Comps...

...are over. Thankfully we all survived, though it might have been the most difficult couple of weeks out of all 9 years of seminary (so far). Seth feels great about two of the tests and less than great about the third. We will have his results in a couple of weeks.

We are all glad to have Seth/Daddy back again. Benjamin has smiled more in the past two days than he has in a couple of weeks! It is amazing what a difference Daddy's presence can make, even in the minds of little ones. One afternoon, in the middle of last week, Benjamin had pitched fit after fit over silly things all morning long. Finally I took him down from the lunch table and took him to his bed, knowing he was tired and probably just needed a nap. As soon as I put him in bed he started crying big, sad crocodile tears. Through his sobbing he wailed, "Daaaaddy!" That was all it took to melt me. Poor little guy, he just needed his daddy! As I held and rocked him I told him, through my own tears, that Daddy missed him very much and soon he would be finished with his work and could come home again. I am so very thankful that I could comfort Benjamin with that, and that this hurdle is now behind us.

We did have a good time with my mom ("Mima") during her visit. I was so grateful for her help both with household duties and keeping my spirits up. She endured a lot, poor grandma: let's just say we washed several items of her clothing due to my children's ill-timed bodily functions.... But it wasn't all sickness and sadness. We enjoyed a day at the zoo, Halloween trick-or-treating, and numerous other activities. The kids really warmed up quickly, so much so that one morning Benjamin walked into the kitchen and requested, "hug?" I bent down to oblige when he spotted Mima behind me. He quickly changed his course, skirting around me and explaining, "No. Mima!"