Hadley & Chad

Chad: "You need to chill out, young lady."
Hadley: "I not a lady, Chad."

Hadley at Two

Hadley, or "Stinkerbell" as her Aunt Sherri calls her, is a source of constant entertainment in our home. Actually, it's a tossup between "entertainment" and "exasperation." She is a mass of contradictions, balancing painfully shy and quiet turns with equally painful loquacious ones. The only time I can rest assured that I won't hear a peep out of her is if we are in the presence of others. The things that do come out of her mouth, however, almost always make me laugh. Here are some of my favorites:

• "That's my baby brudder."
• "I'm going to check on my baby."
• "I freezin." (When it is 85 degrees outside)
• "I daddy's girl."
• "I do it me-self."
• "I daddy's." (When asked if she loves mommy)
• "Bad Boy!" (Usually directed at Thatcher)
• "Winston, Double-I, come inside!"
• "I need my paci!"
• "I want daddy change my doy-per (diaper)."
• "I have a bad cop (cough)."
• "I need you make me a smoovie."
• "Daddy tuck me in."
• "Say prayer; sing song; I need you stay here just a minute." (Bedtime ritual)
• "That Goopy." (Whenever she sees Goofy)
• "Daddy came back!" (When Chad comes home from work)
• "King Rocky cryin'."
• "I need take bap (bath)."
• "I tooted."
• "Hi, Birdie! That bird foo (flew) away."
• "Mommy, get me fruit snack."
• "I need Oreo."

Keepin' it Real with Nanny Bird

Thatcher, much like his father, isn't really a phone kind of guy...unless, of course, it is bedtime. He'll talk to anyone for any length of time if it can delay the inevitable tuck in. Tonight, Nanny Bird was the lucky recipient of his phone call. They talked for awhile about school. He told her about the splinter we had just gotten out of his hand. He also asked her how Aunt Sherri was doing. After about five minutes, I heard him say, "Well, I need to go because I have work tomorrow, so you keep it real, dawg."

A Conversation with Thatcher

Thatcher has been ALL about reading the crucifixion and resurrection parts of the bible ever since Good Friday. We read it at least once a day and have to start in the Garden of Gethsemane and can't finish until Christ appears to the disciples in the locked room. Yesterday, he had me show him Golgotha on a map...and wanted to know if we could take a plane to get there or if we would have to drive.

This evening, Thatcher lost his bedtime story privilege. Walking past his room after tucking the other children in, I saw him sitting on the floor "reading" the bible out loud to himself. I asked if he wanted me to read it to him. He already had made it past the crucifixion and resurrection and was on the final "story" about how Jesus will one day return to earth. That is where I started reading; after which, Thatcher asked where Jesus is now. I reminded him that Jesus is now in heaven. He then asked how he could get to heaven. I told him that to go to heaven, he needed to believe in Jesus, that he died on the cross to forgive our sins. He responded, "But, mom, I already believe in Jesus!" We then talked about how we all sin--even mommy and daddy--and that Jesus took all of the punishment for our sins. All we have to do is ask God to forgive our sins, and he wipes them away. Thatcher then told me how happy it makes God when he talks to Him. He wrapped it all up by asking me if we could sing "Jesus Loves Me" together.

I simply have no words to describe what an extraordinary privilege it is to share the gospel with my four year-old. I can only say that it gives me a taste of the magnitude of my heavenly father's indescribable, incomprehensible love for me.

Thatcherism

"Dear God, Please take the sugar out of my body so I can sleep."

Letter #5 to My Daughter

Dear Hadley,

The club has plenty of lovely, pink, linen napkins for the Easter Brunch. There is no need for you to use your dress to wipe the raspberries and chocolate off of your mouth.

Thanks,
Your Mom

The Importance of Vowels

Thatcher pUnched Chad for not wearing green today. Oh well. Maybe next year he'll get that you pInch people who don't wear green on St. Patrick's Day.