Hoops and Hidden Blessings

I know I should be blogging about our Christmas adventures but who has the energy to go through all those pictures. (I will post some soon I hope.)

I wanted to record for posterity some "Nathanisms" we've had lately.

Scene:
Mom is resting on the couch after feeding baby Maggie. Nathan enters stage right to blow rasberries in my face, but since he's 4 it's just plain spitting.

Mom: You know how I feel about that Nathan. I hate it when you spit in my face.

Nathan: Well, I hate being in time out for a really long time and no talking. And you hate when I spit in your face.

End scene.

What kills me is how he said it. Like, "now we're even."

Nathan has started taking gymnastics, or "nastics" as he so lovingly refers to it, and he is smitten. After last night's class he came over to the bleachers where the moms sit and proceeds to tell me, "mom, I was the best." I'm glad to see his confidence is growing, but I'm a little concerned that he shoved a kid off the balance beam cause he wanted to finish his turn after a little potty break. This morning I overheard him asking Eddie if it could be Tuesday (gymnastic day) everyday.

Drew is not loving gymnastics so much...only because he has to sit on the bleachers with mom and doesn't get to participate. Yesterday he brought his nerf football and was content to throw, kick and punt it up and down the small walkway. This kid is so totally into sports and Eddie and I are wondering if it could be something he genetically got from my brothers because we're not quite sure where this kid came from. Eddie wanted to get Drew some sports stuff for Christmas and so we got the kids these $5 basketball hoops that get put up in your room. I kid you not, Drew immediatly palms a ball, runs to Eddie and says, "Dad, wanna play hoops with me?" Every morning since, he wakes up, runs to our room, okay, runs to Dad's side of the bed and asks Eddie, "Dad, are you awake? The sun is up. My play basketball."

Unfortunately for Eddie, he doesn't get to play hoops with his boys much cause he is super busy. And for some reason, Mom isn't a good substitute. It could be cause I'm always tired and wanting to lay on the couch and take a nap or always feeding the baby, changing said baby's diaper, or doing laundry from numerous spit up sessions.

We all miss Eddie and feel his absense every day, but we're trying to stay positive and see the end blessings that it will bring to us. In the mean time, I'm trying to see the hidden blessings that come from having your clothes washer break after just replacing it (this will be our 4th one in under 3 years...that's what we get from buying them used off Craigslist), the microwave breaking on the same day, your new van door needing to be replaced, also said van needs an oil change, state inspection and registration and I will stop there cause it's just sounding pathtic to even me. With all the devastation and destruction that just took place in Haiti, I should be grateful for life. For my life. Broken down and run down life, I thank thee.