7 Quick Takes–I fixed Your Heart

1. This week I decided to jot down my thoughts about life as they occurred and thus I have some quick takes to share this week.  Well done, Renee, gold star.

2. My goodness, if I had a dollar for every time some one said to me, “[chuckle] You have your hands full,” this week, I could have taken my family out for a nice meal.  I do not know what it was about this week.  I went on the usual weekly errands, but everywhere I went at least two people let me know my hands were full.  I assume this was because my kids were exceptionally cute this week.  It might be because I am constantly reminding them how to behave in public.  Calling out, “Alex, Kristiana, stay with mommy, hold hands, don’t touch, keep your hands to yourself, say hello, say sorry” does tend to draw attention to one’s hoard.  They have become pretty good at falling into line.  Kristiana is also very gregarious too.  She always talks to adults as we go about our business. “Oh hey, I’m a princess. Are you a princess? Look at my boo-boo.”

3. Saturday we had a visit with our neighbors.  They have kids the same age as Alex and Kristiana.  They do not allow their children to watch T.V. They decided before they had kids that they did not want to use T.V. as a parenting crutch.  So they removed the temptation.  They have a T.V. in their bedroom, but the kids never watch.  We were amazed that their children never watch T.V.  I get it. I really do.  I can’t say anything bad about parents who play with and read to their kids all day long...We felt a little ashamed at letting our kids watch so much T.V.  It’s not more than the recommended amount, but still.  Our kids did not get to watch T.V. for another for three days afterward.  This mainly had to do with the fact that I told Alex he could not watch T.V. unless he cleaned his room.  It took him that long to get around to it.  However, now I have guilt when they watch T.V.

4. Annie being adorable.

5.  I let Kristiana have a painting session this week.  She often asks and I usually say no.  But I decided to let the kids have a little free painting time.  I sat in the next room with my eyes on the kids as I did some shredding.  Kristiana painted a while and then became quiet and stepped out of view.  Then I heard her singing a made up song and she called me over to look.  I dropped my work and went into the kitchen.  She had finished her painting and put her hands and feet in the paint and proceeded to dance around the kitchen.  This was all very amusing until an HOUR later and I was still trying to scrub blue foot prints off my kitchen floor. Washable paint my @&$%$!  I can still see the foot prints. (Ssshhh, don’t tell my husband.)

6. One of the ladies in my mom’s group arranged a play date in the church nursery.  We took turns watching each other’s kids as we went to confession.  I thought that this was a brilliant idea.  The children got to have a little play time and we did not have to figure out how and when to go to reconciliation.  This is always a dilemma with little kids.  The usual confession times in this town are either the bewitching hour for kids or when the husbands are at work and unavailable.  Good, great, marvelous idea. I highly recommend it.

7. Over dinner Andrew and I briefly discussed a difficult moment in the past and my husband said, “That broke my heart.” After a few moments of silence Alex hugged Andrew and exclaimed,

“Daddy, I love you!” long pause, “I fixed your heart.”

Yes, it’s moments like those that melt your heart.  Andrew and I smiled at each other teary eyed.