My Precocious Daughter

This happened a few weeks ago, but it's a funny story I didn't want to forget:

Noelle was having symptoms of strep throat, which for her means: a little bit of a sore throat, slightly less appetite, and overall less agreeable.  She's not the textbook case.  So, after a morning of riding her bike in the garage, I took her to her dr. appointment to see if in fact she had Strep.

Sure enough, she tested positive.  Now she had Strep a year ago and getting her to take her antibiotics every day, twice a day, for 10 days was exasperating.  We told her a year ago, that if this happened again, we were going to take the offer of 1 shot vs. 10 days of medicine.

As soon as the doctor informed us she had Strep Noelle got panicky and started a repeating mantra "I want the medicine"  "I want the medicine".  I looked at her and slightly guiltily said "nope, you're getting the shot."

Since Noelle continued to beg, I tried to soothe things over by saying "Won't this be a good story to tell Daddy when he comes home?  You can tell him you were brave and got a shot!"

Without missing a beat Noelle replied "I know a BETTER story to Daddy when he gets home.  I'll tell him the story where you gave in and let me get the medicine instead of the shot."

The doctor looked at Noelle with a chuckle and said "She's quite precocious isn't she?"  I agreed (although I had to look up the word later to make sure I knew what it meant)

They Come Every Time It Snows

 ...the brilliant cardinals

 ...who look positively stunning against the snow

 ...and these adorable, puffy creatures...

 ...who laugh and squeal in my front yard

...and whose cheeks turn bright red to rival the cardinals

Good Entertainment

1) I just finished a great book that is thought-provoking and very intriguing.  Eli by Bill Myers

It's basically about if Christ were born in the 21st century.  It's so well done that I didn't find it predictable even though I know the story of Jesus's life on earth.  The ending is especially powerful as you witness the huge sacrifice Christ made.  Being crucified on a cross sounds awful, but I can't quite grasp the pain and humiliation.  In the book, the Messiah's death is disturbing - for the right reasons.

2)  My latest station on Pandora is Ralph's World.  It's kids music that is fun and catchy so the kids like it and you can easily tolerate it...maybe even like it.

3) If you want to impress your elementary school kids with some juvenile laughs, I remembered a joke I used to tell when I was a kid.  Noelle and Sadie think it's cool that I too can tell slightly off-colored jokes. 
Parent: There's a dead skunk on the road, I "one it"  (think: want it)
Then you tell your child to say "I two it"
Parent:  I three it
Child:  I four it
Parent: I five it
Child:  I six it
Parent:  I seven it
Child:  I eight it
And then you dissolve into laughter because your child just said "I ate it" - IT being "the dead skunk in the road".  

Obviously the dead skunk can be adjusted to whatever you want...a rotten banana on the counter.


Have a fun day!

Happy Birthday Sadie

Sadie turned 4 today!

"Goody That..."

Sadie has a new phrase that makes me smile.  She says "Goody that..."  which means "I'm glad that...".  So instead of "I'm glad my finger doesn't hurt anymore.", she would say "Goody that my finger doesn't hurt anymore."
Using her phrase I feel "Goody that...

...Christmas Tree skirts twirl really well.

 ...That snow can be so fun, you don't even mind being buried in it

 And goody that God has created such a variety of good things to enjoy right outside our window