Kids

Four Dollars
Stealing from Jesus-that's what Ethan was up to today.  He didn't want to take up his little yellow envelope with offering at church, and silly me just thought he didn't want to make the walk up front to the basket (or turn it in since it had his Good Deed for the week on it!).  He kept asking for his envelope, and wanted to hold it all through church.  Eventually his daddy took it, and put it in his pocket.  After church we got in the car, and he asked about his envelope.  We let him hold it on the way to lunch.  The next thing we knew, he was telling us he had four dollars.  We told him he had three from his grandma from Valentine's Day that he hadn't used yet.  He argued that he had four, and held up four fingers (this is one of the numbers he knows really well.)  We asked him about the fourth, and...Lo and Behold.  That child had torn the envelope open, and was counting it as his own.  Oh.  My.  Gosh.

Where did he learn this-keeping the envelope to claim it as his?  We had the whole conversation-who he'd stolen the money from, how our church couldn't use the money to help anyone now, and how he did indeed only have three dollars.

Angry Eyes
Towards the end of dinner tonight (after the perennial fight over the dislike of the prepared food), Ethan told Ches in no uncertain terms that he was not going to eat any more.  To which he heard that it would be his bedtime snack.  So Ethan replies, "I'm going to get out my Angry Eyes!" (Mr. Potato Head in Toy Story)  We all tried to hide our giggling, but he's just too funny sometimes, and it's always when we want to take a stand.  But, by golly it's hard when you are laughing!

The Hill
I think Clay sensed that I needed some play time.  We'd had our moments today-he'd been crabby, and I'd been crabby back.  He invited me outside to play ball.  (I told him I wouldn't play Turtle-a goofy game we played yesterday that I lost at-and we all kept bumping heads-it's not fun!)  Anyway, we played soccer for a long time (me chasing down the ball), then he asked if I wanted to see how he can take a really long wagon ride down our hill.  Of course, I've seen the wagon rides, but I said sure-we'd had a good game, and I needed a break from the chasing!

We pulled out the wagon from the garage, and he hauled it halfway up our street.  He got on, used the tongue to steer, and rode in a huge circle around the edges of our cul-de-sac (it goes downhill), and came to a slow stop as he bumped up the side onto the grass.  Then he asked me to join him, and I very nearly said no-he almost tipped over!  We rode a-l-l the way around, with me leaning severely to the inside, and as we jumped the curb, I felt a Calvin moment coming on!

We landed upright (probably due to the weight!) and slowed.  I have to say, after we didn't crash-it was pretty fun.

Next, we rode down across the front yard, steering down the sidewalk, and down along our back fence line.  I was actually scared we were going to run into trees (cause that's how Clay rolls!), but we just wiggled through them and went faster!  It was a good scare-the kind that you are willing to risk an injury for-just what I needed to heal my spirit damaged by begrudging Jesus and Angry Eyes!

Kids. They are sometimes disappointing, sometimes hilarious, and always full of good ideas.

Oh yeah-don't forget to register for the personalized tabbed journal!  Let's see..you could also use it to record hilarious things your kids say, write down expenses for your taxes, record your child's blood sugar readings, or write a business plan for that great idea God's planting! : )  Leave a comment with your name!