Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Questions

There are a multitude of questions I deal with on a daily basis.  Either questions I ask the kids, or the more likely and frequent questions the kids ask me.  The questions I have been asked vary.  Sometimes they are normal school questions.  Other times they are more unique and I am not sure anyone else has ever had to answer.  I have begun to see another category of questions in my life.  These questions are ones that I may ask, either out loud or internally, but do not really want the answered. So, for your reading pleasure, here are a few things today that I caught myself asking but really did not want to know.

1. What is that squishy thing I just stepped in?  (It was orange, but still, I do not care.  I just cleaned it and my foot and walked away.)

2.  What kind of liquid is on the floor by the toilet?  (One may assume the answer to this question is obvious, but you never know around here.)

3.  Why would you ever think to do that?  (Immediately following Isaac almost knocking his eye out with a rubber band. In case you are wondering, he just wanted to know how bad it would hurt.)

4.  Why is your science paper in the fridge?  ( I told her to put it in her science folder.  Which is not even in the kitchen.)

5.  What is this??  (I still do not know.  It was yucky.  It no longer lives here.)

6.  What is that smell?  (Didn’t ever hear an answer.  Lit a candle.)

7.  What were you thinking??  (This time as Isaac had wedged his head behind a bookshelf.  He wanted to see what was back there.)

8.  What were you thinking??  (Isaac got his arms and legs stuck in the crib railing.  Leg, leg, arm, arm.  All at the same time.  I should have taken a picture.  The answer- I just wanted to see if I fit.)

9.  Whatever would possess you to cover your whole body in green marker?  (Answer:  I didn’t.  Faith helped.)

10.  What did I just sit on?  (Sticky tack is a much better answer to that than silly putty or play dough.  I was luck today.)

The number one thing I learned today, besides the fact that I really don’t want to know, is that I may never understand boys, no matter how old I get

Thursday, September 9, 2010

The Gospel According to Isaac

This is as close to word for word as I can get.  Tonight at bedtime we read the Bible together as usual.  I am always worried about Isaac listening because he seems to be doing anything but listening.  He has a prayer list though, and he has been praying for several people to come to know God.  Tonight after we prayed he decided that he needs to tell these people about God. 

This is what he wants to say:

“One time a long time ago God made everything.  He talked about it and then there it was.  And he liked it all but people messed up and sinned.  He had to send Jesus.  Jesus did lots of things like catch fish and build stuff and even make some bread into lots of bread.  Then some people didn’t like him so they made him go to the cross.  They put a nail, then a nail, then a nail to hold him there.  Then they put a spiky crown on his head and spit at him.  He died.  I don’t know how he died.  He didn’t get shot.  But He died so that we don’t have sin.  I don’t know how that works.  Maybe like magic. He was dead for three days and then he rised up and walked around with His friends for weeks.  Maybe like two weeks.  Then he wented up to heaven to get a party ready for us.  And I prayed for Him to be in my heart because He loves me and I love Him.  And I don’t have to go to heaven right now, but after I am died.  And He likes you too and wants to be your friend so you should let Him.  Then we can play together forever.”

Amen!

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

The Butterfly Effect

I had the chance to read The Butterfly Effect by Andy Andrews through BookSneeze.com.  It was an incredibly moving book about how the decisions you make can impact the world.  The illustrations were wonderful, eye catching with a nice layout.  The book was an ebook format, but I loved it.

The story is based on the principle of the Butterfly Effect- a butterfly flapping its wings can cause a hurricane on the other side of the world.  We can have the same effect as that butterfly with our every action and reaction.  The book was well written, tracing the actions and decisions of one person back to the influences that helped shape him, going back several generations.  One person made a small decision that ended up several generations later impacting the world.

This book and the theory it represents was a wonderful inspiration to me as a Christian woman and homeschooling mom.  The things I do today, the choices I make about how I will spend my time, the words I use, the attitude I have, leave ripples in time that can not be measured.  It helped to encourage me to continue to do the right things in my life, and challenged me to live my life worthy of such influence.  I highly recommend this book, and the children’s version- The Boy Who Changed the World.

The Boy Who Changed the World

I love being a member of BookSneeze.com.  I love the great books that I can get for myself and my children.  The Boy Who Changed the World is one of those great books I am glad I got a chance to review.  Like the adult centered book, The Butterfly Effect, this book by Andy Andrews chases the ripples through time of the seemingly small actions of several people, tracing the way they are linked together and help form the decisions each other makes until the world is changed.  It encourages children to do the right thing so that their ripples are a positive influence on others in future generations.  Without some of the more difficult to understand situations outlined in the book geared to an adult crowd, the same story is traced through time.  The story was easy to follow and inspiring.
The illustrations were wonderful, and my children loved looking for the butterflies throughout the book.� From the corn fields of Iowa, to the offices in Washington, to the lab of George Washington Carver, the illustrations are beautiful and adorned with butterflies.  I highly recommend this book.  It’s positive and encouraging message touches the hearts of children and inspires them to greatness.

Check out the Butterfly Effect as well, and my blog post about it.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Don't Forget the Duct Tape!

That was what I heard Faith yell across the yard as Isaac headed into the house.  He was scurrying quickly along with his head down.  I was in the kitchen so I intercepted him.

“What are you and Faith working on out there?”

“Umm, why?  What did you hear?” He replied warily.

“Just wondering what you came up with to do.”

“Well, we were playing toss the shovel, but we had to stop.”

“Toss the shovel?  The sand shovel, right?  Not the snow shovel or the metal shovel.”

“Yep.  But we quit that game.”

“Why?” I asked, internally cringing at what else they may be inspired to do.

“It got stuck in the tree.  We need rope, purple duct tape and a ladder.  Faith is in the yard making sharp sticks.”

“Are you trying to get the shovel down?” I asked with alarm over the sharp sticks part.

“Nope.”

“Oh.  What are you plan- how about we just try to get down the shovel?”  I figure climbing the tree is safer than whatever it was they were going to do that required sharp sticks and a ladder.  And they can not have my purple duct tape.  Red maybe, or yellow.  Not the purple.  Some things have to be sacred.

“Can’t.  I broke the lowest branch falling out of the tree yesterday.”

“You fell out of the tree yesterday?”

“Well, I didn’t fall, just my cape got stuck up when I came down.  And then the branch broke off so I got free.”

“Hmm… How about we don’t climb trees wearing capes anymore.”

“Batman does it.”

“Ok, if your name is Bruce Wayne and you do not need to worry about health insurance or new clothes or being sued by the neighbors when you destroy their property, then you can climb a tree with a cape.”

“Ok, I will do that on Tuesday.”  (Really, where does this come from…)

“So let’s get that shovel.  You need something to step on to get to the lower branch.”

“I will have Faith be a step stool.”

“Noooo, how about just dragging over the toddler slide and using the ladder for that?”

“Ok.  Hey, can we still have the rope?”  I shake my head no.  “How about that duct tape?”  Another shake of my head.

 “Well, there goes my next idea…”
And I didn’t want to ask.