Happy Valentine's Day!

True love:

Seth's big question

Every once in a while Seth asks me when I'm going to take my costume off.

Any day, Seth. Any day. :)

She's 2!

Patricia is a big 2 year old now! She easily brings a smile to those around because of her oh-so-pleasant personality.
Sometimes Enoch and I say she's our Latin American daughter. She loves to dance, clean and take care of baby dolls. What more could we ask for? :)
If you ask me, I'd say Patricia is doing quite well with her vocabulary and communication in general. When she puts on a dress shes says, "princess". She says, "thank you" and something along the lines of, "nice to meet you." She greets everyone and readily asks for "more" of what she wants.
Having two older siblings, Patricia picks up older behavior. She tells us she's going to school. When she goes she makes sure she has a bookbag and usually a pair of princess play shoes. She lets us know that she has her lunch and she always asks for her keys, because she needs to take the car. Before she "leaves" she wants a hug, a kiss, a high five and to shake your hand.
The other day she made me very proud and made me realize that she understands more than I give her credit for. Tabitha was coughing at night. As a last resort I poured close to 2 tsp of cough medicine into a medicine cup for her. She was too tired and apparently the coughing bout was over so she didn't take it. I left the cup on the nightstand. The next day Enoch asked me why Patricia was giving him cough medicine. I flew downstairs and inspected the cup. She didn't drink any of it, she knew what it was and made sure it was given to an adult. She may sneak candy on occasion and swallow her toothpaste on purpose, but she knows the boundaries.

Patricia is a delight to all who know her and we're happy that she's a part of our family. Happy Birthday, Princess!

Do everything without complaining

Yesterday I was listening to a message on the radio. As a side note, the preacher touched on complaining. He said that people who complain are people who do not understand the sovereignty of God. He used Joseph in the OT as an example. His brothers sold him into slavery and while in Egypt he spent years in prison after being wrongfully accused. Yet, he is never seen taking revenge nor complaining about his circumstances.

I've been contemplating the preacher's view of the sovereignty of God. Ultimately, God knows what's happening in our lives and why. He knows that ALL things work together for the good to them that love God. I really needed to hear this. I'm always trying to teach the kids not to complain, since they whine at the drop of a hat (Seth literally would!).

Yet, I wonder how different their attitudes would be if I were a better example. I try to imagine myself not rolling my eyes every time the kids call my name, because they want something. What would it be like if I didn't yell at them when a drink was spilled? Couldn't I just graciously accept the spilled drink instead of complaining through my upset attitude? Even discipline would be so different. Usually I get so frustrated when they disobey. I frequently remind them that they "never obey". That doesn't seem like a complaint free behavior. Oh, and housework... I can't help but hang that one over their heads. Complaining about the mountain of laundry and sinkful of dishes, the toys all over the place and my inability to keep up with it all comes through on a regular basis. Imagine if I could just grasp the concept of the sovereignty of God during those daily moments. I guess I have a lot to learn!

Projects

Does this look like the face of a scientist to you?

A mad scientist perhaps, but a scientist (in the making) none the less. Ever since Tabitha's science fair, Seth has been talking about projects quite frequently. I didn't realize how thoughtful his little mind can be until one day...

I was exhausted and I needed to sleep. I dozed off on the couch knowing full well that Seth was making a mess. He kept talking about his project and I knew there was water involved. When I woke up I asked him to clean up his mess. I was in no mood to find out more about his project.
The next day, however, I remembered and so I asked him what exactly he did the day before. He brought me the white piece of chalk and told me that this piece was the only one that didn't change color. His experiment: he kept filling up a little play teacup with water then individually dipped each piece of chalk in. He noted whether the water changed color or if the chalk changed color. All of them did, except for the white piece and I believe all of them made bubbles. After each "test" Patricia (I suppose she was the lab assistant) graciously dumped the cup of water on the table.
I must say that I was quite impressed with his science abilities. Science is not one of Tabitha's strong points, so it's nice to start seeing areas that Seth is better at.

Having four kids ages five and under sounds like a lot.

Tabitha's first word

Yesterday something finally clicked with Tabitha in her endeavor to read. I have tried over and over to teach her to sound out words. Well, the concept sunk in at long last. She was able to totally sound out a word without any help from me. I chuckle at the word she chose: smack.