5k Saturday

The boys and I did an Autism Society 5k in Raleigh yesterday. Though I have run enough of these in my life, I was nervous to walk it with Cal, Jack, and Luke in tow. Along the way we saw a yellow "race car", a guy playing drums in the grass, train tracks with resting box cars, and lots of letters on peoples' shirts. All of that plus bags of granola for snack, and Calvin and Jack are asking to do another "race" today! Luke, as always, was just a happy little guy in the carrier, though I certainly had motivation to get to the finish before he needed to eat. It was a lot of fun, and I loved supporting my student Declan and his family! Declan had 126 people participating in the race in his name! So awesome to see a community come together for such a sweet little man!

Over all, help us love...

That was Dan's prayer last night when asking God to help us know how to discipline Jack. That is my prayer, too, let us love him over all else.

We do love him!  Man, he is just so precious....so sweet and cuddly and joyful and happy! He just also doesn't seem to give a lick about any of our licks (or time outs or incentives). Any given direction has about a 50/50 shot of being obeyed, which means lots of enforcement with little change in obedience.

This must be how God feels about us....why just establishing the Ten Commandments and striking people dead for disobedience was not his final solution. The change comes from within as we are more and more convinced of His love and provision through Jesus.

Lord, help us to love all our boys with that kind of love.

Jack saw a logging truck

Daniel and the Lions' Den

Calvin's reciting of Daniel and the Lions Den....kind of hard to hear, so the text is below. 

The best part of this was a few minutes after he finished Calvin came in to give me kisses while I was feeding Luke to say good night. As we talked about it, I told him that God has given him the ability to put words from the Bible into his heart because God wants him to hide the Bible in his heart.  

We then sang "Thy word have I hid in my heart.  That I might not sin again Thee. That I might not sin, that I might not sin. Thy word have I hid in my heart" probably 10 times. At one point he said, "So that's what it means!" 

"My God sent his angel, and he shut the mouths of the lions.  They have not hurt me, because I was found innocent in his sight.  Nor have I ever done any wrong before you, Your Majesty." Daniel 6:22

Daniel was a good man.  He loved God very much.  Daniel went to the king. The king loved Daniel.  Daniel helped the king. 

Because he loved God, some men did not like Daniel.  The men made an evil plan. The men went to the king.  "King, you are a great man, " they said.

"People should pray only to you." The men said, "If they don not, we will put them in the lions' den."

The men wanted to get Daniel in big trouble.  The king said, "Okay."  He did not know it was a trap for Daniel.

Daniel prayed only to God.  The men saw Daniel praying.  He did not stop praying to God. 

The men told the king about Daniel.

"King, your helper Daniel does not obey your rule," the men said. 

"Daniel was praying to God.  Not to you."

The men had tricked the king.  Guards came to take Daniel away to the lions' den.

The king shook his head.  The rule said pray only to the king.  But Daniel would not stop.  He would pray only to God. 

The king did not want to hurt Daniel.  The king said, "Daniel, I hope your God will save you."

Daniel was thrown into the lions' den.  The king was very sad.

Daniel prayed to God.  He asked God to watch over him.  So God sent his angel to help Daniel.  Daniel was safe all night. 

In the morning, the king woke up.  He ran to see Daniel.  The king called, "Daniel, are you okay? Did your God save you?"

"Yes," said Daniel.  "God's angel helped me with the lions!" The king was so happy! "Come with me, Daniel."

The king told all his people, "Daniel's God is great! Let us pray only to God."

Tricks!

Here are the latest...

Calvin's bike obstacle course. He probably made this circuit 50 times before it was time to head back home.

First around the circle man hole

Then around the life jacket

Next, over the wipe (with a tongue sticking out)

Then around the Off can

Through the sticks and back up to the circle manhole again

With a snake catching a ride in your back pocket

Jack and Dan's new Bumbo flip.

And, well, not sure if this is a trick for Luke, but I like it...

What was your day?

That is what Calvin asks Dan, so we've adopted it lately.  I feel like my answers have seemed pretty boring these last couple of weeks.....good.....we......well, we didn't do anything to exciting, but it was good. 

I need to just start pulling out my phone and showing Dan the pictures of the day to add a little color to the explanation. 

At 7:15 I went into Cal and Jack's room to find Jack reading on his bed announcing with a smile "I got out of be-ed."  And Calvin sitting on the floor with like this...fully dressed, and then some. Yes, they are clean, and aren't you proud?

    

Then we ate breakfast, which as usual, took FOREVER....usually an hour, so not too much to report there. Other than that Jack ate his weight in granola with honey yogurt, banana, and eggs.

Calvin then decided to catch a "whale" with his hoe while Jack watched the show, pretending to shoot things with his fishing pole. 

  

When Luke woke up, the boys and I headed upstairs to get him, and I decided to put the mobile on Luke's crib...yeah, I know 4 months old is a bit late, but he likes it. And so do Calvin and Jack, maybe more than Luke. 

We came downstairs and the boys played.....it wasn't much to tell about, but it was sweet. Jack sat by the bookshelf and took all the books out, looking at each page and talking to himself.

Luke is getting so interactive! He is not as content with just his little mobile (as you could hear in the video), but as soon as you go near him, he can't contain his excitement!  He is just so sweet!

Then we went outside for a little while before lunch. I sat on the bench with Luke while the boys played "moving truck."  The mail truck came, and the boys actually got a wave out of the new mail lady. She brought a package from Aunt Ann with this cute hat. It was not hot, contrary to Luke's outfit, but I had to get a picture really quickly.

At nap time, I had some time alone with Luke while Calvin sang and talked to himself in our room and Jack slept in his.   

I also got to tutor for a few hours, have Hockey over for lunch, call about Jack's appointment with the speech therapist and make beer chili. I'm so glad you are home! Are you hungry?

Happy Birthday, Dan!

34 years later, you're greeted with running, giddy laughter and requests for wrestling when you get home from work. You can still perform as the MVP pitcher to cal and jack in the living room or driveway, and you are very "chrong" (strong) as Jack says.

I am so thankful for a husband who provides well for our family and loves me and our boys well. Happy Birthday, Dan! We love you!

Uncle Ben!

Uncle Ben is here from Pittsburg for a couple days! So far, he's read a lot of Dr. Seuss with Cal, held Luke so I could finish getting lunch ready, and taken Cal and Jack on a bike ride...The boys and I could get used to this!