It's Good To Have A Wife

Shannon and the girls arrived this past Monday for their long awaited visit. It seems like we were waiting forever for the day to arrive and the visit is already over.

The kids spent the week attending VBS at our church. Hannah was the only actual attendee as the other kids got to help. Rachel and Lori knew they were going as volunteers, but Aaron and Noelle were tapped at the last minute. Aaron took his job very seriously and was excited to show Noelle the ropes.

Each morning after we dropped the kids, I took Shannon to Caribou Coffee. It is her favorite and they don't have one nearby. I still can't believe she left knowing Caribou is here.

We spent the majority of our time talking nonstop and laughing our heads off. We think we are very entertaining. Our big girls...not so much. It is especially fun watching those two grow up together. When they are going through the same preteen phases and Shannon and I see it, we know it isn't poor parenting on our parts.

Our friend Bobbie and her daughter were here the first part of the week. Olivia, Bobbie's daughter, had a competition here so they stayed with us. It was nice to see them. The week would have been perfect if Cynthia could have made it.

Bobbie and Olivia....they are holding the drinks Shannon brought them from Caribou.


We say Holly is Bad "with" a bone. Bobbie and Olivia found this at Build A Bear at the mall and couldn't resist getting it for Holly.

I spent days before all the company arrived figuring out sleeping arrangements in my head. I thought I would put Bobbie and Olivia in Rachel's room, but wasn't sure if Olivia would feel left out if she wasn't with Rachel and Lori. I finally decided it would be fine and it was. Lori and Rachel slept on an air mattress in the office until Bobbie and Olivia left and then they reclaimed Rachel's room. Noelle slept on an air mattress in Hannah's room. Since PK wasn't here Shannon slept with me.

That last part may have afforded us the best laugh of the week. Apparently women just think they are little girls and don't mind having a sleepover in the same bed, but guys are extremely creeped out by it. It just made sense to me. We were able to relax and talk until we fell asleep and no one had to sleep in the living room on the futon. The futon is comfortable, but the person who sleeps in the living room has to get up when anyone else does just because people can be heard walking around as they come downstairs. I was expecting the kids to walk in and tell us it was time to stop talking and go to sleep.

Of course, we played Nertz. We had some workman in the house one day switching our internet service. Finally one of the guys asked if we were going to play all night. That was the plan. We would of course have to stop to fix dinner for the kids. He thought we were playing cards because the cable was out. We told him that we always do this and he commented that that isn't heard of much any more. Silly man.

One morning we had taken the kids to VBS and I realized I hadn't put the breakfast food away.

Me: Oh, shoot. I left the yogurt and fruit out on the island. I wonder if it will still be good.

Shannon: I put it away.

Me: Thanks! I noticed you made the bed, too. Thanks for doing that.

Shannon: Isn't it good to have a wife?

Yes. Yes, it is. Our husbands are two lucky men!

Since the husbands were not here, the week would not have been complete without Shannon and me completing a blue job. The conversation went something like this. Of course, you really have to know how Shannon and I swap sarcasm and silliness.

Shannon: Jody. Do you know how to make this toilet work? I used the bathroom and of course now I can't get it to flush.

Me: Uhh...you push the little silver handle down?

Shannon: Yeah...I tried that.

I walk into the bathroom and Shannon already has the top off the back of the toilet.

Me: Let's let it fill up and try again.

Shannon: I did that, but I don't think it is filling up.

I take the very tip of my finger and poke the little flippy thing in the tank down. I know it isn't toilet water, but there is something very gross about reaching in there.

Me: There.

Shannon: I did that and it didn't work. Well, it does seem to be filling up.

We are both standing there for what seems like a very long time staring into the tank of the toilet.

Me: Oh. It looks like my little bleach thing has dissolved. Now I know how long those last. I'll need to replace it.

Shannon: (With much excitement) Ohhhh! Don't you just love those?

Me: Yes! They are so nice and keep the toilet looking so clean.

Shannon: Yeah. Me too.

Rachel walks in while we are still staring into the tank of the toilet.

Rachel: Can I use the bathroom?

Me: Upstairs.

Rachel leaves.

Me and Shannon: (Something like this is exchanged.) Yes. We are both standing here staring into the toilet tank like we do all day every day just waiting for one of the kids to come in to use the bathroom. You would think when a kid walks into the bathroom and sees us standing here looking like idiots staring into the toilet tank they would figure out they really need to go use one of the other bathrooms. Sheesh.

The tank fills up and we try to flush. The little flappy thing lifts and water disappears but there is no flushing sound.

Shannon: Oh! Look. The little bleach thing is stuck in there.

Me: Let me grab something.

Seriously not wanting to stick my hand in there. I grab a knife and poke it. The tank fills up. The toilet flushes. We are very proud of ourselves for fixing the potty.


Rachel, Hannah, Lori and Noelle at the pool.

The youth volunteers were invited to a pool party on Friday after VBS. Since Shannon and I skipped out on volunteering for VBS, we volunteered to drive. We picked up the pizzas on the way which also lessened my VBS ditching guilt. The kids played and played and played. Shannon and I taught one of the ladies from my church to play Nertz. Another convert!

Shannon and I were exhausted when we got home from just sitting in the heat. Apparently it didn't bother the kids because they wanted to go jump on the trampoline. Where do they get that energy?

That was ammunition for the last big laugh. Shannon and I sat and watched the clock to reach 8:00 p.m. so we could go to sleep and not feel guilty for letting the kids wind down in front of the t.v. We reminisced about the days when we could stay up until 2 a.m. and still get up with the kids. We were so tired we probably would have paid the kids to go to bed earlier.