I want to DO SOMETHING!

Sometimes I want to do more.  They are so many orphans, so many needy people, so many people who are homeless right here in our community.

I want to do something big for God.  I've been really stuck on Isaiah 58 the past few days - read it and you'll see why.  It is looking very "read" right now, with many parts underlined, and a couple notes in the margins. I believe I'll return to it tomorrow.

Sometimes I am bursting to do more.  But I don't think it's time, I don't have peace to jump forward.  Probably because I don't know what it is. But I want to do something.

So, I will support a couple who is doing something, something big. They have 6 kids - 4 adopted, 2 biological.  That warms my heart more than I can explain.  I first met them when she (Jami) spoke at a conference about being foster parents.  Now they're on the journey to adopt a child from Uganda, but they need $6000.00 more.  They need it soon, because their adoption paperwork is getting to the point where they need to pay.

Find out how you could support them by clicking here to watch their "home made" commercial...Speedy Sweep You Tube Video - Kaeb family style

or click here to read her blog and find more about the why and how they are doing this!

I Si-yus Me

Yesterday at church Silas ran up to a teacher, pulled off his name tag to show her, and said, "I Si-yus me."  Just in case you didn't know. :)

Today I got a funny report when I picked him up from school.  An old teacher of his, from when he was in the baby room, came up to him, knelt down at his level, and said, "Hi D____."  He literally turned his body 360 degrees as if he was looking around the room for someone of that name.  Then he pointed his thumb at his chest and said, "right he-yuh?  I Si-yus."  That totally cracked me up!  Not only does he know who he is, he's got some attitude and humor.  

So for anyone out there wondering if he transitioned ok to his new name...I'd say the answer is yes!


This Saturday Micah needed to work on a home project so I took Silas to the Children's Discovery Museum.  Now, anyone that knows Silas, or honestly anyone that meets him, knows within about two minutes that he is active.  I often hear the words "active" and "busy" from people as they describe him. Yep, I know.  I also know that he loves art.  This boy colors and draws and paints like nobody's business.  He actually prefers it to TV or iPad apps.  Oh yeah!  Anyway, he is typically moving from one thing to another, but on Saturday he literally spent 45 straight minutes painting at the CDM.  Painting includes spraying with water and wiping down the paint with a squeegee, and he quite enjoyed it!  See below.  Some day I'll post all kinds of pictures of his face, and funny videos (yesterday we got a great one of his making a huge mess eating chocolate pudding and saying, "Happy day, mommy!").  But for now, here's a strategic faceless picture that I managed to catch!

Life with this two year old is not always a bed of roses.  People often refer to the "terrible twos" and I don't like the phrase, but now I am hoping that it's true...because that means it will end.  Seems like there are all kinds of behaviors I could target, but in my job I've been taught to focus on three or less, to not overwhelm kids, to help them be successful.  Well, I picked a couple!  One is that he is often saying "no" when he really does want something, and "yes" when he doesn't.  It creates meltdowns when we follow through on the words he actually says.  I sat him down this weekend and told him that Jesus said to let your yes be yes, and your no be no.  I've explained it enough, and modeled it enough, that I think he gets it.  That doesn't mean he follows it all the time though.  He's testing us.  You say you don't want toothpaste and then you throw it...well, that means you'll have to brush with only water (sorry teachers, for his bad breath!)  When asked if you want milk or water, and you say you want milk, then you get milk, and can't keep changing your mind back and forth between the two.  "No milk.  Water.  No water."  Agh...but sometimes he makes great choices, and has the best laugh, and is a big helper, and says the sweetest goodnight prayers.  Seriously, when he requests to pray for a special person, or animal, or inanimate object, and then repeats our words to pray, I just melt.

It's worth it.