a different set of rules...
People warned me about the twos, Annabeth. They've been nicknamed the "terrible twos," but they turned out to be terrific. A few hard moments were sprinkled in along the way, but just about a handful. "Wait until the threes," they said. "That's when it really gets hard." But we're a month into the threes and they've been thrilling. I don't want to speak too soon, but I think I might like the threes better than the twos, if that's possible. Honestly, I think perspective, personality, and parenting styles have a lot of influence on how things go.
I am past the point of being able to remember all of the amazing things you say and do between each post. I need to carry around a tape recorder 24/7 to capture them because there are so many. You are a little mini-adult. You are so independent and very capable, and you can carry on a conversation with anyone about anything. You also have a steel trap memory and can remember things from last year. It's quite impressive! You possess a lot of your dad's personality traits, but I'm starting to see a lot of mine come through these days. It may have something to do with the amount of time we spend together. Either way, you are a darling girl and I absolutely love watching you blossom.
You are so girly. You love to be a momma to your babies, and you've got down the "bounce-pat-shhh" pattern really well. You love dresses and jewelry and shoes and bags. You still won't let me put bows or clips in your hair, but maybe one day we can work out a little braid or something. You have learned a lot of new songs over the past few months since school and BSF began, and I usually hear you singing them at night in your bed. I bought a few CD's a while back of popular Bible songs and you not only know the words to each one but also the order, so we can't ever skip over one. You sing them at the top of your lungs in the back of the car. I have listened to one CD a few hundred times, but I'll listen to it a million more just to hear you signing and humming praises to God. You are a lover of justice, you know the rules, you like to enforce the rules, and you are honest. In fact, your teacher told me that you are the third teacher in the classroom. I totally believe it. You give me thorough daily reports about all of your friends and you love playing school at home so you can really be in charge. You still love going to the mall, but your favorite thing is the movie theatre (or the movie-ater, as you call it). Your dad takes you on a regular basis to buy popcorn and play in the arcade, and Grampy loves taking you on dates to see any new kid movie on the big screen.
You love people! You have a kind heart and you notice others around you. When you meet someone you always ask them their name and tell them yours. I will go ahead and say that you not only have the best manners and social skills of any three year old that I know, but of most people in general. In fact, it irritates me when people don't respond to you as if your little questions don't matter or they assume you don't understand what they're saying. Some people are just rude and unkind, but that doesn't mean you have to stop being outgoing and sweet. Our world needs more people like you so keep it up! You've already found many ways to make people feel special. Not only do you ask them their name, you usually complement them, too. You'll say, "I really like your....." and then find something about them or on them that you like. You complement me about a dozen times a day, and I love it! And if you see someone you personally know, you act as if you've just won the lottery by loudly announcing (with great excitement) "THERE'S _________! Let's go say hi!" These traits are invaluable, Annabeth, and these are the traits I hope you always keep.
We spent Monday night in the kitchen baking cookies. I honestly hoped to do the baking in solitude, but you were determined to join in on the fun. Pulling a chair from the dinner table across the kitchen floor and parking it next to me, you climbed up with great zeal ready to take over. I would measure out ingredients, you poured them into the bowl. Mixing was a joint effort, and you were certain you could handle the mixer on your own. I had visions of the bowl flying off the counter across the room, so I did my best to hold the bottom of the mixer without you knowing.
"Can we eat it now, Mommy?"
"No, we have to bake it first."
But I gave you a bite of dough. Let's be honest, that's the best part! Your little hands attempted to sneak back in the bowl over and over again for one more bite. I grabbed a wooden spoon to fold in the chocolate chips and you said, "Hold on, Mommy! Let me get my little wooden spoon. It's just like yours." Spooning chunks of dough into my hands, I formed each cookie and placed it on the baking sheet. Daddy walked into the kitchen, having just put Madelyn in her bed for the night, and you loudly announced, "Look, Daddy! We're making cookies! I'm cooking like Mommy!"
I slid the pan into the oven and set the timer. Turning on the hot water, I began cleaning off the dishes and I heard the chair scooting across the kitchen floor. This time, it stopped beside me at the sink.
"I'm going to clean my dishes off, too, Mommy. Just like you."
With the scrubbing brush in hand, you turned on the RO faucet and "washed" off your wooden spoon. You laid a towel out on your side of the sink, just as I had one laid on on my side, and set your clean dishes on it to dry. Cleaning our dishes, baking our cookies. Your daily imitation of me is incredibly flattering, and I'm tickled and honored, but I hope I'm not the example you choose to follow for the rest of your life.
"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ." - Ephesians 5:1-2
There will be many things in this world that compete for your attention and affection, Annabeth. And there will be people who tell you how to live your life. Influences from all sorts desperately attempting to sway you in their direction. They'll set rules and try to tell you what to think or believe, what's hot what's not, what's in what's out, what's right and what's wrong. But we play by a different set of rules, Annabeth. Why, you ask? Because we are following a different example.
This is a temporary life. Our time on this earth is simply the waiting room for eternity. And we will all spend eternity somewhere, either with God or separated from him. So what we do matters. What we believe matters. Who we follow matters. And how we live matters.
"So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly but understand what the Lord wants you to do...and give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." - Ephesians 5:15-17 & 20
These are the rules Annabeth. Not really rules, but guidelines. Wisdom. We are to know it. To apply it. To take advantage of it. To be intentional. To stand out. To be a light. To do what God wants. And to give thanks in everything. That's what sets us apart.
You've got the makeup of a leader, sweet girl. I can already tell. You possess so many great, strong qualities. People notice you, remember you, and pay attention to you. Others will follow your example. I want you to remember that. In everything we do, we are setting an example because people are always watching. Always noticing. Always learning. And so I pray that you'll always set a good example, Annabeth, and that you will choose to always follow the perfect example - our Lord, Jesus Christ!
I am past the point of being able to remember all of the amazing things you say and do between each post. I need to carry around a tape recorder 24/7 to capture them because there are so many. You are a little mini-adult. You are so independent and very capable, and you can carry on a conversation with anyone about anything. You also have a steel trap memory and can remember things from last year. It's quite impressive! You possess a lot of your dad's personality traits, but I'm starting to see a lot of mine come through these days. It may have something to do with the amount of time we spend together. Either way, you are a darling girl and I absolutely love watching you blossom.
You are so girly. You love to be a momma to your babies, and you've got down the "bounce-pat-shhh" pattern really well. You love dresses and jewelry and shoes and bags. You still won't let me put bows or clips in your hair, but maybe one day we can work out a little braid or something. You have learned a lot of new songs over the past few months since school and BSF began, and I usually hear you singing them at night in your bed. I bought a few CD's a while back of popular Bible songs and you not only know the words to each one but also the order, so we can't ever skip over one. You sing them at the top of your lungs in the back of the car. I have listened to one CD a few hundred times, but I'll listen to it a million more just to hear you signing and humming praises to God. You are a lover of justice, you know the rules, you like to enforce the rules, and you are honest. In fact, your teacher told me that you are the third teacher in the classroom. I totally believe it. You give me thorough daily reports about all of your friends and you love playing school at home so you can really be in charge. You still love going to the mall, but your favorite thing is the movie theatre (or the movie-ater, as you call it). Your dad takes you on a regular basis to buy popcorn and play in the arcade, and Grampy loves taking you on dates to see any new kid movie on the big screen.
You love people! You have a kind heart and you notice others around you. When you meet someone you always ask them their name and tell them yours. I will go ahead and say that you not only have the best manners and social skills of any three year old that I know, but of most people in general. In fact, it irritates me when people don't respond to you as if your little questions don't matter or they assume you don't understand what they're saying. Some people are just rude and unkind, but that doesn't mean you have to stop being outgoing and sweet. Our world needs more people like you so keep it up! You've already found many ways to make people feel special. Not only do you ask them their name, you usually complement them, too. You'll say, "I really like your....." and then find something about them or on them that you like. You complement me about a dozen times a day, and I love it! And if you see someone you personally know, you act as if you've just won the lottery by loudly announcing (with great excitement) "THERE'S _________! Let's go say hi!" These traits are invaluable, Annabeth, and these are the traits I hope you always keep.
We spent Monday night in the kitchen baking cookies. I honestly hoped to do the baking in solitude, but you were determined to join in on the fun. Pulling a chair from the dinner table across the kitchen floor and parking it next to me, you climbed up with great zeal ready to take over. I would measure out ingredients, you poured them into the bowl. Mixing was a joint effort, and you were certain you could handle the mixer on your own. I had visions of the bowl flying off the counter across the room, so I did my best to hold the bottom of the mixer without you knowing.
"Can we eat it now, Mommy?"
"No, we have to bake it first."
But I gave you a bite of dough. Let's be honest, that's the best part! Your little hands attempted to sneak back in the bowl over and over again for one more bite. I grabbed a wooden spoon to fold in the chocolate chips and you said, "Hold on, Mommy! Let me get my little wooden spoon. It's just like yours." Spooning chunks of dough into my hands, I formed each cookie and placed it on the baking sheet. Daddy walked into the kitchen, having just put Madelyn in her bed for the night, and you loudly announced, "Look, Daddy! We're making cookies! I'm cooking like Mommy!"
I slid the pan into the oven and set the timer. Turning on the hot water, I began cleaning off the dishes and I heard the chair scooting across the kitchen floor. This time, it stopped beside me at the sink.
"I'm going to clean my dishes off, too, Mommy. Just like you."
With the scrubbing brush in hand, you turned on the RO faucet and "washed" off your wooden spoon. You laid a towel out on your side of the sink, just as I had one laid on on my side, and set your clean dishes on it to dry. Cleaning our dishes, baking our cookies. Your daily imitation of me is incredibly flattering, and I'm tickled and honored, but I hope I'm not the example you choose to follow for the rest of your life.
"Imitate God, therefore, in everything you do, because you are his dear children. Live a life filled with love, following the example of Christ." - Ephesians 5:1-2
There will be many things in this world that compete for your attention and affection, Annabeth. And there will be people who tell you how to live your life. Influences from all sorts desperately attempting to sway you in their direction. They'll set rules and try to tell you what to think or believe, what's hot what's not, what's in what's out, what's right and what's wrong. But we play by a different set of rules, Annabeth. Why, you ask? Because we are following a different example.
This is a temporary life. Our time on this earth is simply the waiting room for eternity. And we will all spend eternity somewhere, either with God or separated from him. So what we do matters. What we believe matters. Who we follow matters. And how we live matters.
"So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly but understand what the Lord wants you to do...and give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." - Ephesians 5:15-17 & 20
These are the rules Annabeth. Not really rules, but guidelines. Wisdom. We are to know it. To apply it. To take advantage of it. To be intentional. To stand out. To be a light. To do what God wants. And to give thanks in everything. That's what sets us apart.
You've got the makeup of a leader, sweet girl. I can already tell. You possess so many great, strong qualities. People notice you, remember you, and pay attention to you. Others will follow your example. I want you to remember that. In everything we do, we are setting an example because people are always watching. Always noticing. Always learning. And so I pray that you'll always set a good example, Annabeth, and that you will choose to always follow the perfect example - our Lord, Jesus Christ!
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