mudpies and paint

Today went very much like riding a roller coaster. Some very productive periods intermixed with some seemingly very unproductive periods. The morning was very quiet until 8:30, with all the girls sleeping in. Then they all woke up at the same time and somewhat cranky.

Shortly around the time they woke up one of Dh's friends stopped by with 5 bags of clothing and shoes for MB. This is a couple with one daughter who is a year older than MB. The wife loves to shop, and based on the bags of shoes must have a thing for shoes. The clothes were wonderful, and how this child manages to keep her clothes looking so nice I will never know. This is just one of the families that we tend to inherit clothes from and we are so lucky for that!! I don't like to shop and it saves us so much money. Money, which tends to be spent on the girls in many other ways.

MB was so excited with her "gift" that I think she ended up wearing four of the outfits before the day was over.

We were sluggish once everyone was up, so did not get to any schoolwork before we had to leave for my meeting. On the way to the meeting I had a very interesting conversation with MB. We were listening to one of my contemporary christian music cds and MB said "Mom, I don't think I believe in God." To be honest, I am not really surprised that this particular child is expressing this thought, but I didn't think it would be this soon. So, I asked why, and she responded, "well I just don't KNOW that there is a God."

Me: "I believe there is a God. What do you need to know that God is there?"

MB: "I can't hear God. I can't see Him."

Me: "There are a lot of things that you don't hear or see and you still believe in them. You have never heard Santa or seen the real Santa, but you believe in him."
I could have bit my tongue for that last sentence - putting God and Santa into the same sense. That may very well come back to bite me soon.

MB: "Yeah, but I get gifts from Santa."

Me: "You get gifts from God too. You and your sisters are gifts from God to your daddy and I. God created you and gave you the gift of life."

MB: "How did He create us?"

Me: "He was able to take two cells, smaller than the point of a pen and make them into you and K and EM. He gave each of you different hair and personalities even though you come from the same parents."

:Quiet:

MB: "How did the mommy cell and daddy cell get together for God to make a baby?"

:Pause:

Me: "That is a good question, and when we have some time alone I will tell you."

Unfortunately, at this point the only part of how a baby is made and is born that MB does not know is ..... So, I guess it is time for that talk, already - Wahhh.

The rest of the conversation then moved into MB reciting the birth process. But, that conversation stuck with me for most of the day. I have been thinking about how to teach and lead MB to belief. She is a very 'real' person and since she was an early preschooler I knew that at some point she may have to struggle with belief. That she may in fact have to travel through a period of wilderness in her own life to learn and feel and believe in the power and love of God. Much like myself. But, like any parent I don't want her to feel that pain. I would rather she be blessed with the comfort and knowledge of God from childhood. But, the honest fact is I can 'teach' and show all the devotions and bible stories and such to her, but it boils down to her heart, and over that all I have is the power of prayer.

The rest of the day was spent just trying to play catch up. When we got home MB did a whole lesson of Math on her own. She has figured out all of the concepts they are reviewing right now and required no help. Even on the word problems, which she cannot read, she has figured out that she only needs to look for the numbers.

Unfortunately, except for a little sight word work an some reading tonight, that was all the schoolwork we got to today. As I then spent the rest of the day trying to clean the house some. Of course I would clean an area only to come back to it being messed up again a few minutes later. Which, was of course frustrating. The worst was spending nearly an hour folding a HUGE pile of clean clothes only to have the puppy knock the ottoman that I was piling it on and knock it all back down into a pile on the floor.

The girls had fun playing in the warm rain, when I finally kicked them and the dogs outside.

Well, I need to stop procrastinating and get back to the housework. I still need to clean the kitchen, sweep the floors and get things together for the craft tomorrow. I also need to decide if we are going to make cookies and/or brownies in the morning for the snack or if we are going to have to go the grocery store to just buy instead.

Peace,

Amy