the innocence of a four year old..

Today, I was explaining to Hope about a young couple in our church getting engaged.  She's a very girly, girl and loves everything about weddings and etc.  I told her that Junior had asked Amanda to marry him and that they were going to get married.
I was expecting her to ask about the dress or the wedding itself but, instead she responded, "and then they're going to have kids??!!"  I quite literally Laughed Out Loud!
It was so precious and so innocent!  How sad that in today's society this is abnormal!  To wait until marriage, is laughed at.  I'm so glad that we've given our children that legacy.  I'm so glad that to them it's normal to have things in this order: Marriage first, Babies second.
Thank you Junior and Amanda for being an example to my girls of the way that things should be!

You're the best!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I love to cook and bake.  Oftentimes, in the morning I will make pancakes or waffles for breakfast (which my girls LOVE, they always ask for pink ones).  I don't think a day passes by when my girls don't beg to help me "make".
Their actual words are, "Mommy, can I make with you?"  So cute, right?!  Emma always helps me make coffee in the morning and usually Hope helps me make breakfast.  Yesterday, Emma got a special turn of helping me make waffles.  She was so precious!
When the mixing was done, I picked her up and she hugged my neck and said, "Thank you for letting me help with you, Mommy.  You're the best mommy ever!"
If I get this reaction...I'll gladly let her help me anytime she wants!

I'm too busy....

Earlier today while I was trying to play with the girls, Emma was sitting at the table playing with toys.  When I asked her if she wanted to play with us, she simply said, "Not now, Mom, I'm too busy."

I initially laughed and went on with the rest of my day but, as I stopped to think about it, it made me sad.  Who did she learn that from, I wonder????  hmmm....  I think I would have to answer that...me.

How sad!!!  I sit here typing this practically in tears.  I don't want that to be the memory that my children have of me, "too busy".  Too busy doing what exactly??  Laundry?  Facebook?  I think it's time I get my priorities straight!  I just bought this new sign for my house and I love what it says now, I need to make sure I live by it and it's the words I'll leave you with today.

"Cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow,
for babies grow up we've learned to our sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs dust go to sleep;
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep."

It was fun...

Since our girls are only 18 months apart, they do a lot of the same things.  They both enjoy princesses, animals, anything Disney etc.  Lately, one of the things that they similarly enjoy (which means "fight over")  is...going with us different places. We try to alternate or "take turns" as they call it.  That way we get to spend some one on one time with each of them.
Earlier today, I took Hope into a store with me while everyone else waited out in the car, much to Emma's chagrin.  So tonight when I went to the grocery store, it was Emma's turn.  To be honest, I didn't want to take anyone, since it was grocery shopping. But, since Kyle has a bit of the flu I wanted to make his "burden" a little lighter. :)
Now, anyone that knows Emma, knows that she is a VERY busy little girl.  My mother-in-law lovingly calls her  "Curious George in a skirt".  Which characterizes her to a "T".  Today, though, while we were at the store she was AMAZING!!!  She was very well behaved, obedient and sweet the entire time we were there.  So much so, that I even bought her a little treat.  As we were walking out of the store, she was holding my hand and sweetly looked up at me as said, "Mama, thank you for taking me...it was fun".  If that doesn't melt a mother's heart I don't know what would!
This made me think of our relationship with God.  How many things would He do for us, How many things is He just waiting to give us if we would just be thankful for what He's already done?  How happy would it make Him if we just simply stopped to say "Thank you" once in a while?
So, thank you God!  Thank you for my family, my husband and children.  Thank you for our health.  Thank you for our home.  Thank you for all that you've done and all that you're going to do!

Going Nowhere...

Almost on a daily basis my Emma girl will ask me, "Mama, where are we going?"

This is usually asked while she's watching me put on my make-up or fixing my hair etc.  Sometimes, I'm getting ready to go somewhere, sometimes I'm just doing it to make myself feel better.  Usually on days that we don't have any plans I'll answer her with, "We're not going anywhere".

Recently, her response of choice is, "We're going nowhere?"  "Can I go nowhere with you?"

My girls love to go "anywhere" with us. They even love to go "nowhere" with us.  This makes me realize how important time spent with them is.  They'd be happy to even go "nowhere" as long as we're together.

Today was short and sweet but, it made me think anyway :)

Just like you

Yes, I know it's been a long time since I've blogged about anything but, please keep in mind we were on a road trip to Texas and back that took about a week!
 They said so many things that were hilarious on that trip but, of course, I forgot to write anything down!  And there's no way I could remember it.

Something that's become a little bit of a tradition for me in the past few years is making cinnamon rolls for Thanksgiving and Christmas and selling them to friends and family.  Usually it takes me a whole day to get all the orders done and, in years past my in-laws have graciously taken the girls so I could focus on baking.
This year, because of the aforementioned "vacation" I didn't plan on having that many orders and decided to save my "babysitting request" for something more important. :)

Thank God my children were all fairly well behaved because I did end up with orders for about 6 dozen rolls!  While making them I wear an apron because it is a messy process.  My kitchen, dining room and self usually end up completely covered in flour.  Today, my precious, Emma, kept saying, "Mommy, you a chef" and was calling me "Chef Mommy".  (such a cute little girl)  After one of these comments she went running to her room and returned with her apron (that she just got for her birthday) in hand and exclaimed, "Mommy, I be a maker just like you!!  I'm Emma chef!"

So adorable!  So thought provoking!  I hope that that is something she will always want to say about me.  I hope that I'm an example that she will want to follow!

Dead Fish...

Yesterday morning,  I could have sworn that we had a dead fish on our hands.  I was debating on whether or not to tell the girls that our fish was dead or just to take care of it without them realizing what was going on.  I decided to go ahead and tell them.

I explained to them that our beloved "Dory" was sick and had died.  Also, I explained to them about the burial process of a fish a.k.a. flushing them down the potty.

My very tender-hearted four year old started to get teary eyed.  It quite nearly broke my heart.  Then through tears she sweetly asked, "Now can we get a chameleon??"

It took everything I had not to burst out laughing.  How fickle children can be sometimes....crying over a dead fish and in the next second moving on to the new pet.

When I went to check again, the dead fish moved and started swimming.  I am happy to report it was a false alarm and after changing her water and some fresh food our "Dory" is very alive.  Although, we might start calling her "Lazarus" :)