defeating villains after dinner

[A snippet of conversation overheard while working on my laptop after dinner while the boys play.]

Creed and Denton are imagining that they're in a spaceship flying to Mars. They've set two mini trampolines up on end against each other to form a spaceship--their transport to various planets to complete their missions. In their first mission, Creed explains to Denton that he will likely encounter "Sand Monsters."

"AAAAAAGGGHHHH!!" Denton exclaims dramatically...but Creed quickly counters with "Nope. We're going to have to handle it." "Oh." Denton says, calming himself. Creed explains that the sand monsters have dangerous brains but it's okay because OUR brains are very hard. They shoot the sand monsters with lotion and declare triumphantly, "They melted into quesadillas!"

"Alright!!!" they cry, congratulating each other.

"Now you be my partner!"

"Okay!" says the other one.

"Now let's go to Mombasa."

"Okay. Good job."

"I spotted Carmen Sandiego's footsteps!"

"Yes...we've found another clue!"

"THERE SHE IS!!!" (sound of footsteps in hot pursuit)

"Too bad, Carmen Sandiego!" a small voice says with expansive authority. "You're under arrest!"

"Great job, Hawkins."

"Now let's go to the planet Lexicon!"

"Awright!"

"Hey, I see words everywhere! There's WORD GIRL!"

"Change into the Cheesy Monster."

"Okay!"

"THIS is a job for WORD GIRL!!!"

(Sound of fierce scuffling, and protests of "Hey--NO!! I'm a good guy! I'm your partner!!" Somehow that gets ironed out and the team moves on in crime-fighting power.)

"YOU are deFEATed!!" (sound of acapella background music pouring from small lips)

I love my life.

better than

The boys were eating ice cream cones the other day when Creed said thoughtfully, "Mommy, Daddy is better than ice cream."

Coming from a five year old, this is no small compliment. As fabulous as Daddy is, few five-year-old boys would rate him superior while submerged in chocolate ice cream.

Most of us are the same way. The "ice cream" of life varies from person to person, but those things we savor most compete with our adoration of God. What I immerse myself in is what I love. What I love is what I immerse myself in.

Lord, stir up my affections for You so that everything I experience satisfies and stimulates my hunger for You.

Psalm 63

speaking of bananas...

When Creed was really little, he asked me, "Mommy, what is the truth?"

"Oh," I started to reply, "the truth is...truth is...uh..." (this was going to be harder than I thought. Maybe a tangible illustration would help!)

"See the banana you have in your hand?" I asked him. He looked at it.
"If you told me that was a banana, that would be the TRUTH, because it IS a banana. If you say it's NOT a banana, that is NOT the truth."

He took this in.

"Oh!" he exclaimed, his face beaming with understanding. "YES!...the TRUTH is a BANANA!!"

It tooks us two years to undo that one.

"Mommy, why does God love us?"

There was a long pause as I considered this.

My mind wandered back to the first moment I held my infant boy. So helpless. He didn't even know who I was--only that I was familiar; that something inside him was drawn to me; needed me; would die without me. He didn't know me; didn't love me. He just needed me. He hadn't done anything yet except be mine. And that was why I loved him. I loved him because I made him. I loved him because he was mine to love.

Romans 5:6-10

Maybe He loves us because that's what He's like.

Drama, drama, drama!

D looked up at me and between sobs and with great consternation said, "Mommy, I don't know HOW to be a bat!"

That's what eggs'll do to ya

The other day my three year old ate three eggs for breakfast (!), then declared, "I'm thinking of Spain!"