TWINKLE, TWINKLE LITTLE STAR*
Give me the eyes of a child, Oh Lord
Fill my inner being with wonder and amazement
Restore this wounded and broken spirit
Replenish my soul to the time of my birth Continue reading
Category Archives: In a Kids World
Just Like Daddy
When I was a little girl, there was no money for toys. The freedoms and wealth from pre-communist days had been stripped from Cuba. Everyone became equal. Equally living in poverty, with food being rationed; and under the control of Fidel Castro. My family immediately planned on moving to the U.S.
Non-communists or gusanos (worms), were looked down on. My mom kept me from the neighborhood kids for protection, and so I wouldn’t pick up a communist attitude.
You would think an only child receives a lot of attention from family, but attention and affection were scarce in my home. I was often very lonely. I didn’t understand it then, but I longed for healthy interaction and relationships.
Why, Oh Why All The Suffering?
I banged on the locked door screaming in horror, begging my mom to let me back in. My grandmother pleaded with her to open it. The neighborhood kids laughed and shrieked,
”Look! She’s naked!”
I tried to hide behind my grandmother. My mom opened the door, but blocked the entrance.
“Oh, no, you stand out where everyone could see you.” I rarely disobeyed her, this time I didn’t move.
“Don’t you dare hide. Stand out here or I will give you an even bigger beating!”
“She is just a child. Don’t do this. Let her back in the house,” my grandmother interceded.
“No! She needs to feel the shame I felt today when that black b***h humiliated me! How does it feel to be ashamed? Maybe you won’t embarrass me anymore!” Continue reading
Why Are You Doing This To Us?
My kids still talk about the time I was the meanest mom ever. And around Christmas even. My daughters were just reaching their tween years and my son was about eight.
I had already proven myself to be a cruel mother by policing television programs, and limiting their TV and video time to two hours a day. I made them have reflective quiet times spent reading or writing in their journals. In the summer, I extended the TV-movie time to four hours, after much begging. We had a large supply of what I called clean movies. Any movie encouraging good morals, respect for parents, caring for others, and loving God, qualified.
But this time, I really outdid myself. I was “forcing” them to almost entirely go off TV and videos, cold turkey, for a month.
“It will be our Christmas present to Jesus. God gave us a part of Himself, in the best present ever: the baby Messiah in the manger. We give Christmas gifts to each other each year. This year, let’s give God a part of ourselves. The time we would spend watching TV or movies that exclude Him, let’s instead give to Him as a thank-you and birthday gift.” I said. Continue reading
My Graham Cracker Assistant
With 3 children born in 3 1/2 years, my life was busy in the 1980s. I had no nearby family to help with childcare, so I learned to improvise.
Rachel, 5 years old, was a good natured child. Once in a while, I let her be a big–girl. She could stay up and watch a video or we could have together-time, but only if she was quiet while the others napped. Rachel loved to be up with Mommy.
One day, I dared myself to paint the bathroom while the kids napped. I found a can of pretty miss-mixed paint for only a couple of dollars. Desperate for a change, I couldn’t pass up it up.
It took me longer than I thought to paint the small bathroom walls. Of course, as Murphy’s Law would have it, Jonathan, then 1 ½, woke up much earlier than usual. I heard him fussing in his crib and decided this would be a great time to let Rachel, who’d been watching a movie, be an even bigger girl. I needed our only bathroom to be usable before Hannah woke up. Continue reading
ALDD – Adolescent Logic Deficit Disorder
Have you heard of ALDD? It stands for Adolescent Logic Deficit Disorder. It is a name I came up with to keep my sanity when I had no other way to explain my teenager’s complete lack of logic. Somewhere out there in a medical journal, I know there exists the scientific name for this adolescent condition. You may even recognize your teenager in this post.
When my son was about 16 years old, he got his first vehicle. It wasn’t much to speak of and certainly not a chick-magnet, but then since when did Jonathan need a magnet. He came out of the womb magnetized. The ladies at our church nursery called him, “The Flirt.” His friendly nature and dimply smile attracted many people. Continue reading
Filed under Everydayliving, Gottalaugh, In a Kids World, Just for Fun
Out Of The Mouth Of Babes
Kayli, a petite and curious seven year old, was our first foster child. She had been with us for nearly a year. It was quite a struggle at first. But, we finally came to understand each other. I grew very fond of that little girl.
One afternoon, she watched intently while I put on lipstick as we were getting ready to leave the house. I decided to try a bolder, reddish color I seldom wore. After carefully applying it, I examined my reflection in the bathroom mirror. Hmm, not bad. I thought. Continue reading
Filed under Gottalaugh, In a Kids World, Just for Fun
But, I’m Just A Baby!
Once a month I worked in my church nursery. This particular day
we had a full nursery. The children’s ages ranged from infant to three years old.
Tiffani, a three year old, was an adorable little girl with a pixie kind of face. She was
normally very well behaved, but this Sunday she had a very hard time keeping
her hands to herself. She’d walk up to a child and swipe a toy right out of
their hands and run off or push another child and make off with their toy.
When I corrected her and asked her why she was behaving that way she’d say,
“But, I’m just a baby!” I was perplexed by her comments. I told her if she
continued to not play nicely she would have to stand in the corner, the usual
nursery discipline for this age.
Filed under Gottalaugh, In a Kids World, Just for Fun, Writing and Author Stuff
Giggles and Grins at the Zoo
While standing in a long line at a San Diego Zoo snack bar, I noticed a slight commotion coming from the picnic table area my friend Karen and our combined six kids sat. I didn’t think much of it as the outside lunch area was pretty busy. To stay within our budgets, we both brought our packed lunches planning on only buying drinks.
I walked towards the picnic table careful not to drop the full tray of drinks, only to find Karen and the kids bursting with giggles and grins. Continue reading
HIS EYE IS ON THIS SPARROW TOO Still Learning to Lean on God 