Give Them Grace: Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus

I just began the book Give Them Grace:  Dazzling Your Kids with the Love of Jesus by Elyse Fitzpatrick.  I am only in the first chapter, and I already feel a definite change in my own heart towards parenting, but also in my life and attitude towards everything and everyone.

I appreciate this book because I am naturally a very pharisaical person, meaning I like rules.  I like to be obedient because a.)  It makes me feel like people like me.  b.)  It makes me feel good about myself.  c.)  I feel reassured about my salvation and my worthiness before God.  All these reasons are ridiculous, immature and false.  I know this deep inside, but I so often fall off the track, you could say, back into my rule-following, not because I love Jesus, but because I love myself.

I just completed another book called Womanly Dominion by Mark Chanski, which is a good book at its core, I believe...but not the sort of book a pharisaical person such as myself needs.  Chanski writes in one chapter that a mother of young children can expect to have a messy, chaotic house, for example.  But in another chapter he writes that as a housewife, I should create a tranquil environment for my husband to come home to after work, that I should make manly breakfasts for him and not "let myself go."  I know Chanski wrote some of these as suggestions or examples and he certainly understands that there are days and seasons of life where things just don't go very smoothly, but I would not suggest the book Womanly Dominion to any mother of young children.  Perhaps before children or long after they are grown.  ;-)

Nancy Leigh DeMoss writes much better books for women, I find, because she gives it to you straight yet she is usually very practical and realistic.  For example, in the book Lies Women Believe, she says a wife needs to find out what is important to her husband.  John doesn't want manly breakfasts, and even if he did, it just isn't going to happen for him more than once a month because he wakes up at 3:30 am.  Or he runs early in the morning and can't tolerate pancakes for breakfast.  I do try to make our home tranquil around the time of his arrival, but he doesn't typically have a meltdown if things are insane and so why would I stress myself and resent him for a little standard someone made up?  Sigh.

Anyway, back to Elyse Fitzpatrick's book, Give Them Grace.  It's just so good.  The title is a little goofy (Dazzle your kids?  What?), but I'm literally highlighting almost every word of it so far.  Here are a few of my favorite quotes.

"At the deepest level of what we do as parents, we should hear the heartbeat of a loving, grace-giving Father who freely adopts rebels and transforms them into loving sons and daughters.  If this is not the message that your children hear from you, if the message you send them on a daily basis is about being good so that you won't be disappointed, then the gospel needs to transform your parenting, too."

"Yes, we are commanded to teach the Word, prayer, and worship to our children, but their acquiescence to these things won't save them.  Only the righteous life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ saves them."

"The law of God, although beneficial and beautiful, cannot advance us on our way to righteousness because we cannot obey it.  Although the law demands perfection in only two areas (love God with all your heart, soul and might and love your neighbor, Matthew 22:36-40), none of us, no, none of us fully complies.

We can never fully obey these commands.  We always love ourselves more than we love God or others.  We are always erecting idols in our hearts and worshiping and serving them.  We are always focused on what we want and how we might get it than we are on loving him and laying down our life for others.  The law does show us the right way to live, but none of us obeys it.  Not for one millisecond.

"Even though our children cannot and will not obey God's law, we need to teach it to them again and again.  And when they tell us that they can't love God or others in this way, we are not to argue with them.  We are to agree with them and tell them of their need for a Savior.

The law of God also hinders our advance toward righteousness because, in our pride, we think that if we just try hard enough, we'll be able to obey it.  We read the promises of life for obedience and thing that means that we can do it.  The promises of life for obedience are not meant to build our self-confidence.  They're meant to make us long for obedience and then, when we fail again, they're meant to crush us and drive us to Christ."

Please go get the book for yourself before I get sued for copyright infringement!  I bought it for our Kindle for 7.99.  It's well worth it, if you have kids or not.

Choices

I have been slowly making my way through the book, "Choices" by Mary Farrar.  I do recommend it for women.  It will make you think.  Even if you don't agree with everything in it, it will make you think.  The following paragraphs made me think and feel so convicted about my job as a mother.  It made me think a little more about the benefits of home schooling, my own education, my job as a teacher, and the children and teenagers I've known who have been home schooled, public schooled, and private schooled.  After reading these passages and looking up the Scriptures, I feel so certain that homeschooling is right for our family. 

Tip:  When faced with so many little Scriptures to look up, I use esvonline.org.  It makes it so easy to look up a bunch of passages in a row. 


"The big deal in American education today is "Outcome-Based Education," a philosophy which seeks to reach to the whole child, teaching values, perspectives, ways of thinking, and a world-view.

But this is what you and I are to be doing for our children!  God has commanded us to parent the whole child.  We are not to hand our children over to society to do this for us.  "Values clarification" is the job of the parent.  The development of thinking skills, the process of learning to make good decisions, and the establishing of a worldview are supposed to be learned at home.  We are to teach, train, and inculcate values.  And such a job simply cannot happen in a few moments of "quality time."  Such a job requires tremendous focus, thought, energy, sacrifice, and time--lots and lots of time.

God has issued countless commandments--not suggestions, commandments--to parents.  Commandments which take us far beyond the mentality of feeding, clothing, and educating a child.  They involve the whole person--emotionally, physically, mentally, and spiritually.  When we see God's idea of parenting, we see that biblical parenting is a VIP of the first order.  It is, put simply, the shaping of a human being. 

Not only has God given us clear commandments, but He has asked us to implement them consistently, habitually, day and night.  God's desire is that biblical parenting become a way of life in our homes.  And when such biblical parenting is habitually practiced, God has promised great blessing and success. 

What are some of these habits He has asked us to implement?

• Availability (Deut. 6:6-7)
• Involvement-interacting, thinking together, processing life together (Deut. 6:6-7, Eph. 6:4)
• Teaching--teaching to the Scriptures, teaching a biblical worldview (Ps. 78:5-6, Deut. 4:10, Eph. 6:4)
• Training-helping a child develop skills and discover his own strengths (Prov. 22:6)
• Discipline--teaching the fear of the Lord, drawing the line consistently, firmly and lovingly (Eph. 6:4, Heb. 12:5-11, Pr. 13:24, 19:18, 22:15, 23:13-14, 29:15-17)
• Nurture-providing an environment of constant verbal support, freedom to fail, acceptance, affection, unconditional love (Eph. 6:4, Titus 2:4, 2 Tim. 1:7, Eph. 4:29-32; 5:1-2, Gal. 5:22, 1 Pet. 3:8-9
• Modeling with integrity; living what you say, being a model from which a child can learn by "catching" the essence of godly living (Deut. 4:9, 15, 23; Pr. 10:9; Ps. 37:18, 37)

Do you feel overwhelmed?  Join the club.  It is an awesome task, a high but worthy calling.  A nation that abandons these habits, says God, will go down.  This is where it all happens.  Children desperately need to be taught, trained, disciplined, and nurtured consistently by their parents.  And we simply cannot do this if we are not present, involved, and available.


(Here she describes the struggles of single parents, etc. and that God understands your struggle)

...But no matter what our situation, God honors those who pursue the path of biblical parenting.  He blesses those who sacrifice in order to make it happen.  He takes care of those who are willing to make tough choices on behalf of their children." 

happy, happy birthday, Jesus! We're getting ready!

 I packed away this little school book last year in one of our Christmas boxes, thinking that maybe I'd pull it out and it would be a nice little surprise, since she was obviously too young for it last year.  And look!  I showed her what to do by tracing one of those circles, and she went for it.  I walked away and when I looked a bit later, she had done six pages.  Homeschooling will be a delight for her.

And here....are there any words?

 

Yes, we decorated the tree tonight.  The bottom is mostly the only part of it that is actually decorated.  Maryn broke three ornaments, including two of our special Hallmark ornaments.  :-(  Any suggestions on how to glue them back together?

I also got out our children's Christmas books, counting books, and some I Spy books.  Maryn loves to point out things in pictures and say, "What's this?"  So I Spy books are a lot of fun.  For her.

Here are some of our favorite children's winter books:

The Mitten, by Jan Brett
The Night Before Christmas, by Clement Moore, illustrated by Jan Brett
Merry Christmas, Mom and Dad (Little Critter) by Mercer Mayer
The Gingerbread Man, Retold by Jim Aytesworth
Lucille's Snowsuit, by Kathryn Lasky

What are some of your favorites?

We are also really enjoying the book The Tall Book of Nursery Tales.  If you are looking for good ideas for your little ones for Christmas, please get this book!  It's stories like The Gingerbread Man, The Three Little Pigs, and Goldilocks and the Three Bears, all fairly true to their original stories, easy to hold, a perfect size for little hands (or nursing moms), with great details but not too much.  The storyteller holds a young child's attention and there's just enough pictures to grab them without being too overwhelming.  A perfect step in the direction of getting toddlers and preschoolers used to read alouds.  We love it! 

If you are looking for great book ideas for kids K-12, including read alouds, non-fiction, novels, etc., please order a FREE SonLight catalog, or check out their lists online (which are a little tougher to navigate).  SonLight is a home schooling curriculum, but even if you don't home school, they give great suggestions.  All the books we have read so far on the list for PreK 3/4 are winners with me and with Maryn. 

Happy Shopping and Happy Holidays!  I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving!  

How to Read a Book

Our first semester of seminary, John read this book How to Read a Book.  Here is a brief review from the New York Times:

How to Read a Book, originally published in 1940, has become a rare phenomenon, a living classic. It is the best and most successful guide to reading comprehension for the general reader. And now it has been completely rewritten and updated. 

You are told about the various levels of reading and how to achieve them -- from elementary reading, through systematic skimming and inspectional reading, to speed reading, you learn how to pigeonhole a book, X-ray it, extract the author's message, criticize. You are taught the different reading techniques for reading practical books, imaginative literature, plays, poetry, history, science and mathematics, philosophy and social science.

Finally, the authors offer a recommended reading list and supply reading tests whereby you can measure your own progress in reading skills, comprehension and speed. 

It sounds good, doesn't it?  I haven't read it (I already have all of these skills and desires, thank you very much), but my review goes like this:

Thank You Mr. Adler and Mr. Doren!

My husband has canceled our cable and is reading a Charles Dickens novel (A Christmas Carol) out loud to our family.  Maryn has not missed watching television, and I am resting in the glory of it all like a hot bubble bath after a bustling day.

He says he wants to read...wait for it...Pride and...wait for it...

Prejudice!

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen!  The very inspiration behind our own romance!  Well, not really.  I mean, if only MY Mr. Darcy had a mansion or two, right?  And if only I was as smart and witty as Elizabeth Bennett.  Sigh.  But aren't I so much like her?  So proud, so judgmental of poor sweet Johnniebear, just trying to work hard and do his best at building that stupid porch (get filled in on that story here). 

Also on the recommended reading list, some books we are considering:  several selections of William Wordsworth, Don Quixote, Robinson Crusoe, Huckleberry Finn, and The Scarlet Letter (we'll wait a few years to read this one with Maryn, though!).  The Scarlet Letter comes up in a lot of John's classes and he has never read it.  Isn't it incredible the way authors can influence our views, opinions and just the general way we handle things?  When I think of Hester Prynn, her elvish daughter and the mean old church ladies, I'm just reminded so vividly to step back sometimes.  Humans are humans.  We all sin, we all need reproof, but most of all we need a Savior, we need redemption, we need love.  Discipline and reproof can be done out of love.  And if I can't discipline or offer reproof in love, it's better not to at all.  

Just like how it happened for Ebenezer Scrooge, sometimes a vivid glimpse into a person's life can offer a real heart change.  Books are powerful.

 

 

ABC!

Sorry about the terrible picture! I know we have fresh camera batteries around here somewhere but have yet to find them. Maryn has been obsessed with her name and the ABCs, so we did a bunch of ABC activities and read a bunch of ABC books today. She LOVES to "write" her name or watch me write it. Look at her little pose. She's such a natural student. lol.
We read Chicka Chicka Boom Boom and made a coconut tree.
We read Dr. Seuss's ABC.
We read Alphabet Adventure by Audrey Wood.
We watched an ABC Barney show. ;-)
We watched Chicka Chicka Boom Boom on DiscoveryLearning.com, which puts the words of the book to song.

She calls Chicka Chicka Boom Boom "Chicken Boom!"

We ate a bunch of watermelon, which was FANTASTIC. Here's Maryn eating watermelon almost exactly one year ago at camp. What a precious baby she was. And how little! And where was her hair? I don't remember her looking so bald!

A La Carte

Parenthood
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I thought this was the most amazing post on parenthood ever. Please read it. It isn't sad, and it will apply to all of you on some level.
On Down Syndrome


Sex and Purity
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Ladies, there are better men out there, and here is proof. Read Tim Challies E-book called "Sexual Detox: A Guide for the Single Guy." But it's also for everyone. I have read a lot on purity and sex, and this is one of the very, very best.


When to Stop, When to Go, When to Slow Down
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I just read this article by RC Sproul in Ligonier Ministries' magazine, Tabletalk. It made me think about some of your comments on my blog about Eclipse and Avatar. One reason is because that blog was meant to be slightly humorous, slightly serious. Obviously, there are much bigger things about myself that would indicate I am indeed a sinner and if you enjoy those movies I think no less of you. But how far should we separate ourselves from the world? Should we just be more like the Amish? Should we do as the world does but with a much more cheery, giddy disposition? The Christian life isn't about that.

Maryn's Favorite Books (for the moment)

I told my friend Whitney I'd make a list of some of Maryn's favorite books. Here they are. A couple classics, but for the most part they're just her favorites because they are. No Wordsworth yet, but I guess that's okay.

Buzz Buzz Busy Bees, Goodnight Sweet Butterflies both by Melanie Gerth
These are cute books, both out of print now. I believe Donna got these from a used bookstore or online, so they may be hard to find. I did find some miniature versions still in print on Amazon, but I think you should try to get the big ones. Maryn loves both of them. The bee book teaches animal sounds and the butterfly book teaches colors. Maryn has started helping me read them out loud, filling in blanks for the rhyming words and making the sounds. So cute.

The Napping House by Don and Audrey Wood
We have a huge board book version of this book thanks to a conference I attended a few years ago. It's a great book.

Dr. Seuss's ABC
You can find Dr. Seuss books easily really cheap and gently used. Get a couple copies of this one if you can. It will be a favorite! And it really does help kids learn their ABCs and letter sounds.

I Spy with My Little Eye ABC
Maryn loves this book for its pictures. Any book that just has a ton of labeled pictures will be loved by toddlers and babies. There are tons of them out there, like the following books...

Happy Baby: Colors, ABC, Words, Animals
Maryn just loves these. We only have the Colors one and it is nearly demolished. So if anyone feels inclined to get Maryn another one of any of those titles for her birthday, she would LOVE it.

Hug by Jez Alborough
This is the first book Maryn was ever able to "read." She points to the words and says them! That's because every word says "HUG" until the end when the ape is found and the Mommy shouts, "BOBO!" And it's the cutest thing you've ever seen when you see your baby catch on to that and showing those pre-reading skills.

Who Lives in the Wild (another Happy Baby book)
This book is about to be thrown away because it has been destroyed with lots of love and a little time in the bathtub. Ooops. But we've been reading it since Maryn was reeeeally little and she still loves it.

Just Like Daddy
We just returned this one to the library! But we loved it while it lasted. A very easy book for toddlers to read along with you.

SWI Winter 2010

I had my first SWI class of the semester tonight. It's called Spiritual Health of the Minister's Wife. I am going to be learning a lot this semester! It is taught by Caffy Whitney, and Dr. Donald Whitney is one of John's professors this semester for the class Spiritual Disciplines. So we are reading the same book and will probably be talking about a lot of the same things. I hope we can make some healthy changes in our family to pass down generation to generation.

I love hearing sweet Mrs. Whitney talk about her husband and their marriage. I LOVE hearing older, wiser Christian women and men talk about their spouses. It's so different than the slandering you hear from spouses on television or in the secular world. Mrs. Whitney doesn't boast about her husband or her marriage, but it's easy to tell she loves her husband and is proud of him. It's also the little things she shares about her life that make a big impression on me. Sometimes, I am not sure if I really know how to live, you know? I hear her talk, and I think, "Why don't I do that?" Or, "I hope I'll do that someday!" Or, "Why can't I just come up with things like that (good advice, strong, deep prayers)." I know it's not because she's married to Dr. Whitney. I know it's not because of anything she does within her own power.

"I lift my eyes up to the heavens. Where does my help come from? My help comes from You, Maker of Heaven, Creator of the earth."

Pick up these excellent books by Dr. Donald Whitney:

Spiritual Disciples for the Christian Life
How Can I Be Sure I'm a Christian? (What the Bible says about assurance of salvation)

I Spy

You know those I Spy books for kids?
Well, I found this idea in Family Fun magazine.
Take pictures of your own child's toys and things,
and make your own I Spy pictures!

I Spy books are good practice for vocabulary, future reading, math and other concepts.
And Maryn has more fun finding her own toys in pictures than other things she's never seen before. She is already loving seeing Tigger and her very own shoes in pictures.

Here's Maryn stirring up some dinner in her new kitchen:
(Notice her cute little sweatshirt, Michele! It matches her little summery shirt!)

The big girl making dinner in the microwave...while drinking her bottle. :)

Adoption Sunday

Because Sunday was Adoption Sunday in churches across America, I've been noticing a lot of adoption posts and blogs by professors at the seminary. I also know several families in the process of adoption or foster care, including two of our neighbors, and Erick and Jennifer, Nathan and Bethany, and our pastor here in KY, Pastor Ezell and his wife, just adopted an 11 year old from the Philippines. I have been floored by some of their testimonies.

It is good to be in a church where so many pastors and so many families are adopting. Something about it is contagious, and I hope that we can all be praying about what our role may be in adoption, whether it is through prayer support, financial support, foster care, or actually adopting a child into our family.

Please be brave and pray about where God wants you to be in this. Here are some helpful resources.

A Conversation on Starting an Adoption Fund: This mp3 tells how you can get started and financially assist families on their adoption journeys--even if you don't know anyone adopting (yet).

Adopting for Life: A conference on adoption here in Louisville Feb. 26-27 with some phenomenal speakers, many professors from Southern and our pastor from our church here in KY.

Adopted for Life Resources: short videos talking about separate chapters from the book Adopted for Life by Russell Moore. Chapter titles include: "Don't you want your own kids?" "Paperwork, Finances, and Other Threats to Personal Sanctification," and "Jim Crow in the Church Nursery: How to think about racial identity, health concerns, and other uncomfortable questions in adoption."

Please pray for the orphans of this world, and also for the families I have mentioned here. Adoption is not an easy decision and it isn't an easy process. Pray for a peace only God can give to rest on these families despite the turmoil and stress that surrounds them, for their protection against the evil one, and especially for the hearts of these children they adopt. That their little hearts would recognize the love of their parents as being from God, and come to know their Savior, Jesus Christ.

Long and boring post. But excited. Forgive me! I have been deprived.

Waiting for closing circle outside the dining hall.

The counselors working with me this week: Michael, who is from Massachusetts, Antony from England and Veronique from France. They were great to work with and loved Maryn and our campers.

Maryn happy that she successfully pulled all the books off the second shelf
for the third time today. It's her favorite thing to do!

After the campers left today, John, Maryn and I headed to the used bookstore, the mall, and Texas Roadhouse. Unfortunately, the used bookstore was closed so we went to the Christian bookstore instead. I had planned on getting some light summer reading, but just couldn't pay full price for fiction. So I bought the book I've been hoping to read for a long time "A Chance to Die" (a biography of Amy Carmichael) by Elizabeth Elliot. It's about time I start reading some biographies of our Christian brothers and sisters, and this seems to be a good place to start. I am totally not wanting to read something so moving, deep and spiritual. As I stood there in the store thinking (praying) about it with the biography and another book in my hands, I knew God was telling me to go with Amy Carmichael. I hope it inspires me somehow--or something like that. I will keep you updated. Though I did argue with God that another Francine Rivers book may be just as inspirational. I kind of stomped back to John and said, "Well, I guess I'm getting this one."

At the mall (THE MALL!!!! YAY! I was so happy to be there. In civilization!), Maryn got to ride in the cutest little kid cart with a steering wheel. She was so excited, driving everywhere and trying to honk the horn. But there was no horn. I guess she's just used to a horn being on toys with steering wheels. She got a new pair of walking shoes at The Children's Place for $4.00. The kind of white shoes like I used to have when I was a baby. John got the game Settlers of Catan with his birthday money. It's a game everyone and their mother has been telling us to get that cost an outrageous amount of money that I hope somehow God will grant me the patience to play, since I know it's important to John... I got two more huge bottles of my special favorite best in the world Redken Extreme shampoo that allows me to skip a day of hair washing.

We also went to Target and the Disney store and a toy store... Now that Maryn is mostly fitting into 12 months clothes, I am DYING in every baby department. The clothes are the most adorable things I've ever seen. I want to buy it all. So, to warn you all, just don't even go into the baby sections. Because you will undoubtedly come out with something for some baby you know or think might come along in the next year or so. Fortunately, our selection is seriously limited by Maryn's diapers (requiring larger bottoms) and her crawling (no dresses). And the fact that I am now trying to avoid onesies. Partially because of cloth diapers. Maryn's torso is so tiny and she has a big booty with the diapers one. Also because onesies are just kind of a pain.

The toy store! So cute! I want to buy everything there, too. This toy store had a ton, a ton, of Melissa and Doug stuff. Most of it was not for babies, of course, but I just want all of it. It's all so cute and nice looking...you know...because the toys are wooden and cute, fresh, kind of vintage looking. I do have some Melissa and Doug stuff and I love all of it.

Seminary Reading

John received his first books for seminary today. I think they are all for his New Testament class. Here they are, in case any of you are interested:

An Introduction to the New Testament by D.A. Carson

The Testimony of the Beloved Disciple: Narrative, History and Theology in the Gospel of John by Richard Bauckham

Backgrounds of Early Christianity by Everett Ferguson

Tell the Truth: The Whole Gospel to the Whole Person by the Whole People by Will Metzger

How to Give Away Your Faith by Paul E. Little

Jesus of Nazareth by Pope Benedict XVI

Good News!

We bought a new memory card for our camera today, so we will have pictures for you soon. We also bought new CDs for our camcorder, so some videos may be on their way shortly.

We had a pretty busy today. Since it takes so long to get anywhere, we try to take advantage while we're in town as much as we can. That means Maryn was awake from 9:15 am until almost 3 pm. It was a bit miserable. And she had a hard time falling asleep tonight. It's funny how the more tired babies are, the harder it is for them to fall asleep.

From 9:15 until almost 3, we were at church, then Panera, then Babies R Us, then Best Buy. Then John and I had a date to the EMS (Eastern Mountain Sports) store, and then Donna and I went to a cute little store to pick out my (very early) birthday present--a new Vera Bradley purse. It's gorgeous and I love it. AND Maryn has been loving all her new baby food. Yesterday she ate spinach for the first time and loved it. It makes my heart glad.

And...church was great. It was a group of about 50 people meeting in a Boys' and Girls' Club in the cutest little town. The people were--how do I put this--different than Naples people! They're certainly what you might call "country folk." And that's perfectly fine with me. I'm glad I'm no longer in a little fashion competition amongst all the ladies. I kind of feel that way sometimes around Naples. I like being in a place where people can be themselves, whether it's with a side-pony, a mullet, or some MC Hammer pants. Whatever. :)

And...I'm still loving the Thomas a Kempis book. It is really helping me to put what I read in the Bible to practice, because the book itself is so biblical, and so applicable, and so convicting. I'd love to put some quotations from the book here, but I know how it is. I think that, when we read quotes on people's blogs, we don't quite get it as if we're reading the book. So please, please someday read the book Imitations of Christ by Thomas a Kempis...after you read Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. Now that I'm reading the Kempis book, I kind of have a better understanding of why "Katy" was the way she was, made the mistakes she made, and became the Godly woman she did. Because I too can take the things God says and turn it into something legalistic, cold, or terrifying. It's an easy line to cross. But maybe, for some people, it's something we must go through on our journey heavenward.

Beautiful

This is where I went today!

John (John's dad), Donna (John's stepmom), Maryn and I drove to Boston this morning to sign up some middle schoolers for camp. It was about a two hour drive. First, we ate at this seriously cool German-style restaurant that was built in the 1800s, Jacob Wirth Restaurant. Then we walked to Trinity Church, where we met lots of kids and parents for camp. This church was incredible. Too bad I didn't have a new camera memory card yet (that's on the list of things to do tomorrow). Above are some pictures from the church's website.

Maybe it takes 5 years in sparkling new sunshiny Florida to really fall head over heels for an older-than-Methuselah church. Or maybe that's just me. I loved it. And, even cooler, there is this great program going on for the inner city kids in the area. It's called TEEP, and I highly suggest clicking here to find out more about it.

Now, I have never really wanted to live in the city. Except for the times I've walked around D.C., Chicago, and now, Boston, and I feel kind of envious of the people just climbing on the bus, the subway, or the train. And the cute little apartment building fronts, like on You've Got Mail. I know I have a really romanticized view of the city, but I always kind of wonder what it would be like to live there. And ever since that D.C. trip a few years ago (okay, so it was 8 years ago. Sheesh!), I really have wanted to get back and do some service in the city. But I've been very reluctant. I'd much prefer my husband to be a pastor in a little white church out in the mountains. Okay...maybe not. Eh, I really don't know what I want. And I guess it doesn't really matter. Take me where you want me, God!

Speaking of God, I did start reading that Thomas a Kempis book and am looooving it. Whew-ee. I think we all do need to get back into reading the classics. I am really, really finding that our Biblical Worldview today is a lot different than the Biblical Worldview of the 1400s.

Of course, things probably should change from the 1400s until the 2000s. But the Bible doesn't change...so what does that mean? Oh, read the book. You'll see what I mean.

Maryn is doing lots of new things every day, and she has been adjusting rather nicely. She loved the city. She is kind of clapping her hands and saying "Yay!" and she has a few new games. One new game is dropping everything on the floor and saying, "Uh-oh!" Which of course, keeps us picking it all up just to hear her cute "Uh-ohs" over and over again. Her other game is peek-a-boo. She doesn't need a blanket to play peek-a-boo. She will hide her face in the side of her car seat, in the crook of my elbow, behind a book, anything. Then she pops up, smiles, and sometimes laughs. I love, love, loooooove it.

AND she has really gotten the hang of standing up (pulling herself up) and sitting down. It's a lot of fun. She's keeping us on our toes.

I hope you'll all keep reading my blog. We are visiting a church tomorrow. We won't be able to get very involved because we will be busy every day, all day, except Sunday mornings. But keep reading and I will keep you updated, and I'll start posting pictures soon. You'll want to see pictures of the camp, our little house here, and of course, Maryn.

New Books, Baby Genius and Cuddling

John and I just returned from Goodwill and we bought 9 fantastic books for 5 dollars. John even found some of the books he needed for school. I found some of the expensive touchy-feely Usborne books Maryn likes. Did you know that you can be a sales representative for Usborne books? Very interesting.

Here are the titles John chose:

Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney 75 cents
How to Read the Bible for All It's Worth by Fee and Stuart 75 cents
The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller $2.00

I chose one book, by Thomas a Kempis, who was mentioned often in the book Stepping Heavenward. It's called The Imitation of Christ. It was written in the early 1400s. Crazy. I wonder if I'll get past the first page. It cost about 50 cents, so at least I can put it on our shelf and it will make it seem as though we are very intellectual. It's even well worn, so it is apparent that someone was reading it. I just won't tell anyone that it wasn't me!

Here are the board books we bought for Maryn:

Find the Teddy and That's Not My Train (Usborne books) 50 cents each
Two Bible story books, Adam and Eve and Joseph's New Coat 50 cents each
Count Your Blessings by Dandi Daley Mackall, which is sooo cute and like brand new. It was only 25 cents!

Maryn has been pointing at things in books and all around her. It is THE cutest thing. She always points to the cookies in one of her books. It is so sweet. Sometimes, she points to all the faces, or all the flowers, as if she were counting.

Maryn and I have had to sleep in the same room while we've been here, and this has led to John sleeping in another room so he doesn't wake her with his snoring and wallowing. But she hasn't been quite making it until 7 am, and instead has been waking up at 4, 5 or earlier. So I bring her to bed with me. This is not ideal, and it will be temporary, but I have enjoyed our cuddling. She will fall asleep next to me now without even nursing. I love it. And I will enjoy her before she graduates from college, gets married and leaves us. I kiss her eyelids and whisper good night.

Stepping Heavenward

I have been reading a wonderful book called Stepping Heavenward by Elizabeth Prentiss. Thank God for this book that came to me from sweet Michele, at just the right time. I think it must have been written just for me and must be all about me. But I know, of course, that many women before me must think the same. It has been around since the 1800s.

One thing particularly profound to me is the fragility of children in those days. The first year of a baby's life the mother and father's sole concern is to just keep the baby alive, and if anyone at all gets sick, they seem to be laid up for weeks or months at a time. I will admit, I do worry sometimes that Maryn won't make it through her first year, and her birthday will be a celebration--not only celebrating her--but that we somehow managed to keep her alive.

One appeal in reading fiction is that it encourages me to write. It also helps me dialog with myself, in my own mind, more healthfully, when the main character is a Godly woman. Someone I can identify with, but who is a little more--oh, how do I say--sanctified than myself.

I already find myself making resolutions. Like that I want to visit the sick and fragile and old--things I never, ever wanted to do before. But maybe I will try. Just to see.

Perfect Family Date Night

Tonight we went to Buca, one of our fave restaurants here. We're trying to get all the Buca and Moe's we can before we head outta Naples. Then we went (where else?) to Books-A-Million, where I bought Maryn and me each new books. Maryn chose a cute book from the bargain bin, that was rung up regular price and now I have to return. I chose Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers, which Teri and Michele told me I absolutely must read.

Since becoming a mother, I haven't read a single novel. This is because I fear for my child's life and our marriage. Because when I read a novel, there's just no stopping me.

But John found one of his old computer games (that I thought I'd disposed of) and Maryn goes to bed at 7. So John can have a good time out with his game as I have a good time out with my book. I can't help but feel this is somehow strange and unusual, but then I'm quickly reminded that if we weren't doing these things, we would be watching television. At least we're getting a little brain stimulation this way.

Soon we will be at camp and living in a little cabin in the woods (little man by the window stood. Saw a bunny hopping by, knocking at his door. Help me! Help me, sir!" he said... Do you know that song? It's a camp song.) with no television and few other distractions. So hopefully our marriage won't go down the tubes before then, as he sits and plays a game and I do something different entirely.

Yeah. I guess John and I are a little attached at the hip, you could say. And though we didn't sit and watch NCIS tonight, I enjoyed being near him. And I enjoyed his computer game music in the background of my romantic Christian novel. Do-do-bee-do.

Reading Baby

Guess what is one of Maryn's favorite things? Books! She loves to sit and read with us and she loves to look at books. It's so cute to see her turning pages. She knows which direction to turn the pages and she remembers which things on the pages are fuzzy or textured. I hope she keeps it up.

I would think that if you grow up with parents who spend hours and hours in the library or bookstore each month, you're going to like reading. That's what we do. Fun, fun! Maybe someday we'll make it to Chuck E. Cheese! But it's Books A Million for now.

Madness!

Mommy made me some fresh, homemade baby food,
but what I prefer to eat is this bib! Yummy!

Mommy rotated and washed my toys today, so I'm having
a blast exploring my "new" toys!

I am happy to inform everyone that we had a very relaxing weekend. I pretty much did almost nothing, but I also did a lot. That doesn't make sense. But that's what happened. I just did what was necessary. I guess I need to give myself a break and not be in competition with my overachieving husband. I do have a baby under six months old, I babysit 3 kids under the age of 5, I wash my own diapers about every other day, I make our own baby food, and I maintain a pretty acceptably clean house. And like my aunt Cathy says, Maryn would prefer a happy mom over a stressed out mom and a clean house. So chill, Amanda. Just chill.

Maryn has been giving us kisses and hugs. It is the cutest thing. But it's kind of dangerous, too. Maryn will just come right at our faces, rather quickly, open mouthed and ready to suck right on our lips. Yikes! But we love it and try to get her to do it again and again.

We visited Books A Million today and I read about 10 books with Maryn. She loved them, especially the ones with all the textures. I just wish the textured books had MORE textures instead of just little tiny patches. But it doesn't really matter, because she's perfectly happy with all the textures around our house (especially the cat and our place mats!).

And now we're watching the selection show. Jayhawks are ranked third in the midwest region. Let the madness begin!

Oh EXCITEMENT!

I am so excited to try some make-ahead cooking stuff. Grandma Donna sent us a great website called Once-A-Month Mom that gives you recipes, menus, and grocery lists so that you can actually get a lot of your cooking done once--That's right!--Once a month! It sounds a little crazy, like something I would hate doing, but I think we are going to try it. Actually, John wants to try it on one of his days off this week, and I am going to be his helper. I love to cook, but it when it comes to cooking all day, I start to forget things, lose track of what I'm doing, or just go plain crazy.

We aren't going to do all of the cooking ahead. We're just going to try making three meals ahead from the February menu: Lasagna, Taco Soup, and Mexican Stuffed Shells. This is partially due to ground beef being on sale at Publix this week. If you are into buying in bulk, like at Costco, this website is definitely for you! You will certainly make use of your bulk food items, and you can make meals for other families, freeze a bunch of meals ahead of time for unexpected company or whatever you want.

There is also a plan for making baby food ahead, which I also hope to do. I don't know if I can talk John into spending all this money in one week, but I think it'll pay off in the long run. I really want to try to avoid jarred baby food as much as I can. I haven't been giving Maryn table food much yet. We're still getting used to the oatmeal. Her little digestive system is having a semi-hard time. Here she is drinking her prune juice just before her monster poop this morning:

I am also really excited about this book I'm reading: Shopping for Time by Carolyn Mahaney and her three daughters. You can see their GirlTalk blog which I have linked over there on the side of my blog page. I think I am going to become a member of the 5 am Club. Which will be the 5:30 am Club for me, because they said if I have a baby that isn't sleeping through the night, I'm excused! But I have been getting up at 6 am lately, and I think if I get up at 5:30 I may have time to exercise. Besides, Maryn is mostly sleeping through the night, and with our bedtime being 9pm, I usually can get in at least 7 hours of good sleep. I'll need your prayers about that, because I have been unusually exhausted lately. So, I am going to get some good iron supplement stuff I used while pregnant, just in case I'm anemic again. I have a feeling I might be. Either that or I'm pregnant! Which would be a major oopsy-daisy.

I am ALSO really excited about our pajama party we had yesterday with the kiddos. We wore our PJs all day, listened to lullabyes, read bedtime stories, and ate a lot of crazy junk food. Here is a snack I made:

Yep. That's a Twinkie body, a marshmallow pillow, a vanilla wafer head with icing features and a fruit roll-up blanket, all placed upon a bed of lace (a paper doily). Not recommended for the faint of heart, for it creates a wild sugar rush to any child that consumes it (except our sweet-tempered little Nicole).

Well, we had a fun week. And another FUN one is coming. But I hope Sunday will last forever. Sigh. I need a vacation.