So today was the open house for Nicks preschool…and he couldn’t have been more excited…

When we got there, he grabbed his back pack and was literally leaping from the car to go inside.

I had to grab him to get a quick shot of him and mom before going inside.

After meeting his teacher, she showed him where his cubby was for his back pack – he is a butterfly and his good friend Silas is a polar bear.  He couldn’t get enough of everything…the fact that there were letters everywhere…and shapes…and toys…and books.  I heard no less than 5 times “I love my preschool!” as he was jumping up and down!

After we were done, it was time for some mom and son bonding with a special lunch out together.  The picture above shows how annoyed he is getting with me for taking so many pictures (he really might as well get used to it).  =)

So, for posterity here are the preschool answers according to Nick (and when school is done, we will see how much will have changed:

What is your name?     NICK

How old are you?     4

What is your favorite color?     I HAVE BLUE

What is your favorite food?     I DON’T LIKE ANYTHING

Who is your best friend?     (GETTING MORE ANNOYED – NO RESPONSE)

Tell me about preschool?     I’M GONNA SAY BUH-BYE TO TINA (BECAUSE I HAD BEEN TELLING HIM THAT NEXT TIME WE WILL HAVE TO SAY GOODBYE AND HE WILL STAY WITH THE OTHER KIDS)

Are you excited?     ‘NODDING’

Now tonight he still can’t get over the fact that he is not going to preschool tomorrow and has to wait a whole week…yeah…we will see how long this lasts…

When does the magic of school fade? 

Hopefully for him – Never.

Time for preschool…and that means it is time to lop off the locks of summer…

I miss Brian. 

I miss him being here every night.  I miss doing nothing with him on the weekends.  I miss talking to him (really talking and not just rapidly spewing out highlights of the day/night).  I miss sleeping with him…hearing him breathe beside me.  I miss him…

And I wonder when this is going to end.  It could be this week…it could be months from now. 

I know that I can do this on my own…

…but I really don’t want to.

And I miss him.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT FALL…the colors (orange, red, brown, yellow and a hint of green)…the crisp air…the cool nights…football…making soup and fresh bread on the weekends…apple crisp…sweatshirts…open windows…changing trees.

Ha!  Not really…but I’m feeling pretty good about my accomplishments this evening…so I’m giving myself an atta’ girl!

Happy kids…check!

Bath then bed (for the kids)…check!

Scrubbed two bathrooms – from top to bottom – check!

Cleaned the kitchen…check!

Almost finished with the laundry…well, I said almost!

So anyway, I feel like I haven’t done too bad a job since the babies went to bed!

About our day…  Trying to keep two boys quiet while their dad is trying to sleep is NOT easy.  Thank goodness for friends!  The Hoffmans called and said they were going to a local businesses customer appreciation day and suggested the boys and myself join them.

We had such a good time…eating the food…meeting Dora the Explorer…going on the bouncy slides…shooting water guns…and taking a ride in the buckets.  Thank goodness I had two extra adult hands to help!  The only downside – I forgot my camera at home – so pics will have to wait until Heidi shoots some on over.

When we got home, Brian was awake, so I didn’t stand a chance of getting them to take a nap…oh well, at least they got to spend the afternoon with their dad.  It was very nice that we all did… =)

This ’strike’ or whatever you want to call it at Brians work stinks…for both sides.

I have said this before…

…and now it gets closer to home. 

There is another couple in our small group at church that it is affecting, as he is now without a job. 

So, without going into details, the leader of our small group emailed all of us this message, and I just wanted to share his words.

We definitely will pray for everyone involved.  So strange to see a story on the news about something like this and have it be directly effecting people we care so much about.

A quick story…

When living in Reno I was considering writing a book of advice — not my advice but advice of various people from ALL walks of life… I sent a letter to a whole bunch of people (my friends, neighbors, grandparents, coworkers, my pastor, etc.) asking for the MOST important advice they could give someone.  After a long wait(weeks), and my pastor pulling me aside to say he was thinking deeply about the question… I finally got his reply:  “There is ALWAYS two sides to every story.”

That kind of shocked me!  Of ALL the things I thought he might say was THE MOST IMPORTANT  advice he could give… that topic hadn’t even entered my mind as a possibility.  Yet, there it was in black and white… in his own handwriting…  ”There is ALWAYS two sides to every story.”

It’s VERY true isn’t it. 

And if we really think about it his advice it can help us be more like Christ – living with greater compassion… 

because we can realize and admit that our side of the story is always 100% TRUE to us! 

AND

we can realize and admit that the other person’s story is always 100% TRUE to them.

That helps us understand that within BOTH stories (on both sides) there is probably at least some portions of Untruth (lies or falsehoods or misleading or shadings of the truth).

This means that ultimately both sides are WRONG… wrong in the sense that intentionally or accidentally there is Untruth in both of our stories (i.e., in both their side AND in our side of the disagreement).  Doesn’t this give us a different (deeper) level of compassion for those on the other side — whether it is a neighbor or a co-worker or a family member or a _____________ situation?  I hope it does for you.  I know it does for me. 

So, the practical question then becomes… How do I treat people better because of this understanding?  Truth is… I often forget this concept altogether — Not good, huh!?  I’m usually so wrapped up in My Side of the story that I forget this advice completely!  Just ask my family. 

All this makes me long for heaven all the more.  Imagine it!  On top of being in continuous community with God in an amazing new way we’ll be in continuous community with others in an amazing new way too — all our “sides” (ours and theirs… of the new stories we create while lioving in Heaven) will be the same… no Untruth of ANY kind.  :0)

Looking forward to Heaven with ALL of you!

Here’s hoping (and praying) that this whole situation is resolved quickly… and in a way that BOTH sides believe they got more than they needed.  It CAN happen that way ya know!  ;^)

God Bless.

Chris Hoffman 

Thank you so much for your words Chris…and for you leadership!! 

So, after Brian went to work last night, the boys and I needed to do a little shopping…for food…and maybe a couple of other little fun things…

This is Nick rockin’ out on his new guitar…

And this is me (well, my feet)…with these cute and comfy little shoes I got…

Well, Brian is back.

But not really.

He got to spend about 1 hour with myself and the boys and now he is gone.

Turns out that while he was away, a strike is about to start where he works.  So now in addition to doing his normal job on the side, he will now have the regular hours of 7pm to 7am.

So while he is back…and he is home…We still do not get to share our lives with each other.

By the time he comes home in the morning, the boys and I will be leaving.

And by the time that we get home at night, he will have to leave in less than an hour to start his “day.”

This stinks…

Until I read this blog…and realized how much worse it could really be…

http://www.mattlogelin.com/archives/2008/08/21/wednesday-august-13th-anniversary/

I wept…

I put my face in my hands and could not stop crying.

For while I am sad that I have been a single parent all week and the end is not in sight…this man Matt would probably give anything to be going through my circumstances rather than what he lives every day…days forever and always without her.

Now I am still in tears…I really like such a schmuck for thinking that I have it bad.

We will get through this…

It could be so much worse…

(Please send your prayers out for the people and families that are on both sides of this strike. – Thank You)