Me: Can I keep you forever?
Brenna: And Daddy's gonna keep me forever, too.
Me: I'm gonna keep all of you forever.
Brenna: (Big smile) But you might have a hard time keeping me when I'm a grown up.
Me: Oh?
Brenna: I'm gonna live in the place with the "move it, move it".
Me: Madagascar? (we found it on the map this week)
Brenna: Yes. Then the place with the cinnamon.
Me: Sri Lanka? (from the book How to Make and Apple Pie and See the World)
Brenna: Yes.
Me: Well, thanks for letting me know.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Friday, October 22, 2010
Nathan is my sweet, people-pleasing, soft-hearted child.
Brian and I have been feeling called to support a ministry to orphans, so I was on the Compassion International website to see what they offered. When Nathan saw me looking, we had a conversation about Compassion and the various ministries they have (unfortunately, none specifically to orphans, though lots to prevent them!) and Nathan was overwhelmed by the need.
He immediately pulled out his guitar and enlisted his sister to form a street band to play for money on the corner. Can you tell this child has grown up in an urban environment? Well, besides that I wasn't super cool with the idea of my four and six year olds begging for money on the corner, I wanted to make sure that Nathan understood the concept of giving sacrificially. To be honest, we haven't covered the idea of tithing at all with him.
So anyway, I talked with him about giving some of his own money. He had about $20 saved up from birthday money, lost teeth and coins stolen from his parents. He was a little worried about that. I told him to pray about how much he should give, and that God loves a cheerful giver, so not to give more than he could feel good about. Then I sent him upstairs to figure it out. I really had no idea what to expect.
He came down shortly (much sooner than I expected, actually), with a big smile. He'd settled on $2.07. I was so proud of him! He assured me that he could give that much cheerfully. Then we talked about asking his grandparents to match him. He called each of them, and they gave, and Brian and I also matched him. He raised a total of $11.21. Big money when you're six!
So we sent it off with a note explaining what he'd done. And now I love Compassion even more. This arrived about a week later.
A letter to Nathan, thanking him, a card signed by Compassion staffers and his first "grown up Bible".
How awesome is that?
Brian and I have been feeling called to support a ministry to orphans, so I was on the Compassion International website to see what they offered. When Nathan saw me looking, we had a conversation about Compassion and the various ministries they have (unfortunately, none specifically to orphans, though lots to prevent them!) and Nathan was overwhelmed by the need.
He immediately pulled out his guitar and enlisted his sister to form a street band to play for money on the corner. Can you tell this child has grown up in an urban environment? Well, besides that I wasn't super cool with the idea of my four and six year olds begging for money on the corner, I wanted to make sure that Nathan understood the concept of giving sacrificially. To be honest, we haven't covered the idea of tithing at all with him.
So anyway, I talked with him about giving some of his own money. He had about $20 saved up from birthday money, lost teeth and coins stolen from his parents. He was a little worried about that. I told him to pray about how much he should give, and that God loves a cheerful giver, so not to give more than he could feel good about. Then I sent him upstairs to figure it out. I really had no idea what to expect.
He came down shortly (much sooner than I expected, actually), with a big smile. He'd settled on $2.07. I was so proud of him! He assured me that he could give that much cheerfully. Then we talked about asking his grandparents to match him. He called each of them, and they gave, and Brian and I also matched him. He raised a total of $11.21. Big money when you're six!
So we sent it off with a note explaining what he'd done. And now I love Compassion even more. This arrived about a week later.
How awesome is that?
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Beautiful Disaster, or something like that.
Isaac. Isaac, Isaac, Isaac.
Yesterday, he dumped half a gallon of hand soap on the hall rug and in the laundry closet.
Today, there was this
and THEN he decided he's FAR too mature, at the ripe old age of 22 months, to use the hand rail when he comes down the stairs. Have I mentioned that the stairs are really steep? Because HE CAN. That's why. It's a heart-attack-a-minute around here.
Just now, I heard him dump the basket of cookie cutters on the kitchen floor. ALWAYS BUSY.
Cute is not really cutting it right now.
Okay, while I've been typing, Isaac unrolled a roll of toilet paper and took the cap off the toothpaste. I found him when I ran upstairs because one of his new favorite pastimes is reprogramming Brian's alarm clock. So that it goes off during naptime. And not when Brian needs to wake up. Lord, help me.
Yesterday, he dumped half a gallon of hand soap on the hall rug and in the laundry closet.
Today, there was this
and THEN he decided he's FAR too mature, at the ripe old age of 22 months, to use the hand rail when he comes down the stairs. Have I mentioned that the stairs are really steep? Because HE CAN. That's why. It's a heart-attack-a-minute around here.
Just now, I heard him dump the basket of cookie cutters on the kitchen floor. ALWAYS BUSY.
Cute is not really cutting it right now.
Okay, while I've been typing, Isaac unrolled a roll of toilet paper and took the cap off the toothpaste. I found him when I ran upstairs because one of his new favorite pastimes is reprogramming Brian's alarm clock. So that it goes off during naptime. And not when Brian needs to wake up. Lord, help me.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Busy, Busy, Busy
I feel like I'm going a million miles an hour lately, but I leave my house like twice a week. I've been working like crazy on Brenna's quilt. I find that I get super motivated, then I burn out and don't touch it for a while.
I have noticed that I seem to be an oddity in that I work on only one sewing project at a time. So for the last two years that I've been making these quilts, I haven't touched anything else.
Saturday, Brian asked me to make the kids trick-or-treat bags. I told him, "I can't. I'm working on Brenna's quilt." He asked me to anyway. Can I just say, it was SO HARD to wrap my mind around starting something different? Especially since I was MOTIVATED! Like, how often does that happen? And besides, as I've mentioned before, I like to make everything harder than it needs to be. A lot harder. Halloween pillowcases. That's what I'm making. Halloween pillowcases.
I started looking at super cute lined tote patterns online. I showed one to Brian, and he said, "NO." In his firm voice. Good thing he knows me so well. Halloween pillowcases.
After another interrupted plantation tour (next time we'll go in shifts. Isaac will NOT be in attendance.), we headed to the fabric store to let the kids pick out some Halloween fabric.
Brenna chose the "pupple", Nathan, the Jack-o-Lanterns, and I chose the glittery orange and black for Isaac because I couldn't get either of the other two to pick it.
I spent probably 30 minutes on each, and only made them a little bit harder. I take that back, Isaac's was quite a bit harder, but that was because the fabric was directional. In the wrong direction. So I had to piece it a bit. And iron. Oh, and I made it almost to the end without having to rip a stitch! It was amazing! Then I accidentally put Isaac's handle an inch or so off to the side. Oops. I hadn't cut it yet, but I was SO CLOSE to completing a project without having to rip a seam! Bummer.
So there ya go. We're ready to go beg strangers to give us something I don't want my kids to have. It's gonna be great :)
I have noticed that I seem to be an oddity in that I work on only one sewing project at a time. So for the last two years that I've been making these quilts, I haven't touched anything else.
Saturday, Brian asked me to make the kids trick-or-treat bags. I told him, "I can't. I'm working on Brenna's quilt." He asked me to anyway. Can I just say, it was SO HARD to wrap my mind around starting something different? Especially since I was MOTIVATED! Like, how often does that happen? And besides, as I've mentioned before, I like to make everything harder than it needs to be. A lot harder. Halloween pillowcases. That's what I'm making. Halloween pillowcases.
I started looking at super cute lined tote patterns online. I showed one to Brian, and he said, "NO." In his firm voice. Good thing he knows me so well. Halloween pillowcases.
After another interrupted plantation tour (next time we'll go in shifts. Isaac will NOT be in attendance.), we headed to the fabric store to let the kids pick out some Halloween fabric.
Brenna chose the "pupple", Nathan, the Jack-o-Lanterns, and I chose the glittery orange and black for Isaac because I couldn't get either of the other two to pick it.
I spent probably 30 minutes on each, and only made them a little bit harder. I take that back, Isaac's was quite a bit harder, but that was because the fabric was directional. In the wrong direction. So I had to piece it a bit. And iron. Oh, and I made it almost to the end without having to rip a stitch! It was amazing! Then I accidentally put Isaac's handle an inch or so off to the side. Oops. I hadn't cut it yet, but I was SO CLOSE to completing a project without having to rip a seam! Bummer.
So there ya go. We're ready to go beg strangers to give us something I don't want my kids to have. It's gonna be great :)
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Clumsy
My kids are all having growth spurts. Isaac is noticeably bigger, but that's not how I know.
They cannot walk without hurting themselves.
These kids are CLUMSY.
I've noticed that when they're growing, it's like they forget how to use their extremities. Fingers do what? Seriously, somebody must have moved that wall! Yes, the table is still lower than your head. If you try to stand up under it, you're going to get hurt. EVERY TIME.
In the same vein, I was wondering last night, when do we stop rolling around on the floor and sobbing when we get hurt?
I hurt myself pretty often, I think. I don't trip and fall, I've never broken anything, but I'm a pro at catching my toes on things. I've been doubled over using breathing exercises more times than I care to count. Sometimes it hurts so badly I get nauseous. But I generally remain upright. I wonder what my family would think if I laid on the floor and wailed when someone stepped on my foot?
Maybe I'll try that next time; see what happens.
They cannot walk without hurting themselves.
These kids are CLUMSY.
I've noticed that when they're growing, it's like they forget how to use their extremities. Fingers do what? Seriously, somebody must have moved that wall! Yes, the table is still lower than your head. If you try to stand up under it, you're going to get hurt. EVERY TIME.
In the same vein, I was wondering last night, when do we stop rolling around on the floor and sobbing when we get hurt?
I hurt myself pretty often, I think. I don't trip and fall, I've never broken anything, but I'm a pro at catching my toes on things. I've been doubled over using breathing exercises more times than I care to count. Sometimes it hurts so badly I get nauseous. But I generally remain upright. I wonder what my family would think if I laid on the floor and wailed when someone stepped on my foot?
Maybe I'll try that next time; see what happens.
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