November 30, 2010
November 29, 2010
And because it makes me laugh......even if no one else does
Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!
November 28, 2010
If My Kids Had Kids.....
While having one of our many family discussions, which are really chances for me and Will to peek into the minds of our children for a good laugh (embarrassing our children is just one more service we offer), we began discussing what our boys would name their baby if they had one.
Silas Says he would pick Noah or Mary for names (although his first choice was Harry Potter, especially if he could spell the P in Potter with a lightening bolt--yeah lightening is pretty awesome I guess, he even gave us a picture to prove his point!). Which I must admit aren't that bad, his reasoning is that Noah is a God name and Mary is simply pretty. ;)
Kace says that he would name a girl Snowflake. Why Snowflake, you ask? Well we aren't quite certain, but suffice to say that Kace is an original. A boy would be named Hansel, you can imagine what fairy tale we have read he is a little preoccupied with.
Gresham said he would name a girl Petra, but when I told him we already have a Petra he was a little down cast, but he decided that Pooie would be acceptable. The family at this point became rather preoccupied with nicknames for said Pooie and one can imagine how quickly this conversation got out of hand. I often wonder how I ended up in man-land with only one princess to sustain my cause against grossness (is that a word?)!
I hope you get a smile from our children's attempts to name the babies they will have when they grow up. I know I did, and I will enjoy it much more when they are older and I remind them that their first born should be named Snowflake. Oh, how I will laugh!!!
Silas Says he would pick Noah or Mary for names (although his first choice was Harry Potter, especially if he could spell the P in Potter with a lightening bolt--yeah lightening is pretty awesome I guess, he even gave us a picture to prove his point!). Which I must admit aren't that bad, his reasoning is that Noah is a God name and Mary is simply pretty. ;)
Kace says that he would name a girl Snowflake. Why Snowflake, you ask? Well we aren't quite certain, but suffice to say that Kace is an original. A boy would be named Hansel, you can imagine what fairy tale we have read he is a little preoccupied with.
Gresham said he would name a girl Petra, but when I told him we already have a Petra he was a little down cast, but he decided that Pooie would be acceptable. The family at this point became rather preoccupied with nicknames for said Pooie and one can imagine how quickly this conversation got out of hand. I often wonder how I ended up in man-land with only one princess to sustain my cause against grossness (is that a word?)!
I hope you get a smile from our children's attempts to name the babies they will have when they grow up. I know I did, and I will enjoy it much more when they are older and I remind them that their first born should be named Snowflake. Oh, how I will laugh!!!
November 21, 2010
DoDio
I am often asked to describe the personalities of my children. I have frequently thought over who they are, even at such a young age, and figured that maybe it would be fun for them, when they grow up, to read the description that I have given to more than one individual. So although this is open for all to enjoy, this is for the treasures that I am currently borrowing.
Our number two is fondly refered to as dodio (per his request). He is the most boy of the three! He is our early riser, the one up before the sun, who admits to hating sleep, and wishes never to miss a single thing (even when there is nothing to miss!). This boy is more organized than our eldest, but also less sentimental. He colors in the lines and remembers things in a very straight forward way, there are rarely any gray areas with this fella.
This boy is the biggest paradox for us; on the one hand he is the hardest worker in the family and on the other he is the most independant. He loves to do "jobs" in the house. He will fold laundry, organize his dresser drawers, vacuum, or any number of activites that are helpful. He works the hardest and gives the most effort and consideration to his actions. He is very deliberate in anything he does. He doesn't do anything withour thinking it through first, that doesn't necessarily mean he rationally deliberates over every decision, just that he thinks about it first. This means that when he gets up at 5am he is intentional about waking everyone in the house up so that "no on will miss anything"!
He is very serious. We joke often about him being a law-giver, but it is true that he wants everyone to tow the line in what he sees as right or wrong. This is also a great weakness for him as it is impossible for him to live up to his own expectations (I wonder who he gets this from--certainly not me!). He wants to make certain everything goes the way it should go, but this often makes it hard for him to see the laughter in many situations. It also makes him the most guilible. One night when Will worked the graveyard shift Dodio went into bed with him. After Dodio had fallen asleep Will got up to shave and ended up getting rid of his goatee. That morning after Dodio got up and Will came home Kace looked at his daddy in shocked amazement. "where is your goatee, daddy?" "Don't you remember, dodio? You ate it off my chin last night!" "WHAT?!" "You don't remember?" "NO! I DIDN'T, DID I??!!" And even today, he believes that he ate his daddy's beard off in the middle of the night!
He is the most unintentionally funny of all the kids! This kiddo is a mess! He is the most accident prone--remember the broken arm? He doesn't do anything half way! He is the silliest, because he doesn't even notice that he is being silly. He is unlike our oldest in that he understand social mores already, as Big Man could care less what is socially expected of him. I would never have believed that a kid could understand how people know how to work the system, but this kiddo does.
We enjoy just watching this fella! There is rarely a dull moment with him around, even his brothers and sisters get enjoyment from him being who he is naturally. All Boy, Like I said! I know that someday when he believes the Gospel totally and uniquivically this brave little worker will be a true herald of the truth and we are currently trying to tame the beast, so to say! :) And try and mold a little mercy in with the law that he so readily reverts to.
November 20, 2010
O, Lord,
Thou knowest my great unfitness for service,
my present deadness,
my inability to do anything for they glory,
my distressing coldness of heart.
I am weak, ignorant, unprofitable,
and loath and abhor myself.
I am at a loss to know what thou wouldest have me do,
for I feel amazingly deserted by thee,
and sense they presence so littler;
Thou makest me posses the sins of my youth,
and the dreadful sin of my nature,
so that I feel all sin,
I cannot think or act but every motion is sin.
Return again with showers of converting grace
to a poor gospel-abusing sinner.
Help my sould to breathe after holiness,
after a constant devotedness to thee,
after growth in grace more abundantly every day.
O, Lors, I am lost in the pursuit of this blessedness,
and am ready to sink because I fall short of my desire;
Help me to hold out a little longer,
until the happy hour of deliverance comes,
for I cannot lift my soul to thee
if thou of thy goodness bring me not nigh.
Help me to be diffident, watchful, tender,
lest I offend my blessed friend
in thought and behaviour;
I confide in thee and lean upon thee,
and need thee at all times to assist and lead me.
O that all my distresses and aprehensions
might prove but Christ's school
to make me fit for greater service
by teaching me the great lesson of humility.
valley of vision, 99
Thou knowest my great unfitness for service,
my present deadness,
my inability to do anything for they glory,
my distressing coldness of heart.
I am weak, ignorant, unprofitable,
and loath and abhor myself.
I am at a loss to know what thou wouldest have me do,
for I feel amazingly deserted by thee,
and sense they presence so littler;
Thou makest me posses the sins of my youth,
and the dreadful sin of my nature,
so that I feel all sin,
I cannot think or act but every motion is sin.
Return again with showers of converting grace
to a poor gospel-abusing sinner.
Help my sould to breathe after holiness,
after a constant devotedness to thee,
after growth in grace more abundantly every day.
O, Lors, I am lost in the pursuit of this blessedness,
and am ready to sink because I fall short of my desire;
Help me to hold out a little longer,
until the happy hour of deliverance comes,
for I cannot lift my soul to thee
if thou of thy goodness bring me not nigh.
Help me to be diffident, watchful, tender,
lest I offend my blessed friend
in thought and behaviour;
I confide in thee and lean upon thee,
and need thee at all times to assist and lead me.
O that all my distresses and aprehensions
might prove but Christ's school
to make me fit for greater service
by teaching me the great lesson of humility.
valley of vision, 99
November 11, 2010
Who He is Should Change Who You are!
Everything depends on whether one thinks that Jesus Christ is the idealistic founder of a religion or the very son of God. Nothing less than the life and death of the human being hangs in the balance. If he was the idealistic founder of a religion, then I can be inspired by his accoplishments and motivated to imitate his zeal, but my sin is not forgiven. In this instance God is still very angry with me, and I am under the power of death. Jesus' work leads me in this case to total despair.
If however, the work of Christ is the work of God, then I am not summoned to act like God or imitate God zealously, but instead I am convicted by this work as one who in no way can do it by myself. Rather I have found all at once the gracious God through this Jesus Christ, in this knowledge and in this work. My sin has been forgiven. I am not dead but alive. It depends therefore on the person of Christ, whether his work is understood as passing away according to the old world of death or whether it is eternal according to a new world of life.
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Who is Christ For Us?
If however, the work of Christ is the work of God, then I am not summoned to act like God or imitate God zealously, but instead I am convicted by this work as one who in no way can do it by myself. Rather I have found all at once the gracious God through this Jesus Christ, in this knowledge and in this work. My sin has been forgiven. I am not dead but alive. It depends therefore on the person of Christ, whether his work is understood as passing away according to the old world of death or whether it is eternal according to a new world of life.
-Dietrich Bonhoeffer, Who is Christ For Us?
November 09, 2010
Things I Shouldn't Love...But Do
I think that some of the things I love are either odd or I just shouldn't LOVE them, but somehow I just cannot stop myself from doing it.
- a Monte Cristo- So we all know that this is a huge ham and turkey with cheese sandwich soaked in batter and then deep fried and served with this crazy sweet raspberry dipping sauce--something I should absolutely abhor....but alas, I love these sinkin' sandwiches, luckily it's hard to find a place that has them!
- GiGi--One of my favorite movies (I have even read the book) of all time is a musical (this is probably the point where you start whispering to yourself that I was already going wrong at the word musical) about a young lady whose family are courtesans and they are training her to become one. She gains the attention of the a well known bachelor of the day who pursues her as his "lady love." It all turns out in the end and they get married instead--but for obvious reasons a movie I shouldn't love...but I DO!
- My son's video games- Okay so you know my very embarrassing little activity...I don't do it very often. But yes I have played, okay more than played, my sons video games and liked it A LOT. I don't pretend to play anything over a 10yo rating, but I enjoy running after things collecting stuff and button jamming. My talents do not exceed that level, but that's okay with me, the old games are too hard for me :), LAME--I know!!
- Whiney Music- while listening to my personal playlist the other day I suddenly realized that most of the music I like is kinda whiney. I mentioned this to the hubs and he was like "duh!" I was feeling pretty sheepish about liking whiney music, but I have to admit that I really DO!
- I cannot think of a book I like that I totally shouldn't--I think I have yet to meet that elusive book that pleases this frightening alter ego, but never fear I am certain that book is just waiting to be read by me.
November 07, 2010
Numero Uno
I am often asked to describe the personalities of my children. I have often thought over who they are, even at such a young age, and figured that maybe it would be fun for them, when they grow up, to read the description that I have given to more than one individual. So although this is open for all to enjoy, this is for the treasures that I am currently borrowing.
When I think on the character of my son I see so much of the baby I knew. Many people don't agree that children are who they are from the very beginning, but I find that especially this little person is the same since that day over six years ago when I first met him.
He is a very sensitive individual and when I say sensitive I mean aware of others who are in need or upset. He is not sensitive to others actions towards him as much as I would like and often commits himself whole-heartedly only to be roughly rebuffed. We have often noted his singular ability to focus his attention on the people who need a soft word or a gentle touch. I have frequently been with him in a convience store, an ice cream shop or some such place and hoped (yes I still struggle with selfishness)for him not to talk to a certain person, but he usually does. Frequently reminding me how much we need to go to sick not the healthy. I remember a specific time we ran into a woman who had clearly been undergoing chemo treatments and out of the blue he walked up to her and said "You are SOO beautiful!" I was shocked to see her depressed face look instantly years younger. I remember often how we prayed that Silas would have a heart for people. We have often joked about the possiblity of him being taken advantage of, but this trait is a blessing and we feel it often.
He is very active and has a hard time with attention. This boys stamina brings my own to shame. He is tenacious to a degree one is glad to see so long as they are not the one attempting to contain that tenacity. He also has great fun in making others laugh. He likes to play jokes, much in the way his father plays jokes. Both of them have a hard time making jokes that are intended for everyones entertainment and not just their own, but it is this jokester attitude that always understands our sarcastic or outlandish statements to our children. He never believes me when I tell them I will tie them to the luggage rack by their toes.
He loves art. This little boys fancies himself a bonafide artist and I actually believe that he will one day make that a reality since he just assumes it to be the truth today. I actually have to limit his time in "creating" things. He draws, paints, and makes collages. All very colorful, but never in the lines--not at all like his mom--I might add. Will says he will be a modern artist. Right now his obsession is monsters and aliens.
This little boy struggles with ease and comfort and loves movies and video game. Which is why he rarely gets to play with these items. He has a hard time buckling down to things like math, when it is more focus work--while he loves reading, history and science because they are not so much sit still and work through it systematically. He is good at math though even when he wishes to deny it.
He is definately more aware of his responsibly as the eldest brother more than his other siblings are aware of their own responsibility to their younger brother or sister. That may be our pressure on him, but I also think he likes the role of eldest brother.
But this boy, Numero Uno (as we call him since he understand when we spell his name outloud now--it's his code name), is my first baby. The first to scare our parental hearts with a life threatening disease, the first to read, the first to say "I love you momma!", the first to teach me what parenting really looks like and I would never have chosen another person to grow through this experience with, as he is a joy to watch and guide and even hear tell me, "Even when you yell at me momma, I still love you." Humility is freely dispersed in my relationship with this little boy.
He is a very sensitive individual and when I say sensitive I mean aware of others who are in need or upset. He is not sensitive to others actions towards him as much as I would like and often commits himself whole-heartedly only to be roughly rebuffed. We have often noted his singular ability to focus his attention on the people who need a soft word or a gentle touch. I have frequently been with him in a convience store, an ice cream shop or some such place and hoped (yes I still struggle with selfishness)for him not to talk to a certain person, but he usually does. Frequently reminding me how much we need to go to sick not the healthy. I remember a specific time we ran into a woman who had clearly been undergoing chemo treatments and out of the blue he walked up to her and said "You are SOO beautiful!" I was shocked to see her depressed face look instantly years younger. I remember often how we prayed that Silas would have a heart for people. We have often joked about the possiblity of him being taken advantage of, but this trait is a blessing and we feel it often.
He is very active and has a hard time with attention. This boys stamina brings my own to shame. He is tenacious to a degree one is glad to see so long as they are not the one attempting to contain that tenacity. He also has great fun in making others laugh. He likes to play jokes, much in the way his father plays jokes. Both of them have a hard time making jokes that are intended for everyones entertainment and not just their own, but it is this jokester attitude that always understands our sarcastic or outlandish statements to our children. He never believes me when I tell them I will tie them to the luggage rack by their toes.
He loves art. This little boys fancies himself a bonafide artist and I actually believe that he will one day make that a reality since he just assumes it to be the truth today. I actually have to limit his time in "creating" things. He draws, paints, and makes collages. All very colorful, but never in the lines--not at all like his mom--I might add. Will says he will be a modern artist. Right now his obsession is monsters and aliens.
This little boy struggles with ease and comfort and loves movies and video game. Which is why he rarely gets to play with these items. He has a hard time buckling down to things like math, when it is more focus work--while he loves reading, history and science because they are not so much sit still and work through it systematically. He is good at math though even when he wishes to deny it.
He is definately more aware of his responsibly as the eldest brother more than his other siblings are aware of their own responsibility to their younger brother or sister. That may be our pressure on him, but I also think he likes the role of eldest brother.
But this boy, Numero Uno (as we call him since he understand when we spell his name outloud now--it's his code name), is my first baby. The first to scare our parental hearts with a life threatening disease, the first to read, the first to say "I love you momma!", the first to teach me what parenting really looks like and I would never have chosen another person to grow through this experience with, as he is a joy to watch and guide and even hear tell me, "Even when you yell at me momma, I still love you." Humility is freely dispersed in my relationship with this little boy.
November 02, 2010
November Reading Update
Larissa's bookshelf: read-2010-11
This was a cute and quick read for me and the kids. My six-year-old LOVED it! He wanted to have a pet penguin and keep it in the fridge. I obviously was not of the same opinion. Definately a great books for boys, especially boys who are cra...
I found these books to be nonsense. But it is honest about it, not claiming to be anything but that. I thought a quote near the end of "Through the Looking glass" an apt description of the book: "Alice sighed and gave it up '...
Just a bit to much for my taste. I liked the first couple of chapters, but I had to end it half way through, just couldn't continue. Maybe less description would have helped this novel out a lot.
We all loved this book. Gooney Bird is very funny in a serious way and this is a very good read aloud book! The characters are very real and believable. Learning can be fun. My son wanted to read the next one right away, maybe we will. Grea...
Like many of the other reviewers, I am certain that a second reading would reveal much more of this story to me. Many times throughtout the reading I wished I could just jump into MacDonalds mind and find the key to much that I am sure is a...
I just love Homer Price! I loved it as a child and now as an adult the Edible Fungus song and centenial is simply hysterical! I am amazed at the laughter this book illicits. Although my six year old missed much of what was funny in this lit...
Truly enjoyed the dialogue between all the characters, but more because it was simply ridiculous and unbelievable, although I am certain that Shaw was most likely writing with all seriousness. I didn't however enjoy the long and boring expl...
November 01, 2010
I perceive your case in this world smelleth of a fellowship and communion with the Son of God in His sufferings. Ye cannot, ye must not, have a more pleasant or more easy condition here, than He had, who "through afflictions was made perfect" (Heb2:10). We may indeed think, Cannot God bring us to heaven with ease and prosperity? Who doubteth but He can? But His infinite wisdom thinketh and decreeth the contrary; and we cannot see a reason of it, yet He hath a most just reason. We never with our eyes saw our own soul; yet we have a soul. We see many rivers, but we know not their first spring and original fountain; yet they have a beginning. Madam, when ye are come to the other side of the water, and have set down your foot on the shore of glorious eternity, and look back again to the waters and to your wearisome journey, and shall see, in that clear glass of endless glory, nearer the bottom of God's wisdom, ye shall be forced to say, "If God had done otherwise with me than He hath done, I had never come to the enjoying of this crown of glory." It is your part now to believe, and suffer, and hope, and wait on; for I protest, in the presence of that all discerning eye, who knoweth what I write and what I think, that I would not want the sweet experience of the consolations of God but for all the bitterness of affliction. Nay, whether God come to His children with a rod or a crown, if He come himself with it, it is well. Welcome, welcome, Jesus, what way soever Thou come, if we can get a sight of Thee! And sure am I, it is better to be sick, providing Christ come to the bedside and draw by the curtains, and say, "Courage I am Thy salvation," than to enjoy health, being lusty and strong, and never to be visited of God.
-Samuel Rutherford, From His Letters.
-Samuel Rutherford, From His Letters.
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