7 quick takes Friday (Vol. 22)

Have I mentioned that we’re moving? Well, now we have to get everything out of the house by next weekend. We found a buyer for our house, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am about that. But we don’t have a new house yet, so we will move in with my parents while we continue our search.

Meanwhile, all of our stuff is going into storage—except for what’s coming with us, or what we’re giving away because it’s not worth it to pay to store it. Ever moved with children? Our strategy is for me to take the boys out of the house while John single-handedly (well, with the help of friends) packs and moves for us.

Last weekend we played at Grandma and Grandpa’s house, took our light sabers to a playground, sat in our car as we went through a car wash, got Italian ice, and ate—er, drank—soup at Panera. Isn’t that what everyone eats for lunch on a hot summer day?

This weekend I have taken the boys out of town to visit their cousins for a couple days. It is worth spending eight or nine hours in the car for a weekend of fun.

Leo asked my mother to make me a chocolate cake with chocolate icing for my birthday celebration at my parents’ house. Because wonders never cease (or because Grandma is a better cook than Mama is), Leo actually ate the cake. He has never met a cake he liked until this one. I know, I know, I should be rejoicing that he likes vegetables and soup and fruit, and that’s all terrific. But I am always a little disappointed when I make his birthday cake, and he doesn’t want any. Now we have a recipe to use.

And, in case you were wondering, my birthday gifts included a new watch, two nights off from cooking, two great new books, and a few flyswatters to add to my collection.

In other breakthroughs for Leo, he was at preschool one day this week and his class went to the chapel there. The minister asked for volunteers to act parts in a play, and Leo’s hand shot up. This is Leo, who dreads performing, hides behind his hand or blinks hard at me to indicate I should look away from him while he’s on stage.

And he got to play Jesus in the story of Jesus, Mary, and Martha. I don’t know anything else because he refuses to tell me other details—and we only learned these from the teacher. But this shows me that if his acting career is going to take off, John and I just need him to do it secretly without us in the audience.

I realized my priorities may be a bit out of whack when I picked the boys up the other day from school and there were two notes on the cubby. One said the cost of preschool tuition was going up, and the other said that there will be an art show in two weeks and we are expected to contribute a family art project.

Any guesses as to which announcement made me break out in a sweat? Family art projects are so great. But I have no idea where any of our art stuff is or when we’ll find the time to sit down and create an art project together. And the boys’ expectations are high since last year we made a rocket.

I have a feeling we’ll be pulling something together the night before. The boys have some idea involving light sabers that light up—or maybe that’s the idea for the next cake they want me to bake. I can’t remember.

When I took Leo to a party at work the other day, a student introduced himself to us by first name. So I’d be able to connect with him later, I said, “And what is your last name?” He told me. Leo, who knows how this all works said, “Then what’s your middle name?” He got his answer, “Patrick.” It’s a question I haven’t personally used often in social gatherings, but maybe I should work it into the conversation more often.

So, since we’re just getting to know one another, what’s yours? Mine is my grandmother’s maiden name, Fay.

Her family is now sadly without rats, though Eileen says she is happy that at least the two rat brothers, Mickey and Melchisedek, are likely playing together somewhere.

When Daniel saw the empty cage for the first time today, he said, “Mama, I miss the bunny wabbits so much.” Don’t we all.

I managed to blog my way through the 31-day blogging challenge I signed up for in July. I don’t know whether I’ll do it again. It did show me that I can blog every day. But taking it on during the month we were moving and taking our beach vacation was perhaps not the best planning.

I’m not sure that I’d ever do it again, especially during a 31-day month. But I hope you, my dear readers, didn’t get tired of hearing from me.

I have a special prayer request: A family we are close to received troubling news this week. The details are not mine to share, but I wanted to ask you to pray for them for strength, comfort, peace, and feeling God’s presence with them through this difficult journey. God will know who they are, of course, without your even saying their names. I would be so grateful if you would join me in carrying them through this difficult time through prayer.