Waitress: (to Ada) I just want to look at you! You’re so cute!
Ada: With my bow and my glasses (she stated as fact with her head tipped to one side).
Ada: Last night when I was sleeping with my eyes open…
Ada: I splitted the cheese!
…CUT the cheese.
Me: Ada, there is dried up pepperoni in your bed! That’s disgusting!
Ada: I did that when I was five. I certainly wouldn’t do that now that I’m six.
Me: You just turned six last Monday.
Ada: I know.
Grace: Ada, … Read the rest
I love finding notes that my children have written, it seems to be where they are the most honest. Now that they all can write well, I can find notes from all three of them. If you’ve been a reader for any amount of time, you know that I’ve found many, many notes from Grace. Many of them are directed at me. This weekend I found one from Ada. It was in one of her many notepads. It says three simple words. “I will not.” It isn’t written to anyone, or about anything specific. It applies to any situation … Read the rest
Me: Ada, you’re doing a good job putting your laundry away!
Ada: Sometimes I work quickly. That’s just my charm.
Ada does nothing quickly.
Me: Ada, stop eating candy!
Ada: But it’s good….
Me: I know.
Ada: …for your body.
Ada Larson, my baby girl, turned six yesterday. She makes us laugh every day, and she usually doesn’t think it’s funny. She’s the most quick-witted child I know, and ridiculously smart. Her world is very black and white, which makes it very difficult to reason with her. Choices are her greatest currency, so most of the time her choices are things like, “You can have this or nothing” or “You can listen or you can have a spanking”. She tends to reply with, “I don’t like those choices.”
She could yell at her brother before she could sit up. She … Read the rest
Grace: Well, Mary was pregnant with a baby, so she went to Bethlehem. She couldn’t find a home in the city to have a baby so went into a stable. Then Jesus was born. And Mary wrapped the baby in clothes. And then there was a star up ahead and an angel told the shepherds where baby Jesus was. A king sent his three wise men to kill him, but instead they praised him and gave him presents.
Eli: Christmas is about celebrating Jesus since he was born and he died on the cross for us. Jesus was … Read the rest
Eli was trying to make some sort of deal with Ada in the car
Ada: That doesn’t work on me.
That’s my girl!
Chad: (to Eli) You’re not the boss of me.
Note: this was not in much of a “parental” voice
Me: Ada are you dressed?
Silence.
Me: Ada. Are you dressed. (You know, when your tone isn’t really asking, more implying that you better answer, and you better answer with a yes.)
Ada: Uhhh….
And this is when my head starts spinning.
Me: Ada, flush the toilet.
Ada: WHAT??? How … Read the rest
As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, “Jesus, Master, have pity on us!” When he saw them, he said, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And as they went, they were cleansed. One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus’ feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan. Jesus asked, “Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Has no one returned to give praise … Read the rest
Eli: I’ll have a corn dog for lunch. And if we don’t have any corn dogs, then my back-up plan will be McDonald’s. Well, let’s just get McDonald’s.
Zach was baby-sitting one night, and was giving Ada a glass of water before bed. This is a paraphrase as best as I can remember…
Ada: I want more water.
Zach: You can have more water after you drink that.
Ada: I’m not drinking this until I have more water!
Zach: I’m not giving you more water until you drink that.
Ada: (hands on hips) I … Read the rest
Today is my Grandma’s birthday – Helen Harms. I think she would have been 79 years old, but I’m not certain. My Grandma was an awesome lady. She didn’t take anyone’s nonsense, but she wasn’t afraid to tell you the way it was, stranger or not. She raised her seven kids, then started daycare in order to help those kids with their kids. She didn’t let children be mean or disrespectful to their parents in her presence. She loved Jesus, and everyone knew that also.
When she died Grace was just over 4 months old and I was 2 months … Read the rest
I made these for the Sonrise Staff Christmas Party, and they were so, so yummy!! They’re kind of tedious, but not difficult.
Salted Caramel-Stuffed Chocolate Truffle Cookies (yes, that’s right)
Ingredients:
Chocolate Truffle Cookies
1 small Roll (16.5 Oz) Refrigerated Chocolate Chip Cookies
⅓ cup Unsweetened Baking Cocoa
¼ cup Whipping Cream
½ tsp Kosher (Coarse) Salt
½ cup Miniature Semisweet Chocolate Chips
30 Round Chewy Caramels In Milk Chocolate (From 12-Oz Bag), unwrapped (Rolos)
Topping
20 Round Chewy Caramels In Milk Chocolate (From 12-Oz Bag), unwrapped (Rolos)
2 Tbsp Whipping Cream
½ tsp Kosher (Coarse) Salt
Directions:… Read the rest