The older boys played outside for a while each day, but they kept coming back in for various reasons (wanting to watch a show, play with Legos, transform Transformers, get a drink, have a snack, rest on the couch, etc.) "Outside!" I ordered at least a dozen times.
The little ones happily went outside and were so content out there that I had to keep having "Seth and Lily checks" to make sure they weren't getting into trouble. I forced them inside, with much protesting, for lunch and potty breaks. "Inside!" I ordered at least a dozen times as darkness approached.
But today is also a springy day. The air is dreary, damp, chilly, gloomy. The kids want to play outside, but the 40 degree temperatures that were such a relief three weeks ago are bone-chilling and unpleasant today. Today is just as much a spring day as Saturday and Sunday were. If you want spring, you've gotta take both kinds of days. At least here in the northern region of the Midwest.
Isn't spring such a perfect reflection of life? Beautiful sunny spots that fill us with peace and hope...cold stormy spots that force us to lean on God's comforting strength. And you've gotta take them both. I can make it through this week's cold and gloom because I know that spectacular days of warmth are just around the corner.
And my day lilies are bravely sprouting despite teeter-tottering temperatures.
We do have a few updates for our Navy situation. Last week, Rob took the physical fitness test...and passed! Not only did he meet the requirements for his age bracket (35-44???), but he also met the requirements given to the youngsters (ages 25-34). Yes, he quite the athletic specimen! A year ago, he would have laughed out loud if someone told him that he would be running a mile and half in 13 minutes. He was feeling great, and then he found out he'll have to pass it two more times, once before he leaves for training, and another time at the end of his training. At least it is not looming before him as an unknown. He knows he can do it, and he must simply stay in shape and stay healthy.
We still don't know when he will be leaving, but at this point, I feel that we can safely say that it is a matter of WHEN and not IF.
Last week, the kids and I visited my sister, Jamie, and her kids. We were supposed to see them last Saturday at my grandparent's Easter get-together, but Seth was sick. I was the one in charge of bringing eggs, so I had recycled 117 plastic eggs and much of the kids' Easter candy. Sadly, I live too far away to have been able to take the eggs for the rest of the kids that day. But when I went to my sister's, we took the eggs with us and had our own little post-Easter egg hunt. (I really did NOT want to disassemble the eggs or pack them to use for next year.) Did you know that 117 is not a prime number? I thought that it was, but when we divided it by the number children present--NINE!--it came out to exactly 13 eggs per kid. My 13 year old nephew was quick to correct my mistaken assumption! I'll end with a little picture of Jamie's and my kids digging into their booty. It's a lot of kids for just two families. When all four siblings get together, we have 16 children, ages 13 and under! On Rob's side, we have 14...Rob and I have a total of 22 nieces and nephews! They are each so very precious to us.
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