Nomenclature

Lucy came charging into my bathroom yesterday morning.  She exclaimed, "Baaa, baaa!" (bath).  She began trying to tear off her jammies.  It was mommy's shower time, but Lucy was so excited, so I could be persuaded to take a bath instead.  We hopped in the bath.  After a few moments, Lucy began pointing at body parts and muttering toddler-ese.  I pointed too and said names (well, euphemisms).  

I said, "Arm."  

She said, "Awm."

I said, "Belly."

She said, "Beb-yee."

I said, "Boobie."

She said, "Bebbies."

I said, "Daisy." (Euphemism for private parts.  We don't need to point.  She knows what that is.)

She said, "Day-dee." 

Then she said, "Yay!" and then she repeated the new names over and over, followed by, "Yay!"

I just wanted to remember a sweet moment when Lucy learned new words very quickly and they actually sounded like the words she attempted. 

(The girls and I were practicing the lift from that eighties dance movie.  They have no idea about the movie or the lift, but they were overjoyed to be lifted high in the air.)

 

Extra-Curricular Activities

The kids pick up animal excrement in the backyard to earn extra privileges.  I looked out my bedroom window while they were doing the activity to see the kids walking around the yard giggling and helping each other.  I had to snap a picture out  my window.  But I wish I had snapped the giggles.

My Favorite Snack is Bubbles

Look at these chubby legs.  They are so cute.  They look edible.  Those itty-bitty button toes perched at the edge of the chair are so endearing.

Lately, Lucy has been pulling chairs up to the counters to do whatever she wills.  She is not destructive like Annie, but she is starting to get into everything.  She helps herself to snacks and water a lot lately.  

She pulled up this chair to play in a sink full of soapy bubbly water.  Now every time I wash dishes in the sink, she is right there in a minute with her chair "helping."  She eats the bubbles and drinks the water--actions that make a grown-up's skin crawl.

But, look at the joy on this kid's face.  That is priceless.

Finding Fault and Forgiveness

"for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” (Lk. 18:14)

No one is without faults.  "Lord be merciful to me a sinner."

"`Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you; I am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, `Bring quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and make merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found.'" (Lk. 11:15-32)

I think these passages and icons speak for themselves.  However, I will add, and forgive me if this gets cryptic because am a tad tired and burdened, finding fault and seeking forgiveness is not the end of the story.  The next step is correcting the fault.  Sometimes that correction is long and painful.  If the fault is not corrected, the same problems will occur over and over.  The same fault will plague a person unto death.  

Even more so, the solution, the correction to problems are not always clear and or easily attained.  I have often heard people say you have to be consistent, because to really correct a deep problem is about correcting bad habits.  Habits are difficult to break.  At first, one tries to be diligent, but the bad habit nags and nags until one fails again.  But, then again with consistency that bad habit will fall away or the person will breakdown and go back to old ways.

I imagine that every once and a while the Prodigal son longed to carouse with friends again.  Then he remembered how painful it was at rock bottom and thought better.  I hope that he indebted himself to his father and worked away quietly and dutifully for the rest of his days.

Mno hya lita! 

Pioneers Don't Cry

I still hear my mother's voice telling me not to cry over spilled milk.  I was seven or eight years old and spilled nearly a half gallon.  But would it be all right if I cry over spilled Sugar plum body wash on the carpet?  Because, I did.  I shed a tear or two, when I discovered our handful of a three year old had dumped an entire bottle of body wash on the carpet.  My word, if ever I turn away from her this the kind of thing she does.  I was making dinner at the time and I really should have insisted she help me.  But, I had thought her brother and sister were playing with her and I did not want to disturb good play.  She must have slipped away from them.   There's not really a good solution to lots of soap in the carpet.  You just sort of have to hope to do your best the get it out.

I thought a nice painting activity would get the messiness out of a three year old, but I am pretty sure it only turned on the messy switch.  Annie is not anything like Alex at this age, who patiently made a beautiful icon with me...last Thursday it was a lot of toothpaste on the carpet, Friday she dumped a spice jar of cinnamon sugar spice on the carpet after breakfast (discovered my vacuum was kaput), and the day after soap was blueberry yogurt.

We have just finished the 4th book in the Laura Ingalls Wilder Little house series.  We are already reading the next volume.  Each time we read one of the Little House books I am astonished at their grit.  I wish I had grit like that.  The trials Pa endured losing homes and crops and so forth are just a astounding and he did it all with a smile on his face and a song in his heart.
Here I am fretting and crying over finances, medical bills, home school and soap in the carpet and they did not cry over anything.  I do not think this is a bad thing.  It's okay to have emotion and feel it within, but having crying fits exacerbates the situation and is not necessarily fruitful.  It can certainly waste a lot of time and energy.  I think there is a certain amount of fortitude and humility in repressing excessive displays of emotion.
I am not preaching all this as though I am a model of this skill.  I am simply saying there is something to admire in the ability to take life's hardships and carry on with dignity and spirit.
There are also a lot Biblical passages about carrying on with a cheerful heart:

 A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit. Proverbs 15:12-14

 All the days of the oppressed are wretched, but the cheerful heart has a continual feast. Proverbs 15:14-16

Mno hya lita!

Feasting on Icons

We are back at it for the moment.  The project went all right.  By all right I mean the disaster was contained to the kitchen.  No paint was splattered on the carpet.  The kids thoroughly enjoyed the experience.  So perhaps I will find time again next week to draw and allow the kids to write icons.

The Feast of the Presentation

Sunday of Zaccheus

This one was intended for Annie to paint.  I made it simpler. 

I definitely wanted Annie to have her own icon, because this is how it ended up.  She's a free spirit. 

The children were most interested in the story behind the Zaccheus Icon, because clearly a man is in a tree and that is interesting.  I was most interested in it as well, because of the meaning for myself--that one must ascend the tree away from materials things in order to see Christ.  Then to be forgiven and achieve the kingdom one must repent and fully release material possession.

Rain Delay Morning

It was a bit rainy this morning.  I was not up for much in particular.  But, I promised my 3 year old a "Rainbow Dash My Little Pony"  for finally having lots of consecutive days of dry panties. We made a trip to two local grocery store and they had no ponies.  So we finally ended up at Toys R Us.  After making the selection, we wondered around and tried out all the electric tot cars.  The kids had a pretty good time.   I was pleased because it amused them so much trying out each car.