bowling, backs & bedtime

Just some random things going on around here:

1) Sophie has a little girl in her class who's quite feisty. She has Sophie believing with all her heart that this little girl's siblings are Justin and Nicky. Justin Beiber and Nicky Minaj. We laugh so hard every time Sophie tries to convince us that is, in fact, true.

2) Ted has been doing a "lunch bunch" at school. It's for social skills for 1st grade boys. Ted was identified as being a "good friend and role model." It's a group of boys that need help with social skills and then some boys who can be example. Everyday when I drop the kids off at school I encourage them to be a good friend and make good choices. Anyone who is a parent understands what a complete blessing it is to hear this from someone else's mouth. I know there will be times when this isn't always the case. So I'll celebrate it now.

3) Our couch cushions have been struggling. In a stroke of genius (again, not bragging - I'm just not really that domestic so in a sense it was genius), I added some stuffing. Actually, it was the foam thing that goes on beds. I feel like I have a whole new couch.

4) In the past month, Ben has been to Puerto Rico for 4 days, Colorado for 6 days (he drove and it was a training, so it really wasn't fun) and to see Mumford and Sons at George Mason University. I'm thankful when he gets to do fun things like that. He works really, really hard.

5) Life is very routine around here for the kids and I. I don't like it a whole lot, but I guess that's what school and work do. Ben, on the other hand, has some serious routine and then throw in a bunch of other stuff. This semester has started off rather chaotic as it always does. We're really trying to average him home 3 evenings a week. Usually we run so hard during the semester and barely take a breath. I would like a little breathing room throughout.

6) We are currently trying to replace the car and the van. We may actually be able to trade in a (barely) functioning van for another. That will be a first! I found 2 vans in Pittsburgh that we are going to go see at the end of the week when I get all our ducks in a row. I'm hoping to drive home in one of them. Both our cars have been in the shop a lot this fall and winter. I'm currently evaluating daily which car I feel safest driving down the interstate. My prayer is that 1 of the 2 vans are still there when we get that and that our current van makes it to Pittsburgh.

7) I have such a heart for single moms. I have for quite some time. If you know one, go give them a hug, take her kids for a couple of hours or take their family dinner. I'm just saying.

8) Bedtime could drive me to drink. If I were Michelle Duggar, I would run away.

And some pictures for you:

Ted and his cousin Wyatt at Wyatt's 7th birthday party the other week. We LOVE bowling!

The non-bowlers. The night Ben got home from Colorado, he was sitting on the couch and his back went out. Just sitting there. That's what sitting in a car for 24 hours will do to you.  I'll fess up to not being sympathetic to Ben when he's sick or injured. I was especially sour because he had been gone for a week, came home and couldn't help for 3 days and then had an absolutely insane week where he pretty much came home to sleep. Hence the non-bowling. Sophie was just done.

We went to the gymnastics/wrestling meet last weekend.  The Mountaineer sat with Sophie and they had a nice chat.

Sophie has started spelling her name like this on everything.

"Sof" at her Valentine's Day party. Amazingly, her party was very controlled and enjoyable. Ted's, on the other hand, was totally chaotic and over stimulating. No pictures from that one. I was on the "Friendship Bracelet Station." Yeah, not my gifting. I dropped 3 kids bracelets as I was trying to tie them.  I'll stick with Bingo.

Ted had on layer after layer of clothes, dress up clothes and winter paraphernalia tonight before bed. I love that he loves this kind of stuff.

So there you have it. I'm sure that's about all the fun you can handle for today.