New update!

First off, I have to apologize for not updating sooner. The blog was having some issues, and I was not able to log in for a while. But, I am happy to report that whatever bug they had going on has been fixed now!

So, for the updates since my last post. Bryce had a heck of a time with Dorothy's death, and is still struggling. I made an appointment with the pastor of the church that his preschool is located in so that we could discuss the many, many questions Bryce was throwing at me in his attempt to cause even more chaos in my brain as I figure the whole religion thing out. Some of the questions, I found, were just too difficult for me to figure out how to explain to a four year old. But, the pastor did a wonderful job! I think Bryce now understands who God and Jesus are, though he still doesn't understand why we can't just call them up and schedule a visit with Dorothy in Heaven, and he is still trying to figure out where Heaven is.

Bryce has also realized that it is not his brother's fault for the loss of his fish. He tells me he knows it was an accident and since, "Brady is just a lil guy, he didn't know what he did", he has forgiven him. Whew!

So much has happened since my last post, that it is hard to remember it all. Bryce continues to crack me up and occasionally mortify me with his "Bryce-isms". A great example of my mortification can be remembered (though not so fondly) a couple of weekends ago at the Chinese restaurant we were having lunch at. We were seated int he back of the restaurant, with not a whole lot of people around us. I was thankful of this, at first, as it meant if my kiddos got a bit rambunctious, they really wouldn't be disturbing the other diners. Then I realized we must have been seated in the "kid section", as slowly, I noticed that it was families with small children that were being seated around us, while the rest of the restaurant were couples and older folks. Fine by me, it meant that those around us would understand (hopefully) the occasional screeches and mini chase scenes from the table. Until, that is, a woman and her son were seated at the table next to us. The little boy was around 5 or 6, and cute as could be. The reason I am mentioning that the child is mulatto will become apparent towards the end of my story. As will one reason we decided to move out of the land of white skin into a more diverse community. Once they had sat down, Brady took up the opportunity to test out yet another new speech pattern he has developed . . . that of the sound a monkey makes. As I was attempting to quiet the "oooo oooo ahh ahh" sounds coming from my 2 year old, the little boy across from us grins at Brady and asks, "Why are you a monkey?" At this point, Brady's little sounds become a bit louder, at the same time, his older brother decided that someone ELSE talking to Brady was interesting. So, Bryce stood up on the booth bench and leaned over to see the little boy. "Hey, you!" The little boy looks at Bryce and mimics Brady's monkey sounds to Bryce. Bryce giggles and gives him an "oo oo ah ah" sound back. The 3 boys are now giggling at each other until the little boy's mother asks him to settle down so that my kids will eat their lunch. I smile at her, she smiles back, as my beautiful and naive four year old son pipes up, "Hey! How come you have a wig on and it looks like clown hair?" My smile waivers, as does his mother's. I want the floor to open and swallow me whole. No, I wanted the floor to open up and swallow HIM whole. "Bryce! Be quiet and eat your lunch!" As the little boy settled down to look at his menu, I glanced at his mother and mouthed an apology. She smiled back, but did her best to avoid eye contact until it was time for us to leave. I felt like a schmuck. After we left, I explained to Bryce that we are all different and some people have curly hair, some have straight, just like he has brown eyes and Brady has blue. I also explained that it was not nice to comment on some one's hair as a "wig", especially one looking like clown hair.

The rest of the week was spent as usual. The weather has been AWESOME, the grass is green, my flowers and trees are in bloom, and Spring has finally sprung in South Dakota. We have started the kids' play area in the backyard and will be ready for a large delivery of play sand sometime this week for their new and HUGE sandbox. Travis has to go to Las Vegas next week, but he has promise that, when he returns, we will get out fence put in, so that I can start landscaping the backyard and planning my garden.

We went to Omaha this past weekend for a wedding and had so much fun, but I am exhausted. It was tough on the kids, and, though they were good for most of the trip, they definitely had their moments!!!! The wedding was beautiful, and my kids boogied with the best on the dance floor with the rest of the dancers at the reception. It was a late wedding and reception, but they did well until around midnight, when we headed back to our hotel. We got home this evening, and had dinner with my parents, who also came to the wedding, and are now settled for the night. Just to prepare myself for the clean up that always comes from a weekend away. . . ah well, it was fun and sooooo worth it!