I just got back from Agway.  The kids don’t have school today so I took Sarah with me.  She talked to me in the car, all about her future in which she wants “ten cats, including kittens.”  She’s trying to figure out what sort of job she should get that will allow her to take care of her cats and spend as much time with them as possible.  She dreams of mealtimes when she has them all sitting around the table with her “eating chicken scraps” while she “eats potatoes”.  She showed her love to me by generously telling me “I’ll give YOU a kitten if you want one.”  I told her she should write all of it down and title it “Sarah’s hopes and dreams.”

*****

I wanted to post photos from Saturday and Sunday on here because we had a nice weekend.

On Saturday Rich was at a wrestling tournament with his team.  I had begged him to take Caleb along, as he sometimes has a struggle with boredom at home with me and his two younger siblings so…….. off he went with his Dad, somewhat reluctantly.  This left me with just Seth and Sarah for the entire day which was lovely.  They were good company for each other and for me.  We went to Barnes and Noble because I had bought Sarah a book as a Valentine’s gift but alas it was a book she already owned.  Thankfully, when we made the return, the one she wanted was at the store, but we had a few nervous minutes while the lady looked in the back for it.  Sarah LOVES the Warrior books by Erin Hunter just like her big sister Grace did at her age.

I took them to Chick fil a for lunch and snapped this photo because Sarah cutely complained, “The chicken keeps slipping from my grasp” which I thought was an adorable way to explain the situation.  She ended up putting it down in the box it came in and eating it with a fork.

The rest of the day was spent at home quietly with cats and books.

THEN ON SUNDAY;

We actually had time to relax in bed that morning for an extra hour or so.  Rich fell back to sleep after taking Seth and Caleb to their coaches house, I looked at magazines and Sarah read her new book.

Then we got ready and went to see Jacob and Ethan wrestle!!  I was so excited to see my two biggest boys.

Look at them!!!!  They are wonderful.  My heart was happy all day long even though yet again, I was in a wrestling gym.  🙂

They had the best time together.

David alternated between hanging out with his brothers and his mother.  Sarah was all over the place, coming back to me now and then when she wanted a dollar or two.  She loves buying snacks from the concession table.  I think she bought Doritos, and a piece of pizza for lunch.  Her pizza looked so good that when she was done I had her go get me a piece (BECAUSE David wouldn’t!!  He said if I was a young pretty girl he would get it for me but because I am his mother he felt that I should be getting HIM a piece.  We laughed and laughed).

I found Sarah sitting in a lounge area reading her book.

I was up in the stands (bleachers were packed) watching my boy Ethan.

He won easily.  I was cheering so loudly that Rich told me that at one point Ethan’s coaches stopped watching Ethan wrestle to look around and wonder who was yelling for him.  🙂

He knew right where I was in the stands and made eye contact with his mom after his win.  So dear.

Later, we were sitting in the extra room where mat #5 was when Seth and Caleb were dropped off by their coach.  They had BOTH qualified for States AND they BOTH won 2nd place!!  It was very special to me because Seth was a little quiet and pensive the night before the meet.  I noticed and told him he didn’t have a thing to worry about and to “just do it for your hometown”.  About an hour later I was tucking him into bed and he told me he would “do it for his mom”.    So when he came in he gave me his medal.  In the photo I actually have Seth’s and Caleb’s medals around my neck but later on I let Sarah have Caleb’s.

Michael and Zach were at the meet, too, so they could see Jacob and Ethan.

The only one missing was our dear Grace.  I missed her so much.

Sarah frolicking across the mat.  🙂

Jacob wrestling.  He’s so strong.

So many people I love in one photo……Ethan had just gotten done with a match.  Rich and Jacob were busy discussing some wrestling technique with Caleb, Seth, and Michael looking on.

Later on when the  meet was over……one last photo of Rich and his five sons, not wanting the day to be over just yet.   After we left them, we took the kids to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner and then grocery shopping.

Yesterday the children played in the newly fallen snow.

Cats were sleeping everywhere.

David cleaned his room without anyone telling him to do it, and he printed and taped up all these inspirational quotes above his bed.

Yesterday I made pancakes, remember?  This morning it was waffles.

And David got breakfast in bed again,  now with a nice clean bedroom.  I’m still in shock that he cleaned it.

It’s a beautiful morning and there’s so much to look forward to.

As I type I can hear David playing the piano and the other kids fooling around on my bed.

“What is done in love is done well.”  Vincent Van Gogh