Friday Funnies

 Meet Ryan Price. (Formerly known as "Ry-Ry" to Asher. He recently graduated to calling him "Ryan Price"-most always with his first and last name together.) If Asher were to have one, Ryan would definitely be on his "Top 10 Favorite People" list. Partly because he's an incredibly gifted piano player. And if you know our Asherboy, you know how dear music is to his soul.

Ryan plays the keyboard at our church, New Life.  We've known and loved Ryan for a long time...way back before we were even married he was in our Hope Group as a silly, but thought-provoking college guy.  It's been neat to see how much Ryan has matured (in most areas) and how he loves the Lord with all that he is.

Ryan and his adorable wife Sara have become good friends of ours.  Here they are at Asher's circus birthday party.  (I will post about this soon.)  They kindly obliged to take all the pics for our photo booth.

They are also the ones who took our awesome family pictures when we were originally starting the adoption process (I don't think I've mentioned that yet here on the blog.) The Prices LOVE adoption. (If you're adopting, go check out Ryan's "Photos to Adopt" post here.)   In the last couple months, our plans have changed a bit, as we believe that God is calling us to go the foster (with the intention to adopt) route.  Ryan and Sara are also taking foster training with us right now.  (We should all be certified in June! Woohoo!)

Anyway...sorry....I got side tracked from the Friday Funnies with my long introduction.  Now that you know Ryan and Sara...

A few weeks ago, I was busy cleaning the house while Asher was making "music" back in his room. Since the Hendrick's gave us Hayden's old (complete!) drumset there has been a bunch of music-making going on in the Apel home.  I walked back to his room to return some lost toys, when he was pounding on the keyboard.  He proudly said, "Look, Momma, I'm being Ryan Price."  and this is what I saw:

Friday Funnies: Nursing Home Edition

We've been visiting a nursing home with a few friends and their young children for a couple months.  

Our first visit upon arriving at the nursing home each week is to "the lady in the blue chair".  We follow the same routine each time with Ms. Alma.  As soon as we walk in, we see Ms. Alma in her blue chair, she greets us and Asher runs up to give her a hug.  She lovingly slaps his cheeks so hard with excitement.  (I wish I could have recorded the expression on Asher's face the first time we went to visit this sweet lady. Asher's "What on earth on you doing to me, lady?" look slowly turned into a sweet little sheepish grin as she told him "what a pretty little girl" he was.)

Lately, Asher's gotten so bold as to correct her by saying, "Hey, Lady! I am NOT a girl! I am a BOY!!"  But, sweet Ms. (Hard-of-Hearing) Alma just replies with more hard slaps and, "Yeah, you sure are! Pretty girl!!" 


Same.Routine.Every.Time. (But, Asher hasn't quite figured out that she can't hear his desperate rebuttal.)

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I try to "prep" the kids before each visit.  Any time "nursing home" is mentioned Asher immediately says something about "the lady in the blue chair".  I tried to capture the scripted conversation that goes on between us each time we talk about visiting the nursing home, but for some reason it's just not the same when the camera is rolling.  Maybe I am a little irritating with all my prompting? :

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Ms. Alma's not the only one who thinks Asher looks girly.  Megan and I were chatting with some ladies while painting their nails.  We were pointing out which kids belonged to whom, when Ms. Mildred cut me off, "Did you say that was your son?  Well, you listen to me--don't you go letting him be a sissy!!" 


I politely tried to reassure her that he was ALL boy but she continued, "Well he may run around and act like a boy, but he looks like a sissy!  The first impression paints a good picture, so don't let him look like one!"  


How do you argue with that?  (Luckily for Ms. Mildred, Megan was painting her nails.)  And sweet Ms. Helen kindly cut in and said, "Well, he sure is pretty enough to be a girl, anyway..."

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While visiting Ms. Leona, (who gave us permission to come visit her for "just a little while,") Melissa and I were gushing over how great she looked for being 97 years old.  Asher quickly took notice and wanting to be included in praising her himself, walked up and said, "Wow, you have a really great imagination!!!"

After a few minutes of conversation we sensed that it was time to move on, so we started saying our goodbyes.  When it was Asher's turn he leaned in to give Ms. Leona a tight embrace around the neck and unintentionally sent him and Ms. Leona flying across the room in her wheelchair.*  After that, it was, indeed, time to make our exit.

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We made our next visit to Ms. Cleo.  (She is definitely one of the kids' favorite residents for her constant "I love you, I love you, I love you's", her willingness to go outside and feed the ducks with them, her continuous hand squeezes and her love for singing songs, especially Old MacDonald. Oh, and McKlayne likes her for her 'pretty necklace(s)'.)  


Last week, Asher picked up her aged hand and brought it right up to his eyes, "Whoa! Those things are WRINK--LE--YYYYY!!!"  Sweet Ms. Cleo just responded with "I love you, I love you, I love you."

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Bloopers:

(Ashley, what is up with the "dirty" kisses?)

*Disclaimer: No elderly were injured in the makings of this Friday Funnies.

What's a Mother to do?

When....

her thoughtful three year old proudly presents a carefully crafted beaded necklace just for his "Momma to wear"?

She wears it, of course.

Then...when packing up to head to Kroger the three year old says, "Momma, where is your necklace I made you?  Will you PLEASE wear it to Kroger?"

The mother (vainly) hesitates and squirms a bit...then see this face:

"All the mans and ladies will like it.  Especially William," (William is the produce guy.) the three year old assures his mother.

The mother gets many double takes from other ladies and "I feel sorry for you" gazes from college girls at the grocery store.  But, as the proud three year old marches right up to William to show off his mother's new necklace, this mother is even prouder.  "I made this necklace for my Momma.  Doesn't she look beautiful?"

I love you sweet, Asherboy.  Thank you for my beautiful necklace.  It perfectly accessorized my pink cardigan, how did you know?