Life at the Pughs

What have we been up to, you ask?  A little of this and a little of that.  Different things.  

Monday evening we had a surprise visit from my parents and one of my brothers.  It was good to see them, and we even took James to a restaurant other than McDonalds.  He did quite well.  We had a window seat, and every time he wanted to get out of the booth my dad just told him to look out the window at the cars.  Calling out the color of cars worked like a charm.

 I just stole KJ's Instagram collage for your enjoyment.

We were a little later than normal getting the kids to bed that night, and Ella's table-mate at school had thrown up that day, so as a precautionary measure we decided to keep her home on Tuesday.  It gave another day for germs at school to be eradicated and kept them from spreading in case she got sick at home.  I don't mess around with a stomach virus.  

So Tuesday was a really great day and a nice foretaste of summer.  I really love having my two kids at home.  We went to story-time at the library.  It was James' first time, and he did really well.  My boy is growing up.  Of course there were challenging moments, but I try to think of them simply as teachable moments.  Everyone has to learn to sit still sometimes when they'd rather run around.  And he has to learn that he must come to me immediately when I call him, not turn around and run in the other direction (which is what he did).

After the library we had lunch at the McDonalds in Wal-Mart.  Fun times.  Then it was time to get a little shopping done.  The sweetest was when James voluntarily took Ella's hand to walk through the store.  Shopping takes a lot longer with kids, I have to walk a lot slower and be interrupted from my thought processes a million times, but I tried to embrace it.  Embrace each correction, each interruption, this season of child-preciousness.  There was an older couple in the checkout line in front of us who paid for their groceries in cash and gave me the change to divide with the kids.  I let them ride the horses in the game room as a special treat.  Then after all that, this mama was tired, and we had some rest time when we got home.  James went down for a nap, and Ella played and watched Funnyface in her room.  

Tuesday night we had a friend over for dinner who's graduating and leaving town.  We had good conversation, and as KJ said, we're glad our good-byes are never forever.

Yesterday was back to work and school and keeping Luke and Wednesday night church.  I ended up keeping James home, though.  He has the same sickness I had for about 2 weeks.  His nose was constantly in need of being wiped, and he's been coughing.  Poor sweet baby.  If we don't have another child will I always see James as my baby?  And want to kiss his little cheeks and give him involuntary hugs and think he's the cutest thing in the world?  Just wondering.  

That's what we've been up to, folks.