Ella lost her first tooth

Our five and a half year old delicate Ella looks happy here, but there was quite a lot of trauma leading up to her FINALLY letting, or rather, enduring, daddy pulling out that little tooth. It had to go because, as you can probably see, her big girl tooth was not waiting so patiently. Now hopefully that new tooth will scoot forward into its long term home.

Saturday

It's a great day to clean the house, get some errands done, catch up on everything you didn't get done all week, right?

Wrong. My house will have to wait. That seems to be a theme lately. Oh well, I'm busy making purple poop and pink hair and green dolphins and blue spiders. And, yes, I know it's not a "school day" but I couldn't help but get out the animal encyclopedia and explain the difference between a spider and an insect. And there's nothing like hot chocolate outside on a cool and windy spring day and introducing Teshome to his first marshmallow.

Much to be learned from a clingy child

I have a little girl who loves to lean on her mama. She does best when her day starts with a sit on the couch next to me thumb sucking session. I don't have to talk to her- it may be that she's come down the stairs a little before the "kids are allowed up" time of 7 am and found me starting my day leaning on the Lord. She sits by me while I read my Bible, all cuddled up close. After a few minutes she's ready to find some breakfast and get to her chores and playtime. The kitchen is a wild and loud place at 7:30, everyone vying for the toaster, juice spills, cereal basket with choices spilling out left on the floor and they're off. Except that one sweet and tender one who is a very slow eater. As she finishes, I make my own breakfast and sit down. And she comes over to lean on me again. Throughout the day she'll stop what she's doing and come and put her head on my lap while I sit teaching an older sibling. She'll come stand by me as I wash dishes and put her little head against my leg. When we sit down to draw and read, she'll wind intricate roads on paper and fill in with color- for awhile- then take a break from her absract designs to come sit by me for some leaning time. If I'm too busy running around she will actually cry, "I just want to lean on you!" And so I find some space to sit and keep her by me and stroke her blonde head until she's ready to go again. I've come to realize this is her love language, her way of feeling secure. And it's special because she doesn't ask to lean on anyone else. She'll take daddy if I'm not around. And I'm pretty sure grandma will be a good leaning spot when mommy is away, but she just really wants her mama. And I'm okay with that. And I'm learning from her. It's not enough to put in a little leaning on the Lord time in the morning. I need it all day. Him all day. I need to just drop what I'm doing- like she drops her colored pencils, books, toys- and go sit beside my Father. His Word is life and sustenance to my soul. I need it all day long.
Lord, help me to stop what I'm doing throughout the day and come back to the source of all comfort. Like my child clings to me, may I cling to You, long for You, need You!

Tangled

Dear Little Girls

Yesterday as I sat at the table with you after the three big kids had all run off to play, I was struck with a thought that gave me chills- it won't be long and you'll be too busy to have lunch with me. Sometimes lunch seems like a circus. I sit down, you ask for more of something so I get it for you. I sit down again, you spill your drink so I get up and get a towel. I sit down, you drop part of your sandwich so I get up and get it. I sit down again, you decide you are done and want to be washed up right away. In that moment, I realized these days of jumping up and down out of my chair to serve you -and looking with longing at the sun dried tomato, turkey, swiss, and veggies wrap that I can't wait to take a bite of- are fleeting. One of these days soon I will call you on the phone to see if you can meet me for lunch that week and you'll have too much going on. I hope you'll find a way to fit me into your schedule. For now, I'll enjoy watching you as you eat your salami and peanut butter sandwich (Ella) and grin at me with your "picture smile" eyes closed silly face (Charlotte).