Don't Touch the Gifts Under the Tree...Until it is Time

This time of year is a perfect tangible representation of God's promises to us, that we must yet wait for. We are called to praise and thank God for the gifts we have yet to receive. Sometimes, I find this quite difficult. But, all month long, as presents began filling up the skirt of our tree, it dawned on me how we practice this act year in and year out. Let me explain:

Kit saw the presents with his name on them the first week of December. He had no idea what lived within the wrapping paper, but...

he knew he was getting gifts! He also knew that he had to wait for those gifts...Wait for what felt like an eternity to a four year old.

Quite frankly, it felt like an eternity to me, as well! I just wanted to watch him tear into his gifts!

The amazing thing: Kit thanked his Mommy and Daddy for his presents - prior to Christmas.

That is how it is with God and His promises to us. We may feel that we are waiting for a perceived forever, but everything is in God's timing -- And, God's timing is perfect. Not just for Him and His purposes, but for us. How wonderful is it that God cares so much for our well-being that He waits until it makes sense to give us our gifts? He has told us He will provide us food, shelter and clothing. He will also give us rest, strength and patience when we need it.

The next time I am frustrated with waiting on God, I am going to praise Him and thank Him for all He has done, all He is doing, and all He will do.

Santa, Jesus, and Kit

We have been struggling with the whole Santa thing since Kit was born. I personally have fond memories of believing in Santa, and even realized while I was young that he wasn't real. My husband was devastated when he found out Santa was merely his parents.

And, what about Jesus? How does Santa fit in with Jesus?

And the questions to come: If Santa isn't real, is Jesus? Is God? How do we know????

So...what do we do? How do we allow our children the fun and experience of Santa, while retaining the truth about this holiday, our Savior, Jesus Christ?

We told Kit that the idea of Santa is the spirit of giving, based off of a man named Saint Nicolas, who inhabited the spirit of giving to the less fortunate; which ultimately came from the spirit of Jesus, who gave the ultimate in gifts.

I am hoping that without creating a physical person who represents Santa Clause, revealing him in more of spirit form, with the idea of giving, Kit will be able to take the complete truth with understanding. The rest is in God's hands.

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never parish, spoil or fade... ~1 Peter 1:3-4

This gift of life after death began with the birth of a Holy Man, The One and Only Son of God.

Merry Christmas.

Batman Quilt Progress Report

The Batman Quilt

The inspiration for this quilt spawned from The Rustic Knight being adamant about keeping all clothing batman related, and me trying to figure out what to do with them that didn't include keeping them in a box, until Kit had children of his own. We bought Kit his new bunk bed a couple of months ago and decided he needed a new blanket to fit the new twin beds...

Lo and behold, a Batman quilt!

Keep in mind, I have absolutely no idea how to make a quilt.

 I am just sewing on a prayer, trusting that this will all work out...

Because I know it will be beautiful. And I know Kit will love this :)

Here are the materials used: 

Batman t-shirts, pajamas, and costumes...

Some clothing I had that I never wear, but
are the appropriate colors

We bought fleece material for the base of the blanket and batman material for the squares;
I have enough to make pillow covers. I bought a total of 5 yards for $35! 

"We Cannot Turn Ourselves Into Lego's, Only God Can..."

Last night, on our way home from a friend's house, my son started a conversation about God. 
Let me set the stage: 

Kit's birthday was a couple of weeks ago, and having received many Lego kits (superman, batman) he has been quite involved in playing with the Lego's, and learning all of their back stories. He retains this information so accurately, it blows my mind! Because of his interest and pure joy in playing with these new toys of his, they have been very prevalent in conversation. 

As I have mentioned before, I have struggled with how to talk God with Kit. My fear is that I could push him away from the idea of God, but I want Kit to have an intimate relationship with Him. Remember how I felt I was confusing Kit with God/Jesus? The Rustic Knight and I have been praying about this, asking God to show Himself to Kit in a way that works for Kit; to give us the words that Kit can respond to positively. Basically, we asked God to take over Kit's spiritual growth, because we have no clue how to do this correctly.

Time Out Becomes Focus Session

As I have mentioned before, The Rustic Knight and I have decided to home school. Kit is now four. We have also decided to forego traditional Preschool for various reasons. We have no schedule in place for 'school', but have implemented learning opportunities throughout our days, even if only for 5-10 minutes at a time.

About three weeks ago, we were nearing bedtime when Kit was having a hard time listening to me. Better said, his attention span in remembering to listen to what I just said lasted for what appeared to be mere seconds. He found himself in a time out due to this. We have a semi-foyer, covered in the most hideous blue wallpaper, lovingly referred to as the blue room; though it isn't a true room: there is a five foot wide opening from floor to ceiling, framed out and dressed with molding. Kit was to sit in the corner.

Kit sat, though he did not remain contained in one spot. He was loud, making all sorts of noises, and he kept spinning on his bottom, kicking his legs around, going a little crazy with energy. Not the point of a time out; and certainly not listening to his mother. So, I decided to turn this timeout into a focus session...

Rainbow Forest

Painted by Paisley Butterfly. Photo taken by Paisley Butterfly

It has been awhile since Kit and I have done an art project 

and today seemed to be the perfect day to do one together :) 

Painted by Kit. Photo taken by Kit

B.Y.O. Pizza & Pie Sleepover :)

Build Your Own Pizza & Pie!

Kit will be four in August. My friend's youngest child will be four in June. My friend and I were pregnant together, and our children have grown up together. May was the first time they'd had a sleepover together. And it could not have been more perfect!

Originally, I was planning on ordering pizza. Then, I remembered how much fun I'd had growing up when my parents would have homemade pizza nights. I took that memory a step further and thought, How much fun would it be to have them make their own pizzas AND pies?

The sleepover was to commence on Friday. I realized we had half of the ingredients necessary for such an activity:

1. Fruit was residing within  my freezer and fridge: peaches, strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, blueberries, oranges, and grapes.
2. I had all of the fixings for homemade pizza sauce: a can of crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, oregano, parsley, basil, and garlic and onions.
3. Cheese! It was pre-shredded, and I had a couple of varieties.  

Kit and I went to the grocery store on Wednesday to pick up the remaining items we needed. This provided much fun, allowing Kit to participate in making decisions for his big night. The items we stocked up on were as follows: 

1. Pizza dough -- I wanted to save time, so I bought pre-made pizza dough. Regular for the kids, and wheat for the grown up ladies...all of which turned out delicious!
2. Pie crust -- I've tried making this from scratch, only to fail. Someday I will master a homemade pie crust, but this was not the event to perfect such a recipe. 
3. Yogurt for the pie sauce.
4. Mushrooms and sweet bell peppers.
5. Sausage and pepperoni.

God Too Big? Start With Jesus...

My husband and I have invited God into our child's life from before we decided to get pregnant. Truth be told, we had been married one month when we came up with a boy's name. We both picked the same name...

Fast forward four years later, we have a conversation about trying to have a child -- we both heard God tell us it was time. When we tried, it just happened. It was God's will. We were elated to find we were having a boy, seeing as how we had known his name since the beginning of our marriage. 

Prayer has been a vital part in our parenting style. We want Kit to carry Jesus in his heart, know God intimately, and be the person God needs him to be. I do not want to subject my child to my ideals of what he could or should be based on my selfish needs. So, I pray that God raises Kit through the use of me... 

Now, let's fast forward another four years. My son is almost four. We have talked about God and Jesus to him since his birth, in an effort to share the ultimate in love with him. I have sung Jesus Loves Me, This Little Light Of Mine, and Amazing Grace as his lullabies at night. He understands that the representation of the cross is Jesus; meaning that when he sees a cross he calls it Jesus -- it's a start. I ask him where Jesus lives, he points to his chest and says, "Here, in my heart." 

This all warms my heart...

A Very Long 48 Hours

While at work -- I am a server at a local restaurant, and I absolutely love it :) -- my husband (whom from now on shall be named The Rustic Knight) surprised me by stopping in for lunch with our three year old (to be named Knight In Training, aka Kit -- which is so perfect, for my husband loves Knight Rider). They had just finished grocery shopping and playing at the park, it was Sunday and I had already been at work for four and a half hours with six to go. His timing could not have been more perfect! It was the lift I needed to carry me through the rest of my shift.

The downside? My son was showing signs of a cold.

After picking me up from work around 8:30 p.m., The Rustic Knight and I took turns nursing our sick child throughout the night. To give my husband a reprieve, I took the first shift upon arriving home. This involved medicine, wiping Kit's nose frequently, helping him to stay in an inclined position, and much cuddling. The kind of cuddling that involves wrapping my arms around him as if I am his blanket; though, he must have his blanket. He began to fever, we drew a bath, our son was not happy once he entered. We made him stay in to drop his temperature and clear his sinuses. Ten minutes later we saved him from what became torture in his eyes.

The Time Tote

Since my husband and I have decided we are going to homeschool our child, we did not sign him up for preschool. He already knows his alphabet, whether the letters are in or out of order, capital or lower case. He knows his shapes and colors, and can count to fourteen. We figured since we introduced learning into everyday activities with the intention to homeschooling we didn't need to spend the money for preschool. For those of you big on socialization, fear not for he does wonderfully with other children. My child has no qualms about introducing himself to new children and plays wonderfully with his friends. 

We recently had a discussion about what to focus on currently in order further his foundation prior to kindergarten, coming to the conclusion that it was time to concentrate on the numerical value of numbers: the number ten looks like 10. I tried using children's books we own about counting and numbers, but his attention span wavered. The process became quite frustrating. This past Monday I took my three and a half year old to the local library to check out the upcoming events calendar only to be pleasantly surprised at a section completely dedicated to homeschooling! Not only are there books for parents wishing to homeschool offering guidance in what to expect, but there are topic oriented totes available for checkout, too. The topics range from transportation to weather, bugs to music, and weights and measures to history. The totes are all labeled with the age group they are geared towards, containing a compilation of more than a dozen books with flashcards, toys, puzzles, and/or pictures to provide a completely rounded out lesson plan. 

A couple of days later, we returned to the library for Storytime. Upon perusing the tote section I noticed the Time Tote. This tote was not available our previous visit and I decided to snatch it up thinking it would be a benefit to our current course study. The Time Tote provided: a toy clock revealing hours and minutes, day and number flash cards, monthly boarders, and almost twenty books about the seasons, telling time, days, weeks, months, nighttime verse day time, and the difference between yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Really, anything that one can relate to the passage of time is represented within this tote. 

The clock proved to be a pivotal object in helping bring out the excitement of learning what numbers look like in my son. It has allowed the process to be less structured and boring, and more interactive and fun. What is amazing to me is how God aligns things within our lives to further a purpose. Today, which is two days from the bringing home of the Time Tote, I saw a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse episode that involved Mickey and Donald Duck maneuvering their way through a wonderland and decided to record it for my son to watch when he woke. After he was up and fed, we watched it to find the show revolved around a clock and learning how to tell time. This was perfect! We grabbed the toy clock from the tote and played along with the show allowing the cartoon to become interactive. We watched the show twice, resulting in a two hour lesson about numbers at the request of my son, when prior to the Time Tote I had a hard time holding his attention for even five minutes -- It was an awesome experience! I fully believe God was behind the coming together of these events to help further my son's understanding and enjoyment of telling time, and in associating the numerical value of a number to its name :)

Paper Towel Roll Finger Puppets

Last week, my son and I were playing on the floor flipping through various High Five magazines. He was determined to find stories he wanted me to read and puzzles he wanted to play. In the back of these magazines are craft projects and one such project caught my eye: making monsters out of paper towel rolls. Unbeknownst to my son, I was going to change up our original plan of reading and doing puzzles. The craft bug hit me hard! It wasn't difficult to get him on board with me. Actually, I think it excited him more than reading and puzzles: he was going to get to use scissors! 

Unfortunately, I did not have all of the items they called for to make such monsters, but I was determined to find a way to make something with paper towel rolls. Rummaging through my craft supplies I found a plethora of buttons, water color paint tablets, skewers, and random miniature bows and thread. Other supplies included: two pairs of scissors (an adult pair for me and a child pair for my son), glue, markers, and paintbrushes. All of which I had on hand. Here is how we made them together:

1. I cut the paper towel roll into quarters and pinched the tops. 
2. After filling a cup with water for the paint (he was proud to have done this by himself), we painted our puppets. 
3. Once dry, under the supervision of my son I placed drops of glue for the button eyes and bow tie mouths.
4. Then, I handed my son a piece of paper from when I had calibrated my printer (it had a bunch of successive dashes) to first color, then practice cutting along the lines in hopes of creating sashes. 
5. Meanwhile, I poked the holes for the arms, again allowing my child to chose their placement. 
6. Upon completion of cutting and coloring we glued the sash. 
7. Finally, after I cut the sharp ends off of the skewers, I shoved them into the holes using twisty ties to fasten them to each other inside of the puppet body. This helped in preventing them from falling out.
8. Completed, we placed the puppets on our fingers and played!

There are many supplies that can be added or used to replace the items above. Colorful pipe cleaners would make wonderful limbs and can twisty themselves. If you have little eyes feel free, but don't be afraid to be creative. Popcorn kernels, seeds, or beads would make great eyes or mouths. One could use macaroni noodles, construction paper, glitter, etc. to dress the puppets. Look around your house and see what you can transform into body parts. Envisioning something with new purpose is half the fun of crafting!!

Without cost, my son and I enjoyed an art project that allowed him to exercise practice in using scissors, making choices of color and placement, and creating something from nothing. Through this experience, he was rewarded with not only new toys, but a sense of accomplishment :)

"Will You Please Stop Saying No To Me?!"

This is the most common phrase coming out of my three and a half year old's mouth, as of late. It is adorable. He is so passionate about being heard and listened to, and clearly frustrated that I am not giving him what he wants, when he wants it. Hand gestures often accompany his expressive face...

From saying no to playing a game online, to saying no to a snack, my child is having trouble accepting that Mommie is keeping something from him: what he understands as something good. He has yet to grasp why I say no. Of course, that's my job as a parent: To explain the why's to him, in order to help him comprehend the bigger picture: what is beyond the actual object that is being kept from him. 

Just yesterday morning, my son asked if he could play a game on the computer. We have two programs downloaded on our computer that don't involve accessing the internet. I said yes, but that it had to be one of those games. I listed his options; he asked for games on PBS. I said that was not an option, and stayed firm. This resulted in him yelling at me, "Will you please stop saying no to me?!" Then, he threw himself on the ground, kicking his feet while crying into the carpet. Ah, another tantrum :) Ok, I'm not really smiling...well, I kind of am. How does a parent not find the humor in a tantrum? 

I tend to handle tantrums in two different ways, depending on the surrounding circumstances. If it's derived from his need to get some sleep, I send him to his room, and sometimes cry and whine in his manner, which elicits a good old laugh from him. He is then calmed enough to pretty much pass out by the time I've made it down the stairs. Or, I'll just make him lay his head down on a pillow with his blanket. 

If it's from his need to push boundaries, coupled with his lack of acceptance, as a way of asserting his independence, I'll pick him up and set him somewhere void of stimulation. He stays until he is over himself and willing to accept my terms. I will say, there are moments he is quite apt at negotiating terms, and depending on how well he has articulated himself and his case, I will meet him halfway. Hey, we all need to learn how to negotiate...but this is about when he just won't listen, and there is a clear reason that I am saying no. 

Now, the two main issues I have with him when it comes throwing tantrums are when he doesn't get to play with/how/when he wants (as mentioned above), and when I deprive him of food he feels necessary to his well being... 

He actually said to me the other day, "Mommie, I am going to die if I don't eat. My stomach hurts because I'm hungry..." He possessed a sad look on his face, with a slight whine to his voice as he held his stomach. He can be very theatrical. By the way, he had just eaten a full lunch of spaghetti with fruit and buttered bread an hour and a half prior to this complaint. A part of me is so proud that he understands the need of food - in moderation is where his understanding is deficient. Explaining to a three year old how digestion works, and why he has to wait to eat again, is very taxing. Not to mention explaining that just because you are aware of your tummy does not equate a tummy ache. And, not all tummy aches are derived from hunger. All I can do, is explain the best I can, and the next time he approaches with the same complaint, I reiterate...Having a child requires one to repeat. Repeat. Repeat. 

It can be very frustrating to constantly repeat one's self. Again, it comes with the territory of being a parent. And, quite frankly, I appreciate my son's comfort in asking questions in an effort to further his comprehension of his place in this world. 

What I appreciate about my son asking me to stop telling him no? He is expressing his frustration with hearing the word No from Mommie, and seeking understanding in why Mommie said no. He doesn't always accept it, though he doesn't have much of a choice, and eventually does come to acceptance. Even if it's short lived. We are communicating, participating in a dialog. I hope this line of communication continues throughout his life. I know I am going to scar him, no matter how hard I try not to; but, if he knows that no matter what, Mommie won't run away or shut him down because he made his feelings known, all the better.