31.

On Jer's birthday, we met him for dinner after work at Joe's Farm Grill and there was a very looong line. It was after bedtime when we finally got our food and sat down to eat. We had also been swimming all day that day and the kids hadn't eaten since lunch. They were both super grumpy and starving out of their minds. Kosty wasn't too pleased with the menu and wanted a plain hamburger patty and fries. Joe's does not have kids hamburgers, so they gave him an adult patty (as big as his head) and it was on a bed of lettuce with fries on another plate. Instead of just scarfing it down because he was so hungry, he threw a fit about its presentation! he didn't like the bed of lettuce. and he wanted his fries next to his meat. Oh, he was ticked alright. So he marched off and sat on the ground under the big (scorpion) tree and pouted. We read him the sign and he knew that it wasn't the safest place to sit, but he was too mad to give a darn. So he sat there, and we laughed. And took pictures. Jer's parents were with us and they sure got a kick out of him. Finally, he snuck over to the table and grabbed his food and snuck back to the tree, only this time he sat on the other side so we couldn't see him give in and EAT. The pride of this child is unbelievable!

Well, when he came back about 60 seconds later, there was not a single crumb leftover. He ate the enormous patty and the fries and came back totally happy and smiling.

At 3:00 in the morning, we awoke to the sound of him barfing. The whole meat patty. It was the grossest ever. And it left grease stains on his sheets. He is still grossed out by meat and hasn't eaten it since. (and that's A ok with me). Jer doesn't know it yet but we are slowly becoming a vegetarian family. And by vegetarian, I mean not really. We still eat chicken. Just no more barf. I mean beef.

a day in the life of a tyrant.

^ a typical day in Brayden's world

I must tell Kosty a million times a day that he is sure lucky that his big brother is NICE. And patient. And does not seek revenge. Kosty acts like he is 10 feet tall around him. And he told me not to post this because of his underwear, but I refuse to abide by his rules. crap, here he comes!

When Kosty was on meds for his pneumonia, he insisted on having a cookie and water right next to him as he plugged his nose and inserted his own antibiotics. Giving him the control makes him controllable sometimes. 

legoland.

Even though I hate clutter, I love his because he works so hard on these creations and I have to agree, this is the perfect wall...they need to be up semi high, and his dresser is not long enough. My sis in law was cracking up when she came to visit. She couldn't believe I had legos as a permanent decor feature in our home. She asked, "what do you do when the home teachers come over?" 

I told her they don't mind.

ladybug fun with madison ♥

One day when we were driving home from school, a giant ladybug flew right into our car and landed right by Kosty. We got him out and they played with him for a while. I love these two together. She brings out the best in Kosty. We will surely miss her when they move to California! I hope she does not forget about him because that would get pretty awkward on the day they are married.  

kosty's zoo field trip

^ happy because he was first on the frog

^ pouting because he did not get his preferred seating on el komodo dragon

Kosty and his class got to go to the Zoo a few weeks ago, and I got to tag along. Good thing I did, because I know no other chaperone would have carried him for the last 30 minutes because he had no shoes on his feet. (he decided to go stomp in the stream and soak his socks and shoes).

Yesterday, I got to chaperon Brayden's field trip to Halle Heart Museum. On our way there, I was sitting next to a little girl named Isabella. She had long brown hair with golden highlights and big blue eyes. She  immediately asked me if Brayden could come to her house. Her house on the mountain. With a pool and a dog. Her mom lives in Tennesse, and she packs her own lunches everyday. 2 Tuna fish sandwiches. I tried to sidestep the play date question, but she was not having it. When I told her that her dad would probably rather her have a girl over to play, she told me how mean girls are and how nice Brayden is and she only wants him to come play. Then when I said her dad and I don't know each other, she rattled off her phone number and told me to give him a call. Finally, I was able to change the subject and she told me this..."I know how to kill someone with my thumb." I asked her what she meant and she told me that she would just stick her thumb all the way through some one's eye ball. I said, "hmmm, like if there was someone attacking you or hurting you or trying to kidnap you ONLY, right?" she said, "or if someone is mean to me." Then she pointed to another girl on the bus..."You know Zoee? She hates me. She is SO mean to me." I told her surely she was not hated but that she should stick to kids that are kind. She said, "Like Brayden." Eek. After coming to find out that she not only has a crush on him, she is semi psycho obsessive, that dang thumb conversation keeps coming back...and I'm thinking I should have warned Zoee to be nice...


After the museum tour, we had lunch at the park and made our way back to the buses. As I looked for a seat, my eyes met with a special little girl named Dylan. She said, "Mrs. Figgins? Will you please sit by me?" 


(Dylan is a little girl in Brayden's class who last year got hit by a car on her way to the bus stop and while she was in the hospital getting an MRI, they discovered a tumor in her brain and she was diagnosed with a rare brain cancer). 


I told her I would LOVE to, and I began asking her about how she was feeling and what she liked about the field trip. She told me that they had been celebrating because last week the doctor told her that the tumor is now the size of a grape. It used to be the size of a walnut. It shrank because of her radiation. She told me all about the pluses and minuses of each hospital and that Phoenix Children's is at the very top of her list. She told me that she and her family were in the middle of a big decision: she can either have the tumor removed with the risk of losing her vision, OR she can go through chemo and just lose her hair. She then told me that she would rather lose her hair. Because she really didn't want to lose her sight. My heart was breaking and my eyes teary as I listened to her explain her tough choice. She did like the idea of a guide dog, but they don't give you those until you are 18. Then she told me that getting hit by the car had actually saved her life and that she was glad it happened so they could discover the tumor. I could not believe my ears. She was completely calm and collected. And smart. And aware. And brave. And unbelievably sweet. She was talking in a language that no child should ever have to know. She knew all of the medical terms, and she understood exactly what was happening to her body. Yet, she did not complain. She did not seem fearful of the future. Her maturity was astounding. I was looking at the face of a living angel, that is wise beyond her years. 


I told her how special she was and that she should keep on being brave. And sweet. And that Brayden and I will be praying for her daily. She smiled sweetly and thanked me and then she rested her head on my shoulder and fell asleep. 


I cannot get her out of my mind, and I know that I was at the right time and the right place and that being able to share that conversation with her was a gift. Life was surely put into perspective. I am becoming more impatient with petty complainers, including myself. I never want to forget our conversation. Life isn't fair. But what an example she is.