Brownie Fail!

Aubrey and I enjoyed a delicious brownie after our lunch today. There was one more left and Aubrey asked if she could have it. I told her it was for Daddy so she could NOT have it.

I walk away and pick up my laptop to respond to an email. A few minutes go by and I notice Aubrey is not at the table. I call her name and discover she was behind the counter in the kitchen "hiding." She reluctantly comes out and I ask her to come to me. Her mouth is full of brownie and I'm shocked that it took her so long to finish her brownie since I devoured mine in minutes.

I ask her directly, "Why were you in the kitchen? What were you doing?" She can't answer because her mouth is crazy full of squishy brownie. "Did you eat Daddy's brownie?" At this question her eyes get big and she shakes her head "no" with confidence. I asked her again calling it the "extra brownie on the counter in the kitchen" in case she forgot it was for Daddy. Again, a solid "no" head shake with sincere eyes and total confidence. SO, I believe her and let it go.

About 5 minutes later, I go into the kitchen and see the brownie is missing and the plastic wrap is open on the counter! DANG! She lied to me AND hid to scarf a brownie AND stole from her Dad! I'm crushed by her choices and actions and feeling like I completely failed as a parent!

Big time discipline is coming her way preceded by a big time talk and followed by more big time talking and hugging! I'm a bit dumbfounded by it all. This is the 3rd case in the last couple months of "food sneaking" actually "sweets food sneaking" to be exact. I don't want her to have food issues or anything but it seems like they are already in her sin nature!

Aubrey's sin is clear, but am I missing an area of sin in my own parenting that has allowed these sins to take root in her? Have I failed to teach her moderation and self-control because we've avoided sweets altogether? Have I been so rigid or controlling that she feels she must lie to me in order to have any freedom? It makes me pause. I'm not asking myself these things in an effort to dismiss her behavior. I just want to be sure that I'm dealing with my sin too. I'm not without sin and need to keep "short accounts of sin" as I parent too.

Even as I write this I am convicted of my own sin! The Lord knows I have terrible self-control when it comes to certain things and particularly lately! I hate to see that sin in my kids but, the Lord has used that to convict my own heart and for that I am glad! Am I not just like Aubrey when I sneak an extra brownie late at night when I think no one is watching? My Heavenly Father is always watching me, even when I hide and lie to myself and Him about it "not being a big deal." It IS a big deal! My gluttony is rebellious sin that I am convinced will make me feel good in the moment. In the moment it feels "worth it," but it is a decision that leads to death - death of my relationship with my Father who loves me more than I can wrap my head around! He feels crushed by my sin because I chose a "brownie" over Him.

Thankfully, we don't stay in a pit of despair and failure. Aubrey and I have been forgiven, kissed, hugged and restored! It's cause for rejoicing. Confession and repentance are cause for celebration and rejoicing because it restores our relationship with our Father and brings us freedom to walk with Him!

Hallelujah, let's celebrate with a brownie....oh wait! :)

Crushed Ice - A Simple Pleasure

Aubrey has discovered the joy of crushed ice! I clearly remember discovering this joy myself. I was a kid and our neighbors (we called them Grandma and Grandpa cuz they were old and nice to us) got a new fridge with a crushed ice feature ON THE DOOR! This was innovative back then, no one had them. Anyway, I used to go over there and say something like, "Man, I sure am thirsty." Grandma would always ask me if i wanted a drink. "OF COURSE, with crushed ice, please!" Now Aubrey can reach our ice button on the door of our frig and she is obsessed with getting ice to crunch after drinking some water. ...Who am I kidding, she's just fishing out the ice!

She came out of her room yesterday to get a drink and a crunch of ice. She grabbed her cup and said, "Hey! What happened to my ice!?!" Kenny and I looked at eat other and started laughing. She was a little annoyed that we didn't answer or fess up to stealing her ice. Finally I said, "It melted, Honey." She looks at her cup all shocked and says, "What's melted mean?" Ahh, a science lesson on phases of matter, the former teacher in me loves it!

Do you have any simple pleasures? Do you remember the first person to get a fancy new refrigerator with water and ice on the door?

Siblings

Last night we were having dinner together and sharing things we love about each other. Aubrey said she loves that I cook good food (go figure! Have you seen the girl eat?), she loves that Daddy "goes to work hard for us," and she loves that Buddy (AKA Hudson) smiles and plays toys. I was shocked; She had no trouble coming up with a couple things for each of us! This coming from a girl who says, "I don't know" every time I ask her what she did in school that day. Oh well...

Anyway, when it was Kenny's turn he shared that he loves that Hudson gets the most excited when he walks in the door from work. The boy literally smiles so big that his whole body shakes with delight! Kenny then added that "Hudson stole Aubrey's role" since she used to be the most excited when he came home. At which point, Aubrey blurts out, "Hey, Hudson stop takin' my role!" We cracked up laughing, which made her say it again, of course.

So that's a nutshell for us right now. We swing the bipolar pendulum of loving our sibling and them fighting them for position. It's an amusing dance which makes me think of my Heavenly Father and how He loves us all so completely, equally, and without fail. I don't have to worry about jockeying for my position or an extra portion of favor or love! It blows my mind!

Could Be Worse!

Guess who the nose picker kid belongs to? Thankfully, Aubrey wasn't the little girl next to her who lifted her dress up to the sky showing off her undergarments and belly!

Tonight was Aubrey's Christmas Concert for her preschool. I am telling you that stand-up comedy is not as funny as this concert! We were laughing the entire program and so were all the other people in the audience. There was a crazy kid who kept dancing the robot and armpit farting; a REALLY tall spazzy girl who kept jumping up to try to touch the microphone; some kids who didn't sing but sobbed; some who had total blank looks on their faces the entire time; and some who kept doing Blue Steel looks for their families that were waving at them in the audience. It was a hilarious night! I even met someone who doesn't have kids in the school but they go to the show because it's always funny! LOVED IT!

BUT, on a sad note. Aubrey was very excited about getting to wear her fancy dress. I even asked her if she'd like for me to curl her hair. She said, "Oh yes, and I think I should wear my fancy shoes." So, this afternoon after nap time I curl her hair. I did a GOOD job too. I sectioned it all out, used hairspray before and after I did each curl. She look beautiful, more beautiful that she has even looked in her young life! As I'm looking at her with such awe, I tell her, "Since this is a special occasion, you can wear some perfume." Pssshht, I spray some RIGHT IN HER EYE!!! What a loser of a mom! She immediately starts screaming and crying that she can't see and her eye is hurting. She's rubbing it like crazy. It's turning red and puffy. Then she realizes that she also got some in her mouth and starts gagging like she's about to puke. AND WHAT DO I SAY? "Don't puke on your dress or in your pretty hair!!!" It was one of those out of body moments where I could look down on myself and this scene and shake my head at myself. Of all the things I could or should have said, I picked the most vain one!

Of course, I change my tune and start apologizing like crazy and trying to relieve her pain. After about 15-20 minutes, she calms down, but it still unable to keep her eyes open for very long. BUT, I want a picture of this gorgeous hair so I make her stand in front of the Christmas tree and smile. The light hurts her wounded little eyes, so I tell her to "smile pretty and keep your eyes closed."

Fa La La La

Tomorrow night is my first Christmas "program" as a mom. Aubrey's school is having a Christmas concert and she has been singing the songs for weeks now. One of my greatest joys is listening to my daughter sing, especially praises to our Father! I'm sure the concert will be a little lame and not professional in any way, but I am beyond excited to sit and listen to the kids raise their little voices.

My excitement got me thinking about how much God must swoon when we sing praises to Him! I worry all too much about how I sound when I sing. If the song is too high, then I won't sing, but kids will sing anything. Even when Aubrey sings song off key or wrong words or the wrong tune, I love it. How much more does my Father in Heaven love it when I sing praises to Him! I am convicted. Convicted to sing with abandon without fussing over how it sounds and with a heart full of love!

I love being a parent. It teaches me so much about being a child of God!