Fireworks for the Fourth

Josiah began and finished his week making us all breakfast.  Monday morning, I walked down the stairs to see this:

Josiah made the gluten-dairy-eating folks a lovely slice of toast with a tablespoonful of chocolate M&M ice cream in the middle, and cheese chunks garnishing the four corners.

This was the tastier of the two breakfasts.  This morning, we walked downstairs to him making, "Apples Apples."  Slices of apples with applesauce on top, shredded cheddar on top of that, and a cherry on the side.  I know that cheddar cheese in apple pie is a "thing," but it's not really my thing,  So I enjoyed the cherries and hopefully he believed I ate the rest.

The boys had a 4th of July to remember.  While Caroline got some Daddy-daughter time at the Home Depot, I took the boys to see Finding Dory.  I am proud to say we all stayed awake the whole time.  I was struggling at parts to keep my eyes open, but knowing I was the only parental unit on site, I did my best.  The boys had a lot of rules about the popcorn.  Josiah sat in the middle and was the keeper of the popcorn.  They started eating it, but then Henry realized they were only watching previews and requested they wait until the actual movie started to eat it.  Josiah kept sneaking a few kernels here and there, which Henry would match, but once the movie started they were on it full throttle.

After the movie I took them to the bookstore to turn in their minutes sheet for June.  They had each read 300 minutes (Josiah got 425) for June which entitled them to $5.00 each of merchandise at the bookstore.  After looking at all the options in the children's section, Josiah settled on a jungle animal craft.

Henry, always looking up to Josiah, saw the dinosaur craft after I took Josiah's off the shelf, so that was what he got.

They were pretty cool kits.  The images were color-by-number and when put together they made a 3-D figure.  The boys then set up Exhibits for Todd and I to visit.  They tried to make it look like a museum.  "Exhibit" will now be included in our 2nd Grade spelling lists.

Todd had bought raw brussel sprouts for the 4th.  We were preparing them to be cooked, when I took a bite and they were really good.  They were milder than I expected.  So...I cut off a portion of one to look like cabbage.  I sprinkled a little salt on it and then took it to Henry.  I told him to try it.  He likes cabbage and eats it all the time, so he asked what it was, but put it in his mouth at the same time.  I asked if he liked it, and of course he said yes.  Then he asked what it was again.  I said they were brussel sprouts and he hit his fist against the table and said, "I don't like brussel sprouts!"  Poor kid, he and Todd have that running joke about not liking brussel sprouts.  Henry was much happier to eat the fireworks cake we made.  The firework upon the cake was carefully crafted out of Christmas sprinkles.

Then, when it had just barely gotten dark, the fireworks began.  This was the kids and my first 4th in Texas.  Clearly the rules on fireworks are much more relaxed than they are in Virginia.  When we walked outside, the smell of smoke was strong!  All we did was stand on our street corner and we saw fireworks from each direction.  One direction was clearly a professional show, which was awesome to see steps from our house.  We had neighbors a few houses down shooting off fireworks in the street.  They were literally everywhere.  The kids were happy to see so many, I was happy to see so many so close to home (and not have to travel and fight the crowds), Todd was happy nothing caught on fire from the fireworks that were shot fairly close to our house.

The late-night on Monday, and the up-early on Tuesday created the perfect storm of a day filled with "accidents."  Josiah first knocked over a jar of white paint (washable, kid paint).  Then a few minutes later he knocked over the paint water cup.  Caroline knocked over her milk and later peed on the carpet (her first time ever peeing on carpet).  The worst "accident" was when Josiah somehow hurt Caroline's bum with the computer chair.  Neither she nor he could tell me exactly how she got hurt, but it looked like she had been hit with a switch.  This horrible bruised line across her bum.  It was still there when we dropped her off at church this morning, and I fully expected some concerned parent volunteer to ask me about it.  I envisioned meeting a security person at her room and when they would gather our other kids to check them out, they would find a large bruise on Josiah's upper arm.  He showed that to me the other day.  I asked him, incredulously, how did that happen?  "I sucked it!" he proudly told me.  His first hickey.

Mid-week we had some friends come over.  Josiah was so, so, so excited to have them visit.  He is excited when anyone visits.  He's our hospitality man.  Before they got here, he had created four games for the kids to play.  At first, I tried to discourage him from dominating all the playtime, but really, when I saw what he made it was very cute.  His theme was Angry Birds.  The first thing was Pin The Pig('s Tail).  He had this hanging up on the door with four pig tails taped to the door handle waiting for the boys to play.

He had Slingshot, where they shot themselves (walked, not run, I reminded him) from one end of our house to the other.

There was a pig target as well.  He had the Nerf guns ready to see who hit the target closest.  He even had tabs of paper with everyone's initial on them and boxes for them to check off when they completed each event.

They had a lot of fun together.  It is great to have friends here.

Later in the week, I took Josiah in to the doctor's to get his ear checked out.  He had been complaining about it for four days and it seemed to be getting worse each day.  The doctor was running behind, so we waited a lot longer than usual.  When the doctor finally saw him, Josiah's ears were fine.  And by the time we got back to the car, Josiah said his ear felt great.  He just needed that special $25 doctor's touch.

Back at home, Josiah said he wanted to read me the story of Adam and Eve in his Bible.  So we sat on the bed, he had his Bible in hand, and then he said, "it might be quiet because I read in my head."  Good thing I already knew the story.

We finished the week spending lots of money on new tires so my car would pass inspection.  Apparently, these hot Texas roads just burn the rubber right off the cars.  Sigh.  The boys got to do their Lowes Build & Grow crafts.  Henry had to do his at home due to attitude issues.  Because of that, I got to watch him build the whole thing.  He can drive a nail in like it's nobody's business.  I was impressed with his hammering skills.  That gave me hope that one day we can build things in the future.  It'd be cool to have them build their own small bookcase or something simple as a school project.