So says the fly on the wall...

Oh, the things one hears in a house full of boys!  We have had a day full of interesting conversations.  Breakfast with Grant went a little something like this, "Mama, how do you spell dinosaur?  Mom, how do you spell koala? Mom, how do you spell bat?  Wait - I know - B-A-T.  Mom, how do you spell Never Ending Story?"  "Mom - Why are you banging your head against the counter?"  Oh okay, I made that last one up, but you get the idea.

I let Grayson sleep in a little, and when he got up, he confessed that the reason for his insomnia lately is that he is afraid he will die in his sleep.  Oh my!  Those are deep waters to wade into before being fully caffeinated!  Nevertheless, we dove right in, and this conversation somehow led straight into the evils of drug use (there was a logical path that led us there, but it would take way too long to type it!), our family's tendency toward addictions, and the importance of choices he will make as early as his preteen years.  Whew!  By this time, I think it was 7:30 a.m., and my brain was screaming for someone to put on the brakes!

On a lighter note, we were driving in the car this afternoon, and Grayson was talking about his desire to be baptized.  He told Grant that, while our church believes in sprinkling, our family feels strongly that being immersed in the water is a symbol of dying to one's own life, and rising up to walk with Jesus.  He asked Grant if he even knew what baptizing was, and Grant said, "Duh!  Of course I do!  It's when Jesus went in the water with all his clothes on!  Why did he go in the water with all his clothes on anyway!?"  Grayson went on to explain in his own way what baptizing means, and Grant said, "Oh no!  I am definitely NOT bab-a-tizing until I am a grown up like Mommy, and then I only want Jesus to do my bab-a-tizing!"

These sweet, wonderful boys of mine, they keep me on my toes!

Sweet, Slow Saturdays

Sweet little hands, learning the little tasks that make the world go 'round.

Feeling "Inspirated"

It's been ages since I posted here, and there are lots of reasons.  Rather than list them all, I'll tell you what is new with us, and why I am excited to be back!

For most of Grayson's and Grant's childhood, I was super-duper strict about television/computers/video games.  Over the last few months, I suppose I just got lazy about fighting that battle.  It was just so very much easier to let them watch television or play on the computer than to fight them and come up with something better for them to do.  As their screen time crept upward, their attention levels and interest in creative activities spiraled downward.  It was so gradual that it was hard to notice at first.  It felt like I just turned around one day and suddenly had kids who were incapable of entertaining themselves for long periods, or who were too tired to play  outdoors.  Everything that wasn't television was "boring."

After a certain climactic brainless event which left Jeff and I stunned at the thoughtlessness of one of our children, we conferred and decided to make some drastic changes.  The child involved in the brainlessness has been without screen time completely for one week.  The other one is following our new rule of only thirty minutes of screen time in a day.  That includes ALL screens (DSi, Wii, computer, tv).  They do have the opportunity to earn more screen time by doing parent-approved scholastic activities, but so far they have been having too much fun to do so!

The changes in behavior, attitude, and maturity this week have been amazing.  We are back to the kind of family I had envisioned up being from the start.  The kind who spends quality time together, encourages one another, creates together, and inspires one another.  I am looking forward to seeing what these boys of mine get into in the future and sharing it all with you here!