things I love from today

Things I love from today:

A camp chair pulled up to the shower I'm in and little brown toes sneaking in under the curtain.

Many hand gestures, usually winding around and then opening into a palms-up shrug, as she explained some important things.

How three different books were "my favorite one I ever saw."

Another reference to "our parents" (which apparently are Nana, Pap, and Uncle John).

This conversation:  "I'll be Uncle John, you be Shosh." (Josh--his friend)
             Then she says, in her squeaky-high voice usually used for mamas and
             babies,  "Hi buddy! You wanna go to a movie-show?"
             Followed by a lot of "yeah, buddy" and "I love you, buddy!"

Hand holding and praying during that last drink of "milky."

What a precious gift she is!

I love, love, love my sweet girl

Oh, how I love this child! 

Thank you Jesus for having the BEST plans for us.

time out

While I'm a firm believer in a good spanking (or 5, you know, if we're having a rough day) I think time-out has been a really successful discipline tool for Lucy, too.  I do it like Nanny Jo (on SuperNanny) does it, and it really seems to help her switch gears.  In fact, when she's a little overwhelmed, she often puts herself into time-out (which kind of cracks me up!).  But I think it's awesome that she can tell that she needs a little space and it does help her re-boot a little.

It's been SO successful that I'll hear her putting her little ones in time out, especially when they're rowdy in the tub.  They get time-out in the soap dish.  This night, the frog and the 7 got time out.   She puts them up there pretty strernly, usually for "not listening to me" and then after a bit will have a falsetto voice saying "sorry" (the offender) and she'll say that it's okay and hug and kiss.  It's pretty funny!

 

umbrellas

Umbrellas are just so fun.

 

side by side

 

God works in funny ways.  In very cool ways.

 

My friend Angel and I had classrooms next door to one another.  We talked adoption dreams in the 5 minutes of hallway chaos between classes while we kept an eye on things, broke up almost-fights, and parted passionate couples who appeared to be devouring one another.  She was so cool because she'd adopted a wonderful boy already, about 10 years earlier. 

 

I thought it was just dreams.  Just fluff.  Just things you chat about and hope for, but don't really expect to see happen.  Like winning the lottery.  Or losing 10 pounds.  Or being on So You Think You Can Dance.

 

Just inside the classroom door, my dear friend Mattie found me during lunch one day and mentioned that she was anxious about her trip to Africa alone... and I volunteered to go...

 

I blinked, and it's three years later. 

 

Our classrooms are no longer side by side, but our daughters are.

 

God is so cool.

 

my princess

 

 

 

good hearts and tiny giants

Last night I prayed that Lucy and I would have good hearts, hearts that loved God and loved others well.

When it was her turn, she prayed "Help mama's nose a' be good, her butt..."

.   .   .   .   .   .   .

This morning, I asked if she had any dreams.  "Yes," she replied seriously.  "I dream 'bout GIANTS."  Her voice got squeaky-high.  "Liiiiitle-bity, tiny giants." 

imagination

Lucy has been using her imagination, which thrills me to no end!

I was cleaning up the kitchen and noticed that she was playing tea party/restaurant.  I tried to sneakily get it on video, and I was amazed that she just played and played.   Here is 15 minutes or so of tea party/restaurant play (squeezed into 30 seconds).  Notice that she appears to be still for about 1 second :)  (Also, I don't know if you can tell it, but she's wearing her pajamas and her white dress shoes.) 

 

Here's my favorite little bit:  (sorry for the dishwasher noise in the background)

 



She told them as they were eating that it was time to eat lunch and then they'd all take a nap.  So after they finished, she lined them all up and tucked them all in.

Her "dad", her baby, Duckie, her "mom", and Lucy, all tuckered out from their big restaurant outing.