Prayer of a Three-year-old

While waiting in the car waiting for Jamie to run into Wal-mart to pick up some caulk for our sink, I heard Sophia start to pray. I turned down the music and listened carefully! Then I quickly wrote down what I'd heard because, well, you'll see!

Some background... we recently had a conversation about riding bikes on the road instead of the sidewalk. At the time Sophia was trying to figure out why she had to stay on the sidewalk because she'd seen some "big people" riding on the road. I had told her she couldn't ride on the road till she was more grown up, maybe 16 (ha, we'll see if that works!).

The prayer:

Dear Jesus, I know you help us (fyi-this is how she starts every prayer!). Please, help me to stop growing because I don't want to ride my bike on the road and I don't want to buy a new one. Help Mommy and Daddy and me. And help Daddy with all his stuff (fyi -getting his caulk at Wal-mart) so we can go home quickly before time runs out.

Be Nice to Bugs Mom

Bugs and me, they don't really get along. I get annoyed with them outside, though I will try to ignore them. Once they enter my house though... they are mine! I will squash them first chance I get.

Last week there was this large, creepy crawly, with lots of legs, scurrying across my laundry room floor. I was barefoot but Sophia had her tennis shoes on. I said, "Soph, quick, stomp on that bug!" She did (what an obedient daughter), then proceeded to bend down and look at the squashed bug. She asked if it was moving and I told her, "No, you just killed it." She looked up at me in horror and said, "Mom! Be nice to bugs!" I told her, "Not when they are in my house."

Well, she is now on a spiritual campaign to change my heart. This morning she was standing in front of the mirror singing in her cute sing-songie voice:

Be nice to bugs Mom
Be nice to bugs Mom
Dear God, make Mom be nice to bugs!!! etc...

New Do for Mom and Me

Mom and I went today to get new haircuts! It was to celebrate Mom's upcoming birthday. Jeni was in on it too, though she couldn't be present. :( But, it was really fun and we love our new hair cuts!!! Here are the results!

Happy Birthday Mom! We love you!

See you later Shirmy!

As most of you probably know, we have had an MBA student living with us since December. Shirmy is from China and just finished up her spring semester this week. We saw her off at the bus station yesterday as she is off to New Bedford, Massachusetts for the summer to work and save up money for next school year! She will return to us at the end of August. Sophia was so sad to see her leave and cried and cried.

Since we currently only have two bedrooms, and are expecting Baby Bean's arrival in September, we will be doing some basement renovation over the summer to build Shirmy a new bedroom so the kiddos can have the 2nd bedroom upstairs.

This summer we will be participating in a "home stay" program for a group of Japanese students who will be here May - August to study English. Each Saturday we will pick up "our" student and he/she (not sure on that yet) will spend Saturday through Sunday with us. The point is for these students to connect with an American family while here to be more immersed in the culture, etc. We are looking forward to this opportunity. Pray that God uses this for His Kingdom purposes.

Out of my comfort zone

How is it that me, a natural introvert, gets the most fearless and extroverted daughter ever??!! (her father's genes probably have something to do with it! :) ) I'm telling you, it doesn't matter if we are at the library, the grocery store or out on a walk. Sophia will say hi to anyone and everyone, multiple times if she gets no response, and if she sees a kid - of any age mind you- she immediately approaches them, disregarding all personal space boundaries, and, as she calls it, proceeds to "make a new friend." Now I am the type of person, that if I'm out in public, I would much rather blend in and not be noticed. I usually avoid asking for help because I'd rather just figure it out myself. Not my girl! If we're at the bank it's "can I have a sucker?" If we're at the library or grocery store she always asks for stickers. Once, while grocery shopping, I couldn't find a certain item and she said, "Mom, why don't you just ask the grocery man to help you?" :)

I admire and envy my daughter. She is so brave and though she has some maturing to do in the area... she is fearless to ask for what she wants. Now, we are working on being polite and appropriate in this area, but what a great natural building block for her in regards to approaching the Father without fear or reservation to submit her needs and desires to Him!

I find myself being embarrassed by the events that often happen when out in public with Sophia. Not because Sophia is embarrassing, but because I am so being stretched out of my comfort zone!!! I have so much to learn from her. She is so unashamedly and unconditionally friendly and kind to all strangers. And this no fear thing - man, that's a hard one for me!

So, here's to learning from a three-year-old - lessons that seem simple, but to me, a 27 year old mommy, stuck and might I say, comfortable, in my ways, are actually kinda hard!

Our Growing Family

Sophia giving some love to Baby Bean :)


Mommy and her girl

Sophia, Mommy and Baby Bean

Ruthie and Baby Bean at 19 weeks!

Daddy and his girl!

Weird Dreams and No Sleep

I don't remember dreaming such strange and bizarre dreams on such a consistent basis when pregnant with Sophia. I also don't remember struggling to sleep through the night so early on. A recent theme to my dreams is dreaming of random black men, Tupac and Rodney King are two I remember well. There is always some little conflict going on between Jamie and myself and the other players in the dream are just there to set up the story - I guess...

When I dreamed of Tupac, Jamie took Soph and me to some hotel to wait to meet up with Tupac, to offer him $40,000 to desist from violence. The conflict was that I felt Jamie was putting us in danger just to try and do a good deed for, well, I guess the world of rap music. :)

Rodney King was really wealthy and famous in my dream and he was coming over to have a "movie" night, hosted by Jamie. Jamie couldn't get the DVD to work though and Rodney had to end up leaving because he explained that his "movie time was over." I'm not sure what it was about, but I just remember feeling annoyed and mad at Jamie.

Now, just a side note. My hubby is the most giving, caring, and awesome husband and I don't know why he's getting the brunt in my dreams!

So, whether it's bizzaro dreams like this, or getting chased by two lionesses... what is going on in my head??? Any dream interpreters out there??

Where are all the tears coming from?

Gosh, I don't remember being so emotional when I was pregnant with Sophia. Now, when I mention that to Jamie, he sorta looks at me funny and looks away... his way of gently saying, "HA! I remember!" :)

These past few weeks have brought on the weirdest boughts of tears. They always come quickly, leave quickly and leave me feeling silly for even having them.

About a month ago, Jamie and Sophia were grocery shopping and I was talking to Jamie on the phone. I just got feeling very vulnerable and needy and started crying. Well, they brought home some beautiful flowers. I was feeling all better when they returned and just loved Jamie that much more for spoiling his ol' sappy preggers wife.

Last week, on one of his longer mornings off, Jamie mentioned to Sophia, in front of me, that they would tackle fixing our leaky sink together. In my mind, the living room needed cleaning much worse and I had been hoping Jamie would do it for me since I was feeling overly-tired that day. Well, instead of calmly and rationaly communicating this to my husband - who would have been happy to listen and comply - I just burst into sobs, blubbering about the living room and acting like he'd rejected my request before I'd even asked! Oy. Of course I recovered quickly, but let me tell you - my living room hasn't been that thouroughly dusted and cleaned in a long time! :)

Well, let's hear it for all the patient husbands who put up with our pregnant mood swings and random bursts of tears!!! :) Love you Jamie.

The Things They Say!`

This past weekend we had an extra house guest. 16 month old Emma stayed with us all weekend while her mommy and daddy were busy at the hospital having her baby brother, Charlie. Sophia loved having Emma around and got a lot of good practice for being a big sister.

On Sunday, when visting Emma's parents and baby Charlie at the hospital, Sophia and I were waiting by the elevator. Two lovely gentlemen, who happened to be African American, walked up. Sophia looks at the one and very loudly points and says, "Mom, he's Chinese!" Oi. What to say, what to do?? With my face turning as red as Bob the Tomato, I tried to explain that we work with International students and Sophia was used to seeing people that looked different to her and has a fascination with such things. He looked at me sort of funny and said, "Yeah, but what did she say??" I told him she had thought he was Chinese. He and his friend busted out laughing and my face continued to burn. I'm glad my daughter is aware and honest - though I'm discovering I care too much about what others might think because I don't handle the public honesty too well! :)

Tonight, over-tired and well past ready for bed, an extremely emotional little girl sat upon the potty before crawling into bed. She was crying, so her mommy handed her a tissue and told her to dry her tears and blow her nose. She dried her tears, and then burst into more tears explaining she just couldn't blow her nose "because I want to snore and I need that thing in there!" Well, how can you argue with that?? Let the buggie be and snore on sweet girl, snore on! :)

We had our monthly midwife appt. yesterday and Baby Bean has a strong heartbeat, and according to my tummy growth, Baby is growing fine too! Jamie was able to feel the baby moving the other night, which is always a fun occasion. We will be 18 weeks along this Friday and I think I waddle sometimes. :)