Monday, March 25, 2013

What will they do without toys

Here is a short list of what my children will do when they are bored with toys...excessive amounts of toys.

1. Dump all toys in baskets or bins onto the floor and trip poor pregnant Mommy while I hop into the empty baskets and sail in my boats.
2. Dump as many clean towels I can find in the bathroom into the bathtub and turn on the water.
3. Make a jumprope out of toilet paper, or stuff as much toilet paper under my chin as possible until I have a billowy blouse, and then look up when I hear my name sternly called to see all the nice, clean toilet paper drop onto a wet bathroom floor.
4. Empty a jumbo size bag of shredded cheese all over the dining room floor, for Jasper, and then walk through it.  That pretty candle holder needed some cheese dumped inside it too.
5. Try on as many underpants, pants, skirts, shirts, and dresses as I can find in my dresser, and then be unable to take it all off and put back into my dresser when I am done.
6. Remove all the couch cushions from both couches, at least 10 large cushions, and play bakery.  The cushions are giant loaves of bread we are baking.  Next we take turns jumping from the couch into the cushions. We are such a busy bakery this must happen at least 6 times every day.
7. Wash books in the sink with soap, toothpaste, and water.
8. Get rags wet and wipe mirrors

     As you can see, children do not need a huge amount of toys in order to play, interact with each other, and have fun.  They have imaginations, and in many instances they are just trying to be helpful and responsible.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Pregnancy and Motherhood

     In our last pregnancy centering group session, we were gathered in a circle as everyone talked about the pregnancy hormones that lead us to cry over different things we may not have cried over or been so emotional about before being pregnant.  Different ladies talked about things that had made them cry recently such as certain commercials on TV or baby animals, etc.  I could relate to none of these things, and we went home.  A few days later I found myself at the Children's Museum with my 2 kiddos as we met up with some other friends of ours that afternoon.  There was a particular little girl about age 2 who had a very snotty nose and some type of food, crayon or marker on her face.  And that was the moment when I just wanted to cry as my pregnancy mothering hormones kicked in.  I wanted to just scoop her up, give her hugs and kisses, snotty nose and grime and all!  Normally, my first instinct as a mother is to get a rag and wipe that little child's face, but I really didn't think of that once this time.  I just enjoyed being around such a precious little angel and now I can't wait to have another little baby girl of my own again, messes and all.  All I have to do is think of that sweet little face and I want to cry all over again.  I am so happy that I am getting another little girl.

     The second time my pregnancy hormones kicked in this week happened as I was getting the baby's room ready and unpacking the boxes of girl clothes that used to be Annalise's when she was a baby.  I simply turned to look at the small plastic play kitchen in the corner of the room and I got the image in my mind of a nine-month old beginning to pull up, toddle around and explore.  I could see cute little chubby legs, a diaper, and arms slowly and carefully reaching out to touch everything within grasp of those chubby little hands.  And then I saw a big plop as the baby lost her balance, landing on her cushy, diaper bottom.  Next is a wrinkled face and a big "waaaah" with arms outstretched, waiting for someone to hug and comfort.  It was at that moment I felt like crying myself as I thought of how relieving it is to comfort a crying baby.  Later I thought of how God as Father gives his children the freedom to explore their surroundings, and when they lose balance the first few times and plop on their butts He is there to pick them up and comfort them.  He reassures his children, but then gently encourages to get back up and keep exploring, building their confidence so that they are less afraid next time.  How silly of us to get mad at God and think He is somehow responsible when we fall on our butts.  Rather than doing it all for us, He simply gives the freedom to fall and plop that so we learn how to walk and succeed at it.