Yes, Drill Sargeant!

Do you feel like some days you are just barking out orders all day long?  I felt like that from the second I got the kids up to the second I put them down.  We were under a time crunch this morning because today was the first morning of our women's Bible study at church that I've mentioned before.  Sweet Girl and I had to be there at 9am and USUALLY the bus picks Little Guy up at 8:21 (yes, very specific).  So, it was . . .

"hurry up and finish your breakfast" (This is after 3 bowls of Cheerios. Something about school is drastically improving our Little Guy's appetite.)
"get your toothbrush ready"
"yes, you can put on your Buzz Lightyear costume when you get home from school"
"come here!  let me put your bow in your hair!"
 
Then he informs me that he'd really like me to take him to school in the car today, because his little bus buddy wasn't going to be riding in the morning.  I thought what the heck?  I'll drop him off at 8:30 and swing by Dunkin Donuts before Bible study - win, win, right? Well, I should have learned that you have to be very selective about the truths your 5 year old is telling you.  Usually you are lucky to get 2/3s of the real story.  His bus buddy was riding the bus today, and actually, her mom texted me (while I was in the car line at school) asking if Little Guy was okay.  Sheesh!

And what do you think happened just as we're getting ready to get into the car to leave?  If you guessed that Sweet Girl pooped, you'd be correct!  Why does that always happen?  Do they plan it?

Bible study went great this morning though.  Lots of ladies came, and we started to learn about inductively studying the Bible.  It was great.

But, then after everyone got up from naps and rests in the afternoon, I was at it again . . .

"Stop tickling your sister while she's trying to eat!"
"No, I won't push you down the sidewalk on your bike."
"Oh no, we forgot your 20 minutes of reading today!"
"There's no need to have a melt down about getting your Buzz Lightyear costume off, just ask me to help you!"

Yikes!  It was one of those days!  The day is never so long or so hard that I don't love watching their nightly wrestling matches.  Maybe it comes from being an only child, but I get a huge kick out of this!

Don't Forget That!

Quite a while ago we started telling Little Guy, "We love you no matter what.  Don't forget that!"  We wanted him to know that our love for him isn't based on his behavior, whether good or bad.  Well, after hearing this over and over for months on end he's now saying, "Don't forget that!" every time he tells us that he loves us.  It's so precious and sweet and, of course, we tell him not to forget we love him too.  Whenever he says it I think, "Of course I won't forget it and I hope he doesn't either." 


Not long after he started saying this it hit me that God is saying the same thing.  "I love you no matter what.  Don't forget that!" and I often have the same thoughts, "Of course I won't forget."  But the truth is, I forget far too easily.  Whenever things don't go the way I had planned my disappointment reveals my forgetfulness.  Whenever I look to others for their approval my search for significance, once again, reveals my forgetfulness.  I forget daily but God's Holy Spirit whispers to me saying, "Don't forget that!"  Jesus loves me so much He gave His life so that I might live with Him.  When I am reminded of His love displayed on the cross, I remember that He is good so I can trust His plan.  I remember that I am a child of God and that's what makes me significant.  I need to hear God say, "Don't forget that!" because I am a very forgetful man. 

I hope that Little Guy doesn't forget that his father loves him as much as I forget that my Father loves me.  It's because I know how forgetful I am that I'll keep telling him everyday, "Don't forget that!" just in case he needs reminding like I do.

Choo Choo!

 I can't believe how busy life has become.  Surely, I'm just not into the routine and schedule of school (although this is the 4th week).  If you remember from my last post I discovered the library and have fallen madly in love.  Here we are at story time.  This is Sweet Girl building a train with one of her best little buddies.  We'll call him "C" for short.  Should the 2 mommies have been letting the toddlers rearrange the chairs in the library, maybe not?  But, they were having fun.  Here is the progression of building the train . . .

First there were 2.

 
Along came 3.

Now, we're almost finished.

Play time!

Wait, we're not going anywhere!  C, what's going on?

 Okay, I'm over it.

Alright time to put the library back together.

Prayer Update: Transforming a Community

This month, we'd like to share a story with you about 2 Campus Crusade for Christ graduates who are examples of the kind of graduate we are working to see sent out from our ministries nationwide.  God has used these guys to mobilize others who are transforming a small community in Portland, OR.  Please take a moment to read our newsletter here to rejoice in what the Lord is doing and pray for Him to continue to send laborers into the harvest.  Thank you for your prayers!

The Library and the Beast

I discovered the library!  The library has been around for how many years?  But, I feel like I have discovered it for the first time.  I mean you can take out books AND MOVIES and watch them, read them and then bring them back FOR FREE!!  It's really an amazing thing.  Why am I just taking advantage of this amazing institution?  Don't even get me started on how you can "check out" digital copies of things.  Wow!

When I was little I wanted to be a librarian, because I loved the stamp thingy they used.  I loved how they pulled out the little card in the back, stamped it, and put it back in all nice and neat.  What a great job!  Well, gone are those days!

With Little Guy in school our tradition has become to do pizza and a movie on Friday night.  We're all tired and it's nice to veg out together.  I have been renting a kids' "classic" each week and this week was Beauty and the Beast.  Most households own it, but we don't, and I thought they'd like to see it.  Plus Sweet Girl needs to add some princesses into her repertoire.  She is surrounded by boy things.

I thought they would both like it.  As we were watching it, I looked over and saw tears running down Sweet Girl's cheeks.  I was perplexed.  Was she responding to the emotions in the movie?  Had she been holding her eyes open too long without blinking?  We stopped the movie for some other reason and started it back later.  The same thing happened the next time except this time she was silently crying but still watching the movie.  I was so sad for her.  I said "Sweet Girl, are you scared?"  She gave me a pitiful "yyeeahh."  So, I held her and we talked about how the Beast is good and becomes a prince.

As we were walking down the stairs later getting ready to leave, she said something to me that sounded equivalent to "jacket beast mommy."  After a few more times, I figured out she was saying "don't like it beast, mommy."  I kid you not, she repeated this to me 30 times throughout the course of our ride to Red Lobster and during our whole meal there.  By the 28th time I was a little tired of it, but I thought hey at least she is expressing her feelings!