Dog Attack, Tiny Group, "Boy Away"

Days in the Life...

Monday mid October November (What was I saying?! Obviously I am not paying attention to the passing of the months very well...) was a pretty full, normal first day of the week. In the morning Dad and I took our family vehicle in to be checked and I babysat in the evening.


Tuesday I watched Kate and Blaire.

A typical day at their house goes something like this.

I arrive at 6:00 am and, once both their parents leave, settle on the couch to nap until one or both girls wake up. Some days they wake up before 7:00, but usually they make it to 7:30. One morning we all slept until 8:30 which was awesome!

When they wake up I change them both and get Kate into her highchair. She is usually a little weepy and wants to know why mommy can't hold her, but she perks up pretty quickly and is her normal happy self. Blaire is always super smiley when she wakes up.

Kate likes to eat breakfast for a long time...like an hour. But she can feed herself so while she eats I am able to give Blaire her bottle and sometimes get my own food. However, if I'm going to eat something, Kate will want to eat it too.

Blaire is usually ready for a nap around the time Kate is done eating. If I've still not gotten to eat (or make coffee) then I will have Kate sit on her little potty and watch a kid's show for a few minutes.

This particular day while Blaire slept Kate sat at the table with me and colored while I ate and had my Bible time.

Whenever Blaire wakes up Kate usually is happy to play with her dolls while I feed her sister. She loves to talk to me and make faces at Blaire. 

No, Blaire does not hold her own bottles, 

she only got to for this picture.

Kate is ready for lunch around 11:00 and Blaire is typically very content to sit in her bouncy seat during that time. After lunch we all clean up the house a little and then both girls take a nap. In an ideal world they would fall asleep at the same time and wake up at the same time, but that rarely ever happens. Most days I can get their naps to overlap at least for 30 minutes or so, though. That way I get to eat. 

After they nap they are both hungry again and ready to play some more. What happens in the afternoon changes most everyday and depends on how they are doing. 

Around 4:00 Kate has dinner and then after a little more play time and another tidying of the house, she gets a bath. Sometimes Blaire will sleep and I can bathe Kate with two hands, but usually I get to hold Blaire while I take care of Kate. Blaire's fussy time is in the evening, as is typical for most babies, so she doesn't nap super well or like to be set down somewhere. 

Once Kate is all dry and dressed in fresh pajamas, I change Blaire into a fresh sleeper (aka, one that is not saturated with the day's spit-up). Then we just hang out, read books, snuggle, and wait for their daddy to get home at 5:35. 

I also get to monitor their two indoor dogs; make sure they have food and water, put them outside, keep them off the furniture, put them up during the girls' naps...

It's always a long day, but I seriously love my job so much!

At home that day I think everyone else had a pretty quiet day. 

Gabe went to gym and Dad and Christian spent the evening running errands and reviewing Christian's school stuff. 

When I got home I caught up with the others. Mom and the little girls had been at a friend's house for a little bit. We all had a yummy dinner made by Chloe and then watched "Wild Hearts Can't Be Broken". 

Wednesday it was sunny and warm. (Welcome to Texas in November!) I took Ava to gym class and then later Ava and Gabe to the park to meet up with friends before engagement group in the evening. (Mia had a slight fever and so missed both activities.)

Mom was kind of dragging a little that day and Chloe was hard at work on class deadlines and I think cinnamon roll baking. 

While the kids were at their friends' house playing outside a big dog came running up to Ava barking. It scared Ava so she started running which made it chase her. Their friend runs inside screaming that Ava is "being attacked by a dog". Her parents come flying out of the house yelling for Ava who is in a ball in the bottom of the ditch where she had tripped while running. Brave Gabe was standing between her and the barking dog holding his arms out and telling it to go away. 

The poor adults thought Ava had been bitten and their child's summons had scared them big time. 

When they all arrived for small group we got to hear the kids' version of the "attack" and the parents' version of the "dog that chased Ava, but never actually hurt her". 

Ava was just fine, don't worry. 

Group was good. Several people couldn't come, but we still had a special time. 

Thursday I babysat in the morning and then had a couple of hours at home before going to worship/Bible study in the afternoon. 

Gabe went to gym and I had dinner with a lady from church. 

Waiting at a coffee shop between things and trying to journal.

Remember that post months ago where I started it out by saying that I was 10 days behind in my journal and feeling sooooooo behind? I wish I was only 10 days behind right now.....

Friday I watched Kate and Blaire again and then got to be home for family movie night. I think we split up to watch multiple things. 

Saturday we all got up in time to go to Gabe's practice gymnastics meet. It was a chilly morning! Earlier in the week it was in the 80's and that morning it was in the 30's.

Mom and I made salted carmel mocha lattes that morning to take with us. We decided we really don't need Starbucks anymore.

The meet started at 8:30. It was just the boys at Gabe's gym, so it was nice and small. All the families of the boys got to be in the gym and walk to each station with the boys to watch the different events.

Gramma, Grandpa, and Brennen came to watch a little bit later in the morning.

Christian and I waiting outside for them.

Our eyes were watering so badly from the sunshine and cold.

Parallel bars.

Rings. 

He HELD this position for several SECONDS!!

High bar.

Floor.

Gabe also did the mushroom (beginner pommel horse) and vault. He did really, really well in everything! I'd never gotten to see him do tricks outside of our home and I was SO impressed!! Gabe is SO strong and is easily one of the strongest/skilled in his level. 

The meet lasted until about 11:30. Then we all went to lunch at Chuy's. 

Mom and I both had separate errands to run, but the others all headed home after lunch. Once she finished, Mom went home and I headed to church. 

I got to church at 2:00 to be helpful with the Operation Christmas Child Box packing party. 

Of course I held a baby the entire time I was packing boxes. *wink*

The growing stack.

Many hands. 

After all the boxes were packed those of us on the worship team had to start rehearsal and then begin house of prayer. Everyone else came in time for the service. 

After the church service was our Thanksgiving meal as a church family. We stayed late and got to visit and help clean up afterwards. 

It was a long day, but a really fun one. 

Sunday morning we invited Nana and Grandfather to join us for brunch so they would hear about Gabe's tournament and see the super impressive videos Dad got of each event. 

In the afternoon several of us took naps. We had some recovering to do from the previous day.

That Moment When...

The friends that live 5 miles away call saying their kids are at home with the babysitter sitting in the dark because the power has been out for an hour and they have no flashlights and could you go get them.


The Herd: Quoted 

"You get to have birthday number 20 in Maui next year, Lydia!" -Christian
"What? Really? I'm going to be 20?!?" -Me in real shock.
"Did you forget that that's what comes after 19 or something? This shouldn't be a surprise..."
 -Dad

"Shhhh...that was the first meal I ate today..." -Dad to me talking about dinner.
"Dad!" -Me
"Well, I wasn't hungry..." -Dad looking through the refrigerator.
"Mmhmm..." -Me
"And I'm not really even hungry now." -Dad
"Which means you need to eat something, given your track record, my track record...you know..." -Me

"What? They aren't coming either?! This isn't small group, this is tiny group." -Gabe when only 20 something people came to engagement/small group.

"What did you put in there, 'Boy Away'?" -Gabe making a disgusted face as he smells the oil diffuser.