A Prayer

The prayer from Kevin last night...

Heavenly Father, thank you for this day... thank you for all that you done for us... please be with Mary and help her body to feel better... please help me to sleep good and keep bad dreams far, far away... please help me to make good choices and please help me get my mind off of those presents... ... ... and ...thank you for Jesus... amen.

Weather Man

About a year ago we were in the car headed somewhere and Kevin says, "Mom, I would really like some snow." It sounded like an order at a fast food joint. He was very matter of fact and when I didn't say anything he said again, "Mom, I really want it to snow." I responded with the standard parent answer, "Well, when it's cold enough and the rain freezes then maybe we'll get some snow." This wasn't good enough for Kevin and so he says, "No, Mom, I really want some snow." I responded at this point with an equal level of attitude, "Kevin, I do not control the weather." ~ He had to think about that for a second and then said, "You don't?"



And so began our discussion (again) about how God is in control of all things... though I can see how this might be news to a little kid whose life is dictated to him by people twice his size. So we got that straightened out.



Then a couple of weeks ago as we were travelling through heavy rain for a family outing Kevin seemed quiet and sort of sad. Logan asked Kevin about what was bothering him and he told us that he needed some sunshine. We talked to him about praying to God and letting him know about his desire for some rays. We also talked about how God knows what the earth needs so if it keeps raininng it doesn't mean that God isn't there or isn't listening, its that God knows just how to take care of his world and so we should be patient. So he prayed. And as we got to our destination we were struck with sunlight. It stayed sunny until we were on our way home.



hm...



Last week as we were again in the car on the way to a play date I heard from the back seat, "God, could you please make it sunny? We need some sunshine." I didn't say anything, but I was proud of him. And as we played strong rays of sunshine shone through the windows. - He noticed.



And I'm not saying that God gives Kevin the weather he wants when he wants it. That would be silly, right? Well, now you can read an accurate account of the most recent weather event in our little family from my friend Kristi's blog. CLICK HERE

Snapshot Conversation III

On the way to Wal Mart tonight from the back seat came some questions. These are not abnormal questions... just a sampling of the ones we hear every day... Think if you can about how you would answer them. Sometimes, the simpler the better?

Kevin: Dad, how do people make dirt?

Dad: God makes dirt.

Kevin: Dad, how do people make wood?

Dad: God makes wood.

Kevin: Dad, how do people make houses?

Dad: Well, son, they take wood and they cut it ....

What about snow?

God makes snow.

Silence for a moment...

Kevin: It's kind of cloudy tonight.

Yep, it's cloudy.

Even though I can't see them I know the stars are there and even though I can't see it I know the moon is there. Just like God is always there.

And so began the explanation of faith... That's faith, buddy. Faith is knowing that something is there even though you can't see it. We know that God is there, even though we never see him...

What about snow?

What do you mean?

What is snow?

Snow is frozen water.

What about hell?

WHAT?

Hail, you know, hail.

Breathing a sigh of releif... Hail is water that is frozen harder than snow.

Does it hurt?

I don't know...

Really really big pieces hurt.

Then getting out of the car and going into the store...


Dad, did you know that God followed us all the way up here and he'll follow us all the way home?

With Halloween safely behind us it crossed my mind this morning that I had better figure out how to ration the candy. We didn't collect all that much, but Nolan was determined to open and sample every piece in his bag. So I began with the rule that there would be "no candy until 10am". Sounds reasonable right? Well, we were out of the house at 10 so enforcing the rule took minimal effort. The question then was when the candy consumption could begin. So I quickly thought of the hard and fast rule of "no candy until after (fill-in-the-blank)" which at the time was lunch. After lunch we proceeded to our house where the sight of the candy bags nearly insighted a riot. Kevin had been wanting to try the "gummy bones" he was interested in and Nolan was still interested in sampling everything. And then a feeling of generosity swept over my children.

"Mom, can I go down to the lobby and share my candy?" Kevin asked.

With a feeling of dread that nap time would be ruined I reasoned with myself that generosity and kindness far outweighed the need for naps. So down we went, to share the candy, a kind of reverse trick or treating. And as always Nolan was four steps behind us, bound to do whatever his brother was doing, blissfully naive to the fact that soon his stash would not be sample-able. We gave out three or four pieces of candy and Kevin asked who else he could share with and the field trip began. Student after student smiled and said thank you to a small piece of candy handed to them by sticky hands and a big grin. "Hala-allawee," Nolan would say occasionally. Kevin would just stand in front of them, say, "...stop!", hand them candy and then go about his business.

Then we got home. Whew!... no need for rationing or rules for the candy... and the best part is that it was their choice. They wanted to give it away... right? Yay for kindness! Yay for generosity! Yay for sharing! Yay for no more candy in the house! And then, the question...

"Mom, when can I get more candy?"

"Next year at Halloween."

"Next year?" And then I felt it... you know what I'm talking about... that calm before the storm... that realization that made the lump in the throat... and the tears...

All of a sudden the happiness of sharing and generosity was clouded by the sadness of the empty bags.

All in all it turned out okay. Kevin understands that what he did was a good thing though he is still not happy about his candy being all gone. Nolan doesn't really know what's going on yet, he was still working on a sucker when we got home that he nursed along while he was giving all of his candy away. And I'm writing this down now so that when they are older we can look back on this event and reinforce the goodness of sharing.

Scenes from the next episode: The effects of a sugar crash...

Kevin came out of his room last night in his typical hero garb: the sweats with the hole in the knee, a particular t-shirt he likes, his new bow fashioned out of a stick and some string, one white sock and one gray sock and one black glove. Logan asked him, "What are you looking for?" Looking around the room he said, "I don't want to be Luke Skywalker, I need to fight evil with two gloves."

Snapshot Conversation II

After telling me about a dream in which he and his dad faught together and won against a particularly haneous bad guy Kevin went on to tell me that Dad going with him was like Aaron going with Moses (a bible story that we'd talked about the previous Sunday in Bible Class). And here is how the conversation progressed...

Logan: Who was Aaron?

Kevin: Moses' brother.

Logan: Who did they have to talk to?

Kevin: Pharoh.

Logan: Why did Aaron go with Moses?

Kevin: Because Moses was 'magining everyone in their underware and it was scaring him out of his mind!

That's my boy!

So Funny

The other day Kevin said something that made the rest of us (three) laugh out loud. This is not abnormal. He's one of the funniest kids I know. But I said, "Kevin you are so funny," to which he replied with a giggle in his voice, "Thanks Mom, you're not so bad yourself."

Honorable Mention

The following is an excerpt from an email that I got from my sister about my nephew, Gavin. He is the coolest 3 year old I know.

I have to tell you we got honorable mention on the radio this morning.  Last night Mike was scheduled to dance with the dance team for Josh Grason and one other guy, (I don’t know country).   We thought it would be cute for Gavin to wear his wranglers which when we got to the fair we discovered were just a bit too big.  They kept falling down and just would not stay up. 

 

We needed a belt, but of course we didn’t have one on hand.  I dug and dug and found a rubber snake at the bottom of his back pack.  So we looped that rubber snake through his belt loops, tied it into the front, and went with it.

 

After the first singer began to sing, Icabod Cain from 94.1 came and sat down beside us.  He noticed the snake and just had to hear the story.  So we told him about it and this morning he told the story on the radio.  It was really cute, and he said good morning to Gavin on the radio.

WOO HOO GAVIN!!!

The Power of Chocolate Milk

I know that chocolate milk has great power over my boys. At one point Nolan traded me in for Jessie...

"Mama, I have chockit milk?"

"No son, it's bed time." 

"I want Jessie."

"Why, because you think she'll give you chocolate milk?"

"Yes."

Today though I became fully aware of the power chocolate milk can have on a kid. Nolan had just come out of his room from nap time. And in true form he crawled up on my lap, snuggled me, and asked, "Mama, I have chockit milk?" And with that I heard Kevin rustle in the covers on my bed, take a deep breath and say..."Did someone say chocolate milk?"

Yeah. It took me a minute to stop laughing too. ~That kid is amazing. I know he hears everything we say but that is ridiculous. :)

Disclaimer: I believe that chocolate milk is one of the few frivolous pleasures in life that should not be kept from a child. But I do limit my children's intake of the wonderful substance. 

Snapshot Conversation

In the car this morning...


Kevin singing...
"I know that Jesus is well and alive today,
He makes his home in my heart,
Never more will I be all alone since He
Promised me that we never would park..."

"Kevin, it's 'never would part'... Jesus promised that we never would have to be separated from him or his love."

"Mom, do you remember at Nana's church... when they dipped those guys in water?"

"Yes, that's called being baptized."

"Why did they do that?"

"Because those boys decided that they are ready to follow Jesus' teachings... they are ready to obey Him."

"Will I be 'bantisted' when I am an older boy?"

"If you choose to obey Jesus... if that's your choice."

"That's my choice."

Marketing at its best...

We recently had Logan's parents at our house for a visit. One early afternoon we went to Chucky Cheese's for lunch. I don't remember going there when I was little (though my dad thinks we did - and I believe him, I just don't remember). So when we walked in I was AMAZED. The marketing they have goin' there is incredible. They have pizza deals with pizza, drinks and tokens included in one of several options. Chucky is everywhere. Lights, moving parts and music are also everywhere. And somewhere along the line Kevin heard someone say, "If you've got one, you've got fun," which is a slogan to go with the tickets. Basically for ten bucks you can buy 30 tokens for which you might win 100-150 tickets which will "buy" you a toy from the "prize" counter that you could get at the dollar store and will end up in the garbage within a week... so you've thrown away 10 bucks.... BUT YOU HAD A GOOD TIME DOIN IT!!! Don't get me wrong. We had a good time. The pizza was good, the soda was endless, the games were a blast and we spent time together with our family. It was a good experience and as far as spending money goes, it wasn't a bad purchase. I digress... So Kevin hears someone say this slogan somewhere along the way because it came back around in the car a few days later...

"Mom, can we go to Chucky Cheese again?"

"Not today, son, that was a special treat that we'll only get to do once in a while."

"It was fun, Mom. I liked the snow bike ride."

"You rocked that game, Buddy."

"We need to get more token money."

"Yeah, when we go again."

"If you've got one, you've got fun."

End conversation as mom contemplates the marketing tools used at Chucky Cheese's...


Nolan-ism:
"Cheezy Jesus" : The place where you can eat pizza, play games, win prizes and have fun!! (Jesus not included in the price of the pizza.)

Nolan-ism

"Peahpin" Definition: the color you get when you mix blue and red.

Bound for Africa

Some day Kevin is going to Africa. This is a fact that we have been aware of for about a year and a half. Ever since our friends, the Grauls, went to Africa Kevin has had his mind set on it. The animals, the land, the people. The fact that Egypt and Moses are REAL and that he could go there... they are all things he is very interested in. And our friends, Jessi, Elice and Tersa are headed there next summer.



We were reminded of this fact this morning when he told a story about his bear ("Zaza") going to Africa...



Zaza went to Wambiti, in Africa. It takes 4 days to get there and he saw all kinds of animals. Now he is done with his nap and he's getting packed to go again. Be sure to take the Spider Man playing cards, the blankie, a snack and a rope. All of the essentials. I don't think that Wambiti is a real place... (Jessi? Ike?) but whether it is or not, this boy (or his bear) goes to Africa in his head nearly every day.

This reminds me of another Kevin/Africa story... This past school year he had the opportunity to raise money for an organization called Heifer International. You can purchase a number of animals in different flocks or herds to be sent to families in Africa and other parts of the world. They provide food and income for the family they are sent to. When we talked to Kevin about it there was no question in his mind about whether he would do it. And he faithfully and patiently sat in a common area on campus for several lunch periods and "asked" people for their change. Everyone was incredibly supportive. We planned to supplement for the cost of the flock Kevin chose to send but it wasn't necessary. Kevin raised enough money to send two orders of animals. - The only disappointment that he had was that he didn't get to take the animals to the people in Africa.

He's going. Start saving your pennies.

On Swimming Lessons

I could teach my kid to swim, right? ~ I better not try... I haven't really swam since my sister and I got toted to the pool in Lynden to be thrown around by one of five uncles. - But Kevin is absolutely convinced that I should have him in lessons right NOW.

"When are my swimming lessons, Mom?"

"Are we going to that big pool with the swimming lessons today, Mom?"

"I really need swimming lessons, Mom."

"Can you call the pool and sign me up for swimming lessons, Mom?"

Pick any of these questions (they are just the ones that I remember) and pretend that Kevin is asking them about 10 times per day.

Should I explain the complexity of a budget to a four and a half year old? He just might be the kid to understand it, but how do you sum it up into three sentences or less?

One thing is for sure; this kid is driven.

On Nolan

Nolan has been an interesting kid since the beginning. The very beginning of him was... a surprise. The having of him was... a struggle. The raising of him, I think, will be something of a miracle. - He's my little introvert with the strength of Bam Bam from the Flinstones. He is quite strong. But he just can't stay upright. This poor kid inheritted his mother's sense of balance. I feel quite sorry for him. - My mom said that she couldn't take me anywhere without bandaids. I fell down ALL of the time. - Now I know how she felt.

I call him my little introvert because he'd rather be at home, in his room or at his table, by himself. He plays with Kevin but not like you'd expect. I'll have to write about that another time. And he definitely has his opinion about things but he is also very loving and very eager to please.

Nolan didn't walk until he was 18 months... he could have, he just didn't care to. He doesn't drink juice... he'd rather be thirsty. He does not like it when his room, or the house for that matter, are messy. And he does not like crowds. Church on Sunday is about all he has ever been able to handle without getting agitated or weepy. And even now he usually snuggles into me and buries himself as much as possible under his Eeyore.

I just don't know what to make of him. And I am not sure if I am doing the best job of mothering him. He is so very different from Kevin... I try not to treat them differently but they are so very different in personality...

I try to think of what they are like... fire and ice or North and South... but that doesn't even do them justice. They are just different... like... an oak tree and a V-6 engine.

363 and counting

"Mom... how many more days until Fire Works Day comes again?"

"363 more days, Buddy."

"Okay, Mom... Good night."

She's Talking About Those Kids Again...

I have realized lately that I talk about my boys... A LOT!!! What can I say? They are great kids and I love to talk about them because they amaze me SO much every day. But... that's all I do when I'm with other people. At least that's how it seems to me. And while I know those around me care for my kids I'm not so sure everyone is as amazed as I am at them.

So I thought I would share some of the things that I think are amazing on this blog. That way if you want to know about it, you can read here. If you don't want to... you'll be missing out, but my feelings won't be hurt. ...and I can talk about them all I want.