Me and my baby

Typically my 3 little boys take afternoon naps. And typically they take their naps all at the same time.


Yes, AT THE SAME TIME.


I just had to repeat it.



It works out this way almost every afternoon, although Isaiah is just about past afternoon naps I think. But the Lord is so gracious in allowing me a little reprieve every afternoon. (Isn't it amazing how He cares for all those little details of our lives?) I use the 1-2 hours to do my devotions (if I didn't wake up early to do them) exercise, clean house, and dinner prep without little ones underfoot (literally!!)


But this afternoon, Noah woke up a bit earlier than the other boys, so we enjoyed some "mom and me" time together-- just talking, laughing, and smiling at each other. Oh, and I should mention there was a fair amount of kissing too.


Afterall, who can resist cheeks as cute as these??

Alone time

Last night I went shopping.



The kind that doesn't involve a shopping cart and groceries. The kind where you browse and linger. The kind where you try on clothes and matching shoes. The kind where you aren't trying to keep 3 kids quiet with pretzels and lollipops.




That's right. The kind of shopping that only takes place when you're ALONE.



And what a pleasure it was.



Don't get me wrong: I love my kids so much that it brings tears to my eyes. I love my kids. But I'll tell you, last night, "real store" shopping brought tears to my eyes too. Yes. It was that good.



My house guests said I could go again tonight. Ahhh. Don't pinch me, lest I discover its only a dream!!

My little reader

After tiring himself out in the backyard pool, Joshua wandered inside



and this is how I found him

It still cracks me up that the books trumped the swimming pool. The super cool alligator pool at that.

I'd say he's just like his mama, but then I think if it was me, I'd do both at the same time. There's nothing like reading a book while dipping your feet in the pool.

May, June, and...

Should I just include the July books in here as well? Or should I say, book (singular). As you may have guessed, I didn't do so well reading in my spare time the last month or so. But then, what spare time?? We packed our entire house, moved across the country, unpacked our entire house, had 2 vacations, and pretty much started over in getting settled and calling a place home.

That aside, I'm looking at the stack of books above, and I think there is still 13 books there!! So as far as the total goes, I'm still racking in a book a week... I just haven't completed reading a book the entire month of July. Yet.

Anyway...

• The Yearling by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings-- perhaps one of the best written novels I've read in quite some time. A beautiful story that is both clearly and capitivatingly written (is that a word?). It's a Pulitzer Prize winner as well, which it definitely deserved. Great story. Long book. (400 pages??)

• Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya-- another novel (!!!). The story is set in India and replays the life of an Indian woman and the daily trials and challenges she faces.

• Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carol--I've read this book before and never much liked it. And I was reminded of that again this time too. Literary nonsense just... doesn't make sense to me.

• Redemption Accomplished and Applied by John Murray--this book is not an easy read!! However, it is still well written and gave me not only greater knowledge but also a greater appreciation for the greatness of our salvation by our Redeemer.

I finished off the Laura Ingalls Wilder Series and had a great time strolling down memory lane. No matter how many times I read these books, I think they will always remind me of my childhood.

• By the Shores of Silver Lake
• The Long Winter
• Little Town on the Prairie
• These Happy Golden Years
• The First Four Years

Then I also read:

• Christian Baptism by John Murray-- okay, so I only read a portion of this book and I'm not sure when I will finish it. But it sits on my bedside table just waiting for me to open it.

• Turning on the Light by Carol Ruvolo-- this is a great book that guides and instructs on how to read the Bible. It provides an excellent grounding for studying, interpretting, and applying God's word.

• The Crazy Makers: how the food industry is destroying our brains and harming our children by Carol Simontacchi--- a very interesting book about how the food we eat (and the food we feed our children) affects our growth, development, cognition, among many other things. It dealt with things like preservatives, organic foods, baby formula to name a few. I found the book to be really quite fascinating and eye opening. I can't say that I jumped on the bandwagon, but it definitely encouraged me to think twice about the food I eat and what I feed my kids.

• Mothers of Influence ---this book is one of those gifty kinds of book that people give you at a baby shower. It is filled with short stories about different people (mostly famous ones) and how their mother's helped shape their futures (e.g. Corrie ten Boom, Condoleeza Rice, Laura Ingalls etc). I learned a lot and enjoyed the stories.

And that's about it. But... July is not over and I have a couple other good reads going. I do so love to read. If only there were more hours in the day!!

The straight and narrow

Lately, for Isaiah, it's all about opposites. Life is about being righteous or evil, going to heaven or hell, or following God or Satan. Last night was a prime example. A sweet and amazing example. 3 year olds don't miss much, that's all I can say.

As I was getting boys ready for bed, Isaiah came and sat next to me on the floor. He put his legs out straight in front of him, and wiggled his toes.

"Mom," he said," I'm just going to put my legs out straight...and I'm not going to bend them. I'm going to keep them straight"

"That's great, Isaiah. It's fun to sit with straight legs," I replied.

He said, "Yeah, because... I want to keep my legs straight, and not let them be crooked. Because, well, I want my legs to be straight, like the straight and narrow path to heaven. And I'm not going to have my legs be crooked... because the crooked path leads to hell."

"That's right, Isaiah!!"

"And... Mommy?? I don't want to have crooked speech either. Because bad guys have crooked speech. And that means that they tell lies. And that breaks God's law."

I love these deep conversations with my 3 year old. And I'm so glad that he's been paying attention in our family devotions through Proverbs. The book is so full of contrasts that capitivate my young childs mind.

Proverbs 8:8-9

"All the words of my mouth are righteous; there is nothing twisted or crooked in them. They are all straight to him who understands and right to those who find knowledge."