Where's Blake???

Well, this morning one of my worst fears finally came true. You seriously won't believe this...

We got up and started getting ready for Evan's Upward game. The boys were ready and Evan had to be there early for pictures. I had gotten called off from work this morning, but I still have to be on call, so I told Travis to go ahead and I would come in a few minutes in a separate car (in case I got called in). So, the boys finished eating breakfast and left for the gym.

About 5 or 10 minutes later I was ready. I yelled for Snowy and got her in her kennel and headed out. I got to the gym as Evan's team was lining up for pictures. I watched the team and individual pictures then went and sat down on the bleachers to watch Evan's team warm up. All of a sudden Evan comes running over to me with his glasses in his hand and a lense is missing. He doesn't know where it fell out. So, we start a search of the gym floor for his missing lense. We finally find it and can't get it to go back in. I asked around for a little screwdriver and couldn't find one, so I decided to just run home and get ours.

So, I jump in the car and as I'm leaving the gym I realized that I hadn't seen Blake since I had gotten there about 35 minutes before. I picked up my cell phone, called my mom (who was sitting in the bleachers) and told her to make sure Travis knew were Blake was. As I'm on the phone, she yells at Travis and asks where Blake is. He says he hasn't seen him. I tell mom to ask him when he saw him last and he says "I don't know, he came with Erin".

Oh. my. gosh. Have you ever had one of those panic moments when you heart stops, but it's also beating 1000 times a minute and you see the life of your child flash before your eyes. In that instant I realized that I had left Blake at home!!!! AT HOME ALONE!!!

If you saw me driving through Greenwood Saturday morning (well, you couldn't have seen me because I was just a blur), but if you could have you would have seen me sobbing, crying, and begging God to please let Blake be okay. I just kept thinking it has been almost 45 minutes and he is probably totally panicking, or he tried to go to a neighbors, and then what if he locked himself out of the house, then what if the kidnappers drove by right at that time and saw poor Blake crying on the curb because his parents left him home alone and now he can't even get back in his house...Seriously, I was totally hyperventilating.

So, I decide to call home and talk on the answering machine and see if he will pick up. I call and start saying "Blake, it's mommy, please pick up, just push the green button, Blaker PLEEEEEASE answer the phone"....By this time I truly can hardly breathe and I'm flying up Forrest Park Way going at least 90 miles an hour. I squeel into our driveway and jump out of the car and run into the house screaming "BLAAAAKE"!!!!!

As I run into his room, he just glances up from his computer and says "Oh, is it time to go to Evan's game?".

He didn't even know.

Didn't know that he was home alone for 45 minutes and that kidnappers could have had him practically in another country by now and that I just had a crazy hyerventilating melt down on the way to save him.

So, after I grab him and hug and him cry all over him I ask him what he's thinking. He says nothing, I didn't even know you had left. He was so totally absorbed in his computer game he didn't even hear the phone ring or my panicked message...

After I had calmed myself just a little bit, I asked him what he would have done if he had realized that I had left him. He just looked at me and smiled and said "Get a snack".

So, there you have it. Now everyone truly knows the kind of mother I really am. The kind that can not only leave her child at home alone, but the kind that doesn't even realize it until 45 minutes later. I'm just so thankful Evan's glasses broke. If that hadn't happened, I truly don't know how long it would have taken me to realize that he wasn't there...

All I know is that God was looking out for me today. Seriously, this could have turned into a nightmare. I'm so truly thankful that God's grace is bigger than my stupidness!!!

I just overheard...

Okay, seriously, I just heard this conversation in Blake's room:

First, a scream and a slap, Then silence. Then:

Evan: I sure miss the good 'ole days.

Blake: What are you talking about?

Evan: You know, the good 'ole days, back when you didn't hit me.

Ha! Brotherly love...

Snow - No! Sled - Yes!

Okay, so this doesn't really count as a "snow" day, seeing how there isn't even a dusting of snow on the ground. But, that didn't stop the Bartlett boys from getting out and having some fun anyway! If you remember, Blake and Evan got sleds from Santa and have been dying to try them out. Today seemed like the best chance, so they got bundled up and out the boys went. I went out a few minutes later and this is what I saw:

Even Snowy loved the "snow"!
Blake at the bottom of the hill!

The brothers racing...

Evan showing off his x-games skills...

All 4 of them coming down at once!

Back up...

Evan got frustrated with the "old" sled because he wasn't heavy enough to get it going with a push. So, he decided to SKI!

Travis had a couple of wipe outs...

Poor Travis!

Fun! Fun!

When they came in I had hot chocolate waiting. Lots of fun for a non- "snow" day!!

The Birds & The Bees???

Yesterday after school Evan and our sweet neighbor friend (I'll call her "P" for annonimity :) got in the car and as usual start jabbering ninety to nothing. I usually just sit back and listen and learn A LOT. Well, today the conversation took an interesting turn. It went something like this:

P: You know Evan that when mommas have babies they cut a hole in their tummy and pull the baby out.
Evan: Really? Hey mom, it that true?
Me: Well, yes. Some babies are born when the doctor cuts a small hole in the mommy's tummy and pulls the baby out. It's called a c-section.
P: Yeah, and they sew it up with stitches and you have a huge scar on your tummy.
Evan: Hey mom, do you have a huge scar on your tummy from your "g-second"?
Me: Well, no because I didn't have a c-section.
Evan: How did I get out then?
Me: Well, you were born naturally.
Evan: What's naturally mean? How did I get out?
Me: Hmm, you just came out of my bottom. (The most vague answer I could possible come up with on the spur of the moment)
Evan: Oh (then stunned silence)
P: Oh yeah, and it hurts REAL bad!
Evan: Huh, sure am glad I'm not a girl.

End of conversation.

What fun it is to pick up kindergarteners after school! I think it might be time to do a little explaining to Evan about the birds and the bees. Bad thing is, we haven't even had that conversation with Blake yet. We might be a little behind...

Night Life

Well, I'm sitting here trying to psych myself up to go to work. I'm working the night shift (7pm -7am) tonight for the first time in over a year. I know I'm a whiner. I should just be thankful that I have a job that is so flexible during a time when some people can't even find a job. But, it's just so hard to work nights. Especially since I'm out of practice.

The good news is...I did take a 4 hour nap today. Seriously, I slept from 11:00 until 3:20 when the kids walked in the door. So, I should be totally fine tonight. I keep repeating that to myself trying to convince my brain that it won't get sleepy at 3am.

So, tomorrow if you see me at the 9am Upward game and I look a little rough, you'll know why! I'm planning a long winter's nap tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully by Blake's game at 4:30 it will all be behind me.

Tonight when you crawl in to bed, say a little prayer for me. Pray that I'm so happily engrossed with birthing babys and taking care of mommys that I don't feel sleepy AT ALL. Have a great night everyone!!

Journaling...??

Today i am actually spending the whole day at home. I have absolutely no where that I am required to be today until 2:30 when I start the after school pick-up. I can't really even remember the last time I had a day like this and I am grateful.

I spent a whole hour this morning reading and digesting a couple of days worth of "30 Days to Live". This book really is a life changer. It's been really hard for me to get in the mind set of acually only having 30 days. I think for me the bigger picture is trying to live my life every day with no regrets. I'm finding that I have a serious case of the "someday" syndrome. I don't really think of myself as a procrastinator, but maybe on really important "feeling" things I am. I have come to the conclusion that somehow I have managed to block myself from "feeling" a lot of things lately. Not just bad things, but good things also. It takes a lot of energy to really "feel" and I've been so busy I have convinced myself I just don't have the time for it.

So, I'm making a really big effort to try. I read this morning about how Jesus is the vine and I am just a branch. I can't DO or FEEL anything on my own. My job is to stay connected to the vine. Let him take care of the rest. So, I'm going to latch on to that vine with both hands and let God truly have control of my thoughts, feelings, and actions.

Wow, it's funny how just writing something down helps you gain perspective. I have always wanted to keep a journal, just never thought it would be quite so public :).

Evan's got a new boss!

Today is one of those days I've been looking forward to my whole life! Today Evan asked Jesus to be the "boss of his life". Whew, such a relief...Now I can watch him do daredevil tricks with a little more ease.

We (Evan, Travis, and I) have been talking about asking Jesus into his heart for literally months. We talk and he asks questions then he changes the subject. We have been totally "no pressure" and just let him lead the conversations. Lately it has been very obvious that Evan totally understands right from wrong and got the "sin" factor. It was just a matter of him putting it all together, "getting" it, and taking the step in faith.

Yesterday after church he told us about another boy in Kid's Church that had been saved. He was really excited and I knew another serious conversation was coming. So, last night in bed as he said his prayers he said "thank you for dying on the cross for my sins, Amen". Then he asked me what it meant that he prayed that. I knew what he was getting at and I explained that that was part of the prayer that he would say when he decided to become a Christian. He kept telling me he didn't know what to say but that Peyton's mom let her repeat the right words. I assured him that when he was ready I would help him say the prayer. So, then he said he was ready, but then as we started praying he said, "can I wait and do this after school tomorrow?". So, I said of course and figured that would be the end of the topic for at least a few more weeks.

Fast forward to today after school. As soon as he walked out the kindergarten door he asked me if I remembered what he wanted to do today after school. He had this huge grin on his face and I told him yes. When we got home he pulled me in his room with him and hopped on his bed (our usual prayer place). He said he was ready and would I tell him the words to say. He was just so excited and happy and I've never been more thrilled in my whole life.

In a way I really wanted to wait until Travis was home to share the moment, but Evan was ready RIGHT then and I really wasn't about to argue. So, he said the most beautiful 6 year old prayer and then immediately started bawling! I mean seriously howling. It went on for several minutes and I just kind of sat there not knowing what he was thinking. Then when he finally calmed down he explained that he wanted to tell people but he was nervous. He also said he wanted to wait and tell Travis when he got home. I kept telling him that he didn't have to tell anyone right then, but that just made him cry harder. I think he was bursting to tell someone, but unsure of how to say it. So, we called Nonnie and I told her while he held the phone and cried. She of course, was thrilled and told him so. Finally after about 15 minutes he pulled himself together and then he wanted to call everyone!

It was truly one of those surreal experiences that I want to be able to remember forever. I'm so proud and so excited for him. He wants to go to big church Sunday and tell Brother Ronnie. He can't wait to get baptized so everyone will know that Jesus is the boss of his life!

Good day.