This Hurts Me More than it Hurts You

As Jake was holding Abigail and I was digging a huge splinter out of her hand tonight, I couldn't help but think of the phrase "This hurts me more than it hurts you." As she was screaming, "This isn't making it better, it's making blood" I knew I just had to keep going to get all the pieces out. And afterwards she was thrilled to get a bandage and said that it was all better now. I think I was still shaking for ten minutes afterwards.
This also got me thinking about discipline. I never really understood the magnitude of the task set before us as parents until Isaac was nearing two years old and I really started with discipline. Of course now that I know better we start spankings and time-outs and loss of privileges much earlier than that 18-24 month mark. It just really hit me hard at that time in Isaac's life that God had blessed me with this child. And he has a soul that as his parents we have to prepare and set his foot on the path to heaven. I think discipline is one of the hardest things for a parent to do. Especially when you start to read too many parenting books and with the advent of online parenting groups the discussions on disciplining are endless. As for me I've decided I'm just going to stick with God and His book. I know He'll never lead me astray. So for all those reading now and for my kids who will hopefully be reading this blog in the future, here is just a small amount of what the Bible has to say on discipline and rearing children.
Proverbs 4:1-4 Hear, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding. For I give you good doctrine, forsake ye not my law. For I was my father's son, tender and only beloved in the sight of my mother. He taught me also, and said unto me, Let thine heart retain my words: keep my commandments, and live.
Proverbs 13:24 He that spareth the rod hateth his son, but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Proverbs 22:15 Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him.
Proverbs 23:13-14 withhold not correction from the child: for if thou beatest him with the rod, he shall not die. Thou shalt beat him with the rod, and shalt deliver his soul from hell.
Proverbs 29:15 The rod and reproof give wisdom: but a child left to himself bringeth his mother to shame.
Hebrews 12: 5-11 And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: for whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, where of all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yeildeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

Measuring

I love it when Isaac wants to learn something. Today he wanted to measure with his measuring tape. First though he asked, "Mommy, which side is the calimeters and which side is inches?" He always forgets the word "centimeter" for some reason. Now though he is a measuring fool. The table is 42 cm long, the TV is 74 cm. Indiana is 80 cm.

Abigail is 40 inches. Not sure why he switched units on me, but I just typed them as he read them out and given the size of that tape measure it looks like his error rate is about +/- 4 inches.

The Things Kids Play

My children have very active imaginations. They are always coming up with something. Sunday night as we were going into church Aunt Laura told Abigail she had to tie her horse up outside because horses weren't allowed in church. We then had to rush out after services to make sure no one had stolen the imaginary horse while we were in church.
This afternoon I came upstairs and the kids were having a birthday party for their toys. Shark was turning 21.
Now they are all three in Isaac's room playing church. Isaac is leading Footprints of Jesus and Abigail and Indiana are both singing along. And his sermon was on being good and obeying, because that's what God wants.
And Indiana is working on her memory verse. She's getting there. I'll say, "In the beginning" and she says, "God" then I'll say "created the heavens and the earth. Genesis" and Indiana chimes in "one one."

Bible Class Recap

I always try to ask the kids when they get out of Bible class on Wednesday nights about what they learned. Tonight Mrs. Danette had the difficult job of teaching 4 and 5 year olds about Joseph and Potipher's Wife. I think she did a great job. Here was Isaac's synopsis of the lesson: Joseph got thrown into prison because Potipher was mad at him, but his wife told a lie. See Potipher took a wife, but she wanted to pretend that she was Joseph's wife. And Joseph wouldn't do it and he didn't kiss her, then she lied to Potipher about it.

Good job Mrs. Danette, he got it. I'm so glad we have good Bible teachers and that we have the ability to teach our children the truth of God's word/.

How Mad are You?

Isaac had a tee ball game last night. On the way home Indiana started crying. She wouldn't stop and after a few minutes Isaac said, "Indiana you're making me mad." A few minutes later he said, "Indiana now I'm three feet mad." Then he just started counting, "Now I'm four feet mad. Now I'm five feet mad...Now I'm 21 feet mad." I guess "feet" is his new unit for mad.

Kids' Views on Scripture

Isaac was talking to me in the car the other day. And he said, "Mommy can a fruit tree have olives? Can vine have figs? No, that's so silly."
We were listening to Hannah's Hundreds IV covering the book of James. It is always nice to know they're listening.

Jam 3:10 NKJV - Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so.
Jam 3:11 NKJV - Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening?
Jam 3:12 NKJV - Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh.
Jam 3:13 NKJV - Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.
Jam 3:14 NKJV - But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth.
Jam 3:15 NKJV - This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.
Jam 3:16 NKJV - For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.
Jam 3:17 NKJV - But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.
Jam 3:18 NKJV - Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

Yesterday we were working on our New Testament books with some flashcards I made, and Isaac had laid out: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts and then just stopped. So I asked him, "What are you looking for?" and he said, "Letters." So I asked, "What comes after that?" and he said "To the Romans." I guess there are 28 books in his New Testament.
On the way to church last night Abigail said to me, "My shoelaces are snakes, they're trying to trick me into eating fruit. Mommy I won't ever eat fruit. Eating fruit is bad." We will have to go over the garden of Eden again I guess.

Even Indiana thinks every book is a Bible. It's nice to know she has the most important book down. But anything that isn't a board book is a Bible. Last night in church she was saying "Bible" and Jake handed her her Bible, she smacked it away and said, "No, Bible!" pointing vigorously at the song book. It was time to sing and she knew she needed that "Bible" to do it.

Potty Training

So Indiana is working on potty training. Not really seriously, but she likes to sit on the potty a few times a day. Well today I had her on the potty, then somehow I got her off and she ran off without a diaper on. It was probably 45 min later when I noticed that she was completely naked on the bottom. At least I haven't found any spots where she had an accident. But she was not happy to get caught going commando. She did not want a diaper back on. Guess she'll have to figure it out soon if she doesn't want to wear diapers anymore.

She's also a fashionista :-)