The Return to "Normalcy"

I mean, normal for us.

It has been a quieter week. Sarah finished up school and took her CAT. "We" are nesting, getting ready for GM's annual shutdown. The children are eager to have their Dad exclusively to themselves for a bit...maybe that is why they aren't sleeping?

Not a lot of major events happening, so I haven't been taking many pictures.

But last night, I realized that I was missing out when I didn't take pictures of the little moments that happen throughout our day. I wasn't being as grateful. I was letting that time pass me by. And Boy! What a time this is!

So right before bed, but after Thomas donned his baseball cap, I grabbed the camera. This is our down-time in the front room before the children get tucked in. Sometimes we watch a video. Sometimes we wrestle. Sometimes we attempt to pray as a family. Some nights Matt gets brave enough to open a book and read over the din.

Last night Sarah and Thomas started off down-time with ballet lessons.

He grew about 7 inches this week.

Sarah was trying to teach Tom some official moves.
Tom wanted to be an airplane.

Nothing makes me laugh quite as hard as Thomas does these days.

"No Tom! Like this!"

Nearly there...

Giving up.

This is his "Uncle Rob" look. The boys surprised me the other day by flipping their hats backwards and fighting over who looked more like my brother, Rob. When we pull in the Wegmans or Target parking lots, they say to one another, "Hey! Let's go in like Uncle Rob!" They turn their hats around and giggle all the way into the store.
Did you hear that Rob? They are WATCHING you!

Little House in the Big Woods was the story that we read last night. Matt got through an entire chapter, and I was just as enthralled hearing it last night as I was when I was a child.

The boys liked all the parts about the wild animals.
Sarah was in dream mode. I will tell you what she was thinking.
"Laura, Mary and Baby Carrie. There were three girls! Three daughters? No sons? Is that possible?"

Ummmmm....YES! He held still. Smiled. Looked at the camera. I had no time to focus or zoom.

Grainy Perfection!