(I started the draft on this post on Feb 22nd. It's taken me awhile to finish it! Probably a prime example of why I don't get too deep too often...no time!)
"Love always does what is good for another person" - Michael Wells
I really love this quote and the ideas behind it. Think I Cor 13...love is not selfish. This is a tricky thing when you have kids! You love them, and so you think that that love will cover 'a multitude of sins', so to speak. But it won't. Just like how our Heavenly Father loves us, yet still, in that awesome love, always does what is best for us. Even when it comes in the form of a chastisement or a hard lesson learned. Sometimes that is the greatest love.
In a certain way...yes, I love my kids (sooo much!)...but I still love myself more. Because it's easier for me to do it, handle it, take care of it myself. So instead of loving them by instilling in them the critical character qualities it will take to succeed in life, I am selfish...because it's easier.
I would rather pick up all the toys, because it takes them forever, they usually knock over another basket, causing twice the cleanup.
I would rather clean up all the dishes because in their enthusiasm for life, they break things and spill food on the floor. Giving me twice the work as simply clearing the table.
(I would rather not have to fold the laundry, so I am teaching them how). Please tell me I am not the only one out there whose primary desire is to be focused on myself!
I have to step back and remind myself WHY. I am not raising children. I am raising husbands and wives. I am raising adults who will one day influence the world in which we live, even if only in a small way. I have no pretenses to assume that my children will one day run the country, discover a cure to diseases, or be a published author. (And maybe they will). But the likelyhood is extremely low. Chances are they will be regular folks, with pretty regular lives, but they will still have influence. But we want to aim for the extraordinary that can be found within the ordinary.
And by God's grace, they will be responsible. They will be grateful. They will be content. They will be mature. They will know what they believe, and why. They will be full of compassion and understanding.
Loving my kids means doing what is good for them. Even when they don't like it. Even when *I* don't like it. It's not about my comfort and ease in life, it's about training young hearts to follow the Lord, and act in accordance with a high moral standard. These things are both caught and taught. Which requires not only teaching, but living. Sometimes I don't feel like it, but that's not real love. Real love is always doing what is good for them. Real love is showing them Christ in every situation.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Kenna Sings - Video
Some random pics before we get to the singing...
Brian has 2 side jobs going on right now, on top of his regular work, which means we don't see him very much any more! He's usually not home until the kids are already in bed...and sometimes not until I'm ready for bed too! This is what happens to dinner when Daddy is not home. We'd never get away with macaroni any other way!
Kenna is such a little singer. Notice the old hymnal!
Sweet Jesus is her favourite song
She always wants to sing it with me, so here's a little duet:-)
Brian has 2 side jobs going on right now, on top of his regular work, which means we don't see him very much any more! He's usually not home until the kids are already in bed...and sometimes not until I'm ready for bed too! This is what happens to dinner when Daddy is not home. We'd never get away with macaroni any other way!
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| That is a dried "sugar" plum, by the way. Not a dead beetle. And the kids love salad more than mac n cheese. Crazy kids! |
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| And this is what I found on my treadmill's safety key one day when I went to use it. Courtesy of Brooks. |
Sweet Jesus is her favourite song
She always wants to sing it with me, so here's a little duet:-)
Friday, March 4, 2011
Grand Prix Race - Video
Our church had an Awana's Pinewood Derby race tonight. They allowed the Cubbies to participate, which was so fun for them. The Cubbies raced first against each other (not against the older kids). Brooks won his first heat, and Kenna won her first heat, then they raced against each other for the final round. The end result?
Cubbies 1st place: Kenna.
Cubbies 3rd place: Brooks
Cubbies 3rd place for Design: Brooks.
Brooks was very happy since he said they both wanted "to win each other". So all of my explaining about how there is only one winner and we'll be happy for whoever it is was for naught, since they actually did both win! I was afraid neither (or only one) of them would place, and there would be tears.
Checked for weight and all that, and ready to race! Kenna is #4, Brooks is #1.
My personal favourite car of the night belonged to Hannah R. She also won 1st place for Best Design. So cool.
Excited to race!
Kenna's car - Thank you Daddy for making them so good!
Brooks' car - Thanks again Daddy!...and thanks to Mommy for buying the decals and chassis weights at Michaels
At home with the spoils of the night, ribbons, cars, and chocolate smeared faces from their celebratory Sundae's at McDonalds!
Brooks' first heat
Brooks' won!
Kenna's first heat
Final Race
Winners Announced
Cubbies 1st place: Kenna.
Cubbies 3rd place: Brooks
Cubbies 3rd place for Design: Brooks.
Brooks was very happy since he said they both wanted "to win each other". So all of my explaining about how there is only one winner and we'll be happy for whoever it is was for naught, since they actually did both win! I was afraid neither (or only one) of them would place, and there would be tears.
Checked for weight and all that, and ready to race! Kenna is #4, Brooks is #1.
Brooks' won!
Kenna's first heat
Final Race
Winners Announced
Wedding Band Day
Location: Toronto
Circa: March of 2003
On our way to the jewelers to pick out our wedding bands. We headed out on a wintery Saturday, late morning. We were headed up Finch on our way to Classic Creations, and were only a few miles away, when an old lady in a very nice and new Acura came thundering past us.
I say thundering, because you could hear her probably for miles...One of her tires was completely flat and not even there, and she was literally driving on the metal rim, gouging out chunks of the road, sparks flying. Brian, the good Samaritan, catches up to her, flags her down, and makes her pull over. She was a very old lady (definitely over 70), but very wealthy, you could tell (by the real fur coat and jewelry she was wearing). She had a cell phone, and roadside assistance program, but no idea how to use either.
So we called for a tow truck. She was very distraught at the whole ordeal as it was making her late for "an affair", as she kept saying. It was later revealed that the affair kept in wait was a hair appointment. It was winter, freezing cold, and she didn't want to be left alone waiting. So we climbed in the back seat of the car and kept her company. She was hilarious. And Jewish. She asked me repeatedly if I was Jewish. Nope. I'm not. Well, I just look *so Jewish* she kept saying. I took this as a not so subtle hint about the size of my nose. Thanks lady. Her sons were doctors and lawyers. Her husband had been an impressive man, but was dead. Her car was brand new, and she didn't know anything about it. And it was extremely troubling to have to miss an affair. She had no idea when she would be able to get another appointment made.
Tow truck. Finally. It had been over an hour (a particularly cold day, so lots of people needed jump starts or something). They hooked her up and were on their way as we waved goodbye. Now! On to pick out our wedding bands! What a funny lady!
My little navy Mazda Protege had been parked this whole time, with the hazzards on. It had been a long time...and I guess my car battery didn't like being all 'hazzard-ed out' in the cold like that. Battery, dead. Tow truck, gone. No problem Brian says, just pop the clutch! Small praise for standard automobiles. No praise for girls who don't know how to drive them. Or aren't strong enough to push a car.
We were not parked on any sort of hill. Of course I could drive the car just fine, but the whole clutch popping to start it thing was completely new to me. Brian explained the theory. He would push it and yell NOW NOW. Fail. Again. NOW NOW. Fail. Again. NOW NOW NOW. Fail. Angered mutterings from Brian. They may have been yellings, if he weren't completely out of breath from pushing the car about a mile:-) Theory, re-explained. Again. NOW! Success. Which was a sheer accident, I still have no idea how to do that. He started yelling other instructions about what to do (or not to do), hopped in the car, and off we go!
We were extremely close to the jewelers when this all went down, so we pulled into the parking lot about 2 minutes later. Brian, completely panting, jumps out of the car, and runs around the parking lot. I kind of assumed he was mad at me for not being able to pop the clutch. But as he runs off all the energy and adrenaline created from pushing the car for a really far distance and get his breath back, I thought I would try and be nice and not let it ruin the day. I knew enough not to shut the car off, so there I am idling the car to charge the battery, while he runs and walks around the parking lot.
Finally we were ready to go into the store. The romantic mood the day had started out with was completely ruined. We went in and were like, oh great, diamonds. gold. pick something. hurry up. Hahah. But we did take our time, and our moods improved. Diamonds seem to have that effect on people:-) Brian got a ring stuck on his finger, and they used Windex to get it off. This made me laugh and think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
We made our careful selections, and were very happy with the end results, so thankfully, the day ended on a high note. While telling the jeweler how we wanted the bands inscribed, with the Gaelic words gaol, dilseachd, cairdeas, I was about halfway done spelling it out, when he says with a laugh "You know, most people just get the date". I laughed and kept on spelling. We are not most people, obviously!
Circa: March of 2003
On our way to the jewelers to pick out our wedding bands. We headed out on a wintery Saturday, late morning. We were headed up Finch on our way to Classic Creations, and were only a few miles away, when an old lady in a very nice and new Acura came thundering past us.
I say thundering, because you could hear her probably for miles...One of her tires was completely flat and not even there, and she was literally driving on the metal rim, gouging out chunks of the road, sparks flying. Brian, the good Samaritan, catches up to her, flags her down, and makes her pull over. She was a very old lady (definitely over 70), but very wealthy, you could tell (by the real fur coat and jewelry she was wearing). She had a cell phone, and roadside assistance program, but no idea how to use either.
So we called for a tow truck. She was very distraught at the whole ordeal as it was making her late for "an affair", as she kept saying. It was later revealed that the affair kept in wait was a hair appointment. It was winter, freezing cold, and she didn't want to be left alone waiting. So we climbed in the back seat of the car and kept her company. She was hilarious. And Jewish. She asked me repeatedly if I was Jewish. Nope. I'm not. Well, I just look *so Jewish* she kept saying. I took this as a not so subtle hint about the size of my nose. Thanks lady. Her sons were doctors and lawyers. Her husband had been an impressive man, but was dead. Her car was brand new, and she didn't know anything about it. And it was extremely troubling to have to miss an affair. She had no idea when she would be able to get another appointment made.
Tow truck. Finally. It had been over an hour (a particularly cold day, so lots of people needed jump starts or something). They hooked her up and were on their way as we waved goodbye. Now! On to pick out our wedding bands! What a funny lady!
My little navy Mazda Protege had been parked this whole time, with the hazzards on. It had been a long time...and I guess my car battery didn't like being all 'hazzard-ed out' in the cold like that. Battery, dead. Tow truck, gone. No problem Brian says, just pop the clutch! Small praise for standard automobiles. No praise for girls who don't know how to drive them. Or aren't strong enough to push a car.
We were not parked on any sort of hill. Of course I could drive the car just fine, but the whole clutch popping to start it thing was completely new to me. Brian explained the theory. He would push it and yell NOW NOW. Fail. Again. NOW NOW. Fail. Again. NOW NOW NOW. Fail. Angered mutterings from Brian. They may have been yellings, if he weren't completely out of breath from pushing the car about a mile:-) Theory, re-explained. Again. NOW! Success. Which was a sheer accident, I still have no idea how to do that. He started yelling other instructions about what to do (or not to do), hopped in the car, and off we go!
We were extremely close to the jewelers when this all went down, so we pulled into the parking lot about 2 minutes later. Brian, completely panting, jumps out of the car, and runs around the parking lot. I kind of assumed he was mad at me for not being able to pop the clutch. But as he runs off all the energy and adrenaline created from pushing the car for a really far distance and get his breath back, I thought I would try and be nice and not let it ruin the day. I knew enough not to shut the car off, so there I am idling the car to charge the battery, while he runs and walks around the parking lot.
Finally we were ready to go into the store. The romantic mood the day had started out with was completely ruined. We went in and were like, oh great, diamonds. gold. pick something. hurry up. Hahah. But we did take our time, and our moods improved. Diamonds seem to have that effect on people:-) Brian got a ring stuck on his finger, and they used Windex to get it off. This made me laugh and think of My Big Fat Greek Wedding.
We made our careful selections, and were very happy with the end results, so thankfully, the day ended on a high note. While telling the jeweler how we wanted the bands inscribed, with the Gaelic words gaol, dilseachd, cairdeas, I was about halfway done spelling it out, when he says with a laugh "You know, most people just get the date". I laughed and kept on spelling. We are not most people, obviously!
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| Inscribed with love, loyalty, friendship, in Gaelic |
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Boxing - Video
Each of these are about 30 seconds or so, but I think they last one (at bottom) is especially funny. I couldn't decide between the 3 clips as they each capture his enthusiasm, love of sports and cute little voice so well.
At one point he exclaims "Mom, I like being naked in the game". (In boxing the Mii's are not wearing shirts), but the camera was not rolling at that time:-) A few days ago he created his own Mii, and named him Goody, which is apparently spelled bgbh. Goody is aptly named, because he's so good and always wins:-) Another funny, "all this boxing made me burp". Lol.
At one point he exclaims "Mom, I like being naked in the game". (In boxing the Mii's are not wearing shirts), but the camera was not rolling at that time:-) A few days ago he created his own Mii, and named him Goody, which is apparently spelled bgbh. Goody is aptly named, because he's so good and always wins:-) Another funny, "all this boxing made me burp". Lol.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Introducing...
Look who's here! It's Ardyn Isabelle (Jack's baby sister). She was born on December 31st. Kenna is beyond thrilled to have a baby girl to take care of. She is especially careful and attentive to her. Kenna said she is the cutest girl we've ever had. Haha!! Jack, Brooks and Sonny just run around doing their thing, and could really care less about "baby sister". Grey, curiously, always wants me to pick him up when I hold her. A little jealous maybe? She's fitting right in. Such a good, sweet baby!
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| She's about 12 lbs now! So little compared to these big boy babies we have running around. |
Sonny Bounces! - Video
This was Monday, the last day before Jack and Ardyn join the daily crew! Grey was still napping his morning nap, so we went out to bounce! Sonny loved it and didn't want to get off and go back in the house! (Sonny is one of the little boys I babysit everyday, he is 13 months old)
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