My "HOT" Kindergartener!

Growing up, I was notorious for telling on myself. I told my parents everything. Probably much more than they ever wanted to know. It's just how I was wired. Kate is similar. And I am thankful. Especially since she attends a Public School.

It usually takes her anywhere from a few hours to a day to open to me about something that was said or that happened at school. Especially if it's something that is potentially embarrassing for her.

Several months a go there was an "issue" with a little boy in her class. I had been hearing a lot of talk about "chasing & kissing" on the playground. It seems that kindergarten boys are more aggressive than I realized. It caught me a little off-guard. So we had the "these are the people you can kiss, and these are the people you can't kiss" talk. And here's what to say and how to handle the situation when it arises.

Okay, now we're all on the same page?! Good.

It was only a few days later. I don't remember how it all got started, but what I remember was Kate having a complete melt-down, face buried, shaking and sobbing in my lap. I asked her over and over what was wrong? She wouldn't tell me. Until Finally, I got it out of her.

Completely overwhelmed with emotion, she blurts out...
"Okay mom, I'll tell you. I kissed Braden. And I can't stop thinking about it. I think about it everyday and every night. How many more sleeps until I am going to stop thinking about it? Huh mom, how many? I don't want to think about it anymore, but I can't make it stop! I'll never kiss him again, I promise...."

Clearly she felt very convicted & very guilty. We had explicitly told her that she is not to kiss boys. Evidentally, Braden's electric blue eyes and fabulous tan were more than she could handle. But she hated how she felt as a result. She was obviously very sorry and wanting to talk to us about it. So Heath and I spent that evening talking to her and praying with her. She felt MUCH better when we were done.

A little while later, it came out that she had kissed him on his hand!!

So this evening we're getting ready to watch 'Elf' for maybe the fifth time this month (it's Natalie's favorite!). Heath is in the kitchen and Kate says to me,

"Mom, today a boy from room 6 told me that I'm the Hottest!"

"The Hottest? I'm not sure what that means."

"Really? You don't? It's means that I am the most beautifulest girl he has ever seen. He said so!"

"Oh."

"And Caden in my class told me that he thinks I'm TRIPLE HOT!"

And she began to spill more and more details of who said what to who and who thinks who is hot in kindergarten!

Then she says, "but don't worry mom, cause I learned my lesson!!! I am not kissing anyone again. Yep, I learned my lesson!"

In these moments, I am taken back to this past year as Heath and I diligently prayed asking the Lord...public, private or home school? He was clear. We obeyed. I find peace in that.

So Heath, Kate and I had a good talk about beauty, boundaries, boys, how special kisses are.....etc. I feel the pull right now. She's enamored by the attention she is receiving from boys at school. And she wants to process through it with me. Which I am thankful for. She is very open & very honest.

Heath and I are talking about where he could maybe kick it up a notch! He is appropriately very affectionate with all of the kids & verbally affirming, especially with the girls. He does spend quality time with them, but I am thinking that taking the girls on individual dates may be in order. I have always liked the idea of him taking them on "dates"to show them how they should expect to be treated by a boy. It's just a matter of doing it.

And I obviously need to start preparing for the BIG sex TALK because that probably needed to happen, like yesterday!

And as I am sitting here thinking to myself, "maybe I will just take her out of school and move our family to Alaska where we'll live completely isolated in an igloo, removed from all other civilization!" I realize that Alaska is not far enough, as this is NOTHING compared to what I am going to go through with the next child in line! Natalie will find a way to get attention from boys, even in ALASKA. So Iceland it is! That's it, I am off to pack our bags!



By the way - please don't mention any of this in front of Kate. Thank you :)

60 Food Boxes

Lilley (the liason between Hohokam, the families & OTBC), Rod, Jenet, Heath and Natalie

All sixty turkeys were DONATED

I am so proud of our church! Today I had the privilege of sitting in a Hohokam Elementary school classroom (the same classroom where our nursery is on Sunday mornings) amidst 60 OvErFlOwInG boxes of food that our church family provided. I was able to meet some of the families as they came to pick up their box and their gratitude was humbling. They were so appreciative.

I am especially thankful for Jenet Simmons, Tiffeny Basten and Rod Wilke who coordinated everything. They were so organized and enthusiastic about pulling all of this together. It was a blessing to serve along side of them!

Advent

My family didn't really acknowledge Advent when I was growing up. I actually just learned about it 5 or 6 years ago. However, it has become my most favorite part of the season.

I love the Jessie Tree that we put up in the girls' room, the symbolism, the joy of teaching my children, the enthusiasm in their voices as they begin to grasp the things we talk about and then try to articulate it for themselves. We look forward to this every evening. It keeps us focused on Christ. With everything else competing for our attention, our money, our affections and our worship, I am most thankful for this time of Advent as we anticipate the greatest treasure, the most valuable gift, our only hope, who is Christ Jesus.

The first Advent brought relief from our sins. The second Advent will bring relief from our sufferings. Come, Lord Jesus.

Please Translate

Tonight Natalie asked me is she could take her bath with Kate so that they could play, "Booty Swap."

Booty Swap?

Kate translated for me, "Beauty Shop!"

Oh, Phew!

"He is the happiest baby I have ever seen!"

I hear that almost everyday and don't ever get tired of it!
He is the happiest baby I have ever seen as well...
and looking so cute in his Christmas jammies!

My sweet smooshy (smoochable + squishy = smooshy) boy is 7 months. I can hardly believe it! He and I are so in love with each other, it's ridiculous! He just stares at me and smiles, mouth wide open! If we're in the same room and I am not holding him, he will look for me and just grin until he bursts into laughter. And when I smile back at him, he can hardly control himself! The other day Heath told me that for a brief moment, he mentally went through a checklist list of things that could potentially be "wrong with him" (because he's so happy all of the time) to see if by chance we missed something. There's not. He's just full of joy!

And I can't help but think, FINALLY! One of our kids wants ME!!!!

Just when I thought he couldn't get any more irresistible, he's sleeping through the night now (Thank you Jesus)!!! About 10 hours, 9-7.

And sitting up all by himself. Isn't he so handsome in that top picture?

At his six-month appointment he weighed about 17 1/2 lbs. which is average for boys his age. But evidently he's really "tall" and in the 97th percentile for his height (length - whichever!).

And scooting everywhere, but not crawling yet, which is FINE WITH ME!

However, there is another side to all of this.

Post pregnancy issues of Vanity....

Gaining weight, losing weight, not losing weight, my hair falling out, baby bangs, clothes that don't fit, skin that breaks-out, paper-thin fingernails and now, broken and missing eye-lashes...

SERIOUSLY!!

I remember when I got pregnant with Kate and was living in complete disillusionment, thinking that maybe I would look like one of the models in the pregnancy magazines and only gain weight in my belly! Several months into it I was wondering why they didn't put a panel in the rear-end of my jeans to match the one in the front. I don't know which side grew faster!

I've gone through it all twice before. But this time...it's worse!!

Gaining weight has been pretty consistent all three times. With the girls, I gained 35 pounds with each pregnancy. With Hudson, I did better gaining "only" 28 pounds. (And it would have been more except I was so sick the last week and didn't eat anything for 4 days, so I lost a few pounds).

Okay, here's the problem (besides the fact that I am 5 feet, ONE inch tall!)...I deliver almost 8 lb. babies. But about a week after I get home, I'll stand on the scale and inevitably it says I am down about about 6 lbs!! How can that be??? At bare minimum, shouldn't I lose at least the weight of the baby...not to mention all of the other "stuff" that came out too. So a few more pounds might happen to come off, but I am basically left to sweat and starve (not literally) to get the rest of it off.

And I am definitely not one of those girls who "the weight just falls off of me when I nurse!" Quite the opposite actually - the last 15 pounds sticks to me like a tick on a dog, until I am done nursing! But this time I resolved that I would not stop nursing because I wanted to start trying to lose weight. And I didn't. Hudson pretty much weaned himself a couple of weeks a go, which was fine, either way. I think he preferred how easy it came through a bottle.

BABY BANGS! Besides being left with these 15 pounds that I am going to attempt to rid myself of, I am in month 2 of this crazy 1/2 inch hairline! And it is so much worse this time around. After I had the girls, my hair just broke off in the corners and was a nuisance for a while. This time, it lines the full perimeter of my forehead. Why must it do that??? And have I mentioned at least half off my eye-lashes fell out while the ones left on my right eye broke in half, so not only am I dealing with bad hair-days, but with very bad mascara days as well!!

It's a good thing that I really do strive for inner-beauty first, allowing the Lord full access into every part of my life. And believe me, he has been doing some work!!

And my husband honestly has me believing he thinks I am the hottest thing he has ever seen!

Hudson clearly can't keep his eyes off me!

So I'm not feeling too bad! Obviously, Hudson is worth every pound, broken eye-lash and bad hair day! Obviously!

So I will be patient. Watch what I eat (but not obsessively). And exercise when I can.

Anyone want to go on a walk? Or a bike ride?

This evening we were trying to figure out what shirt Heath should wear for our Christmas card picture when he says so honestly...

"I can't wait to get to heaven cause then I won't have to think about fashion anymore. Jesus will just pick out what I'm wearing and it will be done with."

Sweet guy! I love his heart.

Seven

Happy Birthday Macy Bean!!!
We are thinking about you today as you turn 7 years old!
We love you!!