At Dinner

Sitting at the dinner table last night....
Maddi (staring at Drew with a blatant look of disgust on her face): "Mom, do you put your ham IN the applesauce when you eat it?"
Drew: slightly pauses from his applesauce-ham combo feast to glance up at her curiously.
Me (never thrown off by her odd questions or constant chatter): "No babe, I like to keep my foods separate."
Maddi: "YYYYYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" (alternating victorious fist pumps in the air) "You're on my team mom, and we're WINNING two to one.  Two no applesauce dipping to one mixer.  Do you want to join our team Drew?"
Drew: stares at her oddly, then continues eating this time exaggerating his dipping finesse.

I'm not sure if this was an attempt to optimistically encourage change or a heavy dose of peer pressure, but the way this little girl's brain works is just fascinating to me.  Every day is an adventure with her. :)

The Impossible

We watched The Impossible last night and it was AMAZING!  It was terrifying and sweet and inspirational all at the same time.  My heart broke for all of the families that experienced this horrible tragedy.  I wept for the people whose lives were altered that day, but through this family's story, I was reminded that God loves each one of us individually.  He walks through our grief with us.  He strengthens us when our bodies fail our desires.  He sustains our hope, and quiets our fears.  Go see this movie.  It will change you.

Ten Things I've Learned as a Mom

1. My house will never be as clean as I would like it to be.
2. Kids remember feelings, not events.
3. Silence is never a good thing.
4. Eye contact builds confidence.
5. Never stray from honesty;  it yields trust and respect.
6. Don't forget to praise.
7. Never, ever miss the opportunity to correct in love.
8. I'm shaping little adults.
9.A whisper is always heard better than a shout.
10. There is no greater calling than loving and protecting a child.

Friends

Cafe 302 Car Show

I've neglected my blog lately. Sorry blog. I get so caught up living life that I forget to stop and take a moment to write down our memories so that we can re-live the fun later.
Things have been pleasantly busy. Maddi loves dance. Drew has been skating a lot getting ready for his 3 on 3 season to start. Maddi learned how to ice skate by herself and got her very own hockey skates like brother. Drew read his very first novel... John Grisham's new kid series, and has started on his second (thank you Grandpa for helping my boy love books as much as we do!) We went to a Sleeping Beauty ballet, and Maddi fell in love with the music and the stage and the costumes and the makeup and the glitter and the tutus and the graceful steps. She loved every second of it. We've been swimming and taken walks. We've had lunch dates and movie marathons. We've cleaned out bedrooms, sat in hallway bathrooms waiting out tornadoes, and boiled crawfish. What can I say... It's Spring time in the South and we're finding fun things to do every day.
Today was no exception. We were all home together. We went shopping for flowers, redid the flowerbeds, had a lunch date, and then strolled through a local car show. I love spending time together, but I also love that we can work hard together. So often we try to do exciting things with our kids; we try to teach them and encourage them by fascinating and entertaining them. But I think it's equally important to teach them gratitude and the joy of accomplishment through hard work, and there is no better way to teach them than to work side by side with them. Whether we're covered in mulch or listening to the purr of a rat rod, every moment together is a blessing.