Charity Is. . .

• Wiping spit up off your child's skin before you wipe it off of yours
• Disciplining with love when you're actually pretty upset that there is glue spilled all over the carpet
• Playing Barbies again, and again, and again
• Reading books to your kids when you really want to be taking a nap
• Sharing your favorite dessert
• Potty Training
• throwing birthday parties and all their associated stress to make it a special day for your kids

I'm still working on this list. . .feel free to add any that strike you. . .

Marketing works

Kayla brought a DVD to me 2 days ago. It was a Toppers Club DVD for Farmers, with the picture of a Top Hat and the Farmers Logo. She kept saying something about it, holding it out to me, and I couldn't figure it out. I thought she was saying off (something) so I guessed outfits? dress-up? with the assumption that she was looking at the hat on the DVD. She said No, shook her head, then repeated what she was saying, this time pointing at the Farmers logo on the DVD. I said Office? and she nodded excitedly, "Uh-huh!" and returned it to the shelf. I had to laugh--of course, she figured out the association of the logo with Daddy's office.



Two days later, she brought me yet another object from our plethora of Farmers labeled items--a red can opener grip, then said, "Farm, Todd," and, after getting my customary acknowledgement of what she said, then went back to whatever she was doing with it. I didn't realize even Kayla would have picked up on the Farmers logo, but then again, I should have realized--as images of Dora and Barney are just two obvious proofs of that.

Have Fun

Todd dropped Abri off at a birthday party today. Abri before leaving the car said to Todd, "I'll have fun. . ."

Note to self: stop telling my kids to have fun and change to something more constructive, like the "remember who you are." Then again, is it so bad to remind them to have fun? Hmm. . .

So embarrassing. . .

A friend of mine came over for a visit. Observing all the girls playing in the living room by the fireplace, she remarked, "You have a beautiful family." Emma, in a very exasperated voice, said, "Ev-er-y-one says that!"

I laughed at the tone of her voice but inside I'm thinking, wow, I definitely didn't instill a very good understanding of how to accept compliments with her, have I. Granted, that was the first time she had said it loudly to the person that actually gave the compliment; other times she has just asked me why we get comments like that while in the grocery store, Costco, mall, restaurant, etc, after they've already left. We've addressed the issue a few times since then to try and drive the point home. Hopefully it's worked.

Dead People

A few weeks ago, as we left Todd's office, Abri remarked, "There are dead people back there." Confused, I asked, "Where? What did you see?" "Back there! But they've turned to stone."
And then a lightbulb went on--we were passing the cemetary just down the street from the office. Funny, I never realized just what kids might think about tombstones over the graves.

Handsome Drawer

A conversation I recently had with Abrianna
Me: Abri, could you put this in your closet? (Referring to one of her belts)
Abri: I'm going to put this in my handsome drawer.
Me: What's that?
Abri: It's the drawer where you have stuff that you look cute in.

I had to laugh. I think the genes for girls to have clothes preferences are definitely built in.

Christmas Highlights

• Abri and Kayla randomly singing "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" and "Christmas Bells are ringing" throughout the day
• Having a Supper Like the Saviour eating lentil soup, flatbread, meat strips, and dried fruit with grape juice while sitting crosslegged on the floor of the living room by the light of the Christmas tree
• 12 Days of Christmas Devotionals each night
• Angel service--our gifts to Jesus that we put into a stocking when we service for each other
• Advent calendars with Chocolates from Aunt Sherry
• Searching for and then finding Cami under the Christmas tree playing with the tree skirt after she crawled under there one afternoon
• Caroling in a big group to friends' houses