CRASH!

My Nater Tater went away this weekend with some friends and came back looking like he had been in a twister (or a twistedy, according to Adrianna)! He has scratches and bruises from his head to his toes. Wanna know what happened? Bike crash! And I'd like to add that this was NO WAY ANY FAULT of his caregiver for the weekend. Isn't that the worst, though? The kid that is in your care getting hurt? If you run into Brian, let him know that we still love him :)

I'd consider Nate a pretty strong bicycle rider. He's always doing goofy jumps and riding with no hands up and down our driveway. Although, according to my mother in law, it's a good thing he's not as dangerous as his dear Uncle Rodney! I'd rather not think about Nate riding his bike off the layloft in the barn!

However, this accident happened while he was riding in down a straight path (but slightly downhill) and not trying to do any fancy tricks...just bad luck. He was supposed to stay in Seymour until Sunday night, but after the accident on Saturday evening, he reluntantly asked if we would come and get him. After a good nights rest, he was worried that we wouldn't allow him to go anywhere with his friend, Eli, anymore. No worries, Nate...your friendship with Eli will continue.

Yesterday wasn't a bad day, other than getting the stinky kid to agree to changing his bandages. But this morning, he woke up sore and achy. Nothing a day at home won't cure. Selfishly, it was kind of nice having the little fella home with me this afternoon. I miss him when he's at school.

These pictures don't do justice to the full extent of his injuries. He won't allow me to post or even TAKE pictures of his back, side, legs and tummy!

Look at that bump on his head...I woke him up every 2 hours all night long :)

Day 3, looking a little better. But, the aches and pains were worse today than yesterday. News flash, Nate...you ARE going back to school tomorrow :)

P.S. There is an upside to all of this...see that little rock inside the scratch on his nose? I get to pick that our later (yes, I'm a picker).

Happy Monday!

School Days...

Well, we're well into our second week of school and I keep waiting for that breath of fresh air...but it's not happening! I miss my kids every minute of the day that they're away and the craziness that has become our life is the new normal. The school year only brings homework, after school activities, volunteering, swimming and scouts for Nate and Gabe's new interest...karate. The chaos is kind of exhilarating...I secretly enjoy SOME (only some) of the busyness :)

I love that Adri is enjoying her first experiences with school. She's having an amazing time in Miss Amy's class at Pendleton Elementary. The first day was hard for me but not for her! I left her in a huge classroom with her giant sized backpack (at least it looked that way on her back), not to return for 3 whole hours! Urgg! Luckily, my time was well spent brainstorming with some interesting characters about some upcoming events at our church. Thanks for getting my mind off of my misery :) Luckily, she was eager to return on Thursday and never looked back. We should be proud that we're raising such dependent children right? Just keep telling yourself that, Amanda!

I've shared this story with some of my friends, but it's worth noting again because I NEVER want to forget it. There is a little girl in Adri's class named Kaylee. Kaylee is a sweetheart that spends most of her days in a wheelchair. Adri told me last week that she really liked Kaylee, but that she slept a lot because her body was just a little tired. I inquisitively asked why and she said, "Her body is tired because it's hard work being so cute!" Priceless! Our pastor asked, this weekend, "When do we lose that compassion?" He's right, when was the last time we were kind to a stranger or someone who was different than us? I've said it before, but I can never be reminded too many times...we can learn A LOT from our kids.

As for the boys, well...no surprise there. Nate's back to mastering SRC quizzes and seeing how many times he can read a library book before it has to be returned. Gabe fit right in his class with Mrs. Wiles (our neighbor) and although he's admitted a few times that he's bored, he's up with the sun, dresses willingly every morning, and can't wait to sit down at the island to start his homework (number writing practice) when he gets home from school. I love those boys :)

On the flip side, Adri misses 'her kids' while they're at school and can't hardly wait for the alarm on my phone to ring at 3:30, alerting her that it's time to head down the driveway to meet them. She then tells them all about her day, although they listen vaguely, and then eagerly offers them a snack when they finally get through the door. Mothering 'her brudders' is her gift.

Aren't these Houdini's cute?

And just for fun, on the first day of school, my ladies spent the morning bug hunting in the garden and the afternoon napping and dusting themselves under the chicken coop.
They were relieved, I think, to spend the day without any kids chasing them!

I'm enjoying some quiet time now, while Adri naps (which isn't lasting very long these days), and may or may not be devouring homemade salsa and tortilla chips. Now, back to 'stitches for Izzy' while it's still quiet around here. The boys get home at 3:30...right about the time Adri wakes up!

The latest update...

How unlike me to go over a month without posting! Unfortunately, my journaling has suffered, too. However, I have been VERY busy with 'Stitches for Izzy' and can gladly report that the total contributions have exceeded $400, there have been hours and hours of praying and there are several orders still outstanding! I'd like to reach my goal of $1000 before November 1st...who can help me reach that goal? Remember, 100% of my profits are going to the Mattocks family.

Because of the amount of time I've been spending in my sewing room (an unfinished, very cold and sterile room in my basement), the kids have been asking lots of questions. "Why are you sewing so much?" and "Who is this project for?" It's given me lots of opportunity to share with them why we should pray and support those around us. My favorite moment of insanity (I think I can call it that), was last week. I was planning, packing and organizing things for a 6 day trip to two locations with the kids and WITHOUT MATT! On top of that, I had a few sewing requests that I needed to get done. I was tense and quite frankly, was NOT praying or singing joyful songs of adoration as the kids continued to interrupt me repeatedly. Then, I felt this blanket of warmth come over me (remember...my sewing room is about 60 degrees) and before I could give it much thought, Adrianna walked in. "Can I sit with you?" she asked. And before I could explain that I couldn't work as quickly with her on my lap, I felt that warm blanket again. She hopped up on my lap and we talked about Izzy and sang 'Jesus loves the little children.' The next few hours and in the several hours of sewing that evening, my head was clearer and more prayerful than it had been since my 'Stitches for Izzy' project began. I love when my kids teach me things :)

In other news...I did manage to drive myself and the kids to Monticello to visit with our friends, the Costerisons...with too many potty breaks to count :) The 2 1/2 hour trip turned into almost 5! Please tell me that I'm not the only one with kids who have bladders the size of peanuts? Thank you, friends, for a great 3 days! We always enjoy our time together and if you add some sunshine, a boat and a lake...well, that makes good times even better! We love you, guys!

All 6 of our Houdini's...ornery...but totally adorable :)

Yes, that's my baby girl on a sea doo, getting ready to be pulled by a boat in the middle of a lake...she loved every minute of it! That is, until she started to doze off! There wasn't a lot of sleeping happening while we were away!

These big 9 year old boys have been friends since they were 2!

After 3 days of lake life, I ventured another 2 1/2 hours north to visit my dear friend, Donna and her family. We spent most of our 3 days together chasing kids and saying 'no' every time they asked to eat (which was every 10 minutes). However, on Saturday evening, we took them out to the circus! The boys loved it and the girls...well...they kind of liked it. It's hard for 3 year olds to sit still for 2 hours :)

Adri did love the train ride!

The boys rode an elephant!

We tried to take a family picture but Avery insisted on being included! That's okay, Babe...I think of you as family :) And, how could I say no to that cute face?

Those two crazies in the back have a friendship that goes all the way back to 3rd grade (that's a year younger than Nate). And somehow, we managed to birth 5 of the most amazing kids :) Thank you, Donna, for your friendship and for allowing me to spend time with your sweeties this weekend (and Chase). Can't wait for our next visit!

Tomorrow, it's back to school...and we'll officially have a 4th grader, a kindergartner, and a preschooler...how is that possible?