Buzz Lightyear?

Sha Sha asked the boy how high he could count.

His response "To Infinity and beyond!"

Christmas shopping, er...Consuming?

I have always joked that I am a super shopper! I shop several stores and ads, I compare prices, I drive to multiple stores to skim clearance racks. So I have made Christmas lists for my 4 children (with their strong suggestions of course!)

Today hubby and I started our Christmas shopping. I frequently have done all the Christmas shopping in years past by myself, and I frequently do a lot of it on Black Friday. This year I decided it would be a good bonding experience to do it WITH hubby and start earlier. I am hoping this helps me keep spending under control!

So hubby and I visited our FAVORITE (yes being sarcastic) toy store today.

This is what I remembered. Hubby is a consumer! I am a shopper!

The distinction?

Hubby wants the list and wants to get the items put them in the cart, check out and go.

I want to peruse the aisles looking for the item the children didn't think of, but would love, compare prices with the other ads in my purse, ask the opinion of the salesclerk (which ironically today was her first day...), and then make sure we have the minimum purchase to receive the gift card for our next visit.

We did pick up a couple of items on The Boy's list. A new set of dominoes for us and the pink potty for Gigi (see Potty post earlier.) Oh yeah, and hubby bought a small nerf gun for the office.....

NiNi speaks....

In conversation recently -

"What language do they speak in Virginia?"

and

"That battery isn't dead, it's still alive!"

She makes me laugh!!!

POTTY TIME!!

Gigi went with us to purchase her first potty today. She loves it.

Of course not to sit on. Standing IN it is her favorite activity.....

Each of our kids has had a "Bribery" technique that has worked for them. Often we have had to try several different techniques before finding what worked with each specific child.

The first was easy. Reading a book or singing 10 little Indians (I never claimed it was a PC technique.)

The second was a rendition of "Oh, happy day!" that Daddy had a special knack for!

The third was McDonald's coupons.

I'm kind of hoping the 4th will settle for good old M&Ms and a rendition of "My girl wants to Potty all the time, potty all the time, potty all the TIIIIME!"

I'll let you know....

Acrostic FUN!

NiNi is really into acrostics right now. You know where you list a word or name down the side of a page and then come up with descriptive words and phrases to describe it or them? Come on - You know Junior High class elections for example -

Vote for

T - Tenacious
O - Obnoxious
M - ME!

Anyway she was coming up with acrostics for everyone's name in our family the other day -

My favorite words to describe me - Graceful (I don't know who she is watching - but I would not use this one to describe my clumsy self), Young (What 30something doesn't want to be called that!), and drumroll please.... Nothing Wrong???? (Snicker...)

My favorite words to describe her Dad - Merciful (she pegged this one!), Radical (I thought this went out 20 years ago.), Computer Worker and Opposites. When asked to explain Opposites, she remarked - "That's you and Dad, Opposites....". Hmmm...

Hit between the eyes.....

So Sunday morning I was able to sit thru a sermon for the first time in a month (Live is always different from CD listening with interruptions).

I went in with an attitude. I was miffed and offended by something that someone else had done. I admit it. I have a tendency to take things the wrong way, blow things out of proportion, read between the lines.... (I'm sure you get the picture).

Anyway, pastor spoke a message about how we aren't offended by people we don't know. It's not possible. We're not offended frequently by people that we CHOOSE as our friends, because we CHOSE them. Who are we offended by? FAMILY. Those that GOD chooses to put on our lives outside our control. That not only means biological family, but church family too.

It's time for me and the church as a whole to GROW UP and get over ourselves. Our commandment to LOVE our brother needs to be more at the forefront of our everyday. That will speak volumes to the world around us. They will know we are Christians by our LOVE for one another, not our TUDES, not our offenses, not our snide remarks.... By our LOVE!

Thank you GOD and forgive me....

Toddlerhood

I know most of you have seen this - but this is where my youngest child is right now -

Rules of the toddler

1. If I like it, it's mine. 

2. If it's in my hand, it's mine. 

3. If I can take it from you, it's mine. 

4. If I had it a little while ago, it's mine. 

5. If it's mine, it must NEVER appear to be yours in anyway. 

6. If I'm doing or building something, all the pieces are mine. 

7. If it looks just like mine, it is mine. 

8. If I saw it first, it's mine. 

9. If you are playing with something and you put it down, it automatically

becomes mine. 

10. If it's broken, it's yours.

It's a good thing she's cute.