The Gravy Song and Green Bean Muscles

-Jessica -

Two Daniel quotes that make me smile ...

1. We were singing together as a family (we do this occasionally - I play the piano and we all sing a hymn or two). We finished "Nothing But The Blood" and Daniel said, "Can we sing the gravy song?" He repeated, "Can we sing the gravy song?"

Do you know the gravy song? I bet you'll sing it this Easter season - "Up from the grave He arose ..." :-)


2. Last night we were eating fresh green beans (among other things) for dinner, and Daniel said slowly and dramatically, kind of shaking his head in disappointment, "Mom, you should have made cauliflower. I wish you had cooked cauliflower."

Mom: "Why?"

Daniel: "Because it will make me strong!"

Dad: "Green beans will make you strong, too."

Daniel, delighted at this new information: "I'm going to eat green beans and cauliflower every day so I can be strong ... like a man!!!" (Flex your arm muscles and scrunch up your face as your read "strong ... like a man!!")

When I served the left over green beans for lunch today, he asked if he could have all of them, so he can be "really, really strong!" (Again, flex your biceps and scrunch up your face as you read this to feel a bit of his desire! I'd just like to have the energy to flex as dramatically as he does! :-)

Halloween Miscommunication

- Jessica -

On Halloween we were out front when a neighbor walked by. She casually asked Daniel if he was going "trick or treating"? He didn't know what she was talking about, so he politely avoided the question and we went on with our day.

Later in the day I heard Daniel say under his breath, "digger training, digger training." Finally he asked me, "Mom, are we really going to digger training?" I replied as many moms would, "Oh, that would be really neat, wouldn't it?!" (By they way, in our house, a "digger" is a generic term for construction vehicles - excavators, loaders, bulldozers, etc. - all of which Daniel has really liked for as long as I can remember!).

Still later in the day, Daniel asked Joseph about "digger training." Joseph was understandably confused. Daniel said emphatically, "Dad, the lady walking by our house this morning asked me about it! She asked if we were going to 'digger training!' Do I really get to go to digger training today??!!"

Trick-or-treating == Digger training

I hear the similarity! We laughed and he laughed, and we all agreed that getting candy from our neighbors was a good 2nd to digger training! ;-)

Daniel and His Guitar 2

- Jessica -

We like to play with musical instruments on our date night. (Not Joseph and me! The kids we watch when it is our turn to babysit!). Everyone picks one, we sing one verse of a song, and then everyone switches instruments. I think we sang Joy to the World 10 times last time we babysat! ;-) Anyway, after opening his guitar at Christmas, Daniel said, "Now date night is going to be REALLY fun!!!"

Last week he shared his guitar with his friends at date night for the first time. One boy, Eric, asked Daniel, "Where did you learn to play so well?" Daniel replied confidently, "I just watch Mr. Stam!" (Mr. Stam is our church's music director and definitely one of Daniel's favorite people!) I pray Daniel not only learns to play the guitar from Mr. Stam, but also gleans his heart for worshipping the one true God!

Here's Amazing Grace ... Can you play it any louder or faster??

Daniel and His Guitar

- Jessica -

Daniel was very very excited to get a guitar for Christmas, so now he can play like Pappap (Joseph's Dad) and Mr. Stam (our music leader at church). Until now he has used various items such as an umbrella as his guitar. But now he has the real deal. And he loves it!

Get ready for his version of Holy, Holy, Holy ...

Worldview Perceptions

- Jessica -

"Questions to Guide your Children in Basic Worldview Perceptions"

1. What happened today that reminded you of God?
2. What did you see today that reminds you that all people are sinners and need Jesus Christ?
3. What did you hear or see today that did not agree with the truth in the Bible?
4. What part of God's creation did you enjoy the most?

(Taken from Rock-Solid Kids by Larry Fowler)

Catch up!

- Jessica here -

Yikes! 3+ months have come and gone! From Thanksgiving to mid-January we traveled or had company during 7 weeks. What a special and amazing season of life!

But our feet are back on the ground in Kentucky. Joseph's classes have started back and we are in full swing. So, I'm going to write some "Catch Up" blog posts - stuff from the last weeks, months, even years! ;-) Get ready ... here we come!