Skip to main content

How we celebrate a birthday when we are getting ready to move

From the warmth of my house, I stared out the window at the cold wind blowing, swirling leaves up and around and spreading them hither and yon. I felt like one of those leaves. I am caught up in the winds of a huge move and I don't have a lot of say about which way I am blown. Today, for instance, I will be packing up the kids again so that the property manager can show the house. We did this yesterday too. So much for organizing our things.

On New Year's Day, though, I stood firm against that mighty wind and chose to get in the car yet again to take one almost seven year old to the Lego store two hours away for a birthday surprise. I walked behind him and his siblings. As the store came into view, he grabbed Anna's hand, gave it a good squeeze, and began walking faster. There may have even been a little jig in his steps. Before going inside, he paused outside to look at all the displays in the store window. Then, after giving me one of the biggest grins ever, he stepped inside. Three and a half hours later, we walked out with heavy bags and lighter wallets and very happy kids.


Can you see it? Straight ahead!

Doing a little happy dance.


This is the best day ever!

"Umm. Hello? Can I get out of the stroller? Please?"

She ended up getting a different key chain. She agonized over the choices for about an hour.

See all those bins behind him? The kids hand-picked pieces from there that they have been wishing they had.

All smiles. For now.

"Look Auntie Leah! I made this!"

Tell me the middle figure does not look like Jamie from Mythbusters! He also went back before making the final purchase and the chef now has a chef's hat.

Squeals of pure excitement were heard as he rode his first mall ride.

We made her wait till after the Lego Store to ride a ride. She loved it and was all smiles until...



...the ride ended. Then I must admit to one of the most embarrassing fits ever thrown by Therese.



"They put in another dollar! Yippee!"





Labels:

Comments

  1. BarbaraJanuary 3, 2014 at 5:45 PM

    How fun! Happy birthday! We have a Lego store ten minutes away. Wish you were here! :-)

    ReplyDelete
  2. KrisJanuary 3, 2014 at 7:32 PM

    We have a Lego store here, too. And a LEGOLAND indoor place. We have only been once, but the kids loved it. Hope the packing and the move goes smoothly - how much longer?

    ReplyDelete
  3. ElisaJanuary 20, 2014 at 11:10 AM

    Fun! I should take my kids more often. Ours is in Mall of America though and going there w/o another adult-back-up freaks me out. Crowds! Of course, it's not so bad during the week. =)

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Door Table

Once there was a store in Georgia. It is no more, but how I wish it was. I likened going in there to treasure hunting. One never knew what was going to be in there, and you had to dig through and wade through all the "other people's treasures" to find your own. I once found a set of blue and white teacups and saucers from England. I found lace handkerchiefs, a rocking chair, and an end table. But by far the best find was my kitchen table. I had stopped by one day while the kids were taking horseback lessons and the then little ones were asleep. The store was not open, but I went up to the window to see if anything new was there. And it was there. The table. And six chairs too! We were in need of a bigger table with Jack on the way. My mom had offered to give us her old one, which I was going to accept if I didn't find something I liked better. I didn't want anyone else to even see the table because I knew it was supposed to be ours, but one can never tell abo...
9 comments
Read more

Walking a New Path

 Well now. It has been quite a while, hasn't it?  I have kept silent about my struggles for the past four years, mainly because I was in the midst of something that I never imagined could happen to our family. And it wasn't just my story. It still is not.  A friend once told me I am an external processor, and I suppose she is right. I find that saying things out loud help me find the answer, if there is one. There was no good answer, as it turns out. And so, I am sad to say, that I am now divorced. A single mother, navigating a life I never imagined.  But there are some things that haven't changed. My faith, for one. I know that God is with me on this journey and that He is way smarter and wiser than I could ever be. He has held me close as I wept and grieved the end of my marriage. He held my hand as I packed up what would fit in a moving truck and drove our belongings to a new home. He has led me to new jobs and I can only trust that all will be well if only I cont...
4 comments
Read more

Fog and faith

 I stepped out into the coolness of the November morning to start the car and defog the windows, preparing to take Jack to school. Daylight had yet to appear. As we drove the many miles, the sky lightened, and we could see the mist hanging out just above the grass. We usually listen to a story together on our drive, adding commentary, exchanging a knowing glance or a shocked expression as the twists and turns unfold. I relish this time with Jack. I know that all too soon he will be preparing to leave the nest, like his sisters before him.  On the drive back, I pull my rosary from my purse and pray. By this time, the sun is just about to appear, making the sky a beautiful orange-pink on the horizon. I am pondering much as I pray, for the path I am on is once again rocky and uncertain. Such is life, whether we have faith or not. Faith makes it bearable. For the most part, the road home is a straight shot and I can see the ribbon of road laid out before me, narrowing in the dista...
3 comments
Read more