Spring Break!

The week after Easter, Joshua had Spring Break.  We had a great time with many special activities, including the grand finale on Saturday, visiting the Sears/Willis Tower!  Joshua was so excited as he got to take the Metra (or double-decker train) downtown, go to the top of the Sears Tower, take the CTA to the Hancock building, eat at Cheesecake Factory (Ok, that was for Andy), and then take the Blue line train home, way past his bedtime.  Here are a few pictures from the day!

Waiting for the Metra

Mom and sons at the top (yes, they are wearing matching shirts, but on Joshua's request!)

In the "glass room" with dad.  Yes, you really can see the ground from way up there!

Goofing off at dinner, why we chose to eat outside!

Little Brother's revenge :)

Rambles

Lately I feel that just making a list of what needs to get done would be a big improvement :)

I am just really in need of encouragement in my stay-at-home mom life. I am feeling like I am doing a lousy job at keeping the house going and raising the boys (I often feel so inadequate at this task!). My encouragement tank is rock-bottom. I don't think Andy realizes how much encouragement I need, especially after his travel weeks. Those are ramping up again for a while, sigh. I realize I don't encourage him enough either and it can feel so hopeless and overwhelming at times to really have a growing marriage. Not that things are bad, I just know how self-centered I am and want encouragement all the time from him, yet I don't do the same for him. Lord, I need your help. Ahh, no answers for now.

A few photos

Given that I am terrible at taking pictures, I thought I would post these pictures my dad got of Joshua and Wesley yesterday.  Even he didn't get too many that were up to his standards, so at least I feel a little bit better for being such a slacker.

Hard day

Today was a really hard morning.  Joshua has not wanted to go to school lately and has been acting out a LOT!  Tantrums, running and screaming from his class, crying for mommy, the full treatment.  My heart was lurching as I left school today, and I cried all the way to bible study.  Please pray for us so we can get through this stage, however long it lasts.  Praise God that he calmed down.  I had a lot of people praying for him and me (shout out to Chicago CBS, you rock), so I give God all the glory for his improved behavior at school today. (post morning drop off meltdown). 

I don't deserve my kids

Ok, I will admit it right now, I am not a very thankful person.  I complain, A LOT.  About my husband, my kids, my life.  Those are sins and because I am doing them, I am missing out on what God wants me to see.  Well, He opened my eyes yesterday to show me how abundantly he has blessed me.

Yesterday, after my post on Joshua's new school, we had an interesting conversation in the car. (J=Joshua, L=me)
J: Why is the American flag flown higher than the Christian flag (side note: a flag with a cross on it they have at his Lutheran preschool)
L: I don't know.  Pause. You know at your new school they won't have a Christian flag.
J: Why not?
L: Because not everyone there believes in Jesus and follows him.
J: Can I tell people at my new school about Jesus?
L: (getting choked up) Of course you can Joshua.  That would be a great thing to do.

See?? I don't deserve that boy!  Please pray with me that our family will be a blessing to the new school!

Here are some recent pics of the boys in case you want to see them.

 Joshua pretending to be a pirate (the basket is his boat)

Wesley (before his latest faceplant)

Joshua's school update

I am a horrible blogger as the two people who read this site know, but I wanted to share with you that Joshua got into a Selective Enrollment School in CPS, which he will be attending next year.  Praise God!  As Andy and I prayed over next year, we really felt that Skinner North would be the best fit for Joshua, not even knowing that much about the school, and that is where God wanted him to be!  We are hoping to be salt and light for Jesus at that school and will see why God has put us there

Said by Joshua recently

Yes, I am ashamed that my babysitter writes these things down more than I do.  Part of what makes her a GREAT sitter!  Go Gwen :)  The first one was said to her on Saturday AM.
"Hey Studee.  Studee, come over here! (to Wesley)  Sometimes I call him Studee and sometimes I call him Wesley."(an explanation to Gwen)
On the way to Costco later that day, we were talking about things that go.  Cars, trains, planes, and the like.  I told Joshua that his Uncle Jon (my brother) helped to build a car while he was in college (he was on his school's Baja team where kids build an off-road car to race).  Joshua was super impressed and then asked me what I built when I was in college.  When I told him nothing, and started to talk to him about what I did study, biology, he quickly followed up with "Did you build a motorcycle or scooter, even?"  I guess I have fallen a few rungs in coolness compared to Uncle Jon.  Oh well, my other brother, Tom, is downgraded in coolness too as he didn't help build a car either.  Joshua told me that he wanted to work on rocket ships or planes when he grew up.  He categorized these as "things that fly and have motors and go very fast".  Good thing the kid is good at math, I may have a future rocket scientist on my hands!

To give Wesley more equal blog time.  He IS talking, sorta.  He can say Mama, Dada, and I swore I heard brother (although it sounded more like bubba).  He also knows the signs for please and milk (which impressed the aforementioned Gwen).