Long way to a point

Roxann went off to "All About Girls" (or was it "Time Out for Chicks" or something like that?) this weekend.  Whatever.  It was a convention for Mormon women to get together and complain about how bad they have it and reassure themselves that murdering their no good husbands and unruly children just isn't the answer.  It was a place for them to get together and cry about music and share testimonies and spend money.  It was great for her and she came home really happy.  So I hope she does it again next year.

Anyway...

I was picked up from work on Friday night and basically dropped off at the drive-way (Really, I dropped her off, but I am using a literary paint brush.  Give me a break, here).  Anyway, not wanting to actually feed the children with my own hands, we went over to Little Caesers and picked up a $5 pizza... which ended up being 2 of those, some wings, and a drink.  So that actually came out to about $20 (Sorry, Rox).  The kids and I had a great night.  We ate, watched a movie together and then off to bed.  Roxann came home sometime around 11 or so.  She told me all about it and even brougt me a book to read.  (This book)  Before I went to bed I read quite a bit of it.  We got to bed late and Roxann was planning to get up early the next morning.  That left me to deal with Caitlyn.  'Bout 1Am she peed the bed and got up.  I got her changed out and her bed re-made and back into it.  She got up a couple more times, but eventually I think we got to bed around 1:30.  

I don't even remember what happened next.  I woke up at around 9:30 AM.  Too late.  The kids had trashed the kitchen and were working on the play-room.  We watched a movie for a while and I tried in vain to ge them to clean up the play-room.  Eventually I got them dressed and we played for a while.  The pile of clothes on the couch was calling to me.  "Fold us...  Fold us!  FOLD US!!!"  I ignored it and tried to find a list that I was sure that Roxy had left me.  I found it on the fridge.  It said...  Clean up the porch.  So we did.  In the cold, wet rain (Thanks for that, BTW).  Ben and I got the dishes done (first round).  The laundry was calling again.  I wished it would shut-up.  We had lunch...  of course Caitlyn wouldn't eat it.  She never eats anything.  I put her out for a nap and Ben and I did the second round of dished.  I laid down and only got about a half-hour before Roxann called me and said she was on her way home.  She wanted to go to Adult session of conference.  We had no babysitter.  We had a few offers, but agreed that I would continue to stay with the kids while she went with Jenny and the Bishop.  So finally, we had dinner and I did those stupid clothes on the couch.  All done.  Kids to bed late and I got to relax.

Now let me just take a moment and tell you about the clothes that were folded.  I am going to toot my own horn here because that was a feat.  Seriously.  The clothes pile is an evil monster, bourne of "not enough time" and pickled in "it sucks to do".  When it has fermented long enough and grown large enough it is too horrible a task to undertake.  Each day it feeds on the fresh laundry and our sorrow.  So yesterday, I put on my climbing gear and started the trek to the top so I could dismantle the beast.  It is done and I think that I have post traumatic stress syndrome from it.

Here is the before picture...

And here is the after picture...

I shudder at the thought of doing it again.

Anyhoo...  This is all leading up to something that made me so proud to be a father.  I decided that I would read some stories from the book Roxann brought home for me.  It is a collection of Thomas S. Monson stories.  I read a couple to the kids just before prayer.  They loved them.  Especially Ben.  Ben usually reads for a half-hour or so after we put him to bed.  Saturday night, he asked if he could take it with him.  He read for about an hour before he went to bed.  Tonight, we had a mini-home evening and we read some scripture and another story from the book.  Ben had already read it and was able to contribute to the lesson.  As soon as we were done, he went to the basket and produced a hymnal.  He was looking for a song that was in context with the lesson.  We sang three songs together.  It was awesome.  Tonight, he was out of books to read, so he did what he always does when he is out of books, grabbed his scriptures.  Benjamin is such a good boy.  He has an unparalleled love for reading and especially loves to read his scriptures and anything else of a spiritual nature that sparks his interest.  He is building his testimony in a way that I have never seen before. I am so proud of him.