Mother's Day Tea

I'm not a particularly gushy mom. But these Mother's Day teas get me. When my boys were little, they were so stinkin cute all dressed up and offering their arm to me. With Miss M, I choke up at the thought that she even wants to CALL me Mom. And when she looks up at me with her huge, trusting eyes...after all she's been through...it melts me. She presented a little scroll with answers to questions like

I know my mom loves me because...

My mom shows she cares when...

And what answer still leaves me reeling? I know my mom cares because she puts me to bed at night.

No son of mine would EVER think that was a wonderful thing.

But Miss M, who never had someone to give her a sudsy tub, help with cozy jams, tuck her in, kiss her nose, and pray over her...and then get up OVER and OVER at night when she wakes up scared...SHE thinks love is putting her to bed.

Because putting her to bed means she is no longer alone in this world.

And for me, I can't think of a better Mother's Day gift.

Lessons in Love...Fairy Tale Style

We've been reading the Jesus Storybook Bible with M lately. It's our favorite children's bible EVER as it beautifully ties each story into the point of the whole book...Jesus.

Throughout the pages, Jesus is called the great Rescuer who is coming to do battle with the evil enemy to save His people and make all things right again. To win his creation back to himself forever.

Great stuff.

And it got me thinking.

We've got one, ahem, obsessed daughter in this house. Everything is about princesses. Everything.

And so, I decided to try to see if I could incorporate some basic Christian principals into her little fantasy world.

Snow White? Kind, even when treated badly.

Cinderella? Works cheerfully.

Evil Stepmother? Jealousy in the heart grows bigger and leads to more sin

I think they're sinking in a bit. At least, I'm hoping. Still, I can't help but smile at her own connections to her princess world. As I put her to bed, she sighs happily and says, "Baba is your Prince Charming."

How right she is.

Style Queen

I came home from an errand after church today to find Miss M standing on the front porch with an important question.

"Mama, this match?" pointing to her play clothes.

"Baba pick it out," she said doubtfully. "I not know. It not Baba's thing."

It gave me, quite possibly, the hardest laugh of my month.