Random Tidbits

**I have had this blog post half written for a week and a half, so it might be a bit disjointed and random**

I have absolutely no brain power left but I am going to write anyway. The past week has been Collection Week for Operation Christmas Child. This is my favorite, favorite thing to help with and my kids love it too. During Collection Week, different churches and organizations around the area drop off their shoeboxes where they are counted, rubber banded and packed into cartons. The cartons go onto semi trucks and are sent (now) to Baltimore. Today, Tyler had the day off and the other kids didn't. I told him it would be our 'date' day and asked him what he wanted to do. His requests? Go help with the shoeboxes and eat french fries. "Two big boxes of fwench fwies" to be exact. He kindly suggested that I could buy my own if I wanted any. We went to help with shoe boxes and as it turns out there was a crew of men coming up from the city to help. They came from a rehab house that our sister church runs in Kensington. The guys were big, burly and tough. Tyler got right up in there and started showing them all how to pack shoe boxes. He just walked right up and started talking. I basically exploded with pride. While some of them were talking about O.D.ing and their wife leaving and their mental illnesses, there was Tyler chatter away. They all learned to pack shoe boxes and they packed them with joy. When it came time for us to leave, they called out 'Goodbye little guy!' to Tyler. I think he made some friends. :)

In other news, James made the funniest of funnies. Last year, we went with some friends to a live nativity play. There happened to be a live camel there with which my friend Hannah and I were fascinated. We might have even hatched a plan to camel-nap said dromedary and keep him for our very own. Fast forward to this year. We are all going again, and Hannah mentioned a great 'Camel Caper'. I was joking to the kids, and said I was going to knit a really large bag so that Hannah and I could steal the camel. Tyler's eyes grew very big and he said 'REALLY??' Um, no. But it would be fun. James looked at me, wheels turning, and said 'Mom, you don't need to knit a bag. Just wear a really big sweater and you can just stuff it in your shirt and people will think you just have large breasts.' (yes, those were his near-exact words) Then he looked at me and added deadpan 'But make sure you steal a two hump camel, Mom. Not a one hump camel.' And I died. Pretty much, this kid has my sense of humor, which I inherited directly from my dad. At first, I wasn't sure if I should be proud or embarrassed, but dang it! I'm proud. That kid is hilarious and quick thinking. And heck, he might be on to something for Operation Dromedary Shenanigan....