According to a poster hung on the wall at the Magic House, the average four year old asks 437 questions per day. Isaac has been meeting his quota for questions everyday this week.
After the in-laws headed for the airport yesterday, we loaded up the kids and went for a little ride along the Mississippi to clear our heads. Isaac slept for a short while and awoke with a list of questions - most concerning God and how He makes things. It reminds me of the passage in Romans that says creation points to God. "That which is known about God is evident within them; for God has made it evident to them. For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have clearly been seen, being understood through what has been made..." Romans 1:19-20. Isaac was looking out his window, seeing all the passing trees, the birds and he had questions for everything...and I mean, everything.
As we were entering the rolling hills along the river...
"How did God make trees?"
"How did God make hills?"
"How did God make bigger hills?"
"How did God make soft leaves?"
"How did God make the whole world?"
As we drove through small towns with old buildings...
"Why did people live in this town a long time ago?"
"Where are those people?"
"Why do people die?"
"Why do babies grow up to be parents?"
"How did God make a person from dirt?"
As dinner time grew closer...
"Why are marshmellows called that?"
"Does God make bread?"
"Can God make a good salad?"
We all agreed that God can make a really good salad - complete with toasted bread and butter on the side. Then, we made our way home for dinner.
Questions continued on through the evening. Isaac always has a few held in reserve to postpone bedtime as long as possible and then....silence.
We are only given a few short hours before Isaac wakes up in the early morning to complete our indepth research that is required to properly raise a four year old. Between the Bible and the internet we should be able to stay one question ahead of him. Maybe.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Enough Already
I don't know about you all, but I'm tired of reading Al Gore's name at the top of my blog! Time for something new - but I'm too tired to be witty or even slightly clever, so how about short and sweet instead?
Brian is on vacation this week so after a single day of fishing last weekend, we have been banging through our painting projects on the main level. With painting comes the constant migration of things from room to room as the color goes up. I can't wait for the chaos to subside - in part, so I can show people more than one half of our house at a time! "Upstairs??? You want to see the UPstairs??? - Those stairs don't really go anywhere. They're there for decoration."
So, we are more than worn out from juggling paints supplies and three children...what a perfect time to have my in-laws out to the Midwest for a long weekend visit! It should be fun. We're going to run their little Italian/Irish legs non-stop - from the Magic House to the zoo...that's about it, right??? What else is there to do with in-laws in this area? I mean, this is the Midwest...and it is July. That means we have heat, heat and humidity...and more heat..then a thunderstorm and more humidity...then humid heat. Yeah, the Midwest...in July...with my in-laws...and the heat. Good times, good times.
I have more to write but all interesting topics will have to wait for tomorrow...okay, it IS tomorrow...I must...get...sleep.
Good night, all!!!
Brian is on vacation this week so after a single day of fishing last weekend, we have been banging through our painting projects on the main level. With painting comes the constant migration of things from room to room as the color goes up. I can't wait for the chaos to subside - in part, so I can show people more than one half of our house at a time! "Upstairs??? You want to see the UPstairs??? - Those stairs don't really go anywhere. They're there for decoration."
So, we are more than worn out from juggling paints supplies and three children...what a perfect time to have my in-laws out to the Midwest for a long weekend visit! It should be fun. We're going to run their little Italian/Irish legs non-stop - from the Magic House to the zoo...that's about it, right??? What else is there to do with in-laws in this area? I mean, this is the Midwest...and it is July. That means we have heat, heat and humidity...and more heat..then a thunderstorm and more humidity...then humid heat. Yeah, the Midwest...in July...with my in-laws...and the heat. Good times, good times.
I have more to write but all interesting topics will have to wait for tomorrow...okay, it IS tomorrow...I must...get...sleep.
Good night, all!!!
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Painting and TV-less Parenting
Brian and I finally tackled the main level of our house over the past couple of weeks with paint and lots of it. Whew!!! We started in the family room with a "soft" banana cream that turned out to be waaaaay more banana than cream. Then, we brought the wheatgrass color down from the hallway upstairs to finally (at last!!!) cover over the horrible red wall in the front room/dining room. The kitchen, completely by - no joke - Brian's choosing is blue...an electric sort of blue. Think Bahamas. So, our rainbow of colors that began upstairs has continued to the main level of the house.
Oh, and I can't forget the orange/melon color that beckons all visitors in the entry hallway. Brian put it this way...he had wanted a mellow color to greet guests with a whispering, "Hi, come on in. Have a seat." Instead, when the front door is opened the orange screams, "HI YOU ALL!!! HOW THE HECK ARE YOU?!?!?! COME IN! COME IN! COME IN!!!!" I love the colors and they are all growing on Brian. He doesn't have much wiggle room to complain since he selected the colors this time around.
With all our painting and rotating of furniture from room to room, we've had all our cable and internet wires disconnected during our mini room makeovers. This has meant zero television for the kids and quite an adjustment for Brian and I. I honestly did not realize how much tv the kids watched until it wasn't distracting them. For the first couple days the kids were bored, getting overly punchy with each other and complaining about not having anything to watch. Keep in mind, my kids are four and under! Because we had not intentionally limited their tv watching we had allowed some really bad habits to form. If the kids were fighting or getting overly hyper we'd turn on a show for them. If it was dinner time and we needed them safely playing out of the kitchen we'd turn on a show. If two children were napping and the third needed to stay quiet...yep, another show. Our children are so full of energy and imagination and rather than channeling it all into something constructive, Brian and I had become suckers for the idiot box (this being my mother's reference to the television set when I was a kid - and now, I couldn't agree more!).
So, anyhoo, by the third day a wonderful change occurred - the kids rediscovered their toys and began playing. I mean, really playing. They made up games with each other and played for hours together. One afternoon they amazed Brian and I when they lined up all the kitchen chairs to make a "pirate boat". While we painted, Isaac and Sophia fought off the "bad pirate", Baby Jack, who was trying to steal their treasure. Before the boat was fully constructed the kids were being very high maintenance - to the point that Brian had even wanted to hook up the tv just to get them to relax for a few minutes. But we opted to skip the tv and the kids had a blast playing with each other. Even Jack enjoyed himself once he became a "good pirate" and was allowed on the boat.
Brian and I aren't anti-tv by any means, but we are getting rid of cable. We don't need a tv babysitter so why should we be paying for one? We need to adjust and make more room in our lives for our kids and let them be kids (what a novel idea!). I don't see how the time they spend in front of the television fosters anything good in them - so we are on a new quest as parents to discover what will foster their energy and imaginations.
Who knew a decision to finally get some pretty colors up on our walls would change how we raise our kids!?!?! Now, I wonder what will happen when we clean out the basement!!!
Oh, and I can't forget the orange/melon color that beckons all visitors in the entry hallway. Brian put it this way...he had wanted a mellow color to greet guests with a whispering, "Hi, come on in. Have a seat." Instead, when the front door is opened the orange screams, "HI YOU ALL!!! HOW THE HECK ARE YOU?!?!?! COME IN! COME IN! COME IN!!!!" I love the colors and they are all growing on Brian. He doesn't have much wiggle room to complain since he selected the colors this time around.
With all our painting and rotating of furniture from room to room, we've had all our cable and internet wires disconnected during our mini room makeovers. This has meant zero television for the kids and quite an adjustment for Brian and I. I honestly did not realize how much tv the kids watched until it wasn't distracting them. For the first couple days the kids were bored, getting overly punchy with each other and complaining about not having anything to watch. Keep in mind, my kids are four and under! Because we had not intentionally limited their tv watching we had allowed some really bad habits to form. If the kids were fighting or getting overly hyper we'd turn on a show for them. If it was dinner time and we needed them safely playing out of the kitchen we'd turn on a show. If two children were napping and the third needed to stay quiet...yep, another show. Our children are so full of energy and imagination and rather than channeling it all into something constructive, Brian and I had become suckers for the idiot box (this being my mother's reference to the television set when I was a kid - and now, I couldn't agree more!).
So, anyhoo, by the third day a wonderful change occurred - the kids rediscovered their toys and began playing. I mean, really playing. They made up games with each other and played for hours together. One afternoon they amazed Brian and I when they lined up all the kitchen chairs to make a "pirate boat". While we painted, Isaac and Sophia fought off the "bad pirate", Baby Jack, who was trying to steal their treasure. Before the boat was fully constructed the kids were being very high maintenance - to the point that Brian had even wanted to hook up the tv just to get them to relax for a few minutes. But we opted to skip the tv and the kids had a blast playing with each other. Even Jack enjoyed himself once he became a "good pirate" and was allowed on the boat.
Brian and I aren't anti-tv by any means, but we are getting rid of cable. We don't need a tv babysitter so why should we be paying for one? We need to adjust and make more room in our lives for our kids and let them be kids (what a novel idea!). I don't see how the time they spend in front of the television fosters anything good in them - so we are on a new quest as parents to discover what will foster their energy and imaginations.
Who knew a decision to finally get some pretty colors up on our walls would change how we raise our kids!?!?! Now, I wonder what will happen when we clean out the basement!!!
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