Recent Thoughts

Other than a relatively quick bout with the sickies, things are humming along dandily here. Christmas preparations are coming along and we're loving the homeworkless time in between semesters.

- Our toy rotation system is working great! Last week I ended up leaving the same toys out; the kids were still very engaged with them and enjoying them. I swapped them yesterday though (leaving the blocks, which are played with multiple times a day), and the kids were thrilled with the switch. I have to remind myself that the system itself isn't the goal, and it's okay to tweak it and be flexible according to what works best for our family.
- Crawling is the worst age for snow. Bashy wants to be out in it, but he gets soaked and can't really enjoy it yet. Hopefully in a couple of months he'll be good to go!
- Fun things we've done lately: Eat lunch on 12-12-12 out of muffin tins/ice cube trays with 12 slots each. I put pieces of cheese, homemade jello, cucumber, etc. in the slots and they were beyond thrilled; painted with homemade bathtub paints pre-bath; decorated graham crackers with green frosting and sprinkles (should have been done pre-bath- yikes!); and drove around a neighborhood that has luminarios and lots of Christmas lights, along with a Santa and a few bands. Oh, and a living nativity.
- I can't believe that the horrible tragedy in Connecticut is making gun control such a hot topic right now. I feel like the mode used to complete the crime is so far from the big issue; the murderer could have just as easily used a bomb, knife, or many other things to kill a huge number of babies. What people really need to be talking about is the fact that our world is a fallen, dark and evil place, even at Christmas. These awful things happen not because weapons are available, but because humans are capable of horrendous things when they refuse to bow before the Almighty King. More than ever our greatest concern should be mankind's heart, and our most fervent prayer be that Jesus returns soon. Thank God for his coming judgment; may many choose His freely given grace before that day.