Sayings

These are a collection of conversations I've heard in our home. I've yet to figure out the formatting for these posts so the conversations may be a little hard to follow, sorry.

1. Mom: No you may not pray and if you fuss about it you'll go to your room. (This may need some explaining. I usually do encourage my kids to pray, however, this morning there was an argument about who would get to pray and after an executive decision one child decided to loudly protest.)
2. Elias: I can't pick up the toys because I'm sick and I don't want to get my toys sick.
3. Elias: I know where babies come from, when you eat too much your stomach gets big and then there is a baby inside.
4. Any mom who has seen the trying to hold it, "potty dance", will appreciate this.
   Mom: Do you need to go potty?
   Emma: No, I'm just exercising
5. This conversation took place in the car.
   Emma: Mommy, mommy
   Mom: Yes, Emma what do you want?
   Emma: No, I'm talking to Elias and pretending he's the mom.
   Mom: Oh.
   Emma: Mommy. Mommy. Mommy. (each mommy got louder and more frustrated)
   Mom: Emma, you may not talk like that even if you are pretending.
   Emma: No, mommy, I'm trying to get your attention.
6. This conversation took place after the kids were put in bed with instructions of no talking or getting out of bed. Names have been withheld to protect the not so innocent.
   Mom: You are getting a spanking because you disobeyed Mommy and got out of bed.
   child: You better not spank me because I will cry and then Brooke would wake up.
7. Emma: When Brooke was in your tummy, how did the doctor get her out?
   Mom: That's a good question for daddy.
   
   

Bath Time

Splish Splash I was taking a Bath

I know a boy,

His name is Bill,

Never took a bath,

And never will!

Ach, poo! Dirty Bill.

Rub a dub dub.

Three men in a tub.

The butcher, the baker, the candle stick maker.

If their boat had been stronger

My story would have been longer.

I saw you in the street.

I saw you in a tree.

I saw you in the bathtub.

Oh, pardon me!

Deaf-Blind

Opening my Eyes

This last week at Elias's preschool the theme was special needs. The kids got a very tiny taste of what it would be like to not be able to see. Of course a blind fold doesn't come close to the reality of being blind, however, it did begin me thinking what it would be like to be deaf and blind.

A lady from a deaf and blind ministry came and spoke to the kids about the special needs of the deaf and blind. The ministry runs an apartment complex and a church for people who are deaf and blind (that isn't deaf or blind, but deaf and blind). Sign language is the main way of communicating but because these people are blind one person signs and the other holds thier hands in order to feel the sign language.

Meeting these ladies got me to thinking what thier world is like. They don't hear or see anything. In our day and age of information overload they live quite oppositely.





And then I read an article, Light in the Dark, in Reader's Digest this weekend. Liz Hooker is mother of these three triplets who were born prematurely and are deaf AND blind. These little girls have never seen or heard thier mama. At 7 years of age the girls are slowly learning sign language and being able to express themselves.

These precious little girls are learning about the world only from touch. This has really gotten me thinking. How would I teach my child about God if I couldn't use words or pictures. How would I explain the truth of the gospel without being able to explain who Jesus is(someone they can't put thier hands on or see a picture of). Romans 10:14 has come to mind often, "But how are they to call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?" I have no idea if any of the Hooker family know the Lord or if they are trying to tell thier girls of the loving sovereign God who not only allowed but ordained thier blindness and deafness. Whether it's a "normal" hearing and seeing person or not, understanding the gospel is a miraculous work of God. I have often prayed since reading this article that the same God who graciously enlightened my heart to His truth would penetrate thier deafness and blindness and allow them to know thier loving creator.

Booke's birthday

Brooke Turns 1

On Saturday we celebrated Brooke's first birthday. Mom helped me make the teddy bear cake. I love the way cakes look in pictures, so much more impressive than in person. When we sang her happy birthday she started clapping and singing.

Because of her new accomplishment of walking she wasn't very interested in playing with her toys but preferred to carry them. We should have gotten her dumb bells.

YUMMY CAKE

My baby is growing up and walking.

Playing Together

I thought I was in for it on Monday. Alex had been off work for two weeks and then Grandparents were here for a week. I was preparing my self for entertainment withdrawl with the kids. But Monday was quiet and peaceful. I think it is because they are enjoying some free time to play with thier Christmas presents.

This is a conversation I heard from the other room. Voices were never raised and from the sound of it there was no anger involved.

Elias: Oh, Emma you knocked down my blocks.

Emm: I'm sorry. Do you still like me?

Elias: No, not all.

And then they resumed playing together.

Grandparents

GRANDPARENTS ARE FUN

We had to say to goodbye to Grandma and Grandpa Haverland today as they headed back to Colorado. The kids had the joy of seeing both grandparents over the holidays and as a result Grandma's and Grandpa's are not just pictures but people our kids have very fond memories of. We got to see Grandma and Grandpa Busenitz at Thanksgiving. Emma still talks about making cinnamon rolls with Grandma. I wish I had a picture of that, but to my shame Grandma and Emma were up early working hard while I slept in.

On January 1st Grandma and Grandpa Haverland came to our home for a visit. It was tight quarters in our place, but oh so worth it to have them at our home.

Happy New Year

The Rose Parade

Instead of getting up before dawn to see The Rose Parade in person we decided to tour the floats the next day. We missed out on the bands, but we got to see the floats up close.

It's amazing what can be done with flowers.

It was a beautiful sunny day and thankfully we made it early enough before the crowds.

Look closely thise are slices of oranges on the front of his shoes.

Christmas 2007

Merry Christmas

These are a few of my favorite pictures from Christmas morning.

The creative placement of Christmas presents this year.

Trying to give Brooke a chance to open her own gifts.

Posing with matching shirts.

The tender moments. Enjoying the presents!!!

Cleaning or Playing

I could be cleaning...

I could have been cleaning the house this morning because the bathrooms certainly needed it. But when the kiddos are looking this cute it's easy to be distracted. There are days when I feel like a referee in a WWF match, but then there are the days when the kids play so well together I just have to sit back and let the sweet memory sink in.

This is our smiley girl, who as you can tell puts up with alot from her siblings.

This video is a little coaxed but does represent Brooke very well.

Oh Christmas Tree

Our Tree

I read in a blog recently that a mother decided to not tempt evil and put her tree on the front porch away from harm's way. Ashamedly my first thought was, "I'm glad my kids are more obedient than that." I'm experienced after all. This is my 5th Christmas keeping a baby or a toddler from touching the ornaments. A few hand swats and an occasional spanking and by day 3 or 4 the tree has been reasonably safe. But then came number 3 and suddenly putting the tree on the porch doesn't seem like such a bad idea. After fishing broken ornaments out a certain young mouth I decided I wasn't dealing just with an obedience issue, but a safety issue. My strategy, however, is not as drastic yet as putting the tree on the front porch. I decided just taking off the first row or two of the ornaments and moving them upward would fix the problem. We'll see if this works. If not, there may be an addendum to this post.

BEFORE

DURING

AFTER