A Night with the Ladies

Yesterday was Bryan & Sarah's 9th wedding anniversary (congrats!), and Steven & I watched the girls for them while they went to a movie. Matthew was beside himself with excitement as he saw them unloading from their van and entering the house. It got loud really quick! Matthew was sucking his thumb off and on and spinning his blanket in fast, tight circles with his other little fist while charging through all of them and yelling something undecipherable. They all happily played until dinner time where Audrey said grace (so cute...she went around the table and thanked God for everyone sitting there) and our dinner conversation included a discussion of pets and why Matthew doesn't like eating off a plate. After dinner I put Matt to bed because he had already passed his bedtime and I knew he'd only get more amped up with his cousins running around. He protested and twisted in my arms as I carried him into his room but once he saw his bed he relaxed and then went right to sleep. He somehow slept through all the splashing and squealing from the girls all in the bathtub. Somehow they all fit, and after much playing and cups of water tossed over board and soap in eyes and "ow, Audrey's stepping on me!" they were all clean and in jammies. I put them all to bed (which took some time and some convincing), and then Steven & I relaxed in the quietness until the celebratory couple arrived back from their date. We had a great time playing with the girls and watching Matt get crazy in their midst. It's always a great show.

Some funny behaviors from Matt today...we've had a bit of a rough week. He's been testing me and challenging me to say the least. He goes from one no-no straight to the next and then repeats them all over again, and it's been tough on both of us. This afternoon Matthew & I took some people in our Sunday School class who just had a baby a meal. They also have a 4 year old little boy who was all too eager to show off all his many toys to Matthew. The moment I got the newborn in my arms and sat down on the couch Matt started to pout. He whined and said, "no, Ma-ma" and was trying to push the baby off my lap and then climb on me. He got to the point of tears and was in hysterics even while sitting right next to me. I handed the sweet baby off to his mother and Matt calmed down immediately. Territorial and jealous, you think? Good grief. I wasn't expecting him to react like that at all. Especially since he said "baby, baby!!!" the whole drive out to their house.

This morning while it was raining we went outside on the patio. Steven and I were talking away and all the while Matt was doing laps around the patio with his lawn mower. He must have pushed that thing for at least 20 minutes straight. We were dying. He did the same thing this afternoon inside with his car only he looped around and around the table. And so serious looking. After Matt had some crackers for a snack this afternoon he helped me put them away by saying "bye-bye crackers!" and blowing them a kiss! Too funny. He blew a kiss to the girl on the Luby's cookbook when we put her back, too. What a weirdo!

Tomorrow Steven & I are headed to St. Louis for my father & Ann's wedding. Matthew has the privilege of staying with the Reners while we're gone. Can't wait to hear what crazy antics he and Ava pull off!