing in the streets.   I am so glad that the people of Egypt were able to gain freedom from the leader they opposed.  I do not know what the future holds for this country, but there were two very specific examples that I will never forget. 

The first was that the demonstrations were relatively peaceful, even last night when they thought he was stepping down and did not. I kept saying to Victor, "please don't fall for this, please do not resort to violence, please don't fall for this.  That is exactly what he wants is to invoke a riot."  The people did not take the bait. They continued to have a peaceful demonstration.

The second was the pictures of the people stopping everything to kneel and pray to their god.  This picture was amazing.  Did you see it? 

In their religion, they are required to pray several times a day.  It got me wondering what it would look like if Christians in masses came together to pray in one place, on their knees so everyone could tell what they were doing.  I understand that the Christian faith does not require us to lay on the ground the way the Egyptians did - or does it?  How many times do you read in the Bible about people being distraught, tearing their clothes and laying face down on the ground?  I also know the lyrics, "They will know we are Christians by our love".  But if we all came together to kneel and pray wouldn't that show our love for God?  Think about it.  How easy would it have been for the Egyptian people to say, 'well I won't pray right now because I am busy fighting for my freedom'?  But they didn't.  What it said to me was their belief was so strong that it supersedes everything in their life.  Isn't that the same example we should have?  That Jesus is the Lord and Saviour of our lives, and no matter what is going on, we should still take time to stop and give God the glory.


OK OK - on to less serious stuff....

We also had a friend over today while his mom worked.  He seemed to have an Ok time.  This is how I found him:

I had to tell Jonah to switch places, so he could play and Jonah could coach him on what to do.

Another Day at Home

The snow is not going anywhere.  School is closed and Victor is working from home.  I do not feel good.  Victor said this is why:

It snowed the entire time we were outside and this is how I looked when I came in.  He tried to tell me some of my hair was frozen.  Sure that is one theory.  What about this one - Victor gave me his cold that he has been battling for over a week?!?  Which one sounds better?

So boredom has set in.  Robbie pulled out a game I did not even know he knew how to play.  He and I taught it to Jonah.

It was really fun!  However, this is my game and I am not used to losing.  Jonah won all three games.

William will not stay upstairs by himself, so he brought down the Lego's and played with them right beside us.  Smart boy!

Uhhhh...I guess we are not eating at the kitchen table tonight.  We shall eat in the dining room.

This is what I made for dinner.  Salmon with Greek yogurt and dill.  Now mind you, Victor has had this meal before.  Our neighbor made it for Easter last year and we pot lucked.  Victor loved it then.  I make it and he is asking if I changed the recipe.  Oh well, more for me!