I realize that I need to just use this blog as a Doogie Howser-style online diary, because I don't have time to load pictures and spin the tales of each day that I so badly wish I could remember. Since I do want to remember them, I need to just sit down at the end of each day and just list out the highlights, even if that means that I can't weave it with witty prose.
Teaching these two to obey is going to be the end of me. I am writing about it because I know I will have a chance to read this one day, someday in the future, and I will laugh...either because A) we are well past that, they are very obedient, and it's all water under the bridge. Or B) we have far bigger problems than obedience and I wish I could tell my younger self to enjoy these "little kid" problems. I offered the boys stickers for each time that they obeyed the first time I told them to do something. This resulted in significant improvement in their turnaround time because they now have something to motivate them. I offered no other reward than the chance to show Papa how many stickers they earned all day, and how proud of them he will be for being such good and helpful boys. For the most part, it worked. They did silly things like take the tracks off their toy bulldozer and throw them up on the roof of the garage, and then try to get them back down using all of our yard tools with long handles...but that was more comical to watch than anything.
Luke called Levi an "old lummox." Only it came out "old wummox." I had to look up 'lummox' and then I laughed when I saw the definition.
We had Levi's parent-teacher conference with Mrs. D this evening. Of course he is doing fantastic in preschool. He writes his name, knows all of his numbers and letters, etc. He counts by rote to 100. He asks great questions and encourages other students and plays with a variety of friends. He prays and sings and praises God and shows his love for Jesus. Wow.
Tonight I tucked the boys in and did our usual singing routine. Luke picked "Moon moon moon" and Levi wanted to sing Rend Collective's "My Lighthouse" and then we landed on "Awesome God." I don't usually talk much to them after singing, but felt compelled after singing Awesome God to tell Levi that that song is so significant to remember because he is going to see a lot of changes in the world during his life - even as a kid - and it's going to feel like God isn't there, let alone in control. But he is...and he knows what's going to happen, and he's going to use even the bad stuff to show that he IS the One in control, he truly is our awesome God. Without missing a beat, Levi said, "Yeah, like this one time, Jesus was out on a boat with his disciples and this HUGE STORM came up, and the disciples were like, 'Jesus, don't you CARE that this storm is happening?' and Jesus just said 'hushhhh' - and the storm stopped. Just like that." My eyes were filled with tears. My precious boy has the faith of a child and he ministered to ME tonight.
