I’ve been going through this devotional book with Savannah and we both really love it.

Tonight we discussed the story of Mary and Martha. Two sisters who invited Jesus into their home. Martha handled all the preparations herself while Mary sat at the feet of Jesus. Finally, completely frustrated, Martha asks Jesus to speak up on her behalf and is suprised when she hears Jesus say that Mary has chosen what is best.

I was curious about Savannah’s take on the story because she is enough like me to always be concerned with what has to be done. So much so, that we lose focus on what’s really important. When I asked her what that story meant to her and how could she apply what she learned in her life, she replied:

“I think it means that the next time you ask me to do homework in the afternoon I can tell you that I’m choosing to go and be with Jesus and you can’t say anything because that’s the better choice.”

Bowl full of grapes? $4.00

New copy of Charlotte’s Web? Free from a family at church

Throwing the blanket under a shady oak tree, snacking on grapes with my 7 year old daughter while lying on our bellies reading a childhood classic? PRICELESS

It wasn’t long before we spotted Mama cow. She hadn’t delivered yet so we left her alone and kept riding around. Pretty soon Savannah saw this:

Isn’t she a cutie? And she let us get pretty dang close too, before she took off, jumping this way and that with those skinny little legs.

And speaking of the opposite of skinny little legs:

I know it looks as if my sister is pointing to my pasty white thighs, reminding me never to wear shorts again! But look a tad bit lower at the green goo covering her toes. Ha ha! I took it easy with her on the back of my 4 wheeler for most of the night, but at one point I decided to race Jeremy and Emery. As I sped through the field, I hit a cow pie and she got, well, initiated. LOL!

We sure laughed about that one. I heard talk of paybacks and threats of “flicking it” in Savannah’s direction, but it was all in good fun. I’m not sure how long we rode around hoping to eventually catch a glimpse of that calf being born. Unfortunately, Papa said that since it was her first birth, it might be a while. We headed back to the house, but not before I captured my favorite little calf and his Mama:

I heard Papa heading out early this morning and I knew he was going to check on the cow from last night. When he got back I asked how she was and he shook his head. During the night, she tried to deliver the calf, but it got stuck halfway out and suffocated. She was still alive but they had to get the calf out. Apparently the guys who work here tried everything they knew, but a vet had to be called in.

I went outside with the kids after breakfast and while they played I could hear that poor cow off in the distance moaning. It was so pitiful. I really felt bad for her. The kids were asking Papa tons of questions and he did his best to be honest, but not too graphic.

A little while later, Savannah came up to me with this picture. And while I knew the situation itself was not funny, her details of it cracked me up!

Notice the vet racing to Papa’s rescue as his eyes are bugging out of his head and the calf is hanging out of the Mama cow while she “Mooo’s” loudly. My daughter is either very creative or very disturbed! :)

“Yes, actually I have noticed.”

“Do you know why???”

“Well, I thought you were just being obedient. Is there another reason?”

“Yes. It’s your bangs.”

“My bangs?”

“Uh-huh. Ever since you cut your hair and Ms Courtney gave you bangs, I think you look like a teenager. Like a babysitter. I’m always a better listener for a babysitter.”

(Where was this in the parenting handbook? If I’d had known it was that simple, I’d have asked Courtney to cut me some bangs a long time ago!)

Yep…It’s official…Summer’s Here!!!!

Pretty soon I had gathered them both up in my arms and pretended to body slam them on the ground beneath us. Then I yelled, “DOG PILE!”

Emery immediately jumped up in a panic, looked around and asked, “Where?”
—————————————————————————————————————————————

Savannah and I were shopping for a few things we needed for our vacation. If a store we went in had clothes, I would go and look for a khaki skirt. I lost the most awesomest khaki skirt in the fire. I loved, loved, loved it! Would wear it all summer with everything from T-shirts to tank tops. I could dress it up or dress it down. Man, I loved that skirt!!!

So each time we detoured toward the clothing, I would tell Savannah, “Let’s just look real quick and see if they have a cute khaki skirt.”

At the last store we went in, she said, “Mom, do we haaaaaave to look here for another tacky skirt too?”
——————————————————————————————————————————–

At Eden’s wedding Saturday, the pastor said, “We are gathered here today to join this couple in holy matrimony…”

Savannah leans over to me and whispers, “Holy Macaroni? What in the world is THAT???”
————————————————————————————————————————————-

The first night Jeremy was in the hospital I was trying to decide whether or not to stay in the room with him. I was telling Emery that he was going to stay overnight with Nanny. “Why Mommy?”

“Well, I’m thinking about staying here with Daddy tonight.”

“Where will you sleep?”

“I will sleep in the bed with Daddy. Just like I do at home.”

“NO! You can’t do that! You might hit on Daddy!!!”

“Don’t worry, son. I won’t be hitting on your Daddy tonight!”

The kids have been so happy here. And well, they should be! Papa’s Place is a kid’s paradise!!! Acres and acres of farm land, cows, a fishing pond, barns, tractors, and a playground. Not to mention, the baby geese just hatched and last night, when we walked down to the lake to find them, we noticed hundreds of tiny tadpoles swimming around!

I’m glad to see my youngin’s running so free and being delighted in so many ways. I’ve been worried about how the fire would affect them. If they would be fearful or clingy for a while. But instead, thanks to the love of family and friends, they have been witnesses of all the good there is in this life. And I am so grateful for that.

Emery was quiet and I could tell his wheels were spinning.

Finally he says, “I don’t want to be a mummy.”

“Why?”

“Because”, he says. “I want to be the Daddy!”
——————————————————————————————–
Last night we were coming home from church and I was lost in a song on the radio. Suddenly I became very aware of the conversation taking place in the back seat.

Savannah: “…my best friend has a pecker.”

Emery: “Well, then I am your best friend. I have a pecker too.”

I was trying to wrap my head around what they were talking about when Savannah tells Emery, “Hey, let’s switch birds. I want the one with the pretty feathers now.”

It was the last thing on my planner and I thought about moving it to the next day, except that it was really simple so I decided to just finish up quickly.

Savannah (7 y.o.) already knows my cell phone number, but she doesn’t know our home telephone number. I told her we were going to write and say that number, and try to get it in her memory too.

“Why? I already knooooowwww your number.”

“Because, it’s important that you know both of them. What if you are spending the night with a friend and get sick? You call my cell phone and I don’t answer because I’m at home and it’s charging in the other room. You know I’m at home and you want me to come and get you, but you can’t call our house if you don’t know the number, right?”

“Um…I guess so. But I have a question.”

“What is it?”

“What kind of sick am I?”

———————————————————————-
Emery (4 y.o.) was learning about the 4 types of volcanos in school last week. The kids were repeating the names after the teacher and when she got to the word “extinct”, Emery spins around, looks at me and exclaims, “It STINKS????”

———————————————————————–
Savannah: “Mom, do you think we could talk to the government about getting a ‘Little Brother Day’ and a ‘Big Sister Day’? I mean, you and dad already have your own days. I want a day too.”

———————————————————————-
Savannah, looking at the goosebumps on her legs: “It looks like I need Proactive.”

———————————————————————-
Find more Tiny Talkers at Not Before 7’s Tiny Talk Tuesday!

Savannah (7) to her 4 yr old brother “Do you know what a slave is? Slaves worked for no money. Their owners bossed them around and didn’t even pay them!!! Like Mommy. We are her slaves.”

Oh good grief!!!

————————————————————————————————————————-
More Tiny Talkers can be found here.