Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Feel free to point
Things people have said to us when we're out and about with the chillen:
"Wow, you have 5 boys?!"
"You sure have your hands full!"
"You must be busy!"
"Are they twins?"
"Are they triplets?"
"Are they all boys?"
"Are they all yours?"
"Wow, what are their ages?"
"5 boys? Are you gonna try for a girl?"
"So are you done now?"
"My sister has twins."
"My neighbor has twins."
"We have twins."
"Think of the grocery bill in a few years!"
"Are they identical?"
"Do you have 2 sets of twins??"
"Your children are so well-behaved!"
"I just wanted to tell you that you're doing a great job."
"How in the world do you do it? I can barely handle my 2!"
"I can't even imagine."
"Are they always this well-behaved?"
"Were the twins a surprise?"
"Were you going for 5?"
We've had countless people stare at us, come up and say something of the above, point at us, visibly count us, share something of their own experience with kids - some in very detailed accounts - and talk audibly about us from where they're sitting.
And I've decided to just embrace it.
After all, who am I to say that this isn't exactly why God has blessed us with these children? (And we only have 5 - good grief, we're not the Duggars!) Every time we're noticed, we have an opportunity to reflect Him. If the primary purpose of each of our lives is to bring glory to God, then whenever we step out of the house and rub shoulders with the world, our every action should proclaim Him. Every contact with an individual is God's nudge on them to get close to His love. And (scarily, sometimes) WE'RE it!
I am beginning to be more bold about my responses to some of these questions and comments, but it's hard to not just give what I think of as the standard reply. I need something shocking, something fresh, something stimulating to their thinking. Something that proclaims Jesus. Both to them and to my children, who watch and listen to everything I say. Even when they pretend not to.
What would you say?
"Wow, you have 5 boys?!"
"You sure have your hands full!"
"You must be busy!"
"Are they twins?"
"Are they triplets?"
"Are they all boys?"
"Are they all yours?"
"Wow, what are their ages?"
"5 boys? Are you gonna try for a girl?"
"So are you done now?"
"My sister has twins."
"My neighbor has twins."
"We have twins."
"Think of the grocery bill in a few years!"
"Are they identical?"
"Do you have 2 sets of twins??"
"Your children are so well-behaved!"
"I just wanted to tell you that you're doing a great job."
"How in the world do you do it? I can barely handle my 2!"
"I can't even imagine."
"Are they always this well-behaved?"
"Were the twins a surprise?"
"Were you going for 5?"
We've had countless people stare at us, come up and say something of the above, point at us, visibly count us, share something of their own experience with kids - some in very detailed accounts - and talk audibly about us from where they're sitting.
And I've decided to just embrace it.
After all, who am I to say that this isn't exactly why God has blessed us with these children? (And we only have 5 - good grief, we're not the Duggars!) Every time we're noticed, we have an opportunity to reflect Him. If the primary purpose of each of our lives is to bring glory to God, then whenever we step out of the house and rub shoulders with the world, our every action should proclaim Him. Every contact with an individual is God's nudge on them to get close to His love. And (scarily, sometimes) WE'RE it!
I am beginning to be more bold about my responses to some of these questions and comments, but it's hard to not just give what I think of as the standard reply. I need something shocking, something fresh, something stimulating to their thinking. Something that proclaims Jesus. Both to them and to my children, who watch and listen to everything I say. Even when they pretend not to.
What would you say?
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
A little tender loving care
Ode to a 3-year-old
I love your smile
I love your grin
I'll love you if you're fat or thin.
I love that you imagine
Things you can be
A lion, a Tigger, a doctor is he
I love your soft heart
And your gentle ways
And all the delight you bring to my days
I love your sweet voice
As you say the lunch prayer
And your love for our Lord you're starting to share
I love you even when much noise abounds
My voice, my thoughts, the drum, it drowns
I love my sweet Noah
He just turned three
I'm so glad God gave you to me!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Aren't I just the cutest little blue marshmallow?
Josiah has a new habit. He and Isaac always nurse at the same time and there has been a fair amount of hair pulling, scratching, eye poking, and the like over the past months - all unintentional of course. Well, lately, Josiah has discovered Isaac's nose, and while Isaac is blissfully eating away, Josiah will reach over and squeeze his nose shut. Which results in a meal interruption for Isaac as he stops to take a breath. So I turn to the experts. How do you stop one twin from plugging the nose of the other while eating?
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