Let's Change the Subject

Me: "Jack, Mommy is really tired. Please go to sleep and don't play. If you love me, obey me."


Jack: "Mommy, you wear three shirts today." :-)

Sunday School answer

While reading a children's book about the first Easter:

Ty: "Mommy there's God."

Me: "No Ty, that's a squirrel."

Gwoss

It was poop. Another first for me. I'd heard of it happening, but to experience it, well, that's something else.

Just to clerify, it was Ty (not me) who did it.

Good guesses people.

Create your own adventure

A week ago Jack's swim teacher told him that his homework was to blow bubbles in the bathtub. Enough procrastinating, tonight the kids bathed.

They played pirates and basketball in the tub while I put on my PJs and laid on my pillow on the floor outside the bathroom. Jack misbehaved and had to get out of the tub.

While I'm drying him off and again explaining how I will not allow him to be unkind to Ty, I'm interrupted by a little voice:

"Gwoss! That's gwoss!"

I turn my head back toward Ty and find:



Now it's your turn, I'm always telling you the ridiculous, the gross and unbelievable. You finish the story in the comment section. In a few days I'll let you know if you are correct!

Cinderella

Some days I feel like Cinderella, cleaning up after two messy boys and two messy dogs.

Then some days I feel like the step-sisters, but only cause my feet are so big.

Yeah, we do

Every now and then Ty will burst out with:

"Daddy loves me!!"

He loves you too, Daddy. So does Jack.

Things I never thought I'd hear myself say

"Jack, did you take Ty's ears off again?"

Bookshelf --check

Poor thing!

Today I found this poor dog trapped in my compost pile. He looks so hungry and unkempt. He must have been digging in there for food.

What should I do with it?

Does anyone know where I can find a good home for him?


Look how sweet he looks!

Spring!

It's coming!

The wind is blowing it in as we speak.

Nothings says spring like the trees budding out,



like Leprechaun running around the house,

like the first day of swimming lessons --preparing for a summer filled with chlorine and sunscreen.

and little brothers itching to get some camera time.

Now you're hungry

Claire recently learned about a donut store that is open 24 hours a day.

Krispy Kreme

Last weekend the boys and I spent the weekend in Austin visiting my sister's family.

Friday Claire asked if we could go out for donuts.

Why not?

We tell the kids we will get ONE donut (it's after 7:00 pm. There's no way we want them to have two donuts worth of sugar in their systems.) Into the minivans we go. We arrive at Krispy Kreme donuts and are greeted by the smell of hot oil and sugar. Mmm...

The college student behind the counter handed each of us a sample.

The children savor the hot fresh donut as they watch the assembly line of hundreds of donuts --all preparing for their journeys to the gas station. There they will get cold and soggy as they await the hungry on Saturday morning. It's such a sad thing. The perfect donut, 12 hours later becomes a waste of calories.

But not tonight. Tonight it was perfect. The children, now wearing a paper hat, happily dance around the restaurant each a little buzzed by the sugar. The kids receive a lesson in the creation of the donut, the adults the teachers. It was a fun 20 minutes.

Now what.

We've had our donut, watched the conveyor belt, and are wearing the hat.

Do we have to buy something?

Not that we didn't want to pay, entertainment like this deserves it's monetary reward, we just didn't want the under 40 pounders to consume any more sugar.

"I'm not giving my boys another one," I tell Emily and Tommy.

They look at each other as they deliberate the next move.

And do we want to buy Krispy Kremes that we won't eat until tomorrow? Nooooo... cause that's gross.

We look at the shelves of donuts. We look at the four guys standing behind the counter doing nothing. (The donuts make themselves, I don't know why they need so many employees.) We opt to buy a dozen "cake" donuts for tomorrow's breakfast.

They look like they will hold up fine.

They do.

There's nothing like waking up on a Saturday morning with donuts ready and coffee a mug and a push of a button away.

Seven people. An evening treat, an outing, a cool hat and breakfast, how much you ask?

$6.74

With prices this low, why even have a job?

Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road

This past Sunday I got to accompany Lawson and Caroline to their church in Austin. Their pastor, Matt, brought up this passage in his sermon:

These commandments [10 commandments] that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.

-Duet. 6:6-9

This is one of my favorite passages.

As a Christ-follower, my goal in parenting is that by the time my children are grown they will be well aware that they are sinners, that their sin keeps them from being able to spend eternity with God, and that following Jesus is the only way to be made right in God's sight.

And I want them to chew with their mouth closed, say thank you and eat their vegetables.

So, I am always looking for opportunities to educate my little boys on "Who God is."

At this age, these conversations don't always go as you plan.

In the car on the way home from AWANA, Jack tells me again his verse for the night. Then he says:

Jack:

"God loves me.

God will protect me from all the bad things."

Me (not wanting my child to grow up believing in the prosperity gospel):
Well Jack, God does love you, and he promises that He will always be with you.

Even when things are bad, He will be with you. He will be with you when things are hard."

Jack:

Oh! My new climbing thing is hard!"

Ty:

"Dump trucks are hard!"

Me:

"Uh, right."

There are some evidences that the boys are developing an understanding of who God is. As was shown in a little conversation the boys had tonight:

Ty:

"God made boys."

Jack:

"And Girls."

Ty:

"And sheep! And cows!"

Jack:

"God made all the animals."

Me:

"Ty, what is your favorite thing God made?"

Ty:

"Everything!"

Jack:

"God made everything!"

Ty:

"And sheep!"

If I...

(Becca)
I could wile away the hours
Conferrin' with the flowers
Consultin' with the rain
And my head I'd be scratchin'
While my thoughts were busy hatchin'
If I only had a brain

I'd unravel any riddle
For any individ'le
In trouble or in pain

(Dorothy)
With the thoughts you'd be thinkin'
You could be another Lincoln
If you only had a brain

(Becca)

Oh, I would tell you why
The ocean's near the shore
I could think of things I never thunk before
And then I'd sit and think some more

I would not be just a nuffin'
My head all full of stuffin'
My heart all full of pain
I would dance and be merry
Life would be a ding-a-derry
If I only had a brain