No Self-Esteem Issues Here

I'm not sure exactly what led up to this, but when J was getting dressed this morning, L told him he was too big to be cute, that only M & N were cute. According to L, something has to be very small to be cute, and J is almost as big as L.

L: No, you're too big to be cute, J.
Mommy: That's not true. J's very cute.
J: That's right. I am cute. Even my toes are cute.

A bit later, J was in my lap.

Mommy (giving J a hug): I love you, J.
J (smiling): I'm God's gift to you.

The Telemarketer

The same telemarketer that hung up on me below has called back at least three times. The first time Cr answered and told her he wasn't interested. The second time I told her not to call, we weren't interested, and she said that she needed to talk to Cr and I was mean to her last time she called. Uh, what?! Anyway...

She just called back and asked for Cr. I told her to hold on a minute and put the phone in front of the TV so she could listen to M play Mario for awhile. She eventually hung up.

So, what would you do about a telemarketer/stalker? She claims that she needs to talk to Cr because he took an over the phone survey and now she has a certificate for him. We are on the Do Not Call lists.

Math on a Saturday

L is finishing up his last assessment from Saxon 3 today. He's a bit bitter that he didn't get it done yesterday and he has to finish it today before he gets to play. He has himself worked into a small tizzy over a problem.

L: I've never done one like this before. It's so hard.
Mommy: Yes you have. Just settle down and you can do it.
L: No I can't! It's too hard! I've never even seen a problem like it.
Mommy: Yes, you have. Would you like to ask me any questions?
L: Yes!
Mommy: What?
L: What's the ANSWER?!?

A First

Every day this week the phone has rung around 4 o'clock. I violated my normal policy of not answering the phone since Cr was out of town. Every day it was the same girl asking for Cr, and when I'd ask who was calling she'd say a company name that could've been legit. Since Cr has been job hunting, I didn't want to take any risks on messing up a potential job, so instead of telling her we weren't interested I kindly told her that it wasn't a good time, to which she replied that she'd call back.

Well, on Wednesday, it sounded like she asked for Gr, instead of Cr, which gave me reason to think it was actually some sort of telemarketer. Here's how our conversation went when she called back yesterday.

Caller: "Is Gr there?"
Co: "Who's calling?"
Caller: "This is [whatever her name was] with [company name]."
Co: "And what exactly does your company do?"
Caller: "Well, Gr helped us out with a survey a while ago, and I have a certificate available for him."
Co: "We're not interested. Please don't"
[she cuts me off before I can end the sentence with "call back"]
Caller: "Well actually, I didn't ask you. I'll call Gr back another time."

And SHE hung up on ME!

Everyone's (almost) Healthy (And Other Good News)!

I think we're getting better! Cr and I are both on antibiotics for sinus infections and are feeling better. The boys are no longer goopy. I think we might actually be able to resume our activities this week.

In other news, Cr has accepted a job locally. He interviewed in Utah earlier this week and it went really well, but he doesn't think they can offer him anywhere near what it would take to make moving worth our while. Now, should this happen, we'd have to look again at that job, but right now it looks like we're staying put.

It's time to find normal again, at least until Grandma and Grandpa B roll into town for the first week of April!

Three Weeks Ago Today

I posted about the Poor Baby. He'd gotten sick in the middle of the night. Well, after he laid around for almost all of 5 days, we took him to the doctor. He ended up on antibiotics for an ear infection, and seemed to be doing better.

The following weekend I attended a women's retreat with my church and I'm told M spent most of the time coughing and crying. He ended up on antibiotics last Wednesday for an ear infection.

That same day J was running a fever and having some serious nose goop. To which he added some serious eye goop. He ended up at the doctor on Tuesday. Antibiotic eye drops for him.

Tuesday L woke up with a fever and has developed congestion and a nasty cough.

Z has the beginnings of congestion, although he hasn't developed much beyond that yet.

Yesterday N's eyes started turning red and oozing goop. Antibiotic eye drops for him. He's also become more fussy in the last 24 hours. And he's got some serious green nose goop. I decided to look in his ears this morning (with our otoscope), and one is starting to turn red. I put some of the ear numbing drops in. I'm hoping the infection goes away without antibiotics, but I've got a suspicion he'll be going back to the doctor.

Then, just now, when M passed through the room, I looked at his eyes and they are turning red and starting to ooze some goop. Guess I'll have to line him up with J and N for the antibiotic eye drops.

Just to make all of this more fun, Cr and I both have the congestion, the sore throat, and the nasty cough.

I think we should become the world's first bubble family. Maybe we can sell tickets and people can come look at how healthy we are. Who needs human contact?

The Six Year Old Philosopher

L and Z have both requested a turn sleeping on the hide away bed in the living room with me. I'd slept on it with J and N while they were sick, and I guess it sounds like fun to little boys. Last night was Z's turn.

After Z and I were snuggled in bed, I had to get up for a few minutes. When I returned, we had this conversation:

Z: I'm glad you're back, Mom. I missed you. I'm glad you exist.
Mommy (smiling at the use of his word exist): I'm glad you exist, too.
Z: I'm glad I exist, and I'm glad you exist, and I'm glad Daddy exists. But sometimes when my brother jumps on me, I wish he didn't exist.
Mommy (fighting the urge to go into a lecture about how how blessed he is to have brothers, etc): Oh. But I think you'd miss him if he didn't exist.
Z: Well, in this world I would. But if there was another world over there, just like the world here, and we all existed there, but my brother didn't exist, I wouldn't miss him. Here when I know he exists I'd probably miss him if he didn't exist anymore, but in that world over there I wouldn't know to miss him because he never existed.

Ahem. I think he's created a parallel universe. I wonder what else goes on there.

He Made Me Cry

I came home from an errand and L brought me a card on a silver platter. I opened the card, and on the right side was an landscape drawing...green grass, blue sky, white clouds, and a yellow sun.

On the left side were these words:

Dear Mom

Thank you for make-
ing dinner for us.
Thank you for let-
ing us go to
fun places. Thank
you for takeing
carre of us when
we get sick.

From,
L, Z, J, M, and N

He also drew a yellow (my favorite color) flower and cut it out for me.

I mentally ran through our morning after I read this lovely note. I'd spent the first part of the morning taking care of him...tucking him in in the loveseat, getting him medicine, and taking his temperature because he woke up with the ick we're slowly working through here. Once his medicine kicked in he disappeared to the playroom and I remembered that he came upstairs several times to ask how to spell words. Honestly, I was a bit short with him with my answers because I was busy getting lunch ready to take to a grieving friend and making a doctor appointment for J....but that didn't deter L and he didn't abort his plans to create this card for me.

What a sweet reminder of how blessed I am. *sniff, sniff*

Who's The Boss?

As L, Z, and I were driving home from Judo last night we ended up on the subject of what they might do when they grow up.

L: I like to build things and draw them, so I might be an architect.
Z: I know something else you're good at!
L & Mommy: What?
Z: Being bossy....I know! You can be the Bossman!

[laughing and talking]

Mommy: So what do you think you're good at, Z?
Z: I'm good at hanging like a bat. I've taught J and M to hang like a bat. I can give bat hanging lessons!

[more laughing and talking]

Z: I like to watch movies. And play video games! I can make video games!
L: OOoohh.....and you'll have to play them to see if they work!
Z: Alright!

[more conversation about how they'd both like to make movies]

Mommy: Maybe when you grow up you can work together and make movies. That'd be fun, huh?
Z: I know!!!! When I'm an engineer L can come boss me around!