a few tidbits

The kids have been their normal selves these past few weeks for the most part...every toddler goes through emotional phases, which is worse when they are tired or sick. But these 'emotional' days lately have made me consider as I often do whether I'm doing something wrong in the parenting department. My sweet husband encouraged and reminded me that your child's actions aren't the gauge of what you're doing right or wrong, but how obedient you are to Scripture in disciplining and training them according to God's standards. I think this is the single most important thing that I've learned as a young mom. I know our children are really the Lord's children and that He made them unique. Anyway, I don't want you to think it's all tears around our house lately, so here are some fun tidbits: Calvin is talking a lot but often is unclear. For example, "SPILL!" sounds like ball, Cami is "Hammy" and "please" is PEE, or maybe POOP-PEE if he's excited and trying really hard. He still enjoys body slamming and jumping, and tries on shoes and hats from time to time. He either inhales his food (taking huge bites and storing it like a chipmunk) or he eats unbelievably slow, in which case we applaud him (which he loves) for eating, or get him to flex his muscles like The H.ulk after big bites. Cami also says things that are close to normal speech. "What do I smell?" comes out of my mouth often, but she says, "Ew, what do I smell like?" ..the other day she caught a whiff of diaper and answered her own question "Ew, I think I smell like poop." But her deep thinking didn't stop there. "What if poop had EYES and a NOSE and a MOUTH?" ..all while raising her eyebrows and emphasizing every word. She'll often say "Hey, when you grow little..." and sings "Hankee Doodle." While we were in a real drive-through restaurant, she pointed to the drive-through bank next door and exclaimed, "Ooh, we should eat THERE sometime!" And instead of having just one baby, she asked me the other night, "Can we have THIS many babies?" (holding up ALL 10 fingers). ...I think you all know the answer to that last question. But aside from that, in between the tears and tantrums I have to smile and see the Lord's handiwork in making these little love bugs who they are. It's so much fun watching them grow up and being Mom.