Didn't go on my adventure. That's ok. Next weekend, perhaps.

Realized that I'm completely, utterly, and helplessly, an extrovert. Had every intention to spend the whole weekend alone - reading, sleeping, watching movies... so far, I've managed to only watch one movie and work out alone. That's all. The Wal-mart run, dinner, lunch, the Gathering visit, everything, I managed to find people to enjoy it with. ;)

Also realized just how much I really really REALLY love working with children. "DUH" the rest of you are thinking. But it *really* hit me when I had a 5 mos. old on my arm, a 2 year old running around the table, a 5 year old begging me for a piggy back ride, an 8 year old throwing a ball about the room, and a 9 year old taking apart the goal of an air-hockey table to pull out marbles, a puck, and dominoes that one of the younger siblings had shoved into it...

I had been sneezed upon, jumped upon, my hair had been pulled into painful pigtails by a 5 year old who was "playing with my hair," cried upon, baby-spat upon, and I didn't care. I wasn't stressed out. In fact, I was thrilled to be there.

By the time the parents were home, the youngest two were sound asleep, the older three were quietly watching the Incredibles while drawing with coloring books and markers, they were *all* clean (diapers changed, faces washed, baths taken, and pjs on)... (Credit MUST be given to their parents who brought them up with the ability to listen to authority...)


The funniest thing was it took me until the little 5 year old was leaning against me, coloring her book, and my holding her markers on my lap and contently watching the Incredibles (for the dozenth or so time in the last 12 mos.) that not everybody LIKED doing this. I am so happy God gave me the ability to enjoy working with children. He, afterall, cares about us when we have runny noses and tear-stained faces. He loves us when we bug him like crazy for what we want. When we plead for help with wordless sobs like a baby.

I hope to be more like *HIM* everyday.