christianparenting

My five year old daughter came in looking like she needed a cuddle. So I picked her up and gave her a big hug.

Then I was wopped in the face with her toy robot (the new toy, not really new, but rediscovered from that hovering mound of toys in the back of the living room that I keep saying I’m going to sort through and donate, maybe tomorrow).

“Ow”

“He’s giving you a hug.”

“Oh” Of course.

Though my nose is a little sore I’m grateful for another chance to hug my daughter. I’m thankful that my sons (7 and 9) still let me hug them. Even at school when it’s time to say goodbye and their friends are around. I’m glad that their dad is not to proud to give them hugs and cuddles.

Have you hugged your kids today? Just make sure they’re not carrying a robot, maybe just a teddy bear. (My seven year old is reading over my shoulder as I write and he says, “Or other stuffed animals.”)

“It’s the start of something new…”

Actually it’s not. This is the same line I’ve heard over and over all week.

If you don’t know what this is from, chances are you have no little ones who like to torture you by watching Disney’s “High-School Musical” over and over and over and…

AND THEN - they’re friends come over and they dress up and sing it over and over and, you get the point.

At this point I am grateful we only have the DVD to the first movie, although we do have Camp Rock on the DVR, but I guess that was last month’s phase and we are back to HSM again.

And though I wish I could end this montage of only one line, I do not want to squelch her interests or possible, future musical abilities. Isn’t funny how we analyze every decision as parents into what we could possibly do wrong and destroy their life or future paths? Like it’s in our hands anyway.

My daughters strong will.

Although it plagues me now, hopefully she will do great things in the future and not let things stand in her way.

What are you thankful for?

The kids are home from school today. Oh joy!

Of course, they have not yet discovered the well honed talent of sleeping in. They must rise as early as possible, to play video games, to read and to ask me for 5 million things at the same time.

I was still trying to finish my coffee (to which I add instant breakfast to for my chocolate fix and because who has time to sit and eat breakfast) When my oldest son (9 years) and my daughter are running through the house screaming and chasing each other and laughing. It was just too early, plus running and screaming through the house are not really the manners I want to instill.

They stopped, but what they didn’t know was the part of me that was thrilled they were playing together.

I love it when my children can be not just brother and sister but friends as well.

I pray that this will continue throughout their lives. That they can be each other’s role models, confidants and someone to lean on, along with being a best buddy to hang out with.

I am now the proud parent of an orange belt, a high yellow and a yellow belt. My five year old daughter broke her first board and is thrilled.

I’m hoping some Taekwon Do will help me to worry less in her teenage years:) Between that and two big brothers who also know TaeKwon Do:)

I’m also psyched because the TaeKwonDo studio we go to has developed a program based on the Fruits of the Spirit that my children will be taking part in.

What a family weekend. Not only did my kiddos get their new belts and show off their moves for Mommy, Daddy and B-Pop (and everyone else who saw the video), they visited with both sets of grandparents, one set of geat-grandparents, their cousins, and our church family.

I feel so blessed that my children have such a support system - People around them who love and care for them, to mentor them and to just be goofy with them!

Biblically, the church all pulled together, and I am grateful that my husband and I are not raising our kids alone. I love that they learn from and look up to their TaeKwonDo teachers (also church family) their KIDS Church, Wednesday night and Sunday School teachers, that they have such great relationships with grandparents and great-grandparents. They are truly blessed and I am as well.

I know I’ve talked before about demonstrating good stewardship by living simply and I’ve also written my “Ode to Hand-me-downs” but I just want to once again encourage everyone to share and pass things on.

Use what God has blessed you with to in turn, bless others.

The other day I walked out and found three bags of very nice hand-me-down clothes sitting on the front step for my kids. Of course, my daughter had to change right away into her “new” clothes. She loved it and I was so grateful.

Then I went to church and was handed two more bags of hand-me-downs! It seems with the weather changing it’s time to go through those clothes!

So I spent this afternoon going through my daughters clothes and while sorting, I made a bag to pass onto another family. Next I’ll move on to the boys clothes, what fun:)

I’m sure we all have a family with children younger than ours we can pass things onto. If you don’t you can always Freecycle them or donate them to an organization. There’s so many ways to share what we’ve been given.

My seven year old son constantly blows me away and challenges me with his generosity.

The other day he had his friend over, and mainly they played outside, but before she left he found his old game boy advance and gave it to her to keep (not that it was anything fancy) because she didn’t have one, he also gave her (along with my oldest son) all of the games that go with it, most of which they still played in their DS systems.

 Then on the next day one of his school friends rode his bike to our house and I noticed it was a bit small. My oldest had just gotten a hand-me-down bike in great condition (which he loves, thank you) from a generous family at our church who he actually had gotten his last bike from as well, so my seven year old was riding big brother’s older bike.  We decided to give his friend his bike. They were playing and I came out later and he says, “I’m giving him my skateboard too.” very matter-of-factly. We also do have an abundance of skateboards as well.

He also likes to occasionally bring his own toys to church to give to kids, his age and younger. He’ll be walking out and I’ll say you don’t need that at church until he tells me his plans for it why that child would like this.

I hope he continues this way and I hope that we all learn from him.

Overheard this between my seven year old son and his grandmother.

Son - “B-Mom, I had my mouth open when I burped and it sounded like that guy from Starwars!”

B-Mom - “Darthvader”

son - “No the hairy one”

B-Mom - “Chewbacca” (sorry star wars fans, I can’t spell)

son - “YEAH”

what a sweet kid:)

VBS is done but the first day of school is just around the corner (two weeks and two days to be exact, can you tell I’m counting!!!) We’re heading to the beach today for a day of fun, not so much relaxation with three young children, gone are the days of reading books and lounging in my beach chair.

My mother and I are packing up, the boys have waxed their skim boards (praying for no broken legs or arms) and my daughter will soon be choosing her bathing suit and ensemble, at least we’ve made some headway on the dressing situation mostly because Daddy had a little talk with her, and then later me.

I’m really looking forward to this little break though it’s only a day trip, it’s nice to get away. Poor hubby has to work so we’ll have to do something with him another day.

Hopefully we’ll enjoy not just the fun activities but God’s creation as well. The tide will be going down so maybe we’ll get a glimpse of some tiny see creatures in the tide pools and around the rock jettis. I’m so proud to have children who appreciate nature and will hopefully grow up learning to take care of it.

It’s funny because as the boys grow and I try to teach them they start to tell me about the animals and their environment. Gotta love Animal Planet!

Apparently five is the magic number because my daughter turned five the beginning of this month and has changed her behavior for the sole fact that she is five.

The major struggle (will one of the major struggles) with her has been sleeping in her own bed, or anywhere but mine! Sure, she could fall asleep elsewhere but was bound to crawl in with us in the wee hours of the morning when we’re too tired to kick her out because we have to be up the next morning…. etc.

But when she turned five we tucked her in to her own bed and she stayed there all night!! She came down and announced it to us all smiles in the morning. I was a bit more smiley as well since I had slept a little sounder not being prodded and poked my loving daughter.

She also believes she is taller and more grown up since she turned five, which is fine. Just glad she turned the corner to this magic age and to sounder sleeping nights.