Half A Box

Every other Thursday, during the school year, the kiddies and I have Library Time with Miss Dawn. This is a fun time of reading, a silly game and a lot of singing! Although Seth and Gracie are always shy at first, they usually warm up pretty fast! (side note: Yesterday's class was SUPER fun. If you have not read the book Press Here by Herve Tullet, I highly recommend that you check it out! It makes for an awesome time of crazy polka dot fun!)

One of the things I implement into our trips to the library is a donation to the South River Food Bank. There is a bin as soon as you enter the door and Seth & Gracie love to bring canned or boxed non perishables to donate to "little kids who need something to eat". Of course, their favorite thing to do is pick out colorful cereal and take it to the bin! I think it's all about putting an exciting treat into the box for another child to enjoy!

Yesterday, as we prepared to leave I had asked Seth to remind me to pick something out to take.-My mind is SOOO forgetful lately!- Well, he REMEMBERED! As I was preparing to walk out the door he came up to me clutching an open box of Trix and asked, "Can I take this one, Pooka?" SOOOO CUTE!! I commended him for remembering and gently explained that we want to bring NEW food to the bin. We want the little kids to have fresh food and the Trix might get stale and yucky. I took him by the hand and we searched through the cabinets until we found two new boxes of Hamburger Helper and he and Gracie skipped out the door with their donations.

I thought to myself how I sometimes come to GOD with a half opened box of something in my life. I am convinced that this is what I need to give others. Unlike Seth, however, I am aware that it is NOT what I can fully give, although I try to pass it off as a sacrifice of my time and energy. The LORD then has to take my hand and walk me to the cabinet of my talents and pull out a "fresh box" and help me to realize that I need to give ALL of what I can. It doesn't have to be a big, HUGE undertaking. It can simply be my full attention to what He wants me to accomplish in His Name that day! May I take this example and apply it to my daily life!

1 Corinthians 10:31b
"....whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."

I Don't Wanna Forget...

Gracie:

I don't wanna forget: how you call your little kiddie pool on my porch your "cool"

I don't wanna forget: How you come into my house every weekday morning and peek around from the mud room and throw me that adorable look where you try not to smile but can't help it and lunge for me

I don't wanna forget: How you tell me you're gonna put "Pooka's baby" in the swing and push her. You practice with your dolly and tell me "gent-y, right, Pooka? I do it gent-y?"

I don't wanna forget: How you see other little children at the library, the store, or park/beach that are not being very good listeners to their mommies and daddies and you whisper to me, "Pooka? Dat boy (or "geal") is being nauuuu-dee"

I don't wanna forget: How you call my name when you wake up from nap! It's so cute!

I don't wanna forget: How you love your "Brudder Seff". You love to hug him and kiss him when he's waking up from nap time.

I don't wanna forget: How your prayers before lunchtime take 5 minutes because you have to thank Jesus for every goldfishie and PB&J triangle on your plate. As well as every apple slice, your cup of water, your plate, schooltime, and Pooka's baby!



Seth:

I don't wanna forget: How you run to me at my rocking chair and say, "I wanna hold you"

I don't wanna forget: How serious you take checking on my belly every day. You feel around, stroke the bump and ask if Pooka's baby is "sleeeeeeeeeeping" and "when's she gonna be here? I wanna seeeeeeeee hers"

I don't wanna forget: How you love the book "Don't Ever Let Your Cat Make Lunch For You" and "the baby with his purple 'tray-on'", aka Harold and the Purple Crayon

I don't wanna forget: How you LOVE to organize things into patterns and straight lines. I still can't believe how neat you are and how concentrated you get when gluing things for a school project a certain way

I don't wanna forget: How you gave Gracie her nickname of "Drey" because Pooka started calling her "Gray" and you say your "G"'s with a "D" sound!

I don't wanna forget: How you pretend to keep sleeping after you wake up from nap. You make Gracie laugh so hard when you hide under the blanket and she can't see you!

I don't wanna forget: How much you LOVE to cook and bake! You drag me to the kitchen with the phrase, "Pooka, I wanna show you" and it usually involves getting the chocolate chips out to bake cookies or pulling your chair to the counter so you can reach up to the Kitchen Aid mixer and ask to "make some-pin yummy"


You two are my precious pride and joy! I love how much you love me! I love that you both call Anya, "Baby Ana" because you can't quite pronounce the "y" sound of her name! She is going to be so loved by you both and she is going to love you in return! Even though she won't be able to share your milk or sleep in your bed like you want her to, Seth, or swing super fast at the park like you want her to, Gray, (at least for a while!)she is going to love the time she has with you. I will not love either of you any less just because this baby came from my belly. All 3 of you are my babies and are unique in the most awesome ways!

I don't wanna forget: ONE SECOND OF ANYTHING!! GOD has given me this awesome time with you and I wanna bask in all of it!