Back in the living room

I finished dinner some time ago, but just got around to sitting back down to writing after doing the dishes. I hate washing dishes.



This morning I was at church working in the nursery from 8Am until 12:30. I've always enjoyed working in there. I have seen so many kids grow from babies to elementary school students. What an experience that is on it's own. Over the years that I have worked in the nursery, there have been so many kids that have come throught, but since high school I have seen so many of them grow up so much. I'm not going to use their actual names on here when I talk about them.

Nick has grown so much. He went from the little kid with no meat on his body to being big for his age. Not only has he physically grown, but he has also grown in a lot of other ways. Last year Nick would run around the nursery like a mad man. It was hard to get him to sit still for for more than one minute. Just two weeks ago he was in the nursery again during a church service because he didn't want to sit in the service. Nick wanted to play. So, Nick came into the nursery where he sat for at least five to ten minutes reading his magazines. Not only was he sitting still while reading, but he was also being quiet. What a change! He still likes to make noise and run around a lot, but he controls that much better. He doesn't yell inside anymore and he doesnt run out of control.

Joey is a little one year old that I have gotten to know in the past year. This little guy is probobly the cutest kid I have met in the nursery. This little red head already has more hair than I did in first grade. This cute kid learned to walk over the summer, which was so much fun to watch. One day he's walking with help from me. A week later Joey is taking a few steps on his own. A week later he's walking on his own. He really has grown on me. His parents know my whole family, so they are very comfortable with me. Not only is Joey's family comfortable with me, but Joey is too. He will walk over to me and sit down on my lap without even asking if I'm sitting on the floor. He knows if I build a tower of blocks that he can knock it down. Best of all Joey will run up to me just to give me a big hug and fall asleep in my arms waiting for his parents.

Then there's the blond bomb, Evan. Evan has also gotten used to me. He used to need me to help in do the puzzles. Now he's doing them on his own without any problems. When I first met him he was SO shy. He still is quiet, but also knows a lot. If you were to ask him what his favorite toy is he might not answer, but he woul go get it and bring it too you, then show you how to work it.

Claire is also a blond bomb who just LOVES games. It's near impossible to find a game of hers that doesn't have to do with princesses. Not only that, she also loves to color and play with play dough. This little one adores her mom, but also will love anybody who will play a game with her or help her do something she isn't good at. Over the past year I have babysat for her countless times. On one of those evenings I spent watching her, we played Hi-Ho-Cherry-O for three or four hours straight. It was interusting throughout those hours of the game-we never stopped talking about things like school or movies or books.

All of these kids have changed my life in some way. Nick taught me how to look at the simple things in a different way. Joey taught me so much about a smile and what a friend means to even the smallest person who can't even talk yet. Claire taught me so much about unconditional love- not only has she told me that she looks up to me and thinks of me as a sister, but I consider her one of the people who is the closest thing I have to a sister.

I'm sorry about all the stops and starts! I FINNALLY finished what I first started out to write about on this Sunday night. I hope everyone has had a good weekend.

Love ya all!
Erin