Humble like...

When we planted our garden, Matt planted some sunflowers for me. It was exciting to see them coming up. Then as they towered over Noah, he found a haven for playing while Matt and I weeded in the garden. I wish I had a picture of that...but I guess there is still some time to get one. When the sunflowers bloom, they look so tall, proud. But then there is a change in their demeanor. Their petals wither, their flashy appearance fades. What they are left with is the substance which life is made of. Something for future generations. Life to be given through the seeds which are yet to finish forming. A little of the parent passed on to the next generation, whether the offspring like it or not. I think it is an interesting paradox. The way that children either embrace or reject their innate part of self that will never change because it is something that was passed down without the permission of the parent or the child. I wonder what I am passing on that will not sit right with my children? Or will they be able to love who they are? That is my prayer for Noah, and any other child(ren) we have. Realization of the person they are even if there are parts passed down that are less than desirable.




The sunflowers eventually lose their boastful attitude and bow before their maker. I wonder when that will happen to me, I pray that will happen for me and my family.

jalapeño, oh no!

Well, no exciting pictures to display for this one, but you will probably be glad once I explain the title. Matt and Noah were picking in the garden the other day when I ran out to pick up a book for my Christ Life Solution class that I am going to be participating in. If you want to more about that check out their site. As I pulled through the driveway and shouted my goodbyes to Noah, I see him eating something... a jalapeño. The first bite, the bottom tip, he was fine with and actually liked. As I drove off, Matt continued to monitor the situation. He told Noah not to eat any more and sure enough just like any good two year old does, he did exactly what he was told not to do. Maybe that is why positive commands work better. Anyhow, he took a huge bite out of the side of the "b(p)e-no" (a soft b sound that allows some air to pass through as a combination of maybe a 'p' and a 'b'?) as Noah likes to call them, seeds and all. It was just a few seconds later when the consequences of his actions caught up to him like a wildfire sweeping through the forest. And I am not talking about punishment from Daddy...daddy figured he was getting his punishment from the capsaicin in the seeds, and was he ever right! He started to scream...I am not sure of all of the details as to what happened next because like I said I was on my way out when the events started to unfold, but Noah seemed no worse for the ware when I arrived back home.

I couldn't have been more wrong. That night around midnight, Noah started to whimper a little. I figured bad dream, no big deal, he will go back to sleep. A few minutes later, I heard a gurgling noise and then a loud scream. As Matt and I jumped out of bed, I said- he just threw up! Sure enough the smell confirmed my assertions when we reached the top of the stairs. It was off to the laundry with the tigers (stuffed animals Noah sleeps with every night and plays with every day), sheets, bumper pad, pillow and pillowcase, blanket, and onesie to boot. And back into the bathtub with Noah to try to ease the smell off of his seemingly stained with the stench, skin.

Noah proceeded to be sick for the next 2 hrs and I thought all was well after I rocked him back to sleep and laid him in his freshly laundered bed. Wrong again! About 30 minutes after laying him down he was at it again. So, we went through the routine again and this time I decided to sleep with him in my arms for at least an hour (~4am) and then another 2 hrs on the couch. When 6 am, and the rising sun awoke me, I drug Matt from bed to help me get the little guy back to his place of rest for the remainder of the morning. What an adventure from such a small, little, pepper... makes me wonder why they don't put warnings on those things?!?!