Weekend update with Brooke Stinchfield

Oh Mindi, you had us laughing on and off all afternoon. I don't know which is more funny- Adam hanging out in the baby pool (while you get all the kids ready and in the car) or picturing T.J. saying "You know I do." It just kills me. Jess, I'm sorry I didn't mention the whole Enrichment night. I guess it is just my bitter state of denial since I didn't go that caused a temporary mental block. Geof., you can be twins! Sadie has permanent grill marks on her arm. Yes, they are there in curving diamond shapes and have been since February when she ran past a chimanea (sp?) at a restaurant where we were eating. We were there for Mike's Farewell from Echo company. The chimanea near me was blazing but I had looked down to the other one and it looked like it wasn't lit. She wasn't even doing anything wrong, just leaving her dad, who was sitting down at one end of the table, and coming to see me. Of course, being such a tough girl all she said was "Ouch mommy, my arm." Everyone on the planet asks how she got the marks on her arm. Maybe I should hang a sign around her neck as well. Let's just hope they're gone by the time she really cares. I'm afraid they will always be faintly visible (as opposed to very visible now).

So...yesterday I decided to get rid of some stuff at our post wide garage sale. First, let me interrupt myself and let you all know that this is going to be just short of a novel. Possibly a novella. Anyway, I have never before had a garage sale. We just don't buy enough junk and normally what we do have I just give away or Mike sells on ebay to support his gaming habit. But...postwide means there are a bunch of people out looking and you don't have to have tons of stuff because they are just walking from one house to the next. Plus, I did have five birthday gifts to get before one o'clock. So after the first hour I had sold one pair of baby shoes for a dollar. Mike thought it was hillarious. I ended up making $75.00. Which was just fine with me, I kept alot of the stuff to give to good will because so many of the offers were absolutely ridiculous. I'll give you a dollar for that blow dryer. I'll give you a dollar for that iron. I'll give you two dollars for that lamp. Sorry, I'll get more use out of this than your lousy dollar. These people drive onto post in their huge vans, with trailers hooked to the back to gather as much crap as possible- for a dollar. Don't get me wrong, I love a good garage sale and I love a good bargain- but please!

So, a million dollars later we have our five birthday gifts and we're off to the various parties (they last through Wednesday). Mike taking Jane to her friend's party and me and the girls to the back yard. My neighbor did a Peter Pan theme for her two year old and five year old. It was amazing, she must have put in so much time and money. There was a teepee and a mermaid lagoon. Their wood playground/swing set was built up into a pirate ship. There were inflatable crocs and palm trees, fog machines, hand painted bean bag toss boards. The woman went all out. The highlight was a giant dragon moon bouncer. So while Sadie bounced happily away I was over at the craft table beading her headband that she had lost interest in two seconds after we started. Suddenly the sounds of laughter turned into screams and crying, The whole dragon had deflated on the kids. My neighbor and I were the first ones to the entrance and we start dragging kids out- there were like ten of them. The whole time I can hear Sadie crying and I'm trying to talk to her and reassure her. Yes, she was the youngest in there and the last one out. I wasn't worried about getting her out, okay, yes I was, toward the end when there weren't bigger kids holding it up. I was worried about the bigger kids freaking out and kicking or jumping on/over her in their efforts to get out. It was quite the drama. The hose in the back had just wriggled itself loose and the dragon was up and at em again in moments. However, Sadie stayed clear for the rest of the party. She could very easily be traumatized for life. After that was all over we were home for a much needed nap. When we woke up Ellyn was running a fever and spent the night being a high maintenance baby. I think they are just teething fevers but she gets them like every other weekend. It is always on the weekend too. I'm afraid she just doesn't want to go to church so she's holding her thermometer to the light bulb when I'm not looking.

So today I taught my first Sunday School lesson and it went really well. I had two classes so it was the 14-18 year olds. Luckily, I'm still young enough that I'm "cool." As far as teachers go. Ad, Meags, and possibly Geof. I have a girl in there that looks and acts exactly like Megan did when she was in middle school, which happens to be far worse than the way she acted in high school. So you can imagine. I have had her in Young Women's for months with not even a smile, but today she finally cracked. I guess that is why I think today went so well. Her mom is so worried about her and with good cause. But today she was smiling and laughing and giving answers and even said the closing prayer. Yeah!!

Okay, I am almost done. Today Jane let us cut the bangs she has been growing out all school year. They were almost long enough to tuck behing her ear but they made Mike and me crazy, She just looks better with bangs and tonight her dad cleverly found a way to convince her that bangs were the way to go and before she could reconsider we were out on the lawn trimming away. She loves them by the way, so don't be too critical of our manipulation.

That is it. That is the end of the novella. Ellyn is climbing all over me and I am ready for bed. I will proof read this in the morning. I hope you all had a good weekend. I love you all, you know I do. Brooke