Sunday: foiled

I was getting everyone out the door for church - and, admittedly, running late - when I saw it.  A flat tire.  Bother.  I had been trying, trying, trying, to get everything together and now this.  I could have changed the car seats to the other car, but I was running late.  Really, but the time that was done and we got there it would have been rather late.  However, as I reminded myself while calming down from dashing everywhere, at least it is only an annoyance, not a catastrophe.

So we were going to watch a sermon from a previous week on the computer.  After about five minutes the video wouldn't go any farther.  Foiled again.

The good news is that I wasn't told "Joshua touched me" so many times. today.  I finally told Isaac that Joshua touched him because he was trying to play with him and so Isaac should give him a hug.  Now, if told "Joshua touched me" I just say, "what should you do?"  I figure if Joshua doesn't want the hugs he'll quickly learn to not touch Isaac.

Saturday: silly kids

Isaac: hey Dad, can you be a silly statue?  It's a statue that moves.
Ben: uh, sure.  Where did you learn about silly statues?
Isaac: my tummy

Joshua bonks his head on the hard part of the couch.
Ben rubs it.
Joshua bonks his head on the soft part of the couch.
Joshua puts Ben's hand on his head to rub it.
Joshua bonks his head on a blanket.
Joshua puts Ben's hand on his head to rub it...

Friday: touching

I've heard a lot of "Mom, make Joshua stop touching me" lately.  Most of the time it is Joshua trying to get Isaac to play with him in a toddler way, which Isaac just sees as annoying.

But then, maybe once or twice a day, they get along.  Once today they ran around the couch, chasing each other.  Once was at story time, when Joshua bumped into Isaac's knee and Isaac just put his hand around Joshua.  (However, it only lasted a minute and then Joshua didn't want to be confined by his brother's hand and Isaac didn't want to be touched anymore anyway.)

I pray quite hard that this relationship is one that flourishes.  I'd like it to be strong, and think it is more important than having a good relationship with Ben and me.  But it will take some time. :)

Thursday: up early!

We put the kids to bed early yesterday.  The main reason is that Joshua seems to drag a bit at school and Thursdays are the extra early day.  Not a lot early, just a half hour or so.

But as I was getting up extra extra early to deal with the snow, Joshua decided to wake up too.  Normally I'd just take him into bed with me, but as I had all my winter stuff on I left Ben to take care of it.  When I got back Joshua wasn't quite asleep yet, and wanted to come to me.  However, it was a bit easier to wake up Isaac.

Needless to say, when we got home I turned on the TV for the kids and took several short naps on the couch.  Isaac cuddled with me the whole time.  (Side note: I've been taking many fewer naps lately.  Two weeks ago I think I only had 1.5 the whole week!  But then with all the sickness stuff last week they've been a bit more frequent this week.)

Wednesday: snow

Two days ago I was lamenting the lack of snow.  We now have some. :)

We actually received a surprising amount last night...about 4-6".  Not a ton, but enough that side roads could be difficult.  Isaac and I had a dentist appointment at 9am.  I rushed around trying to get everything ready so that we could leave a bit earlier than planned, as the roads would probably be slow.

I got on the east-west road that brings us to the office and was glad we had hurried.  It is a two lane road, but only the left side was clear.  We continue on.  We cross the highway.  We get to the next big intersection with similar conditions.  The following big intersection starts to show a decrease in snow.  By the following major intersection, the sun was starting to peak out and you could almost see the top of the grass in places.  So in two miles the conditions changed completely.  It was so odd.

We continued to get a little snow throughout the day and I don't think the snowplows came by yet.  We're supposed to get more overnight.  I'll admit, snow blowing the driveway on a day I already need to get up early is not really all that fun.  Even though I do love the snow.

Tuesday: it starts with...

Lately Isaac has been doing a great job of sounding out the first letter of words; I think I've mentioned that.  Sometimes it surprises me because they just reached P at school, but it seems as though he can do the whole alphabet.  The conversation usually goes like this...

Someone (me, Isaac, Ben): What does bear start with?
Isaac: bu-bu-bu B!

But then yesterday I asked him what frog started with and he said F.  Instantly.  No thinking, no sounding it out...he just knew it.  It happened a few minutes later with another word too, but I forgot what it was.

In other news, there haven't been pomegranates at the store in a long while.  I had been hoping to bring them to school for P week.

In other other news, I want to declare that I hate trying to find new items in the health and beauty aisles at Meijer.  I can never do it.  It tends to either take about ten minutes or three trips before I finally find them.  It always boggles my mind because the aisles are well labeled.  (Yesterday was saline.  I left without it.  But I finally saw nail polish remover...after about six months and getting it at the dollar store.)

Monday: patent

Congrats to Ben for his patent on "System and method for periodic lane marker identification and tracking".