Amelia wanted “eggy cheese” for breakfast and she wanted to help. Her only experience cracking eggs has been with her plastic color matching half dozen in her toy bin. She chose her egg from the carton on the kitchen counter and I gently wrapped my hand around hers, guiding her to tap, tap, tap on …
Look Below The Surface
https://videopress.com/v/QP0x0zwF?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true The fifty pound bag of fish food boasted “promotes aggressive feeding patterns.” It’s not wrong. The bluegill and turtle population meet us at the sea wall each evening as we trek the half acre to the lake edge. My husband took up feeding the fish in our first lakeside home when our children were …
Who’s Leading?
“Amelia,” I voiced in my most animated Lolly accent. “Let’s go take Jake outside and check the mail. You need your shoes.” She plopped down on the welcome mat, waiting for help with her slip-ons, then she ran out the door ahead of me, alternately dancing and running every step of the way. My granddaughter …
In The Know
I took one required geography course in college and nearly failed the test on the continent of Africa because the atlas I used to study was out of date. Things change quickly in some parts of the world and by the time this particular volume came to print, it was probably already obsolete. There are …
The Right Words
“No, thank you!” Thomas said for the third time, his little voice steadily rising with each repetition. He is learning to respond with manners, at least with the right words, but he’s still getting the hang of appropriate responses. Like when he first learned he needed to ask for something he wanted but he still …
More Than Words
“Good night, God bless you, sweet dreams, and I love you.” Thomas repeats to his baby brother, Timothy. I heard these words nightly as a child. I spoke them to my children and now to their children. My son says them to his daughter and my daughter to her sons. They offer a daily reminder …
Who? Me?
Ready or not, here I come. Our neighbors’ children walked over to play with Thomas. The older just completed kindergarten. Her sibling is three and Thomas is two. The oldest counted to ten. Her sister darted behind a porch column and hid her own eyes. Thomas followed her, giggling happily, then circled back to where …
Employed & Exhausted
My youngest child taught me many things but one lesson in particular has come in handy with grandchildren. I was reminded of it when I read a piece of parenting advice recently. Summer days are long and older toddlers who have mostly given up napping need to be employed and exhausted daily or no one …
Can God Read?
“G-O-D, God,” read Thomas. It’s the first sight word I taught him, and why not? It’s the most important word to know, for him and for you and for me. It’s the beginning of understanding everything. Origin of man and the universe? God. Giver of life? God. Sustainer, Creator, Provider, Author, Purpose-Giver, Indwelling Spirit. The …
God’s Obedient Child
“No!” he intoned, and stomped his little foot. Today he did not want to change out of his pajamas. Yesterday he didn’t want to use the potty. The day before, he wanted dessert but he wouldn’t even taste his dinner. Why is this one syllable so easy to learn to use? Why not, “yes, Mom! …
A Fitting Reply 