A Wish Granted...

On Saturday, we went to a fundraising BBQ, which included a kids' fishing tournament. Christopher desperately wanted to try his hand at fishing, and thankfully, someone was willing to loan him a fishing pole. It wasn't long until he came running back with a fish dangling from his line! What a happy boy!

Youthful Wisdom

I don't like guns. I don't like war. I don't like my son playing with toy guns or playing war. However... my son has been "playing" with guns since he was two or three years old -- since he started making guns out of his Pop-Tarts and graham crackers. It's a losing battle....

Christopher recently has been saving his allowance in order to buy a "soldier set" he saw at Meijer for $15.99. When he finally had enough money, his daddy took him to the store to buy the toy. He was SO excited; he couldn't wait to show it to me when he got home. He immediately put on his whole costume and played soldier for the rest of the afternoon. I love to see him so happy and excited.

Earlier in the week, as I was telling Christopher for the 1000th time how much I don't like him playing with guns, he said, "Mommy, I enjoy playing soldier. It's fun to me. If you don't like it when I play soldier, then you don't like a part of me, because that's something I like. It's part of ME."

I've thought a lot about Christopher's words in the days since our conversation. I know I want people to accept me for who I am, even if they don't do what I do or love what I love... and I can see Christopher's need to have his mommy love and accept him as he is, guns and all... and I do.

Acting Out

One thing I love about Christopher... his creativity. Once he hears a story or sees a video, he will either build something from the story or create a costume to act out a character from the story. He recently watched the movie "October Sky," about a young man who loves science, so he breaks out of his coal-mining community to go to college. Here is the coal-mining outfit Christopher put together afterward....

Watch the Baby!

Warning! One-year-old Christopher climbs! Caught alone on couch, raised stone fireplace hearth, stools, chairs, art desk (headed over top of desk into adjacent playpen chasm), and more! Accident waiting to happen!

 

 

First Signs of Fashion

By Sarabeth's 2nd birthday, she was already making fashion requests. She would point to the container where the ponytail holders were kept and say, "po-tay, po-tay!"

Sarabeth and her "po-tays" -- with Mommy and cousins Spencer and Hanna,
at the Holland Farmers Market

Into the Abyss

Six-year-old Sarabeth: "I need a snack!"

Mommy: "You're hungry again??"

Sarabeth: "Yes, I'm in a growth spurt! I'm a pit that doesn't have a bottom!"

Sarabeth-isms

Three-year-old Sarabeth:

"mazagine" instead of magazine

"Student Little" for Stuart Little

"energies" for allergies

"snowflakes" for cornflakes

"fusterated" for frustrated

I couldn't correct her because I just loved her little Sarabeth-isms....

A Rose By Any Other Name...

Two-year-old Christopher loved, loved, loved the movie "Cars." At that time, he was still learning to speak, and I really enjoyed his pronunciation of various words. His version of the Cars character "Doc Hudson," for example... he called him "Huh Dock-en."

Photo Credit: Disney PIXAR (Internet)

Good Thinking

I asked eight-year-old Sarabeth if she knew the definition of "ingenuity."
Her answer: "Someone who knows a lot about engines."

Medical Opinion

Sarabeth:  "Mommy, do you think I'm ADHD?"

Mommy, with a laugh:  "No."

Sarabeth:  "I think I just act like a kid. I diagnose myself with being a kid."

Food Math

Christopher, last week:
"Look, Mommy! I made a pentagon with my turkey roll-ups!"