On blobs

Me: Ugh. I look like a blob.

Levi: I think you look like a cute blob.

Me: Awww...thanks, Leaves.

If I have to be a blob, at least I'm a cute one.

On the dangers of equipping a small girl with long pointy things

Cora: I want to learn how to knit.

Me: I'm not quite sure you're old enough.

Cora: Mom, I'm five.

Me: Ok.

Levi: I'm not so sure about this.

Me: About what?

Levi: Cora knitting. She could poke something.

She didn't poke anything. And she did successfully knit about an inch of a scarf (I held the left needle, but she did all the work.) She is very proud of herself. Her mom is a little proud, too.

On the very best way to wake up

Early this morning, after getting the call about the 2 hour delay, crawling back into bed, and just beginning to drift off to sleep, I was visited by a beautiful bug.

Cora: I'm the one you're looking for.

Me: For what?

Cora: For snuggling.

truth. love.

On the wisdom of little girls (a beautiful one in particular)

Me: Ugh. I hope we don't get any more snow this year.

Cora: Mom. (slight sigh of exasperation) If God wants it to snow, there will be snow. If He doesn't want it to snow, it won't.

Duh. It could be so simple. I wish I was more like the couple in C.S. Lewis's space trilogy. They "like weather," all of it. I do not. I like the sun. And that is probably wrong. After all, "The fruit we are eating is the best fruit of all.*" And I've been told repeatedly by one of my favorite people, that the snow deposits nitrogen in the ground which will make the spring blossoms even more plentiful. (Silly me, I thought it was April showers that did that).

I, once again, need to emulate Cora, and accept whatever gift is sent to me, even if it makes me shiver.

*I didn't really mean to reference the Space Trilogy twice in the post, but what I've read by Mr. Lewis has a way of sneaking into my head and sticking there.

On veggies

Levi: Mom, you should be on Top Chef.

Me: Thanks, Levi, but really I'm not a chef.

Levi: Seriously, Mom, you would win.

How sweet is he? Tonight for dinner I made cous cous and roasted sweet potatoes, new potatoes and brussels sprouts. For the kids I also cooked a chicken breast in some butter and a garlic herb blend. Guess what was left on their plate...the chicken. They scarfed the cous cous, but really, who wouldn't? It's delicious. Both types of potatoes and even the brussels sprouts also disappeared from their plates. The only thing Levi wanted seconds of was the brusselss sprouts. Maybe the chicken was disgusting. I don't think it was; it smelled really good. I obviously didn't taste it, but I do know that when I cut it up, it seemed juicy. Yet it was left behind. And I don't care. I didn't want to force my vegetarianism on them. But I'm not sure I'm going to continue cooking meat if it's just going to end up in the trash.

On the new year

I love the word "new." It conjures feelings of pure freshness, like a downy chick, and a crisp apple, and a piece of white paper with no mistakes yet. I realize this is slightly Michael Scott of me, but I love the potential of an empty page of cardstock. I am incredibly inspired by the clean slate that each new year brings. So, here is my to do list for 2011:

Learn to play at least three real songs on my guitar, instead of just randomly playing the five chords I know.

Clean out my basement. This might actually take all year.

Eat more fresh, healthy foods. I always forget how much I love to cook until I make myself do it, so I'm determined to find lots of tasty recipes to try this year.

Dream with God and find the courage to follow those dreams.

Learn to hula hoop.

Finish all the knitting projects I've started.

Be a good mom. Listen to my children. Help them find their strengths. Encourage and build them up. Make sure they know exactly how amazing and wonderfully-created they are.