The moment my children discovered scotch tape a whole new world opened up to them. Before, where they saw only empty walls, they now see vast open real estate for any number of drawings, paintings, cut outs, games, etc.

C was the particular architect behind this latest display. She decided the other day that she wanted to decorate clothes so she cut out some pants and some shirts and some diamonds (I have no idea why with the diamonds) and taped them on the wall so that when Daddy got home they could play to gather. The rest of the art is actually signage for the various games she came up with to entertain him as well!

I was making the kids breakfast this morning and I heard them whispering to each other in the living room. A moment later I heard the tell tale sound of tape being pulled from a dispenser. More whispers.

And then breakfast was ready and I forgot all about what was happening in the other room. It wasn’t until we were ready to walk out the door this morning that I happened upon their art installation.

Let’s call it Bubblewrap on Orange Wall with Tape. 

We got more dig kids for the kids to try out, and of course they had a blast. It might have been a good idea to put down some newspaper or trash bags before we started but I forgot, so we had quite the dirty table by the time we were done, but they enjoyed digging for sharks teeth and bugs.

Usually in the evenings we are rushing to get to bed, so it was nice to keep them up a little late and let them do something fun. They were covered in dirt by the time they finished and they had huge smiles on their faces.

*NOTE* I’m changing the names of the kids in this post.

This evening while I was making dinner I asked C about school. She got quiet for a moment and then said “Jenny and Molly were mean to me today.”

“What happened?” I asked.

“Well, we were at lunch and I was trying to talk to them about Bobby and they kept putting their hands over their ears and wouldn’t listen to me. And then I started crying and told them it wasn’t nice. And then they said sorry, but they said it in a very mean way.”

“What were you saying about Bobby?”

“I was telling them that they should be friends with him. He doesn’t have any friends and that makes him sad. I’m his only friend. They don’t like him because he used to hit people when he was five. But he’s six now and he doesn’t do that anymore but they can only remember when he was five. He doesn’t hit people any more. And he’s my PFFF (BFF) and he’s never hit me. I just want to tell them that they should be nice to him and not make fun of him and be his friend.”

This little girl.

I’ve met the boy she is talking about and he is a sweet kid, a little hyper (but what kindergarten boy isn’t?!?) and he thinks the world of C.

I was so touched that she stuck up for her friend when her peers were picking on him. It would have been easier for her to go along with them, or even just stay silent (after all, she is a shy kid.) But she chose to stand up for him and stand her ground. As we discussed it, I told her how proud I was of her for making the choice to not say bad things about her friend and to confront someone when they were doing it. Too many people in history have been marginalized because no one stood up and said it was wrong, so I am so proud of C for doing the hard thing. And if she is doing it at 5 years old against 5 year old bullies, then I hope she is doing it when she’s 15 and her bullies are even bigger!

Good job, C! You were a good friend today!

Tim went on the mens’ retreat with our church this weekend and the kids asked me when he was going to be home just about every hour that he was gone! Thankfully he got here around 5 this evening and the kids got to play with him and cuddle with him before heading to bed. It was a long weekend without him and we are all really happy that he is back!

Today is my dad’s birthday!

He was the first man in my life and the man I learned so much from. He was my super hero. He would grab my arms and swing me in circles. He would mow paths in the back yard so we could race around. He took me on bike rides and defended me from big scary dogs. We explored abandoned houses, went hiking, and enjoyed a great many pies! He taught me a love of coffee. From him I learned practical things like the differences between grains of sandpaper and how to scuff properly.

And now, the way I see his eyes light up when he sees his grandkids… watching him tease them at the breakfast table, or see them sitting on his lap reading books to him brings me such joy.

I love this man so much and I am so grateful for the influence he has had on my life. Happy Birthday, Dad!

Today was a pretty calm and sedate day of playing with the neighbor cousins and just hanging. It feels like we had been doing a lot of running lately, so it was nice to just relax and spend time with friends. Of course the kids enjoyed themselves and hopefully wore themselves out!

• I love the C and Micah sat around eating lemons and reading a book!
• Baby Bekah is adorable! I’m just sayin’!
• Daniel and C were impossible to get a good picture of. So many goofy faces!
• Baby E loves his new trainer toy. It has lots of little things to keep him occupied with.

And just like that…

… she’s growing up.

Before C was born we took all the birthing and parenting classes that were available at the hospital. In one of them, the instructor was very insistent that newborn babies should not have pacifiers because it would confuse them when they went to nurse, and she went on to imply (in not so many words) that it was a horrible idea to even try, and you would be setting yourself up for failure.

After C was born, I was so very tired. After a night of no sleep, and 13 hours of labor, ending in an emergency C-Section, all I wanted to do was get some rest. But C wouldn’t sleep. In fact, she would just cry. Hours and hours of crying. She was only quiet when she was nursing or if she was sucking on someone’s finger. I remember watching Tim kneeling on the floor with his hand over the side of the baby bassinet, and his finger in her mouth… and they were both asleep!

After we got home, things didn’t get better and when she was seven days old, and me with tears streaming down my face, we finally gave her a pacifier. And she fell asleep. I stared at her, convinced I had just scarred her for life, my heart fluttering that I had just given up all hopes of nursing her, and wondering how I had started my journey into motherhood with such abject failure.

None of that was founded, of course. I was exhausted beyond measure, and nearly everything sent me into tears or hysterics.

But now I wish I could go back and tell the woman that gave me such stern instructions about pacifiers the harm that she caused a new mom. I would hunt down the other expert who told me that nursing should never, ever hurt and regale her with stories of an entire month of incredibly intensely painful feedings until we all got the hang of it. I would tell her how her words haunted me and made me feel like a complete failure. I would tell her there is no room for her type of advice in parenthood, that she had chosen the wrong profession, and that she should refrain from sabotaging future mothers. These women, so focused on their formulas, and their anecdotal stories, did so much more harm than good.

I wish I had listened to my gut, that I had trusted my instincts and been more sure of myself as a mom. I would have done things so differently. But I look at her now and I see how quickly she is growing. Each stage has its own adventures and there are things that I love about each new year that we hit. She’s a beautiful, sweet, strong willed, sparkling girl. She is an incredible big sister who looks out for her boys and loves her mama and papa. She does great in school and loves to learn. She reads books, and colors, and plays with her friends. It’s true she is growing up quickly (too quickly for my liking), so I will linger here on these pictures and on these days, and remind myself how far we have come. I love you sweet pea!

On account of our semi recent trips to the museum, and Big E’s love of all things dinosaurs, and the fact that Baby E walks around screeching, growling, and gurgling, we have officially adorned Baby E with the new nickname Goobasaurus Rex. Big E jumped on the bandwagon immediately with this name and if he hears me calling Baby E anything else he is quick to correct me, Don’t you mean Goobaraurus  Rex, mommy?

The silly thing is, Baby E is now responding to it like it’s an actual name, so I guess it’s going to stick for awhile. As long as he outgrows it by college, we should be good, right?!?

This evening as the kids were playing outside, C fell down on the pavement and scraped up her knees. She has one particular cut on her left knee that bled for awhile and looked pretty deep and gross, but it stopped after a bit and Tim covered it with an impressive sized bandaid. She took the opportunity to milk her injury by begging her daddy to carry her everywhere this evening. He obliged, but we did notice her acting completely normal when we weren’t looking or she wasn’t thinking about it. I’m pretty sure she might try her tactics on me in the morning, so that should be interesting (because I’m not carrying her around!)

I enjoyed some cuddles with my boys this evening. Whenever Baby E sees the phone he immediately says, “Cheese!” even if I’m not taking a picture. Which is evidence that I take too many pictures!

Tonight this is my mission field…

Oh, and so is this…

I know, I’m not serving in an orphanage in Uganda. I’m not working with refugees from war torn countries. And I’m not serving in a local soup kitchen giving food to hungry people.

I’m doing dishes… and I’m folding laundry… And guess what? It’s kingdom work.

Kingdom work isn’t always exotic. Often it is mundane. It’s in the every day living and in the way you choose to serve the people around you day in and day out. That’s not to say that one day God might instruct me to do any of the above callings (or one entirely different), but tonight my place is here- serving and loving my family.

You see, when the dishes pile up and the laundry is overflowing it is very easy for me to get bitter. I’m a full time working mom with very little home time and the thought of spending my precious few moments after the kids are in bed standing at the sink washing dishes or sitting in the hallway folding clothes until my wrists hurt is enough to end my day on a sour note. But these seemingly mundane tasks have a purpose, and the opportunity gives me a chance to show my family that I love them. It may not seem like it, but it is important work and it is valuable. So instead of grumbling, I’m challenging myself to see it for what it really is- my mission field.

What is your mission field tonight? Is it laying in a bed until your child falls asleep? Is it working a night shift? Is it studying? Is it cleaning your house?

Whatever it is, do it well, for in doing so, you bring glory to your Father.