Kid Wrangling and Dreams Come True

This week has been quite the roller-coaster. It's been my second week of campers at work and I have twice as many kids. I have 6 5-year olds, 1 6-year old and a 4 year old. There are 3 girls and 5 boys and they are the biggest handful ever. I know that teachers handle 30 kids at a time in their classrooms and I', sure it's really tough. However, my kids have never been to school, they don't know all the "classroom rules" yet, they are rambunctious and rowdy and they are outside, as in not at all contained. The thing with the boys is that they all know each other and two of them are brothers. They always want to play and just plain ignore me when I'm talking, believe my I've tried every trick up my sleeve. It's difficult to even begin to address behavior issues when you only have the kids for one week. My poor girls are nice and sweet and generally on task and listening. I feel sorry for them that the boys hog my attention because I'm always having to moniter them. On top of my crazy kids, I've had a nasty cold all week. I haven't been of Dayquil or Nyquil for more than 2 hours since Sunday. By the end of each day I can hardly squeek for loss of voice. Gross.

I really, really want to have kids--3 I think, but I swear if I end up with all boys I think I'll die. Some of my friends and relatives have only boy children and they say that they love it. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure I would love the boys, but they would run me ragged. Boys are just so obnoxious so much of the time. And they smell. And they think everything is either a sword or a gun. Watch, I'll end up with all boys because God will think I need to learn that boys are better than that or something. Please no!

On the bright side, there is a glimmer of dream come true in my future. About two weeks ago Ricky, Lucy and I were on a walk in a fancy neighborhood a few blocks up from our house. We were chatting about our plans for the next year or two (something we do weekly). I told him that I had finally resigned myself to the fact that we were probably going to have to end up staying in Seattle permanently. Realistically, this is where the jobs for him are and if he doesn't have a good job then I can't do the jobs I want to do (Heaven knows working part time at a non-profit doesn't pay well). I told him that there were things about Seattle that had grown on me and that while Oregon would always be first in my heart, I could continue to live here and be okay. Of course there were stipulations--as long as we keep eating at our favorite places, as long as we find some friends, etc. The point is, I had accepted the fact that I would have to make the most of where I was and have a good attitude about it. I had relinquished control and chosen to go where the wind blew me.

It was only 2-3 days after that conversation that one of our very best dear friends in Eugene told us that his place of business was looking to hire an engineer. The position is a very good one that Ricky is really interested in and that would be really great financially. He had an interview yesterday and it went really well. Now we have to just wait and see until next week. We're holding our breath and trying not to get our hopes set too high but it's difficult, this could be a dream come true. So, my week has gone a bit like this:

*cough*
internal prayer
*sneeze*
keep a kid from touching stinging nettle
*sneeze*
internal prayer
*cough cough cough*
stop boys from hitting each other with sticks
blow my nose
internal prayer

and on and on and on

Anybody that has some extra prayer time or wishing coins or whatever you do, please send a few our way!