A Presidential Day

A couple of years ago I gave the boys a writing assignment. They were to write President Bush and just tell him about themselves. I told them that he would not personally read them, but he probably had a system that in return for a letter to him, they would get a letter from him.

It worked. They got nice letters and pictures from the President. And even a Christmas card that same year!

David decided in the summer to write a letter to President Bush. I guess he was just in a letter writing mood that day. The letter was good and so I mailed it.

(Not all letters are postage stamp worthy. Some letters have bad penmanship, or incorrect spelling and I won't send letters like that.)

Yesterday, David got this picture from President Bush. It has David's name on it, he thinks that is so cool. The letter was addressed to Master David Beavers. Thankfully, he hasn't expected us to refer to him as Master. The time could come though!

As a homeschool mom, its always good to know that those extra assignments we give our children really count! They make a difference in the child's life and sometimes make a memory you can frame!

Let me add that the boys did send letters to President Obama. He responded to one of them with a letter that was not on a grade schooler's level of understanding, or even caring. The boys were not thrilled with the response, so no more letters have been written to him. I'll have them write letters to him again as a writing assignment to see if they get a different response, but we'll do that later in the year.

Happy Birthday David!

You turned 9 yesterday. It's hard to believe that so much time has passed since the very first time I heard you cry, and the very first time I saw your sweet little face.

9 years old. WOW!

You are a voracious reader. You take a book everywhere you go. It doesn't matter if we are just going to the church, you still have a book with you for the two minute ride.

You are also writing your own book. I can't wait until you finish and I can read the final version.

You have a sensitive spirit and kind heart. You don't like to cuddle as much as you used to, but you are 9 afterall. I guess that just happens as you get older. Oh well, I'll be sure and snatch a cuddle from you as often as I can.


You have done great in school this year. Third grade hasn't been too tough for you. You're such a good student. You make my job easy.

I'm so glad God chose me to be your mom.

Happy Birthday Dave!!!
I love you!

When Anna was 1, she cut her thumb on something. We don't know what for sure. We think maybe a tape measure. It bled, and bled, and bled some more. And required three stitches. She was the first of our children to get stitches. It seemed wrong at the time. It seemed even more wrong when 6 months later she fell off a chair, hit the dining table, cut her lip and got three stitches under her bottom lip. Still the only child to have stitches.

David and Daniel have since been run over by scooters and poked by a rusted hand plow and have had stitches of their own. Samuel still has never had any. It isn't that he is any less clumsy, I think his skin is just thicker.

The thing I learned from Anna's ER visits was that peroxide gets blood out of clothing (or carpet). Did you know that? It works like magic! The blood just disappears. Its like a miracle cleaner. It doesn't work, however, on ink in carpet. I tried that!

Yesterday David came in saying he was bleeding. And he was right!
His wart (are you as grossed out as I am by that word?) was bleeding. Oh the humanity! Gross!!!
I called the doctors office (after cleaning up the blood from the carpet in 4 rooms and my electric blanket) and made an appointment for that afternoon.

Today we are wart-free! It wasn't without much agony and gnashing of teeth. Not mine, but David's. That kid cried for almost an hour. Not just cried, but screamed, wailed, and bounced around in the seat in the van. It was crazy and painful for all of us. Daniel and Anna were scared to death. Daniel had never seen his brother in pain like that and couldn't contain his tears. It was sweet that he showed such compassion for him. He even yelled at me one time (he had to yell, he couldn't be heard over David's crying) to TAKE HIM BACK TO THE DOCTOR!! It was sweet, but I yelled back NO, I'M TAKING HIM HOME! And I did.

A facebook friend,(who we first met when she was in the 7th grade at our first church where Stephen did youth ministry, now she's a grown-up married and has a child. Am I really that old?) told me about the wart fairy. Apparently the wart fairy leaves something special in the sock drawer at night. Like the tooth fairy. Well, I have enough trouble remembering that the tooth fairy visits, that I just couldn't do the wart fairy. And really? A wart fairy? What must he look like? YUCK!!!

Its great to be eight!

picture from summer of 2007

I can't believe that David and Daniel are 8 years old today.

I know all mothers say that. But really. Where has the time gone?

I can still remember all the events of April 24, 2001 as if they happened just hours ago.

But I promise not to go over them with you now. Just suffice it to say that Dillards does not sell socks anywhere near where they sell shoes. So if you are a pregnant woman on your way to the hospital to deliver your twin babies. And you need a pair of socks, because the thought of no socks in the hospital makes you cringe, and because you didn't know you were going to the hospital when you left home for your doctors appointment. Then don't park by the shoe department thinking that the socks would be nearby. You know, thinking that socks and shoes naturally go together. Because Dillards sells socks on the direct opposite side of the store from the shoes. And you might think that you feel fine and being dilated to a 4 (sorry guys!) isn't a big deal. Let me assure you that it is a big deal. You WILL BE out of breath and barely able to make it out of the store. Much less able to drive yourself to the hospital and walk the mile from the parking garage to the OB floor. So, remember that socks and shoes are not sold together!(Note to Dillards: could you maybe sell SOME socks in the shoe department?)

I can remember how my mom sounded on the phone when she realized she wasn't going to be with me for the birth of the twins.

I can remember how they sounded when they cried for the first time. They sounded like kittens, it was so sweet.

I can remember holding them both for the first time. And thinking that two babies at one time had to be the greatest gift God could ever give a person.

I also remember wondering how in the world we were going to tell these boys apart. They looked just alike!

That day brought chaos, excitement, joy, peace, and contentment. It was a wonderful day. And I'm glad that I get to celebrate all of that again today.

Happy Birthday David!
Happy Birthday Daniel!
I am so glad to be your mom!