m&ms

We stopped into Ace Hardware this morning.  Pulling into the parking lot, Molly inquired about m&ms.  On our last visit, I had told her that we would get popcorn.  They have free popcorn all day every day, except for our last visit (of course) when I had promised it to Molly.  So, I let her get some m&ms from a gum ball machine instead.  Getting out of the car this morning, she insisted on m&ms.  I told her that we were only going to get popcorn.  Again, getting a cart in the store, she saw the candy machines and asked for m&ms.  In response I handed her a bag of popcorn!  We browsed for a few minutes while she munched.  After we paid and were returning our cart she told me, "I changed my mind."  What kid changes her mind about m&ms?  How did I get so lucky for no toddler emotions to erupt during this whole exchange?

Off-Roading

Recently as when we've been out driving, Molly has implored me to drive on the grass.  Our conversations go something like this:

"Mommy, drive on the grass."

"No, honey.  Mommy might get in trouble."

"Try it.  Drive on the grass."

"I might wreck the car if I did that."

"Go ahead.  Try it."

She is persistent and very sweet in her requests.  It makes me smile.  Where did she come up with this idea???

Sweetie Girl

The top two pictures were from a set of about two dozen shots I took trying to get a nice one of her and her new kitty from KK and May May.  She will not pose for pictures for me!  I told her to sing a song, and that kept her sitting somewhat still while I tried to catch a good shot. 

The bottom one is from a ride in our neighbor's car.  We went with Molly's friend Rylee to the planetarium to see a Big Bird show.  The girls had fun, but we quizzed them at lunch, and they didn't seem to remember anything educational from the show! 

Toddler Irony

Silly girl!  Lately, we'll have just finished a large meal and get in the car when Molly announces, "I want something to eat!"

She's also been protesting naptime by a bout of emotional crying/whining, "I'm not tired!"   Oh, really?!?

I think we're also moving into the "Why?" stage.  We took a nice walk around Nanna's neighborhood last evening and our conversation was peppered with "why"s. 

Thought for the Day

I just finished reading Queen of the Road by Doreen Orion.  It was highly enjoyable, and even though it has nothing to do with the subject of the book, I had to share this quote:

If there is a heaven, this must truly be its essence:  to be loved.

Oh, how true I believe this to be!

Summer Rain

 

Temporary Mom

Our friend Mady has been staying with us since Thursday morning.  She's seven and has an older brother.  She's learning what it is like to have a toddler sister.  And, Molly is learning what it would be like to have a sibling. 

Sibling rivalry erupted quickly!  However, I am amazed at how many activities they can participate in together, even with the large difference in age.  We've been busy cooking, visiting the Farmer's Market, running errands, going to the McDonald's playland and two different parks, doing the kid's activity at Lowe's and then painting our projects at home, playing with a neighbor girl, reading books, visiting with my mom and her two friends from Michigan, playing Uno, soaking in the kiddy pool, singing, and watching videos while I clean, do laundry, empty the dishwasher and clean up potty-training accidents (Molly has been pretty distracted by Mady and has had some big accidents).

Tomorrow morning is the zoo, and then I'll be recovering.

Hope for Hurting Marriages

There are three reasons I really liked this book (A Time to Dance by Karen Kingsbury). 
1.  It was a page turner.  I really wanted things to work out for the couple in the story, Abby and John, who had let love and faith fade in recent years in their marriage.
2.  It holds marriage in esteem. 
3.  Many of the characters have an ongoing conversation with God.  It reminds me to practice being in God's presence throughout the day and pursue intimacy with him.

Alternatively, there are a couple things I didn't like about this book.
1.  It was very predictable.  I knew from the start that Abby and John would turn back to the Lord and each other.  It had the usual fairy tale ending.
2.  Even though the main characters had serious relational flaws and had lapsed in their faith, the main family in the story was too outwardly perfect- he was a handsome quarterback at the University of Michigan that as a coach achieved a high school state championship with his son as quarterback, their perfect son-in-law breezed through the bar exam, and they had a beautiful lakehouse and, of course, everyone is very good-looking.  At the same time, their daughter's new in-laws are hideously socially inept and out-of-style in many regards.

Minor irritations aside, I enjoyed the tale.  The story is mainly viewed from the perspective of Abby.  She is frustratingly stubborn as she refuses to listen to her husband's viewpoint.  I'm sure the author intended it this way.  It is probably a message for many of us wives to not be so quick to judge as we look at John with compassion even in the midst of his sins and struggles.  

It was an easy, pleasant read that will remind the reader's of God's patience toward us and hope for broken marriages. 

I was given a complimentary copy of this book to review as a part of my participation in booksneeze.com.

Random Pictures from the Last Year

Ice Cream!

Texas Sky

With Papa the morning after Katie and Jason's wedding

Happy Birthday Grandma!

See What I've Been Cooking...

Click HERE!

What Happens When Nanna Babysits

Biweekly Garden Photos

I love Texas!  I picked 16 jalapenos from my garden on June 10! 

We're enjoying basil and jalapenos right now.  I have about 6 small green tomatoes so far with lots of yellow blossoms.  The plants are taller than Molly now.  Tomatoes are difficult to grow in Texas.  These babies got shaded with a beach umbrella last weekend when the temps were over 100.  I'm praying that they stay healthy and productive.  There's a leak in the neighbor's sprinkler system that has resulted in standing water along our back fence for the last week.  Hopefully they get it fixed soon before my garden is affected. 

Cute DVD for Kids

Early in the tale entitled “Who is in Charge Anyway?” part of Max Lucado’s Hermie and Friends series, the viewer is introduced to a very cute flea named Freddie. In fact, I think he’s the cutest character in the movie. Freddie overhears a conversation that gets him wondering if he’s special. A conversation with God ensues. God speaks audibly as Freddie peers to the sky and listens. It is a little cheesy for me, but it is a neat way to get kids thinking about how God wants to interact with them through prayer. God points out the weaknesses and insecurities of the other bugs in the garden and highlights the way that He worked through them. Freddie is precious as he seeks to be significant to God.


My two year-old daughter warmed up to this movie right away even though she'd never seen any of the characters before. I showed it to her right after it arrived yesterday, and she’s asked to watch it several times. She could follow along with what was happening, but I’m sure many of the big lessons were too difficult for her to understand. She narrated what was happening in some of the scenes as she watched. It was heart-warming when she watched one encounter between Freddie and God and told me, “He’s talking to God.”

Check out this movie for your preschooler. It contains a good lesson also about telling others about God.

I received a free copy of this DVD as a part of my participation in booksneeze.com. The opinions are entirely mine!

Summer Fun