Becca – Page 15 – Butterbees and Bumbleflies

Super Simple Christmas Ornaments

There seem to be a million and one Christmas ornament ideas floating around out there… So I’m sure I’m not the first person to want something SUPER SIMPLE that a 2 year old could pretty much do by herself… But I couldn’t find any ideas. So I came up with this myself.

We went to Michaels and bought ten clear plastic ornaments. (At $0.49 each!) And we bought fake snow and ribbon. And a new Christmas board book. The total of which was less than $20.

I pulled the tops off the ornaments, and cut and tied the ribbons. Becca did the stuffing! It’s great for her fine motor skills- pushing the snow into the tiny opening. And it was tons of fun! You might want to mention to your child before starting that the “snow” will cling to their hands, and therefore to not touch their mouth, or your child could end up eating the snow and have a dramatic meltdown of tears. Just sayin… Live and learn.

But all in all, the project was really fun, she has one to give to each of her MOPS teachers, and the rest will go on our tree!! She loved playing in the snow and making “leaf piles” with it.

Wacky Wednesday

“I don’t know what I’m talking about.”

“Well, that wasn’t a very good idea!”

“I’m trying to figure out how to turn the pages.”

“Not right now – I’m too far away.”

Becca: “We went to Tulsa and saw Granny and PawPaw. It was a long way but we sleeped in a hotel!” Me: “Did you like sleeping in the hotel?” Becca: “Yes it was fun, but Brother waked me up.” Too true.

Me: “What puzzle do you want to work?” Becca: “Well, this one, and this one, and the outer space one, and the very hungry caterpillar one… Oh how bout we just do them all? Would that work?”

Me: “What did you say? I didn’t hear you.” Becca: “I don’t know, Mommy. I forgot.” I have that problem all the time.

People, Get Ready

Well, here we are. The countdown to Thanksgiving has begun. The turkeys have been flying off the shelves (though thankfully not literally) the past few days, and will continue to do so in preparation for the big day. Kids are off school, or will be soon, and fall is here – even in South Texas. Yesterday when we ran a couple errands, Becca was in awe of the yellow and orange and brown leaves that have suddenly appeared out of nowhere. Fall is no longer just on a television show. It’s real. And after watching “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” with her, I’m reminded to make sure she realizes that Thanksgiving is real, too – and it’s not just a meal around a table with family we haven’t seen in a long time. And it’s not about the Christmas presents she’ll get to open with my family on the very same day.

Thanksgiving is an attitude. It’s real. It’s tangible. It’s something we should be doing every day. But somehow, for many of us, it gets secluded to a single day in November that is overrun by Christmas preparations and shopping. We’re so busy getting ready for Christmas (starting in October!) that Thanksgiving gets shoved further and further to the back burner.

I know all about back burners. If you’ve been reading my blog for a while, you know that right now, for me, blogging is on the back burner. Because so many other things are about to boil over… so I gotta have something on “simmer” in the back. I love blogging. And I’m hoping for lots more time for it soon. (I won’t be quitting, don’t worry.) But seriously… it seems like Thanksgiving is stuck somewhere in a little simmering saucepan with Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day. They used to be big… and then over time, it’s enough to be patriotic on 4th of July, and to say “thanks” to God for His blessings half-heartedly before dinner each night (if then).

It’s time to get ready, folks. To get ready for our world of the future… If we spend so much time getting ready for Christmas presents that will spoil our already spoiled children that we forget about the importance of a day to stop and thank God for the freedoms we have in this country, and for the fact that some crazy hard-headed people left tyranny behind to start a new life in a new “world,” we’re going to find a generation of children who are so focused on themselves that they don’t even know what being thankful is.

So how do you not lose Thanksgiving in the shuffle? How do you not lose your kids to the commercial idea of decoration and sparkle and packages full of fun things? I don’t have it all figured out. I really don’t. But I think it begins in our own hearts. I think we have to get ready to be real with our kids. To tell them what things WE are thankful for – every day. And to show them that it’s not just STUFF we are thankful for, but PEOPLE and IDEAS (insert your lesson about the pilgrims and American freedom here) that are top on our lists.

I’m all about Christmas. Heck, I worked super super hard to try and get our advent calendar finished this weekend so that I could post it here early for you. Ya know what, it’s not gonna happen. It’s gonna be fabulous when it’s done, and yes, I’ll share, but right now, this week, the focus is gonna be on Thanksgiving. Because it’s time to start getting ready. And this week despite all of it’s craziness, is gonna be all about being thankful – and then carrying that attitude beyond this week so that by the time a month from now rolls around (seriously, ya’ll… today is a month til Christmas Eve!), all that stuff under the tree won’t just be boxes and paper to rip into, but there will be a realization that inside each box is a specially selected gift that the giver has spent money and time and thought on purchasing. No, I don’t expect my two year old to say “thank you” to each giver after she opens a present. Not all on her own. But I will remind her to say thank you for all of her presents after opening. And we will write thank you notes. And I will remind her as she plays with things, who got them for her.

Because I’m getting her ready. Preparing this little girl for the big wide world that is SO much bigger than lil old her. The world doesn’t revolve around her – it has many, many gears that all intertwine together. She needs to begin to realize that she is just one of them – and that God has placed her where He has placed her for a reason – to impact the lives of many people. NOT to focus on herself and what she wants and what she thinks she needs.

How will you get ready THIS WEEK to start building thoughtful, thankful children? And how will you carry that thoughtfulness and that thankfulness through the Christmas season?

Wacky Wednesday

– “Oh Daddy I’m so GLAD to see you!!”

– I went in to get her up from the night. “Good morning, Mommy! I missed you so much!” She really does have her super sweet moments! 12 hours was a long time away from me, apparently! I’m glad she missed me. 🙂

– At HEB in the parking lot, she started waving at someone. Me: “Who are you waving at?” Becca: “That lady. She was sad. Now she’s happy!” As I looked, the lady was smiling at her and waving back. I love her heart.

– “Daddy, are you sad?” Cody: “No, I’m happy.” Becca: “Well, where’s your happy face?” She’s definitely picking up on other’s emotions, and wants everyone to be happy. 🙂

– I had a stye in my eye, and was miserable. She kept noticing me closing my eye/s in pain. “Mommy, it’s not goodnight time. It’s goodmorning time. Does your eye think it’s goodnight time?” I couldn’t help but chuckle.

– Playing with Grayson in his room – “Broyer, I go get you a car. I’ll be right back. Don’t roll over on me. I’ll be right back. Ok, broyer?” A) I love how she says “brother.” B) Seriously – “don’t roll over on me?” HAHAHA where does she come up with this stuff?

– I started setting up the PS3 to access Netflix, but hit the wrong button and screen went black. “Oh no that’s TERRIBLE!” Yup, yup it is.

– “Mommy, where’s my shadow? It disappeared. Oh! There it is! It reappeared now!” Amazing to me how just last week she was learning the concept of appeared vs disappeared, and now she understands reappeared and uses it in context appropriately… astounding.

No Apologies Necessary

We as moms beat ourselves up. A lot.

I recently read a really well-written blog post from someone (who will remain nameless) who was apologizing to her second child for all of what she felt were injustices being done to him because he was the second child. We often hear the jokes about how the first child gets the expensive diapers and the second gets “Luvs,” etc. I totally understand where this comes from. It’s called “Mommy guilt.” And it’s real.

However – I have decided to look at things differently. I was an only child. So perhaps I’m naive. Perhaps I’m clueless. Perhaps, I’m even stupid. But I don’t think so. Here’s how I see it:

Sweet Baby Grayson and Precious Big Sister Becca,
I love you both SO MUCH. Words cannot express how very much I love both of you – uniquely and deeply. You have both been loved since before you were conceived, and will continue to have 150% of my heart to claim as your own. I could never more fully love EACH of you, and your Daddy. It’s amazing how God creates room in the human heart so that more love is always abundant and free to give.

You each have your own special personalities and interests, and I love that about you. I’m sure as you grow, more things will develop. I love how independent each of you are becoming – one because it’s in your nature, and one because it’s part of your nuture. You are each learning patience and discovering that I am only one person. Sometimes you each need to take a turn waiting, and you are both learning and growing in that area. I love how snuggly you both are – one because it’s in your nature, and one because you’re learning by observation what snuggles are all about, and you want in on the “goods.” It’s so wonderful what you are already learning from each other. I love how already you are beginning to play together – as big sister brings toys, and baby brother learns, observes and explores.

I will not be the perfect mother. There will be times when you will live in filth. There will be times when I will force you to help clean the filth you have made, and you might not like me very much. There will be days when the food you eat will not be of the highest caliber. There will be days when I will make food and force you to eat it. There will be days when I am stressed to the max and I might express my frustration in ways that folks (myself included!) would say are inappropriate. And there will be days when you are stressed to the max, and you will express frustration in ways that drive me to the edge of a cliff. But for all of these things, I do not apologize.

WHAT? I don’t apologize? Oh, there will be times when I will say I’m sorry, because it will be necessary – I’m FAR from perfect. But I DO NOT apologize for your birth order. I DO NOT apologize that I am human. I DO NOT apologize for how your father and I have chosen to parent you. I DO NOT. WHY?

Because God gave us you. Both of you. In HIS time. And He is guiding and directing our footsteps, as well as yours. He is growing and stretching each of us into the people He wants us to be. So on the days that regret might begin to seep in because I don’t have as much time with just one of you, and on the days that I might be tempted to apologize because one of you has to (cry and) wait while the other gets served first, I will remember that. And I will be grateful for His timing and His plan.

We tried over two years to get pregnant, and had about given up when you came along – our Princess. And after you were born, we knew we wanted you to have a sibling to grow with and play with and fight with and love. We lost one, then another, and we grieved. But God had a plan. He had for us – you – our Prince. We are far from perfect, but we are your parents, and God has placed all of us together in this family. So there will be no apologies for what brand of diapers you wore or didn’t wear, for what percentage of your clothes were new or hand-me-down, for what percentage of your toys had been used before, or how much one-on-one time you got or didn’t get in your first six months.

Because no matter what anyone says, you are stronger together. You are made for each other. You are blessed. And you are LOVED. This perfectly imperfect set of parents that God has given you loves BOTH of you with every fibre of our beings, and that will NEVER change, and doesn’t matter who was born first or second. So no apologies. None. Just love. And remember that when you are parents, too, ok?

We love you. 150% of our hearts. Always.

Love,
Mommy

This letter was sent to both of their email accounts – that were created for them before they were born. I occasionally send them little notes – some separately, some to both of them at the same time. If you have kids, setting up an email account for them is a fabulous way to write letters to them… and then give them the address and password at whatever age you feel it’s appropriate. 🙂