I Must be Ancient

Things that my kids have said recently to make me feel old!

Alisia brought home an encyclopedia for the letter C. She said her teacher was giving them out. They have several sets in the class room and they haven't used them in years! She thought it was cool that she could look up anything that starts with the letter C actually in a book (opposed to online). I wonder if Aaron will ever have to use a hard copy dictionary or thesaurus or encyclopedia.

In honor of Black History Month, Caleb is learning a little about it. He asked me last night: "is it true that when you were little, black kids couldn't go to school?"
He was amazed that this used to be the case and couldn't understand why. But I had to explain to him that was before Mommy was born.

I was cleaning out some boxes (from our move last summer!) and Alisia saw this on the wall and asked "What is that for?"

We haven't had a house phone for more than 5 years so I guess she doesn't remember. And with cell phones and wireless internet she may never have to use one of these in her lifetime!

I guess my generation is so used to change and new gadgets. I love that grandma thinks it's incredible that we can Skype with my brother's family in Korea. When we show her something new, she always exclaims in disbelief "how do they do that!?"

Now and Then

It's hard to believe that this.....


....used to look like this!


aahh...just look at that green grass!

Crawling

Today Aaron is 7 months old. And he's been doing this for a little over a week now.

All in one night:


The motivation:

He Was Right

This morning I was trying to explain this day to Angel, but I really didn't do a good job because he didn't believe me.


6 More Weeks of Winter! Yikes!

But then it snowed today, so I just said ..."See...that's what the groundhog said." Even though I don't really get it either.

Faith Challenge

Our days aren't overly structured, but sometimes the thought of adding another routine, is just overwhelming. I try to have quiet time with God, but somedays if it doesn't happen, I think I usually have a pretty good reason. How sad.

Alisia came home from school with an activity for me to do. She said they did it in Bible class and it really impacted her. So she made two worksheets for us to do together.


After we completed them, we both admitted that we were overly genrous on colomn A and not quite as truthful on colomn B. Alisia said her teacher challenged them to try to increase the time you spend with God. The time we spend for ourselves shows we do have time to spend with God, we just choose to spend it otherwise.

She was so kind and gentle sharing what she had learned and just wanted to share it with me. But I felt like a tow truck just ran over me. Again, I fall short.

The time I spend with God is not only important for my own relationship with Him, but also important to other eyes watching and being an example for my children. In my shortcoming, I'm thankful to God in his mercy that He is the one who does the work in their heart.

Family of 5

Quite the challenge for a decent family pic when you have a family of 5 (or more I'm sure).
Thanks to my wonderful brother Joe.

Mommy-itis Take 2

Upload RePost:

This is the good part of him just wanting Mommy. His first word!

He's a pro at it already. When I'm at work I just keep playing it over and over. It never seems to get old.

update: He still says Ma-ma, but he no longer says it so pitiful. Thankfully he's over Mommy-itis

Can you do this?

Pictures of Hope for Haiti

Haiti.

Destruction. Pain. Sadness. Death. So many questions.

A little over a week ago, we woke up to the devastating news of Haiti's Earthquake. The pictures. The stories. The lost lives.

I got out my old photo album of a mission trip I took when I was 15 to Haiti. I can only imagine what this is like for Haitian people.

This already poor country hit even harder. The little they had, taken away from them.

We gathered around the table. I shared with the kids the memories I had when we landed. The gates of the airport were lined with herds of people waiting trying to sell you something on your way out. Memories of little children walking up to your vehicle on the street begging for money.

Angel shared memories of when he was 8 and an earthquake hit Mexico. The lasting effects of surrviving a mass destruction. His house still has damage from it to this day. They never had money to fix it.

We talked about as Christians, what should our responce be? What can we do from so far away?

Philippians 2:1-3
If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

We prayed for Haiti.

Alisia shared a friend's mother in her class has been planning on going down since November and is still planning on going in three weeks. She is a nurse and the team will be doing relief work. They will be going down to an oprhanage located about 10 miles from Port-Au-Prince.

We called right away to see what we could do to help.

The need is great.

The airlines have lifted the tight restrictions on extra baggage. Mission of Hope is requesting the following supplies:

Child or Adult Advil/ Tylenol

Child or Adult Multivitamins

Cold Medicine

Antibiotic Ointment

Antifungal Cream
Bandages and gauze all sizes

Iron Tablets
Tums
tape

We decided along with helping to collect supplies, we want to send pictures. Pictures of hope. A little something so the kids will know they're not alone. The kids started drawing right away.

And they haven't stopped. Each night, as we watch the new pictures and hear the new stories, they are drawing. Pictures of hope.

So many questions. It doesn't seem right. I was listening to Steven Curtis Chapman's new CD Beauty will Rise and the words seemed so real to me.

Slowy panic turns to pain

As we awake to what remains

And sift through the ashes

That are left behind

But buried deep beneath

All our broken dreams we have this hope

Out of these ashes

Beauty will rise

And we will dance among the ruins

We will see it with our own eyes

Out of this darkness

New light will shine

And we'll know the joy that's coming in the morning

In the morning

Beauty will rise

Unity. Faith. Joy. Opportunities. Life. New Hope.

Here are some good sites with dirrect updates in Haiti:

Mission of Hope
Compassion International

Samaritans Purse

http://livesayhaiti.blogspot.com/

If you would like to send a picture of hope or other supplies dirrectly to Haiti, please leave your contact info in the comments and I will e-mail you more info ASAP.

"Though the mountains be shaken and the hills be removed, yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken nor my covenant of peace be removed,' says the LORD, who has compassion on you."
Isaiah 54:10

Mommitis

Aaron now has two beautiful white shiney teeth on the bottom and shows them off when he smiles.



See:


He drools probably a gallon an hour!


We had a few hard days, but made it through! Lots of drool, biting, chewing, crying, late nights, and cuddling.

But now we have a bigger problem.

I can deal with all that drool, wet clothes, using more bibs, the chewing, the biting isn't so bad, nursing is going much better too. That's not it.

Angel calls it Mommitis.

I call it Mommy-itis.

He's perfectly fine in his car seat, eating in his high chair, playing with the kids, or sitting with Papi, until he sees Mommy!
Look at those poor tears!