They did the Taaaaater Mash!

There's a first time for everything. And today, I don't mean my first time to make baby food. I'm a pretty seasoned pro when it comes to that, having done it for two children already and now on my third. But neither of my boys could eat sweet potatoes or squash without getting a face rash. My daughter seems to be able to eat anything I put in her mouth -- with hardly any reaction (much to our disappointment...isn't that part of the fun of baby food?).

No, today's firsts included having sweet potatoes in my house, peeling and cutting sweet potatoes, and cooking them up for baby food. Ok, one other first was using a hand-crank baby food mill rather than the electric one I used for the boys. I gotta say, even though it is more manual work, I think it makes a smoother, more consistent

baby food. I'll save my final decision on that after I do some corn and peas. If you have never made your own baby food or are just interested in the process, I photo-chronicled the Sweet Potato Mash just for you.

Really -- making your own is cheap and easy. Granted, more work than popping open a jar. But using fresh or even frozen foods to make your own provides more nutrients and more potent flavors for your baby for much less money. I think one thing that really gets me is that jarred baby food or even using canned food to make your own means you are using food that is packaged in a way that it can sit on the shelf for a couple years before it is consumed. Hmm. Not my first choice when considering my new baby's food intake. (Disclaimer: I do occasionally use jarred and canned, but it's not the norm. Sometimes you need the food a little faster.)

I used two sweet potatoes. Just wait until you see how much I got out of them!

1) Peel and chop the sweet potatoes. I was shocked at how hard it is to cut those things! Matt said what I was thinking: "Just make sure no fingers get cut off!"

2) I used Pampered Chef's large microcooker and a little water to steam the sweet potatoes in the microwave in 3 minute increments (about 12 minutes total until tender).

3) Pull the plunger of the food mill to the bottom and fill the cylinder to the top with some steamed sweet potato chunks. Lock the crank into place. Crank while putting gentle downward pressure on the center tube. Have fun watching the sweet potato come out the top like playdough spaghetti!

4) Scoop the mash into a bowl. Repeat until all sweet potato chunks have done the mash. Add a little butter and either water or breastmilk/formula for both flavor and consistency.

5) Divide into your choice of containers for consumption and freezing. I kept some out for use in the next couple days. Some I put in my awesome little reusable baby food containers for on-the-go use, and the rest went into covered ice trays. Once frozen, I'll remove the ice cube food to a labeled and dated ziploc bag. I got 2 fridge portions, 2 on-the-go's, and 1.5 ice trays (21 ice cubes)...out of just two sweet potatoes. If that's not saving money, I don't know what is! $2 vs approx $12! Glad she likes them. ;-) Now if I can just make sure her nose doesn't turn orange like Judah's did......

Changes

The leaves are gorgeous, the weather cooler. And wow. A crawling 6 month old means a change in how playtime goes...or doesn't go...in this house. Boys vs girl. Mastery vs curiosity. This is going to be some ride!

Today was the first time I had a "no" session with Eden -- to which she threw what I would call her first little fit over a non-necessity. Boy, she wanted those puzzle pieces the boys had. I let her explore a few with touch and sight, but it was the "no, don't eat them" that really got to her. I knew this change would come. Every child at some point moves from the "purely innocent" (which they are not) to manifesting a self-centered heart. A sad change. Until you remember it is reversible with the blood of Christ!

I love when Elijah says we're having "buh-lee-dohs" for dinner. He means burritos. Another R's-are-L's word. I'll be sad when that changes.

Speaking of food and changes, I've introduced Eden to enough foods now that it's time to change over from store-bought baby food to home-made. I did it with the boys, so it's not a new skill. But it still seems daunting. Which it's not. It's super easy (especially with some tools a friend loaned me today). It's just the initial thought of adding that to meal management. But I'll enjoy it. And so will she. I promise. ;-) It is the first time, after all, that I have EVER purchased sweet potatoes and had them on my counter just waiting to be cooked!

Yes, change is good. It makes life interesting!

Kid Literature

When Elijah says, "I need some pry-swee," he wants me to leave the bathroom while he goes potty. My three year old wants privacy. He also calls an ambulance "eem-blipse." Or something like that. I still can't figure it out!

I dabbled in some dairy to see if Eden has grown out of most of her spit-up issues. Boy, she hasn't. At all. After dotting the floor about 10 times in one hour, I helplessly exclaimed "Child!" as I cleaned up yet another pool of spit-up. Judah responded, "...are known by his actions." Guess he's got that Proverb in his heart: "A child is known by his actions." But in this case, I suppose a mother's actions is known by her infant's reactions. :-P

The other night, Elijah decided he wanted to tell us a couple bedtime stories.

Story One: "Once upon a time, there was a little mommy talking to daddy. She fell down a hole with bugs. There was a blue one. And that's the end of my story."

Story Two: "Once upon a time, there was a big monster; and there was a little Eden looking at it. And then she runned away. That's the end."

Jumping the Gun

Sometimes, I guess moms can be too quick to judge...

As I was pinning a sewing project, I realized it was completely silent in the living room where Judah & Elijah were. Never a good thing...or so I always assume. I sternly called out, "What are you guys doing?" Judah softly answered, "Nothing." Hmm, right. "Why are you guys being quiet then?" "Because sometimes it's nice to be quiet."

::Stunned:: So, Dear Sons, why don't you believe Momma when I say those exact words? :-)

Elijah Cutes

One of my favorite things that Elijah does is that his "R" in a lot of words turns up like an "L."

"I want to pray" sounds like "I want to play."

"It's broken" is always "It's bloken."

"Bread" is "bled."

etc.

I just think it's so cute. Most kids with "R" trouble seem to use "W," so perhaps I think it's adorable because it's different.

Yesterday morning, we got to wake up to a pretty powerful thunderstorm (though short). Elijah reminds me a lot of how I used to react to big lightning and thunder. It almost seems to paralyze him. He runs and hides or finds me. He becomes like a statue and doesn't make a sound. His newest reaction in addition to the above is to turn his head away from whatever window is in the room. And he'll just sit there like that. If he does talk to someone in the room, he won't turn his head to look at the person. He is just frozen in that position, even if his voice is jovial. He is my kid through and through. Hopefully, he'll grow out of his thunderstorm fear before I did (which was in my late teens...or later...).

This morning when we were choosing cereals for breakfast, Elijah wanted the Fiber One cereal. I had him taste a little bit of it because I was in disbelief that he'd choose that over multi-grain Cheerios with strawberries. He liked it. So he had two bowls of Fiber One (half bowls, mind you) and loved it. Is that normal for a 3 year old? To my adult amusement, right as he was finishing his second bowl, he looked at me and said, "I have to go poo-poo!" Guess it does the job right quick in little bodies. ;-)

Jesus in Me

Meal times seem to bring out the best comments and questions from Judah. At dinner...

"Mommy, did the doctor.....when he cut you open, did the doctor see Jesus?"

Uh, what do you mean?

"Did the doctor see Jesus inside you when you got your cut?"

Oh, you mean because Jesus is in my heart? "Yeah."

I love seeing raw logic in children. :-)

::melting heart::

As we sat down for snack time, Judah said, "Mommy, you're my best friend! But you know who who's even more my best friend? GOD!"

Say that again?

Sometimes, I am left dumbfounded. At dinner tonight:

Judah: I want zero percent.

Me: You want zero percent?? Is that what you said?

Judah: Yes, zero percent.

Me: Zero percent of what?

Judah: A car made out of food. Um, I think chocolate.

In an emergency...

We're working on teaching Judah how to dial 911 on my phone and WHEN he is supposed to do it (i.e. when Mommy can't get to the phone). While eating lunch with him today, he randomly piped up and said, "So, when you're dead, I'll dial...um...8? No, 6?..."

Uh, you don't have to wait until I'm dead, Judah!

Death & Bulrushes

We just started Exodus the other night in our nightly family Bible reading. Matt took the time to talk a little about death with the boys -- since the transition from Genesis to Exodus pretty much says "they all died." :-) I was not present for this conversation, so I was a little bewildered the next day when Judah and I exchanged the following:

Judah: I love Eden VERY much...

Me: Awww, I'm so glad you do!

Judah: But she'll get older and then die.

::stunned::

We talked a little about the difference between spirit and body. Try explaining to a 4 year old that who he is can not be seen. We only see his body. And even when his body dies, Judah will still exist -- prayerfully with Jesus if he believes in and loves Jesus! I told him that his spirit is what does the thinking and feeling. Unfortunately, I can't remember his cute response that involved the brain and heart. :-P (Later on, I told Matt about our conversation and was then informed of the little lesson on death the previous night.) I love being a mom. SO many times that I am forced to reckon and grapple with the basics of life as I try to explain it to my children. We learn things, get it under our belt, and then forget to keep pondering. We humans sure miss out on a lot of the depth that life in God's world brings!

Back to Exodus, last night's reading was about when Moses was placed in the basket and sent downriver. Talk about a new perspective! When Moses was 3 months old, his mother could no longer keep him hidden. Eden is 3 months old. As Matt read that chapter, I kept looking at my smiling, squealing Eden imagining how hard it must have been for Moses's mom to place her little guy in a basket she made and then put that basket in a mighty river. Could she have known the outcome? Drowning, eaten by animals, starvation...many things could have taken her son's life. And she probably knew that. Even thinking about my baby crying and not being able to get to her and calm her hurts me. And she's just upstairs -- not in the Nile all by herself.

But this woman had great faith. She had choices. She could have given up hiding him and succumbed to Pharaoh's soldiers. She could have tried to keep him hidden, eventually to be found by the soldiers. She even could have taken his life as a "mercy act" on herself and her baby boy -- his death was an eventuality in men's eyes. But instead, she made the most raw choice. She gave up her baby to creation. A creation that serves its Maker. The Maker she was devoted to. She gave her little son to God, wholly and compeltely. And in giving up her son, she gained him back. By putting Moses into an incredibly dangerous situation for a 3 month old, she saved his life...and got to finish nursing him, raise him a few years, train him...and then see him become one of the greatest men of all time in Egypt and in the history of the Jews!

Would I be willing to give up any of my children in such a way? Would you?

Kids Say the Most Random Things

While wrestling with Elijah, Judah yelled, "MICHAEL JACKSON!"

Raw Vocabulary

Last night, we received quite the picture of raw Flesh bucking against consequences for disobedience. For a while, there has been a hole in the boys' wall right by Judah's top bunk. He's picked at the hole several times and been disciplined for it. Since Matt had yesterday off, he decided to patch 'n paint the wall. During naptime, Judah called him up to ask for a hand wash...Judah had picked at the spackle and made a complete mess (including all over sleeping Elijah). We spent several hours trying to figure out what would be the best consequence for such a thing. Most pertinent was missing the picnic and swimming with a group of friends in order to watch Daddy repair the wall yet again. Judah, our social fishy, was absolutely distraught! He carried on with yelling and crying. After some thought, Matt revised and said Judah could go but would not be allowed to swim. After all, Matt didn't want to miss out by staying home with Judah! But Judah reacted the same way he did when he was told he couldn't go at all -- lots of loud, tearful protest. After a few minutes, because of his unthankful response, Matt gave the final word that he and Judah would stay home. Again, Judah lost it; but this time, he kept telling Matt (through sobs), "I need to tell you something, Daddy!" Matt calmly put him on the couch and said, "I'm listening." It took about 20 seconds for Judah to eek out between sobs...

"I accept your solution."

Wow. Even when not terribly upset, it would be weird to hear a four year old say that. I walked away so that no one would see the small smile fighting its way onto my face. It was terribly sad but a little funny, too. He still was not allowed to go because he should have accepted Daddy's solution when it was given. It's like saying "I'm sorry"...good, but doesn't negate the need for consequence.

Got me thinking. I pray that someday (soon?), Judah will accept Jesus' solution. For now, it is offered freely at any moment in time. He just needs to realize and internalize Jesus' solution to sin -- salvation! In the future, there will come a day when the time for accepting the Solution will pass. There will be no mercy after that.

And, as an adult, I need to continue to accept Jesus' solution. Judah needs the initial solution Christ provides which is a repentant and cleansed heart. I need the continual solution of daily remembering that I am no longer a slave to sin. Seeking the Lord and His strength is my lifelong solution to the battle I wage against my raw Flesh. May I daily use the same vocabulary my four year old did and say, "I accept Your solution!"

Milk, Steak, & Date

Judah asked me why I always drink so much water (which I probably don't drink enough...). I explained to him that as summer comes, it's very important for our bodies to have extra water...and Mommy particularly needs more water because my body makes milk for Eden. He thought for a few moments. "So, with Jesus in your heart, does He tell your tummy to make milk for Eden?" It's a little difficult to explain to kids that God created things to work a certain way and then it keeps working that way. Sounds close to deism...but that's not what I mean. After making a big mental effort in trying to explain that, Judah simply said again, "So Jesus tells your tummy to make milk?" Well, yes, He does! His creation obeys the rules He has set forth...but without God continuing to hold all things together, I suppose my tummy wouldn't have to make milk if it didn't want to. :-)

I accidentally put Judah's big boy cup of milk in front of Elijah at breakfast. The boys promptly pointed out my error. I corrected the problem while saying, "I'm sorry...My mistake!" Elijah, in a that's-so-silly voice, said, "You're not a steak, Mommy!'

Hubz surprised me last night by informing me that, unbeknownst to me, he secured a sitter for Friday night. That means a date, people! Such a rarity with three youngins! Where to go...what to do...

Count Your Many Dairies

Judah and Elijah just filled a hamper to the brim with toys and scooted it into the kitchen ("church" they said). Elijah said they had toys in the basket, and Judah followed with, "Yeah, like thousands!" Really?

So, Eden is dairy intolerant. Wow. And I thought cutting out coffee and chocolate was hard! I went dairy free (except baked goods) for 3-4 days. Had pizza one evening, and the next morning Eden fussed to high heaven while nursing. Then she proceeded to have milky spit-up for 30 minutes followed by another 20 minutes of thick spit-up. Today, she's spitting up less but now has a great need for diaper changing (if you catch my drift). Dr. L is fairly certain she has a dairy intolerance and told me I need to hold off. ::sigh:: So I shall. It's worth it to nurse her. And it's only for a few more months. (Eek!)

Three things I have noticed in this non-dairy week:

1) You feel like you're not really eating. "Real" food contains gooey cheese you can sink your teeth into...or cold and creamy yogurt...or deliciously dessertful ice cream...or a refreshing glass of milk with your pancakes...or a simple bowl of cereal with milk. Nope. None of that anymore.

2) You have to get pretty basic with your diet when dairy isn't in the picture. This really surprised me. Milk is in almost everything! Granted, I still think I'm ok to eat baked goods, butter, and other things that have little dairy content. But think of how much we use cheese, sour cream, cream soups, etc. in our cuisine!

3) A diet without dairy has less fat! (Hence the feeling of not having "real" food...)

So I now embark on a journey of figuring out how I'm going to eat and plan meals for my family over the next few months until Eden is weaned. All ideas are welcome!!! And pray for me to persevere for Eden's good!

And maybe pray that when I try coffee and chocolate in a week or so after being no-dairy a little longer, that maybe she'll be ok with those. That MIGHT be an even trade...

Green Bean Security

The other day we had some green beans with our lunch. For some reason (human nature?), my boys are on strike from vegetables AND fruit (ugh). So, per my sister's advice, a new rule is that they have to take at least one bite of everything on their plate at every meal. We were webcam-ing with my mom while eating, both of us trying to coax the boys to eat at least one green bean. We were using the race tactic of who could eat the bean first. My mom sing-songy asked, "Who's going to wiiin?" Elijah replied with "Not meee."

Today, Eden received her social security card. As I was opening it, Judah asked me what it was. I told him it was her social security card. He then asked, "What is social security?" All I could say with a grin only an adult can give was, "That is a VERY good question, Judah."

Two-Week Heart Check

It's been about two weeks since we welcomed our little Eden into our arms -- and what a glorious two weeks it has been! She is so different from either of our boys! Nursing has been a breeze to establish, so much that I can actually have warm fuzzy thoughts towards her while she is nursing. That NEVER happened with the boys because nursing was so difficult with them. At two weeks, she is already on a pretty solid 3 hour schedule and has slept 4-5 hours straight the past two nights (hopefully a new pattern...).

I consider this to be a huge blessing and gift straight from the Lord. Eden is our last newborn. And we have had nothing but sweet joy and an easy transition to three kids (which we were told by many would be the hardest). Just shy of two weeks with a newborn and already Matt and I are in awe that we feel like things are routine. That's right -- routine! It seems surreal.

Not once have I had regrets or tears over our decision that Eden would be our last biological baby as I expected I would. Not in the recovery room and not in the days since then. My thoughts have consistently been along positive lines. Resting in the knowledge that my body is finished being put through the rigors and pains of pregnancy and c-sections as well as being excited to get in shape for good. Feeling complete as a family (like my arms are "full," as my mom describes it). Looking forward to years of worry-free romance with my hubby. I haven't focused at all on not ever again having a pregnant belly, feeling a baby inside, etc. And even thinking about that now as I write leaves me unaffected emotionally. God is SO good to affirm decisions we make in faith by allowing our hearts to be at peace once the decision is final.

Thank you, Father, for letting Your peace reign in my heart these last two weeks. From the moments in surgery when I knew my child-bearing days were ending to tonight when I see my last newborn in her daddy's arms, I relish this "complete" feeling You have given my heart. I sit in awe at how You have granted our family an incredibly easy transition to three children and life with a daughter. What a gift to have so much enjoyment with our last newborn journey!

The Time Has Come

Monday is a big day. A day of joyous "hello" and bittersweet "goodbye."

We say a joyous "hello" to our daughter Eden! What a change this will bring to our home. She makes our kid-count three, what we've heard to be the hardest transition in a family's life. She is a...she! That in itself is a major shift in thinking for all of us. Different colors, more clothes and accessories, different diaper changes... But we are excited to welcome her. Our hearts are more than ready though our brains are still trying to comprehend how this transition is going to happen!

We say a bittersweet "goodbye" to our childbearing. This is something I had to come to grips with before we even got pregnant with Eden, that my hubby had a strong preference we stop having biological children at three due to increased risks with repeat c-sections. It was a long two months of praying, soul searching, motive evaluating, and counsel seeking. But God was faithful to answer, reveal, and provide. My heart moved in line with my husband's compassionate and wise desire to protect his wife, and it has remained at peace since then. But I knew as delivery drew near with our third child, the bittersweet moments would increase. I'll never have a pregnant belly again. Never feel a baby moving inside my womb. Never again go through one of the most incredible Creation processes that can ONLY point to an amazing Creator. But God is good to provide positives in my thinking to counteract the bittersweetness. Better motivation to get and stay in shape knowing pregnancy will no longer hinder nor help me. Clear focus on raising three children for a good chunk of years. Intimacy for the sole purpose of intimacy, free from planning and wondering (one of the reasons we chose to stack our childbearing at the beginning of marriage). Yes, it's bittersweet. But praise the Lord for peace within that emotion.

And praise the Lord that, though we are done being pregnant, we are not done having children. Somewhere, someday, we pray that He will guide us to one more precious Arrow to welcome into our family as a picture of what He has done for us.

We have been fruitful and multiplied. He has filled our quiver with blessings. He has built our house. And we will continue to step out in faith, believing that He is guiding us in these major life events and decisions.

Thank you, Lord, for the privilege of carrying three of your creations within me. Thank you for allowing me to be a woman and experience Your miraculous creation of the childbearing process. I will treasure it always. May You be my Strength as I now must carry myself with strength and dignity knowing I will not bear children again. May You cause me to continually smile at the future when, if You are willing, we bring home a fourth child to raise for Your glory.

Judah's Dinner Prayer

"Dear Jesus, thank you for this food and for the beautiful weather that you made for us. And please help Mommy to feel better by eating ice because she's an adult. Amen."

Note: Chewing ice is common for me during this late pregnancy. It's theraputic for some reason and cools me down. I told the boys only adults eat ice, and gave the "it makes me feel better" cop-out to Judah when he asked why I do it. :-)

A Beautiful Picture

An Excerpt from "The Wife" by Washington Irving

...Nothing can be more touching than to behold a soft and tender female, who had been all weakness and dependence, and alive to every trivial roughness, while treading the prosperous paths of life, suddenly rising in mental force to be the comforter and support of her husband under misfortune, and abiding, with unshrinking firmness, the bitterest blasts of adversity.

As the vine, which has long twined its graceful foliage about the oak and been lifted by it into sunshine, will, when the hardy plant is rifted by the thunderbolt, cling round it with it's caressing tendrils, and bind up its shattered boughs; so is it beautifully ordered by Providence, that woman, who is the mere dependent and ornament of man in his happier hours, should be his stay and solace when smitten with sudden calamity; winding herself into the rugged recesses of his nature, tenderly supporting the drooping head, and binding up the broken heart.

A Tale of Three Pregnancy Comments

Yesterday, I was grocery shopping by myself, pushing through my body's exhaustion after having run several errands already. I was looking for a certain spice mix in the baking aisle when this guy all of the sudden walks quickly past me from behind. As he passed by, my ears heard him quietly say, "So when is that baby girl due?" Now, the fact that he kept walking quickly and that he spoke so quietly meant that my brain was not processing everything as it was happening. So after a few seconds of figuring out exactly what words he said and then being astounded, I managed to call out, "Next month." After a few more seconds of shocked processing, I called out louder, "How did you know it's a girl??" He turned around but kept walking backwards as he said, "I can just tell. You're carrying high. And I have two of my own." He turned and was gone from my aisle. I still stood there in complete shock. So much, that I said to a fellow lady shopper who had seen the exchange, "That was freaky." She gave a little laugh and moved on. The simple fact that this stranger (who was male) knew I was having a girl and commented on it is weird enough. But what makes it MORE weird is that EVERY person who has commented on what I'm having has argued with me that it must be a boy because of how I am carrying. Two women in particular actually held a conversation with me for a minute or more about how I had to be having a boy no matter how many times I reassured them it was indeed a girl, confirmed by several ultrasounds. The Safeway Stranger is one I will never forget!

Then today, an older lady at church graciously approached me and asked with a gentle smile "How are you feeling? Big?" I told her I'm good save for a couple small complaints of back/hip pain and the onset of swelling but I only have a month left. That's when the conversation took a turn towards major confusion and foot-in-mouth disease for her. She asked something about if I knew whether or not it was twins. (WHAT??) I think I was so surprised at the question that I stammered my reply it was not twins and couldn't imagine carrying two babies. Then she started questioning if they can tell if someone is having twins these days, like do ultrasounds show if there are two babies or is it a surprise. (::dumbfounded stare::) I told her absolutely they know if you are having twins and was going to go into the fact that even if you don't have an ultrasound, they can still find two heartbeats. But she cut me off with, "Well, I guess she's just a big girl then, huh?" (Oh dear.) "Well, no actually she is small which is part of why they are continuing to monitor her with monthly ultrasounds." I think she realized that was her Strike Two, and she may have then mentioned something about me looking big. I told her I was actually smaller than I was with either of my sons. Strike Three. I don't even remember how the conversation ended, probably too mystified by the plainly odd nature of her questioning and also feeling sorry for her indirectly saying three times I was big when all the facts prove I'm quite small for 34 weeks. I didn't have the heart to also tell her NO ONE has told me I look big. :-P

Which brings me to the Mailman's comment this past week. I've had some issues with this mailman in the past seeming almost too friendly and knowledgeable of me and my family (including telling me once that I have a beautiful face...). But I think I've gotten over my fear and realized that he just must be my Really Friendly Neighborhood Mailman. So the other day, the boys ran to the mailbox when he was there so he could give them the mail. I moseyed on over to supervise. Mailman asked me how baby was doing. I told him fine, that she was arriving next month. He exclaimed, "Next month?? You're not big at all! I thought you were going to say you had 5 months left or something." ::shock:: I think I said thank you, and then I explained that I am smaller than I was with either of the boys. But then I got to thinking...what would Mailman (or anyone) say if they thought I was huge and I said I had one month left. You don't hear people exclaiming, "WOW! A whole month left? You're already a land whale. How much bigger could you possibly get?" I suppose people must just give a cordial "hmm" or blank smile instead of responding with that if it's what they believe about you. So I'm content with the Mailman's opposite response. :-P

Encouragement - From a 4-Year Old

I sat there sewing another nursing cover for a friend. Judah was standing by the table playing with Toby, the latest addition to his Thomas set. All of the sudden, he very gently said, "Mommy? You are so good...you are so good to sew those for other mommies."

::teary:: Wow. My sweet 4-year old son recognized that what I do for business is also goodness towards others. That what I sew is used by other mommies and helps them. Somehow, because of his fresh innocence in discovering non-tangible concepts, it meant the world to me to hear him say that. It was also somewhat of a relief to know that, though I'm not spending time with him when I sew, he understands why I do it.

Thank you, Lord. It was precious to see growth in my son's understanding of what You require of us. And the encouragement was simply a bonus!

Why have children?

That's a question I've asked myself a few times in the last week as pregnancy has ramped up fatigue and back/hip pain...and also as two high-energy boys are about to be joined by another child.

Today, I pondered the question a little more because the question has definitely irritated me. Why would I ask that? I love my kids!

When you get down to the bottom of it, the reason we have children is not:

1) Because that's what we humans do.

2) To gain enjoyment from them (because they certainly cause an equal amount of trials!).

3) To raise up more humans who can live happy lives just moving about this earth.

So why have children? I think there are two very foundational reasons while all other reasons are merely bonuses to our earthly lives.

We have children because we are commanded to.

But more importantly, we have children in order to raise up more people who will bring glory to God's name. Not that we are adding to His glory -- He is already 100% glory. We are just adding voices and lives who can increase the celebration of His glory. And if I as a mom can learn to keep THAT my focus in raising my kids, so much will fall into place in the mothering process (like patience, love, spending time on discipline and teaching, etc.).

When everything else is the focus, everything will be blurry.

When God's glory is the focus, everything else becomes crystal clear.

Psalm 127

Judah's Breakfast Prayer & a ScripBit

Simple, but too cute for a Momma not to share.

"Dear Jesus, thank you for this wonderful day you made for us. ::distracted by Elijah...distracted again...:: And thank you for all this food to fill our tummies. Amen."

Today's ScripBit (a bit from Scripture):

"And Jesus answered them, 'Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.'" -Luke 5:31-32

Simply put, humility is needed for true repentance to happen.

Soldiers & Shrinking

Judah has proven that he has entered that phase of childhood in which thought-provoking questions are a daily occurrence.

Yet another early morning breakfast question... "Does Jesus love soldiers?"

I was a little stunned (again) at the randomness of this question since nothing that morning had been remotely related to soldiers. Maybe there was something on the morning news he saw that my mind missed? Or perhaps his mind was going back to the Nightly News the evening before. To give a little context, even before my sons were born, I held the conviction that guns were not going to be toys in our home for a very long time if ever. I understand it's in male nature to conquer and protect, but I don't think pretending with guns should be part of little boys' lives. Personal preference, that's all. So far, we've been quite successful at this. The only exposure my boys have had to guns and killing is pretty much the news which is always reporting on situations involving soldiers, weapons, police, murder, etc. And I am perfectly ok with that. I don't want my sons to be ignorant of these things -- but I do want them to learn about them with a proper perspective. So far so good. (And I'll take a moment to thank my older sister for asking her sons not to gun-play around my boys during the holidays...it really meant a lot to me that she respected my preference even though it is different from hers!)

So back to the question, "Does Jesus love soldiers?" What a question from a 3 year old! It immediately showed me that perhaps he was doubting that Jesus loves soldiers, but why? Ah, maybe because he understands that soldiers kill people and killing is wrong. God is the one who is gives and takes life. I asked him, "Do you think that Jesus might not love soldiers because they kill people?" He nodded his head yes. How precious to see such an innocent thought process. The answer was not very easy to explain, and even made me have a basic realization about soldiers. I began with explaining that yes, Jesus does love soldiers. Jesus loves all people and wants them to love Him. I told Judah that being a soldier is a job just like being a doctor, which he seemed to understand. Matt explained to him that many soldiers don't even use their guns, that they help rescue people and provide for their needs. I jumped in to tell Judah that a long, long time ago, God had his very own army...men were soldiers for God! He smiled really big! But then it hit me...wait a second. God had an army, and He commanded that army numerous times to conquer other peoples and not leave one human being alive in various cities. That's killing. And God punished His army if they did NOT obey His command to kill everyone they conquered. Wow. Matt piped up to say that was a concept we didn't need to start teaching yet -- and it's a concept I'm not sure we can fully understand as humans!

Last night, Judah all of the sudden told me that if we don't read our Bible and pray, we will start shrinking. I'm sure it came from Sunday school, but he was not able to explain it in different terms. Still not certain what exactly he means! :-)

How can we see Jesus and God?

The other day at breakfast, Judah randomly asked me, "How can we see Jesus and God?" A little stunned at the depth of this early morning question, it took me a few seconds to figure out how to answer. One quick look out the window reminded me that at this moment in life, we can see WHO God is by looking at His creation. I explained this to Judah.

See how beautiful the snow is and how amazing it is?
Yes.
Well, who made all the snow?
GOD!
If He made all the snow, then He is more beautiful and more amazing than even all that snow! And someday, we will see Jesus Himself if we believe in Him, love Him, and obey Him.

Judah got a serene and excited smile as he piped up: "I believe in Jesus!!!"

Please, Lord, let this kiddo's heart continue down this path!

How God Made Judah

One of the running themes of our Christmas vacation was children finding candy and cookies and secretly eating them. It started with Elijah finding Matt's reeses pb cup gift during "naptime" and eating 13 of them before Judah ran to get us. Later that same day, he kept finding some of the other kids' candy and tried to open it before I caught him. A few days later, the boys found some of Papa's lime cookies and munched on those. Jeepers! And here's where the story of How God Made Judah comes in...

Matt took Judah into the kitchen to talk to him about eating Papa's cookies without asking permission. Judah had a white ring around his mouth, and the lime cookies have a powdered finish on them. Judah answered "no" when asked if he ate any of the cookies. Hmm. Didn't exactly match up with what his lips showed. So Matt started talking to him about whether or not he was lying and how his lips looked like they had something on them. Matt asked Judah why he had white stuff on his lips. "Because that's how God made me." After further discussion, Judah was not backing down from his "no I didn't eat a cookie." Matt got a rag to wipe Judah's mouth -- and discovered it was dried milk rather than powdered sugar! :-P So Judah was telling the truth. And we guess he said that's how God made him because he was trying to come up with something to explain why there was white stuff on his lips so he wouldn't be in trouble. Oh, how the human mind works -- and this smart one is in a 3 year old's body!

Meetings, Memory, & More

A few times the past couple days, I've heard Judah ask Elijah to "come to the meeting." I asked him once what he was talking about. He explained that it was a pretend meeting by their dresser, but I couldn't discover a reason for the meeting. :-)

Proof that a kid's memory is better than we anticipate: Judah is 3. We do watch some TV, but not a whole lot. Mostly a little news in the morning, an occasional cooking show, and sometimes nightly news and the "letter game" (Wheel of Fortune). The rest is all kid shows. So they are not really exposed to many commercials geared for adults. BUT... Last night, we had the TV muted during commercials while watching the letter game. Judah was half-playing, half-paying attention to the TV. A Geico commercial came on, one without the typical spokespeople. At the very end, the word "Geico" came on screen, and Judah blurted out "Guy-co!" He knew what it was simply by the look of their logo. No audible words necessary. And he's 3. I wonder how many other logos he would know by now. I know there's been studies done on this, but I've not heard of any that used 3 year olds who don't watch a ton of TV as their subjects. :-P

Elijah says SO much now! You can carry on conversations with the kid! He shocked Matt the other day at dinner by saying "five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten!" He's shocked me by regularly recognizing the letters A, B, and E. He can say tons of sentences loud and clear that it's almost getting the point of not having much cuteness to translate and tell about! But here are a few things that are still cute...

Fire Druck: fire truck (and sometimes the "truck" doesn't sound so kosher...)
Eatmahl: oatmeal
Foo tee-ohs: fruity cheerios
Sooz me: excuse me
Bah-po: pillow (took me a while to figure this one out)

Judah is starting to plan things out (even saying "here's the plan") and used the word "loudly" correctly yesterday. Many hand gestures to go along with his conversations, too! Cute, funny, and scary!

Cuteness

For about a week or so, Judah has been sweetly saying "Excuse me, My Dear" when he wishes to speak to me while I am in the middle of something. I think he has figured out that it melted my heart the first time and generally tends to get my attention more rapidly than "Mommy...mommy...mommy..."

Yesterday morning, I was changing Elijah out of his pajamas. He found his nipple, as all curious kids do at one point or another. He started pointing from nipple to belly button saying, "Small bee-bo...big bee-bo...small bee-bo...big bee-bo..." Too cute!

Judah really loves to have oatmeal with "crasberries" (dried cranberries) in the morning for "breh-bress" to warm him up. And he loves to help Daddy use a "screw-scriver" when they are being Bob the Builders. He does talk SUPER well for a 3 year old, but there are a few words I choose not to correct because they're just so cute. I mean, he's gotta have SOME words in his vocabulary that still sound like a little kid,, right??

Elijah has a thing for socks. He often takes them off his own feet as well as other people's feet. A recent episode: He quickly slipped baby Peter's socks off and bolted to the other room to shove them under a pillow for safe hiding. And though Elijah's small and built, this kid can really move fast when he's getting away from you! And he thinks he's so clever and cute when he does it, too. And he's right!

Cute-isms

Judah

He had Skittles for the first time last night. He loves them. And he calls them "crystals."

You can be praying for Judah. The last couple weeks he has had some pretty deep questions for a three year old that are exciting and serious at the same time. Questions about what happens to parts of your body when you die (what happens to your lungs? can you talk when you die?). Questions about guns (what is a gun? can it make you die?). Questions about hell and heaven (where is the fire at? Jesus is in heaven?). And he really is starting to seemingly take in our talks with him about the sin in his heart. So be praying for soft, rich soil for us to continue planting seeds in. We do desire him to know Jesus personally at an early age, but the LAST thing either of us wants is for him to grow up with all the right knowledge and behaviors without the heart firmly rooted in Christ -- the biggest trap of growing up in a Christian home that both Matt and I experienced.

Elijah

He also had Skittles for the first time last night. I gave them to him one at a time and watched closely to be sure all was ok. All of the sudden, as he was munchin' along, yellow drool started running down his chin. That candy turned on his salivary glands full force! At one point, he shook his head no and spit was flying. Ever seen Turner and Hooch? :-) Needless to say, he likes the Skittles. I do, too, actually......

Last post revealed that he says "No yike it." Well, he's started a new game with that. This is how it goes:

Lij: No yike it.
Me: You don't like it?
Lij: I DOOO yike it!!....No yike it.
Me: Aww, you don't like it?
Lij, with a sly grin: I DOOO yike it!!

hih-muh-muh-mus: hippopotamus
sahk: shark
stine: Little Einstein
dez sumping wong, Mommy: fuller phrase of "There's something wrong, Mommy"

E3

I had a dream a few nights ago that I felt the baby moving on the inside and outside of my tummy. I woke up in a half-stupor and realized I had my hands on my belly trying to feel the baby moving. That would never happen at 15 weeks! But I kept trying to feel...until I woke up all the way and realized how silly it was. But...

I felt the baby for the first time yesterday. I sat there quietly reading a book in the silent, sunshiny afternoon. I felt tiny little "twitches" in my lower left tummy. To be frank for a moment, a seasoned preggo will wait for gas bubbles to pass in order to know if it was truly the baby or something else. But time went on, and I kept feeling the little flutters without any other results. That's when you know it's the baby. :-) I've been waiting for this. Time to start cherishing this last pregnancy even more!

Familyisms

Since my last post, alot has happened. But since I only have a few readers, I know you all know the big ticket items like pregnancy, family visits, and such. :-) Just a cute little update for journaling purposes...

Mattism

Last night, I desperately needed to pop my back after sitting for too long at small group. My back hasn't really cooperated with me lately when I need to pop it, so I wasn't expecting anything great. I twisted to my right, and CRAAAAAAACK! All the way from top to bottom! Boy, did it feel wonderful! Unfortunately, it was also loud. A few who heard it gasped in shock and/or disgust. Well, anyone who is a back popper knows you can't do one side and not the other. So I twisted to my left to quickly finish, not really expecting much again. CRAAAAAACK! Wow. Ok! More gasps. Then Matt turns around and says to Robin and Emilee, "Would someone go find the king's horses and the king's men to put my wife back together again?" I'm still giggling over that. Must have just hit me right. He's got some quick wit, that man!

Dawnism

This morning, Matt and I got to have breakfast/news together before the boys woke up due to a late night last night. Matt poured himself some cereal and walked to the fridge for the milk. I got a mug down to pour myself a cup of coffee. As Matt was saying maybe he wouldn't have cereal because we are low on milk, I proceeded to pour coffee over his cereal rather than in my mug. I helped him decide not to have cereal and have yogurt instead. Wow. Gotta love those completely brainless moments!

Judahisms

"breh-bres" - still can't say breakfast :-)
"rabee-lolee" - ravioli (too bad he doesn't like it)
-The other day, I laid my head in his lap and said "Can I snuggle in your lap and take a nap?" He looked down with an astute stare and frankly said, "This is not a pillow." ::shock:: Ok then.
-When I lay him down for his nap, give him a kiss, and say "I love you," he likes to say "See you in the mean train." Ok. Whatever, silly boy. :-)
-I now understand how irritating it must have been for my mom when I wanted to watch shows or movies over and over and over and over and over. Fireman Sam, if I have to watch you save the day one more time.......
-Judah's favorite color is red. Make no mistake.

Elijahisms

-"sumping wong" - something is wrong (said in the most precious high pitched voice)
-"I do it" - no translation needed
-"no yike it" - I don't like it.
-This kid is really starting to talk. I "read" a colors book with him the other day that has all sorts of picutres in it. He can pretty much repeat whatever you ask him to! I had no idea he could say so many words. "Avacado" is pretty cute to hear. It's still different for us to watch his speech develop because he is much different than Judah who talked early and very clearly. But it's very cute and endearing at the same time. It's getting to the point where occasionally I find that I don't need to translate for someone else. That kinda pulls at the heart strings -- it means he's growing up.
-Elijah is showing signs of organization and cleanliness. He will take his shoes and socks off, shove his socks into his shoes, and then put them on the shoeshelf -- all without being asked. He lines up cars in a perfect row. He places stickers one directly on top of the other (Judah lines them up in a row). Puzzles have to be complete. He separates cars from trains and places them in their proper boxes. Just fascinating. We're still working on mealtime cleanliness and skill, but he is really growing by leaps and bounds in that area compared to where he used to be. Praise the Lord! :-P
-He is our little engineer. He shoves things in places they don't belong to see what happens (great). He takes things apart, looks them over, and puts them back together. He builds really great towers with his legos...and will sit there for a long time quietly working on it without getting frustrated (unlike Judah).
-Elijah sometimes likes me to rock and sing to him at night. If I just rock him without singing, he leans back, points to my lips, and quietly says "Seen" (sing).
-He is very good at bringing Judah down when they wrestle. Beef vs. String Bean. Judah's gonna have to rely on agility, I'm pretty sure. 'Lij? He'll just sit on you. And yet he still weighs a couple pounds less than Judah. It's ALL in how you carry your weight!!

Baby E3isms

-While talking today with my little sis about what animal we'll choose if E3 is a boy, I realized something very cool. While the boys were still in my womb, we picked out what animal we wanted them each to grow up with. We chose a lion for Judah...and his personality is social, hot tempered, and in charge. We chose a monkey for Elijah...and his personality is playful, mischievious, and adorable. Odd how that worked out perfectly. Makes me nervous to pick one for the third boy (if it's a boy!) If it's a girl, butterfly hands down. Purple with probably green and either white or brown accents. I don't mind pink, but don't drown us with it please! We're way too used to boy stuff around here!

-Speaking of doing butterflies if E3 is a girl, I found the PERFECT quote that will go in "her" room. "If nothing ever changed, there would be no butterflies" (author unknown). How awesome is that?? If we have a girl, everything will change around here. And if we don't have a girl, I don't get to have a butterfly baby. Change = butterfly baby! :-D That makes my heart happy.

-I'm waiting to feel E3 any day now. I felt Judah at 17 weeks, and Elijah was at 14. So we'll see!

Uncanny

I was reading John 11 this afternoon during the boys' naptime. That's the chapter that tells about when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. I was just about to get to the part where Martha explains to Jesus that Lazarus would stink because he'd been dead for several days. All of the sudden, breaking the afternoon quiet, Judah yelled out from his room, "PEEE-YEEEEW!" And then silence.

The boy said that in his sleep.

Question: What are the odds he would yell that particular expression out -- in his sleep -- as I was just about to read about a stinking dead body???

Morning Funnies

Last night, I went to pick up a youth from her work. Judah was already in bed but heard me leaving. He called out to ask where I was going. I told him I was going to pick up CC but would be back soon. Then I heard, "Get soft tacos!"

As Judah lay in bed with me while I tried to shake the groggies away, I asked him if he remembered his verse from Sunday school. We then started talking about who Jesus' Father is and that His mother was a lady named Mary. I have no idea why, but he started asking if Mary danced. I said I didn't know. Then Judah said, "Jaclyn danced at her wedder [wedding]." Yes, yes she did. :-)

As I was washing my face, Judah was "cooking" me some breakfast in their play kitchen. After bringing me a hamburger with a side of cracker, he said he would get me a treat. Ice cream...he specified it would be in a "pinecone." Hmm.

Elijah says:

Momess: Thomas
Mope: closest I can get to typing out how he says "milk"
Joos: juice
Hope: help
Behbess: Breakfast (also refers to all other meals)
Nack: snack
Rah: rock

And I think he said his first official complete sentence last night. Unfortunately, it was "Don't pray, Daddy." :-P He wanted to pray first!

All Prettified

So, in looking at a friend's beautiful looking blog, I found The Cutest Blog on the Block. Too cool! Yeah for a prettified blog! Check it out for yourself!

Sugary Cereal or Peaches?

Throughout each passing day, I find myself thinking of more and more analogies for the spiritual life. Today's was brought on by having Cinnamon Streusal Mini-Wheats and a peach for breakfast. The cereal was quite tasty and sweet, as was the peach. No one would argue which is better for your body -- the peach, of course. Natural vitamins, sugars, and fiber as opposed to the sugar-infused, added-vitamins fiber cereal. I ate the cereal first and then began chomping on the peach. To my surprise, the first bite of peach was QUITE bitter. The second a little less bitter, the third even less bitter, and so on. After several bites, the peach was what I considered juicy, succulent, and perfectly peachy-sweet. A drastic change from that first post-cereal bite of peach.

And then the analogy came.

We so often gorge ourselves on the things this world has to offer -- TV, video games, books, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, etc. But how often do we reach for God's Word or spend time with Him in prayer? It's so easy to get out of practice with the latter and so easy to fall into hours of practice with the former. And what always happens when we've immersed ourselves in worldy things and recognize we need to shape up and start spending our time where it is most needed? It doesn't taste good! Our selfish flesh fights against focusing on what is right. We experience the bitterness of conviction and failure. The taste is bitter, but the nutrients are still good for us. After a while, if we are disciplined and persevere, our spirit starts winning over our flesh and time with God and His Word is sweet and desirable.

If only we'd eat the Peach first, then we'd enjoy EVERY nutritious bite...and perhaps not be so thrilled with the sugary cereal of the world.

Recent Cuteness

Judah ran up to me yesterday afternoon and hugged my leg while saying, "I'm so glad I have a Mom and Dad." ::warm fuzzies::

Judah looked at Norah during breakfast this morning and said, "Her cheeks are getting bigger!"

Elijah says...

Roh: roll
Wee-bit: ribbit
Za date: the gate
Ope: help
Doo-joo: Judah
Hoo-oo: the name for his blue monkey

Elijah really likes pushing Norah in the stroller. He pushes while I guided. Made me think of a great analogy! It is our responsibility to keep pushing forward in our Faith, and it is God's responsibility to guide us if we are His. When we try to steer away from where God is guiding, we get stuck and risk hurting ourselves and others!

While playing in the GORGEOUS low humidity this morning, I saw several cicada exoskeltons, so I took the opportunity to teach the boys a little. I explained that there is a bug that comes out of his shell, and that the shell was empty but looked like the bug. Judah mentioned he saw a green bug "over dere" and took me to it. Sure enough -- it was a cicada that had JUST molted! His wings were still crumpled up, so there was no fear of him flying at us or away. We watched him every so often and helped him get on the grass rather than the sidewalk. I kept explaining that his wings needed to dry and uncurl. The last time we checked on him, Judah was able to see big wings! He got to see the change. A good science lesson for today! :-)

Memory & Fear

Yesterday, I was sitting with the boys eating lunch at the dining room table as usual. It became overcast and the wind picked up to a gentle breeze. Nothing more. And yet, as I dined, I kept feeling strange things well up inside me. After a while I realized they were memories. Quite vivid memories of last fall...when the tree fell against our house. I tried to push each memory aside and calm the trace amount of physical feelings of fear that the memories were causing. I reminded myself that my mom told me it will take years to not be quite so antsy about trees falling (she speaks from personal experience). It was an odd sensation, to be sure. It's been almost a year. Everything is fine. It was a tropical storm, not just a gentle breeze, that took the tree down. But, oh the power of human memory!

God is good to give us memory -- we would be useless without it. Memory ranges from faulty to so perfect you can live through the past as if it were happening again...all in your mind. It can be used for us to help us succeed in academics, relationships, life in general, and especially in our spiritual walk. But, if allowed to fall into the wrong hands (aka Satan), it can easily be used against us. In my case, I'm learning that memory of certain situations can lead to present fear. It took me a couple months (or more) to not be affected by trees blowing in the wind. Once I didn't feel the fear anymore, I thought I was over that life hurdle. Apparently not. Because it is still in my memory which will be with me for life. It can therefore be used against me to tempt me into sins of not trusting God's sovereign control, His goodness, His protection, His will. After all, isn't this mistrust of God just a different label for "fear"? A better label, in fact?

So even though I remember details like...

• Who was sitting where in the dining room
• The timing of Matt's exit from the kitchen
• Being so paralized by shock and fear that I just stood there rather than grab a son and run for the other end of the house
• The bite of ravioli and marinara that I held in my mouth for about 2 minutes without realizing it because my fear was so great
• The gasps for air in an attempt to fill extremely frightened lungs
• Our family falling to the floor in a heap by the front door with two screaming, crying boys and two shaking, crying parents
• Being able to say nothing but "Thank You, Lord" over and over and over
• Justin coming over to help Matt cut the limbs off the house, sweep up the enormous amount of glass, and board up the window
• Making pbj sandwiches in the living room with shaking hands since we couldn't finish our glass-sharded ravioli
• Feeling faint in heart at laying my youngest son down for a nap upstairs while it was still storming -- what if the tree falling wasn't over?
• Taking my still-scared oldest son to the grocery store to get him (and me) out of the house

...and I must stop there. Even though I remember it so vividly, I must always force my will and emotions to remember God had a purpose in it all, He can be trusted fully, and He is good. There is no fear in the Light. Only in Darkness. And since I am in the Light, I need not fear anything.

Perhaps bad memories are good afterall. If we are open to God's leading, we learn good lessons when bad situations happen. And each time our memory replays that event, we are reminded of the best lessons learned -- the ones that taught us more about how fragile we are and how awesome God is.

Halfway through Safely Home

I had to quit reading today because I was so overcome with desire to see Jesus, to hug him and feel his warm embrace. I'd say that is the DEEPEST spiritual desire of mine. Sure, I want to follow Christ, be like Him, be a good servant...but I really just want to finally BE with Him. Yes, rid of sin. But more, resting with HIM. Not just in Him like I do here. But WITH Him. Mmmm.

It also reminded me, once again, how rarely I remember there is spiritual battle waged at every moment all over the globe. That there is so much more than just what my eyes can see. I so often forget. My eyes don't go often enough beyond the physical -- an easy human trap. Everything we do has impact in both the physical and spiritual worlds. If that's not motivation to be more like Christ, I don't know what is.

I also remember how brainwashed we are to be "tolerant" in America. So much that we assume other countries are as tolerant -- well, those of us who haven't traveled outside the US much. ;-) It is so hard to imagine this kind of persecution happening daily to real people who have the Answer.

Beauty and the Beast

There is one movie I will always love no matter how old I get. The boys and I watched most of it this morning (I skip some parts). I thought I'd share a few highlights as it was a fun and special time for us.




-Judah calls it "Pew-tee & da Beasss."

-When Belle walked out of her home at the beginning, Judah said, "She looks like Mommy!"

-I love how my boys love to snuggle. I have two arms and two sides for two little boys to snuggle up close!

-I got an insatiable urge to color while watching. Made me remember my childhood days of coloring pretty dresses and Disney princesses. :-)

-Beauty and the Beast is a great movie to emphasize that "A soft answer turns away wrath." Judah was noticing as the movie went on that "He's [Beast] not angry anymore." I told him that Belle's kindness was helping Beast not be as angry. Her soft voice was calming him down...the same is true in real life when we use kind speech seasoned with grace when talking with Mommy, Daddy, or Elijah. Soft answers help others not be angry.

-Elijah loves for me to hold him and dance cheek to cheek during "Tale as Old as Time." He does it for the entire song and especially loves the twirls.

-At the end, we often have to explain why Beast and Gaston are fighting. When Gaston fell, Judah said he wasn't angry anymore. I told him the reason Gaston fell was because he wouldn't leave Beast alone and was very angry at Beast. Anger leads to ruin and only hurts people. Judah said of Gaston, "He needs Jesus." ::sigh of contentment:: I love little snippets of proof that Matt and I are succeeding in our goal to raise kids who understand and love Christ even if we fail to be perfect parents.

Divin' In

WOAH, you say. Me, too! I finally looked into a spiffy blogger template since I keep seeing some pretty awesome one's out there...and kept wondering how on earth people get them. Duh -- Google search. So, welcome to the new look for my blog! I may keep retitling it until I settle on what strikes my fancy. :-)

Thought for Today

Our pastor is currently doing a series on the Life of Elijah. Sure, Bible stories we've heard since we were kids. But it is so different hearing it as an adult from a preacher rather than a 6 year old from a sweet teacher. The current topic in Elijah's life is that he was a man of pure devotion. Yesterday was all about the story when Elijah went up against 450 prophets of Baal. Looking at each aspect of that contest shows just how powerful and serious it was. One particular focus got Pastor fired up and really shocked me with realization. After the prophets had been carrying on for several hours, Elijah mocked them. He used biting sarcasm as he encouraged them to call out louder to their god -- and attacked Baal directly. What courage it took to do that! He, one man, was mocking 450 hyped up zealots of Baal while an entire nation looked on.

Now, in today's society, we are taught directly and indirectly not to offend others. To be politically correct. Take into account how others might feel if you say or do [whatever]. And never attack someone else for who they are or what they believe. But Elijah did just that -- and it was commended in Scripture, looked well upon by God Almighty. Nothing is recorded against Elijah for what he said to the prophets of Baal. In fact, God instantly answered Elijah's prayer full tilt as soon as the last word left Elijah's lips. He didn't take a minute to tell Elijah he should have been a little easier on the prophets.

Here's the point. We are called to destroy and refute anything raised up against the one true God (II Cor. 10:5). We are called to be courageous, confident, zealous, and boastful in the Lord. If my believing in Jesus Christ steps on someone else's toes, then so be it. He is more important than their feelings. In fact, He is so important that they should be thankful for a stubbed toe, repent, and be saved! Isn't their eternal destiny more important than how they'll feel if I thank Jesus Christ the Son of God when asked to pray publicly?

Sincerity in religion means nothing unless you are worshiping the one true God -- Creator of the Universe, Yahweh to Israel, and Father of Jesus Christ our Savior.

A Kid's Dream

This morning, Judah came in our room in typical fashion and snuggled in bed with me. After a while, this is what he said...

"There was a log coming down from the sky. It was going to touch the ground. Daddy used my green blanket to hit it, and it went away. ::long pause:: It had two mean eyes."

I asked him if it was a dream, and he said it happened "two months ago." I was more confused. I asked him if it was a tornado or if it was from a movie he has seen, trying to figure out why he would be talking about something like this. He said it was real. And that the log came off of a logging truck, came down from the sky, and was going to touch the ground. "And Daddy used your blanket to hit it away?" "No, he used MY blanket."

Um, ok?

**EDIT**
I THINK I FIGURED IT OUT! The other day, I let Judah watch the last cartoon on Fantasia 2000 which I had up to that point not been letting him watch due to intensity. The last cartoon is about a GREEN woodland fairy that looks sort of like a soft, flowy blanket. She battles a "firebird" that is dark with two mean red eyes and dives at the ground (which could look like a log coming down to the ground). In the end, the green blanket (the fairy) defeats the log with two mean eyes (the firebird). Fascinating. Perhaps we wont' be watching that one again for quite some time...

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At breakfast, Elijah saw that I had just eaten the last bite of my waffle. He said, "Mee-mee, done!" He still calls me Mee-mee, by the way. I've tried to correct him a few times, but it never takes. And I'm not sure I mind that it doesn't take. I'm growing to find Mee-mee sentimental. <3 I can't believe he'll be two in a few weeks!

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Poor Judah. All day yesterday, he complained of his legs aching. Last night he started running a low fever. This morning, he still has the same exact temperature, and his legs are VERY tender in the back. You barely push on it and he cries. Strained muscles? Growing pains? :-(

Judah Speak

Breh-bres: breakfast
Pop hoder: pot holder

No matter how many times I correct him, he sings two songs incorrectly.

Bob the Builder: Instead of "working together, they get the job done," he sings "boinging together, they get the job done."

ABC's: "...h, i, k, k, l, m, n, o, p..."

At lunch I was telling him how cool it will be when Jesus comes back to Earth, and we can see Him. Judah responded with, "When Daddy sins, he needs Jesus." :-P So I reminded Judah that when Mommy, Judah, and Elijah sin, we need Jesus, too.

An Elijah Antic

I heard the bathroom door open. I heard the toilet lid open. I heard some water splashing in the toilet bowl. I ran to the bathroom, knowing it had to be Elijah. (Judah doesn't randomly play with the toilet. It's not his style.) There Elijah was, bottle brush from the kitchen in hand, scrubbing the toilet. Monkey see, monkey misinterpret Momma's cleaning tools, then Monkey do.

Into the trash the bottle brush went. The handle was broken anyway. Thanks for the excuse to finally throw it away, Son!

Kiddish

Elijah's couple new words:

ah-ee: airplane
dah-ohm: thank you

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Judah's cutenesses:

After Daddy left this morning, Judah said of him, "I LUUUV him...he's my beeest driver." This may have been in reference to the Father's Day card Judah made. He wanted the "Life is a Highway" song on it (I think he likes the Hallmark commercial where the boy gives his dad a card that sings). So on the outside we wrote "Life is a highway..." and the inside said "...and I'm glad you're my driver." Hence the "...he's my beeest driver." :-)

Yesterday at lunch I told Judah I was going to make cookies for Daddy to take to work. He replied with "That's nice of you." Uh, thanks! :-)

A Thought for Today

Been pondering this today for a friend...

Mothering is sacrifice, pure and simple. Laying aside self to make sure that our children grow up with all the mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual capacities and abilities that they need to function well in this world. And when you are doing that for more than one child at a time all day every day, that just compounds the sacrifice. Perhaps that is why Christ calls us to lay down our cross DAILY...because it is a daily struggle to live this life by ourselves, much more help several other people live theirs.

I've had many days where being a mom seems too much for me. And I'm SURE there will be many more. But I have a reminder all of us moms -- it will never be too much because this is what God has called us to. I Corinthians 10:13 promises that He will not allow us to be tempted beyond what we are able and that He will always provide us with a means of escape. There are MANY temptations present when mothering, and He knows that. He wants us to be moms. What a thought! And more, God Himself as the Holy Spirit lives inside our hearts every moment of every day. If that's not a way of escape, I don't know what is. When all other escapes fail, He will not. We just have to take His way of escape. And, praise the Lord for husbands who can serve as ways of escape. God bless them for living with their wives in an understanding way!

Life is tough stuff. But it is a glorious adventure overall -- and truly a blessing from the Lord. I remember an old lady from my home church once told my mom that "You can't have a beautiful sunset without some clouds." A quote I will never forget when I go through hard times.

Elijahn

He's hissing less and babbling more -- but now, his babble is actually turning into words! Here are the most common ones that I have memorized. :-)

eh-woh: hello
buh-bye: bye-bye
moh-yee: more
bee: please
bee: bee
uh: up
too-tee: cookie
bope: boat
ray: rain
iz ih myee: is it mine?
iz ih duh: is it done?
boop: book
bah-yee: balloon
bub-ole: bubble

I don't even know how to type out how he says "milk," but he uses the same word that starts with M every time. :-P

He also did something big this past week -- he went pee-pee in the potty while standing up!!! There have been a few times where he's wanted to sit on the potty with no results. This time, he was up and down, up and down, and finally went pee-pee while standing up! Not completely mess-free, but a victory anyway! I think we're still a long way from him being potty trained, but these are good first steps.

Funny Conversations

At breakfast one morning...

Judah, staring intently at a cheerio: Goodbye! ::munch::
Momma: Were you saying goodbye to your cheerio?
Judah: Cheerios are like people.
Momma: No, cheerios aren't like people. We eat cheerios. We can't eat people.
Judah, after deep thought: When we get old like cheerios, we could eat us.
Momma: ::stunned::

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While looking at a bunny in the backyard...

Daddy: See how big his feet are?
Judah: He needs new socks!

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From Easter '09

Praise the Lord for our sweet, adorable boys!

Watching

Here are three watching moments to share for today...



I stop watching for a moment, and then look back to find Elijah's cup stuffed full of his quesadillas.



You've never had a real Star Trek movie viewing experience until you have had the following all at the same time:

-IMAX theatre (including scenes so loud you have to plug your ears)
-Your glasses so you can catch all the details you missed last time
-Shared popcorn, soda, and butterfinger minis with your best friend (who happens to be your Love) that you know is adding inches to your hips while emptying your wallet at the same time. I mean, seriously, a large popcorn and large soda combo is MORE than your admission to the movie itself??
-A stranger (or just strange?) who is also viewing the movie complete with a bright purple section of hair, knee high white socks, and patent leather pink combat boots.
-Massive amounts of foul body odor wafting from behind you every time those particular viewers moved an inch
-A very mousy young lady in front of you who clapped her finger tips faster than a hummingbird's wings every time there was something exciting happening on screen...so much so that you actually missed a couple of your favorite shots because you were so lost in thought as to how someone can love a movie THAT much...and then her sister joined in a few times
-Good friends who are just as sane as you are but are still fans of the movie :-)


I'm watching my Hubby turn another year older today. I love that man beyond words or actions. He is God's greatest gift to me -- a personalized definition of his name! Thank you, Lord, for the completion of yet another wonderful year of enjoying life with my husband and watching him struggle, grow, and mature to be more like You in all he does!

Happy Birthday, Love!

A couple Judah funnies...

We're tiptoeing into cessation of Judah's thumb sucking. It's tough for both us and him! Today, while snuggling on the couch, I kindly told him that if he didn't work hard at not sucking his thumb, Mommy would have to put something that didn't taste very good on it. He contemplated hard for a few moments, then asked with a cute quizzical look, "Ba-sghetti?" He's not a fan of spaghetti. Can you tell?


When laying down for our afternoon nap, Judah asked, "Are the people going to come back?" (in reference to our out-of-town guests). I said yes, but that they were seeing Washington DC today. He thought for a moment then asked, "Why are they washing the sea?"

SlkApoiasAIhsaphD

Get ready...this might be long.

What a day!

-Straightened everything
-Dusted upstairs
-Vacuumed whole house, including stairs
-Mopped upstairs
-Cleaned bathrooms, including Mr. Clean bar on our shower (yeesh!)
-On the fourth load of laundry now (I think)
-Typical kid watching, lunch, etc.
-Made, enveloped, and mailed all four sets of Mother's Day cards
-Showered and did a mini manicure and pedicure while praying and meditating...rediscovered an awesome summer toes color
-Read some from Practicing Hospitality
-About to start prepping dinner and may rest some...after I finish this post, of course

Where has this energy come from? Sure wasn't around last week! Could be part adreneline. The Firstbrooks arrive from California tonight! Woo-hoooo! We're all so excited to see each other, and they are excited to spend a week touring WDC. It'll be fun times catching up, hearing about our HBC family back in Cali, and watching the Firstbrooks hold our sons once again. Sweet times!

Here's the updates:

MATT

He did a LOT of work this weekend. God said to for man to have dominion over the earth, and that's just what Matt has done. Around this time a year ago, he redid the backyard for Mother's Day and planted pretty flowers and a few edibles. Well, many of them failed, save for the rose and hydrangea. Then the tree fell. Because of that and the many Bob-the-Builders that did repairs, the grass, hastas, and azaleas became not so nice looking. Matt found some free fill dirt online, so he spent Saturday prepping the yard (which included redoing the patio...again) and Sunday getting the dirt. It was gloomy with intermitent rain the whole weekend (and presently). But oh does it already look worlds better back there! I did a bit of fixin' up in the front yard last week. Matt moved the two backyard azaleas to fill in the front ones, so hopefully in a few months we'll have a nice looking hedge rather than weirdly spaced azaleas and random daffodils. The patio layout is superb! Makes both yard and patio seem bigger. Everything looks much cleaner and cared for. I keep thanking God that we have yards to work in. A little something inside of me hopes that whenever we have to move out, the owner will notice a huge difference in how we have cared for his possession compared to previous residents. A good witness, I hope! Or if we end up buying sometime, the work will already be done! I'll take pics when the weather improves (in a few days, I hear) and things are more settled.

DAWN:

I had a physical last week. I'm fine except for a vitamin D deficiency. Hmm. Who knew? Low end of normal is 32. I'm at 8.3. So I was placed on 12 weeks of vitD supplement and calcium. But a man at church expressed some concern (he's in a similar boat), and sent me a couple articles. Good information and wise advice to research it a little before I blindly follow. I'd rather get a little color from the sun to get my vitD anyway. I'll be talking with two of my other doctors to see what they would do for a vitD deficiency.

Yesterday, during communion, I had one of those "duh moments." You know, the kind where you've always known something but never thought of it in such simple terms. They had some instrumental music playing, so I was thinking through the lyrics. I came across "sin's curse has lost it's grip on me." Well, then why do I keep sinning, I asked. Because YOU haven't lost your grip on sin. ::stunned:: DUH! It's so convicting to be reminded over and over that I am FREE FROM SIN. I don't HAVE to sin. I CHOOSE to. Because of the Holy Spirit in me, I have the power to NOT sin every moment of the day. And yet I do -- many moments of the day. ::hangs head:: Glory be, the Day is coming! Glorified body, bring it!!!

JUDAH:

Cute kid. Deathly afraid of bugs, floating fuzz, and Elijah's gaping mouth when he tries to bite Judah. Can't decide if he likes soft tacos or pbj the best. I think we're going to start preschool activities at home this fall -- he's too smart to keep playing his days away. Great memory! Loves to play chase. Lives to go outside and will die of excitement the day he gets a bike (whenever that will be). Showing signs of typical first born bossiness. Gets a thrill out of people coming over. Wants to go somewhere EVERY night after dinner. Loves to snuggle while watching TV. Is a pottying pro. Is still a very clean eater. Likes all his pillows and blanket just so when going down to sleep. Tries out stalling methods like drink of water, have to pee pee, need to be covered.

ELIJAH:

Woah. Definitely my all-boy boy. That child is such a messy eater even though most of it does in fact make it to his mouth. Floor, clothes, face, curly hair, hands, chair...it all has to be cleaned after every meal. He's always sliding his cup clear across the table or squishing his cheerios or strawberries in his hands until they juice and make a noise. The boy sticks crayons up his nose, has been known to eat goldfish out of the trash, bites out of defense, has quite the sly grin, and knows EXACTLY what he's doing but thinks he can be cute enough to get away with it (which sometime almost works). And yet...he is such a pretty momma's boy. He's the perfect baby model for preppy style; and when he wears one of my headbands, he would make either a super cute girl or a perfect ancient Athens boy with those adorable locks. And don't cross him or he'll throw you the tantrum of his life (complete with not looking at you, obtaining blob posture, screaming and crying, throwing himself flat out on the floor...). He's definitely a package deal for a little kid -- keeps Momma on her toes mentally, physically, and spiritually! Just learned to hop. Dances to pretty much any music he hears. Gasps every time he hears a dog or airplane. Loves his stuff animals. Is starting to repeat words you practice with him, so maybe he'll be talking soon? Still uses "sssssss" to tell you just about anything.

Whew! That was fun. :-D Off to prep dinner now!

For Matt @ Work

Antics

Elijah is quite the little character as of late. This morning, he donned his big snow boots over his solid red footie pajamas and put on one of my elastic hairbands. The other day he got a little ring of yarn I made for a toy crane to pull around and put it on his thumb as a ring, then got a baby chew ring and put it on his wrist like a bracelet -- our little fashionisto. Just now, I gave him some juice because he was thirsty. What is he doing with it? He has his milk from breakfast in one hand and his juice in the other, alternating the sips. I gave him a haircut last night, just a trim. It looks much better! He says "Hiiii, u-daaah" every morning when Judah and I go in to get him. He also says "BUH, BUH" when he wants up. "Beee" for please. He's started participating in bedtime prayers with adorable soft-voiced babble...although the other night, Matt and I promise we heard "ah-oo or isss ay" as in "thank you for this day!" We both immediately opened our eyes and looked at each other with a "Did he really just say that??"

Judah calls his little Noah's ark toy a "shark." To talk with him is to converse with an almost peer! It's fascinating! He's started helping me with some small chores, and I am surprised that it actually does help me rather than hinder. A little slow at some points in getting things done, but he does get them done correctly! I'd say he's potty trained now. Only a couple accidents in the last 2-3 weeks and usually a dry overnight in the morning! It really was over before I knew it -- wonderful! Let's hope Elijah does it that easily when the time comes. ;-)

If you ever need to get food into my boys' tummies, feed them breakfast food -- pancakes or biscuits, yogurt, eggs... They'll shock you at how much they can eat!

This afternoon is our first "extended food lab" for my home ec class. We're making yeast dinner rolls and my favorite quick biscuits. Yummy!

I can't wait to post pics of the boys after tomorrow. They have super cute Easter outfits to go with their super cute good looks! I hope to alter a skirt today that I haven't been able to wear in a long time...it's one of my favorites!

Ok, off to do something.

Pretty 'n Fun

Spring has sprung, and my boys are fun!