Please excuse the shakiness of the camera and the loud music in the background. I was using my iphone and we were in the car rocking it out.

So we are daddy less for 4 days and 3 nights.  I hate being alone  the Chickens hardly count as a whole person so I am basically by myself. If God forbid there is a spider or water emergency while Ben is gone I am the go to person… sigh.   When Ben is gone which thankfully is not very often anymore I can’t go to sleep until I am exhausted otherwise I will just lay in bed listening to all the night noises and the creaking of my big old house and get thoroughly scared.  Now I am not a shining example on how to raise kids. I frequently let them watch things they shouldn’t, eat cake for breakfast and let them stay up WAY to late we are by nature night owls and our kids tend to be the same way.  And last night was no exception we all stayed up to late….

This was Boo telling me she was ready for bed (although this is how I feel at the thought of Ben being gone so long).

And this was Chicken trying to tell me he was not ready for bed….(sorry for the fuzziness it’s my crappy iphone 3g)

We settled down for a good snuggle on the sofa while watching The Incredibles until we were so sleepy we could barely hold our eyes open.  We finally headed upstairs got teeth brushed and Chickens down.  They were out in a second but I still could not go to sleep until after 1:30…. I just don’t sleep well when Ben isn’t home…. only 3 days and 2 nights to go……

She thought she was quite pretty.

We thought she was pretty too.

Chicken and his bow.

And then there is Chicken and his hard earned bow and arrow set.  He saw this bow and arrow set in Walmart a couple of weeks ago and he HAD to have it.  We told him not right now maybe for his birthday. Usually he will see something and forget about it the next day, but not this time. He kept asking when he could get it?  So finally Ben told him that if he vacuumed the kitchen after supper for 10 days that he would take him to Walmart and and he could get his bow and arrow.  They made up a chart for him to check off and put it on the fridge. Chicken was so excited to see the days count down. I don’t know how many times a day I would hear, ” Only 4 days left, Mommy………. Only 3 days left Mommy until I get my bow and arrow.”  So after all that hard work his daddy took him to  finally get it and he had to have a quiver to put his arrows in so I dragged out my sewing machine and attempted to make him one.  He was pretty happy with the results.  I remember my  mom spending so much time making doll clothes for me and countless hours on Easter dressed. And now that I have a Chicken of my own I understand why she did it.  I was happy that I could do the same thing for my little guy.

Ben got his iphone 4 this week. I am insanely jealous because his phone takes much better pictures then mine.  Here Boo and Chicken posing so Daddy could get a good picture for his iphone wallpaper.

Chicken wanted Ben to take a picture of his light saber..

And here is Chicken showing his fierce Jedi fighting stance.

Later that week Chicken told me that this is what they do in China. I have no idea where he got this from only that he has seen Kung Fu Panda.

And of course the highlight of Ben’s week. The much awaiting opening of Greenville’s Apple store. We did not stand in line to get in but just looked longingly through the front windows.

And the rest of our week was taken up with preparing for VBS at Lifepoint our church.  The theme this year is pirates and Ben worked long and hard on this ship that is in the church.  Of course the Chickens had to test it out after he was done. Chicken trying his hand at steering.

Boo not so happy here. Maybe she was afraid Chicken would make her walk the plank. But we finally got a smile out of her.

I made chocolate pudding and Boo wanted to lick the bowl.

And boy did she ever enjoy it!

Boo wearing Chickens hat…

too cute!

So untwisting them seems to be the hard part.

See the concentration that is needed for this delicate task.

Wow it takes a lot longer to untwist these then I thought it would.

It’s been a year Maddie and we still miss you. Not a day goes by when I don’t think about you sweet girl. Every time I look at my own sweet Boo I can’t help but think about you too. Y’all were exactly two days apart in age.  I hug my Chickens a little harder because of you and try to live in the moment more.  I never met you but I still love you and miss you. We love you Maddie.

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