A Spring of Joy

Glimpses of our world…

  • A Taste Of His Own Medicine

    Asher and Micah started this conversation at lunch today… I just sat and listened and thought about all the times Asher asked me question after question. It was so cute.

    Asher: God is in Heaven, and Jesus is going to come back from Heaven.
    Micah: Jesus is going to hit my head.
    Asher: No, Jesus is up in Heaven.
    Micah: Jesus is upstairs?
    Asher: No, He’s not upstairs. He’s in Heaven.
    Micah: He’s down here?
    Asher: No, He’s not.
    Micah: He’s way up in the sky flying?
    Asher: No. He is up in Heaven. Way, way up high.
    Micah: He’s flying in Heaven.
    Asher: No, Micah! There is no flying in Heaven.
    Micah: Is the wind blowing and the trees are flying? Huh, Ash?
    Asher: I’m tired of talking to you.

  • Grapes for Supper

    More from Asher today:
    He asked me about Jesus being perfect again, so we talked about what it means to be perfect. Then this is what he says:

    Asher: Mom, can you imagine if I never disobeyed? Whoa!
    Me: No, I can’t imagine that.
    Asher: But Mom, what if you asked me to do something and I couldn’t?
    Me: What do you mean?
    Asher: Well, what if you told me to cook supper? I can’t cook supper.
    Me: Well, then it wouldn’t really be disobeying because it’s something you can’t do.
    Asher: Hmmmm… but if supper were grapes, I could fix that! Do you want to have grapes for supper tonight, Mom?

    I never get a mental break!

  • Can You Imagine…?

    Big ol’ brown eyes gazing at me and saying, “Can you imagine if everyone in the world was a horse? Whoa!”

  • How Are We Going To Die?

    Out of the blue at lunch today Asher asked me how we were going to die. I was a little taken aback, so I asked him, “How is who going to die?” Here’s the rest of the story…

    Asher: Jesus… how did Jesus die?
    Me: Can you tell me?
    Asher: He died on the cross. But why did He die on the cross?

    (We talked about how we all disobey God.)

    Asher: Even Daddy? How does Daddy disobey God?

    (We talked about some ways we disobey God as mommies and daddies. Then we talked about how Jesus never disobeyed God and was sinless. He listened with rapt attention. I could tell the wheels were spinning. Then I told him how sin has to be punished because God is holy and how Jesus was the perfect sacrifice, so He died for our sins and how if we believe in Him, we will never be punished for our sins, because He was punished for us.)

    Asher: Hmmmm… that’s pretty good.
    (He was quiet for a minute.)
    Asher: Mom, what if you sinned all the time?! (laughs) Hey, Mom…
    Me: What?
    Asher: Can I have a grape?

    Ah, the attention span of a 4-year old! But he’s asking about and hearing the Gospel, and that makes me a very happy mom.

  • The King & The Queen Story

    Asher dictated this to me and said, “This will be my first story. I’m going to write a lot!”

    Once upon a time (because all stories start that way), there was a king and queen. When they were born, their Mommy and Daddy took them out to supper at Old McDonald’s. They didn’t play; they just ate. After supper was done, they went home, and then the next morning the king and queen grew up. They could drive a car. They used to be the prince and princess, but now they were king and queen.
    Now they builded their new castle. It was builded like a bear. They had more princes and princesses who were going to grow up and be king and queen. When their children grew up, the kind and queen died. Then, after that, they lived happily ever after.

    THE END

    ,

  • Did He Really Say That?

    Our friend, Kristen (lovingly known as K-Stat) came over for supper one night. Before supper the boys were discussing whose turn it was to say grace, then Asher turned and looked at her and said, “You have to pray every night.” She asked him. “And why is that?” “Because,” he replied, “You don’t have a husband.”

    The very next day she came over and told him, “Asher, you’re kinda cute today.” He stood and stared at her for the longest time, then he said, “You’re kinda weird.” and walked out of the room.

    Just what are we teaching this boy?!

  • I Just Wanted To Drink My Coffee

    So, this morning started off with a bang. I got up a little before 7:00 to feed Audrey and put her back to bed. Just as I finished getting her settled and asleep, Asher got up and we discovered a 102.1 degree fever. Ugh. He climbed in bed with Brian, and I jumped in the shower, because I knew if I didn’t, I might never get one. I threw on some clothes, pulled my wet hair into a ponytail and headed downstairs to hopefully get a few minutes to read my Bible.

    About two minutes later, Micah came out rubbing his eyes, his lower lip pouted out, saying, “I want my Asher back.” (He hates waking up and finding Asher gone.) He headed upstairs to “nuggle Daddy”, and I actually got 20 minutes of quiet time! The only thing that was missing was a good cup of coffee, something I missed immensely during my pregnancy!

    At 8:15, Brian finally rolled out of bed with the boys and I helped them put together some puzzles while he got the coffee brewing. The hungry boys finally got some breakfast–bagels and hotmeal (Micah’s name for oatmeal), of which Asher only ate a few bites of before he said, “I give up.” Having never heard that one from him before, I assumed it meant he was done, and I figured that since he wasn’t feeling well, I wasn’t going to press the issue.

    Once they finished, I got them cleaned up and gave them both some cough syrup against which Asher profusely protested because it was “too spicy” (it burns a bit going down). Of course, Micah, who eats anything could care less. He loves to eat hot salsa with chips, so he must have inherited my iron stomach.

    Audrey eventually woke up and we all went into her room to get them out of their jammies. Asher dressed himself (although his wardrobe choice left something to be desired), Micah tried dressing himself but kept getting stuck, and Audrey just lay quietly on her changing table in the midst of the clamor. Once I got to her, the boys were vying for the best position in which to watch and “help” Audrey get changed. By this point, she had reached her over-stimulation point and had started to cry, I sent Asher out of the room b/c he kept pushing Micah and refused to stay where I told him to, and Micah kept climbing the crib to see better. Finally, after that circus was over, there were fresh clothes for all kids (which lasted about 10 minutes in Audrey’s case… spit up galore)!

    I finally got to fix myself a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee (yes, my first one!)… gobbled the cereal and took a sip of coffee before Asher came whining for me to play with him. Audrey was still fussing, so I picked her up to rock, and we sat in the rocking chair, Asher next to me, while Micah pulled up a chair beside mine. Audrey fell asleep in my arms while I read books until 10:00, when they occasionally get to watch Sesame Street (and today was one of those days!).

    At the appointed time, the boys raced upstairs (Asher’s fever certainly didn’t slow him down) to watch “Ses Treet”. In the meantime, Audrey woke up b/c it was time to feed, and Asher wanted her to watch tv with him. I headed upstairs w/ the boys and nursed Audrey while Asher laid his head on my lap and Micah leaned on my arm (I could barely breathe by this point.)

    Halfway through Sesame Street Audrey fell asleep, the boys started asking for snack (more like demanding it until I made them ask), and I headed downstairs. Audrey napped in her crib, the boys got their snack, and I sat down to finish my coffee (yes, I had still only had one sip!) I checked my email and started a reply to one of my best friends in the whole world!

    When their show ended, Asher turned off the TV and Micah got mad b/c he wanted to turn it off. Asher came downstairs, and halfway down heard Micah turn the tv on then back off. Asher ran back up the stairs yelling at the top of his lungs that he was supposed to turn it off b/c Micah turned it on when it was time for Sesame Street. I dealt with that battle, the boys both apologized and hugged each other, and all was quiet on the western front… for 15 minutes. But in 15 minutes, I could at least get a few more sips of coffee.

  • Just How Big Is God?

    The boys and I were driving to church one Sunday, and as I loaded the kids in the car, Asher began a barrage of questions about God…

    Asher: Mommy, is God bigger than the earth?
    Me: Yes, He made everything, so He is bigger than everything.
    Asher: Is He bigger than our house?
    Me: Yes, He’s bigger than everything.
    Micah: I see a jeep, Mommy!
    Asher: When was God born?
    Me: God wasn’t born, He is eternal (what was I thinking using that word?!)
    Asher: What does eternal mean?
    Me: Well, it means God has always been and always will be. He wasn’t born and He’ll never die.
    Asher: (silence for a few minutes)
    Micah: Where’s the jeep, Mommy? I see jeep, Mommy!
    Asher: God did, too, die!
    Me: Really?
    Asher: Yes. Jesus is God and He died on the cross for our sins, so God died, right, Mom?
    Micah: I see church. I see church. Can we park on the rocks?
    Asher: Can we park on the rocks?!
    Me: (a deep sigh of relief… wondering how I’d explain the Trinity to him and thankful for the reprieve.)

  • More Cute Asher Sayings – October

    We were at youth group one Sunday, and Asher and his friend, Naomi, were eating supper together. Asher asked Naomi if she had beans on her plate, and she said, “Yep.” To which Asher loftily replied, “You don’t say yep, you say yes, ma’am.” That’s okay, Naomi got him back later when Asher asked for a cupcake, to which Naomi spouted, “You have to finish your hot dog first.” Ahhhhh, I think they’re a match made in heaven.

    Monday I put Micah down for his morning nap, and Asher asked me what we were going to do now. I told him Mommy was going to read her Bible for a few minutes. Asher then picked up his little Bible and said, “I’m going to read about Jesus, too. Will Moses teach me about Jesus?” We read the story of Moses together. Then he found the story of Zaccheus and read (not sang) the entire Zaccheus Was A Wee Little Man song. When he finished, he said, “I’m all done, Mommy. Are you?” How could I not be? Later that evening, I was telling Brian about this and he asked Asher, “Were you having your quiet time this morning with Mommy?” Asher replied, “No, I was being louder.”

    It was naptime, and I heard Asher back in his room talking, so I went back, sat him on my lap and told him he needed to lie still and be quiet. He said, “But Elmo is sleeping on my pillow and he taked up all my room.” I suggested, “Maybe you could ask Elmo to share with you.” Asher climbed back into his bed and said, “Elmo will you share with me? Okay?” As I walked back into the living room, Asher yelled, “Mommy, he said yes!”

    Asher was playing with some stickers, and he took one and wrapped it around his finger. Holding it up, he said, “Look, Mommy, a band-aid.” A little while later, he came back over to me and showed me where he had taken the band-aid off. Then he said, “Look, Mommy, God made it all better.”

    My parents were baby-sitting Asher one night and his Grandma put him to bed. She was in the rocking chair with her eyes closed while Asher stayed in bed talking away. Finally she opened her eyes and told Asher that Grandma was going to go out with Grandad. Asher said to her, “Oh, did I wake you up?”

  • Random Quotes from 2004

    Asher on… Dreams: “Mommy, I was watching a movie in my head.”

    Asher on… Singing: “Teach me some more lasagna”

    The rain is not obeying God.

    I want to watch silly old bear because that’s what Christopher Robin Hood calls him.

    The snakes name is Siah.” “Not the snake… Prince John. But the snake calls him Sire.” “No, Mommy, his name is Siah, not Sire.

    Can I climb over the rainbow and touch the sun?

    Cute Sayings in August

    Will the mouse bite Daddy?

    Can we put Micah in the microwave so he can get hot?

    Where do poopies come from?

    Is my skin going to come off?

    Where does the water go after it goes down the drain?

    Cute Sayings in June

    “How was your day today, Brian-Daddy.”

    “I’m right here, too, Micah.”

    “I need to be under the umbrella, too. To keep my brain safe.”

    “I want to wear my pants. So I can get macaroni on them.”

    “Baby dinosaur!”

    “I want Mommy to sing again. With Daddy.”

    “Oh, I just love being a naked boy!”

    May

    Nala and Simba!

    Go down to the office. Pick up Daddy.

    Bye, Mom! Going to work now!

    Oh, he’s a beautiful Micah.

    You’re not my old Grandma. You’re my new Grandma!

    No more taking pictures. I’m soaking. It’s me time.