Clean Hands and a Pure Heart

Aftrer getting in trouble for coating his brother in sand, Kedrick was sent to wash his hands. After realizing he had been back there for like 15 minutes with the water running, I decided I better check up on the little mischief maker. The sink and counter were covered in bubbles and he was having the time of his life! Upon inquiring what he was doing, he responded with a big happy smile, "I'm making lots of bubbles!" What do you do?

He had been sporting a diaper all day. When daddy asked, "Kedrick, where are your pants?" he looked down and said, "uh, I lost them!" and pretended to run around and look for them. He's a ham and a half. I sense a long lifetime of creative excuses coming.

I've been trying to explain to Kedrick that before he was born he was in Mommy's tummy and before that in heaven. Trying to gage how much of this he was taking in, I asked him one day where he lived before he was born. His reply, "the church." Close enough. Last night before Kevin went to play basketball at the church, he was telling Kedrick that when he gets big he can go too. Kedrick, with basketball in hand, excitedly turned to me and said, "I don't want to be in your tummy anymore. I can play this now!" I tried not to be offended that he would so readily trade in my womb for a basketball.

A Penny Saved

I recently heard of a family of nine living off of $35,000 a year. I admire frugality. I once visited our local dump to dispose of a couch we could find no other home for. Watching mounds of discarded items being swallowed up by mother earth made me feel a bit reckless with my own consumptive behaviors. I feel like a real hero every time I save something from the landfill. Okay, and I don't mind saving money either.
Things I've bought used off of Craigslist:
jogging stroller
double stroller
crib
exersaucer
fridge
washer
dryer
elliptical
toddler bed
little tykes pick-up truck
dump truck lamp

My summer best deal: a plastic dinosaur sandbox I found during my Saturday morning constitutional at a garage sale, $4 (retails for $39.99). I carried it home on my head.

Things I will never buy used: toilet paper, dental floss, tooth brushes.

Mangoes

It is no secret that I have a passion for mangoes. But a few days into my mission in the Philippines, I sampled my first mango. Ok, techinically I had eaten one mango my senior year in high school but the two pieces of fruit were so different it hardly seems fitting to give them the same name. I'll never forget standing in my apartment as a new missionary feeling so forlorn and well, terrified really and tasting for the first time, a real mango. It was like eating sunshine. I didn't want the moment to end. Who knows how long I sucked on that pit trying to extract every last bit of flavor. It has been called the queen of all fruits, for good reason. My companion promised there would be other mangoes and eventually convinced me to give up the pit. Some things are too good to let go.

1995 the Guinness Book of World records listed the Philippine mango from Carabao as the sweetest fruit in the world.

Brock's Birthday

I can hardly believe Brock's first birthday has come and gone! We let Kedrick choose what cake to make and shockingly he settled on a train cake. He was certain Brock would like it. Kedrick took a look at the cake in the morning before it had been dressed. He was disturbed to see nothing but white frosting and informed me, "um, Mom you need to do it over." He preceded to describe his cake from his last birthday in great detail. Happily, he heartily approved with the final outcome. By the way, Kevin and I were also so lucky to have train cakes for our birthdays this past year. It simplifies planning. Brock went nuts when he saw it. Brock ate little cake, gagged on the frosting but enjoyed his fork. He kept his focus on the camera, saying cheese at regular intervals. Kevin finally made me put the camera away so he would open his presents.