Thankful Thursday -- Teamwork and Learning from Nature

Well, since I obviously have not updated for quite awhile, I'll give you two for the price of one!

A few weeks ago, Jefferson started having nasty diapers. I could not pinpoint the source for awhile, but I think that I have it nailed down now! His two-year molars are coming in! Unfortunately, I think it's going to be awhile before they are completely in. We've been struggling with respiratory problems and diaper problems for about three weeks now, and I've been rather perplexed as to the cause. Now I know and knowing is half the battle! (Okay, I've just dated myself. Don't worry if you don't get it!)

Back to Thankful Thursday, we were about five minutes from leaving for Evelyn's tumbling class, and Jefferson walks out of the playroom, holding his diaper and saying, "Uck, Mama, uck." That's never what a Mom wants to hear, especially when I looked at him and saw that many brown things were dripping out as he was walking toward me! Can we say panic mode?

I grabbed him and started yelling for the kids to come to me in the kitchen without stepping through the mess that was made. I had no idea how far back the mess extended. Since the kitchen floor is easily cleaned (more easily than carpet), I decided that was the ideal place to change him.

Here's where teamwork fit in. I asked James to walk carefully out to the van and get his diaper bag and then go upstairs and get the refill bag of wipes. (I knew there were not enough wipes in the diaper bag to deal with this mess!) I asked James to hand Evelyn the wipes and asked him to go get a bag to put all of the garbage in. Then I got to work.

I cleaned up Jefferson with Evelyn handing me wipe after wipe and James dutifully holding out "the bag" as I kept taking from Evelyn and giving to James. It really was cleaned up in record time. James took "the bag" out to the trash. I then (carefully) took the kids out to the van and then I came back in and cleaned the carpet before we left. The mess did extend into the playroom. With all of that, we were only 15 minutes late to tumbling! What teamwork!

Now, for the Learning from Nature. We have been reading Bible Animals and the Lessons Taught by them for Children during our homeschool Bible time. Richard Newton was called the prince of preachers for children and, I have to say, this book has been a hit with the kids! In each lesson, we look at a particular animal and a story is told about that animal which is then applied to our own lives.

Last week, I was listening to this podcast about family worship. In it, the question was asked about what to do if you failed. The answer was given that the godly man falleth seven times and riseth again (Proverbs 24:16). James was sitting at the table, watching a beetle in a jar that we'd collected for nature study. This beetle kept trying to climb up the side of the jar and failed every time. The beetle was not to be defeated. He kept trying and trying and trying. James said, "It sounds like that man (on the podcast) is saying, 'If at first you don't succeed, try, try again.' That's exactly what this poor beetle is doing. Could we please let it go, Mommy?"

I laughed and laughed but was pleased that James was picking up on the concept that all of God's creation brings glory to His name and that we can learn, from His creatures, principles that we are to follow.

"Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise" -- Proverbs 6:6