Sweet Dreamers

C:  Mama

Me: Yes

C:  Do I have to go to sleep now?

Me: Yes

C: But we having fun talking story

Me: Yes, but Mama is so tired and I need to sleep too.

C: And you grumpy?

Me:  Whaaat?  You're not supposed to say Mommy is grumpy

C: (LOL) Ah ha ha.  Oh sorry Mama, I will NEVER say you grumpy when M will make you stay awake at  night.

Me:  I am a little grumpy b/c I am so tired.

C:  Mama, you so tired b/c you work too hard

Me:  I work too hard?

C: Yes, you no like to be lazy

Me: Nope, I don't like to be lazy

C:  Why you no like to be lazy?

Me:  B/c when I was a little girl my daddy...

C: Big Zeek?

Me: ...Yes, Big Zeek told me I should never to give anyone a reason to call me lazy, I should always work hard.

C:  You working for Jesus?

Me:  Yes, Baby, I am working hard for Jesus.

C:  B/c what ever you do you want to do if for Jesus?

Me: Exactly

C: We going work hard tomorrow too?

Me:  Yes

C: Why you no want to just buy a slave and then we can go to the beach.

Me:  C, I will never buy a slave, as I have already told you (we have certainly delved into the slavery issue too often (C's maternal grandma apparently is/ or was a slave... she was taken from the bush when she was young and "made to be a slave in Monrovia.").

C:  But you jus want to be Jesus slave?

Me:  Yes

Me:  C, I adore you, I love you, I want to squeeze your guts out, but you MUST go to sleep right now... not one more word out of your mouth.

C:  It too bad for you b/c I was going tell you that I love you and I was going to tell you to have sweet dreams but you no like me to talk NO more, so I talk NO more.  That good?  You happy now?

Me:  hmmmmm (exit stage left)

JR:  Mama (yelling), Mama, I have to go poopoo on the potty.

Me: Okay, go!

JR:  Mama I no tink you lazy

Me:  Thank you, son

JR:  Mama, I like you, and I love you too.

Me:  I like you and love you too!

JR: Mama?

Me: Yes?

JR: Mama?

Me:  Yes my little man, what do you need?

JR:  My poopoo lazy, it not working hard for Jesus.  I no like my poopoo

Me: Okay, well, I don't like poopoo either, are you finished yet?

JR:  Yes, you come lay down with me.

Me:  After we wash our hands.

JR:  I love you, Mama

Me:  I love you too!

Foto worthy Friday

Well, it was a great Friday after a great week of Mondays.  Didn't feel like we were on top of it all and yet we made it to here!  Ahh, I love Fridays.  I am not sure why, as they are no different than any other day when you are a homeschooling, semi-single mom who desperately misses her husband and is counting the days (yes, days) until his arrival home!

But, we did celebrate Friday with a lot of fabulous driveway fun... that is, after a morning of cleaning house, making beds and cleaning rooms!

My gorgeous boys... JR still learning how to smile.  Seriously...

Yes, I realize that to you this is pretty much the same pic, but they are not the same and each expression is another reflection of my boys' character... And frankly, I couldn't decide which to post.

They really are this dog gone CUTE!

JR is in the middle of saying "I love you Daddy", I reminded him that I am "Mommy," to which he replied, "No I talking to daddy in the world"... Okay!  JR is such a snuggler and so very much wants to be child... so I am helping him.

C is just an amazing kid... so FULL of energy and life and spirit and joy and questions and curiosity and kindness and concern, etc.

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Here are the kiddos watching Daddy V-D-O, a.k.a. Daddy DVD, a.k.a.  Yay, Daddy, Yay

Look at those eyes!

Getting better at the smiling.  This kid is a sweetheart and I am falling in "LOVE" with him more each day.  He just finished telling me, "I happy Mama, it a happy day!"

See what I mean about C?

Keeping a close watch on the girlies, making sure they are "jus fine"

Toothy grin!

The girls are looking for the apple wedge that H dropped

They found it!

No, JR is not sick, nor is he in pain, he's just trying to smile 

I love his eyelashes!

Don't you just want to grab him and squeeze him and kiss those cheeks???!!!  

(Don't get any ideas if you're some weirdo blog stalker!)

Catch Up...

Look at H FEEDING herself banana!

Go H!

Dessert time= Banana time!  Lots of potassium= lots of good sleep!

Diva girls swinging... M has her baby doll and H has her raisins.  I tell ya, H is ALWAYS eating... these intestinal parasites are taking a toll on my grocery bill!

The kids and Great Grandma Carol...96 years!

Notice H's face.  Notice how M just had to snuggle up to H.  She is trying to get H to hold her.  

Great Grandma cried when we left and told me how beautiful my children are and how proud of me she is for doing what most people would never do.  She informed me that a lot of people will give me a hard time for having a "well different" family!  She and JR REALLY have a sweet thing for each other!

The best we could do for a kiddo photo at Disneyland.  Oh and BTW, Winnie the Pooh is an obsession in my house.  Yes, I do have "The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh" (or "PoohPooh" as it is in my house) memorized, and so does C.  We have a Winnie the Pooh doll and an Eyore doll that are slept with every night... I have to rotate them around 4 kids.

Kissin' Cousins...

My sweet cousin's sweet little girl!  Talk about Ebony and Ivory!  

I have a ton more pics to post but I'll give you a chance to mull over these!

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Well we received the results from H's MRI of the spine and neck.  And, well, she will be scheduled for, YET ANOTHER, MRI as soon as our insurance approves it.  

The results were a bit vague.  I couldn't understand the results so I just assumed everything was  normal because the final sentence said, "conclusively no spinal abnormalities."

Then, we met with the doctor who explained all the jargon.  According to the radiologist, who read the films and wrote the report (but didn't bother, obviously, to read the background on H) found and area that looked like excessive pooling cerebral spinal fluid at the top of the spine. However, he "dismissed it as artifact as the patient was not sedated".  "Artifact" apparently is a technical word meaning either that H moved and caused a blur, or the scan picked up something else under H like an oreo, or clothespin.  Ummmm, I watched them put H to sleep, and not only was she fully sedated, she was braced as well, not to mention the fact that I don't allow her to eat oreos and we don't use clothespins anymore.  So, back to square three and onto the 4th MRI.  I tell you, if they cannot get their act together, H's spine will end up being fried. 

Anyway, the doctor said if in fact the "artifact" is actually pooling CSF, we will need to take action fairly quickly.  Action being figuring out why there is pooling CSF, where it's coming from and if it is shuntable (poetic license).  H's physical behaviors would make more sense if there is pooling CSF pushing up against her nerves and possibly basal ganglia.    So, we'll see. Guess who is calling the doctor EVERYDAY and leaving messages?  Yep, it's me.  

I'll let you know if I find out anything!  Until then, would you please remember us in your prayers.  We are asking the Lord for a conclusive and accurate diagnosis.  We are also asking for complete healing.  Above all, we are asking that the Lord will make Himself most glorified in and through our family and our sweet H.