Bro. Jaimez baptizing Elisabeth!

These aren't the greatest pics, but there wasn't a lot of water in the pool, and since we couldn't wait for another two hours, we just dunked them the best we could. Elisabeth is so light, her feet popped right out of the water!

Zoom in and check out the flying drool!

Language Update

This morning Elisabeth sat at the table watching me iron, a deeply thoughtful expression on her face. If you know Elisabeth, you know that girl is a deep thinker. I knew she was cooking up something profound. Presently, she jumped up, with wide, excited eyes, and informed me in a high pitched voice that she had figured out how to say something in Spanish! (So that was what she was doing! I was pleased.) "What can you say?" She stood tall, and said clearly, "Hay muchos moscos en mi casa!"

I was a little let down at this. I mean, if you are going to spend all morning in thought, you should come up with, "There is much love in my house." Or "There is much joy in my house.", but NO-There are many flies in my house!

Well, it's true, I guess...

Where Do Bats Come From?

Here is one of the deeper conversations we had this morning. Rebecca, who likes to anylize everything to pieces, Elisabeth, the serious one who takes everything literally, and me.

Rebecca (wearing a black plastic batman mask, quite adorible): "Look Mom! I'm Batgirl!"

Me: Cute!

Rebecca, after a short silence: "Mom, can bats be girls?"

Me: "Well, yes, there are bat girls and bat boys, too."

Rebecca, after another short silence: "Are there bat babies?"

Me: "Of course there are bat babies! Where do you think bats come from?"

Elisabeth has been listening intently, and she thinks she knows the answer to this one. She pipes up immediately, in all seriousness; "I know! The BAThroom!"

Some pics of the critters!

Piñata!

Hello!Getting the frame ready

Ryan gets some expert help cutting the wires

More help!

Lookie! It's coming together!

Ryan has more help than he knows what to do with!

Well, it's for a girl, so it's gotta be pink...

More pink...

Now it's all ready to bring to life!
(Check out the brand new glasses on the birthday girl!)

All done! Ready to whack!

Don't hate me because I'm so beautiful...

Hello!

Elisabeth loves her Uncle Jim

Tongues are useful for work and play

Mommy and Daddy's bed is magic.

Spiritual truths are beginning to sink in!

You never know when your little ones can make practical application of spiritual principals.

I was standing at the sink, washing dishes (It's amazing how many of my stories start with me washing dishes.) and teaching a lesson on temptation. It went something like this.

"The Bible says we need to resist temptation, and the God gives us a way to escape it. Think about temptation this way; Let's say Mommy made up a plate of cookies, left it on the counter, and said, 'don't touch the cookies' on my way out. Then you were standing in the kitchen thinking, 'MMMMM! Those look good! I want one! I want to take one!'

That's temptation, and you should resist it. Say, "I'm not going to disobey!" Tell yourself a Bible verse that can help you like 'Children obey your parents...' and then go find something else to do. Pray and sing a song, and that temptation will stop."

As I was finishing up the last of the dishes, David came up to Ruth, who was standing on a stool helping me. He began making a general pest of himself, pulling at her socks and her dress and whining. Suddenly Ruth shouted, "MOMMY! IS THIS TEMPTATION?"

"Why, what do you want to do?"

"I want to kick him in the face!"

"YES! That's temptation! DON'T DO IT!"

Ruth jumped off the stool and said firmly to David, "I'm NOT going to kick you!" Away she flounced whistling a tune.

Nice to know the lesson made a difference!

Why I love being a mom to small children

One of the reasons:

I can say, "Whoever gives me the best back rub gets to wash the dishes!"

They stampede over to my chair.

I'm savoring the moment. I know it won't last forever!

Rebecca having fun at Chuck E. Cheese

A Mommy Moment

I have a thing about laughing frequently. I need it. There are times to be sober, but if I pass up the times God provides for a good loud shout of laughter, I'm always sorry later when some stress comes up and muddles my thinking. I think laughter clears the cobwebs out and clarifies the emotions just a bit.

While I was washing my never ending pile of dishes, part of my mind was on the three girls near my feet, playing with my laundry basket. They had their entire collection of colorful ponies in there, and it was setting sail about the room in what appeared to be a gale. The basket was swooping around the room like a wild thing. All six little hands were clinging to it at it swirled, dipped, and careened about. I could only imagine that those poor horsies were thinking they were going to sue the socks off their travel agent if they ever made it safely to the stable again. I said the first thing that popped into my head.

"Ooo! If I were in there it would make me sick to my stomach!"

Instantly the room was filled the groans, moans, and retching of eight plastic ponies as they were all struck by a wave of seasickness. I look again, and sure enough, each nose has been turned out to lean over the edge of the basket.

I had to stop working and sit on the floor to get through that fit of laughter.

There was only one thing I could say after that.

"You guys better clean up all that pony puke!"

But then again, maybe you have to be a Mommy to think this is funny...

He's a hard sleeper

All Is Forgiven!

David's banishment is not for life, and is he ever pleased!

Ruth gets creamed by a giant ball

"Mommy, Mommy! Come see!"

"ONE OF THE GOBBLES! HAS BABY GOBBLES! THEY'RE SO CUTE!!!!!"


Rebecca, on the growing turkey family on the ranch.