I just knew that Evelynn would love to see Alice in Wonderland! We have watched every preview available on YouTube and have watched and rewatched the Futterwacken scene many, many times. Over the course of the last two days, Evelynn has told me "When my daddy gets home, we're going to see Futterwacken." Yes, she has retitled the movie. Her eyes stay glued on the Mad Hatter while he is on screen and she loves Cheshire Cat.
Today was the big day for Evelynn and Caelan. I found a theater that was still playing "Alice in Wonderland," but they had to go to Lancaster to see it. Evelynn was quite animated about it when she got home. This is her summary:
"The Jabberwocky had little elbows, but he was big (demonstrates by throwing her hands out wide). He had really big wings that he flapped. He was a bad guy, and the Red Queen was with him. His tongue was like a tail. He licked with it. He went up the castle. The princess (Alice) waved the sword at Jabberwocky. His head broke. It came off. The princess broke his head. The Hatter did Futterwacken. And Daddy told me to be quiet."
No mention of the Cheshire Cat. Apparently the Jabberwocky is the new thing.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Thursday, April 22, 2010
He is happiest, be he king or peasant, who finds peace in his home.
Today was not peaceful and even less happy. Happy for some (in their mischief), but that happiness did not last. There are days I feel I'm banging my head against the Wall of Disobedience. I find myself thinking "What is there about this situation that you are not getting?" And then later, in desperation, I think "Are you just stupid? This is the bazillionth time in the last 30 minutes I have told you NOT to do that. And every single time you do it any way." It was an in-one-ear-out-the-other kind of day. I, as the Mom, did not exist (except when they wanted their basic needs met, like eating). Funny how that works.
I finally put them all to bed where they all played, got out of bed any way and I continued to put them back in. Consistency, I have found, is excruciating and exhausting. I don't like it. Not one bit. How is it that I refuse to back down all day, willingly choose to butt heads with my children and yet they have copious amounts of energy while I am ready for bedtime by two o'clock? Of course my children had their "Yes, ma'ams," their "Yes, you said to stay in bed," and the tears brought by discipline, but that did not seem to slow them in their antipathy toward instruction and discipline.
However, in all my frustration with my three children, I can only imagine what it would be like to be God as he considers the human race's antipathy towards obedience. I can envision him saying "Are you stupid? If you just did what I said, you would be at peace." While I wonder why my kids don't seem to be understanding that I have the authority to say 'yes' or 'no' and to instruct them in obedience, I have realized that I need to recognize the authority of His instruction. There's a peaceful household when my children are obedient and don't seek to test my will/patience, and there's a peaceful heart when I am vigilant and take the instruction He gives to me. Peaceful heart + peaceful home = happy.
"Listen my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold onto instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. For they cannot sleep until they do evil; they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body."
~ Proverbs 4:10-22
I finally put them all to bed where they all played, got out of bed any way and I continued to put them back in. Consistency, I have found, is excruciating and exhausting. I don't like it. Not one bit. How is it that I refuse to back down all day, willingly choose to butt heads with my children and yet they have copious amounts of energy while I am ready for bedtime by two o'clock? Of course my children had their "Yes, ma'ams," their "Yes, you said to stay in bed," and the tears brought by discipline, but that did not seem to slow them in their antipathy toward instruction and discipline.
However, in all my frustration with my three children, I can only imagine what it would be like to be God as he considers the human race's antipathy towards obedience. I can envision him saying "Are you stupid? If you just did what I said, you would be at peace." While I wonder why my kids don't seem to be understanding that I have the authority to say 'yes' or 'no' and to instruct them in obedience, I have realized that I need to recognize the authority of His instruction. There's a peaceful household when my children are obedient and don't seek to test my will/patience, and there's a peaceful heart when I am vigilant and take the instruction He gives to me. Peaceful heart + peaceful home = happy.
"Listen my son, accept what I say, and the years of your life will be many. I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble. Hold onto instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life. Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evil men. Avoid it, do not travel on it; turn from it and go on your way. For they cannot sleep until they do evil; they are robbed of slumber till they make someone fall. They eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence. The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness; they do not know what makes them stumble. My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body."
~ Proverbs 4:10-22
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
"Mom! She moves!!!"
That's what I heard from the living room as Evelynn frantically rushed into the kitchen. "You mean McKenna moves?" I asked. "Yes," Evelynn said emphatically," she's moving all over the place." So a new phase of life is looming on the Brannon horizon. We now have another mobile child. And yes, my response was similar to Evelynn's. She moves. Oh, dear. I knew this day was coming. As I watched the 'baby' of the family crawl all over the place today, I found myself thinking about how different my three children are from one another and how they interact.
Evelynn has always taken an interest in McKenna. She's very motherly and wants to help most of the time. She hugs, kisses, tickles and plays with McKenna many times throughout the day and loves to make her laugh. Of my three children, Evelynn and McKenna are very alike in personality. They are very contented, laid back children. They can sit in a place and be still for a long time, happily playing. I appreciated this fact as McKenna crawled to the foot of the stairs and gazed up at them for a while. She didn't feel the need to climb up them. She eventually crawled on to her basket of toys where she sat for nearly 20 minutes quietly playing. Then she moved into the kitchen where I showed her the 'little kitchen' and its contents. She played here for another 10 minutes or so. So far her mobility is not rocking my world and I pray this trend continues.
Caelan, on the other hand, prefers to have as little contact with McKenna as she possibly can. I'm thinking this is a middle child attribute or the mere fact that she is two and having a hard time dealing with anything right now. There are only a few times a day that she's interested in McKenna. Mostly when she tells her good morning and when she prays for her at night. Otherwise, Caelan keeps her distance. There are rare occasions when they play together for a few minutes, but interaction generally involves Caelan upset that McKenna touched her or is playing with one of her toys. My world would certainly become strained (to say the least) if McKenna were like Caelan in character. Caelan was crawling early on and had branched into the world of climbing well before she was ten months old. She climbed the stairs by nine months and has never needed to be shown what was in the 'little kitchen' or any other receptacle/cabinet.
I'm resting a little easier about having three mobile children based on what I have observed of my children's personalities. And who knows? Maybe I've spoken too soon. I sure hope not.
Evelynn has always taken an interest in McKenna. She's very motherly and wants to help most of the time. She hugs, kisses, tickles and plays with McKenna many times throughout the day and loves to make her laugh. Of my three children, Evelynn and McKenna are very alike in personality. They are very contented, laid back children. They can sit in a place and be still for a long time, happily playing. I appreciated this fact as McKenna crawled to the foot of the stairs and gazed up at them for a while. She didn't feel the need to climb up them. She eventually crawled on to her basket of toys where she sat for nearly 20 minutes quietly playing. Then she moved into the kitchen where I showed her the 'little kitchen' and its contents. She played here for another 10 minutes or so. So far her mobility is not rocking my world and I pray this trend continues.
Caelan, on the other hand, prefers to have as little contact with McKenna as she possibly can. I'm thinking this is a middle child attribute or the mere fact that she is two and having a hard time dealing with anything right now. There are only a few times a day that she's interested in McKenna. Mostly when she tells her good morning and when she prays for her at night. Otherwise, Caelan keeps her distance. There are rare occasions when they play together for a few minutes, but interaction generally involves Caelan upset that McKenna touched her or is playing with one of her toys. My world would certainly become strained (to say the least) if McKenna were like Caelan in character. Caelan was crawling early on and had branched into the world of climbing well before she was ten months old. She climbed the stairs by nine months and has never needed to be shown what was in the 'little kitchen' or any other receptacle/cabinet.
I'm resting a little easier about having three mobile children based on what I have observed of my children's personalities. And who knows? Maybe I've spoken too soon. I sure hope not.
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