Days Ordained: What He Said (and A Few Boy Things)

I was going through some files on my computer, and I came across this little conversation Olivia had typed out for me several weeks ago. The exchange took place while she was shooting some hoops with Jacob, I think, and she thought I'd like to have it recorded. It made me remember the "What He Said" posts I used to do. (HERE and HERE are some of my favorites. Click on the "What He Said" label on the right for more, but be mindful that some posts might require some scrolling to find the "What He Said" portion.)

Olivia: So, how many kids do you want when you grow up?

Jacob: Four. Two boys and two girls. And for my wife… I want her to be good at cooking—so I get good food. I want her to be able to discipline our kids—so, you know, they learn—and I also don’t want her to have big teeth.

Plain and simple. One way or another, I can't help but wonder what this says about me!

>>:<<

My boys... There's just always something going on. I can't imagine what it's like to mother multiple girls, and I'm certain those sweet moms have their own daily adventures to recount. No doubt their description of home life is quite different from mine. And their homes probably smell better, too!

There's always rough-housing around here. If it's not with another brother, it's with the house itself. Even as they sleep, I often hear someone smash hard against the wall. Usually that would be Jack. He is also the one who goes down the stairs face first, or somersault-style. Michael pretends to trip and fall almost daily, and with a body like his, this is loud and obtrusive. Andrew likes to wrestle pretty much anyone. In general, there's more physical interaction with each other than intelligible conversation. At least it feels like that to me by late afternoon.

The other night was just another night. Nothing unusual going on. But if you were in my kitchen as I prepared dinner, I had Michael crowding my workspace with his, um, curiosities. He was trying to cut through glass with burning cords dipped in various substances. He tried hand sanitizer, my nail polish remover, rubbing alcohol, and who knows what else. I drew the line when he asked if he could use Jon's lighter fluid because, after all, I need a kitchen around here and I much prefer his face to have eye brows. His curiosity is not satisfied, and he still wants to learn how to get a clean cut along a glass bottle with fire.

Welcome to my life.

Plus, there are injuries. It's good for boys to get outside and do things, but along with that come injuries. Jack and Andrew collided hard the other night-- Jack was on the swivel board and Andrew was on his unicycle. Could it be that frequent falls help to make strong bones? I have a feeling that yes, the body strengthens itself against stress! I thought I'd be making a trip to the ER, but motion and feeling soon returned to Jack's arm and hand. The ordeal lasted just a few minutes, but his elbow and hand remain sort of "zingy" in the nerves days later. It's amazing to me we haven't been frequent visitors of the ER over the years.

And there's more from the week. Ever pray for a hamster? If you are a mom, you know you end up praying for the things that matter to the heart of your kids. I pray for a run-away hamster. Three separate times now. Three times I prayed that God would strengthen faith through answered prayers. And three times God answered...