New Theology

My son is a little more than obsessed with David and Goliath. We play it all of the time, complete with dress up costumes compliments of Grandma Clapper. He even quotes the verses that correspond with the passage in the Bible. This alone is wonderful, but couple it with telling his non-church friend that he is going to Kielll him (kill said in David accent) and it's not so good. Ever have to explain to a mother of a frightened child what your 3 year old meant when he said he was going to kill her son-well, call me if you need any pointers some day-I was all over that! We have told him that we are not to kill people and he says "David killed Goliath" to which we respond because God told him to. "Well, the people killed Jesus". Again, because that was a part of God's plan. It's not so easy to explain to a 3 year old that has a mind that just won't quit. Yet we have tried over and over again. It seemed to really be working. Every once and awhile he says "Ellie, I am going to kill you with my sword", but generally we have had not homicidal incidents in the past few months.

Today my theology was once again challenged by my 3 year old. He was talking about the Veggie Tales "Dave and the Giant Pickle". He said he was going to kill something and I said "remember, we don't kill...." and so the whole saga began. To which he responded (after my pre-recorded message on killing) "that's right mommy, we are not supposed to kill pickles". Right-got that. I will mark that in the margin of my Bible-and highlight it too!

A Child's Prayer

"Dear Jesus,

Thank you for Mommy, Daddy, Ellie, Bear Guy, David, Grandma Rutt, Grandma Clapper, Grandpa and Pop-Pop. Keep them safe, bless them, Amen."

This is David's standard prayer-prayed at every meal and bedtime. No additions, no deletions, just this prayer. However, there are, at times, lots of stumbling after the David part, I am assuming because he doesn't know if he has covered all these folks at least once. Many times we start over to make sure everyone of necessity is included. Others we just repeat grandma or grandpa over and over to make sure, once again, everyone is somehow included. The first 5 "people" are always said quickly (got that part down pat) and the keep them safe.... is always at rapid speed as well. If I happen to mention that we are praying for our meal he may add an "and thank you for our food". I smile proudly everytime he prays. He will often volunteer at friend's homes too which I think is awesome because he is not too shy to pray. He has prayed several times in Sunday School or Wednesday nights, I am told.

"You are driving me...

...like a car."

Don't get it? Neither do I! When a certain little someone who is 3 years old, 41 inches and 34 pounds is doing any number of things I may be found saying "you are driving me crazy". It's said in a funny way, not in a mean or belittling way. Well, one day the same certain someone told his father that he was driving him crazy. His father asked who had taught him that line to which he quickly replied "mommy did!". Thanks for throwing me under the bus kid! Daddy told him that wasn't kind, blah, blah, blah. Maybe not kind, but definitely necessary sometimes. See Daddy's can say it's not kind because they don't do 12 hour shifts. Anyway, I don't say it anymore b/c I am always reprimanded by the same guy that exposed me to daddy. Even though I am trying I am often caught saying "you are driving" before I catch myself and he quickly tells me that it isn't kind to say that. I didn't even say it-I can't get in trouble if I stopped myself before completing the phrase. Plus, you are the 3 year old and I am the mommy-don't tell me what is not kind. Now, knowing that he is not allowed to say that phrase, he says "you are driving me like a car". I laugh everytime...not at all b/c it makes sense, but I do find it funny.

The many roles of a mother....

I embarked on a new "mommy" role this week that I hope I don't have to take on very often. We have a friend who is moving and we will likely not see in the future. This was an adult friend, but one that was always kind to David and paid special attention to him. David even calls his guitar his "Kerry guitar" after this guy. There were times that this guy did things that drove me crazy and made me want to severly hurt him. He made obnoxious comments, raided my refrigerator and stayed at our house way too late at night (or should I say too early in the morning). But it was this week that I realized that his crazy antics that drove me crazy didn't matter in the eyes of a 3 year old. We told David that Kerry would be moving back home with his mommy and daddy. I didn't want to make a big deal about it b/c he is only 3 but I wanted to tell him. A 3 year old didn't need to know the specifics-he obviously wouldn't understand any of it. He just kept saying " he doesn't have to leave, he can stay here". We told him he had to get a new job to which he replied "no he doesn't. he can work for daddy". Yea, that just wouldn't work-bible major enters accounting world...I just don't see it! David got so hyper and excited when he saw Kerry after not seeing him for several weeks. It was very apparent that he was very excited to see him although he hadn't talked about him while he was gone. I had decided earlier to not tell him about Kerry-I reasoned that if he wasn't around David would just forget. That didn't happen. He wanted to play his guitar for Kerry, wrestle with him, show him some new toys, etc. Kerry was important in his life-I didn't see it, but it was made apparent to me this week. And I am glad he had him in his life for this short period. David needs male figures in his life and Kerry provided that in the ways a three year old needed it. Although I still struggle with everything surrounding him leaving and can still get irritated with him-there is one important thing I realized this week that I hadn't realized before. He was important in my kids life and so, despite all of the rest of the yucky stuff, I will remember that and always be glad for it.

Now in all realization as the months continue on, he will forget about Kerry. It's sad, but true. I know it really will not make a lastening impression on him as his young age. But it was sad. He kept saying he doesn't have to leave, etc. and was sad when he said good-bye. He held on so tight-it's as if he really did understand. All this to say, I just don't like seeing my kids hurt. So far in his young life, I have only seen him physically hurt by scraped knees, balls hitting his head and the occasional push by a friend. I have yet to embark on dealing with emotional pain and I tell you that I would take a scraped knee anyday over this kind of hurt. Oh, how will I deal with it when the first kid makes fun of how he throws a ball or what he wears? What will I do when a girl breaks his heart? I do hope I can keep my emotions in check and use them as teachable moments. I hope I take the time to show him that God created him perfectly and he needs to be how God wants him to be, that there is pain in life but we need to glorify God through it. That obedience to God's word in crucial and there are big consequences when you don't obey. And so many of the other lessons pain brings in our lives. Well, of course all of these lessons will come after I kick the kid who made fun of him or give that girl a piece of my mind!

Friday Fun

At the beginning of each week I try to think of new and fun things we can do in the week ahead. Sometimes these ideas involve leaving the house and going some place fun. Although many times they involve staying home and being creative since a certain little someone who is only 7 months old needs to take many nappies. Well, I thought today would be a good day for an obstacle course. I cleared away the dining room table and pushed furniture aside and we went to work. D. Clapp eally only wanted me to set up the "diving board". Right around his 3rd birthday he was obsessed with "jumping off the diving board"-he would make diving boards out of anything-furniture, boards, curbs, sand piles....he just loved to jump. Although he hated getting in a pool or the ocean so I find it amusing that he called them diving boards. He even had a homemade diving board at his carnival 3rd birthday (which, by the way, you just jumped off of a board into the grass-but he loved it!) So, today's obstacle course had to include a diving board.






























We pretended that our obstacle course was at the beach. You first had to drive to the beach.


Then you had to crawl through the tunnel to get to the beach...OK, not realistic, but I had to get the tunnel in there somehow.


Then came the board walk.









Then came the grand finale of the whole obstacle course-diving off of the diving board into the couch cushions-a usually forbidden activity in our home. But now that I am anticipating the possibility of getting new furniture-jump away.

After several runs through the obstacle course, mommy was quickly told to stop taking pictures and play. Ok, sir! We then pretended that the pillows were boats and the floor was water with sharks. You had to stay on the pillows or a shark would eat you!!! That actually held his attention more than the obstacle course itself.

Doing this event made me feel like a good mom-you know how it feels. When you plan something you think would be fun. Something different that you don't do everyday. Something that involves a usual "no"-liking jumping on pillows and couch cushions. Something where the house looks like the kids took over. I personally had lots of fun. And I believe in my heart he did too! But, after an hour of fun, I had to do something and he came to me asking "Will you play toys with me?" To which I replied "Babe, I did just play for over an hour. Wasn't that good enough?" "mommy, you played obstacle course, I want to play toys". I think I will always hear "come play toys with me" in my sleep.

This is what D Clapp looks and feels like when you don't play toys with him......

Even though he just wanted to play toys and it seemed for a moment that the obstacle course was in vein, I know that it's still important to do new and different things. I know that today built memories. It may not have been playing toys, but it was spending time together. Time-both quality and quantity. And time is my son's #1 love language. We had a lot of fun....and don't worry, when he wakes up I will give him undivided toy playing time! I love you D Clapp....and your toys!

Question of the day....

The end of nap times always leave me with a lot of emotional turmoil. Ok-not a lot, but enough that I thought about it again today. My almost 3.5 year old is still quiet in his bed. I highly doubt he could still be sleeping after 3 hours, but the key words here are STILL QUIET! Am I bad mother because I am not going to get the poor child or it ok that I have not ventured upstairs yet because, after all, I can't hear him?? He may have called for me, but he likes the fan on outside of his door. Therefore, the possibility exists I cannot hear him. On the other hand, if he is like me, he enjoys laying in bed for a period of time after he wakes up. I do often wonder if I should just go up after 2 hours if I haven't heard him, but then again-why wake a sleeping child? I obviously is not overly concerned given I have yet to purchase a monitor for his room which would provide me a 100% guarantee on his current state of sleep. That, my friends, is my turmoil and question of the day.

He has now been in bed 3 hours and 3 minutes....I must go get him. I feel bad....well, the truth is if I don't get him now he may not go back to bed at 8!
Megan
p.s. I really do LOVE my child-he's the best, but so are naps!

It's official

Well, I guess it's official....I have started a blog. I do not think for a minute that I am important enough that anyone will ever read my blog (well, of course the grandparents will so that they can see their babies :). But, other than that I anticipate using this blog as a way to journal for myself. Try as I might, I just cannot force myself to find time in the day to journal about my life or the lives of my children. Now, finding time for the computer-that I can do!! It is my goal to be able to blog about the daily happenings of our lives, funny/interesting/scary/down right silly things my children do and the occasional feelings I have about my role as a wife and mother. Then someday my children will have a snippet of a picture of their lives growing up.

If you happened to stumble upon my blog, I am sorry if I don't inspire you, give you creative ideas (I can guarantee I won't be creative so stop reading now if that is what you are hoping for!), provide great recipes or whatever you are searching for in a blog. There's not much that I can guarantee with this blog, but one thing is for sure-it will be about my family and my love for them! Enjoy!

Just for your visual enjoyment....here are my cute kiddo's. They are why I do what I do everyday! I love them!!