The Britsh are Coming! The British are Coming!

Wow! I cannot believe it is already Friday...where has the week gone?! Well, our day of reckoning is upon us, so it was cleaning/laundry/errands/ninja day.

• Cereal and coffee. I have to talk Taatjes into trying Corn Pops, instead of Rice Krispies, on the grounds that he can have RK anytime. He settles for the "blend", which sets off the trading floor under the "cap and trade" mini-box allocation system. Dad amends market rules to allow for 2 boxes per each company.
  
• Then, all hands on deck to clean up toys that have been strewn about the house. Not too bad, since Dad cracks down on this one everyday.
• A little dusting and then on to the big stuff. Sky is first up. I can't shave her to no hair, but I can at least get her smelling good for Mom. She seems to appreciate it, as well.

• The car - a real cleaning, which has been a while. The faces in this picture capture the mood beautifully - 2 pouts & a fake smile. Even after an hour of playing at the park, we walk back and still have to wait 30 minutes. Boys did great, for having nothing to do sitting at a car wash. (Dad can only have his gum bubbles popped so many hundred times, and paper/rock/scissors can become highly subjective after a while.)

• We went back to the park to play Ninja's in the afternoon, which can still include "forrrcefields".
• Ninja Bombs - boys volunteer to clean the basement...gotta love that. We then throw Ninja Bombs at each other (hacky sacks). This quickly descends into boys whipping these things at Dad, as hard as possible. We discover they hurt so bad becasue they are actually filled with rocks! (don't ask how we discovered the filling.) :)
• Wii and then WrestleMania 127 - never gets old.
• Celebrate - we decide to celebrate Braveheart Week by getting some hot dogs at the "dive" diner. This is also our first "non-homemade" food of the week (that's right). Greasy food well-deserved. We spent the time recounting all of our adeventures, which was hard to keep straight from memory. These postings will be so fantastic to accurately recount the week. I love that when I knock an entire cup of lemonade on the floor, the boys actually start to sing the "accidents happen" jingle that we often sing....to me.

• End the day with watching Happy Feet, which has so much propaganda in it, I spend most of my time trying to explain to my boys why humans aren't terrible.

Great quotes:

• Taatjes discussing battle: "We should love our enemies, even when they're bad."
• Teague: "Dad, will you play checkers with me while I'm pooping?" "How about when you're done, so I can change you?"-dad "No, I'll be d0ne in a second."
• Trey: "They didn't even ask me, and I shared with them because that's what Warrior Poets do, right? It makes me happy to see them happy." (if only this could be applied the other 23 hours.)
• Teague: "Can you put on the Jumping Song? This song is bowing. (r)" The dreaded "B" word....from a 2 year old.

Michelle arrives tomorrow at dinner time and we can hardly wait!!!!! Boys are praying for Mom as she flies home. "Listening eyes to God, rest, and safe...not die." All pretty good, how can you critique that?

Final Thoughts:

1. Michelle is an amazing Mom - she has mothered these boys with excellence - to make them the easiest kids ever, to be with. (bias recognized) :)
   
2. Thanks for all the comments - I've loved them.
   
3. I will have one final post on more complete reflections from the experience - my perspective on Braveheart Week and deeper appreciation for Michelle's life choice...but it will likely be a few days, since I don't want to take up precious minutes tomorrow.

It breaks my heart that this week is almost over. I feel like I "cook" a lot with the boys...but this was getting to marinate with them. Absolutely beautiful souls. What a pure gift to have the ability to take time off work, spend it with my sons, and have a wife who trusts me completely. I don't take any of these for granted. Gift....gift....gift.

Have I mentioned, yet, what an incredible life I have?! (It's almost to the point of absurd.)