Just Because

I love sincerity. I do. There's just something about a person spontaneously telling you something, just because that's what they were feeling at the time. Sometimes it's a secret, something that a friend has been holding onto for too long, and just needed to unburden themselves. Sometimes it's a compliment, and usually these come at a time when you need it most! Other times it may be a criticism. But, no matter the end result, when someone tells you something sincerely, it makes an impact.

More than all of this, I love the actions that come with these sincere emotions.  When Max runs in with a flower from the backyard because when he saw it, he knew I couldn't live without it. Or the random notes and cards that find themselves in my Bible or purse that have wonderful pictures drawn and sweet thoughts lettered on the page. Or when my Dad calls to chat because he was thinking of me at that moment.  Or when Seth comes home with multi-colored daisies on a random day of the week just because he wanted me to know he was thinking of me.  I love it when my Mom calls to speak to one of the kids because she's gone long enough without talking to them. I love to receive smiles, hugs, and kisses from my children just because they love me.

More often than not, in the society we live in, spontaneity gets lost in the shuffle.  We call people just to ask a favor. We buy flowers or gifts because, on that day of the year, it is expected. We send thank-you cards for gifts, invitations for showers, and holiday cards at specific times of the year. Where is the sincerity in this?  Where is the emotion tied to that action? Don't we just do them because that's what we've been taught by society?

I think we could all benefit from a little less structure, and a little more sincerity.  Send cards to tell people you appreciate them. Call your parents or grandparents just to chat. Sit down in the backyard and look for shapes in the clouds with your children. Tell your loved ones how much they mean to you. Most importantly, share the Gospel!  It is by far the most valuable give we can give!

Because tomorrow may never come, use every moment that you have today.

Hot New Author: Maya Jo Anderson

Yes, Maya has decided she is now an author. She loves reading, and is now reading well past the fourth grade level. So, she has decided she wants to write a book of short stories. We are really encouraging her, and has just completed her eighth entry! She was writing a story on the computer in Clay County as Seth and I were packing up all our stuff to head back home. She had to hurry the ending, but it's a pretty good one! Here it is:

Once upon a time there was a pretty butterfly who lived in the woods. She lived happily there. But one day a moth came and did not like the butterfly. So the moth thought that he was smarter then the butterfly. But the buttrefly already new his plan. So the butterfly thought that she would make a war with the moth. So the next morning the butterfly went to the moth,s house. The moth agreed to war and the butterfly won and moth was never seen again. THE END

I'll be sure to send you the link once her book is published. :D

Children: When They Leave the Nest

As most of you know, on Maya's latest report card, she made it on the high honor roll with all As.  She loves to read, and can learn many new things very quickly.  However, also on that report card was a "not so great" Conduct grade.  From what I gather, she talks during class, ignores some of her teacher's commands, and basically tries to be the center of attention.  (On a daily basis, her teacher gives the students one or two warnings, then gives strikes 1, 2, or 3 depending on the situation.)

I'm still a little shocked that I'm faced with this situation, but I must also find a way to deal with the problem.  So, we've adopted a new rule in our house: Get a strike during the school day, go to bed an hour early while everyone else is still awake.  Also, no electronics of any kind.  Get a strike 2 or 3, and the punishment escalates.  Think that will work?  We instituted it starting this week, so I guess we'll see soon enough.

I have also tried to think of ways to reward good behavior, so that she wants to follow the classroom rules.  I told Maya that once a week, she and I get an hour of "Maya and Mommy" time...no brother or sister to interrupt.  I figure this will give her some of the attention she is craving, as well as give me a chance to connect with her on a regular basis.

Any thoughts?  Any suggestions?  I'm definitely out of my element here, so any help would be greatly appreciated!

Love's Most Wondrous Story

So, my baby girl is 14 months old, and she's not a baby anymore.  It's amazing how fast she has learned to do things on her own, as well as sad how quickly the cuddly days are gone.  

On Sunday, during mandatory Anderson naptime, she threw every stuffed animal out of her crib in protest to being in bed when she wanted to be up playing.  And, at some point over the weekend, she learned to say "Uh-Uh" for all those times when I try to figure out what she wants, and she wants me to know that I have NOT figured it out.  She carries a little purse with her Bible in it on Sundays.  She follows the kids around all the time, and actually plays with them.  (They have this game where Maya and Max pretend she is the bad guy.  The kids zoom by into the other end of the house, and about 5 seconds later you can hear Nina toddling after them.  It's so very cute.)

She's still not able to do everything Bubba and Sissy do, but she wants to.  She does not know how to share.  :)  And she's having a hard time learning that Mommy and Daddy like to hold Maya and Maxwell sometimes, and that she can't make them stop just because she wants them to.  She likes to be the center of our attention, and is having a hard time learning that we love three children, not just one.  :)

But, what makes this time even more special, is that Nina has learned to show her love.  She gives hugs, she gives kisses, and she gives big, beautiful smiles.  I don't think there's anything better in the world that to see her leaning over to give me a kiss.  I'm so thankful the Lord has shown me what a special love exists between parents and their children.

He tells us in 1John 4:7, "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God."  It's hard to imagine that I wouldn't love my children as deeply as I do if I didn't know Jesus as my Savior and Lord.  I'm thankful He revealed to me what a sinful creature I was, and continue to be, and suffered for my sins so that I wouldn't have to.  Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  He showed such great love for me...even when I lived in sin and enjoyed that sin, He died for me.  He saved me from that life, and showed me how to live with Him as my guide.

I'm so very thankful for His love, as well as the love I now possess, and I pray I can show others how to receive it.

Boys...Gotta Love 'Em!

This past weekend was one of the most fun weekends I've ever had.  Really.

I have to say that I spend a good part of last week dreading it.  But, nevertheless, it turned out to be quite fun.  Max turned 5, and had three of his best buddies spend the night with him.  Yes...4 boys under one roof.  And it was fun!

Let me tell you, these boys were great!  They played, ate cake, jumped on the trampoline, fought with light sabers, and not a tear was shed.  They played until they couldn't play anymore, then they went to bed.  (10:30 people...not 1 a.m. like the girls!)  And they got up the next morning to play some more...at 7:30.  Are you kidding me?  How did I get off so easily?

I expected injuries, tattle-telling, throwing things...but that's not even close to what happened.  These boys really surprised me!

And I'm thankful I lived to tell you about it.  :)

In the words of Jesus, "They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world."

Yes, summer is officially over. School supplies line the aisles at all the department stores. Bedtime is rolled back an hour. And Mom is getting back into a routine. :)

Maya is beginning first grade, and I am plugging away at my degree in education. In a world where money is the goal, and school is the means to get there, how do we keep God at our center? How do we make our children separate from the world? As Jesus teaches in the 17th chapter of John, we live in this world. The difficult part is not being of the world. I'm looking for suggestions from you, but here are a few ways we have found at our home to keep Christ at the center.

Morning Devotions : I bought a devotional for kids, and we have begun reading this in the mornings. I have learned that my day starts so much better with prayer. Along the same lines, the kids' days go much smoother when they are reminded of the importance of God at the start of their day.

Nightly Bible Readings : For over a month now, Maya and Max have been anxiously awaiting our nightly Bible readings. They no longer go pick a book from the play room. They bring their Bibles, and we all read together. I think what makes this work best is that it is their idea.

Prayer : Obviously Max has never been forced to pray. :) He and Maya both have been taught to pray before every meal, to pray at bedtime, and to pray for forgiveness when they have hurt someone. It's important that they know that it isn't just Mom and Dad who are disappointed. God is always watching, and we should want to please Him. Remind your children to pray before lunch at school. The Lord can use them as a witness to others!

Communication : Preparing our children for school includes more than buying their school supplies. We should make sure they know exactly what we believe, and prepare them as best we can for opposition to that. Within our own friends and families, we have conflicting parenting styles. This is much more apparent within schools. We should be open and honest with our children, which (hopefully) will encourage the same communication from them.

Involvement : There are many organizations that encourage parental involvement. Take advantage of this to stay up-to-date on things going on at school. Make your voice heard. As my husband pointed out, we should try to be bold, yet humble. Also, try to read ahead in their textbooks to know what they are going to learn about inside the classroom.

Do you have any other suggestions? Let's try to encourage each other as we embark on another school year!

Chucktown

After a week away, and a couple of days to recover, the Anderson family is finally back to normal. Well, close enough. :) Our trip to Charleston, SC was much needed and very rewarding for us all. Our youngest, Nina Grace, spent the week with her grandparents in Manchester, and the rest of our family made the trek through four states to our greatly anticipated destination, Folly Beach. The trip from Manchester, with three stops, was eight hours. We arrived around 9:00 p.m., and didn’t waste another moment. We quickly ventured out to the sand to see the ocean and find some seashells.

On Tuesday, Seth and I took the kids into Charleston, and packed the day as full as possible. We saw Yorktown, rode a water taxi, had tea, visited the children’s museum, rode the trolley, ate at a nice restaurant (Hyman’s), and saw many of the famous sights. We strolled through the market, saw Rainbow Row, relaxed at Waterfront Park, and we let the kids play in the fountain there even with no extra clothes. I’m not sure what else we could have added to the day!

The rest of the week was filled with lots of pool time, some beach time, golfing, a carriage ride, several nice meals, and a couple of fire drills. :) Suffice to say, it was an eventful trip, and one I wouldn’t trade for anything. The kids were amazing, and loved every minute. Both overcame a couple of obstacles in the week spent away. On the first day, we took off Max’s arm floaties and discovered he could swim! And Maya finally overcame her aversion to the sand, and walked all the way to the pier on the last day with no shoes. Yay! Max and Maya stayed in the water constantly, and even rode in a few waves on the boogie board. Max built a sandcastle with Papaw, and Maya came home “as brown as a biscuit.” I don’t think they wasted a moment.

I think we counted a total of 12 things that went “wrong” on the trip, which included everything from finding no Entenmanns donuts at the grocery store to enduring a stomach bug. However, with 24 people I still call that a successful trip. I would go back tomorrow if I could! Well…make that next month. I’m still catching up on my sleep! Thanks to Mamaw and Papaw for the many ways they made the trip amazing, and to everyone else who had a great attitude and loads of patience.

See you all again next year!

Our Quiver Full

Mother’s Day always makes me reminisce all of my motherhood memories.  This is my seventh year as a mother, and those seven years are jam-packed with oodles of memories with my little ones and their Daddy.  Why has God blessed us with such happiness in our little, temporary home on earth?  The only answer that I have found is - because He saw fit to do so.  That is why He saved me, that is why He saved Seth, and that is why He has blessed us with three little miracles we call Maya Jo, Maxwell, and Nina Grace.

Maya Jo was born at 25 weeks (10/20/02), weighing 1 lb. 11 oz. and spent 97 days in the NICU at the University of Kentucky Hospital.  I could use this entire post to write about the days spent in that sanitized, metallic, fluorescent wing of the hospital, but I will save that for another time.  She came home on oxygen and a heart monitor, and we had to wake her up every 3 hours to feed her so she could “catch up” to other newborn babies.  She eventually did.  J  Now, at 6 ½ years old, she is a bubbly, energetic, intelligent young lady who wants to please everyone she comes across.  She loves to sing, she loves school, and she loves alone time with Mommy.  It’s rare, but it happens.  J

Maxwell was born just 4 days early (10/4/04), weighing 8 lbs. 8 ½ oz.  He finally slept though the night at 10 months old, and walked about a week before his first birthday.  His first nights in the hospital told his story; the nurses came into my room and asked us if they could take him to the nursery because we were keeping other patients awake. We quickly agreed.  J  He is loud, rambunctious, and rough, but he has a soft side that is incomparable with any little boy I know.  He sometimes crawls in my lap, holds my face up to his, and says, “I wuv you, Mommy.”  He also gives the best bear hugs.

Nina Grace was born 2 weeks early (8/21/08), weighing 7 lbs. 3 oz.  She is so quiet, peaceful, and snuggly.  She slept 6 hours the first night in the hospital, and has been a 10-12 hour sleeper since she’s been home.  (Yes, we know that is unusual, and we are very thankful.) She loves affection, and she loves her Gi-Gi (doggy) so much that she squeals with laughter if he even walks near her.  She loves the wind in her face, loves to swing outside, and is so bright-eyed in the morning that I can’t help smiling when I carry her from her room.

So, that’s our quiver, and it’s pretty full.  J  My husband, Seth, is absolutely my soul mate.  The Lord answered my prayers before I prayed them, and brought us together.  Seth works very hard so that I am able to stay home and raise our children, and I don’t know that I can ever thank him enough for that.  What a blessing it is!  He washes the dishes, puts the kids to bed, and brings me flowers…I’m not sure any Mother’s Day could be much better than that. 

Seth and I are trying to raise our family with God as our center.  I hope our children learn from our example (and our mistakes), and do the same.  I thank God for these blessings, and I pray His will to be done in our lives.

Happy Mother’s Day to you all!

When I Was a Child, I Spake as a Child

Those of you with children of your own will understand what I'm talking about when I say that each day is full of surprises.  That is one of the reasons I started this blog, so that I could record some of those surprises in a way that I would really remember those moments.  Take today for example: Nina will not stop trying to crawl (though I do my BEST to make her stop!), Maya brought home kindergarten graduation invitations (*sniff), and Maxwell decided to test the door-stopping ability of the van by shoving his finger in at the last moment before it slid closed.  And yes, it closed on his finger while the Kroger employees on break outside watched the whole thing unfold.  Seriously...who can take all of that, and still be emotionally stable?

What I want to point out is that our kids are constantly doing things just for us - to show us in their own little way that they love us - and those are the things that go unnoticed by us busy parents.  Whether it is picking those "precious" dandelions and bringing in the bouquet to be put on display on the dining room table, requesting "girl time" alone just when you need to start preparing supper, or just looking up at you and giving you a smile that could light up the world, our kids are showing us they love us.

One day soon, I will stop and realize that Maya is sending out college graduation invitations, Max has learned that dandelions are just weeds, and Nina will be too busy to stop and give me a smile.  I hope I will learn to accept these token of love, instead of getting too busy with the less important things in life that take up so much of my time.

Dream a Little Dream

So, after 6 years of marriage, I found out that my hubster isn't as intrigued as I am when I talk about my dreams.  Sometimes I wake up in the middle of the night, and tell him everything that just happened in the most recent dream.  Last weekend, I realized that my details have been falling on deaf ears.  He's all, "Hello?! It's a dream! Of course you were fishing with a kangaroo...dreams are SUPPOSED to be bizarre!" 

(Eye roll.  Don't insult my dreams.)  

Well.  OK then.  I'll share my fascination with other, more interested, listeners.  My kiddos.  :)

Maya, Maxwell, and I have our fair share of wacky dreams, and we all love to talk about them.  I think it develops imagination, helps the kids become more aware of themselves and their surroundings, and it encourages them to share their thoughts and ideas with me.  Mostly, I just love to talk about dreams.

My strangest dream ever happened when I was in high school.  In it, my entire biology class took a trip into the woods and climbed a rather gigantic hill.  When we were almost to the top, we started sliding in this thick, green goo which sent several of my classmates slipping and sliding out of sight.  I awoke just as I was pulling on the root of a tree, trying to take the last step to the top.

Do I want to know what this dream means?  Not in the least.  I will tell you one thing I learned from this dream, however - I dream in COLOR!  (I always wondered if I dreamed in color or in monochrome, and I'm extremely happy to know that my dreams are just as vibrant as my taste in wall colors.)

In conclusion, you should know I enjoy talking about dreams.  I enjoy hearing about dreams.  And I do not believe that some people do not have dreams.  My theory is that they're just not that interested in remembering them.  

What is your most vivid dream?

  

Making a Fashion Statement

In a society where kids all wear polo shirts, flip flops, and super-short skirts, I happily allow my 4-year-old to wear whatever he wants to wear most days of the week.  (Excluded are Sundays, due to church services.)  Occasionally, he leaves the house in a super-hero costume, or wearing the random fedora he might find lying around the house to our Wednesday night church service.  Once, we went on one of our regular walks around the neighborhood while he was wearing a fireman hat, a batman costume, and riding a stick horse.

At this point, I urge you to think about this: Your child was once a baby.  Do you remember those days of diapers, bottles, bibs, and booties?  Now think about the times in between those ages.  How many do you remember?  How many does your child remember?

As the parent of a kindergartener, I find that there are very few things I can control now that she is in someone else’s care for the majority of the day.  And, along those same lines, there are very few things our children are allowed to control.  So take a minute and decide…is it that important that your child is wearing those name-brand clothes you pick out, or can you let go and let your child express himself however he wants? 

Give it a try…I have found that this decision is less painful, and more entertaining than it previously appeared.

A small step for Max, a giant leap for ME!

This was a very busy week at our house! I am trying to finish up all my Spring cleaning before Maya's Spring break at school next week. In the middle of this craziness, I stumbled upon a little surprise that has just been waiting for me to find. News Flash - Maxwell James is ready, willing, and able to help around the house! Let's see...what would be the word to describe my reaction to this newfound phenomenon? Ecstatic! (Does that one word convey the excitement I feel right now??) :) I also want to make clear that I am VERY proud of my little boy for stepping up, volunteering, and following through. I have really been selling him short!

One problem that almost all parents face is the transition from a helpless, completely dependent child to a child who can *almost* take care of himself. No, I'm not suggesting that you leave your little one at home while you make a quick run to the grocery. I do, however, think that our kids are capable of more than we think. They can do more than feed themselves, pick up toys, and get dressed...We just have to give them the chance to learn for themselves!

Too many times I find myself doing things for my kids, rather than allowing them to finish on their own. Sometimes it is because I'm in a hurry, but most often it's because I've grown so accustomed to 'helping' that I automatically take over at the first sign of distress. No more! Maxwell James showed me that not only is he capable of doing much more than I assumed, but he is a very happy helper. In the past few days, he has helped me clean the bathrooms (yes - toilets and all!), fold laundry, vacuum, dust, make all the beds, and feed/water the dog. He always helps me make the beds, helps Seth with the garbage, and he or Maya usually take care of Louie, but I had never thought of asking him to help me with some of these other chores. As I was working, he was bored and volunteered to help. I gave him the tools he needed, and he didn't complain once. In fact, he was so proud of himself for helping! I think that was reward enough, but I took him to McDonald's for a happy meal as well. That's what he wanted!

What can we learn from this? It's simple. Do you want your kids to stop acting like babies? Then stop treating them like babies! Stop doing everything for them, and let them learn to do it on their own. Max still comes to the breakfast table with his pants on backward sometimes, or spills his drink, or makes a mess when trying to eat his spaghetti - but that is a small price to pay for my sanity.

Now on to teaching Maya to iron... :)

SHE LOVES ME!!!

Yes, ladies and gents, love abounds once again!  :)  While looking through Maya's papers in Monday's folder, I found the answer I had been anticipating: 

She loves me...She loves me not...

Although Maya's first year of school has been pretty uneventful, I find myself wondering what it is like inside that classroom every day.  Although I have spent the better part of 6 years at home with Maya Jo and know her every move before she makes it, I can't help but wonder what my little girl is like when she's away from my watchful eye.

Maya brings home her folder every Monday with all the previous week's work graded, and we spend the better part of an hour scrutinizing every piece of paper found within that folder.  Maya loves that time, as do I.  What I have learned is that Maya talks more freely about school time when she can control the conversation, instead of just answering my questions.  These pages give me a window into her classroom.  Maya Jo very proud of her work, and even enjoys the 'Extra Practice' pages Mrs. B. sends home with her so that she can work on her new cursive letters.  She has now read four books, and she has proudly lined them up on her desk in the play room.  Yes, Maya loves school, and all the benefits from learning to read and write.

On most occasions, inside Maya's folder I find that Mrs. B. has written notes on a couple of pages that lets me know how she's coming along with her school work.  For the most part, I see notes like, "Good job!" or "You can do better!" or something along those lines.  Maya, of course, reads those notes to me.  Occasionally, however there is a note that gives me a very clear picture of what is really going on.  For example, a few weeks ago, on the top of one of her papers were these words written inMrs. B' neatly lettered red pencil: "I love you too, Maya Jo!"  I asked Maya  why Mrs. B. would write that on her paper, and she showed me that on the back of almost every piece of work, she had written, "I ♥ miss  boss (that is how Mrs. B's name sounds to her!) in her best cursive writing.  Since then, I find that more often than not, those love notes are written on the back of her work.  

On a side note, I should mention that Maya Jo wears her heart on her sleeve…if she likes you, you know it.  If she doesn’t…well, that’s not too hard to figure out either.  :)

Last week, however, when Maya brought home her coveted folder, there were no notes to Mrs. B. on any of her papers.  “That’s odd,” I thought.  I wonder what happened?  As I thought about the previous week, it hit me.  On Tuesday, library day, I received a call from Mrs. B. explaining to me that Maya Jo had broken one of the library rules that day.  (Uh oh.)  And not only that, but that she had hit another girl because she was going to tell the librarian what Maya had done.  (I think we’re getting closer!)  I should also mention that Mrs. B. made this phone call from her desk, making sure Maya, and her classmates, heard every word of our conversation.  (Jackpot!)

Yes, I think this explains that absence of those endearing notes to her beloved teacher.  And this week?  Well...I guess we'll see on Monday when Maya brings home her folder.  I'm going to go on a limb and predict that the love is back, because Maya has informed several people this week that she is going to be a teacher when she grows up...a kindergarten teacher.

Ice Storm...Revisited

Well, we have officially survived our second ice storm. :) In February 2003, we lost power for 5 days...in January 2009, we lost power for 4 days. Maya Jo was home from the hospital for about 2 weeks when our power went out in 2003...we frantically searched for a place to stay where we could plug in her heart monitor which monitored heart and breathing. This year, Nina Grace is 5 months old but with no attachments. :) Both years, we stayed at Seth's parents' house, where they have gas logs and kept us nice and warm. At least this year they kept their power and we were able to take warm showers, eat hot meals, and watch television as well. (I should also mention here that I love Tivo, and wish it worked without power as well...)

Maya, Maxwell, and I went sledding a total of EIGHT times last week...yes, eight. This is the only way I could find to keep us all from going stir crazy, and it worked. Maxwell took 2 hour naps, and slept 10 hours at night. SUCCESS!! :) We have declared Maxwell fearless, as he would barely make it up the hill before he bounded headfirst down the hill again, into the "half pipe" and slide 50 feet. Maya was pretty tough too...she was always the first to try a new hill. Seth and I have bruised and swollen knees, and other sore areas, but had loads of fun anyway. KK was a real trooper...I think she went sledding with us six out of eight times. Thanks KK!!

I guess what made sledding so much fun this year was the ice underneath...it kept you going much further than you would have with just snow. The first day we went with a solid layer of ice on top, we could barely stand up! They went down our front yard, across the street, and into our neighbors yard all they way to her fence. It was CRAZY!! The funniest part for me was watching the kids try to walk down the sidewalk, or Louie try to go down the stairs. I have these on video if you are interested (www.youtube.com/landerson1609). We would have hot cocoa and cookies after sledding, curl up on the couch and take a nice, long nap together. Pretty fun times.

Sadly, Maya and Seth are back to the old grind today. Maya had no school all week, and Seth had short days and spent one day at home. It was a lot of fun, and I really miss having our family all together so much. But, life goes on...even after the ice storm. :)