The Last Few Days

Goodness, it has been busy the last few days.  I think it's pretty busy all the time but yikes.  James' face in this picture below is how I feel!!  The very beginning of each month is busier work-wise for me (which I am thankful for, let me be clear), but it does make more to juggle.  James is getting so much better about wearing whatever I pick out for him to go to church in.  This past year he has continued to say, "no, mommy, I wear MY CLOTHES."  Finally, in the past two weeks, I think I am starting to see some growing up signs :) behavior-wise.  He is playing by himself much better and has worn what I've picked out for him to wear to church the last couple of Sundays with hardly any objection.  He'll be three this month...where has the time gone????

 

 This is a terrible picture because I as trying to take it across the church with my phone, but we celebrated one graduate at Bethabra this past Sunday, Neil Whisenant.  The Whisenant family is very special to us, and they have had some real challenges this past year. I'm so happy that we, as a church, were able to celebrate Neil and his family and his accomplishment together on Sunday.

 Carolyn was already working early Monday morning (shock of all shocks), so we ran by the church and picked her up to take her to lunch.  We went to Chili's where James, for the first time ever, wanted to pick out his own meal from the kids menu, and ORDER IT HIMSELF.  He told the server he wanted "popcorn on the cob".  So cute. 

Monday night I tried a new recipe - a quiche I had at Britleigh's shower a couple of Saturdays ago.  I always think new recipes are going to turn out gross.  While they are baking, I think in my mind of other options as a back up when whatever it is comes out of the oven and is disgusting.  I totally thought this was going to be bad - because of my own cooking non-talent.  However, it was delicious!  AND, it was delicious when I ate it leftover again last night! YUM.  Spinach, bacon, and swiss cheese.  Delicious!

 

Then, I headed to a summer book club that my friend Hope is leading.  We are doing the book Fearless first, and it is really good.  It was so good to be (at Menchie's - ha), and with other ladies just talking and sharing and journeying through being a woman together.   So thankful for other women and how we are all the same in so many ways.

 

 I committed a couple of major mom no-no's today.  Please no one call DFCS (or however it's abbreviated/spelled) on me.  Live and learn, but I just have to share them.  I took James all over creation with me yesterday running some errands.  He is a trooper.  Even though he is generally well behaved, it EXHAUSTS me to get him in and out of the car and in and out of the stroller a bazillion times.  Then, he touches EVERYTHING while he rolls by it in his stroller- furniture, clothes, you name it.  Anyway, it's getting hot here.  Usually, I don't start the car until after I put James in, but I altered my system yesterday while running errands.  I would pull James up in the stroller close to my door and go ahead and start the car so it could be getting cool while I unloaded stuff and then finally put him in right before I got in.  Well, when we were leaving the mall, I pulled him up next to the back tire and started the car.  When I turned back to him, his hand was all black and he said, "What's this Mommy?"  You want to know why?  BECAUSE HIS HAND WAS ON THE EXHAUST PIPE WHEN I STARTED THE CAR.  I have thought about that many times, but did I think about it yesterday? NOPE.  I didn't.  It didn't burn his hand or freak him out at all, but oh heavens, it taught me a huge lesson.  I was just thankful the lesson was learned (by me) not at the cost of an ER trip because his hand as burned.

 

The other poor decision I made was about the train in the mall, and I am so interested in what you as other moms do about this.  I had $5 cash.  I told James he could choose the carousel or the train.  He chose the train (big shock).  The train costs $3 per person to ride.  I have always ridden it with James.  I asked him I he'd like to ride it alone.  The train circles around the end of the mall - inside - and I knew I'd be able to see him every second.  So, I let him ride it alone.  He did awesome.  Just was waving and waving from in his little train car.  But, I don't think I should have let him ride alone in hindsight.  I'm just not sure!  I just know I watched like a hawk and could see the train moving the whole time...but still, if anything ever happened...oh heavens.  Now you can see why I need the Fearless book in summer book club.  Ha.

 

That's about it.  We are having Jeremy and Heather Britt and their sweet children over for dinner tonight.  They are such a precious family, and while I do feel like we know them a little bit well (that didn't make sense), I am excited about getting to know them even better.  God has sure brought us precious families to Bethabra.