The Weird, the Wacky, and the Wonderful

Today started out like most other Sundays. Josh woke up at the crack of dawn to drive downtown with a serving ministry from our church to feed a group of men and women who depend on the group's weekly visits. The kids and I got up shortly after he left to get ready because I had to be at church early for band practice. There was the morning service, lunch, naps, school, and church again -- it was the typical framework of a normal Sunday around here.

But there were words and happenings that kept me smiling or laughing almost the whole day long, so let me share a few of the gems from the Weird and Wacky Department...

When we got home after church this morning, Abby and I were chatting about what she learned in Sunday school. She was happy to share all about the lesson, but what she was really jazzed to talk about were the new goodies they had eaten for snack time -- vanilla wipers (known to most of us as vanilla wafers).

Our church is clearly on the cutting edge of Children's Ministry Edibles.

Then this evening while Josh was at class, the kids and I were woofing down a quick bite for dinner before we joined him for church. Out of nowhere, Jack looked over at me and said, "Are you about ready to leave for church, Babe?" That boy will do anything to be more like Daddy!

But back to Abby and food (shocker), in her class tonight they learned the "Fruits of the Spirit" song. Do you know that one? "The fruit of the Spirit's not a coconut..." On and on it goes with motions and sound effects for each of the non-Spirit fruits. She got about 34 verses into the song (I never realized God made so many varieties of fruit...or that someone actually wrote a song that included each. and. every. one of them), and then she suddenly stopped singing and looked at me with a perplexed expression on her face. She said, "Mommy, I didn't know what one of the fruits was that we sang about tonight." I asked her which one, and she replied, "Kee-weed."

Ahh, yes. That one.

But not everything from today has been odd or goofy (although this outfit of Abby's definitely does fall into that category)...

Apron over ballet tutu over jammies --smashing!

There have been plenty of Wonderful times today as well. Take, for example, Jack's sweetness when I walked out of the bathroom from getting dressed this morning for church. He looked at me from the other side of the room and said, "Oooh Mommy...you look booteefull!" (Come to think of it, that was either a precious, unexpected compliment from Josh, Jr. -- or Jack was hinting that my new pants didn't do much for me).

But something from this evening definitely wins the award for the most heart-warming event of the day. Each night, we all sit together as a family in the kids' room and pray just before they go to bed. Josh finished praying and Abby said that she would like a turn. She tells us all the time that she prayed for so-and-so or that she talked to God about something-or-another, but it's a fairly new thing for her to pray for what's on her little heart out loud during our family prayer time.

Abby said a pure and beautiful prayer that covered everything from thanking God for the ways that He's blessed us (and she named several specifics) to asking Him to help some friends of ours get their car back quickly (it's in the shop because of a little unleaded-gasoline-versus-diesel-engine incident from earlier today). No sooner had Abby wrapped up her prayer than Jack asked if he could pray as well.

We were excitedly anxious to see what our almost three-year-old little guy would pray about, and what came next had our bellies laughing -- and our hearts melting. When we're praying with the kids, we typically say something to the effect of "Please protect our family tonight" or "Please keep our family and friends safe". While you've got to give him points for using his manners, Jack got a bit confused and kept saying "You're welcome give us a good night" or "You're welcome something-or-other about a train track" (we never quite got that one).

The best part came, though, when he said, "You're welcome keep our baby safe in Aff-kuh".

Be still, my heart.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14

As tempted as I am to close this post right now (I mean, that's absolute perfection, if you ask me!), the night certainly didn't end there. There's one more hoot of a story to share from the W & W Dept.

Sometimes on the weekends, we let the bigger two kiddos "sleep" in Abby's bed. It's all a bit of a joke, really. We turn the lights out, they lay in bed for 15 or 20 minutes talking and laughing, we go in and put Jack back in his crib, and then they quickly fall asleep. But as you can see, they think it's a scream to at least start out together...

So we played along, and while Josh went to our room to take a shower, I came downstairs to get some work done. But as I got toward the bottom of the staircase, I noticed something out of the corner of my eye.

Something hopping.

Yes, my friends, there was a frog in my living room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Oh please, don't even act like you're surprised I took a picture of it.)

Had you asked me this morning what I would do if I found a brown and green amphibian leaping through my house, I would have answered you with squeals of disgust. But coming off such a funny day and a precious time with my family, this little guy just made me laugh. Come on, look at him...

You've got to admit that's funny! I'm actually having trouble typing because I'm laughing so hard!!! (Of course, that might have something to do with how late it is and how worried I am that you're going to think I have a nasty house.) :-)

I was a little concerned that I would lose him if I ran upstairs to get Josh (because clearly, I was not going to be the one to get him out of the house), so I yelled upstairs for Abby to get Josh. She asked what was wrong, and I told her there was a frog in the living room. I couldn't hear Josh's end of the conversation, but I heard Abby say something through the door -- then silence -- then her loudly saying, "A frog!"

Silence.

Then she yelled, "Yes, Daddy...a FROOOOOGGGGGG!"

I told Abby to get Jack up and they could come down and see our visitor. It doesn't get much better than this for a little boy.

While Josh figured out how to catch "Willy" (Abigail's name of choice), the kids looked on in utter amazement (mixed with just a pinch of fear)...

Josh took the Contain & Then Re-Evaluate approach, so the kids had plenty of time to watch Willy hop around inside his temporary trap.

And not that we would ever do this, but if I were to theoretically distract the kids while Josh theoretically snuck through the school room and behind them to theoretically yell "RIBBIT!", this would be the picture you would see before the theoretical moment of surprise.

Hee-hee.

Remember what we talked about last night, Mom? I'm thinking Bethany and I might have our first character...

WILLY! :-)