Smells like "Happy New Year"

Keith, AD & Charleigh joined us at the house after church today. During a break in the all-day rain, Adrienne and I walked to the park by the house with our three little tykes. There was a sweet little five-year-old black girl at the park. Saharra was incredibly patient with the kiddos when they wanted to use her crayons. She had her hair in about ten ponytails, each with a different color rubber band. She allowed Isaac to repeatedly touch each of her ponytails and tell her what color the rubber bands were. She also shared her crayons and offered them paper to color on. When Isaac asked for a "gween" crayon, she patiently asked him again which color he meant before determining what he had said.

In the middle of coloring, she looked up at me and said, "Smells like 'Happy New Year'." When I looked at her quizzically, she repeated it and then said, "Know what I mean?" It took me a minute to figure out what she actually did mean, but sure enough, a smokey odor had filled our senses. The smell obviously reminded her of New Years Eve. It was quite sweet.

Around here, I think the only smell has been a smell of chaos.

It's been a bit hectic for me since arriving in South Florida. I think the boys are just out of their routine, out of their house, and out of their schedule. Naps and bedtimes have been unpredictable. Eating has not been consistent. I just feel like I have been two steps behind my kiddos all day. Everyone has been incredibly helpful; it's just that staying at other people's houses, and saying good bye to my husband (early Sunday morning) has been not-so-easy for me. JB is now back at Eglin, preparing to start his night rotation tomorrow evening. Elijah has also has some molars coming in and seems to be going through a growth spurt. He's eating like crazy.

Yesterday my Mom and I took the boys to the kiddie pool across the street. While telling Isaac not to put his hand in the drain, I turned around only to see that Elijah had thrown three shoes into the pool. While dealing with Isaac, who was in time-out for putting his hand in the drain (again), I went to dry off Elijah and found that he had thrown all the pool toys I had just gotten out, back in.

Elijah has figured out how to open up the drop handle door on my parents' downstairs bathroom. At my in-laws house two days ago, I had my plate of food flipped upside onto a foot stool. I think it was Elijah who did that, but I can't really remember. Toilet paper has been unleashed. And Elijah even went for a splashing party in an open toilet at Ray & Gabbi's yesterday after Nate had used it and not flushed. Ugh! Chemicals under sinks have been moved up after being found by Elijah. We put a gate up here at my Dad and Mom's to prevent the boys (mostly Elijah) from going up the stairs. But this gate is really too high to step over and causes great tears when one boy goes up without the other.

Isaac wouldn't take a nap at all yesterday. Elijah took an early nap and then sobbed for so long when I put him to bed at night that I ultimately got him up to see if I could find the reason. One banana and a half a can of fruit cocktail later, and he was ready to go back to bed.

This morning, I have awoken to a new day and a stronger desire to go with the flow. In conversation via phone with JB last night after he had made the drive back to Eglin, I was reminded that the next few months of our life will not be routine. They will be varying from week to week and month to month. I need to make our schedule, a non-schedule. I need to learn better to just take things as they come and take each day as the Lord brings it.

Here are some fun photos of the smell of chaos that permeated the walls of my parents' home yesterday. It may be chaotic, but these boys rock my world. I am so blessed to be their Mommy despite the fact that I sometimes feel they are smarter than I am.