Earning Our Turkey

Isaac and I had both planned to run on Thanksgiving morning. We had watched a Biggest Loser special on TV the night before and felt pretty inspired. I was thinking I'd go for my longest run in a couple of months and maybe do five miles (I haven't been running as much lately).

Isaac went for his run first. After about half an hour, the girls and I started watching out the window so we could cheer him home. And watching. And watching. After more than an hour, he stuck his head in the door and panted, "I've just finished 10 miles. I'm going to do 3 more and make it a half-marathon. Didn't want you to worry." Then he was gone. Sure enough, the crazy boy ran a full 13.1 miles and completed his first ever half-marathon around the neighborhood! It took him 1 hour 48 minutes.

Well, I couldn't be outdone after that. I wasn't up for a full half-marathon, but I pushed myself and did 8 miles, tying for my second-longest run ever. (Of course, it took me 1 hour and 18 minutes, but I run a lot slower than Isaac does!) The last two miles were killer, but boy, did I feel proud.

I was going to take a picture when I got home, but I was too busy lying flat on my back on the floor!

We showered and sauntered in to Isaac's aunt and uncle's house that afternoon, feeling like we'd really earned our turkey!

Being Thankful!

On Tuesday, I took Amelie for a walk around our neighborhood. As I pushed her stroller, I listed aloud all the things I was thankful for: our home, family, friends, Aldi's (so we can afford fresh fruits and vegetables!), two cars that work, and so on. The list is endless.

After a few blocks, we saw a doggy. A big doggy. It was the kind that was tall and all muscle (a boxer, maybe?). I thanked God for the doggy and continued on. The dog bounded out of the yard it had been standing in and ran toward us. It had no leash and no collar.

Many of you know I am not comfortable around animals. My grandma was scared of dogs, my mother was scared of dogs, and I guess I just inherited it. So my heart started pounding like crazy.

Amelie was in a tiny little umbrella stroller, right down close to the ground. The dog ran around us a few times and started smelling us, burying his nose in my little baby's legs. I was scared to lift Amelie out of the stroller in case he decided she was something to play with, so I kept walking. We crossed the street, hoping he'd stay behind. Nope. I looked around frantically for someone to save me: a postman, someone doing yard work, anyone. Nope.

But praise God, it was a nice doggy! I never grew comfortable with him, but he walked with us all the way home and never even barked. I even managed to shut ourselves back in the house without letting him in. I am so thankful to God for His daily protection!

By the way, Amelie loved it. After we were inside, she kept running to the door and saying "Doggy!"

Pictures from This Week

Amelie "helped" Isaac carry up Christmas boxes from the basement. I think she had more fun than he did!
I left our photo frames on the walls this year and filled them with family pictures from past Christmases. We love looking back over the years. This is our first Christmas without the piano, and while playing holiday music was one of my favorite parts of the season, our house sure looks good without it!

After we set up all the decorations, we settled down for a special family meal on Christmas china. Elizabeth got to pick her favorite candles for the table. She was so excited about the meal. The day before, she told my parents that we were having a "Chinese" meal (because we would use our china!). We thought we set her straight, but when she was setting the table, she asked for chopsticks!

This doesn't have to do with decorating, but it's Amelie's new favorite seat in the house.

When Was That?

We set up Christmas decorations today. I couldn't help it. We (the girls and I) had a great time. Isaac watched football and hauled boxes.

As Elizabeth and I sorted ornaments, I showed her one that said "1981: Baby's First Christmas" and asked her what she thought happened in 1981.

Confidently, she replied, "Baby Jesus was born!"

Aren't Grandmas Great?

How Much Is Too Much?

We are entering a new world of kindergarten playdates. They are different from all our previous playdates, in which I have been good friends with the parents. I recognize that I need to give up some control (my friend Heather and I always share exactly what the kids ate at our houses, right down to how many strawberries!) but I don't know much is too much.

• Media: Most other families watch TV, and many of them keep it on in the background. Elizabeth never has watched it (other than football with her daddy!), and has only limited exposure to videos. Can I ask that they not watch TV? If so, should I ask Elizabeth or the other parent? What about computer games? I'm fine with the PBS Kids type of games, but can I assume that parents would supervise what their kid is teaching mine on the internet or do we need to talk about that?
• Food: It kills me, but I'm letting this one go. At least on playdates at someone else's house!
• Bossiness: Elizabeth can be very bossy with her friends. While we are working on this while alone, do I step in during the playdate or allow the friend to get bossed around?
• Sleepovers: Yes, this has already come up! How do you get to know a family well enough to let your kid sleep over at their house?
• Guns in the house: Every parenting magazine warns that you should talk about this with the other parent. Really? Do I have to?
• Random males: This actually terrifies me. Knowing the statistics of abuse and friends' fathers and older brothers and uncles and all that, I just don't like to think of Elizabeth around other males that I don't personally know and trust! (Don't worry. I won't ask parents if they think someone in their house will molest my daughter.)

I don't want to be overprotective, but I want to carefully guard Elizabeth from things she's not ready to handle. Any thoughts? It seems that prayer and listening to the Holy Spirit's promptings are the best guard, but do you have any practicalities for me?

Pen and Pencil Challenge!

I cleaned out the diaper bag the other day (okay, Amelie emptied the diaper bag onto the floor!) and found 5 pens and 4 pencils.

Can you beat that? Purses count, but I'm not sure of the legality of briefcases!

Climbers

Amelie climbs everything.

I wonder where she learns it!

October Fun

Wow. I haven't uploaded pictures in a long time! Way back in October, we had a great time making jack o'lanterns. We stripped Amers, stuck her on the table, and let her go at it.

It was all well and good until Amelie got her first taste of raw pumpkin and wanted more!

Sorry, Honey

Isaac's little brother Nathaniel is officially taller than he is. Feel free to give Isaac your sympathy at becoming the shortest male in his family.

High Compliments - and Pride Problems

Elizabeth is really getting into complimenting lately, which is great. Yesterday, she said to me, "You're the best mommy in the whole wide world!"

Pleased, I replied, "Thank you. You're the best kindergartner in the whole wide world!"

Then she took it a step further. "Yeah. We're the best people in the whole wide world!"

Wait a minute! I don't think this is where complimenting each other is supposed to end up!

Marriage Prospects

From a conversation as we got ready for bed tonight:

Elizabeth: "I've almost grown out of these footie pajamas. One more year and they'll be too small. Do they make footie pajamas for grown-ups?"

Me: "Yes."

Elizabeth: "Good. I'm going to wear footie pajamas when I'm a grown-up, then."

Me: "When will you be a grown-up?"

Elizabeth: "When I get married." [said in a tone that implied "duh!"]

Me: "How old will you be when you get married?"

Elizabeth: "Maybe 25."

Me: "That's a good age. Do you know who you'll marry?"

Elizabeth: "Probably Jordan." [her 8-year-old cousin]

Me: "Why Jordan?"

Elizabeth, very seriously: "Because he's the best man I know."

Sharing the Bible with Kids

I want Elizabeth to be excited about reading the Bible. I want her to look forward to that time. I want her to apply its truths to her life. I want her to go deeper than looking at it as simply "Bible stories." But I struggle with knowing what she can handle.

I highly recommend the Jesus Storybook Bible as a children's Bible. If you haven't already checked it out, you really should. It does the best job I have ever seen of making God the hero of every story and connecting each story to the next in context of God's plan to rescue us from sin. We've read it cover to cover multiple times, and Elizabeth loves it.

But like any children's Bible, it leaves out a lot. The Bible is deep. Scholars can study it all day every day for all their lives and they'll keep discovering new things about God and His love for His people. But God says that "all Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness" (II Timothy 3:16) and that His Word is living and active (Hebrews 4:12). God's Words are powerful and I want Elizabeth to get to know the real thing!

So in that sense, we've occasionally read "Mommy and Daddy's Bible" to Elizabeth. We've read the four Gospels and Acts, but now I'm starting Genesis with her. There is some really complicated, messed-up stuff in the Bible! There's some amazing stuff that I'm glad we're able to talk about: "If you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to hae you, but you must master it" (Genesis 4:6). That's good stuff! We can easily apply that to our lives! But there's also Noah getting drunk and naked, and Sarai having Abram sleep with Hagar, and Sodom and Gomorrah, and all kinds of things that we don't want to talk about yet!

As adults, we have a lot we can learn from these things. But kindergartners? At what age or maturity level are kids ready for that stuff?

So far, I've been able to get by with using some euphemisms and skipping some parts. Any thoughts?

Mmmm!

I made pumpkin oat bran muffins this afternoon. I'm a sucker for anything with pumpkin in it. I substituted egg nog for the milk - mmm!

On a similar note, is there anything bacon doesn't improve? If you're a bacon fiend, check out this article: http://bacontoday.com/turbaconducken-turducken-wrapped-in-bacon/
I had no idea there was a daily website devoted to bacon. Thanks, Dustin.

Amelie's Tackle

Amelie feels it is her personal responsibility to open the bathroom door when any of us are in there. This morning, she worked on the doorknob but couldn't get it open on her first try. No problem for Amelie: she walked away from the bathroom, turned around, and charged headlong at the door in a football tackle that made her Daddy proud! (She did get the door open, by the way.)

Things Elizabeth Loves About Us

To entertain Elizabeth during our small group, I had her make a list of "Three Things I Love About Daddy."

She wrote, "He picks me up. He loves me. He is nice to me."

Then she went ahead and wrote on the back: "Three Things I Love About Mommy. She lets me have candy." That was it.

I don't know if I should give her more candy or less candy after that!

My Admirer

One of the little girls in Elizabeth's class has a little crush on me. In an adoring voice, she told her family at dinner one night, "She sounds exactly like Snow White!"

I'm so flattered! Usually I get told that I sound like Scout from To Kill a Mockingbird. She's seven.

New Friendships

God has been blessing me with new friendships this month. We've joined a small group at church that meets once a week. We had been acquainted with a few of the people in it, but were strangers to the others. It has been really fun to fellowship with other believers and be able to grow together. I look forward to it all week!

In addition to my biweekly women's Bible Study with a few other fantastic women, I've added in a one-on-one Bible Study with a younger woman. It was encouraging this week to see her excited about applying Scripture to her life.

Lastly, I met a woman and her little daughter at a mall play area, and we've since met up several times. Last night, our family went over to their house for dinner, and it was really nice to get to know their family better. She and her husband are both from different countries (one European, one South American) so they have a huge wealth of experience that Isaac and I admire.

I do miss some of my old friends that I don't get to see as often, so I'm especially glad that God is blessing me with new ones in addition!

Sick Days

Elizabeth has had a fever since Sunday morning. She hung around on the couch Sunday and Monday, but now she feels fine and the fever just won't go away. Because of the strict rules, though, she can't go to school and now she has missed over a full week of kindergarten this year! (I'm not complaining about the strict rules; I see why they're necessary. I just hope all the other parents follow them too!)

Isaac was sick last week. Amelie and I are fine. Praise God for that!

Different Approaches

Elizabeth's fall festival at school perfectly highlighted one of the differences between our two girls. There was a square dance in the gym. Elizabeth, slow to warm up, held back on Isaac's lap.Amelie jumped right in, clapping and wandering right into the middle of it.When Amelie got too tired, she lay down in the middle of the floor and kicked her leg in time to the music.

After Elizabeth had watched several dances, she was ready to join in.Elizabeth also enjoyed a costume parade through the halls.

Daddy Flips

Cuddling Daddy out of joy and gratefulness
Okay, enough cuddling. Get up and do it again!

Amelie's Rules for Life

1. If you're so lucky as to get your big sister's lunchbox, run off with it as fast as you can. Yell, if possible. Run so fast that your picture-taking fool of a mother can only get your back in the picture.2. Try to get the printer/computer at all costs. If your parents block it off, climb.

3. If you see something you might fit into, climb into it.

4. Stand on chairs whenever possible.5. If the chair falls over, that's okay. Climb on it anyway. 6. If you're not tall enough to climb into something, tip it over first.