Rites of passage are important for development. (Our society has a distinct lack of them, but that is another rant for another time.) There are certain steps on the ladder of a young boy's growth, important stages of learning and growth that every boy needs to go through in order to take his place among men in the world. They must learn to perform certain tasks and take interest in particular matters to join that crazy world known as "manhood."
I speak, of course, of the male fascination with flatulence, how it is made and what influence it can have on the world around them.
Recently, my four-year-old son has taken a major step towards this important stage of a man's life. He was recently taught that when placed strategically in the armpit area, a straw can be blown into in such a way that the noise emitted sounds identical to that of gas come from his behind. Having discovered this all-important fact, he can now be found most of the time running around the house, straw in arm, blowing away and laughing his head off.
Ah, growing up. These are the moments that make a mother proud.
They are also the reason Mommy needs coffee and lots of it.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
What Jesus Wants...?
Anna loves to make up songs. Some of them are nonsense words, and some of them are just phrases that catch her fancy. She breaks out into song about as often as she breaks out into Anna-dog, and sometimes she does both at the same time.
Today she made up the following song, to no particular tune:
Jesus loves me!
Jesus loves you!
Jesus loves Matthew!
Jesus wants me to SHAKE MY BOOTY!
This was accompanied by her sticking her little tushie out and shaking it all about.
Let's face it...that doesn't need any more commentary. It pretty much says it all.
Today she made up the following song, to no particular tune:
Jesus loves me!
Jesus loves you!
Jesus loves Matthew!
Jesus wants me to SHAKE MY BOOTY!
This was accompanied by her sticking her little tushie out and shaking it all about.
Let's face it...that doesn't need any more commentary. It pretty much says it all.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Sometimes I Just Watch Them Sleep
I just spent several minutes standing over Matthew's crib, just watching him sleep. I watched as his tiny chest rose and fell in a rhythmic pattern, stared at his small hands folded over one another, took in his soft, wispy hair. I breathed in his baby scent, accentuated by the bath he fought me on earlier this evening. I just stood there and drank in his very existence.
Watching my babies sleep is an amazing experience. I can stand there and experience forever in a moment, just staring down at this tiny, complete person that God has placed in my life. In those moments, I can see the love, joy, pain, hurt, triumph, and failure to come in their life - all the ups and downs that will define who this small creature becomes. I can see their first step, their first bike ride, their first broken heart, their first hard-earned A, their first driving lesson, their first real encounter with God...I can see them in worship as a young adult, in despair as a struggling teenager, celebrating a marriage, struggling with crises of faith, rejoicing over the birth of their own little one as the dance of life continues on. The fullness of the destiny God has for them can wash over me in those few, forever moments as I stare down at them, watching their tiny chest rise and fall.
As I watch my babies sleep, breathing prayers for them and the life they have ahead of them, I am overcome with thankfulness that the God of the universe has allowed me to be a part of this incredible journey, the life and development of one of His children. I am bowled over with the enormity of the task laid before me, so aware of my inadequacies as a mother, and yet knowing that God has not called me to this place without equipping me and walking beside me every step of the way. I also realize in these moments as I watch them dream that my children are not my own - they belong to the Lord, and their destinies are ultimately His. I am just privileged to get to ride along the way and bear the all-consuming title of "Mommy" in their precious lives.
So much is ahead of us on this road of life. My oldest is only four, my youngest 5 months, and we don't believe our family is yet complete. My life as a parent has only begun. We have so much more to experience, so much more to come. I am humbled, blessed, and overwhelmed with the life God has given me with my family. It is a powerful responsibility, one that at times tries to knock me down. But the Lord has not abandoned me to this task, but has rather called me higher to walk through it with Him to see His purposes fulfilled not just for their lives, but for my own as well.
The best is yet to come.
For now, I'll just watch them sleep...
Watching my babies sleep is an amazing experience. I can stand there and experience forever in a moment, just staring down at this tiny, complete person that God has placed in my life. In those moments, I can see the love, joy, pain, hurt, triumph, and failure to come in their life - all the ups and downs that will define who this small creature becomes. I can see their first step, their first bike ride, their first broken heart, their first hard-earned A, their first driving lesson, their first real encounter with God...I can see them in worship as a young adult, in despair as a struggling teenager, celebrating a marriage, struggling with crises of faith, rejoicing over the birth of their own little one as the dance of life continues on. The fullness of the destiny God has for them can wash over me in those few, forever moments as I stare down at them, watching their tiny chest rise and fall.
As I watch my babies sleep, breathing prayers for them and the life they have ahead of them, I am overcome with thankfulness that the God of the universe has allowed me to be a part of this incredible journey, the life and development of one of His children. I am bowled over with the enormity of the task laid before me, so aware of my inadequacies as a mother, and yet knowing that God has not called me to this place without equipping me and walking beside me every step of the way. I also realize in these moments as I watch them dream that my children are not my own - they belong to the Lord, and their destinies are ultimately His. I am just privileged to get to ride along the way and bear the all-consuming title of "Mommy" in their precious lives.
So much is ahead of us on this road of life. My oldest is only four, my youngest 5 months, and we don't believe our family is yet complete. My life as a parent has only begun. We have so much more to experience, so much more to come. I am humbled, blessed, and overwhelmed with the life God has given me with my family. It is a powerful responsibility, one that at times tries to knock me down. But the Lord has not abandoned me to this task, but has rather called me higher to walk through it with Him to see His purposes fulfilled not just for their lives, but for my own as well.
The best is yet to come.
For now, I'll just watch them sleep...
Sunday, August 15, 2010
Cheerios! And the Adventures of Anna-dog
Matthew, the baby, has recently discovered Cheerios. He does not yet understand that they are food particles to be eaten; rather, he thinks they are toys to be flung. On the floor. With great excitement and joy. When I spread a handful on his high chair, he will grab them and fling them wide, laughing his tiny baby head off in the process. He thinks Cheerios are the greatest thing since plastic teething rings.
A few days ago, I gave him a few Cheerios to experiment with, and on the floor they went, in a wide perimeter. Sighing, I had resigned myself to getting out the vacuum cleaner, when I heard a soft noise like that of a small dog. It was my daughter in her favorite make-believe mode, a character we like to call "Anna-dog" around her house.
To put it simply, Anna likes to pretend she is a dog. She's two, almost three, with a very vivid imagination. And this is one of her favorite pretends. She can fall into Anna-dog at any given moment - during dinner, during playtime, when she has been told to clean her room...any time she feels the moment grab her, she will fall down on all fours and start barking like a puppy, playing fetch with various toys and - you guessed it - eating food off the floor.
See where I'm going with this?
As I watched in a sort of arrested amusement, Anna wandered around the floor under Matthew's high chair eating up all the Cheerios, dog-style, off the floor with her mouth. No hands, just lips. In moments, the floor was clear of Cheerios.
Oh well, guess I don't need to get out the vacuum cleaner...
A few days ago, I gave him a few Cheerios to experiment with, and on the floor they went, in a wide perimeter. Sighing, I had resigned myself to getting out the vacuum cleaner, when I heard a soft noise like that of a small dog. It was my daughter in her favorite make-believe mode, a character we like to call "Anna-dog" around her house.
To put it simply, Anna likes to pretend she is a dog. She's two, almost three, with a very vivid imagination. And this is one of her favorite pretends. She can fall into Anna-dog at any given moment - during dinner, during playtime, when she has been told to clean her room...any time she feels the moment grab her, she will fall down on all fours and start barking like a puppy, playing fetch with various toys and - you guessed it - eating food off the floor.
See where I'm going with this?
As I watched in a sort of arrested amusement, Anna wandered around the floor under Matthew's high chair eating up all the Cheerios, dog-style, off the floor with her mouth. No hands, just lips. In moments, the floor was clear of Cheerios.
Oh well, guess I don't need to get out the vacuum cleaner...
Saturday, August 14, 2010
A Birthday Mystery
I have been meaning to pick this blog back up in order to report the hilarious activities of my three small children. Today's events, combined with the fact that it is my 29th birthday, seem to be a good place for a fresh beginning.
A Birthday Mystery
Upon returning home from a nice, quiet (albeit HOT) ride around town, I was immediately ordered to the back of the house as my husband was in the middle of birthday surprises. My two year old and four year old children followed me to my bedroom, and as I leaned over to give my four year old son a hug, I noticed the skin around his eyes were bright pink. Initially I was concerned he was having a weird allergic reaction to something, but a trip to the bathroom sink with a wet washcloth proved it was some sort of foreign substance.
I tried to interview the suspe...err, I mean, my son, in order to determine just what had been on his face and how it had gotten there. However, his defenses immediately went into action with rapid protests of "I didn't do it! I didn't do it! My sister did it!" When asked if it was makeup, he nodded vigorously, but the makeup in my makeup bag seemed to be intact and all accounted for. He claimed his two year old sister had put the makeup on his face. When asked what he was doing while she did this, he simply responded "I didn't do it! I didn't do it! My sister did it!!!" He also claimed "Daddy took it from her and put it back." A-ha! A possible witness!!
We moved the investigation to the living room where Daddy was questioned, alas, to no avail. He was as confused as I. Comin' round the corner, Suspect #2, my two year old daughter, was found on the floor with an orange marker. A-ha! A marker! Now we are getting somewhere! "Where is the pink marker?" I asked, hoping for some answers. Instead of a location, my ever possessive daughter responded with "I don't want to share the pink marker!" Further inquiries resulted with the same response.
That's as far as we've gotten. To be continued...
A post script: Suspect #2 just appeared with orange surrounding her right eye. The marker theory is picking up more credibility as we go.
A Birthday Mystery
Upon returning home from a nice, quiet (albeit HOT) ride around town, I was immediately ordered to the back of the house as my husband was in the middle of birthday surprises. My two year old and four year old children followed me to my bedroom, and as I leaned over to give my four year old son a hug, I noticed the skin around his eyes were bright pink. Initially I was concerned he was having a weird allergic reaction to something, but a trip to the bathroom sink with a wet washcloth proved it was some sort of foreign substance.
I tried to interview the suspe...err, I mean, my son, in order to determine just what had been on his face and how it had gotten there. However, his defenses immediately went into action with rapid protests of "I didn't do it! I didn't do it! My sister did it!" When asked if it was makeup, he nodded vigorously, but the makeup in my makeup bag seemed to be intact and all accounted for. He claimed his two year old sister had put the makeup on his face. When asked what he was doing while she did this, he simply responded "I didn't do it! I didn't do it! My sister did it!!!" He also claimed "Daddy took it from her and put it back." A-ha! A possible witness!!
We moved the investigation to the living room where Daddy was questioned, alas, to no avail. He was as confused as I. Comin' round the corner, Suspect #2, my two year old daughter, was found on the floor with an orange marker. A-ha! A marker! Now we are getting somewhere! "Where is the pink marker?" I asked, hoping for some answers. Instead of a location, my ever possessive daughter responded with "I don't want to share the pink marker!" Further inquiries resulted with the same response.
That's as far as we've gotten. To be continued...
A post script: Suspect #2 just appeared with orange surrounding her right eye. The marker theory is picking up more credibility as we go.
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Things I Never Thought I'd Do
Well, I am back to the blogging world after a short sabbatical. We were having some major computer issues, but all is well now, because we just got a BRAND NEW COMPUTER! Everything is moving along fantastically now, so I should be able to write more often!
In honor of my new computer, I thought I would finish up an entry I started about a month ago. Enjoy!
I have only been a mom for three years, so I do not yet consider myself a "seasoned mother." Nor do I think I've done all there is to do - there are so many, many things I have yet to experience. Yet there are several things I have done up to this point that have caused me to think afterwards, "wow, I never thought I'd do that..." So, as my son's third birthday approaches, and I reflect over my few years in motherhood, I'd like to present the following, in no particular order:
Top Ten Things I Never Thought I'd Do
10. "Hop like Tigger" to the bathroom. (This was in order to get my 3 year old excited about going.)
9. Watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy the extended version, with commentary, on a loop. (Why, you ask? Because my daughter refused to sleep for the first five months of her life. I had to do something to keep myself awake at 3am. The commentaries are amusing, by the way.)
8. Have a passionate argument over whether the character on the screen was Bob or Larry. (Joshua gets them mixed up.)
7. Inspect and then discuss the contents of my children's diapers in great lengths with my husband and my mother.
6. Be thrilled when my son had an enormous stinky diaper. (You would be thrilled too if your son had not gone in five days...ai yi yi...)
5. Consider 7:00 a.m. to be "sleeping in."
4. Encourage my toddler to "go potty like Elmo." (He has an Elmo potty book. This has suddenly become quite the incentive.)
3. Breathe a sigh of relief to see lice streaming down my daughter's back in a river of olive oil. (Because it meant they weren't actually IN her hair anymore...)
2. Sneak up to the church nursery and fling the diaper bag over the barn-style door like a grenade because we forgot to send it with the kids, but if my daughter actually sees me, it will make the nursery worker's life miserable for the next hour.
1. Find myself in a parking lot at 9:00 at night with a book and a Diet Coke because it is the only quiet place I can find to read.
More to come, I am sure!!
In honor of my new computer, I thought I would finish up an entry I started about a month ago. Enjoy!
I have only been a mom for three years, so I do not yet consider myself a "seasoned mother." Nor do I think I've done all there is to do - there are so many, many things I have yet to experience. Yet there are several things I have done up to this point that have caused me to think afterwards, "wow, I never thought I'd do that..." So, as my son's third birthday approaches, and I reflect over my few years in motherhood, I'd like to present the following, in no particular order:
Top Ten Things I Never Thought I'd Do
10. "Hop like Tigger" to the bathroom. (This was in order to get my 3 year old excited about going.)
9. Watch The Lord of the Rings trilogy the extended version, with commentary, on a loop. (Why, you ask? Because my daughter refused to sleep for the first five months of her life. I had to do something to keep myself awake at 3am. The commentaries are amusing, by the way.)
8. Have a passionate argument over whether the character on the screen was Bob or Larry. (Joshua gets them mixed up.)
7. Inspect and then discuss the contents of my children's diapers in great lengths with my husband and my mother.
6. Be thrilled when my son had an enormous stinky diaper. (You would be thrilled too if your son had not gone in five days...ai yi yi...)
5. Consider 7:00 a.m. to be "sleeping in."
4. Encourage my toddler to "go potty like Elmo." (He has an Elmo potty book. This has suddenly become quite the incentive.)
3. Breathe a sigh of relief to see lice streaming down my daughter's back in a river of olive oil. (Because it meant they weren't actually IN her hair anymore...)
2. Sneak up to the church nursery and fling the diaper bag over the barn-style door like a grenade because we forgot to send it with the kids, but if my daughter actually sees me, it will make the nursery worker's life miserable for the next hour.
1. Find myself in a parking lot at 9:00 at night with a book and a Diet Coke because it is the only quiet place I can find to read.
More to come, I am sure!!
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
My Husband, My Hero
"A real man's gotta be a hero to his wife before he can be a hero to anybody else, or he ain't a real man." - Fireproof
Valentine's Day came and went this weekend. I don't really care that much about it - why do I need a special day to express my love to my husband? For that matter, why does he need a special day to express love to me? Mostly it's a marketing ploy,but I was brought up in a house that celebrated EVERY holiday - and I mean EVERY one - so I still like to celebrate Valentine's Day and all its silliness.
However, one thing that is not quite so silly is just how much I love and appreciate my husband. I was reminded of it again this weekend. There are just so many things I love about him. He is an amazing, amazing man. And I wanted to take a moment just to talk about the things I love and appreciate about him.
My husband is fighter. He fights for what he knows should happen. He fights for what he knows is right. He has some unique struggles in his life, but they stem from a desire to get it absolutely right with God. I have seen him wrestle and struggle and fight so hard to get through a tough battle. So many men would have given up on God a long time ago. But not him. He fights on, seeking to grow and change and become more and more of the man God already sees him as.
My husband is a servant. On the weekends, he won't let me come near a diaper. He sees that I am with the kids all day, all week, and on the weekends, he jumps in front of me to keep me from doing too much. He surprises me by doing the dishes or cleaning the living room while I'm at the store or the YMCA. He looks for ways to lighten my load, and he desires to serve me and the kids in whatever way he can.
My husband is a provider. Throughout our marriage, he has gotten up every weekday morning (and not a few weekends) to go to a job in order to provide for our family. Right now, and for the past three years, he has a job he loves. However, that was not always the case. He has had to work some grunt jobs just to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. He has done factory work, fast food work, whatever it took to pay the bills. And he did it with a smile on his face. He is not a complainer. He got up, did his work to the best of his ability, and came home to serve me. He still does all those things now with the job he loves, for which he continues to strive for excellence.
My husband is a partner. He does not see "the house" or "the kids" as just my arena. Nor does he see "the finances" or other areas as just his. He desires to be there with me 100% as we live our lives together. He also understands that at 4:30, he gets to leave his job behind and come home...but I never leave my job behind. He is very good about coming home and sending me out of the house for a while, or allowing me half and hour to myself in our bedroom with the headphones on while he has Daddy Time with the kids. We made an agreement a long time ago that Saturday mornings were his time with the kids and my time to grocery shop...away from the kids. This has worked beautifully for everyone involved, but it shows how much of a partner he is when it comes to this family. He also sees the housework as his job too, and he is careful not to let all of it fall on me. We make decisions together, pray together, work together. He seeks to partner with me in all these things.
My husband is a family man. He is a fantastic father. He truly enjoys his children. He loves to see them when he comes home from work. He wants to hear all about everything they did that day. He loves to play with them, take them places, dance with them, and teach them the love of Christ that he has known. He is a balanced disciplinarian, and the kids know what to expect from him. One of my favorite things to just sit back and watch is my husband interacting with our children. He loves them, and they love him. He in gentle and loving, yet firm and steadfast. I cannot imagine having a better father for my children.
My husband is a romantic. He has never stopped courting me. He still, after 4 years of marriage and 2 kids, spontaneously brings me flowers on his way home from work. We have a standing date every Saturday night, and he does not allow anything to interfere with that. He asks for how he can bless me, and he works hard to keep after my heart. He truly finds me beautiful, and he cannot seem to stop telling me so. He didn't let up on the romance when we got married - if anything, he increased it. When he walks in a room, my heart still lifts. His coming home is still my favorite moment of the day. I know he will keep romancing me till the day one of us dies.
Finally, and most importantly, my husband is a man of God. His relationship with God is the most important thing in his life - more important than me, and that is a good thing. His life is anchored on Jesus Christ, and that spills over and soaks everything in his life- jobs, kids, ministry, me. His main goal in life is truly to know the Lord and make Him known. His faith is steadfast. Weaker men's faith would have been shaken and broken by some of the things he has experienced, but not him. His heart so longs to just be with God, and it is that longing that makes him such an amazing man.
So there you have it. Just a few of the many, many reasons my husband is awesome. For these, and for so many other reasons, I can truly say my husband is my hero.
Valentine's Day came and went this weekend. I don't really care that much about it - why do I need a special day to express my love to my husband? For that matter, why does he need a special day to express love to me? Mostly it's a marketing ploy,but I was brought up in a house that celebrated EVERY holiday - and I mean EVERY one - so I still like to celebrate Valentine's Day and all its silliness.
However, one thing that is not quite so silly is just how much I love and appreciate my husband. I was reminded of it again this weekend. There are just so many things I love about him. He is an amazing, amazing man. And I wanted to take a moment just to talk about the things I love and appreciate about him.
My husband is fighter. He fights for what he knows should happen. He fights for what he knows is right. He has some unique struggles in his life, but they stem from a desire to get it absolutely right with God. I have seen him wrestle and struggle and fight so hard to get through a tough battle. So many men would have given up on God a long time ago. But not him. He fights on, seeking to grow and change and become more and more of the man God already sees him as.
My husband is a servant. On the weekends, he won't let me come near a diaper. He sees that I am with the kids all day, all week, and on the weekends, he jumps in front of me to keep me from doing too much. He surprises me by doing the dishes or cleaning the living room while I'm at the store or the YMCA. He looks for ways to lighten my load, and he desires to serve me and the kids in whatever way he can.
My husband is a provider. Throughout our marriage, he has gotten up every weekday morning (and not a few weekends) to go to a job in order to provide for our family. Right now, and for the past three years, he has a job he loves. However, that was not always the case. He has had to work some grunt jobs just to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads. He has done factory work, fast food work, whatever it took to pay the bills. And he did it with a smile on his face. He is not a complainer. He got up, did his work to the best of his ability, and came home to serve me. He still does all those things now with the job he loves, for which he continues to strive for excellence.
My husband is a partner. He does not see "the house" or "the kids" as just my arena. Nor does he see "the finances" or other areas as just his. He desires to be there with me 100% as we live our lives together. He also understands that at 4:30, he gets to leave his job behind and come home...but I never leave my job behind. He is very good about coming home and sending me out of the house for a while, or allowing me half and hour to myself in our bedroom with the headphones on while he has Daddy Time with the kids. We made an agreement a long time ago that Saturday mornings were his time with the kids and my time to grocery shop...away from the kids. This has worked beautifully for everyone involved, but it shows how much of a partner he is when it comes to this family. He also sees the housework as his job too, and he is careful not to let all of it fall on me. We make decisions together, pray together, work together. He seeks to partner with me in all these things.
My husband is a family man. He is a fantastic father. He truly enjoys his children. He loves to see them when he comes home from work. He wants to hear all about everything they did that day. He loves to play with them, take them places, dance with them, and teach them the love of Christ that he has known. He is a balanced disciplinarian, and the kids know what to expect from him. One of my favorite things to just sit back and watch is my husband interacting with our children. He loves them, and they love him. He in gentle and loving, yet firm and steadfast. I cannot imagine having a better father for my children.
My husband is a romantic. He has never stopped courting me. He still, after 4 years of marriage and 2 kids, spontaneously brings me flowers on his way home from work. We have a standing date every Saturday night, and he does not allow anything to interfere with that. He asks for how he can bless me, and he works hard to keep after my heart. He truly finds me beautiful, and he cannot seem to stop telling me so. He didn't let up on the romance when we got married - if anything, he increased it. When he walks in a room, my heart still lifts. His coming home is still my favorite moment of the day. I know he will keep romancing me till the day one of us dies.
Finally, and most importantly, my husband is a man of God. His relationship with God is the most important thing in his life - more important than me, and that is a good thing. His life is anchored on Jesus Christ, and that spills over and soaks everything in his life- jobs, kids, ministry, me. His main goal in life is truly to know the Lord and make Him known. His faith is steadfast. Weaker men's faith would have been shaken and broken by some of the things he has experienced, but not him. His heart so longs to just be with God, and it is that longing that makes him such an amazing man.
So there you have it. Just a few of the many, many reasons my husband is awesome. For these, and for so many other reasons, I can truly say my husband is my hero.
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