Silver Bullet Confessions

The older my kids get the more I am convinced that I would be well served to mount a camcorder directly on the dashboard of the Silver Bullet to capture some of the conversations that transpire within the confines of those two power sliding doors.  This little gem happened on our way to church tonight.  Thankfully, J was with me so when we got home we re-created it for posterity's sake as best we could remember...

G:  C, my Grandpapa Byron died. 

C:  I know G, but don't talk about that because it makes me sad.

[this exact dialog was repeated 3 or 4 times - each time C getting more frustrated that G wouldn't stop saying the same thing over and over - so finally I popped in]

Me: C, you might want to try to change the subject.  Why don't you ask her what she did at church this morning.

[C waits a few seconds]

C:  G, have you ever had Diarrhea?

[Not exactly the approach I was aiming for, but it did achieve the desired end...on to a different topic]

And yes, in hindsight, I realize that J and I should have addressed G's lack of concern for her brother's feelings rather than sitting in the front seat trying our hardest not to get caught laughing.  Oh well - that teachable moment is gone.  Lucky for me, I am quite sure that another moment (or ten) of a similar nature will present itself before lunchtime tomorrow :)

All In A Hard Day's Work

A couple of months ago, we started giving C a weekly allowance for performing certain chores around the house.  His responsibilities typically include folding all bath towels and cloth napkins after they come out of the dryer, putting away his clothes, feeding the dog, making his bed, and a few other small weekly tasks.  

I know that there are differing opinions about using allowance systems with children, but J and I feel strongly about the importance of early teaching regarding money management and good stewardship (i.e. you earn money by working DILIGENTLY which allows you to give back to God and to others in need, save, and have some spending/fun money).  I won't lie - this process as been a long, hard one!  Teaching him to do these tasks required MUCH patience :)  And of course he's not always excited to complete these tasks which has meant a great deal of follow-up and perseverance on our part.  

We have been really happy with his progress.  He is doing a great job...some *ahem* would argue that he can fold a towel better than his daddy :)  But I think what I am most pleased about - is that he really takes pride in his work.  He usually goes about his tasks with a joyful spirit and is always so excited to come and get me to show off his finished work.  Here are a few shots of his most recent batch of cloth napkins...he was so pleased with himself that I couldn't help but take a few shots :)

We use cloth napkins lieu of paper napkins 'cause the messes my family makes far exceed the limits of your typical paper napkin :)

This one is C's favorite...he says "It's the coowest (coolest)!"

The Down-Side of Crayons...

Well, I suppose this was inevitable when you have kiddos and crayons in the same house...

The good news is I was able to remove this lovely artistic creation with a dry rag.  The bad news is that the area (in our upstairs hallway two steps away from the top of the stairs) is now SLICK. AS. GLASS thanks to the wax in the crayon.  The odds aren't good for a clumsy family like ours :)

In Other Words

Her exact words:

"Momma, show me your tall." 

(In case you can't quite make out the picture, she is holding one of those Height Trackers you hang on the wall.)

Before There Was Target

At C's request, the kids and I have been reading through the story of Jonah the last few days.  When we finished I asked them what they learned.  Glad I did because it seems that G had Jonah's travel plans a little mixed up...

Me:  G, what did you learn from the story about Jonah?

G:  Jonah went to Target.

C:  [In a very authoritative, smarty-pants voice] Actually G, Target wasn't built yet.  Jonah went to TargeR (i.e. Tarshish).

SHEWWW...good thing C cleared that up for us!  I have to take the kids to Target this afternoon  Wouldn't want her worrying about getting gobbled up by that big fish.

In Case I Forget...

A good friend of mine is going through a difficult season.  Yesterday morning in my Quiet Time, I prayed that God would bring to mind a verse that I could send her (and pray for her) that might bring comfort.  Nothing came to mind before the kids woke up (signaling the end of my Quiet Time) so over breakfast I asked C if he could think of a verse that might help this sad friend.  He thought for a minute and then said

"what about that one about not being sad or afraid and that God is with you"

Right away, I knew the verse he was referring to.  A looooooong time ago we memorized:

Isaiah 41:10 -  fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with ¹my righteous right hand. (ESV)

What a perfect verse and a great reminder that we don't have to be Bible scholars before God can use us to encourage others with His Word. (And that's sure a relief for this momma who bumps up against the limits of her mental capacity on a regular basis :)

Praise God from whom all blessings flow!

A Nice Surprise

Friday morning Mom called and invited the kids to come for a long weekend visit...did I mention she JUST INVITED THE KIDS...meaning that J and I were kid-free from Friday - Monday.  SWEEEEEEET!!!  

So what did we do with all of that free time???

We went to Harpers for a nice dinner on Friday night.  J and I are very fortunate, our kiddos typically behave pretty well in restaurants...but still it was SOOOOO nice to be able to eat my piping hot Pimento Cheese Burger, Sweet Potato Fries, and Brownie all while having an uninterrupted conversation with my husband - no cutting food into little bits, cleaning up messes, or poorly timed trips to the ladies rooms (thanks to G's fascination with public restrooms - YUCK!)  And to top it all off, we used a Groupon so the whole deal cost less than $22.00 including tip!

Woke up Saturday morning at 7:30 - which believe it or not is late for me, worked on my Bible study in SILENCE, painted the hall bathroom vanity (I WILL finish this New Years Project at some point - hopefully before next New Years), helped J rake leaves (I know, I'm the best wife EVER for agreeing to this on my "vacation weekend"), then came my FAVORITE part....

J and I ordered pizza and snarfed it down sitting on the couch in front of the TV.  Not a vegetable in SIGHT!!!!!!! (shhhhhhh - don't tell my kids)  It was GREAT - I don't think we'd done that since before C was born :)

Sunday was church and a loooooooooong nap.

Monday morning I put another coat of paint on the vanity and headed to my parent's house for the night before returning with the kiddos this afternoon.

J and I had a great time, but one thing became painfully obvious...we are VERY boring people when our kids aren't around :)