12 September 2010
Soccer Practice
This photo pretty much sums up the soccer year for Joshua and Hannah. Joshua making an aggressive play in the back ground, Hannah in the foreground doing somersaults, but enjoying her outfit and being part of the group.
A Mother's Letters to Her Children
August 31, 2010
Joshua and Hannah,
This evening we went out to dinner. On the way home from egg fried rice and cold noodles, we ran into our Deaf neighbor whom we see constantly now. David had just been saying we should have him over this week. He was headed home. “Here?” I asked. “Sure, come on up and see,” he offered. And you kids turned on a dime and we all headed upstairs.
Hannah, you signed to him about his dog. Joshua, you ate the truffle he offered you without making a face. In fact, you held it in your mouth the rest of the time we were in his apartment (no one noticed, because you didn’t have to speak!) and you only spat it out when we left the building. That was a sacrifice that made me so proud of you.
And Hannah, you walked right up to him and asked him if he were a believer. “I’m buddhist,” he said. So discerning of you, little one.
HIs name is “King* Trust* Happiness” but the nick name we gave him is Henry. We exchanged phone numbers and left.
Meeting him was God’s gift to me, and your respect of him and care of him honored me. So proud of you both.
July 24, 2010
Hannah, I could spend all day with you and never tire of you. The best place for you to be is with me. Alone, you cut holes in the wall, mix fish food in with legos and never tell, or sneak cookies. I have to keep an eye on you, and I enjoy doing so.
This summer we have taken it slow, mornings go best when you wake up with snuggles. Some mornings that means I come in and snuggle with you, but most mornings you come snuggle with me. I wake up with you nestled in my arms.
And bedtimes you absolutely love being read to. “Mommy, will you read me a story!” you call. Inevitably your brother’s curiosity gets the best of him and he crawls in your bed for the story, as well.
You love to be held, so much so that today walking home from lunch when I asked you, Hannah, what is your favorite age so far?” you replied, “Zero!” And I knew exactly why. You love being held, cuddled, carried, nestled. And that is pretty much all that zero-year-olds do! And I’ve been looking for ways to connect with you. Pulling you onto my lap during Sunday morning gatherings, holding you close during movies, putting my arm around you during book reading. I want you to know you are safe, loved, and valuable. Not go looking for physical attention elsewhere.
You are starting your last week at your local kindergarten next week. You’ve been going there almost half of your life! Age 3 to age 5 and a half! You speak with a lovely accent and are quick to make friends. We love going out for local food together. Duck, san xian sheng dofu, eggplant “qied za”, fried hashed brown potatoes cut like a pizza, (and Joshua gets cold, vinegary cukes). You know how to eat with chopsticks an dhow to say, “no MSG, no hot spice!”
You’ve learned to roller blade this summer, just like your big brother. You can stomp around the cones, although setting up the cones is the most fun, and make “lemons”. When you fall down making lemons, I call that “making lemonade”. You can fall down without getting hurt and you enjoy all the equipment you have to wear: pink, pink, pink, pink, pink!
Your favorite Bible story is Mary and Martha. You have a picture in your little picture Bible of Martha stirring angrily. “She has a bad attitude” you recited when you were little, a phrase you heard often.
You love praying, and your prayers generally go like this, “Dear Jesus, thank You for this yummy food and yummy drink and please help all the people who don’t know about You to know about You, and all the people who do know about You to obey you!” Then you pray for sick people. You came up with this simple prayer on your own. You love Jesus and God and I am praying that one day soon you will come up to me about your sin problem and together we will ask Jesus to take the punishment for your sins.
Heavenly Father, knowing that it was Your hands that made Hannah, and Your plan that placed her in our home, I ask that You would convict her of her sin and give me wisdom as to how to parent her. In Jesus’ name, Amen!
Joshua and Hannah,
This evening we went out to dinner. On the way home from egg fried rice and cold noodles, we ran into our Deaf neighbor whom we see constantly now. David had just been saying we should have him over this week. He was headed home. “Here?” I asked. “Sure, come on up and see,” he offered. And you kids turned on a dime and we all headed upstairs.
Hannah, you signed to him about his dog. Joshua, you ate the truffle he offered you without making a face. In fact, you held it in your mouth the rest of the time we were in his apartment (no one noticed, because you didn’t have to speak!) and you only spat it out when we left the building. That was a sacrifice that made me so proud of you.
And Hannah, you walked right up to him and asked him if he were a believer. “I’m buddhist,” he said. So discerning of you, little one.
HIs name is “King* Trust* Happiness” but the nick name we gave him is Henry. We exchanged phone numbers and left.
Meeting him was God’s gift to me, and your respect of him and care of him honored me. So proud of you both.
July 24, 2010
Hannah, I could spend all day with you and never tire of you. The best place for you to be is with me. Alone, you cut holes in the wall, mix fish food in with legos and never tell, or sneak cookies. I have to keep an eye on you, and I enjoy doing so.
This summer we have taken it slow, mornings go best when you wake up with snuggles. Some mornings that means I come in and snuggle with you, but most mornings you come snuggle with me. I wake up with you nestled in my arms.
And bedtimes you absolutely love being read to. “Mommy, will you read me a story!” you call. Inevitably your brother’s curiosity gets the best of him and he crawls in your bed for the story, as well.
You love to be held, so much so that today walking home from lunch when I asked you, Hannah, what is your favorite age so far?” you replied, “Zero!” And I knew exactly why. You love being held, cuddled, carried, nestled. And that is pretty much all that zero-year-olds do! And I’ve been looking for ways to connect with you. Pulling you onto my lap during Sunday morning gatherings, holding you close during movies, putting my arm around you during book reading. I want you to know you are safe, loved, and valuable. Not go looking for physical attention elsewhere.
You are starting your last week at your local kindergarten next week. You’ve been going there almost half of your life! Age 3 to age 5 and a half! You speak with a lovely accent and are quick to make friends. We love going out for local food together. Duck, san xian sheng dofu, eggplant “qied za”, fried hashed brown potatoes cut like a pizza, (and Joshua gets cold, vinegary cukes). You know how to eat with chopsticks an dhow to say, “no MSG, no hot spice!”
You’ve learned to roller blade this summer, just like your big brother. You can stomp around the cones, although setting up the cones is the most fun, and make “lemons”. When you fall down making lemons, I call that “making lemonade”. You can fall down without getting hurt and you enjoy all the equipment you have to wear: pink, pink, pink, pink, pink!
Your favorite Bible story is Mary and Martha. You have a picture in your little picture Bible of Martha stirring angrily. “She has a bad attitude” you recited when you were little, a phrase you heard often.
You love praying, and your prayers generally go like this, “Dear Jesus, thank You for this yummy food and yummy drink and please help all the people who don’t know about You to know about You, and all the people who do know about You to obey you!” Then you pray for sick people. You came up with this simple prayer on your own. You love Jesus and God and I am praying that one day soon you will come up to me about your sin problem and together we will ask Jesus to take the punishment for your sins.
Heavenly Father, knowing that it was Your hands that made Hannah, and Your plan that placed her in our home, I ask that You would convict her of her sin and give me wisdom as to how to parent her. In Jesus’ name, Amen!