Chores are Fun!

Right? Well, when you have two children who are so close in age, but so dramatically different in maturity, it's very difficult to be "fair" in asking them to do things. Our Princess is a ready worker, while Our Fairy drags her feet in everything. I'll be honest, I have a bad habit of heaping it on Our Princess because I know she'll do it. So, to make things fair and to make sure that Our Fairy is learning to do more to help the family, I made A-Day/B-Day lists. On A-Day, Our Princess is in charge of washing the dishes, sweeping the floor, and wiping the chairs down. Our Fairy clears the table before and after, dries the dishes, puts them away and wipes down the table. The next day alternate. This eliminates whining about who did it yesterday and why do I have to do it...*sigh*

The best part is, I don't have to do it and can spend that time getting the next activity going. To be honest again, our kitchen hasn't looked this clean in a while. Even Our Oso helps out. He's just helping them until he's big enough to take on his own chores by himself.
And for my two middle, strong-willed children, it's the scedule telling them what to do, not mommy, so there is less chance of rebellion...

Dodgeball Anyone?

We broke down and bought an Xbox with Kinect. Our Princess has been asking for something, anything like her friend has. I've been researching since last fall and had originally planned to get it for Christmas, but just couldn't bring myself to do it. Call it guilt for giving into the computer gaming wasteland. But, all the games we have use the Kinect, which is a full-body controller system. No handheld devices necessary, which limits the amount of flying objects at the TV (cat notwithstanding...poor kitty...not mine, but poor kitty...). We've had a lot of fun using it as a way to burn energy on days like today, when it is too wet and cold to go out. I much prefer this to her DS, which, as far as I'm concerned, could get lost in the bowels of her room forever. And the rule is it has to be miserable weather or the weekend to play, just like the TV. We'll see how long that lasts. Well, as school work doesn't get done by itself, we'd better get to it!

Titus

Titus 2:3-5 "Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good. Then they can urge the younger women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God." (NIV)

The amplified Bible says it like this, "Bid the older women similarly to be reverent and devout in their deportment as becomes those engaged in sacred service, not slanderers or slaves to drink. They are to give good counsel and to be teachers of what is right and noble, So that they will wisely train the young women to be sane and sober of mind (temperate, disciplined) and to love their husbands and children, To be self-controlled, chaste, homemakers, good-natured(kind-hearted), adapting and subordinating themselves to their husbands, that the word of God may not be exposed to reproach(blasphemed or discredited)."

I like to think by older they mean more mature spiritually. I was challenged this weekend during our first annual Deacon's retreat. And convicted. Our Pastor's wife shared how when she first began serving as a Pastor's wife, she had no one to come along side of her and show her the ropes. She didn't know how she should act, what she should do, what she should wear! As a relatively new Christian, and a pastor's wife at that, she often felt inept. While there were plenty who were willing to talk about what she did wrong, no one was willing to show her how to do "right."
Am I willing to walk alongside someone perhaps not so far along in their spiritual walk? To help them seek Him and trust Him? Am I worthy? It's a humbling position. But we can't expect that our Pastor's wife be responsible for the welfare of ALL the women in the church! The Deacon's wives hold that responsibility. The mature women of the church hold that responsibility. Just from this weekend, I feel God planning a big work in me, in my husband, in our family and in our church. In 1 Timothy, Paul writes to Timothy about the roles of Deacons and their wives. The church was blessed because the deacons were there to serve. Their wives were likewise there to serve. They were trustworthy. No task was beneath them. They did not speak maliciously about others. In Acts 6, the first seven were chosen. Like those brought forth to help Moses divide the work, these first chosen ones were there to serve. And the first one chosen, Stephen, was a martyr. Halelujah.

Na

Our Oso has a Na. It's pretty bad that everyone else calls it a Na as well, instead of blanket or even blankie. Oh no, it's a Na. Well, it was filthy and had to be washed. I mean so grubby I didn't even want to think about what nastiness it contained. So I washed it Saturday morning.
The world ended.
There was weeping and gnashing of teeth.
I feared for my life.
The drama was quite extensive.
So I got Our Lady Giggles' Na (here we go again) and pawned it off on Our Oso.
Thankfully, he was appeased.
For the time being.
I broke down and bought him a new one. It has Mickey Mouse (a crowd pleaser) on it.
Do you know many College kids with a Na?