It's Wednesday. I've just realized that Ian's birthday is coming up very soon, and I have a lot of planning to do for it and our church's VBS (which I am helping with) is the week before. His birthday is on the 13th, Friday (hey, freaky!!) and we will have the party on Saturday the 14th. Are you reading this Misty?? Super Hero birthday party for Ian on July 14th, 11-1, lunch provided. Josiah is officially invited. Actually, we are going to do real invitations here sometime, so he will get one in the mail.

And now for the last chapter in the on-going saga of the coffee splashed keyboard. So Nate had gotten a new keyboard and installed it, but no dice....well, last night he searched online for about 2 hours and found a way to undo the fn key!!! The man is a genius!! So now, I can actually type. Notice I did not say spell or use proper grammar, but at least I can type now! Yay!!!

I went and ran a bunch of errands today, wal-mart, target, michaels, bread store, returned some videos, etc. I am working on some intensive "store training" with my children. I know, some people would say "They're just little kids, let them be kids, loosen up!" But I do not agree. I think that when you are in a store it is a wonderful opportunity to teach your children about what a very wise woman calls "the preciousness of others." As in, we don't yell, scream, touch things, fool around, etc. in a store, not only because it would be disobedient, but because it would be inconsiderate to the other people in the store. I believe you do not act in a store the same way you do when you are horsing around at home with your siblings. And believe me, they do plenty of that. So, we are working on it. And I am trying to stick to my guns. Today the kids lost a trip to the playground because they weren't behaving. Grace especially is really testing her limits. Recently, when told to do something, she has started saying "So want toooooo." in a whiny voice, which means "I don't want to." So not only is she whining-the cardinal sin around here- but she is also basically saying "I have a good reason for disobeying... it's because I don't feel like it." Gee how I love the terrific two's!!!!! All Nate sees of her is her curled up in our bed some mornings, and more infrequently, her carrying around "Papa" her pink puppy, getting ready for bed at night. On Sundays when he is home, we are at church, then eating, then kids are napping, so he gets about 4 hours a week, seriously, to actually interact with her, or any of the kids for that matter. I don't think he believes me that she is bratty at all. Little does he know.......

On another note, George has been extremely respectful and obedient and some things that we have been working and working on have finally become routine for him. We are reading The Hobbit at night together, which we both love. I have such fond memories of my father reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings to us as children and The Hobbit was the first real book I read as a child, I remember trying so hard to learn how to read, just so I could read it for myself. We are at chapter VIII, "Flies and Spiders" which of course is a fabulous chapter, in which Bilbo really distinguishes himself, names his sword and there are a lot of really silly songs. We are just at the part where they are hauling the boat across the black enchanted stream in the middle of Mirkwood, and I told George that tonight we would find out who falls in the stream and what happens to them. I love to see his eyes shining when I tell him something like that. I think his favorite part so far has been the trolls. You should have heard him and Ian guffawing, laughing so hard at me doing the cockney voices of the trolls threatening to "squash them into jelly!" Of course, it has become a common phrase now in their play acting. I love it.

Claire is so close to starting to speak. She has started mimicking mouth movements and Nate and I are in a race to see whose name she will say first. ALL my kids so far have said Dada first and I am determined that she will say Mama first. Of course the kids are all trying to get her to say their names. It's so cute to hear Grace say "Come on, Cweery, Cweery, say Gwaaaaaaace!"

Well, I must away ere break of day to ebay...I have several things to look for there. Have a happy Wednesday!!!!