Mark’s Surgery

I think all of you know about it. If not I’m sorry.

Yesterday, Mark had surgery on his shoulder. We had to be there at about 9:30 to check in and then went into surgery at about 12:30. All went well. The doctor said that he found exactly what he was expecting to find. We were able to come home at 5:00 and then got to pick up our kids from Mark’s parents and sister. Next week, Mark starts physical therapy for getting the movement and strength back. We have no idea when he is going to be able to go back to work, (a question we have recieved numerous times).

Not much else to tell, just figured I would keep you all in the loop.

In other news. My kids got to go swim with manatees yesterday. They were going to go canoeing but the place they went wouldn’t allow 4 people in a canoe so instead they just swam around with them. Trent was pretty upset that they didn’t get to touch them at all. I wish we could have gone with them instead of spending all day at the hospital, but it was a great distraction for the kids so they didn’t spend all day worrying about their dad. Trenton was pretty worried before they left and almost refused to go canoeing. He thought he would have a better day sitting in the hospital with Mark and I waiting for the surgery. We quickly put the nix on that. I was not going to be entertaining 2 children for 8 hours and trying to keep them quiet in the different rooms. By the time we got home, they were asking to spend the night with Aunt Gretchen. My, how things change.

Life in 160 characters or less

Nate here.  Tonight I am in charge.  That means Bett is at Bible study, and I get to put 5 kids to bed by myself.  No, we didn’t have two more kids without telling anyone.  We have 2 extra kids from our church – 2 1/2 year old twins, in fact – while their parents take a much-needed vacation for their anniversary.  So for the next 4 days we have FIVE kids with far more energy than Bett and I combined, not to mention 3 or 4 colds, a couple of fevers, snotty noses by the handful (sometimes literally!), and a lot of fun!

And tonight I am in charge.  It is now 8, and every single child is in bed, hands and faces washed, books read, prayers said, lights out. Bett did not think I could pull it off.  She was wrong.  For once.  But don’t tell her

Tonight’s post, however, is not a chance for me to brag, but a chance for me to share bits of my life as a father.  Because I work a 9-to-5 outside of the home, most of my kids’ waking hours are spent without me.  In addition to the few hours after work that I get to play with them, and the rare morning when they wake up before I head out the door for the bus, I also am blessed with “kid-tweets”.  Bett will send me texts throughout the day with little tastes of what it is like to be around my kids 24/7.  I thought perhaps you would like to read a few (and if you don’t…no one’s making you keep reading).  So here are some of my favorites.

“What I like best in the world is a sunny day and a cloudy day.  And also burping.”
HK

“Hey, do you wanna marry me, yet, Eli?”
Not yet.
“When? Do ya need a ring?”
Yep.
“Can we be married yet?”
No, first we need a bracelet. Then we can.

“I will fight the bad guys with this ring and this sword.  I fight for the North. And Eli who is my daddy, he’s in there, he fights for the West.”–HK

“Thometimethz cowth’thz tonguethz are tho long they don’t fit in their bodiethz.”
-Eli to Hannah

“Don’t tie Eli’s up, cause they’re good! Tie Kelle’s up”
Trenton on n8’s Lego people

Any time you want to switch jobs, I’m fine with that.  I mean it. Anytime. Like right now would be good.
The Spirit of Disunity and Discord is assailing the…

children. Eli in particular has shown himself vulnerable. He has succumbed completely. All week. ALL WEEK. EVEN WITH THE FEDERS. Not nice.

They worked “together as a team,” so HK tells me, and they got the garage door open so they could play with bikes. Impressive.

Hannah hit Eli in ve [the] face with a cool [book] and drew alone [blood]. Should I spank her? [gotta love auto-word-builders]

I put Nayah in her sweater-dress with red, brown, tan, orange, dark pink, and white stripes. She screamed…

I finally got that she wanted to wear “PINK! Mommy! Pink”
I did not give in. Not wearing pink traumatized her so much, she needed Mommy Two [aka nursing]…

for an entire 15 minutes.  That’s extremely long for her….

It was rough. She kept lifting up her arms for me to gently tickle-touch. Then her eyes would roll back into her head.

[With a picture of tantruming Nayah]: Wasn’t that hilarious? I stood over her and laughed and took pictures while she whined and told me, “No! Go ‘way! No pik-kas! [pictures]” I wish you could have been there.

Your children have all been down for over an hour.  NONE OF THEM ARE SLEEPING. They will not be grocery shopping with you tonight.

“Nayah’s much more funner and Hannah’s much more funner too. And also Daddy. But not you, Mother.”
-Eli helps his mother’s self-esteem

I just have to say that being woken up by two screaming children and one incessantly begging one is not an ideal way to start the day. I want to bash someone’s…

Make that three crying children. Hannah’s in pieces because I wasn’t helping her make her bed. Ask me if she ever TOLD me she wanted my help making her bed…

In case you were wondering, Hannah is still crying. No idea why. I think she just wants attention, Needy attention, and I am not feeding that. She’s trying to…

cry as loudly as possible. She’ll have headache soon if she doesn’t already. Do I go in and try to talk her emotions down, or let her finish her tantrum?…

She finally came out and was done crying. Now she’s better and eating.

Girls are smart and boys are dumb

Bett had just gotten done telling n8 that boys were not smart, only girls were; she knew far fewer smart guys than smart girls.
“Daddy, you’re a genius!”  Hannah bounced into the room.  “Do you know what ‘genius’ means?”

“What?”

“It means you’re very, very smart.”

“Thank you.  Are you a genius too?”

“No.”

“Who else is a genius?”

“You, and Mommy… and me, and all the Addink family.”

Eli came in.  He had overheard that last part of the conversation.  “Not me!” he staunchly refused.

“You’re not a genius, Eli?”

“Nope!”

Like I said, girls are smart and boys are dumb.  Thank you, Eli.