What's David been up to?

I took the kids to downtown Holland last week to see the street performers. David was enthralled with the "treeman" (a guy walking on stilts dressed like a tree). Right when he saw him, he said to me "not scared Mom" which surprised me because David can get pretty spooked out with unusual things (lest we forget his panic attack on our church retreat when he saw 2 people dressed up as moose hunters).

He's also been enamored with his recent trips to the Aquatic Center where he likes to "step on the sprinklers" on the playset.

And, he loved going to Centennial Park and hearing the outdoor music concert.

I love hearing him recount these events. Sometimes it takes him about 5 or 6 tries. "And I went...And I went...And I went...And I went DOWNTOWN"

Back seat jam session

On our way home from the beach the other night, Claire started singing one of her made up songs.

It went something like:

"And if you don't share your toys with your brother than God isn't happy and you will have to go on time out and God wants you to do good things even when your brother is crying"

Let's talk about....God

Claire and I have been trying to have tea time at 3pm on most afternoons. We've established some rituals together, one of which is that we select a topic to talk about as we sip our tea and eat our special treat. I've chosen topics like animals, vacation, birthdays in the past.

Last week Claire wanted to pick the topic. "Let's talk about....(big pause)...God".

She then proceeded to tell me her latest theological musings about God (per her recent VBS teachings I'm assuming).

Me: What should we say about God?
Claire: God loves us and kisses us and hugs us.
Me: How does he do that?
Claire: Mom - do you really not know or are you pretending?
Me: Um...

I'm still trying to figure out how Claire imagines God (who she actually still thinks dresses up as Santa Claus) gives her hugs and kisses.

Tone of voice...

Sometimes I wonder if what I say to the kids ever gets through to them.

One thing I've been working on with Claire is the tone of her voice when she asks for something, or expresses discontent (complains). I've been telling her that some of the ways she says things isn't respectful to me or to others. And, I wasn't sure if she was actually getting it.

Last night, in a moment of frustration (I was decoupaging pictures on a stool for my niece Tianna and getting glue everywhere), I told the kids to "back off and give me some space". Yup. I really said that.

Claire immediately retorted: "If you use that tone of voice again, I will not give you the picture."

A whole new world (s)

Yesterday I took Claire's sheets off her bed to wash them.

As I was doing so, I discovered, or perhaps better put, unearthed, dozens of carefully organized stacks, piles, groups, and line-ups of toys, hair accessories, dolls, stuffed animals, and special treasures.

I just finished reading a book about an anthropologist so "fieldwork" and learning about new civilizations was on my mind. I couldn't help but be amazed at this little world that Claire had created for herself up in her top bunk.

It was so carefully designed. It was so intentionally placed.

It was so Jon :)

Ball-ball goes bed-bed

Out of the blue, Claire started referring to a small bouncy ball as her "ball ball", a ball baby that needs her as a mother. On our evening stroll through the neighborhood the other night, she cradled Ball-ball, took her/him down the slide at the park, and then washed and put the little darling to bed with her.
David, of course, did the same with his own ball.

Jacob update

The kid has 4 teeth and puts himself in the crawling position.

And, he's 6 months old already.

Where did the time go?

Santa and Jesus

Today when we were reading our chapter in On the Banks of Plum Creek (3rd Little House in the Prairie series), Claire and I had a little discussion about Santa being real or not.

"Santa's not real, he's really Jesus" was her conclusion on the matter. Then, when pressed, she changed her story a little. "Santa has Jesus in his heart."