Peoples

"Skyler scared of peoples."

This was said in reference to the lawn people. They were mowing the neighbor's lawn and Skyler refused to exit the building while he could still hear them.

His debilitating fear kept him from witnessing the miracle of releasing our "pet" butterflies into the open skies.

On Homework

This is your homework?! All you have to do is write stuff?! -- Serene Morss

That's right. The definition of a term paper, right there. Yes, Serene, all I have to do is write stuff. It's that simple.

Gas Station

So, now that Skyler is potty trained, with only one accident last week, he got his grand potty training prize: A Cozy Coupe. You know the one. The same plastic red and yellow car we grew up playing in, running around like the Flinstones.

Well, since assembly, that car has had little rest. Serene, always attention starved, had to get in on the game. Since, as she eloquently stated, "It only has one seat", and she, therefore, cannot ride inside the car with her brother, she found another way to take part.

Serene invented a new game: Gas Station. She is the loyal attendant, pumping the gas and offering car washes, and discount chips and soda.

The funny thing about this is that growing up in AZ and CA, Serene has only been to self-service gas stations! They don't have station attendants! I don't know how she knows about such a thing! I do know that it was a blast to watch, and once again I was impressed by both of them as they made cash exchanges with the proper amount of fake money (ten dollars each time). I was also impressed by her professionalism. In ten years, she'll nail any interview she gets.

A Short Moment

Serene has a knack for getting in trouble. And most of the time it is because of what she says. In the past, she has been reminded not to "tattle" about everything, or alert everyone over non-issues.

Today, in the car, on the way to the library, Stephani and I were having a conversation while Serene waited patiently for her turn to speak. When there was a pause in the conversation, she jumped right in.

"Excuse me, Mommy," she said. "Is it ok for your purse to be upside down?"

"No," her mom said, raising her eyebrows.

"Well, it is. Your purse is upside down."

I couldn't help but laugh. She was so matter-of-fact, and so... Serene. I love it.

Do bunnies go to Heaven?

So, lately Serene has been very interested in the topic of Heaven. Of course, by "interested in" I mostly mean worried about and obsessed with. She has a tendency to over-think things. Anyway, back to the topic. Heaven. Well, we've talked about it on several occasions. She understands that Jesus died and rose again so she could go to Heaven, and that all she has to do is believe in and trust in Him and she will live with God forever in Heaven.

Well, some children might just be satisfied with that knowledge, but not Serene. Yesterday, she asked if there would be gum in Heaven. And she's been asking a lot about animals in Heaven. I told her that I think that there will be animals like we never imagined, but I'm not sure. (She was excited about the prospect of unicorns.) I also told her that when Jesus comes back and restores the earth that all the animals will get along. She liked that.

Well, yesterday, we went geocaching, which, if you haven't heard of it, is like high-tech treasure hunting. Well, we saw a lot of rabbits while we were out. Serene, of course, wanted to know if the bunnies would go to Heaven when they die.

Before I continue, I must add that in order to keep her from touching them, Serene's parents have told her that non-domesticated animals are dangerous. In Serene's mind, dangerous=bad. And so, after asking if the bunnies would go to Heaven, she almost immediately concluded that they must be going to Hell since they were bad.

Then, of course, the subject changed, and so little else was said of "Bunny Hell." We continued on our journey and encountered 2 of the 3 caches we searched for.

The reason I share this is mostly because I am in awe of her thoughts. Even at five, she is full of interest in the things of eternity. And I wonder if, as adults, with all our "wisdom and experience" we could not know God so much better if we were still full of the wonder and questions of children.

There are times when her questions spur on my studying of topics I have neglected. I often gain great perspective because of it.

I was reminding myself of the truth of God's Word when I told her that Heaven is better than the best things of earth, and all the things we worry about will seem silly in light of being with Jesus. (She liked that, too.)

So, this is a more serious post, but I still hope it brought you a smile. :)

Now, if only I could figure out how to translate this interest she has into appreciation for all God's blessings. Pray for us; we're working on it.

A Taste of What's to Come

Here are some examples of what I will likely post in the future. However, these are sort of pieced together from old fb status updates. I think that the future posts will likely be longer quotes or funny/touching stories. But, just so you can smile with me today, here's a little taste of what SDBS will be like:

I was listening to Chuck Smith, and Skyler came in. I told him I was listening to Pastor Chuck. He pointed to the computer and said, "Papa Chuck". :)

Serene and I talked about the fall of man and heaven today. She was so excited to talk about what heaven will be like and who we will meet there. (It should be noted she was most excited about the lack of germs.)

Serene and I made her a passport today. :) It was fun. She wanted it to look just like my real one.

Serene told me tonight, "I know why we celebrate Easter. Because some people nailed Jesus to a cross, and then He died and they put Him in a cave and put a stone in front. But then an angel came and moved the stone and Jesus was alive! -- Mommy told me." It was so cute! Stephani, you are doing a great job.

Serene found the BEST book at the library. It's called "How to Get Married, by Me, the Bride". And basically everyone should read it so you don't make mistakes like marrying a cat, or not washing your hair, or getting married in the dark.

Today, I looked at my nephew and said, "I love you." He smiled brightly into my eyes, reached out and replied, "I love fire truck." I then realized he was showing me the truck in his hand.

Today, I was talking to Serene about my failure to find an open seat near an outlet at Starbucks. Skyler decided to join the conversation by adding, "Daddy at Starbuck." Daddy, by the way is at work, which Skyler informs us of regularly throughout each weekday.

Feel free to comment with quotes/stories of your own. If I get enough, I'll do a compilation post. :)

Not Another Blog About Cute Kids

I realize that as you read this you fall into one of two categories. Either you know me, and therefore likely read my other blog (The Extra 'A'), or you have accidentally stumbled upon my blog. I also realize that either way, you may have some presupposed ideas of what you might find on this blog. My hope is that you will be pleasantly surprised by its content as I share with you some of the joys that come from living with my niece and nephew. They are a couple of crazy kids that I love to pieces. But that are also extremely silly sometimes (as kids tend to be) and often say things that range from profound to absurd. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

This first post is simply an introduction, and hopefully is just the iceberg of the fun it will produce in the weeks, months and maybe years to come.

Let me start the fun part of my post by introducing the characters who will grace the virtual pages of this production.

My niece Serene is five years old going on 13 and is anything but what her name implies. She is loud, boisterous and hyper on a good day. And it is on those days that she often makes me laugh so hard I cry. On a bad day, her rebellious spirit comes out, but upon rebuke she is very repentant and comes to epiphanies that rival those of great philosophers and theologians.

Her brother Skyler is two. He is learning to talk and potting training. With just that, I would have plenty of comic material, but then, add a grumpy personality, and I've got a character to rival any comedic role of history. He is mostly just a man's boy, with a love for cars and hot dogs, but he has a great sweet side, and loves his sister to distraction.

One of the best and worst things about this pair is that they are desperately adorable. The reason I find it terrifying is that they know how cute they are. I take full responsibility for that (although some of the blame could fall on any of my family members). They have been told from birth how adorable they are, and have consequently learned to use it to their advantage.

In summary, they are like every other sibling group from a nurturing home, but as their Tee-Tee Rachael, I am inclined to believe they are much greater, extremely better looking, and full of more potential than any other brother and sister to grace this green planet.