My three

Behold a couple of the best pictures of all time!  hah!

Sethisms

Seth is seven (and a half) and hilarious.  He has so many weird-isms that he keeps us all laughing, all day long.  A while back, I started keeping track of his "isms" on social media using the hashtag #sethisms.  This is nice because when I click on it, I can easily see them all. 

 

Here are some of my recent favorites:

 

 

May 1:  My boys have decided they are twins.  No really.  Twins.  But oh, they are born on different days. 

#sethisms

 

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April 24:  Mom, how do turtles get their shells and keep them on?

 

I don't know, Seth.

 

{moments of silence}

 

Mom, does your mom know more than you?  #sethisms

 

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May 10:  Happy Mother's Day to all my friends around the world.  Hopefully your card was addressed to "Mommy" rather than "Deb" like mine was.  #sethisms

 

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April 2:  Hey Zechariah.  Wanna look at a germ through my microscope?

 

Sure, Seth!

 

{Loudest most disgusting hawker ever}

And there you have it.  #sethisms

 

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June 30:  Seth used his money to purchase a Luigi action figure from Amazon.  He knows it comes today.  In honor of that event, he woke up at 5 a.m. to stalk the mailman who usually comes about 5 p.m. and he's now playing endless "chords" on the piano by the window in anticipation of his arrival.

 

Shortly thereafter, he started opening the {alarmed} front door ever one minute, resulting in regular {and not annoying at all} beeps.  #sethisms

 

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June 18:  Talking to Seth about the woman who will be his live-in nanny in the fall and he says, "So she will be in our family now?"

 

What a beautiful reflection of our Father in heaven.  All those who live in His house are family.  #sethisms

 

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June 15:  When your brother sleeps in:

#sethisms

 

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Zechariah wants to know why I won't take him to the next Blackhawks' game.  {see $15,000 playoff tickets}

 

Meanwhile, Seth wants to know when the Hawks and Bears play each other.  #sethisms

 

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I just asked Seth where something was.  His response?

 

"In my stuffed animal herd."  #sethisms

 

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That time when you're mowing the yard and a homeless man comes up insisting he finish for you . . . without pay.  This ain't my first rodeo.... I knew.... but I let him.  He was careful, slow and thorough.  Then he explained his situation and needs.  We talked.  The kids were watching.  So I cam inside to eleventy billion questions about why he is homeless while we packed him a dinner before he could bolt.  He swept the sidewalk with his feet while he waited.  Love opportunities like this.  And of course, Seth wants to know why Ronzel can't live with us.  #sethisms

 

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I don't know why germs eat our teeth and give us cavities.  Stupid germs.  #sethisms

 

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May 28:  Mom, why doesn't Jesus have glory?  #sethisms

 

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Seth:  "When we live in heaven, we get God's last name.  Jesus"  #sethisms

 

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May 18:  Apparently distressed by my infrequent use of the bathroom lock, I found my door knob this morning, completely covered in tape.  #sethisms

 

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May 12:  Was just introducing the kids to Rahab's Corner so we could buy some of the needed supplies.  I said, "We are going to help women who are living on the streets.  Some of them have been hurt by people.  We are going to help them be safe."

 

Seth:  "If I see anyone hurt those people I'm going to PROTECT them!"

 

And then he chose to purchase a pad lock.  #sethisms

 

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Doesn't everyone bite a hole in the bottom of their taco and eat the insides through that hole?  #sethisms

 

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May 2:  Seth says, "Mom, it's too hot.  70 degrees is fine but 75 is over the top"

#sethisms

 

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"First one in bed is a clean egg!!"  #sethisms

 

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On reading his adoption book which reads, "Once Seth joined her life, Deb became a Mommy!"

 

Seth:  "Mom, what were you before?"

#sethisms

 

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April 22:  "Mom, am I going to be dunked when I get baptized?" 

#sethisms

 

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April 3:  "Mom, what color am I?  Cuz you know I'm half blank and half Ugandan.  So what does that make me?"  #sethisms

 

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March 20:  On returning home from work late one evening.... "Oh hey mom.  Did you take your pajamas with you?"  #sethisms

 

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February 21:  I found this in Seth's backpack.

Dear mom, I love you more than dogs; you are as sweet as pancakes.  My love for you is as big as the world.  You are my sweet pumpkin.  Love, Seth

#sethisms

 

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Oh how I love this boy!

Zechariah and Mrs. D

Since Zechariah came home from Uganda, he has had the same teacher:  Mrs. Druckmiller.  Our school's use of the multi-age classroom has been such a blessing for my family and this is one huge aspect of it.  Three year (K,1,2) one teacher.  So good.

 

Mrs. Druckmiller hand wrote each student finishing second grade a letter at the end of the year.  Here is Zechariah's letter.

 

Zechariah still can't read it without crying.  So precious, her words to my son. 

 

When Seth noticed Zechariah's angst over the letter, he agreed to immediately cancel summer and head straight back to school, without moving onto third/second grade.

Such a good brother.

Love them so.

Heard Around Our 'Hood -- Seth and the God Book

Seth has been asking tons of questions about Jesus, God, heaven, faith . . . all of it.  I love talking with him about it.  It can also, however, be overwhelming as he's a thinker (for sure!) and I don't pretend to have all of the answers!  Here are a couple of our conversations (all of which happen at bedtime):

A few nights ago, I was putting the kids to bed and Seth -- like only he can -- was engaged in calisthenics in the hallway while I was tucking in Zechariah and Leah.  By the time I reached his room, I was completely exasperated ready to be done with bedtime and I asked him, "Seth.  Why can't you just get in your bed and wait for me to come snuggle you?"  He didn't hesitate:

"Mommmm.  Because people are sinners!"

Um, what?  What did you say?  I asked.  He wouldn't repeat it.  I said, "Did you say people are sinners?"  {slowly nods head}

Let's pause for a moment because I think I must explain that we haven't used that language in our house.  We talk about good choices and bad choices and God's forgiveness, but I hadn't yet introduced the sin concept.

So we continued:  Where did you hear that?  {crickets}   Church?  No.  School?  Nope.  Did I tell you about sin?  Nuh uh.  So who?  Nothing.

With a deep breath, I started to explain sin and how Jesus died for our forgiveness.  For our sins.  I laid it all out.  I told him we all sin.  And, he went right where I was afraid he would go:  "Why doesn't Zechariah sin?"  No, no, no!!!  Of course Zechariah sins.  "Well, like three times."  No.  More than three times.  Commence lengthy conversation about allllll the different types of sin, seen and unseen.  My word, this child.  By the end he was probably more confused than not.  But we both survived.

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A few nights later, we read about Jacob's ladder in our Advent book and this started a conversation about heaven.  Seth asked a bunch of questions which led to "What does it mean that Jesus PAID for all the sin?"  I explained how Jesus was crucified, died, went down into hell to pay for our sins, and then rose again and lives in heaven forever.

Does not compute.

So we talked Aslan.  How he exchanged places with Edmond, who was supposed to be killed, and was killed instead.  Bingo.  He got it.  The next questions were all about hell and what that means and where it is and what it's like.  I just quoted scripture, over and over.  Because really, heck if I know!  By the end of the conversation Seth was certain he wants to go to heaven and loves Jesus.  He does NOT want to go to hell.  Me neither, buddy.  Me neither.

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I have conversations like these and then can't help but look to the future, when I dream of taking all three kiddos to Uganda to be baptized together in the Nile River.  Oh how I long for that day!

To God be the Glory!

The Ultimate Throw Back

Take a look at what I found today while cleaning out Yahoo folders....

That's right.

Seth's birth pictures.

Didn't realize I had them.

Ahhhh such a GIFT.

It's too quiet in here

Last week, I was cleaning upstairs and suddenly realized that an eerie quiet had fallen over the house.  My first thought was "nothing good can come from this."  So I ran to figure out what was up.  This is what I found.

Oh.  Carry on, then.  Just carry on.

A little help

Seth's best friend Grace gave new meaning to the phrase "I get by with a little help from my friends" as we rolled to the end of Kindergarten.  So thankful for their sweet friendship.

Now THAT's a BEST friend.