Shawn had to go on a work trip to Michigan on Tuesday, October 10, for a few days. This is the first time he went away and I didn't feel anxious or panic. It's difficult to describe, but I knew that I could handle the kiddos on my own. My older boys are old enough to communicate well and keep me company, and I felt in my spirit that I had a better handle on life than maybe I did in the past. I can't describe it well, but it was a new sensation for me. It also helps that we have a busy schedule and that we have a gym membership where I have the time to burn off energy and so do the kids - apart from each other. We highly enjoy our time there; it has been a blessing!
The boys remembered our trip over the summer to the aquarium and somehow thought that hotels were called aquariums. So, when we were at the gym the one day, Joshua told the worker "Our Daddy went on vacation." I thought the poor gal probably thought Shawn left us, so I explained that he wasn't really on vacation, he was on a work-related trip. Caleb quickly piped in that he was at the Aquarium. How do you explain that one? I just smiled. She probably thinks our family is nuts. Haaa!!!
During the time that Shawn was gone, I had Bible study Tuesday morning while the boys were in school and we all went to the gym in the evening; I went shopping with Mamaw & Ryan on Wednesday morning while the older two boys were in school (and got a really cute pair of stylish boots!) and we went to the gym that evening; and on Thursday I went to my first ever "Moms in Prayer" meeting. I took Ryan along, figuring that out of all my boys, he seems to be the quietest. I recognized the woman who hosts the group as a gal who used to sing at Tuesday Night Bible study (something Shawn & I went to long before we were ever dating). Anyway, she said that kids are welcome and could hang out downstairs or on the main level with us. I was hoping Ryan would snuggle and suck his thumb. Instead, he talked and talked and talked. He cried when I put him downstairs, so I kept him up with us. But, he gabbed about Dadda and Mama and even said "Shhhh!!!" when I gave him that look. UGH!!! I hope he didn't disrupt the prayer time. Everyone was very sweet, but I haven't gone back since. I love the idea of gathering together to pray for our kids in school, along with the teachers and administrators. BUT, I'm not sure about taking a baby along and my sitting options are limited for Thursday mornings. So, we'll see...
Joshua's school started a program that week called "First in Math." The kindergarteners log on from their home computer and can play math games to test their skills and earn virtual stickers. The student who gets the most stickers from playing at home gets to wear a lanyard during the school day to honor their accomplishment. Joshua was THRILLED that he was "First in Math" on Tuesday. He didn't play it for very long, so I'm assuming most of the other kids hadn't even tried it out yet. But, I was glad that he was so excited. He has figured out which sections give out the most stickers, so he wants to play them. His teacher has told us he can go beyond the sections he finds easy to more challenging areas since he's fairly advanced in math. Great job, pal!
Joshua had soccer practice that Thursday afternoon (after we went to the gym) and that weekend, Shawn's mom and sister Erica came into town from Florida. They went to see his soccer game on Sunday, and we met them for lunch on Saturday (if my memory serves me) at Red Robin. It was nice to see them while they were in town!
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