Basketball Baby

Sam is 18 months old now and has a new passion - basketball. I shouldn't be surprised because

all the boys are a bit sports crazy (some recessive gene, apparently, since Paul and I are completely non-athletic and I'm not even all that crazy about watching sports, either!). No doubt this was fueled in part by Will's enthusiasm for the sport. Every warmish day we have had this winter and spring has found Will out on the driveway shooting baskets and trying to entice David to play with him. David is usually a non-willing participant. Will generally has to bribe him by offering to help him with his chores in exchange for one game of basketball. And it seems like every time those two play, either a fight will break out about how many more minutes David actually has to play or David will run into the house complaining about some injury willfully inflicted (he's sure) by his brother! So a lot of days Will just plays alone.

But over the past month or so Sam has become very interested in the game. He loves to pick up the basketball, which is bigger than his head, and try to shoot baskets. As soon as I noticed his interest I reassembled a kid-sized basketball hoop and stand we had from when the other boys were little. But Sam isn't all that interested in that. He wants to use the real hoop! I also bought him a kid-sized orange ball (it's actually a soccer ball, but Walmart didn't have any mini-basketballs) but he'd rather lug around the real ball.

The other night while Ben and David played their softball game, I could not get Sam to stay near our area on the field. He was insisting on heading towards a concrete area. I kept pulling him back and he kept taking off again. He was carrying his tennis ball and it finally dawned on me that there were basketball hoops on the concrete - it was a court - and that's what Sam wanted! So I indulged him and followed him over (it was either that or wrestle a tiger because Sam was not going to stay with me! It was so cute. He got to the court and with his little tennis ball he crouched as if he were attempting to shoot a basket and then he'd let his ball fly. But these were regulation hoops and Sam soon got very disgusted that he wasn't making any baskets. So he asked me, by motioning, to lift him up. I did, but I'm not exactly Amazon sized, and Sam was frustrated that he still couldn't make a basket. This went on for a good 20 minutes until I finally got him to admit defeat and head back to the ballgame.

But do you want to know a silly thought that went through my mind as I watched Sam's dedication that night? Earlier that same day I had taken him in for his 18 month check up and he weighed in at 28 lbs and measured 35 inches tall. The dr said this will no doubt be his pattern for the rest of his growing years which means he'll be tall and thin. I don't know why that makes me feel so proud, but it does! I had nothing to do with his size, other than contributing half of his genetic make-up, but even then I couldn't exactly control which genes I gave him. Would I be less pleased if the dr said, "Well, he's as average as can be!" or "You got a short one here!" Probably. It's just silly. But anyway, having that in the back of my mind and then watching his absolute dedication to the game made me start wondering if maybe Sam is the next white Michael Jordan! If I get him in high school basketball and the right recruiter is there (because of course, Sam will still be just as crazy about basketball in 16 years as he is now, and it goes without saying that he would be the star of his team) he could eventually make it to the NBA! And then I imagined myself giving an interview and saying, "Well, he showed an unusual interest in the sport even as a toddler!" Could happen. After all, Tiger Wood's dad had him out on the golf course by his first birthday! Maybe I should have given Sam a more distinctive name, like "Blaze" or "Wind"...

Well, whatever happens, it's a pretty sure bet that I'll be sitting through a whole lot more sporting events, watching my kids play. It sure doesn't seem like Sam is going to be the sensitive, quiet, musical, artistic type who doesn't need his mother to cart him all over the universe going from practice to practice to game to game. It's all right. I think I'd rather watch a ballgame than sit through a piano recital, anyway!

Ben's Decision

This is hardly news anymore, since I have broadcast it in emails, on Facebook, and it was announced at church last night by our pastor, but I thought I would blog a little bit on Ben's salvation decision this week. It actually reminds me of when he took his first steps, the summer before he turned 3. I had to tell everyone! And that was because something had happened that I didn't know ever would, for sure. I hoped, but until I saw it, it wasn't real. When Ben took his first steps I took that to mean that he was progressing and that if, nothing else, I wouldn't be having a wheelchair bound child as we had been told might be a distinct possibility. The decision for salvation is completely different, but still I can draw some parallels between the two.

Paul and I have had a very "hands off" approach with all the boys in the area of their eternal souls. We never wanted to walk them into any decision they weren't ready for and by doing so have the potential for doubts when they were older. This needed to be something that happened when they were ready and as the Holy Spirit worked in their hearts. I have always cringed a bit when I have had moms exclaim to me their excitement over their child getting saved - at age 3! I'm not saying it can't happen then, but I am a bit skeptical. So, we have done the right things with the boys, in that we have exposed to them the Gospel from their earliest years. Will made the decision around age 7 (although he didn't tell us for a couple more years!) and David came under conviction quite young, when he was only 5 and prayed the sinner's prayer then. I am confident, though, that even at that age, being David, he was sincere.

But with Ben, we just haven't known where he is mentally, if he was even capable of such a decision. For a couple of years now, he has asked questions pertaining to salvation but they have been very "young" questions, like, "If I say 'hell' a whole bunch of times, will I go there?'" and things like that. When we have pressed a little bit, Ben has quickly lost interest and changed the subject or wandered off. I have had many people say to me over the years that they think Ben understands a whole lot more than he lets on, but I have always kind of hoped they were wrong, because if it were true, then it might mean that Ben had reached an understanding of salvation and was rejecting it, which would make him hell-bound.

David is getting baptized next month. Our pastor had called Tues. morning to discuss that and I was not home. But he reached me on my cell phone. When I did get home Ben asked me why Pastor had called. I explained that it had to do with David's baptism. Ben wanted to know what that was all about. I explained and at one point Ben said, "saved from what?" And so I was able to go through the Gospel with him yet again. And he wandered off and I didn't think any more about it. That night, he, David, Sam, and I were in the van on the way home from softball. All of a sudden, Ben piped up with some questions. It soon became evident to me that he had been mulling over the morning's conversation all day long. I answered his questions, and as quickly as I would, Ben would have another. Sweet little David, with his evangelist's heart, immediately jumped into the conversation as well. He has been burdened for Ben for years. When he was younger he would solemnly inform Ben that he was on his way to hell if he didn't repent of his sins immediately! We finally had to tell him to stop doing that! Soon, Ben said, "I want to get saved, Mom." But I wanted to make sure he was sure. So I quizzed him quite a bit, making sure he understand and was still ready. I didn't want him to pray a prayer, for me to get all excited, and have everyone all happy that the poor, mentally impaired Heywood boy was going to Heaven, and have it not be real. But Ben was quite firm in his decision, which shouldn't surprise me. He's that way about everything. Once he decides something, he to be physically restrained in order to persuade him otherwise!

Paul wasn't around for the other boys' decisions and I think that has always been a bit of disappointment to him, so I persuaded Ben to wait until we got home. As soon as Paul and Will pulled in the driveway, Ben announced to his dad that he was "ready to get saved." Paul was quite surprised and did some gentle quizzing on his own of Ben. But soon the two of them were kneeling down at the couch and Ben became a child of God.

Honestly, I'm thrilled! All my chicks are safe now, at least until Sam reaches the age of accountability. My mom commented that it will be interesting to see what changes occur in Ben's life now. I hadn't even thought of that, that his salvation might influence his behavior in a good way! It's extra thrilling to me, too, because it's Ben. After his birth, the doctors didn't give us a whole lot of hope for his life. We were told up front that he would be a burden to us all his life. In many ways, that has been true, as Ben has taken tremendous amounts of time, money, and energy. With all that, it has been very easy to forget that he is a person and not just a consumer of all my resources. But this salvation experience really impressed on me the fact that Ben is a person, created in the image of God, with an eternal soul. The fact that he has physical and mental impairments while here on earth is really beside the point. He is just as human and just as needful of salvation as my other boys. And Jesus died for him, too. In fact, as I was trying to explain to Ben, that even if there had been no other people on the earth and only Ben (a fact that Ben couldn't wrap his literal mind around - "why wouldn't there be any other people?"- so I dropped that) Jesus still would have died. That fact alone shows how much God esteems even the most "broken" of humans. We're all precious to Him.

It's been a happy week at our house - and in the streets of Heaven, I imagine!

Friday

When I was a teenager and home on a Friday night I thought it was indicative of my status in life - so unloved and unpopular that I had no where to go! Now, I love being home on Friday nights!





As I was typing this, Ben made my night, maybe my week. Last night two sheriff's cars came into town and ended up at my neighbor's. This neighbor, Jean, is a single mom and has 3 young children. She has been married a couple of times, maybe 3, has had at least two different men living in her home since she moved to Swan a year ago, and mentioned to me a few weeks ago that she is now engaged to the one that currently resides with her. She's a very nice girl (yes, quite a bit younger than me!) but has obviously made some bad choices along the way. Well, one of the neighbor kids told my kids when the police arrived that Jean's current boyfriend had beat her up. I don't know if that is true or not, or how this neighbor kid knew that. Indeed, when I saw Jean today, out mowing, she didn't look battered. But anyway, the whole episode really caught Ben's attention and he had lots of questions last night. Well, just now he said to me, "They (meaning Jean and her boyfriend) are not good parents because the police had to come." I diplomatically said that Jean is probably a good mother, but has made some bad choices. Ben agreed and said, "But you and Dad made good choices. That means you are good parents!" I can accept that!





This was the second day in a row that I didn't get any school done with the kids - just too busy, running all over. Paul had his last neurology appt. in Ames at 8 this morning. For the past year or so, he's been participating in an epilepsy drug study. Every so often we have to go up to the McFarland Clinic for that. We finally decided to withdraw from the study this spring because ever since his dosage increased in Dec., Paul has been extremely fatigued. Even on the study drugs, his seizures didn't change in intensity or frequency. So, we'll live with the seizures and just keep him on the drug he's been on since 1996. Then, we got some breakfast and he went to work and I had to run into Michaels and Walmart in Ankeny. Then, I had to go to Walgreens and pick up 4 prescriptions for the boys. Unbelievable, all the meds! Some of it was just Ben's allergy stuff. To my utter surprise, his insurance didn't cover his Claritin. But I also picked up his Namenda, the alzheimer's drug he is taking, and I had been told his insurance would not cover it until he had been on it for 6 months. But it was completely covered! He also had a nose spray and Will had some triamcinolone for his hand. I was surprised his insurance covered that. Ben uses that for his skin and we have had trouble in the past getting that covered because that stuff is expensive! I remember once we were billed $118 for a 4 oz tube of it! Then I needed to go to the library. This was all with Sam in tow, which is not as easy as it used to be. He's squirmy and doesn't like to sit for any length of time.





I went home, greeted the boys, and took off again. Yesterday I drove to Knoxville planning to take care of all our vehicle stuff - renewing the tags on our current vehicles and licensing our new van. But, I was told that we had to have the sellers sign this new form, some disclosure type of statement. It's something the Iowa legislature quietly passed sometime since we last purchased a vehicle. Paul said I should have forged the guy's signature, but I couldn't do that (I can forge Paul's signature and have many times, but not someone else's!). But the county courthouse is a good half hour from my house, once I climb to the second floor, anyway, where the vehicle dept. is. So I had to do that today instead, making another hour round trip. While I was gone the boys kept Sam entertained on the trampoline. This week he decided he loves that thing. Today he spent an entire hour out there, jumping! None of the other three have ever tumbled off that thing - wonder if Sam will?





I came home and got to work on dinner. It turned out that Paul was off by 3, so he was able to take the boys to their 6pm softball practice. I was so happy! Sam slept almost the entire time while they were gone and so I had the house to myself, which was Heaven! It really gave me a taste for two weeks from now when Paul and the boys will be going overnight to the Father/Son retreat up at camp. I'll have Sam, but that won't be much of a problem. I am getting so excited about that! I plan to eat junk food and watch chick flicks and stay up really late (you know, like to 11:00!). The next day I have a couple of graduation parties to attend, but it won't be difficult with only Sam. I'm sure I'll be getting plenty giddy as the day approaches!





Tomorrow morning we'll be getting up early again. We're going up to Ames to help my brother and his family move. It's a joyous thing. It's kind of a long story, but they have struggled for several years to get to the point that they will be at tomorrow - homeowners in Iowa. From the time God put that desire in their hearts they have met roadblock after roadblock as they waited for His perfect timing. Finally, all the pieces are in place and tomorrow night they will be sleeping in their new home! So, I'm very happy for them. And I'll see my parents, too, because they are driving down to help.



So, that's the latest installment in my life! Nothing too exciting - just the days that form the quickly passing years!

Tuesday

I have a few minutes here before the rest of my day gets crazy. I'm leaving around 2. I need to take the boys to Penneys because I have a really good coupon and they need some summer clothes. I also need to go to Walmart and Hobby Lobby and Will announced that he needs to go to Best Buy. Then, Ben has his class at 4 and then the boys have to be softball by 6. Not looking forward to softball, at all! I think I'm going to freeze while there. Plus, Paul can't make it because he has another certification class for work. I don't think he gets paid for his time, either - just certified.


David has announced he wants to learn to mow the grass. I suppose he's old enough. Will has been pushing a power since he was 8. But as Will's old SS teacher used to say, "Will is exceptional." But I have instant visions of David losing his fingers. I mentioned to him the importance of keeping his hands and feet away from the bottom of the mower and he looked at me like I had just suggested he had plans to do that - a "Duh, Mom!" look. I told him I knew adult men who were walking around without all their digits because of that. The most important thing is that I don't have to do the mowing, though!


Ben burned his finger really bad last night on the mashed potatoes. I didn't know food could be so injurious! Paul said I dripped the potatoes (baked mashed potatoes, so they had just come out of the oven) on Ben. I don't exactly recall that, but I suppose it is possible. Several of his fingers are scalded, but his one finger is a huge blister now from his middle knuckle down. Poor kid. Fortunately, I still have lavender oil and some prescription cream from Sam's burn in January.


I'm starting to mentally formulate another "essay" post. I think it's going to be on why I'm not fun anymore. My 20 year high school reunion is coming up in June and we have all been asked to submit photos of then and now for a slide show. So yesterday I went out to the shed and dug out my senior year scrapbook. I was struck by several things as I looked through the book - 1) I used to look pretty good! 2) I think I was convinced that life couldn't get better than my senior year and that I would want to read and re-read and then read again all my silly little memories from that year - I haven't ever, by the way - and 3) I was all about having fun then. All these pictures of me in there show me laughing and goofing around with my friends. I think I was a pretty lighthearted girl back then. A few months ago Paul commented, too, that I used to "be a lot more fun." So, that's got me kind of thinking as to what has changed and is it necessarily a bad thing? This post may be awhile coming because I'm going to have to be introspective and actually find some time to think!


Well, I might get back here Friday, if I am lucky. Tomorrow is a busy day, being Wednesday. Plus, I am taking Will to the dr. He has a spider bite that is having a strange, strange reaction and I figured with all the talk of MRSA, I should have it looked at. Thursday all 4 boys go to the dentist, I have to run down to Knoxville to get our vehicles renewed and our new one licensed, then go back to town for Ben's class.


Oh, I found out yesterday that Will is not going to be able to get his school permit like I had planned for football season. He has to have driver's ed first and I can't find any area schools that are offering it during a time that he will be home. With camp and his mission trip, June and July are not totally free for him and that's when the area schools seem to be offering it. I really didn't want to spend the $325 anyway this year for him to take it. But this means that Ben will probably have to take a hiatus from his classes in the fall so that I can be available to take and pick up Will from practice. The price is shooting up to $400 next year, I have been told, so it would have been better for him to take it this year, but oh well! I did notice that some of the schools offered it in the spring so next year I'll look earlier and see if we can get into one of those slots.


I am wondering as I write all this how families with many, many children manage everything. Most days I feel like I am going crazy, trying to coordinate the schedules of the boys. It will be so much easier once they are grown and I just have Sam!


Gotta scoot and make lunch for the hordes...

The Worst Mother in the World

That's me - officially known now as the Worst Mother in the World, possibly the entire Universe.


I blew it last night. All 3 of the boys are going to camp this summer up at Clear Lake. I'll be blogging more about that later, I am sure. But camp is over $200 per child. To help off-set the cost, our church offers a "Camp Coins" program where the campers can earn half their way paid by doing different projects - Scripture memorization, service projects, writing to missionaries, reading missionary biographies, etc. This is the first year that Ben and David are going. Will has gone every year since we moved out here and since he's a first born and very easy and dedicated, he has always taken care of his Camp Coins requirements himself and it's been no big deal. But with Ben and David their Camp Coins projects are MY Camp Coins projects! Right now I am helping them memorize their required Scripture from Philippians 2. They have to say the verses, two at a time, to a SS teacher or a deacon or somebody like that. So my desire is to have them quoting verses every Sun. morning to their teachers. I have made the effort to make sure they know their verses and that we get up early enough for them to get to SS early to catch their teachers in order to say the verses.


Ben and David aren't the greatest of readers. I mean, they can read the verses, but they have no clue how to teach themselves to memorize them. So I have been working with them. We memorize them, phrase by phrase, over a week's period of time. It got to be Sat. evening and Ben was just not getting this week's portion. I found myself getting so frustrated with him. We had been going over and over and over this for days and he couldn't remember them. I used hand gestures as hints and he would say silly things like "your chest" when I would bang on my chest (he was supposed to remember that for the word "himself")! If we didn't get verses 3 & 4 said the next morning then the next week we would have to say verses 3-6 and that would be an awful lot to remember.


What kind of mother yells at her learning disabled son for not being able to memorize Bible verses? The Worst Mother in the World. Yep, I did. I accused him of not trying and told him to forget about going to camp. He didn't seem to mind - just wandered off into the other room. David tearfully came to me, though, and said, "Mom! I was looking forward to spending some time at camp with Ben and I don't want to go alone!" So I had to mutter to him, "You're not going alone - I'm just trying to scare Ben." Brilliant strategy on my part, let me tell you... Ben didn't even care! Sending him to camp has been my idea, not his. I think it's a good idea and that's why he's going, but if the decision were left to Ben, I really think he'd be content to stay home and play video games rather than go. In fact, when I announced to him that we had cleared it with the camp to send along Will as his "helper" and because of that he would be attending camp for the first time in June, Ben looked at me and asked, "Do I want to go to camp?"


As it turned out, Paul quietly went outside, brought in a white board and wrote out the verse for the boys. Then he helped them with them and they were both able to recite it to their teachers today. As I was tucking David in last night (Ben was already long asleep) David told me, "Mom, I didn't like how you yelled at Ben." I sighed and told him yes, I knew I shouldn't have done that and I would apologize to Ben in the morning. And I did, as soon as he woke up. I don't know if Ben even remembered what I was talking about, though. However, in the middle of church, he leaned over towards me and said, "I forgive you for yelling at me." That was sweet! All was right in our family again! Then he added, "Besides, I don't care when you yell at me. I only care when Dad does." Great! So not only am I the World's Worst Mom, I am also a pretty ineffective one!


When we got home from church David erased the white board and wrote out verses 5 & 6 for this week's memorization. I really need to teach that child about putting spaces between words. But anyway, as we were eating lunch David reported to Ben that this week's verses were short and so, "you won't have to worry about Mom yelling at you for not learning them!" Paul gave me that look, that grin that says, "They got you!"


Sometimes I wish my boys were more like adults who only tell me what I want to hear. But their very spirits seem to consist of a giant magnifying glass that shows up all my faults, magnified so greatly that I can't help but see them and be ashamed of them. They really do deserve better that the Worst Mother in the World.

First Game of the Season

My boys started softball again this past week. Actually, they "started" a couple of weeks ago when practices began, but their first official game was Tuesday night. This is with a homeschool league - low pressure, not so competitive, cheap - something good. I should have a picture with this post of all 3 boys in their t-shirts and "Homeschool Softball" ball caps. But I didn't take one.



The reason I didn't take one was because I was miserable Tuesday and couldn't wait for the whole thing to be over! Maybe I'll get one next week. Oh, it was just awful. We always start the season freezing at the first game or two and dying of heatstroke by the last one - which is always a doubleheader, in the hottest part of the day. Then, we eat a potluck lunch, which I always eye somewhat suspiciously, thoughts of salmonella poisoning crowding to the front of my mind... Tuesday we had terrible wind and so I froze. Have I mentioned that I am a world class weather weanie? I am. If it's not a perfect, balmy 72 degrees out, then I don't want to be out.





When I was pregnant with Sam two years ago I remember wondering how I would do these ballgames with an infant in tow. Well, it actually was no problem. Last year at ball season, Sam was only 6-7 months old. He couldn't go anywhere! He either slept in his stroller or laid on a blanket. It was great! I should have wondered how I would do ball season with a toddler. Oh my goodness - what a trial that kid was Tuesday night! I recently downsized my stroller because my old one doesn't fit in our new van as well. And I don't need all that stroller space anymore. Well, this new stroller has smaller wheels, which made pushing it over grass quite difficult. I really need a jogging stroller, but I'm not going to buy one when I will only get use for it for one child. So anyway, I had to contend with the stroller with little wheels. Then, it turned out that Sam had no intention of sitting in his stroller anyway. Not even when I was pushing him! He kept standing up and turning around. When I complained later to Paul about this he said, "Well, why didn't you strap him down?" Hmm, let's see...Oh yes, wel-l-l, when I was in Walmart earlier that same day I used the strap for the first time and caught my left middle finger in the latch. By the time I got it unlatched, I had sacrificed a huge chunk of my finger. Of course, I had no bandaids, so I bled all over the one used tissue I found in my purse. I should have purchased more bandaids while at Walmart but I was in a hurry and was under the mistaken assumption that my finger would heal quickly. It didn't and I bumped again and again all night long. At one point, while pushing Sam across the field, imploring him to please sit down, he gleefully grabbed my open can of pop from the back of the stroller and dumped it all over himself.



We finally got to where Ben and David were playing, got all settled, and I realized that we were sitting on the side with the opposing team. I stayed put, anyway. Soon, Sam was helping himself to others' bats and balls, and attempting to run out onto the field. All this was while the cold north wind was buffeting our bodies and whistling straight into my ears. I lasted until the middle of Will's game. I asked him if he would be terribly offended if I went and sat in the van and he was agreeable, as I knew he would be. Thank God for easy children! So, I issued Ben the usual threats about his behavior and headed off to the van, which was parked miles away. Well, seemingly so, anyway. Pushing a stroller with itty bitty wheels and a standing toddler, while balancing a folding chair (folding as in collapsible, like for camping, not folding as in church basement type), and attempting to keep said toddler from grabbing the rest of my pop made the trek seem very, very long.



We made it eventually and I spent the rest of the time trying to keep Sam from breaking the gear shift knob and turning on the van lights and wipers. He has a real obsession about driving that I don't remember with the other boys. He always wants to get into the van, even when it's parked at home and just sit behind the wheel. Anytime we don't immediately pop him into his car seat, he clamors for the driver's seat and is as happy as a clam pretending to drive. The other boys showed up when Will's game was over (they lost, same as Ben and David) and we finally went home.



Today I bought Sam a foam bat and ball, thinking maybe he'll be less likely to grab the metal ones at the games if he has his own. He was pretty excited by that and ripped them out of the Walmart bag when he saw them. I could bring the playpen, but that would be something more to carry and then we'd be subjected to his hollering as he would request to be let out. Maybe next year it will be easier! I don't know how some of these homeschooling softball families do it, those that have babies every year and have multitudes of little ones on the sidelines - they must be much better parents than I am!



All right - whining time is over. This is about the boys and their needs and desires. I will endure. But for the next 8 Tuesday nights, as you are happily ensconced in your homes, eating your hot suppers, and watching tv, think of me, alone on the sidelines, chasing a toddler, telling Ben to "sit down!", consoling and assuring David that he is not the worst softball player in the history of softball, and maybe even going a bit crazy when Will hits one way out of the field - you might say a little prayer on my behalf!

Picture Time

Yesterday Sam turned 18 months old, so Tuesday, I took him for his picture. I'm good about pictures because it's my "thing." No matter what, I always take the boys in for their 6 month, 12 month, 18 month pictures, and then for every birthday thereafter. I love getting the new pictures up in the frames on the wall. That said, these pictures of Sam are still sitting in their cardboard envelope on the back room buffet. It's been a busy week!

Doesn't Sam look slightly angelic? I went with this shot because of his sweet smile, even though it's one I don't see that often. He's kind of a sober baby and I don't get that many pictures of him smiling - even candid shots. When he does smile it's more of a grimace, with his teeth bared. Lately, he's been thrusting out his lower jaw when he smiles, which cracks me up. He looks like the grandpa on Beverly Hillbillies! It dawned on me as I drove home Tuesday that this was almost the same smile he gave us for his 12 month shot last October. Oh well - I like it!

Like last time, it took some work to get him to smile pleasantly while sitting still. But I don't think we had that great of a photographer either. She seemed to be in a hurry. And when I informed her that, like normal, I would only be purchasing my $9.99 package, she seemed a bit put out with me. But I would say she's definitely the exception. I have always been pleased with the service out there (Portrait Innovations out at Jordan Creek).

I always look forward to getting the boys' pictures done, whether it's their baby shots or their 8th or 12th birthday. I hate to have to reschedule. I remember once, literally walking out the door, to take Will in for his 12 month shot, and he tripped and fell face first into our little tv that was sitting out in the middle of the living room floor. He put a hole in his forehead and I had to reschedule. Actually, I should have waited longer. If you look at that picture you can see a faint bruise on his forehead! So, last weekend I was concerned lest Sam would fall and smack up his face prior to Tuesday's appt. But he didn't and we went. I kid you not - moments after we got done with his shoot, he ran smack dab into a counter top and cracked his nose. It's still swollen! And then today we were outside and he tumbled head first into the iron basketball post. Now he has a goose egg on his forehead. Yesterday he fell off the back stoop and ended up wedged behind the air conditioner unit. But he just scraped his back that time. Poor kid!

Well, the subject of my discussion has just awakened from a short nap and sounds pretty grumpy. I think my computer time is done!