Daniel and Sarah both had friends spend the night on Friday – keeping our house full of life and energy. Tim, in a sneaky move, escaped all that life and energy and spent Saturday in the Duckabush visiting his parents and helping with the never-ending internet challenges. I love, love, love that our kids really enjoy having their friends over and that their friends feel welcome and at home here. That said, I near-as-a-whisker got rid of the whole bunch of them to enjoy an entire day alone.
“Mom!” Daniel wheedled. “We’ll spend the whole day cleaning.”
“Um,” a raised eyebrow.
“Okay, not ALL day. But we’ll definitely clean for you. You won’t even notice we’re here.”
“Fine, but I don’t want you and James and David playing computer games ALL DAY. Even if it’s raining.”
“Sure, sure, Mom.”
“And you’ll play some board games? You know, ones that require cards and pieces and sitting around a table, not just a keyboard and mouse?”
“Sure, sure, Mom, you got it.”
“And you’ll put together David’s bed for him?”
“Mom, we will do whatever you want.”
“Heh. Right.”
Easy-going and flexible? Or pushover and permissive? Hmmm. Well, Friday afternoon Sarah’s friend Tarah came home with us after co-op, and Friday evening I found myself driving to pick up Daniel’s friend James. And, once again, the living room was stacked with mattresses – the boys have discovered they don’t really like sleeping on the floor or lumpy couch. They cheerfully carry down the twin and full size mattresses despite the hassle – I think they like being close to the computers and the kitchen. Last weekend they made pancakes at 3 in the morning to send Joshua off to the airport with breakfast in hand.
Crazy, awesome, silly kids.
Daniel helps James and David play the piano.
True to their word, after I forced encouraged them to get off the computer, Daniel and James helped David assemble his bed. At least they got all the mattresses off of the triple stack on my bed. I think they hauled an extra twin mattress out to the garage where it will await Joshua’s return or another sleepover.
Happy to have his bed frame back in place.
Later that morning, as the rain and grey day was turning me into a thoroughly sad and pathetic creature, a beautiful friend came by and swept me off to Starbucks. There is nothing quite like laughing and laughing with a beloved friend, hot, fresh espresso in hand. Ah. When I walked back in the house, the kids were all sitting on the floor playing 7 Wonders.
The little fakers!
“Awwww, kids, you’re playing a game! I’m so happy.”
Loud, raucous laughter.
Turns out those rascals STAGED a board game to fool me. LOL! They heard me coming in and quickly sat down to FAKE their game time. I laughed and laughed with them and felt loved that they knew what I wanted and thought about me. The boys put away 7 Wonders and switched to a real game of DC Comics Deck Building.
I know these days are somewhat fleeting – of kids piled on mattresses, the counters and sinks filled with dirty dishes, the table covered with cards, and computer matches going late into the night.
Today David and Sarah joined us for a mini-road trip to pick up Tim’s new car. It was a long day. David and Sarah did school and worked on their play scripts in the back seat while I read to Tim from Francis Chan’s new marriage book, You and Me Forever. On the way home the boys were in the new car and the girls in the rental. Sweet time of conversation with my beautiful little girl, growing up before my eyes.
Daniel missed us while we were gone (right, Daniel? Daniel?). Okay, Daniel spent the day with the friends (thanks Pritchards for having him over), playing Ultimate frisbee in the rain, and then babysitting for a church small group. I don’t think he even noticed we were gone for 11 hours.
Icing his back after a hard day of frisbee.
Thankfully Tim still had some energy left for a good conversation with Daniel about school, sore backs, and some possible future plans.
This couch is good for napping, reading, and father-son talks.
It was a full weekend. And tomorrow the week starts again. Whew. Blessed, double and triple blessed to be the mama of this silly group.
Project 365 – Day 39
Kathy
FIRST COMMENT! YESSS! Thanks for having Tarah and James over, Mom. It was fun watching Knight and Day on the way home from the dealership
You can’t tell by the picture… but James and I were actually playing a duet together with 1 hand each…
I am sure Daniel missed us a WHOLE lot. Thanks for going on a mini-road-trip with me, Sweetie!
Fun times. I remember those days fondly, and they really weren’t that long ago. The games, the cleaning, the silliness, all of it goes deep, to my bones.
Mom, the home you and Pa have made is a french-toast casserole of peace and security over which the sweet, rich sauce of craziness can be poured until the casserole soaks it all up and becomes a big, beautiful, messy, sticky, delicious slice of heaven.
And I’m pretty grateful.
Hey! Some of us are trying to lose weight, here, and YOU’RE not helping!
Thank you for your kind words, Josh.
Don’t think of it as temptation. Rather, eschatological longing, Pa, just channel those thoughts towards eschatological longing.
Eschatological … yeah, that’s just what I was thinking. I am pretty sure that there will be a Nutella fountain at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.
(Darn these snooty college kids — they get their heads filled with knowledge and they can’t help but rub it in your face.)
Hey, I’m paying a fair amount of money to learn big words. Gotta do something with them.
The other day I got really excited thinking about food in heaven. Christian asked me if I thought there would be cake in heaven, and I said of course there would be. Imagine all those cooks and pastry chefs throughout all time and space who put their faith in Jesus. Now imagine if they had unlimited time and resources and assistance to make cakes to the glory of God. Then the heavenly equivalent of the “text” goes out: “Cake in the Throne Room! Be there!” Then EVERYONE comes and eats cake to the glory of God. Then somebody starts playing music, and then someone starts singing, and then everyone sings and dances and claps their hands and laughs and laughs and laughs to the glory of God for what seems like forever, and maybe it is. And all the while, at the center and all around is the Light of Him for whom and by whom it all has being. And He laughs too.
And after some rest, the pie makers get together…