Little Evangelist

Connor wrote this out for our waitress:

 

How I found out about it:

"Mom, did I make a great question mark?"

Because It Would Ruin the Surprise!

Good Morning

I allowed myself to sleep in a little this morning and let my kids be my alarm clock (a whole 7:15 am!!). Just like any good alarm clock, the sound started quietly and then grew in intensity the longer I let it sit. This is the sound my "alarm clock" made from downstairs:

Samuel: "...created..."

Connor: "No He didn't."

Samuel: "Yes He did. God did too create..."

Connor: "No, He didn't."

Samuel: "Yes HE DID! Mommy said God created everything!"

Connor: "Not cars."

Samuel: "Yes He did. I saw Him. When I was in Heaven, I saw Him create cars...."

Somehow I must have hit "snooze" at this point because the conversation abruptly died off here. I'm only hoping Samuel didn't win the discussion with that kind of logic...

 -------------------



The "snooze" on this alarm clock lasted about five minutes:

Samuel: "When I turn on the light, you say..."

...

Samuel: "When I turn on the light, you say that verse."

Connor: "mumble, mumble"

Samuel: "When you're done going poopie, I'll turn on the light and you say, 'God created.'"

And then the singing began and Mommy was officially ready to get up...to go write this blog post.

Brag Book

Our passage for devotions today was Jeremiah 9:23-24:

  This is what the LORD says:
   “Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom
   or the strong man boast of his strength
   or the rich man boast of his riches,
 but let him who boasts boast about this:
   that he understands and knows me,
that I am the LORD, who exercises kindness,
   justice and righteousness on earth,
   for in these I delight,” declares the LORD.

 Mommy: "So, are you supposed to brag about how smart we are?"

Children: "Nooooooooo!"

Mommy: "Are you supposed to brag about how strong we are?"

Children: "Nooooooooooooo!"

Mommy: "Well then, what are you supposed to brag about?"

Ariana: "You're supposed to brag about something that doesn't make any sense."

10 Things I Love About My Husband

Well, my friend Emily hosts a blog for newlyweds (that non-newlyweds are welcome to visit). On her blog she shared about the 90/10 rule in marriage: Focus on the 90% of things that we love about our spouse and try not to focus on the 10% that drives us crazy. (Good rule for any relationship really...)

She put a challenge out there to post 10 things we love about our husbands up each Tuesday in November and then link back to her post. I'm not sure about the linky thing and...it is Wednesday, but I am always willing to gush about my husband to all who will listen. So, without further ado, here is my list:

1. I love that he is handy. If there is something that needs fixed, he will figure out a way to fix it.
2. I love that he is a quick learner.
3. I love that he genuinely wants to do what is right.
4. I love that when we argue, even if he doesn't agree at the moment, he listens and stores it away...and sometimes changes his mind days later and argues my point with someone else. (Does it count that this is also part of the 10% that drives me crazy???  I think it does since it is what makes him who he is...)
5. I love that we don't have to communicate verbally to understand what each other are thinking.
6. I love the way he resists the urge to drink directly from the carton of milk because he knows it grosses me out.
7. I love that my husband considers me to be valuable; something to protect and cherish.
8. I love it that although he has not read my book, he is certain that it is worthy of publishing and he brags about it to everyone we know.
9. I love that when I ask him to do something, he does it...sometimes even without complaining!
10. I love that a simple hug from him lightens my burden and makes me feel whole.

 

So, now it's your turn. Head over to Newlywed's Bliss and make your list too!

Into the Silence

Samuel (because he wanted to speak and couldn't think of anything to say):

"Mom, I like Jesus because...I like Jesus because...because He dies and stuff..."

Uh...huh...

Look Mom! No Training Wheels!

And yes, the conversation towards the end of this video went like this:

Connor: "I just swallowed an ant!"

Honor: "Yuck, Connor!"

Mommy: "Connor, why did you swallow an ant???!!!"

Connor has bragged about his ant swallowing skills at least 10 times today...

I Didn't Do It

Samuel:

"I didn't break the flashlight!  I just swung it around and around and it flew into little pieces!"

Who Needs 'Em Anyway?

Well, the basement is a mess...again.  Anyone surprised?  Me neither.

As an incentive to get them to clean, I reminded them that they don't get any Mommy Dollars for the Mommy Store unless they have their sections/rooms/laundry clean.

No cleaning.

I threatened that the Mommy Store wouldn't be opened on Friday unless each child had at least 4 Mommy Dollars.

Nothin'.

I threatened that IF the Mommy Store isn't opened on Friday, Mommy would remove all toys from the floor and put them BACK into the Mommy Store.

Nada.

I yelled downstairs explained rationally that if the Mommy Store has not been bought back by Christmas, anything left in the Mommy Store will be donated to Goodwill.

MOVEMENT!

From downstairs I hear toys banging and children scrambling. And then I hear the following exchange:

Connor: "Hurry, Ariana! She's going to donate our toys!"

More banging.

Ariana (calm and collected): "Well, as children get older, they don't need as many toys..."


That girl will do anything to get out of cleaning!

No Taxation Without Representation!

Connor wrote something on the drawing board last night that made me and Daddy laugh heartily once it was explained. Unfortunately, Honor was offended and erased it before I had a chance to take a picture, but it looked something like this:

Taxes

• Mom
• Dad
• Ariana
• Honor
• Sam

Signing here:

Each of our names had been checked off.

I asked Connor what it meant and here was his reply:

"I don't have any money so everyone needs to pay me real money in taxes so I have some money."



I didn't realize I was raising a democrat...

When We All Get to Heaven

Ariana: "AGH!!! I HATE tangles! I HATE these tangles! Tangles are STUPID!"

Mommy: "Yep. Tangles hurt. That's why we need to brush our hair every day--so the tangles don't get that bad..."

Ariana (still scowling): "Yeah, but there won't be any tangles in Heaven! They're only here in THIS world!"

Yep. Just one of the multitude of things to look forward to. "No More Tears"!

The AWWWW Factor...

"Mom. Dad. Stay up here. Don't even look at the stairs! We have a surprise for you!" Honor commanded from the bottom of the stairs. Excited children chatter made its way up to the kitchen where I was getting dinner ready.

"Okay," came our dutiful reply. You mean, we get a few minutes of adult communication while the kids are still awake? I hardly knew what to do with myself.

Ten minutes later, Honor drug me into my bedroom. "Mom, you have to get dressed up."

"Okay, what should I wear?"

"Um...this," she announced from within my closet. She pulled out my most comfortable long dress that Daddy hates (because it goes all the way to the floor and he can't see my legs), but I love (because it makes me feel feminine and it is sooo comfortable!). "This is my favorite! You look so beautiful in this dress!" She exited the room, calling over her shoulder, "Daddy doesn't need to dress up, but you can."

We were then told that the surprise was ready, but we couldn't see it until after dinner. We ate (well, Daddy and I ate--the kids just jumped up and down in their seats), then the children pulled us down the stairs. We "oohed" and "awwed" at the streamer decorations they'd hung at eye level throughout the room. Then Honor pointed out the streamers on the stairs had writing on them.

"Caution," it read (this was because all the stores had caution tape on them around Halloween time and so they figured that's how you start a party announcement), "To give you a break. We love you."

In Honor's bedroom, they had set up "tables" with plates and cut apples (which I'd supplied when asked for a snack earlier). We squeezed into the room and ate our apples. Then the children left to get their "gifts" for Mommy and Daddy...several of their favorite toys wrapped up in blankets.

After everyone had finished their apples, Honor announced it was game time. We moved into Connor's room where each child had prepared a game. Well, Ariana had actually prepared a puppet show...

Connor's game was "Catch the Ninja Hat" where he dangled a pirate kerchief from the mast of his pirate ship from the top of his bunk bed and Daddy had to catch it. The prize was the kerchief.

Samuel's game was "Catch the Monster Truck" where he drove the toy monster truck around on the walls and I was supposed to catch it. The prize was the monster truck.

Honor had a riddle game. Solve her riddle and you get to pick from her treasure box. The prize was her most prized possessions...and she was surprised when I gave them back to her.

Then there was the "Run Hug" game where we all lined up on opposite sides of the room and were supposed to run to our partner and hug them. Daddy didn't quite understand the game and instead of hugging me, he ran and tackled me. I think I need to explain what a "hug" is a little better...

The final "game" was the costume contest. Honor had everyone line up and then she chose the best costume. As Connor was the only one actually wearing any sort of costume, I'd assumed he was a shoe-in. 

"Mommy, you stand here," Honor directed.

"But I'm not wearing a costume," I protested.

"You look just like Cinderella to me," she replied in all seriousness. And then I won the costume contest.

And that is why I love having daughters.

Lunchtime Surprise

This was our lunch for today:

We were sent home from the harvest party with a mostly full veggie tray--I couldn't let that go to waste!




Can you guess which part was Connor's favorite?


....


....



....





"MOM!!!  There are orange bell peppers!!!!" 



...

The last thing left on his plate was the pizza.  I think Samuel might have eaten that for him...