Birthdays......

This week has been a little emotional for me.  It was a week filled with birthdays.

I turned 40. (and that's enough said about that!)
My baby turned 5.

It seems like it was just yesterday when he was born and I was calling him my "baby burrito" as I swaddled him up and kissed his face.

But today, he is no longer baby or even toddler.  He is five.  And that is big.

This morning, instead of me going into his room and singing him "Happy Birthday" to wake him up, I hear him crawling out of bed then coming to my room, "Mom, I'm up!"

I have him cuddle up with me and I sing to him.  "Thanks, Mom" I hear.  In an all too grown up voice.

Sigh - where is my little boy?

We rush in to measure him on his growth chart - bigger by a few inches since last time.

Those few inches are a now just memories of a boy growing from preschooler to 5.

5.

Today was his party.  But first, it was card and presents from mommy and daddy - in our jammies.  Tradition.

I just love this smile as he got a peek of the present and is too excited to open it.

 

This afternoon was his party.  A cardboard car parade and drive-in theater.

I know this was for the kids, but we had so much fun.  The parents designed the cars and they really did an impressive job.

We loved Jarrett's car.

Pink Cars came.  Silver Cars came.  Cars with backseats came.  Professionally Engineered Cars came.  It was amazing!

Then it was time for the parade.

13 little cardboard cars marched through our neighborhood.  Parents cheered!  Smiles were abundant.  Paparazzi moms filled the street.  It was priceless.

Of course, with any car show, trophies should be won.

Next was lights out, cars were parked and a viewing of "The Gruffalo" ensued.  (If you haven't ever seen this movie, you should.  You won't be disappointed.)  Popcorn and candy were everywhere.  But what's a movie without a theater snack bar.

Cupcakes, birthday songs, and many more things filled our day.

Happy Birthday 5 Year Old.
I'm so proud of the young man you are becoming.
Your humor makes me laugh
Your smiles melt my heart
Your hugs send me to the moon...and back.
I love you, son.
May all your wishes and dreams come true!

Love,
Mommy
(Mommy Tam-Tam)

A Good Neighbor

In our devotional tonight, we read about the Good Samaritan.  Here is the passage we read in Luke 10 (out of the Message).

²⁹ Looking for a loophole, he asked, “And just how would you define ‘neighbor’?”^30-32 Jesus answered by telling a story. “There was once a man traveling from Jerusalem to Jericho. On the way he was attacked by robbers. They took his clothes, beat him up, and went off leaving him half-dead. Luckily, a priest was on his way down the same road, but when he saw him he angled across to the other side. Then a Levite religious man showed up; he also avoided the injured man.^33-35 “A Samaritan traveling the road came on him. When he saw the man’s condition, his heart went out to him. He gave him first aid, disinfecting and bandaging his wounds. Then he lifted him onto his donkey, led him to an inn, and made him comfortable. In the morning he took out two silver coins and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take good care of him. If it costs any more, put it on my bill—I’ll pay you on my way back.’³⁶ “What do you think? Which of the three became a neighbor to the man attacked by robbers?”³⁷ “The one who treated him kindly,” the religion scholar responded.Jesus said, “Go and do the same.”

After we talked about how we could be good neighbors to people on our block, in our school, and around the world.  The "around the world" part was such a good discussion.  We pulled down our globe, spun it over and over to see where our finger would land and who we could pray for.  We prayed for China, South America, Virginia (I think he got this a little confused with "Teacher Virginia") and Madagascar (after the chuckles subsided he was finally able to pray for Madagascar).

But then we talked about how we can really help people that we never met and be a good neighbor to them.   Immediately, Jarrett brought up the orphans.

You see, our church is raising funds to build an orphanage in Indonesia.  We have been raising money for quite some time.  In the foyer of our church, we have a thermometer chart showing how much is raised.  Jarrett is very interested in that chart and knowing that we are getting close to having enough money to build the orphanage.  While we doesn't have a real grasp on the value of money, he does see the progress we've made and that we are close.  In fact, just a few weeks ago he told me that we only have a few more "inches" then we can buy their house.

So I asked him how he can be a good neighbor to those orphans all the way around the world.  His response, "saving money to give them so they can buy a house".   He may not be able to be there to play with them and share toys like he can with his neighbors on our block, but he understands that he is their neighbor when he treats them kindly, just as Jesus said to do.

I love that no matter how young or old we are, God makes His Word clear to us.

Now....

"Go and do the same.”

with love,
Tammy

Fruit Fly - Bye Bye

Has anyone else had issues with fruit flies over the last month?  It seems like the cycle is never ending.

Our house has been inundated with them for weeks.  I've never been able to get rid of them completely.  Even when we totally rid our house of fruit - those little @$&*%'s still stuck around.

There is something very disgusting about flies of any type.  To me, it makes my house seem dirty - no matter how much I clean, they are still around and contaminating my counters and anything left on them.  You can't walk in the kitchen without swooshing away at some invisible creature that just dive-bombed your head.  Annoying?  Absolutely!  In fact, these tiny creatures are so powerful in their annoyance, that there is website after website on ways to get rid of them.  There is even a website dedicated to them and named after them.  Really?!?  Does something so small deserve a .com?

This last weekend, we had a birthday party at our house.  And, as has been the case the last few weeks, the unwanted, uninvited pests were there.  I was really embarrassed that I was having to swoosh plates of food from our guests to try and rid them of the little devils.  My sister-in-law, Lindsey, quickly told me of a sure-fire way to rid them for good.  

The good news?  

IT WORKED!

Here it is:

Bye Bye Fruit Fly Solution

Pour apple cider vinegar in a shallow dish with several squirts of dish soap.  

Leave this on the counter overnight and be rid of them for good.

I was so excited to try this experiment, I started right then - party going on and all.  Within minutes, my little dish was swarming with flies (uck!).  By morning, ALL GONE!  Somewhere between 30 to 50 little guys were "drowned" in my Bye Bye Fruit Fly Solution.  Its been 5 days and not a sign of a single fruit fly.

Thank you Lindsey!  

For all of you out there battling the same thing; try it, you won't be disappointed.

with love,

Tammy