September 20, 2012

• The Shaping.

     “Our natural reason looks at marriage and turns up its nose and says, “Alas! Must I rock the baby? wash its diapers? make its bed? smell its stench? stay at nights with it? take care of it when it cries? heal its rashes and sores? and on top of that care for my spouse, provide labor at my trade? take care of this and take care of that? do this and do that? and endure this and endure that? Whey should I make such a prisoner of myself?”
     What then does Christian faith say to this? It opens its eyes, looks upon all these insignificant, distasteful and despised duties in the spirit, and is aware that they are all adorned with divine approval as with the costliest gold and jewels. It says, “O God, I confess I am not worthy to rock that little babe or wash its diapers, or to be entrusted with the care of a child and its mother. How is it that I without any merit have come to this distinction of being certain that I am serving Thy creature and Thy most precious will? Oh, how gladly will I do so. Though the duty should be even more insignificant and despised, neither frost nor heat, neither drudgery nor labor will distress me for I am certain that it is thus pleasing in Thy sight.”

  [Martin Luther]

   

  “There is no nobler career than that of motherhood at its best.
  There are no possibilities greater, and in no other sphere does failure bring more serious penalties.
  With what diligence then should she prepare herself for such a task.
  If the mechanic who is to work with “things” must study at technical school,
  if the doctor into whose skilled hands will be entrusted human lives must go through medical school…
  how much more should the mother who is fashioning the souls of the men and women of tomorrow,
  learn at the highest of all schools and from the Master-Sculptor Himself, God.
  To attempt this task, unprepared and untrained is tragic, and its results affect generations to come.
  On the other hand there is no higher height to which humanity can attain than that of a converted, heaven-inspired, praying mother.”

  [unknown author]

   

   

  Having three kids…
   I’ve really been conscious of how much kids have to be taught.
  They come into the world as a blank slate, and have to be taught everything!

  Obedience,
  how to respond cheerfully,
  how to be kind.
  How to hold a fork,
  how to cut with a knife,
  place the napkin in your lap.
  Remember to include your younger sister,
  sisters should be great friends.
  Manners,
  phone etiquette,
  even polite voice inflection!
  “Yes ma’am”
  “No sir”
  and “I don’t care for that” instead of “eewww! that look gross!”
  How to hang your clothes up neatly.
  Place the spoons with the spoons and forks with the forks.
  How to put the pillows back on the sofa as they were.
  How to hold a pencil.
  Please don’t throw your clothes on the floor.
  Pick up the toys after your bath.
  God is One God, but He is a Trinity.
  We can’t be good enough on our own; that’s why we need Jesus.
  God is in Heaven, He holds the world in His hand, and yet He wants to live within us.
  Please apologize to your father for being disrespectful.
  Oh, and did you know your knees are ticklish?…….

  It it really an endless list!
  But it’s actually been rather exciting to me.
  Rather than becoming frustrated by things,
  I want to take the opportunity to teach.
  There is an exciting world out there to learn about!
  And in character training, not to become exasperated so easily, but show them the better way of doing things.

  Goodness, how being a mother is refining!
  Patience? Gentleness?
  It takes on a whole new meaning when, instead of one, there are four of you!

  I’ve recently read The Shaping of a Christian Family by Elisabeth Elliot, and it is one of the best books I’ve read on intentional parenting.
  The teaching/training encouragement I’ve felt is due to that book, and the quotes are all from there.

  “It’s much easier for the parents to pick things up themselves than to call the child,
  show him what he has left lying about, tell him where to put it, and see that he puts it there – and remind him the next time.
  “Much easier” only at the moment, I mean…
  It is a sort of ‘severe mercy’, for the parents are sparing themselves endless pains when they take the trouble to teach,
  and, far more importantly, are sparing the children the frustration and confusion of disorder for the rest of their lives…”
  [e. elliot]

  Hudson, pictures at 3 months [though he is now 4.5]

  Stats at 4 months:
  -15 pounds
  -26 inches (so therefore grew 6 inches since birth)
  - is the biggest eater we’ve had, since 1 month he’s drinking 4-7 ounces of milk at a time, every three hours
  - loves guacomole, rice & beans, salmon, mashed potatoes… let’s just say he completely skipped the baby food stage and went straight for the real deal.
  He cracks us up – the girls were never even interested in food until at least 6 months.s
  - rolls over from tummy to back and is extremely frightened by that ability
  - goes into fits of laughter when his sisters talk to him
  - recognizes his bottle and a spoon coming toward him, and is almost beside himself with excitement

  - still goes by “HUT-son” with emphasis on the “HUT” according to his two sisters, from birth to now.
  They sounds like they’re either a) from Holmes County, Ohio, or b) African-American. Neither is a bad thing, I guess.

  I can’t believe that he was still inside of me 4.5 months ago. That we didn’t know him, we wondered what gender he was.
  Now he really is a part of our family, and we absolutely adore him!
  I never knew a boy could be so much fun. SO MUCH FUN.

    
   

    

  My husband’s take on his outfit: “We’re rednecks, and you make him look like he’s an Englishman!”
  My take on the outfit: “I don’t mind bringing some class.”
  

  

    
   

  Zoe and Olivia.
  Summer of Twenty-Twelve.
  Turned 3 and 5.

   

  Olivia Caroline.

  Dimple Girl. 
  Recently discovered she loves to color.
  Has a mischievous sparkle in her eyes at almost all times.
  Is a snuggle bunny.
  Is also like the energizer bunny.
  Has a personality that is full of drama.

  DREADS naptime so badly all morning she has a hard time focusing on the present joy at hand.
  “Is it time for my nap yet?” she’ll ask multiple times before noon.
  Naptime is only okay when I  lay down beside her and we pretend: one day we’re cats, the next we’re birds, the next we’re bunnies.
  “Now Baby Bunny, we have to be quiet in our little nest so the foxes don’t hear us!”
  And then mostimes the joy of pretending overshadows the dullness of naptime.

  [and please don't laugh at my amateur attempts at sunflare.
  I thought of all the amazing photographers I'm friends with who would have made this perfect lighting even more perfect,
  and groaned within myself... ]

   
   

   

  Zoe Grace.

  Deep thinker.
  Is Mama #2 to baby boy.
  Began Kindergarten this year, and most days loves it.
  Loves to draw, to write, to do anything involving paint or drawing.
  Has began to like putting outfits together.
  Has a very sensitive heart to the things of God.
  Is very happy to graduate from Naptime to Quiet Time within the past year.
  Is extremely ticklish and LOVES to be tickled.
  Daddy’s Girl.
  Very athletic, and can run as fast as the boys. 

   

    

  The Sisterhood that is my Daughters.

  Some days the best of enemies.
  Most days the best of friends.
  I’m so glad they have each other.

   

   

   

   

   

   

  credits:

  Hudson
  hat: H & M
  outfit: gift from friend, Ralph Lauren
  basket: junk store
  old quilt: Goodwill
  baby: straight from Heaven

  Zoe and Olivia
  boots: Goodwill and re-use-it shop, one given from my sister Claudia
  dresses: gifted from my sister Ervina
  gumball machine: husband bought at an auction in February
  headbands: My Faire Lady (facebook)
  little girls: straight from God’s heart to ours

   

   ~ enJOY this day!

  clarita

   

  • 10:07 am
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