The "Finnster, et al."

Today around 5:30 my cell phone rang.  I saw it was mom and picked up.  Instead of regaling me of tales of her Summer she asked to speak to Finn.  So Finn and Nana had a conversation about Finn's day.  Finn is get pretty good at talking on the phone - a skill that will no doubt come in handy when he is a teenager. On the way home from JT's today Finn asked me if he could watch "Bolt."  I told him that he could watch it for a few minutes before bed.  Finn, immediately started his very loud, fake crying.  In response I turned the radio way up and let him get it out of his system.  He wailed until we pulled into the driveway.   When I turned the car off and all was quiet Finn said, very seriously, "mom, you hurt my feelings."  When we got inside we ate dinner.  I prepared chicken tenderloin, asparagus and sweet potatoes.  Finn thought that the chicken was a piece of fish and asked for a piece.  I gave it to him hopin...

This week has been one for the books.  I have never had so many trials in one week - well that is except for last week.  Basically for the past two weeks I have either been in court or preparing to be in court.Thankfully my sweet husband has taken the lead.  He has both dropped off and picked up the boys, he has fed the boys on my late nights at the courthouse, and he has done his darnedest to console a very fussy Sam.  Alas, the other shoe has dropped.  Today while Sam was crying Finn looked over at him and said, "it's okay little buddy."  So much sweeter than "STOP CRYING STOP CRYING STOP CRYING." Friday was my first day home with the boys in weeks. We slept in, ate toast for breakfast and then lounged until it was time to meet Daddy at Firehouse for our weekly family lunch.  Afterwards we went home to clean up the house while Finn watched "Kung Fu Panda;" Finn's new favorite show.  That night David, Sharon and Chelsea came over for ...

Father's day began with presents and cards in bed.  Finn energetically crawled into bed with Michael.  Michael, not being a morning person was no doubt thrilled to see us.   Finn gave Michael a personalized Mickey Mouse card.  I asked Finn what he wanted to say to his dad and he said he wanted to tell his daddy to "clean up." After church we took the boys to Opry Mills to go to the Bass Pro Shop.  We started the day with a little "Which Wich" in the food court.  Finn was super restless during lunch - mainly because he wasn't hungry; he ate too many pancakes for breakfast.  Next we started off toward Bass Pro Shop. We never found it - it must not be attached to the mall.  We walked the entire mall - I forgot how huge it is.  Sam rode in the stroller while Finn walked next to us.  Finn really wanted to push the stroller - that was a battle. Midway through Sam decided that he wanted to be held.  So I spent the better part of the...

On Wednesday while getting Finn ready for his day at JT's I put his VBS t-shirt on him.  He defiantly told me that he could not wear this shirt because he WAS NOT going to bible school.  He proceeds to tell me that he needs a "normal" shirt.   Later that day Mom came to help me for the rest of the week (I had three trials this week and could not adequately prepare and be a single mom).  The first thing we did was pick the boys up from JT's house.  Upon seeing Nana, Finn ran right up to her and gave her a hug.  Next we went to Wal-Mart where Finn conned an employee out of a bag of Cheeto's.  We had to pay for it of course.  Next we went home and made hamburgers steaks.  Finn even ate an entire "mini-hamburger steak" and professed to love it.  Next he played in daddy's special dirt (mulch) and emerged filthy. Nana gave Finn a bath while I prepared Sam for bed.  Before bed mom and I had a cup of coffee which kept her up most of ...

On Sunday Michael left for the entire week for a leadership conference in Knoxville (and took my laptop with him).  Early that morning we went to church, and then to Firehouse for lunch.  When we got home Michael packed up and was out the door by a little before 2:00.  Grandad and Gigi arrived a few minutes later to stay with us overnight. That night we ate supper at Brixx where Finn stabbed Grandad under the eye with a fork, bringing blood.  I think that Finn felt pretty bad because he wanted to lay in the booth and hide his face.  Despite the assault with a deadly weapon incident, Finn enjoyed a dinner of breadsticks followed shortly by chocolate ice cream with M'Ms at Marble Slab.  On this particular evening Finn ate his ice cream out of a cone.  He didn't understand exactly how to eat from the cone.  He would eat the ice cream down to the cone, and then hand it to me to eat the cone down so that he could get more ice cream. ...

Today we took Finn to see Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted.  Finn has been asking to see the "new Madagascar" for weeks.  He looked so cute sitting in those big movie chairs.  He wasn't quite heavy enough to weight the seat down, so his little legs angled up.  As you can see Sam came too.  He did really well. He sat through the entire movie without fussing.  Well, there was one little "change my diaper fuss."  Gran took him out to change his diaper and he was back in business. Finn exiting the theater. For some reason, Finn decided to scream right before I took this picture.  He just walked in front of the screen and just squealed as loud as he could. I had a lot of fun taking Finn to the theater.  When he got home Finn took a three hour nap.  Not too shabby.

Well, its Friday and VBS has come to an end - a truth that Cooper and Finn must come to accept.  Nana is clearly thrilled - just kidding.  Thank you Nana for taking on the mountainous task of two rambunctious little boys for a whole week.  Right about this time mom called me from VBS.  Finn decided that he wanted to talk.  He was very excited about something, but I couldn't quite understand what he was saying.  Mom told me that he was sitting on the table eating a push-up. After VSB mom, Emily, Cooper, Hank and Finn met me and Sam in Murfreesboro for lunch. I was so excited to see Finn. I had visions of him running to me, giving me a great big hug and telling me how much he missed me.  Instead, the minute he saw me shrunk down next to mom and looked very shy.  After I got sat down I asked him to come over and give me a hug.  He willing complied.  I guess once he hugged me all of his emotions came rushing up and jump...