We have been meaning to get together, but with the holidays, family visiting, and travels it has been hard to find a time that suites everyone.
We finally figured out a time, it would Friday, and they will play their hearts out. Thursday evening during dinner we discussed our Friday so everyone would be on the same page and know what is going to happen, what we will be doing. In this time for some reason I decided to tell Ian that Liam & Ezra will be coming over tomorrow morning to play. Ian's expression was priceless, and his excitement was contagious. He asked a ton of question to make sure he understood right, and we assured him that we are going to bed tonight, when wake up in the morning, we will eat breakfast and then they will come over. We left it at that...
Before bed Ian went ahead and reminded as a probably a hundred times that Liam and Ezra will be here in the morning to play...
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The next morning....
Ian woke up and before he even said good morning he told Nate so sweetly that he will be playing with his friends today, and that they will be coming over to our house after breakfast, and that he was so excited to show them his new trains that the got for Christmas. He also went a head and sorted through all his cars because he knows that Liam like playing with the cars, so he set aside some cars for him. May I also add that he knows which ones Liam likes and put those aside.
We ate breakfast and the excitement increased, he was just so excited. We got dressed tidied up the house and had our little talk "we need to be nice to our friends, we should play together, we should share our toys," you get the point. And the waiting began.
Shortly before nine I receive a message from Vanessa to say that the boys are sick, they were up all night with a nasty cough and that we will have to reschedule - and I was thinking that sucks for all of us. Now I have to sit my three year old down and explain to him that they are no longer coming, and see his excitement being shattered - lucky for Nate he was at work so I had to do it.
It broke my heart to see his little smile turn into a frown, and you could see the tears well up in his eyes, and all I wanted to do was fix it, and make it all better. For a moment I recited the names of all our other friends and almost called people on short notice, but then it hit me - a learning opportunity. I still wanted to cry because I saw the heart ache in his eyes, so of course tears well up in my eyes, and Ian leans over he looks me in the eyes in he says, "it't ok mom, Ian is ok." I nearly died sobbing... we are so dramatic in the Cook house.
Sometimes life is hard, and sometimes we have these great plans and we get excited and we dream and then it falls through and we face the disappointment, and it is horrible, and it doesn't feel good, and sometimes it hurts a little. But it shapes us, it teaches us, and it makes us better people. For me it reminds that we can plan all we want but in the end the Lord directs our steps.
Ian was a little down, but we fixed it with playing and coloring all day, we had awesome snacks during the day, we snuggled, watched his favorite Thomas movies, and I reminded him that he has a sister that would love to play with him, and he could teach her how to play trains with him. I think even though it was a little hard for him, he rose above it, and made the best out of the day. I am so proud of him.
The other day I had this craving for "pap," my South African specility, you either love or hate it. My father-in-law hates it, but I love it. I still have a stash in the freezer that my parents brought way back when they visited us. I decided it is perfect time to use some of it, since I will be going home in a month I can stock up and then I realized that Hayleigh has never had any. What a disgrace. So I made it, and I am happy to announce that she loves it!
My little artist was so excited to finally paint his little wooden car. A couple of months ago I signed the kids up to receive Citrus Lane boxes. It is something fun and new, and we love to see what we get. In one box Ian received a little wooden car that you are suppose to put together, paint and then you have stickers you can put on. Sadly on the day we got the box I didn't feel like any of it, so I stashed the car away when he was not looking [shame on me] well the other day I went through my drawers with some "homeschooling tools" in a desperate effort to entertain the kids as I was not feeling well. We stumbled upon the little wooden box with the car in it. All Ian could talk about was the little car. We decided to wait for Nate to get home so they could do it together.
Nate is a little better with stuff like that then I am, sometimes I need to step back and just let Ian do it and not interfere, but let him try himself and with that he will learn and grow. I was so impressed with Nate, he let Ian do it all.
Ian was so impressed with the whole set-up. I think he was so encouraged to learn and to see that he can do things, and make things. I hope to instill that in him. I think it turned out great, and he has been carrying this car with him wherever we go.
Big things are happening in the Cook family. Stay tuned for details later!!
Happy Monday!
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