It's Been an Unusual Four Days Which Have Just Passed.

Monday morning and Andrew and Luke are at my house.  We've already been to Wal-Mart very early and not looking very refreshed.  We'd just come from taking Ellie back to her house, early, for school with Mom.

Let me go back.

Friday, all day, their dad, Steve, was very sick.  None of us knew what, but we knew he was sick.  It was stomach, but the pain and nausea changed locations all day.  Doctor appt. was scheduled for Saturday.

Uh, no.

He ended up in the hospital in Huntsville diagnosed with appendicitis.  Oops!

I had Ann's four, while Ann and Charlie made 2 back and forth trips to the hospital.  I enticed breastfed Abigail with a bottle of formula.  Once I added 2 tsp. of sugar and some vanilla flavoring, she got a little bit interested.

So - surgery was at 5:30 Saturday morning.  Got it done and Ann and Charlie back home.  Sleepy grownups and well rested children.  Ahhhh.  Bad combo.

But a few good pictures in between.  Like..... well.....bathing Andrew in the kitchen sink.  I'd rather clean out the sink twice (before and after) than lean over that tub.  Oh, the back!  Abigail can sit up really good now so I had the idea to bathe her in the sink - and then I thought, hmmmmm.  Wonder if Andrew can still fit in there.  He's 3 but small.  yep.  And he loved it.  Sobbed when he had to get out.

Okay - so that was Saturday while Ellie and Luke were at a birthday party.

Metta Parr was kind enough to take them and bring them home.

Ann was at home receiving Steve, who was being transported home by Scott Parr.

At the party Ellie and Luke received favors which have been a very big deal to them.

Glow in the Dark thingies plus Luke had this army guy whom  he's become very attached to.

Tiny little guy who amazingly hasn't gotten forever lost yet - but - 

just now - he broke and Luke truly grieved.  There was something about his legs popping off.

So pictures before we bury him.  We are, we're going to bury him in the back yard.

At first, when I suggested it, Luke was shocked at the idea.

Yet ....  he played it over in his mind and actually liked it.

We're gonna do it.

But first I took pictures.

Here is the dead broken army guy on the trailer bed being pulled by the truck - both of which I just got Luke at Wal-Mart.  El Cheapo.

  And Andrew pondering Luke's loss.

Really just watching as I take closeups of their newly purchased vehicles

Andrew has an inordinate affection for this Lightening McQueen car, the one on the left.

Yet, he does misplace it over and over while the adults in his life work very hard to keep their LM antennae up because he's inconsolable without this car.  

Therefore, while at Wal-Mart I purchased him another which you see on the right.

Thinking this would be a good alternative to a misplaced car.

NOT!  I mean he likes the new one and picked it out and wanted it... to play with.

But it's not the old one and once we returned home from Wally World,

Luke was able to locate the beloved LM and so you see them together,

side by side and Andrew knows the difference.

Make no mistake.  The one on the left is the one he loves.

Like an old worn pair of shoes or a tattered blankie.

But earlier than that, while I was checking email and blog posts,

I heard this:

"HEY NEAR!!"

I looked and saw this:

And it started to come closer.....

and closer....

closer still.....

right at me......

and then the thing bumped into my camera lens,

and out popped Andrew and Luke.

It's Monday and the sun is now out.

Great for small kids who love to play.