Compromise

Compromise. According to Webster's it is defined as a settlement in which each side makes concessions, or to meet midway

I don't like pets. Well, I do like cats, but I have a terrible allergy to them, so we can't have one. Steve and the kids really wanted a pet...they would love a cat, a dog, or a rabbit. Not me. Animals are messy and they stink (sorry to offend all you animal lovers).

We compromised and bought two hamsters. They stay in a cage and are relatively low maintaince. In addition I was assured I would not be responsible for cleaning the cage. Here is a snapshot of our day.

Katherine loves animals and is especially fond of cats. This is her trying to convince me to take this one home from the pet store. Lydia wanted a pot-bellied pig.

Here are the girls with there new pets. Everyone is so excited... well, almost everyone. I am still adjusting to my wonderful dining room now containing animals.




This is three hours later. Vanilla tried to kill Whitey. It was quite tramatic so we had to put them in separate cages. Joshua, trying to cheer me up, exclaims, "our dining room looks (and smells) like a pet store!"

What a wonderful opportunity to talk with our children about the ability to "meet midway."

Graduation Day

We spent a week under the weather...but finally everyone is better and things are getting back to normal...as normal as life with three little ones!

Tonight Joshua graduated from kindergarten. Sometimes I feel like time is slipping away from me too fast...I want to hold onto every moment...which validated my decision to quit my job-today was my last day!

Anyway, as I was kneeling on my knees donning the monster truck tie on my very wiggly little guy I had a flash forward of one day straightening his tie on his high school graduation. I got a little teary-eyed and was a bit more tolerant of the wiggles than I typically would have been.

Big Brother

We often encourage Joshua in his role as the Big Brother. We talk to him about be a protector of his little sisters, defending his sisters, encouraging them when they are struggling with something, and loving them-even when it is hard. These are not only traits to instill in a big brother but also a little boy who will one day be a husband.

Anyway, back to being 6 years old...he is also a teacher to them which is evident in the conversation I had with Lydia today. First, a little history, Joshua loves animals and reads and studies them all the time.

This morning we were going to Sugar and Spice Doughnut Shop.
Me, "Lydia you are made of sugar and spice and everything nice, does that mean you are made of doughnuts?"
Lydia (with a very serious face) "No, I'm made of ham."
Me "Ham? Why do you say that?"
Lydia, "Cause I'm made of meat."
Me, "Meat?"
Lydia, "Yes, if a meat-eater animal saw me, he would eat me, because I am made of meat, I guess ham."

Thank you God that Lydia has such a wonderful big brother!