Birthday.....and naming the Beardie.....
I laid in bed a few extra minutes this morning, praying that today would be a good day. I asked God for extra strength and energy and patience and joy for the day because not only was it Josiah's birthday but we also had a string base lesson at 7:30am after opening Joe's gifts, then I had plans to go get a 3 yr old and bring him to preschool for the first time. He didn't know me. He doesn't speak English.....I was a bit nervous. I had a staff meeting and a home visit and after the birthday party of 15 children I wanted to go watch Claire perform at the home basketball game.....
Josiah loved his birthday gifts and had a great school day and a super fun birthday party. We went out for ice cream to the "Ice Cream Capital of the World" (in caps because how do they really decide anyway???), then on to bowling, opening gifts and 3 huge orders of fries before we caravaned home and delivered the 13 first graders plus 2 Kredit kids home safely. Josiah was so eager to dig into all his gifts from his generous friends, and to play with his bearded dragon and learn to ride his segway.....he had a really great birthday this year. Not all birthdays are quite such a big splash but for lots of reasons, this one was.....Precious informed him that he won't have a big Christmas because he got such great stuff for his birthday.....she's practical like that. ( throat-clearing noise inserted here).
I went to watch Claire perform and that was such a gift.....the dance team is exciting and beautiful and talented and happens to be just down the road. When I got back, Josiah was sobbing. Sobbing. I came in and asked what happened......Isaac and Jeremiah were in the living room with Joe's new super-charge nerf guns he had gotten from friends and they were having a nerf war and Joe got in the middle of it and took a bullet right to the eye ball.....wailing sobs commenced. I pulled that big, hefty 7 year old sweaty baby boy onto my lap and I held him there and rocked. We put ice on his eye. Dad got him motrin. We rocked and we snuggled and we Shhhhh'd the way moms sometimes do when they don't have the words or the energy to do more, and we took some deep breaths.
He was able to pull it together and continue to play hard for another hour until I demanded he and Precious both get to bed. Josiah said, "but if I go to bed it won't be my birthday anymore....." and tried to hold his eyes open really wide for a moment. I know, buddy. I know. It will be a whole year now until we make a plan for a party and a plan for buying gifts and a whole year before the older siblings make an effort to be present and part of things and go out for supper together. (I cannot remember the last time the 7 of us went out for supper.......)
It took awhile for him to settle in. Thank goodness I had the forethought to beg God for an extra measure of it all this morning because let me tell you what.....I was DONE by 10pm tonight. Done.
Joe decided to name his Bearded Dragon Spike. Spike is in for the ride of his life.....literally. We had to tell Joe to not put him on top of the nerf gun when he shoots it (esp when he drops it), and to not run with Spike just yet. Roger taught him how to feed Spike live crickets (ew) and we discussed how many hours a day Spike needs his heat lamp on vs. off......Spike is cute right now because he is only a few inches long. I hope my affection for him grows at the rate he is projected to grow......and it is actually my deep and sincere hope that Josiah loves this first pet. I hope that he owns that fact that this little critter is his gift and his responsibility and his buddy and I hope this is the beginning of a long and beautiful friendship between them.
You know how after a birthday, the wrapping paper and boxes and trash linger.....well that's the case here. New stuff needs to find a home and the garbage needs to go out.....and we have a foster care home study renewal in the morning so I guess I should wrap this up and head to bed because tomorrow we start again. I need to find the vacuum. I hope Roger has time to copy all the forms we need to have ready.....and then there is the cookie sorting and pick up for the fund-raiser from church.....so like Josiah, I'm not quite ready for this day to end. It was a good day. Man oh man do I love that little boy. How lucky are we to get to celebrate him every year on his birthday!
Josiah loved his birthday gifts and had a great school day and a super fun birthday party. We went out for ice cream to the "Ice Cream Capital of the World" (in caps because how do they really decide anyway???), then on to bowling, opening gifts and 3 huge orders of fries before we caravaned home and delivered the 13 first graders plus 2 Kredit kids home safely. Josiah was so eager to dig into all his gifts from his generous friends, and to play with his bearded dragon and learn to ride his segway.....he had a really great birthday this year. Not all birthdays are quite such a big splash but for lots of reasons, this one was.....Precious informed him that he won't have a big Christmas because he got such great stuff for his birthday.....she's practical like that. ( throat-clearing noise inserted here).
I went to watch Claire perform and that was such a gift.....the dance team is exciting and beautiful and talented and happens to be just down the road. When I got back, Josiah was sobbing. Sobbing. I came in and asked what happened......Isaac and Jeremiah were in the living room with Joe's new super-charge nerf guns he had gotten from friends and they were having a nerf war and Joe got in the middle of it and took a bullet right to the eye ball.....wailing sobs commenced. I pulled that big, hefty 7 year old sweaty baby boy onto my lap and I held him there and rocked. We put ice on his eye. Dad got him motrin. We rocked and we snuggled and we Shhhhh'd the way moms sometimes do when they don't have the words or the energy to do more, and we took some deep breaths.
He was able to pull it together and continue to play hard for another hour until I demanded he and Precious both get to bed. Josiah said, "but if I go to bed it won't be my birthday anymore....." and tried to hold his eyes open really wide for a moment. I know, buddy. I know. It will be a whole year now until we make a plan for a party and a plan for buying gifts and a whole year before the older siblings make an effort to be present and part of things and go out for supper together. (I cannot remember the last time the 7 of us went out for supper.......)
It took awhile for him to settle in. Thank goodness I had the forethought to beg God for an extra measure of it all this morning because let me tell you what.....I was DONE by 10pm tonight. Done.
Joe decided to name his Bearded Dragon Spike. Spike is in for the ride of his life.....literally. We had to tell Joe to not put him on top of the nerf gun when he shoots it (esp when he drops it), and to not run with Spike just yet. Roger taught him how to feed Spike live crickets (ew) and we discussed how many hours a day Spike needs his heat lamp on vs. off......Spike is cute right now because he is only a few inches long. I hope my affection for him grows at the rate he is projected to grow......and it is actually my deep and sincere hope that Josiah loves this first pet. I hope that he owns that fact that this little critter is his gift and his responsibility and his buddy and I hope this is the beginning of a long and beautiful friendship between them.
You know how after a birthday, the wrapping paper and boxes and trash linger.....well that's the case here. New stuff needs to find a home and the garbage needs to go out.....and we have a foster care home study renewal in the morning so I guess I should wrap this up and head to bed because tomorrow we start again. I need to find the vacuum. I hope Roger has time to copy all the forms we need to have ready.....and then there is the cookie sorting and pick up for the fund-raiser from church.....so like Josiah, I'm not quite ready for this day to end. It was a good day. Man oh man do I love that little boy. How lucky are we to get to celebrate him every year on his birthday!
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