Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Family Night

Our family night last night was so fun.  Over dinner we found out that Jessie had a midterm test in religion this week.   She said the test covered everything from the Old Testament through Paul.  I was asking her some questions and was convinced that she needed some extra practice.  I pulled some Bible trivia questions off the internet and we had a boys vs. girls competition.  In the end, the girls one by one point.  That's a good thing.

I thought I'd post some of the more creative answers of the night.

Whose birthday is at Christmas time?
Robbie's answer:  "Who is Jesus?" (We're not on Jeopardy)

What holiday remembers Jesus' crucifixion?
Jessie's answer:  "Black Friday"   Hmmmm.....?

Name three of the plagues God sent to the Egyptian people to convince the Pharoah to let the Hebrew slaves go.

Jessie's answer: "Black Plague"
Sam's answer: "Fiery Darts"
Jen's answer: "Meteors"

What means of execution did the Romans use to kill Jesus?
Robbie's answer:  "Crown of Shame"

Notice that all of the answers came from the father and the three oldest children.  Needless to say, we laughed an awful lot.  It was some good family time that now has some funny memories attached.  Perfect!

I love my family!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

The Day Will Bring Some Lovely Thing

I love this poem.  The kids and I have memorized the first stanza.  We're working on the rest of it.  For two weeks now, I have been writing in my journal about the lovely things of my day.  Something that caught me "unaware".  Sometimes I only have one thing to write, sometimes two or three.

For instance:  finding Lili standing up in her crib talking to herself after a nap, myriads of birds in the backyard after a snowstorm, tossing out peanuts to the bluejays and watching them dive to get them and fly them back to a high branch to eat, giggling with a lady at the craft store because we were both singing a BeeGee's song playing over the speakers.  

Just cute and fun things like that.  Sometimes my lovely thing is a little more poignant, like: receiving an answer to my prayers or hearing Joey read and retain.

I encourage you to try and do the same.  It's kind of a twist on things you're grateful for, I think that's an important one too, but I'm liking the review of my day to remember "some lovely thing."

The Day Will Bring Some Lovely Thing ~
by Grace Noll Crowell

The day will bring some lovely thing,
I say it over each new dawn,
Some gay, adventurous thing to hold
Against my heart when it is gone,
And so I rise and go to meet
The day with wings upon my feet.

I come upon it unaware,
Some sudden beauty without name,
A snatch of song, a breath of pine,
A poem lit with golden flame-
High tangled bird notes keenly thinned
Like flying color on the wind.

No day has ever failed me, quite
Before the grayest day is done,
I come upon some misty bloom,
Or a late line of crimson sun.
Each night I pause, remembering,
Some gay, adventurous, lovely thing.



Monday, January 17, 2011

More on Liliana

I'm counting today as her official sit-up-from-lying-on-her-stomach day.  January 17, 2011 She's 8 1/2 months old.

I may count today has her official crawling day as well.  She goes about 3-4 little crawls at a time.

Today is also her official pull-herself-up-on-the-furniture day.  Just to the standing point.  She can't actually crawl up onto the furniture.

She's just growing by leaps and bounds.  I'm sorry to see my little baby changing to rapidly.  I'm happy for her but sad for me.  What a selfish mom I am.