Quick 5, and then maybe some.

Friday and Saturday were a bit rough.  Not bad, but a bit rough.  I've been sick the past few weeks, and though I was starting to feel better, by Saturday I'd felt like I'd had a setback.  So, here's a Quick 5, a bit late. 

1. Eliza has a few favorite games she likes to involve Nick and I in.  The first is "Halloween" or "Trick or Treat".  She brings us little items to throw in her basket and then comes back to us with a smile, saying, "Trick or Treat!" at which we throw the items in and wish her a happy Halloween.  She takes off with the items, only to return them and start over.  Her new one, however, is "Birthday present."  As you can see in the picture, she brings us a box, wishes us a happy birthday, and we open it to find (to our delight) random items.  Immediately after, she takes the gift back, only to regift.  Her greatest joy in the game, I think, is wishing us happy birthday.  You can imagine how Christmas will be playing out this year for us.

 2.  One of my favorite all-time things is to watch Nick play with the kids.  There is so much joy in watching this man interact with his babies. Any time he is on the floor, the kids have to climb on him.  Eliza firmly believes that Daddy can fix any problem: including finding prince dress-up clothes for her brother.  This afternoon, he did me a wonderful favor and took the kids outside twice to play, once so I could nap and once so I could "chill out".  (Instead, I am writing this Quick 5 to you.)  He's such a good dad.  I fall in love with him a little more every time I watch him with our children.  I am more than grateful for this man who is godly and loving towards his children.






3.  I love this picture of Levi and me.  Except for one little detail.  Can you guess what it is?  Yeah.  The glaring, ugly scab from a cold sore I had last week.  I sent the picture to Nick but otherwise decided that it would never see the light of day. However, that got me to thinking: I was being vain.  Partly, because I feel my looks are at best average and at worse plain.  (Thankfully, my husband happily refutes me from time to time.)  The true beauty of this photo, though, isn't in my face.  It's the sweetness it shows in holding my infant son, of his precious little face nestled against my neck.  It shows the complete contentment I have in moments like this, despite the exhaustion, despite feeling so overwhelmed trying to care for three small children, despite my total lack of ability to keep up our house and get it "all" done.  In quiet moment likes this, I get to take a deep breath, be still, and know that I am grateful for this life and wouldn't choose any other.  So, here it is.  Cold sore and all.

 4.  Simplekids.net is hosting 31 Days of Unplugged Play.  The very first day was to build a blanket fort.  So I did.  The kids found it amusing for all of 5 minutes.  Then they started climbing on the chairs.  I grant you: it was rather rudimentary.  I remember deconstructing the arm chair and the couch and building houses and trucks with the cushions as a youngster with my brother and sister.  I'm seriously considering investing in some cheap, light colored and patterned sheets to build forts with so light can filter through.  Though it was short it reminded me of all the things I'd done as a kid and how I want my kids to experience far more than just television shows, video games, and other things kids do.  Things that don't require electronics.  Check out the series.  It's really good.

5.  This photo is a few weeks old.  A few monarchs were resting on a bush in my neighbor's yard when I left on an errand.  Coming back, I found this one fanning its wings in my yard.  I'd forgotten that it was monarch season here in Kansas.  These little butterflies hidden among the bushes and plants in our yard reminded me that I'd become a little disconnected from the outside world as I attempted to "adjust" and "recover" and just make it through my schedule.  It was a reminder, in a nice and gentle way, that this is only a season, and there is more than just trying to stay awake during feedings and diaper changes and babies who get cranky when dinner isn't ready quite as soon as it should be. 






Bonus:  All the way home from our play date Friday, E talked about "her" pink bike and her "helmet for her head". She asked where our garage was several times. On getting home I had to explain that she had neither bike nor helmet and that we don't use our garage. Disgruntled, she took off across the yard.  Suddenly, she stopped and looked at me.  "Mom, where's our unicorn?"