God created- kid (and parent) approved!

One of the greatest joys of parenting for me is seeing things though my children's eyes. Every new season, event, act, experience, word, phase, and stage all seem new and exciting while watching Parker and Lillie live them out. I often wonder when or if this will ever grow old or maybe that's what grandchildren are for. (Just when the living vicariously through your kids ends, the grand kids come along and you can do it all over again.)
Today we took the kids to the Cincinnati children's museum. This place is awesome! Even if I didn't have kids, I would love wandering the different sections and touring all the exhibits. Having kids just intensified the whole experience. Parker and Lillie could not get enough of the bat caves, dinosaur bones, and interactive displays. They were full of questions and comments and everything they saw sparked new insights and inquiries. Some we could answer, some we had to research a bit and some we left open for discussion. We had such good opportunities to talk about God and everything He created and have incredible examples to see, touch and feel. It was such a fun afternoon and I can't wait to go back again and watch their eyes get big in awe and hear their squeals of anticipation and feel their little hands grab mine when the unknown was lurking around the next corner.

My prayer: Lord, may I always have a curiosity for the things you have created, be excited about the life you have breathed into me and grab for your hand when I am unsure of the future. Amen.

The abbreviated version

While in the car last night, Trev and I were discussing where to eat dinner at. We were throwing different ideas out when Parker pipes up from the back seat "Oooooh Mom, I LOVE crack!"

Don't say that out in public Parker. People may not know Crackerbarrel is one of your secret vices:)

I'm dreaming of...

...a black and white Christmas

Christmas Morning 08

Special gift for the bride to be
A very precious babydoll

Rockin out with his cool guitar

"Yeahhh for Christmas morning!!!"

A special aunt lahlah moment

Taking a book break in the midst of gift unwrapping

Grandpop, the resident toy dismantler."

The boys opening their rootbeer kit.. yummm"

Boxing: Kid style!

I am more and more convinced that kids do not want the gifts in the boxes just the boxes (and the cool big bubble wrap)

CASE IN POINT:

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Parker from the backseat: "So Mom, I was thinking this is a really good question... if Jesus was still a guy here how old would he be?

Me from the front seat: "Well, he would be over 2000 years old if he was still on earth."

Parker: "Whoa.. he would be sooo old he wouldn't be able to walk or see or hear us even sing to him. His cake would be really filled with candles right Mom? He would need like 550 cakes!!!"

His really good questions are getting funnier and tougher to answer...

Cookie Creations

As if we hadn't embraced enough Christmas tradition in the Gingerbread house "event", we made and decorated cookies this morning (which by the way is a lot easier, more fun and less stressful). Last night I declared today as cookie morning and at 8:35 am we were on a sugar high Willy Wonka would be proud of. We had sooo much fun and although the cookies are inedible to the general public (due to excessive licking of the icing and sprinkles) the photos are safe to look at:)




The finished product

Afternoon at the Theatre

Trev took the day off Friday and we took the kids into Cincinnati to see Seussical: The Musical. If you have never been to the theatre for a children's production, you are missing out! 400 squirmy, wiggly preschoolers around nap time, theatre seats that are way too small for adults (but Lillie managed to get collapsed in one no problem), a hot theatre during cold and flu season... VERY FESTIVE! We had a great time and the kids loved their first theatrical experience. Parker has already viewed the Spring schedule and decided we need to see Robin Hood and Willy Wonka as well.

Tis the season... of LIFE!

If you know me, you know I am not a big fan of winter. Okay, I despise the cold. I hate wearing bulky jackets and getting frizzy hat head. Adjusting the car seats every time we go in and out b/c of bulky winter coats is especially annoying and not to mention starting the van 15 minutes before each outing is extrememly inconvenient. Every year around Daylight Savings time I go into mourning over the loss of long hot days, bar-b-ques and swimming. When Parker asked me yesterday why God created winter, I couldn't even think of a good reason and it was through clenched teeth I muttered a Sunday school answer, "Because the earth needs a time to rest and God thought Winter was a good method for this." Then this morning we wake up to a.... SNOW DAY! For the record, having grown up in NY and having lived in MI for 6 years, snow days in KY are lame. There was like a 1/4 inch of snow on the ground (you could totally see the green grass, the streets were completely clear and the temp was in the 30's. I awoke to the snow at 7 am and saw the little local news ticker on the bottom of the screen say no school today and immediately I felt grumpy. No running around the neighborhood or going up to school to make gingerbread houses with Parker's class. No cleaning out the garage to make room for the cars we really need to park in there, and definitely no getting that last mow in of the year. What a bummer!

Fast forward to breakfast and Parker's enthusiastic prayer is, "Dear Jesus. Thank you soooo much for this cool snow storm and for the snow fights we're going to have and for the hot cocoa mommy is going to make us. Amen."
Ummm... excuse me??? Snow fights? Hot cocoa??? Snow storm??? I don't remember signing up for any of that?!
Anyway, it took the sweet heart of my 5 year old to remind me that Lillie has yet to play in the snow (we didn't have any last year!)and that as a kid, you live for snow days, and well, yes the earth (and me too) need a season of rest.

So we had our snowball fight and ran around the neighborhood "stealing" every ones snow off their mailboxes and driveways, and Lillie ate her first 3 pounds of snow, and we burnt our mouths on hot cocoa and got back into our jammies and watched Disney movies and read books all afternoon. It was splendid and memorable and tonite when I tucked Parker in he said to me in this sleepy voice right before dozing off, "Don't you love today Mom? It was my favorite day ever!"

My spontaneous prayer: God I really really love today and everyday you give me with my precious children. Rain, sleet, snow, sunshine... each season is special and each season so quickly passes by. Help me to enjoy Winter like I do the other seasons and not to try and wish it away. Amen"

WANTED:

Two of Santa's 2nd string reindeer. Will dance for food (particularly pizza and cereal) Handle with care. May squeal if threatened or tickled in any capacity. Male tends to be protective of female companion (unless princesses are involved then male will abruptly flee scene).

Photogenetics?

Parker is really into staging pictures. He and Lillie huddle up and plan what they are going to do and then I say "cheese" and they act out some rehearsed plan. Sometimes it is cute, sometimes it is funny and sometimes it's well... let's just say gone are the days of cute sweet family pics!

Not the master of this house

Webster definition of Ambitious: having a desire to achieve a particular goal

My definition of ambitious: having a desire to achieve a particular goal even though two small children, lack of sleep and a $10 gingerbread kit is involved

If any of you out there glanced thru the Sunday newspaper and saw ads for those cute little gingerbread house kits and thought, "Awww that is such a cute tradition to start with my kids. I think I need to go out and buy one of those." I am here to encourage you to rethink that idea and go for something easier, less stressful and a lot less messy. I lived that idealistic notion this morning and although, I lived to tell of it I am hoping the event will eventually become a dull and faded memory(although we have photos to remind us).

If you want your gingerbread house to come out 1/2 way presentable and looking like a house you need to be 1) an engineer... the logistics of the house formation is tricky to say the least. 2)a contractor... chimney and wall placement is an integral part of the overall gingerbread house appearance. 3)a mason...the icing turns to cement in 1.2 seconds and you need to have knowledge of the proper leveling, laying and finishing techniques.

Since I do not proclaim a degree or knowledge in any of these areas this is what our house turned out looking like...

We did have fun and I give us an A++++ for effort (even though it looks like it got hit by some gusty northern Canadian winds:)