A Day at the Office

Normally I try not to post random YouTube videos on my blog, mostly because I don't tend to watch them when other people post them (oops...I just admitted that)! But last year I saw this one, and it seriously reminded me of the days when I worked in an IT department at a hospital.

The three guys in this video even have names to me...because they remind me so much of three guys I used to work with, and they are three guys that would have totally done something like this with me! Oh, those were there days! I miss you Jason, Sheldon, and Will!

And the girl who doesn't participate, she has a name in my mind, too. But I better not share that!

So if you've ever worked in an office, I really think you'll get a kick out of this! It makes me smile every single time I see it!

Blue

This week's Shutter Love Tuesday theme over at Trendy Treehouse is Blue.



















And I felt that this picture captured more than one definition of the word :o)

Gabriel in October of 2009. I was trying to take his picture without a pacifier, and each time I'd take it away, he'd burst into tears. So this is what he looked like after I gave it back!

Sarah and Build-A-Bear

The last time that Sarah went to Build-A-Bear, she wasn't even a year old yet.






























But even though it was a long wait between visits, she was still a pro!













































Thank you, Aunt Sonnie, for taking her again!

A Dream Come True

Can you even imagine their excitement?












Sarah and Caleb met their two favorite characters today, Dora and Buzz Lightyear, at the St. Louis Science Center's Kid City.

Caleb also saw some huge dinosaurs...












And Sarah met Cinderella...












They had a great day!

If You Work In Customer Service

During my senior year in college and the year that followed, I worked as a teller at a bank, and sometimes I filled in as the receptionist at the front desk if they needed me to. I saw so many people, always greeting them with a smile, always trying to show an interest in them as a customer.

I remember one morning quite clearly, it changed my outlook on what I said and if I meant what I said. An elderly woman pulled up to the drive through, and I greeted her with my standard, "Good morning! How are you today?"

She paused. She responded slowly.

"Oh, not so good, honey. My brother is in the hospital down in Springfield. They don't think he's going to make it through the day."

I was stunned. Not at the information, just at the fact that she told me and was so sincere and genuine as she spoke to me, visibly upset as the words came out of her mouth.

It wasn't the normal, "I'm good," or "I'm fine," answer. She told me what was really going on in her life. For a brief moment, I was a part of her really bad day.

After that, I stopped asking that question. I don't think I even ask it to people I know a little better than that sweet old lady. I stick with, "Hi! Beautiful weather we're having, huh?" or maybe, "Boy, I sure hope the rain lets up."

Is that bad? Is it bad that it was so hard for me to have someone share that with me? I guess it was just that I realized I wasn't asking to be genuine. I was asking out of formality.

Yesterday I received a replacement debit card in the mail. I called to activate it, and the girl on the other end said, "Hello, Chrissy. How was your day today?"

I paused.

"Not very good actually." I held back tears.

I'm not sure what went through her mind when I said it, and I'm not sure why I told her the truth. I guess if you're having a bad day and someone asks you that question, depending on if anyone else has asked yet, maybe you're prone to be honest?

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. I sure hope tomorrow is better."

Thanks, Regions Customer Service. I'm not sure if it will be, but that was a really good, standard response.

Who's That Girl?

Do you ever look at an old picture of yourself...















...and you know you don't look 18 anymore.

But you just can't figure out what exactly is different?

Does our life's journey just make us look different? Do my eyes now say that I'm a woman who has endured much instead of a girl who has so much more to learn?

I don't know.

Sometimes I stare at that girl.

And wonder what makes us look so different.

We Must Look Trustworthy

We live in a small subdivision with lots of nice people. On one side of our house is a duplex, and behind our house is another duplex. We have seen a few different families in those duplexes in the five years we've lived here, usually with small children.

And every time there are new families who move in, without fail, they trust us without even knowing us. Like just yesterday, the new family next door let their three small children, ages six, four, and two come over to our backyard without watching them. The kids stayed for over an hour, just playing with our kids and the parents allowed us (mostly Josh) to watch their children.

I wonder why that is? Is it because we have a fenced in yard and a play set? Is it because we look trustworthy? Is it because it's a small town and that's just what people do?

Because I tend to be more on the overprotective side when it comes to something like that. I would let my kids play with other kids of course, and I wouldn't necessarily have to watch them if another parent was watching, but goodness...I would at least want to know the parents. You know. At least a little bit.

But I'll just be thankful that other people must see something in us that allows them to trust us. Even if it is just a fenced in, safe-looking yard.

It's Short. Very Short.

I would say that most of my friends who have little boys cut their hair very short. A buzz cut if you will. It's cute.

From the beginning, I have never done that with my little guys, though. I know where it started. It was when I saw the cutest picture of Josh when he was small, two years old to be exact.















And since Caleb had his auburn hair, I knew I wanted him to look just like that. The color was too pretty to cut off.











I admit that more often than not, I wait far too long to get their hair cut. Most of the time, it's over their ears and almost in their eyes. Gabriel, for example, was looking a bit shaggy lately...























So while I was gone to a women's conference thingy at church today, Josh took him to get his hair cut.

This is the first time I've let him take one of our boys to get their hair cut. Weird? Maybe. Call me particular.

But now...






























...it's short.



Very short.


And I almost want to cry.

A Few Similarities

These random thoughts went through my mind while lying in bed yesterday. Maybe it was the meds?


Caleb and Sarah were both born in August.

Caleb and Gabriel were both born in years of presidential elections. Bush won in Caleb's year. Obama won in Gabriel's year.

Caleb and Sarah were both born in years that the St. Louis Cardinals went to the World Series. They were swept in Caleb's year, they won in Sarah's year.

You can find Caleb, Sarah, and Gabriel's names in the Bible. Caleb in the book of Numbers, Sarah in the book of Genesis, and Gabriel (most notably) in the book of Luke (but also in Daniel).

They were each born in "even" years: 04, 06, 08. In 2012, they will be these ages.

The same doctor delivered each of them.

My labor was induced with Sarah and Gabriel.

We brought Sarah and Gabriel home from the hospital to the house we live in currently.

All three of them celebrated their first birthdays in the same house.

Caleb and Sarah have beautiful auburn hair, distinct enough to them that when Sarah moved up to the 4-year-old Sunday school class, the teacher just knew it was Caleb's sister.

Caleb and Sarah have both been under anesthesia. (Both times mommy had tears.)

Caleb and Gabriel have my eyes.

They are all best buddies.

They are all dearly loved.

Sick

It's after 1:00 pm.

I have been laying on the couch most of the day.

Caleb is still in his Buzz Lightyear pajamas.

Sarah is wearing nothing but underwear.

Gabriel has a diaper and a t-shirt on his little body (last I checked).

Caleb fixed everyone breakfast (Eggos) and fixed everyone lunch (fish sticks).

He had to do his school work independently. He brought me my teacher book, and from the couch I told him which pages to complete. I told him when he was finished, I would get up and check them. After he was done, I heard him whisper to himself, "I don't want to make mommy get up," so he brought his book to me. What a sweetie.

Around noon I asked Caleb to find Gabriel's pacifier and tell him to go lay down in his bed. Unbelievably, this worked. Gabriel fell asleep in his bed, just as Caleb instructed him to do.

I ache all over, especially in my neck and back.

I have a fever of 101.

One minute I'm so hot I want to take off most/all of my clothes and lay down in a freezer. The next minute I'm so cold I put on my sweatshirt, sweatpants, and shiver.

Here's to getting better soon.

Pretty sure kids can survive on Eggos and fish sticks for at least a few days, though, right?