Jimmy went on a church youth trip this past weekend. We went to my hometown for most of the time he was gone. The good thing about going to my Mama's house is that there are more grownups to help, to laugh at all the crazy stuff that goes on, and to think of and sometimes prepare what we will eat next. We had a good time, and we gave my Mama and Daddy plenty to laugh about.
On Saturday morning, I got up early and went yard saling again. I found a play kitchen and play food to stay at MaJe's house. I also found a sturdy tricycle for Bug to ride. I bought a few clothes and puzzles, but the real steal of the day was a double jogging stroller for only two dollars. I'm so excited about this purchase, because we have no way to go out on the road with all four children at the same speed. For example, if I stroll Birdie and Lou Lou strolls Bug, Bear prefers to ride on his bike and he goes way ahead of us, so most of the walk involves hollering for him to wait, which of course makes his day:). The other option is for the twins to ride bikes, I still stroll Birdie, and Bug walks along at a two-year old's pace behiind me. We're left with the same problem of mostly walking, hurrying, and hollering. The double jogging stroller will alleviate these concerns, I hope. We haven't tried it out yet, but we'll see how it goes tomorrow morning.
Lou Lou sang "Amazing Grace" on Sunday. She was very nervous earlier that morning when we practiced and she started crying. However, when it was time to sing, she stood close to me and looked at me basically the whole time. After it was over, she hugged me forever while the congregation clapped, and I think she teared up a bit then. Later that day, she told me that she did not want to do that again.
Today a friend of mine that is finishing up grad. school in education came to interview my children for a case study. She actually only had to use one child from ages 2-6 but to be fair she interviewed everyone. She had to ask them some questions about clouds, plants, waves, etc. She would use their responses to determine if they give "adult" answers, repeating what they've heard, or if they come up with their own ideas. Anyway, when she interviewed Bug, I was finishing up the kitchen and then heading upstairs so I didn't hear the whole interview. I did hear one funny part. My friend asked Bug, "Where does the rain come from?", and Bug replied, "God!" with a bit of a "Didn't you know that?" tone. It was so funny!
Our house was such a disaster zone today that I declared it Clean Up Day. Normally, the children help as needed in between playing times. I told them right away this morning that we would be straightening and cleaning all day, so don't complain. It worked out pretty good. We got almost all of the upstairs done. I'm supposed to be downstairs finishing up, but instead I wanted to catch up here for awhile. One thing is for sure...there's always somewhere to catch up.
Birdie has turned out to be quite the fruit lover. She likes peaches, kiwi, nectarines, plums, and bananas. She doesn't love vegetables, but does try more of them if she picks them up herself rather than me feeding them to her with a spoon. Today I bought some YoBaby plain yogurt. When I think plain, I think vanilla, but I realized when I opened the pack that I was wrong. After just one bite, she held her hand up in a "Stop in the Name of Love" fashion and kept it up as I tried to offer her a second bite. I ended up mixing it up with some applesauce and then she was more accepting.
One more funny thing that happened this weekend...Papa J is part of the Gideons and he was going to the prison for a monthly Gideon ministry there on Friday night. First, we went out to Joyce's Kitchen (all day breakfast) but Papa J drove separately. He walked in, all dressed up in a suit and tie. Lou Lou asked MaJe why he was so dressed up. MaJe did her best to explain where he was going and why. Lou Lou commented back, "Well, if the people in the prison need to know about Jesus, their preacher should go and Papa J should stay with us!"
Monday, June 30, 2008
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Hatch Hair
Today I got my hair cut...again! Just three weeks ago, I had a haircut but I didn't get enough cut off. When I was young, I had straight blonde hair. I had very little Hatch hair. Hatch hair is very coarse and more wavy than curly. My hair stayed straight and mostly blonde and very thick throughout high school. I had some unfortunate haircuts but for the most part my hair did about what I wanted it to. My hair was so straight that when I was in 7th grade and wanted a perm, I had to get two a few days apart because the first perm didn't take.
That was then and this is now. Apparently your hair changes during pregnancy. My current hairdo guru said that your hair gets thicker during pregnancy and then you shed hair in the months after giving birth. Well, my hair definitely got thicker but I don't think I've ever shed more than two hairs at a time. After having the twins, Hatch hair begin to claim its territory, starting at the back of my neck. Apparently, Hatch hair is very bossy and possessive, as it has gradually taken over almost my whole head since the births of Bug and Birdie. I once asked a hairdresser, "Does thick hair mean that you have more individual strands of hair or that each piece of hair is thick?" She replied, "It could mean either, but for you it means both". When I say I put up a ponytail, I mean it literally. My hair is thick like horse hair and seems to grow east and west. Hatch hair is also anti-gravitational.
So today, I got it cut short so that I can forgo the 2nd grade hairclip for awhile. My hair is not the most important thing to me, but when it gets in my way and makes me feel crazy, then it's time to get it cut versus pull it out:).
Bug and Lou Lou also got trims, just to even things out and get rid of dead ends. I told Bear that he could start going with his Daddy, which made his day. By the way, Bug and Lou Lou have very little Hatch hair currently but it is there. It's just a bit of a wave, but it's not coarse...not yet and not ever I hope. Bear has absolutely no Hatch hair and Birdie has absolutely no hair. Well, she does have a little peach fuzz, which is so precious.
Tonight we have swimming lessons, then children's choir, and then a church supper. Off to pack our bags!
That was then and this is now. Apparently your hair changes during pregnancy. My current hairdo guru said that your hair gets thicker during pregnancy and then you shed hair in the months after giving birth. Well, my hair definitely got thicker but I don't think I've ever shed more than two hairs at a time. After having the twins, Hatch hair begin to claim its territory, starting at the back of my neck. Apparently, Hatch hair is very bossy and possessive, as it has gradually taken over almost my whole head since the births of Bug and Birdie. I once asked a hairdresser, "Does thick hair mean that you have more individual strands of hair or that each piece of hair is thick?" She replied, "It could mean either, but for you it means both". When I say I put up a ponytail, I mean it literally. My hair is thick like horse hair and seems to grow east and west. Hatch hair is also anti-gravitational.
So today, I got it cut short so that I can forgo the 2nd grade hairclip for awhile. My hair is not the most important thing to me, but when it gets in my way and makes me feel crazy, then it's time to get it cut versus pull it out:).
Bug and Lou Lou also got trims, just to even things out and get rid of dead ends. I told Bear that he could start going with his Daddy, which made his day. By the way, Bug and Lou Lou have very little Hatch hair currently but it is there. It's just a bit of a wave, but it's not coarse...not yet and not ever I hope. Bear has absolutely no Hatch hair and Birdie has absolutely no hair. Well, she does have a little peach fuzz, which is so precious.
Tonight we have swimming lessons, then children's choir, and then a church supper. Off to pack our bags!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Six Months and Counting...
I just realized this today! A-ha! How dumb can I be? I've been thinking all this time (this time being 6 and a half years since the twins were born) that if you as a parent were doing your parenting job the right way, it would be easy. If everything wasn't going along easily, then you haven't figured out the right way to do things yet. What a dumb idea! Of course it's not going to be easy. Of course there will be bumps, sometimes gigantic bumps, in the road. If your personality is like mine, then you have a need to do the right thing. Find the right thing and do it. So of course, if what I do doesn't work, I take it personally and decide that I didn't choose the right thing. No matter how I choose to react or what plan I choose to implement, I'm dealing with 4 little people with their own ideas, personalities, strong wills, etc. who are completely out of my control. In society, if your kid is acting up, it seems the attitude is that "that kid is out of their parents' control". I feel like standing up, raising my hand, and shouting, "Yes! You're right. I have absolutely no control over these people. They may look like me, but they definitely do their own thing."
In writing this, I make it sound like my children are a bunch of hooligans. Definitely they're not. I just get frustrated because I'm such a "do the right thing" person that it makes me frustrated when I don't feel that my efforts towards helping my children make good choices about their behavior are working.
Anyway, when Lou Lou was younger (from mid-two to five), she was tough. When I say tough, I mean behavior-wise. She was a handful with a feisty attitude. I have several stories to catch up on about her. She has mellowed a lot in the last year and a half, thankfully.
Meanwhile, the Bear was very mild-mannered and willing to do as asked most of the time. Not a complete angel, but close. Well, in the last two months, his strong will has caught up with his sister's. We've been working on it and talking about it. Yesterday he had a pretty good day, but messed up right at the end. He said, "Well, there's no reason for me to look forward to Christmas, but the way I've been acting, I won't get anything from Santa Claus." He was not crying but disappointed when he was saying this, but I still thought it was so sweet and cute. I don't really push the Santa Claus bit about being good so that you'll get something. Santa Claus comes because it's Christmas, not because of good behavior. However, the twins have picked up on the being good idea from society.
Oh well, I guess I need to tell him that he has six months to turn this boat around:).
In writing this, I make it sound like my children are a bunch of hooligans. Definitely they're not. I just get frustrated because I'm such a "do the right thing" person that it makes me frustrated when I don't feel that my efforts towards helping my children make good choices about their behavior are working.
Anyway, when Lou Lou was younger (from mid-two to five), she was tough. When I say tough, I mean behavior-wise. She was a handful with a feisty attitude. I have several stories to catch up on about her. She has mellowed a lot in the last year and a half, thankfully.
Meanwhile, the Bear was very mild-mannered and willing to do as asked most of the time. Not a complete angel, but close. Well, in the last two months, his strong will has caught up with his sister's. We've been working on it and talking about it. Yesterday he had a pretty good day, but messed up right at the end. He said, "Well, there's no reason for me to look forward to Christmas, but the way I've been acting, I won't get anything from Santa Claus." He was not crying but disappointed when he was saying this, but I still thought it was so sweet and cute. I don't really push the Santa Claus bit about being good so that you'll get something. Santa Claus comes because it's Christmas, not because of good behavior. However, the twins have picked up on the being good idea from society.
Oh well, I guess I need to tell him that he has six months to turn this boat around:).
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Questions
Right around Easter time, Bear asked a very interesting question. He said, "When Judas died, did the disciples go from 13 to 12 or 12 to 11?" This question blew me away because I had never thought about this before.
Bear loves our devotion reading time at night before bed. We have a new devotion book that we just bought the children for Easter. Before getting this one, we had been using a devotional book called God and Me which seems geared for children 3 years old and up. Bug uses this one now which means we have two different devotions to fit in each night. I'm not complaining but the nighttime jobs are tough on my patience sometimes. I'm usually tired and hungry and sometimes I feel like they want just a little more, just a little more, just a little more of me than I have left to give at 9:00 at night. I told Lou Lou that the spot on the floor right in the middle of her door must be a magic spot, because every time I step on it on my way to somewhere else, she says, "Mama." We laughed so hard about that, and I would try to "leap" out of her room to see if I could avoid the spot, but somehow she knew just when to say "Mama" and get me back in there for one more question, request, hug, or kiss. Again, it's not that I mind, but I'm just exhausted and not as patient as I want to be sometimes.
Anyway, the new devotion book is 365 Bible stories. It goes more in-depth into a variety of Bible stories, rather than just sticking to the traditional Adam and Eve, Noah, Jonah, baby Jesus, etc. It has no life application section, which leaves this part open for discussion. Bear is very much into it and we usually read about 3-4 days every night because it is just so interesting to him, Lou Lou, and me.
Tonight's devotion was about King Solomon worshipping other gods and how the 12 tribes of Israel were split into 10 and 2 under Jeroboam and Rehoboam. If you're reading this and you feel lost, so would I had I not been reading along in this wonderful kid's devotion book. Anyway, what I got out of tonight's devotion was that Rehoboam did not consult with God before making a decision and things did not go so well for him. I pointed this out to the twins and told them that God can see the big picture and we need to talk to Him about all of our decisions. Bear immediately said, "But how do you know what God's answer is if you can't hear Him talk?" Again, I was struck by his question. Jimmy and I both started trying to talk to him about this. Bear said, "So whatever you're feeling is what God wants you to do." We said not necessarily. It was difficult to answer his question and wonderful that he was concerned about such things. I said, "Prayer is our way to communicate with God. By reading His Word, he communicates back with us." We finished our devotion with our prayer time, and Jimmy and I both prayed for guidance on answering tough questions like these and others that will come up.
After all of this reading and discussion and prayer (and many yawns by me), we say, "Amen" and then Bear says, "Mama, we've got to read our Bible story out of my Bible." We got the twins new Bibles recently. These are the NIrV, which stands for New International Reader's Version. This is the NIV on a third grade reading level. Bear's latest passion is Moses. He wants to know everything there is to know about Moses. The daycare director mentioned this to me the other day. Bear had drawn a picture of Moses that had caught her eye. His picture had Moses with a staff in his hand and several small faces in the background showing the Israelite people following him out of Egypt. Anyway, because it was way past our normal bedtime, I would have told Bear no on almost anything else, such as a library book, a nighttime snack, etc., but I don't feel good about saying no to more Bible. It's like Bear has an unquenchable thirst for learning about God and His people. Tonight, as Bear was asking questions, the Holy Spirit was with us and in us. His excitement about things of God makes me want to commit to daily renew myself in God's Word.
On a lighter note, Lou Lou has strep throat. Thankfully, her throat and rash looked a certain way enough so that the doctor didn't have to give her the strep test. The good thing about her being sick is that our trip to the doctor and Target for medicine gave us a chance to spend time alone together. We laughed and talked and had the best time.
While I was on the phone tonight with BeBe (a friend from church), Bug kept calling my name. She didn't sound frantic so I kept talking, figuring she'd come get me soon. When I hung up the phone, I walked up to her room. She was bundled up in her Pooh Bear blanket and was fluttering her eyes as if she was trying to keep them shut. She definitely did not know I was in the room. I leaned over to kiss her and she rolled over. She said, "Mama, I want to show you sometihng. This book is about Jesus." It was a Jesus Loves Me book which we've read numerous times. I told her I liked her book and then she laid back down. She looked up at me and said, "Mama, you woke me up." I thought this was the cutest thing coming from a 2-year old. I said I was sorry, kissed her again, and left her room.
Bear loves our devotion reading time at night before bed. We have a new devotion book that we just bought the children for Easter. Before getting this one, we had been using a devotional book called God and Me which seems geared for children 3 years old and up. Bug uses this one now which means we have two different devotions to fit in each night. I'm not complaining but the nighttime jobs are tough on my patience sometimes. I'm usually tired and hungry and sometimes I feel like they want just a little more, just a little more, just a little more of me than I have left to give at 9:00 at night. I told Lou Lou that the spot on the floor right in the middle of her door must be a magic spot, because every time I step on it on my way to somewhere else, she says, "Mama." We laughed so hard about that, and I would try to "leap" out of her room to see if I could avoid the spot, but somehow she knew just when to say "Mama" and get me back in there for one more question, request, hug, or kiss. Again, it's not that I mind, but I'm just exhausted and not as patient as I want to be sometimes.
Anyway, the new devotion book is 365 Bible stories. It goes more in-depth into a variety of Bible stories, rather than just sticking to the traditional Adam and Eve, Noah, Jonah, baby Jesus, etc. It has no life application section, which leaves this part open for discussion. Bear is very much into it and we usually read about 3-4 days every night because it is just so interesting to him, Lou Lou, and me.
Tonight's devotion was about King Solomon worshipping other gods and how the 12 tribes of Israel were split into 10 and 2 under Jeroboam and Rehoboam. If you're reading this and you feel lost, so would I had I not been reading along in this wonderful kid's devotion book. Anyway, what I got out of tonight's devotion was that Rehoboam did not consult with God before making a decision and things did not go so well for him. I pointed this out to the twins and told them that God can see the big picture and we need to talk to Him about all of our decisions. Bear immediately said, "But how do you know what God's answer is if you can't hear Him talk?" Again, I was struck by his question. Jimmy and I both started trying to talk to him about this. Bear said, "So whatever you're feeling is what God wants you to do." We said not necessarily. It was difficult to answer his question and wonderful that he was concerned about such things. I said, "Prayer is our way to communicate with God. By reading His Word, he communicates back with us." We finished our devotion with our prayer time, and Jimmy and I both prayed for guidance on answering tough questions like these and others that will come up.
After all of this reading and discussion and prayer (and many yawns by me), we say, "Amen" and then Bear says, "Mama, we've got to read our Bible story out of my Bible." We got the twins new Bibles recently. These are the NIrV, which stands for New International Reader's Version. This is the NIV on a third grade reading level. Bear's latest passion is Moses. He wants to know everything there is to know about Moses. The daycare director mentioned this to me the other day. Bear had drawn a picture of Moses that had caught her eye. His picture had Moses with a staff in his hand and several small faces in the background showing the Israelite people following him out of Egypt. Anyway, because it was way past our normal bedtime, I would have told Bear no on almost anything else, such as a library book, a nighttime snack, etc., but I don't feel good about saying no to more Bible. It's like Bear has an unquenchable thirst for learning about God and His people. Tonight, as Bear was asking questions, the Holy Spirit was with us and in us. His excitement about things of God makes me want to commit to daily renew myself in God's Word.
On a lighter note, Lou Lou has strep throat. Thankfully, her throat and rash looked a certain way enough so that the doctor didn't have to give her the strep test. The good thing about her being sick is that our trip to the doctor and Target for medicine gave us a chance to spend time alone together. We laughed and talked and had the best time.
While I was on the phone tonight with BeBe (a friend from church), Bug kept calling my name. She didn't sound frantic so I kept talking, figuring she'd come get me soon. When I hung up the phone, I walked up to her room. She was bundled up in her Pooh Bear blanket and was fluttering her eyes as if she was trying to keep them shut. She definitely did not know I was in the room. I leaned over to kiss her and she rolled over. She said, "Mama, I want to show you sometihng. This book is about Jesus." It was a Jesus Loves Me book which we've read numerous times. I told her I liked her book and then she laid back down. She looked up at me and said, "Mama, you woke me up." I thought this was the cutest thing coming from a 2-year old. I said I was sorry, kissed her again, and left her room.
Monday, June 16, 2008
Summertime
When I typed the title of this post, it made me think of an old Will Smith rap song. My music choices have really changed since having children.
Today is officially our first day of summer. We are through with teacher workdays and will all be home together. No more daycare (although I love the daycare they go to and the people who love them while we're at work), no more bottles, no more thawing out frozen milk, no more pump, no more pump, no more pump. I feel guilty getting so excited about leaving the pump for awhile because I'm blessed to be able to have the drive to feed my baby "baby juice" (as Bug calls it) while I'm away from her. Breastfeeding is such a blessing, but I've never met anyone who was in love with the pump. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to feeding on-demand rather than pumping by the clock.
I've typed up a big schedule for everyone 6 years old and up to read. Bear definitely likes to know what's happening when. I don't know if we'll be able to follow it today because Lou Lou is sick with a stomachache and fever. Today we have library time as well as Vacation Bible School at church tonight. The great thing about VBS is that supper is provided. It's not the healthiest of suppers but it's one less thing for me to plan this week. We're going to aim for healthy breakfast and lunch since supper might taste good but not be that "good for your body" (old Lou Lou and Bear lingo).
While we're at the library (I'm assuming it will be just me and Bear or either Bear with his daddy), I have to pay for three books. While Bug was working on going to sleep for an afternoon nap yesterday, she was also working on ripping out the contents of three library books. I was working on cleaning up after lunch. When I got quiet, I heard this ripping sound. When I walked in her room, her face was very serious, and she said, "I'm going to tape these back in there." I took the books away, told her not to ever do this again, and told her to lay down and go to sleep. When I walked away with the books, she started crying loud. Thankfully, Birdie was in the pack and play in my closet. Bug loves to sleep with books and she usually looks like she fell asleep in a library or bookstore. Hopefully she won't do this anymore, although the twins went through this for awhile.
The family rule for the summer is, "Listen the first time." We'll see how this goes. I'm sure this will give me plenty to write about.
Today is officially our first day of summer. We are through with teacher workdays and will all be home together. No more daycare (although I love the daycare they go to and the people who love them while we're at work), no more bottles, no more thawing out frozen milk, no more pump, no more pump, no more pump. I feel guilty getting so excited about leaving the pump for awhile because I'm blessed to be able to have the drive to feed my baby "baby juice" (as Bug calls it) while I'm away from her. Breastfeeding is such a blessing, but I've never met anyone who was in love with the pump. Anyhow, I'm looking forward to feeding on-demand rather than pumping by the clock.
I've typed up a big schedule for everyone 6 years old and up to read. Bear definitely likes to know what's happening when. I don't know if we'll be able to follow it today because Lou Lou is sick with a stomachache and fever. Today we have library time as well as Vacation Bible School at church tonight. The great thing about VBS is that supper is provided. It's not the healthiest of suppers but it's one less thing for me to plan this week. We're going to aim for healthy breakfast and lunch since supper might taste good but not be that "good for your body" (old Lou Lou and Bear lingo).
While we're at the library (I'm assuming it will be just me and Bear or either Bear with his daddy), I have to pay for three books. While Bug was working on going to sleep for an afternoon nap yesterday, she was also working on ripping out the contents of three library books. I was working on cleaning up after lunch. When I got quiet, I heard this ripping sound. When I walked in her room, her face was very serious, and she said, "I'm going to tape these back in there." I took the books away, told her not to ever do this again, and told her to lay down and go to sleep. When I walked away with the books, she started crying loud. Thankfully, Birdie was in the pack and play in my closet. Bug loves to sleep with books and she usually looks like she fell asleep in a library or bookstore. Hopefully she won't do this anymore, although the twins went through this for awhile.
The family rule for the summer is, "Listen the first time." We'll see how this goes. I'm sure this will give me plenty to write about.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Jesus Loves Me from a Six Year Old
I am in charge of the children's choir at our church. We don't have a lot of participation, especially at this time of the year. At most, we have 6 kids: 5 girls and Bear. Because of the small number of people, the kids learn the songs really quickly. A few weeks ago, we had finished practicing and had a few minutes left, so I decided to let each child sing a solo with the microphone, which is BIG FUN for kids. When Bear got up for his turn, he said he wanted to sing Jesus Loves Me, and since this is so familiar, I asked him to try it a new way. I began playing it in 3/4 time rather than 4/4 time. I sang a few words with him and then he said he got it. The next week I taught him another verse and then we practiced the whole thing. The other kids each took turns practicing their songs too. This past Sunday the children's choir sang in church. After they finished singing Thy Word, it was Bear's turn. The preacher handed him the microphone, he stood in the middle of the front of the church, and he was ready. Prior to this service, I had brought him over to the sanctuary early from Sunday School to practice, and he didn't want to. No matter what I said, he just would not change his mind about practicing. Apparently, he didn't need it, because he began singing and did an awesome job. When he sings, he really concentrates and gets into it, not in a dramatic, fake way like he's copying someone from TV, but in a real, genuine "I'm into this" kind of way. After he finished, everyone stood up and clapped. In the car, I asked him if he had gotten nervous, and he said no.
Next week is another girl's turn, and then the week after that will be Teency's turn. I don't think she enjoys it quite as much as Bear. She'll do it willingly, but she doesn't seem "into" it like her brother. The song she is working on is Amazing Grace.
Last night at children's choir practice, it was Bear's turn with the microphone. We started working on Meeting in the Air, an old PaPa song. When he first stood up there and held the microphone, he said, "I love doing this!".
Next week is another girl's turn, and then the week after that will be Teency's turn. I don't think she enjoys it quite as much as Bear. She'll do it willingly, but she doesn't seem "into" it like her brother. The song she is working on is Amazing Grace.
Last night at children's choir practice, it was Bear's turn with the microphone. We started working on Meeting in the Air, an old PaPa song. When he first stood up there and held the microphone, he said, "I love doing this!".
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Dogs, Dreams, and Decisions
Bug has been having bad dreams lately. They always seem to be about dogs getting her. Sometimes she cries out, I go in, and she's already back asleep before I get to her. Twice, she has gotten out of bed and began running down the hall screaming (which thankfully wakes noone else up). She gets in the bed with us or one of us goes and gets in bed with her. On Sunday morning after one of her bad dog dreams, she said that the dog was biting her foot. She looked down at her feet and there was a red mark from a bug bite she had gotten the day before. Of course, she thought that this was from the dog. Because she thought the dog was still in her room, we spent time looking for it, even under the bed. During the day, she doesn't seem scared of the dog and isn't even scared to go to bed, but the dog must really chase her in the bad dreams. I wish I knew if there was a higher incidence of bad dreams when you're overtired or something, so that I could change something to make the bad dreams go away for her.
Other than this, the rest of her world is completely happy. Bug is laid back and very vocal. Many times, when I ask her to do something, she will say, "I'll do that in just a wittle bit, okay?". Her "okay" is long and drawn out, very Southern. Other times, she talks like a girl from somewhere else, asking me, "It's night-night time, Mom?". Mom seems so unnatural to me, but it makes me smile when a two-year old sounds like a teenager from Ohio. Potty training is going great. She accomplishes #1 and #2 almost every time she goes.
Bear has been asking me about becoming a Christian lately. Tonight, he asked me about it again. Some critics would say he's too young to understand what he's doing, and other critics might say I pushed him into it. I don't think he's too young. For his age, he understands it as much as he can, and what age does it suddenly become easy to get your mind around? Comprehending the kind of love that God has shown for us is difficult for me and I'm 36, not 6. I intentionally did not push him into it, but we have worked to have his environment focused on Christ and his sacrifice for us.
Anyway, he decided tonight he wanted to become a Christian. He asked me a very interesting question: "After I become a Christian, I can't do anything wrong anymore?" I think this may be a misconception for young and old alike, feeling that we have to improve ourselves before coming to Christ. I talked to him in his bedroom awhile, and then we prayed. He was beaming and so excited as he told Lou Lou and his Daddy about it. Later, he said to his Daddy, "When you become a Christian, all you have to do is say a prayer. It should be more than that!". Bear is very insightful and a bit precocious when it comes to things like this.
I want to make sure to talk to the twins tomorrow night about this very thing, this decision being "more than that". Making a choice in life to walk on the narrow way and daily walking with God on this narrow way is crucial. Becoming a Christian is not something you check off your to-do list so that you can relax about your eternity. I need to tell them and show them about the path.
For an interesting and powerful video about this, go to http://www.onceuponacross.com/, click on Area 51, and then click on Paul Washer youtube video. It lasts an hour.
Other than this, the rest of her world is completely happy. Bug is laid back and very vocal. Many times, when I ask her to do something, she will say, "I'll do that in just a wittle bit, okay?". Her "okay" is long and drawn out, very Southern. Other times, she talks like a girl from somewhere else, asking me, "It's night-night time, Mom?". Mom seems so unnatural to me, but it makes me smile when a two-year old sounds like a teenager from Ohio. Potty training is going great. She accomplishes #1 and #2 almost every time she goes.
Bear has been asking me about becoming a Christian lately. Tonight, he asked me about it again. Some critics would say he's too young to understand what he's doing, and other critics might say I pushed him into it. I don't think he's too young. For his age, he understands it as much as he can, and what age does it suddenly become easy to get your mind around? Comprehending the kind of love that God has shown for us is difficult for me and I'm 36, not 6. I intentionally did not push him into it, but we have worked to have his environment focused on Christ and his sacrifice for us.
Anyway, he decided tonight he wanted to become a Christian. He asked me a very interesting question: "After I become a Christian, I can't do anything wrong anymore?" I think this may be a misconception for young and old alike, feeling that we have to improve ourselves before coming to Christ. I talked to him in his bedroom awhile, and then we prayed. He was beaming and so excited as he told Lou Lou and his Daddy about it. Later, he said to his Daddy, "When you become a Christian, all you have to do is say a prayer. It should be more than that!". Bear is very insightful and a bit precocious when it comes to things like this.
I want to make sure to talk to the twins tomorrow night about this very thing, this decision being "more than that". Making a choice in life to walk on the narrow way and daily walking with God on this narrow way is crucial. Becoming a Christian is not something you check off your to-do list so that you can relax about your eternity. I need to tell them and show them about the path.
For an interesting and powerful video about this, go to http://www.onceuponacross.com/, click on Area 51, and then click on Paul Washer youtube video. It lasts an hour.
These are a few of my favorite...clothes
Another funny twin story...since I can't sleep in the mdidle of the night for some unknown reason...
Lou Lou has always loved clothes from the time she could help in taking her clothes on and off. I get hand-me-downs from a friend in Fremont, and many of them seem to be just what Lou Lou would pick out anyway. When Lou Lou was three years old, she had a few favorites, including three tank-tops and two pairs of shorts. The shorts were made of cotton and spandex and looked tight like biker shorts. We called these shorts "tight pants" and only wore them around the house and for pajamas because they were skin-tight. She was and still is a very hot-natured child, and being cool at nighttime was important, so she loved these outfits for bedtime.
From time to time, Lou Lou would get into trouble, as most children do. I told her that if her misbehavior continued in this one specific area, I would take her favorite clothes. Inevitably, she misbehaved again and I took these few items which caused her to shed several LOUD tears. Because this particular behavior had been a continual problem, I told her that she would have to earn them back, rather than getting them back in a specific amount of time, which I had already tried. After several days with no big misbehavior, I told her one night just before bed that she could have her tank tops and tight pants back. She was ecstatic and went to bed easily with a smile, which was rare. Typically, she cried and played and did anything to avoid going to sleep. But this night, she was in heaven with her favorite clothes back in her possession.
I thought nothing else of it until the next morning. When I went in to wake her up, I realized how much she really loved these clothes. She had taken off the pajamas she had been wearing and had put on all three tank tops and both pairs of tight pants. She must have been miserably hot, but on this night, I guess hot didn't seem to matter.
Since then, the tight pants especially got washed so much that they were basically threadbare and unsalvageable for Bug and Birdie, which is just as Lou Lou would want it. Some things you just don't want to share.
Lou Lou has always loved clothes from the time she could help in taking her clothes on and off. I get hand-me-downs from a friend in Fremont, and many of them seem to be just what Lou Lou would pick out anyway. When Lou Lou was three years old, she had a few favorites, including three tank-tops and two pairs of shorts. The shorts were made of cotton and spandex and looked tight like biker shorts. We called these shorts "tight pants" and only wore them around the house and for pajamas because they were skin-tight. She was and still is a very hot-natured child, and being cool at nighttime was important, so she loved these outfits for bedtime.
From time to time, Lou Lou would get into trouble, as most children do. I told her that if her misbehavior continued in this one specific area, I would take her favorite clothes. Inevitably, she misbehaved again and I took these few items which caused her to shed several LOUD tears. Because this particular behavior had been a continual problem, I told her that she would have to earn them back, rather than getting them back in a specific amount of time, which I had already tried. After several days with no big misbehavior, I told her one night just before bed that she could have her tank tops and tight pants back. She was ecstatic and went to bed easily with a smile, which was rare. Typically, she cried and played and did anything to avoid going to sleep. But this night, she was in heaven with her favorite clothes back in her possession.
I thought nothing else of it until the next morning. When I went in to wake her up, I realized how much she really loved these clothes. She had taken off the pajamas she had been wearing and had put on all three tank tops and both pairs of tight pants. She must have been miserably hot, but on this night, I guess hot didn't seem to matter.
Since then, the tight pants especially got washed so much that they were basically threadbare and unsalvageable for Bug and Birdie, which is just as Lou Lou would want it. Some things you just don't want to share.
Sunday, June 8, 2008
So Mad
When Bear and Lou Lou were potty training, it was tough mainly because there were two of them. I had read in some "expert" book that you should change diapers in the bathrrom and put any solid waste into the toilet while talking about it so that the kid could get the gist of it, associating the toilet with what went in it. At bedtime one night, Bear had pooped in his diaper, so I took him in the bathroom, laid him down, and began to change and clean him. I picked up his diaper and dumped the contents into the toilet. He immediately said, "Can I flush it?" I said, "Yes, right after I finish and get your new diaper on." In the past in this same situation, I had forgotten to wait and let him flush, because it was just second nature to flush it myself. This particular time, he said, very calmly, "Mama, if you flush it, I'm going to be so mad at you." :)
Dogs and Babies
I want to record old stories as I remember them so I don't forget them completely. When Lou Lou and Bear were about 4 years old and Bug was just a baby, they were getting ready for bed. Lou Lou was trying to fix her baby pack and play for Isabel, and Bear wanted to lay one of his dogs in the pack and play also. Lou Lou did not want him to have his dog in there. I came in, holding Bug, and told her that I needed her to share the pack and play with her brother. Bear put his dog in the pack and play, and Lou Lou stood there with the "mad face" look. I told her to go ahead and lay her baby down because it was bedtime. She looked up at me and said, "Mama, would you lay your baby in a pack and play with a dog in there?". Haha!
Saturday, June 7, 2008
End of School
This week has been so hectic. The list of things for teachers to do at the end of school seems to grow each year. So many different things to record and email to various people, such as reports on students' progress throughout the year, specialized plans for students who you think may struggle in the next grade, signed papers for students to attend summer school, etc.
Lou Lou and Bear had their end of kindergarten graduation. They were so surprised and excited to learn that next year they would be first graders. I want to make sure we have a family meeting time to discuss what things we want to FOR SURE do over the summer, so that it doesn't just fly away like time seems to do.
Thursday morning, Birdie was sitting on the floor. She started pulling on my pants leg, looked up at me with her sweet blue eyes, and said, "Mama." This was her first time saying it to me and not just doing her sweet babbling. I need to video her more, and hopefully will get to do that this summer.
Last Thursday night, Jimmy had to go to school so I loaded up everyone else and took a trip to Ya Ya's house. It was the first time that all of the grandchildren had been together and MaJe was there too. We decided to take pictures and lined them up on the couch in birth order: Lou Lou, Bear, Necie, Bug, and Sunshine. We let them take turns holding Birdie and Karate Kid and taking pictures all in between. It took awhile and the two-year olds were getting restless, but it was fun. When we got in the car, Lou Lou said, "Mama, when I saw [Karate Kid], it made me want you to have another baby:)!"
Lou Lou and Bear had their end of kindergarten graduation. They were so surprised and excited to learn that next year they would be first graders. I want to make sure we have a family meeting time to discuss what things we want to FOR SURE do over the summer, so that it doesn't just fly away like time seems to do.
Thursday morning, Birdie was sitting on the floor. She started pulling on my pants leg, looked up at me with her sweet blue eyes, and said, "Mama." This was her first time saying it to me and not just doing her sweet babbling. I need to video her more, and hopefully will get to do that this summer.
Last Thursday night, Jimmy had to go to school so I loaded up everyone else and took a trip to Ya Ya's house. It was the first time that all of the grandchildren had been together and MaJe was there too. We decided to take pictures and lined them up on the couch in birth order: Lou Lou, Bear, Necie, Bug, and Sunshine. We let them take turns holding Birdie and Karate Kid and taking pictures all in between. It took awhile and the two-year olds were getting restless, but it was fun. When we got in the car, Lou Lou said, "Mama, when I saw [Karate Kid], it made me want you to have another baby:)!"
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