Mara Joy – Page 20 – Embracing the Insanity

Pink Bears in Mara’s Life

Posted on June 30, 2009June 30, 2009 by Becky

In the early days, life was simple. There was Pink Bear. And Pink Bear was The Only Bear.

I got Pink Bear at Target with a giftcard from Mara’s baby shower, because I really wanted my baby girl to have a little teddy bear from her Mommy.

Mara loved Pink Bear. It used to be that she couldn’t sleep without Pink Bear in her arms. We took Pink Bear when we traveled, so Mara could sleep . . . . or . . . so all of us could sleep!

Mara still loves Pink Bear. But now she also has Yellow Bear, who joined us in May 2007, at Aunt Mary’s in Florida.

Then came Perkle Bear [purple bear] from Grandmom.

And Blue Bear from Great-Grammie.

And now, most importantly, Pink Bear With Hearts.

If you ask Mara where we got Pink Bear with Hearts, and she will tell you: “At the dozing ‘wap!” [clothing swap–about nine months ago] He was free. I’m glad I picked him up. I told Mara she could have one toy from the clothing swap, and she cried when I picked up Pink Bear with Hearts and told me to put him back–she didn’t want him.

But now? Mara and Pink Bear With Hearts are inseparable! In this picture, you can see that Mara wrapped Pink Bear with Hearts in her favorite Pink Binkit (another thing she can hardly sleep without!). Now that’s special treatment!

Pink Bear With Hearts also answers to “Baby Moses.” And spends many of his waking moments in a basket in the “water” (aka our kitchen floor).

Life is exciting, if you are Mara’s favorite bear!

“I Was ‘Dumpy'”

Posted on June 30, 2009June 30, 2009 by Becky

“Why did Daddy punish me?” my 2-year-old asked. Each time she is punished, she asks the other parent about it, knowing full well why she was punished.

“I don’t know,” I said, having been on a different floor of the house. “Why did Daddy punish you?”

“Because I was dumpy,” she explained.

“You were grumpy?” I repeated. “You didn’t obey sweetly when Daddy asked you to obey?”

“Yes, I was dumpy,” she said.

I’m often amazed (although I shouldn’t be) how often my Bible reading intersects precisely with my daily life! Today’s reading from Exodus 16:

The sons of Israel said to them [Moses and Aaron], “Would that we had died by the Lord’s hand in the land of Egypt, when we sat by the pots of meat, when we ate bread to the full; for you have brought us out into this wilderness to kill this whole assembly with hunger.” . . . So Moses and Aaron said to all the sons of Israel, “At evening you will know that the LORD has brought you out of the land of Egypt; and in the morning you will see the glory of the LORD, for He hears your grumblings against the LORD; and what are we, that you grumble against us?” Moses said, “This will happen when the LORD gives you meat to eat in the evening, and bread to the full in the morning; for the Lord hears your grumblings which you grumble against Him. And what are we? Your grumblings are not against us but against the LORD.“

Two reflections:

First, I tend to look back at the “good times”–times of pleasure, physical blessing, financial “plenty”–and grumble. I need to recognize that my grumbling is really (as someone has said) the “highest form of cosmic treason” as I declare to the Lord of the Universe that I don’t like His plan for me.
Second, I want to teach my children too that their grumbling is not against Mom and Dad (or their sibling) but against the God who loved them and demonstrated that love in the greatest way by sending His only Son to die on the Cross for them.

I will only be effective in teaching my children, as they see me model these truths in my own life.

Dear Father, help me see your love for me,

in times of plenty and in times of want.

Teach me not to be ‘dumpy’

but instead to cultivate a grateful spirit

for Your faithfulness and constant provision!

Irresistible!

Posted on June 28, 2009 by Becky

Daniel was supposed to be watching the kids downstairs as I took about 15 minutes to straighten the house and go to a bridal shower. I was in the bathroom when I heard footsteps on the stairs. (They weren’t Daniel’s footsteps–and Micah rarely wears shoes–so I knew who it was!)

“Mara,” I scolded, “why are you coming upstairs?”

“I’m coming . . . upstairs,” she explained very deliberately, between footsteps, “because . . . I love you.”

And I heard Daniel say from downstairs, “How can you resist that?”

Seriously.

She knows how to get to me!

Family Snapshot: June 2009

Posted on June 27, 2009June 26, 2009 by Becky

“Family Portraits” rarely happen in our home. In fact, we haven’t had any type of professional couple/family pictures since our wedding (although I have taken the kids for pictures) and for someone who likes pictures as much as I do, this is very sad.

So in the rare event that we snap a family “candid,” it will most assuredly end up in this blog!

Last Saturday was one such day. . . Our last family snapshot was in March, so it’s time for a new one! Here it is–FWIW.

My goal is to get a “real” family portrait in early fall, to send out with the Thanksgiving letter I am planning to write this year!

Swimming, Sloshing, Sweeping

Posted on June 27, 2009June 26, 2009 by Becky

It has rained so much this month! Mara really wanted to be outside, but it was raining, so I told her she could go out if she wore her swimsuit. Naturally, by the time she got out there, the rain had stopped. Here she is, chatting with our neighbor who was sitting on his back porch.

Mara’s animal crackers are sloshing through vanilla pudding.

Mara asked me if she could sweep the floor, and then attached one of her crocs to the end of a yardstick.

Thanks, sweetheart! You’re a great big helper!