Time Out Water

I sent Adam and Abigail to bed then I hear Adam not even five minutes later..."Da-ad..."
"What?"
"I'm thirsty. Can you bring me a drink of water?"
"No. You had your chance. Lights out."
Five minutes later: "Da-aaaad..."
"WHAT?"
"I'm THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"
"I told you NO! If you ask again, I'll have to put you in time out!!"
Five minutes later...Daaaa-aaaad..."
"WHAT??!!"
"When you come in to put me in time out, can you bring me a drink of water?"
"Geez daddy is grouchy"

Duck, duck, goose !

I thought I had lived through most embarrassing things that the kids have either done or pulled until today. We were at Wal-Mart shopping with my coupons ( I have become a coupon junkie) and was doing pretty good. I was looking at some major savings and I could tell that the kids were getting restless so I thought that if I asked them to help it would be an enjoyable experience for all of us. Then Adam decided he wanted to change the game to hide and seek and thought he would hide between the cooler in the bread aisle and the endcap.(Not cool) and just when I was about to lose my cool Abigail saw an older man bent over looking at bread and she decided she was going to play duck, duck, goose but she forgot the duck, duck and just goosed him, dead on center rump. The man wheeled and turned around in just enough time to leave me standing there, facing him with Abigail hiding on the other side of the cart. The man let out a sigh of disgust and I just stood there horrified because I know the poor old guy thought I did it. I couldn't say anything. The poor older lady in front of us saw the whole thing and knew what had happened and she started laughing out loud. That did not make things better.

The only thing that made things better was that we bought over $96.00 and paid only $7.00 all because of my coupons and watching the sales. Great embarrassment, greater savings.

Daddy Jesus Died Too !!

We drove around to the cemetery this afternoon and Adam and Abigail wanted to know why we were sad. I told them it is because I am remembering all those who have laid down their lives for us and because we are also remembering all those family members who have gone on before us.

Adam and Abigail piped up in unison and said, "Daddy Jesus died too"

It made me stop and think for a minute, I wonder if God takes a moment to pause and think about that day so long ago that His only begotten son willingly gave his life. He didn't have to do it but He did. He did it for you and for me. I wonder if God like any father revisits that day, It had to break God's heart that the very trees that He created His son hang on. The very people God created and loved, Crucified and rejected His son. I can not imagine that kind of pain but I do understand loss. And it is with that heaviness that I say thank you for all of you who have served, who have lost loved ones, who have lost loved ones who died paying the ultimate sacrifice so we can have freedom. Jesus did the same thing, He too willingly laid His own life down so that we could be free. Thank you Father God for giving us your son.

Today is my birthday, let's celebrate!

While looking and reading posts on Face-book this morning, Adam started to ask questions about everyone on here. I would tell him this is my friend, this is my Aunt, Uncle, etc....he was so fascinated that I had Aunts and Uncles too just like him. He got really excited when we came to my dad's sister and I told him that was his great Aunt, his Grandpa's sister. He said, "Daddy are they grandma and grandpa's too?" I replies, "yes they are Adam, they have children who have children so they are grandparent's too" then he asked, "do they know it's my birthday daddy?" I replied, "Adam it is not your birthday until December" and then he said it, "but daddy every day is my birthday, let's eat cake!"

You know that really made me stop and think. Life goes by so quickly, the people that we love, we have lost, things in life change in an instant. Life can take us down many roads and paths but to have the child like faith of celebrating one's life daily. We should be doing that! We should wake up with joy in our hearts and proclaim, "Thank you God for this day" it is a new day, a fresh start, a new beginning. We get to start again, no matter what we have done in the past, no matter what we did yesterday, today is a new beginning, begin again.

Adam is so full of life and so is Abigail. I learn from them daily. It amazes me how much my life has changed and is constantly changing all because of these two precious angels. Today it is memorial day, we reflect on those we have loved and lost and have paid the price so that we can have this very freedom to do what Adam has said to do, "today is my birthday, let's eat cake"

May God bless you as you remember all those in your life who have paid the ultimate price of freedom, all those we have ever loved and have gone before us and all those we have lost far too soon. God bless you all ~

Country Bears....

Abigail and Adam were watching a movie called Country Bears. In this show the Bears talk and sing and dance around. I realized quickly that I am going to have to discuss with them yet again that animals do not speak. Once the movie was over I saw Abigail in her room with our cat China. She was trying to get China to sing to her. Instead China was worried about licking herself clean and wanted to roll around on the floor and then I heard Abigail say, "China how do you expect to be on TV if you wont even sing for me?"

Then she came in the front room all sad and Adam said, "What's wrong Abby?" and Abigail said, "We have to get another cat this ones not going anywhere" LOL

Enough to eat for awhile.........

This morning Adam swears he saw a monster in the closet. I had to sit him down and explain to him that Monsters are not real. Abigail came in and was distraught also and she too said there was a monster in the closet. I assured them nothing was in the closet and I went over to the closet to show them and when I looked in the closet I heard it. PRRRRR PRRRRR PRRRRR the cat was in there purring. The purr was echoing in the small closet and sounded like a small growl. I showed them it was China our Siamese cat who had her kittens about a week ago. Then they both started their rant again that there is monsters in the closet and Adam said, "Daddy give the monster Abigail" and then Abigail said, "Give the monster Adam" thinking that I would squelch them both wanting so eagerly to give each other up for a monster I said "how about Daddy going in the closet and showing you that there is no monster when I come back out?" then they said it as if they both were thinking it together, "That will be good daddy, you will give them enough to eat for awhile"

Bandaids and Milk

Whenever anyone gets hurt around here Annette (my wife) is real good about lovingly putting a bandaid on their boo boo and giving them a nice warm glass of milk and they feel better. Since my fall I have not been feeling too well and stiff and sore.

Adam just came into the bedroom with Abigail trailing behind him. Adam was going to wake me up but I was already awake laying in bed when I heard Abigail say to Adam, "Adam leave daddy alone he is broken" then Adam said, "Maybe we should get him some milk and a bandaid"

I laid in bed a minute with my eyes closed because both Adam and Abigail quietly walked over to my side of the bed pulled the covers up to my shoulder and gently kissed me on the forehead. Making sure that I was fast asleep and ok. Now if that isn't love, what is?

Adam says it like it is.....

Today was the last day of school for Adam. He is now finished with Pre-School and will be heading off to Kindergarten next year. We had met with the school to discuss Adam's teacher for next year based on Adam's needs. Having Autism and his developmental delays I had my concerns. After the meeting I took Adam and Abigail to Wal-Mart. When we were at Wal-Mart one of the teachers that I was not too impressed with noticed Adam and came over to him and Adam walked up to her and said, " "Hi, Mrs. (Name removed to avoid further embarrassment). Know what?" to which she replied, "No, sweetheart, what?" Then he said it, "My daddy and mommy don't like you. They think your mean! But, I like you ok." To which she smiled and politely turned around and walked off.

It is not that I think that this particular person is mean per se it is that as a parent it is my responsibility to make sure that my kids are ok, at home, around their friends and at school. I am not going to leave that to the school to be responsible alone for my child's education and well being. Now, I had no idea Adam was going to say what he did to the teacher but I want him to always speak truth even if it embarrasses me or hurts. I think we could all do better if we taught our kids to be truthful instead of trying to pass the buck.

When we got home I talked with Adam about having tact and when is the appropriate time to say something and when it is not. It wasn't even five minutes later Adam comes running in the room and had one of my Tacks from the bulletin board and said, "Daddy I found it, I found Tact, I really did, I really did" Looks like I have my work cut out for me.....

Peace be Still: Thanks Daddy

Adam was standing at the door with Abigail and they both were inquisitive about the storm outside. They were watching the rain hit the cement and the dark clouds and wind outside and I heard Abigail say to Adam, "I wish I could go outside but I can't because it is raining" to which Adam replied back to her, "That's okay Abigail I will ask Daddy and he will make it stop"

I wish that I had that ability to stop the rain from falling from the sky or to make all the storms in their life go away but they believe I can and it reminded me when Jesus was in the boat sleeping and the disciples were rowing to the other side and a storm came upon them and they were afraid so they woke Jesus because they knew that He could calm the storm, likewise our children believe we can do anything.

Father, I want to be just like you because my children want to be just like me. Thank you for entrusting them to me and for the entertainment that they have brought into my life.

Then I went over to the sliding glass door and spoke to the storm and said, "Peace be Still" and you know what 30 minutes later the storm has now passed ! :-)

Mommy makes it better

You know I love my kids but sometimes it is hard for me to figure them out. This morning I am getting Adam ready for school and I asked him what he would like for breakfast because his mom is still working and is not home yet. "Cereal" he screamed excitedly, so then I asked him what kind of cereal he would like, ""with milk" so cold cereal it was, I started to pour him a bowl of his favorite kind (fruit loops) and you know what he did? He just sat there and wouldn't eat it. I asked him what is wrong, thinking maybe the milk is sour. He said nothing but pushed his bowl away. He simply said, " I don't like it daddy" I asked him, "Why not Adam?" to which he responded, "Mommy didn't make it"

I learned that no matter how much a daddy loves his children there is just something special about the way that mommy does things even cold cereal.

I told Adam we will wait till Mommy gets home and maybe I can get her to make me a bowl of cereal too ! :-)

Kittens get a lesson in Time Out

While cleaning the room a few minutes ago I heard a couple of faint mews. Immediately, I knew that our cat China had her kittens and had them under our bed.
We had wondered if she had them because her belly was still somewhat big and yet we noticed that her teets were getting a little bit full of milk and then not as full back and forth.

I carefully removed the mattresses and looked under the bed low and behold there were two kittens under the bed and China the momma cat came in and gave them a feeding.

Then walks in Adam who saw the kittens and wanted to walk close to them and see them. I explained to him he can't touch them only look. I started to get things ready to put back on the bed and cover them back up under everything when I heard Adam tell the kittens, "Shhhhh now, be quiet, daddy will put you in time out because it is already bed time and you are making too much noise" and I said "Adam" in a firm scolding voice to let him know it was time to get up and out of the way to which he turned back toward the kittens and said, "And daddy can be grouchy too."

The "Holy" tree

Abigail was sleeping and we were invited out to a BBQ with some of Annette's friends whose son graduated High School so we took Adam along with us and left Abby with her grandmother.

We had a great time, we ate hot dogs and hamburgers. In the front yard there was a tree that was hollow and Adam kept going over to the tree and wanted to know what is inside and wanted to know what was it. I told him it was a Whole(y) tree and he asked me, "do we pray at it?" then he clasp his hands together and started praying. I told him that he could pray anywhere but probably should stay away from the tree because it had glass and stuff inside it.

After 2 1/2 hours of great fun and visiting (we don't get out much) we had to leave so I put Adam in the van and We stood for a few minutes talking exchanging our goodbyes and pleasantries and Adam wanted to go, thought we were going to leave him in the Van so I had to hold him for a minute to reassure him that we were NOT going to leave him alone that we were heading home. Adam was upset that we left his birthday cake (graduation cake) at Angie's so we are making him a cake this evening. When he saw Abigail who was waiting for us at the door he said, "Abigail, I missed you my whole life " She said, "me too" and they went off to play. Hopefully they will wear each other tired and go to bed soon..........