The M&M Story

PB015090 Originally uploaded by smaynor . As Briggs was reading, his precious piggies listened intently.

Reading in bed Originally uploaded by smaynor . Our typical night routine includes reading books on my bed amidst pillows, blankets, and piggies. The other night I told the boys to go pick out their books, and we'd meet in my room in a few minutes. As I walked in, this beautiful picture greeted my eyes.

Spiderman and Piglet Originally uploaded by smaynor . My children have never been trick-or-treating before this year. A friend called and invited us to their neighborhood so we decided to try it out. Max, my somewhat obedient one, was gracious and kind as any four year old can be. If the people said take two, he took two. If they said take four, he would take four. He offered jokes when asked, mostly making up his own knock, knock ones. Briggs, on the other hand, was a different story. He quickly figured out the secret to getting the most candy. When several kids are crowded around the bowl and the person says take two, you take two, and then you slide your hand up again and grab a bunch more. I had to closely monitor my little pig. As we turned to walk off the front porch, Briggs would say, "next house? next house?"

Today a friend told me her daughter moved back to town. And during the course of the conversation, she said something that has stuck with me all day. She mentioned how her daughter's church was so close and "if ______ broke fingernail, they would pray with her." And I thought of how crazy my life is and how I tell people I will pray for them and then as I fall into bed after an exhausting day of marble tracks and soccer and carpool and diapers, I realize how little I had prayed for them that day and now it is late and I'm tired and focus is hard. During Brian's illness I had the privilege of experiencing the verse "pray continually." And funny thing is, it works. No, not all our prayers were answered the way we wanted, but they were heard and they were answered, by the Creator of the universe. I see why God wants us to trust Him with our life, because I know He doesn't get distracted like I do.

Conversation on the way to school: Carsyn: I'm going to be a Rescue Hero when I grow up. Max: I'm going to be a daddy then a Rescue Hero when I grow up. Carsyn: I'm going to be a mommy, too, but first I'm going to be a Rescue Hero. Max: I'm going to be a daddy first, then a Rescue Hero. Hey, will you be my wife? Carysn: (with an incredulous look) Umm, no. Max: Okay. Well, I'm still going to be a daddy and a Rescue Hero. Carysn: I'm going to be a Rescue Hero, too. The other day Max and I were discussing marriage, or at least why mommys and daddys get married, and I explained that a person marries their best friend, besides Jesus. He responded with, "Well, I will ask Carsyn to marry me." It certainly makes sense to him.

color adjusted photo Originally uploaded by smaynor . These children are beautiful. And smart and sassy and creative and energetic and amazing.

Making apple pie at school Originally uploaded by smaynor . I spent Tuesday morning shooting video and taking pictures for Max's class as they made apple pie for part of their apple unit. It was great to meet kids that I haven't and see the class in action. I also enjoyed seeing Max outside the safety and comfort of our family. His two best friends are in the class, and they are thick as thieves. They have such loyalty for one another, making sure the others have a seat or a swing or a snack. I also noticed that my son is a little like his father. Now Brian was an exceptional man - loving, kind, generous, wise -but he was also quite lazy. He LOVED reading his New Yorker all morning rather than work on house projects. Not that I would qualify reading all morning as lazy, but he just enjoyed sitting reading, thinking, or resting far more than tasks. On Tuesday, I saw a little bit of that in Max. At first, the apple pie was a novel idea. But soon, his eyes wandered over to the bl