Mixed feelings about work

Today was a great day off.  I went to church, played in the praise band, saw my mom, came home and played with my children and baked a caramel apple pie from scratch with apples from our tree.  Tomorrow I have to go back to work.  Part of me wants to go because I know that I have several things to get done and I love the feeling of accomplishment I get from that.  The other part of me wants to stay home, pick up Aedan from school and play outside with the kids during this last bit of beautiful fall weather.  I enjoy working and the people I work with, but some days it is harder than others to be motivated to go to work.

It's been a while

There is a reason I named this blog "McClure Clan Chaos."  The last 3 weeks have proven to be just that.  All of us had a nasty stomach bug, Aedan followed that up with a sinus/ear infection and bacterial bronchitis combination which he promptly shared with Nate.  Now that Aedan is almost done with his antibiotic and Nate is at the tail end of his infection, Ariana showed up with a sinus/ear infection and pink eye.  Today.  Well, I am praying for two things for my family right now.  1 - they (we) all get better and 2 - I don't get any of this crap.  Or if I do, my immune system is hearty enough from working retail that I don't become symptomatic or contagious because it is shut out.  

Now that the bad stuff is out of the way, now on to the good stuff.  

Nate's 16 year old cousin is moving in with us this weekend.  It will be a HUGE change for all of us but I think it will give him a chance to be a kid, go to school, and have a shot at something.  I think it will enrich our lives and our outlook and I know we are doing the right thing.  We are looking forward to learning more about John and having him be such a close part of our family.

Aedan and Ariana have said the funniest things in the last couple of weeks.  Ariana's sentences of choice include, "Aedan, dote do dat to me!" (Translation: "Aedan, don't do that to me!") and "Aedan/Mommy/Daddy, where are you?" in a very singsong voice.  As soon as she finds you or you answer her, she puts her hands over her eyes, opens them like window shutters and says, "Peep boo" and runs away laughing.  She has also been saying "Yeehaw" and "Awesome."  

Aedan is extraordinarily animated when talking or trying to sit and talk with the adults.  If he walks into the room or conversation, he pretends to know what you are talking about and then nods his head and says "uh-huh" and "really" and "you don't say" (The credit for that one goes completely to Bampy.)  When performing a checkup on his Amma with the doctor's kit, he listened to her heart, turned and looked at her with a serious face and said, "Amma, you heartbeat says cockadoodledoo." and then proceeded to continue with the checkup while my mom was in stitches (badum ching).  Anything he views as great or above on the coolness factor gets labeled with "That's better than a baloney sandwich!"  Yes ladies and gents, better than a baloney sandwich.  I do not think my son has ever even had a baloney sandwich because I personally find bologna repulsive.  

The kids crack me up on a daily basis and today was no exception.  Aedan got to go with his Auntie and her son, Gryffin, to the movies.  I asked Aedan if he liked the movie and he came to me, "MOM!  I LIKED ALL THE PARTS OF THAT ROBOT MOVIE!  IT WAS AWESOME!"  These two sentences were yelled within 6 inches of my face and included dramatic hand gestures and full body dynamic expression.  I couldn't help but chuckle.  Immediately following that high decibel exchange, Gryffin headed to the bathroom and Aedan hollered, "Gryff, my bathroom smells like candy!"  Now, lest you all think my child is just weird, I put a my Scentsy burner in there with cinnamon and nutmeg waxes.  Gryffin, bless his soul, just said "Ok, buddy.  Whatever you say."  Then comes out and says, "You're right.  It does smell like candy."   

When I came home from work, Ariana needed a diaper change.  I grab a diaper and the wipes and say, "Ariana, come get your diaper changed."  She looked at me, grinned, and said "uh-uuuuh" and raced away at top speed cackling at the top of her lungs with her copper curls bouncing as she ran.  Being 20 months old and having a contagious cackle, a charming personality, and a grin that no person could resist will get you many places in this world.  Just ask her dad.  

Watching Aedan and Ariana grow up more every time I blink makes me so grateful to have such positive and happy children in my life.  They are a marvel.