This week was my birthday. I did not have a good birthday. I had both a terrible and a wonderful birthday. Don’t you think so many things can be both bad and good at the same time? That was my birthday this year.

It was bad because I was so sleep deprived that I could barely function.

It was also amazing. One boy worked on my birthday present all week. He made me four different Super Mom comic books. Then he set up a scavenger hunt for me to find them all. Wow. The other boys also drew me sweet pictures, and Daniel worked so hard to write his name for me.

Daniel noticed how much praise everyone received for their cards and pictures, so he spent the next hour cranking out about 20 more pictures.

And Alan made me a cake!

This was the first cake that Alan has ever baked. Love it!

Sorry, I forgot to take a picture until after I cut it. Whoops.

2 humorous stories from this week, and then I’d better let JD out of his room and feed him. He’s fine. He woke up from his nap, and now he’s playing just fine in his room.

The bunk bed story:

I told Dan that Nonna and DaddyO are coming to visit, so he will be sleeping in the guest room so they can have the big bed in his room. He was none too excited about this plan.

I suggested that we set up the bunk beds in Daniel’s room and transfer the double bed to the guest room. That way no one will be displaced when we have company.

Daniel got so excited at the mention of bunk beds, that he quickly ran to tell Caleb. Caleb said, “Let’s go build the bunk bed then.”

“Sure, go ahead,” I joked.

Twenty minutes later, I went upstairs. Work was well underway. Caleb had rearranged some of the furniture in his room, pulled the extra twin mattress out from under Joshua’s bed, torn off the clear plastic cover (to protect it during the cross-country move), stood it up on end, and moved it down the hall into Daniel’s room!

When I arrived upstairs, Caleb was under Daniel’s bed, “cleaning it out and figuring out how it works.”

That boy. That is one tough 7-year-old.

I put their work on pause until Dad could get home to help them. Perhaps I shouldn’t have. Maybe I should have seen just how much Caleb could do.

Caleb, the preschool teacher

Other things Caleb accomplished this week:

1. My home school mom friends mentioned that they let their kids quiz each other on their school work. WHY had this idea never occurred to me? I’ve been doing ALL the quizzing around here. No more. Now I am trying to remember to let them help each other a little more.

2. We learned about Pearl Harbor last week. I got online and found old film footage of the bombing. All you can see is lots of black smoke, really.  Then we saw interviews where this Japanese lady was recalling that day. She had been a school child, and they had announced that Japan declared war on Great Britain and the United States and she talked about how they had all cheered for joy.

Caleb looked very serious, and he said, “They did this on purpose!!?” and he scrunched his eyebrows, narrowed his eyes, and hit his fist into his palm, looking quite ready to join the WWII war efforts.

Perhaps we should go back and make sure that he knows that particular war is over, and the Japanese are our friends now…

Chaotic photos from my birthday week:

What’s more fun than helping Mom in the kitchen?

Every child should like chores as much as this one.

I love how straight Caleb can make lines, when drawing, without even using a ruler. I still can’t do that.

the day I let him play with a bowl of water in the floor

Painting!

JD, in his backyard playpen. He likes that big pile of dirt.

This is JD’s school work. Ha!

“Look!” he says, constantly.

JD has been working so hard on learning how to talk, that it can give one a headache. He talked my ear off this week, and I understood almost none of it. I did get, “cookie,” “no more milk,” and lots of “Mama,” “Daddy,” “Jawa,” and “Caleb,” oh! and “dog.” He loves dogs. All of the boys loved dogs until Joshua taught them otherwise. Joshua loved them until about age 3.

Daniel was very happy to have Caleb as his teacher.

Caleb just marched into the living room, holding the stack of blend ladders, and said, “I’m going to teach Daniel these.”

“If I mash these buttons enough, this t.v. WILL turn on.”

I love Paw Patrol. This little fellow battled a cold this week.

teaching the patterns in the numbers. Did you ever notice that when you multiply by 4s, the endings go 0,4,8,2,6,0,4,8,2,6?

high fives

“I love this.”

Daddy did a great job on this cake.

our Latin song John 1:1-7

Thank you, Jess!!!!

After an exhausting birthday, my friend bringing me this surprise cupcake was such a special gift.

Hope you all have a great week!

aprilmomoffour

April is an upbeat, Christian, blog-obsessed, military wife, and home schooling mom of four little boys. She writes about education, travel, and humorous adventures in parenting. Follow along if you’d like a little bit of encouragement and a whole lot of crazy.

View Comments

  • I am sorry about the sleep deprivation. I don't know if it gets any better as they age. Then you just worry when they are out. I have started taking vitamins and minerals to combat the fatigue though and they are helping. Happy belated birthday wishes and I think your husband did a great job on the cake!

    • I think vitamins sound like a very good idea. At the very least, I should probably take an iron/day. When I'm pregnant, they make me take 3/day. I always get the best ideas from my friends, thank you!

  • WOW, reading this post made my head spin. Such a busy household, and I can totally see and understand your sleep deprivation. If there is any consolation my dear friend, it does get easier in the future, but all I can say in the here and now is hang in there.

    You are such a good wife (love the cake Alan baked), mother, teacher who has such incredible worth as a child of God. :)

    Thank you for sharing your joys and struggles. I pray that you will be able to find times for needed restorative rest and sleep.

    ~Carl~

    • Thank you. It's funny. After reading your comment, I had to go back and read the post to see what looked so busy. haaaa Yes, it is quite busy. You've been there, done that, though!
      Thank you so much for your encouraging words!! One day at a time. :)

  • JDs hair has gotten so thick! He looks so grown up. I thought one of the pictures was Daniel until I read under it! The boys all seem to be taking over lots of responsibilities. Hope that starts helping out some. So excited about seeing you all in a couple of days.

    • I get the most ideas from other moms for chores for the boys! I could fill up their whole day with chores, but I'm afraid that wouldn't leave much time for trampoline jumping and comic book writing. We are looking forward to your visit, the boys have a count down going.

  • So much to say! First, I can't think of any better birthday gifts than those - so sweet! A scavenger hunt...wow! Caleb - moving beds and teaching school - that's awesome. Pearl Harbor story - priceless. JD really has his own look. He doesn't seem to be an Alan clone like the others. Every now and then I see a picture of him and think, "Wow. That doesn't even look like him!" I guess I've seen enough of those now to start thinking that he actually does look like that...does that make sense? Anyway, great post and I love all the pictures!!!

    • That's so funny about JD. He is growing up a lot, so his face does seem to keep changing. Jennings says he's the first one to lack Alan's big jaws. I can't wait to finally learn your new baby's face this summer! There's only so much you can tell from pictures. :(

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