Seriously?

My children can argue about anything. They argue about what color cup they get at the table. They argue about who gets to wash his or her hands first in the bathroom. They argue about who can get the mail for Mommy. The list goes on and on. No argument has flabbergasted me more, however, than the day they argued over which IDENTICAL VITAMIN they got from the palm of my hand. "I want the one on the front of her hand! No, I wanted the one on the front of her hand."

 

Who knew my palm had a front?

 

 

Sarabeth (six) and Christopher (four)
in the midst of their Toy Story 2 craze,
around the time of their identical vitamin argument

 

A Good Sport

Christopher is playing soccer this fall -- his first time involved in any organized sport. He is hysterical. At his first practice, he was having such a good time running on the field and trying to kick the ball that I could actually hear him giggling out there.

Today was his first scrimmage. He encouraged his teammates with such quips as:

"Don't be scared! We'll all help you!"

"Hey, goalie! Don't let them get the ball through the goal!"

"Go over there and kick that ball!"

He loves playing, but apparently he's wanting to coach as well.

Dinner Conversation

One of my favorite mealtime stories from last winter.....

Daddy: What did you learn today?

Sarabeth: Oh, nothing.

Mommy: Tell him about the animals we learned about. It starts with "am..."

Daddy: Amethyst!

Sarabeth: No, Daddy, amphibians! They live on land and in water.

Mommy: And what are we?

Sarabeth: Carnivores?

Mommy: Well, most of us eat meat, so yes, we are carnivores; but what animal category are we?

Sarabeth: Marsupials!

Mommy (laughing): No, marsupials are animals that....

Sarabeth interrupts: ... that are awake at night!

Mommy (laughing): No, that's nocturnal. Marsupials have a pouch for their babies.

Daddy: Does Mommy have a pouch?  (Watch it, Daddy! You're on thin ice!)

Sarabeth: I'm nocturnal; I could read all night.

Christopher: We're amphibians because we live on land and go in the water....

Another First Day of School

They are flying by, these years! We're starting our fifth year of homeschooling this week -- that makes me sound like a veteran or something. I'm so thankful for all the homeschooling support and resources I have access to in West Michigan, and especially for Friday Addition, the children's weekly homeschool enrichment program. I remember each and every year, each and every first day, and so many beautiful lightbulb moments along the way. I love my babies!




Sarabeth -- Kindergarten 1.0
September 2008



Sarabeth -- Kindergarten 2.0
September 2009

Sarabeth -- 1st Grade
September 2010

Sarabeth -- 2nd Grade
Christopher -- Kindergarten
September 2011

Sarabeth -- 3rd Grade
Christopher -- 1st Grade
September 2012

This is a Recording

Sarabeth has a bad habit of asking the same question over and over and over again... or telling me the same story over and over and over again... speed talking, with gusts up to 72mph....

Mommy: "Sarabeth, you're repeating yourself."

Sarabeth: "I know. Sometimes I repeat myself, and I know I'm saying something I've already said or asking you a question again and again, but I'm thinking, did she hear me? does she understand me? did she acknowledge me? is she thinking about it? did it make her mad? did she even hear me? I just want you to acknowledge me, so I keep saying it or asking it. So, ..." (proceeds to repeat the same question once more, in case I didn't hear it the first 17 times).

Love that girl.

Timing is Everything

Christopher really likes his food. Don't be messin' with him at the table...

When Sarabeth was barely six and Christopher just three and a half, Sarabeth decided to share Jesus with Christopher at the breakfast table. She told him how to have Jesus as his Savior so he could go to heaven. She clearly and simply explained to him how to pray a prayer of confession and repentance of his sins, and how to ask Jesus into his heart as Lord of his life. Christopher, however, would have none of it, shouting: "No! I'm eating!"

Connections

At four years old, Christopher was very troubled by the tsunami that devastated Japan in March 2011. One day he came down from his afternoon nap and told me, "Mommy, I prayed for that city that got flooded in Japan. You know, Toy Story 2 was about Japan. Jessie and the Prospector wanted Woody to go to Japan, but he said no because he was Andy's toy and he had friends."