Prizes!!!!

Steve and I recently went away for a few days, leaving the girls with grandparents. We had a great time and the girls were spoiled while we were gone. (I love that and would not have it any other way.) We would call everyday to tell the girls we loved them and how many days until we would be home. Grace's question every time we called was consistent throughout the trip. "Are are going to bring us lots of prizes?" We always laughed at her excitement and told her "yes, of course we would bring them prizes."


As I thought about this more, I realized that we want the same thing from God, our Father. "Are you going to give me lots of prizes?" Of course as adults the questions change: "Are you going to answer my prayers?" "Will I receive blessings?" Just as God wants to answer our prayers and bless us, we want to give our children what they ask for as well giving them prizes or blessings. But we all know that God is bigger than we are and that He give us what we need over what we want. He does bless us in ways that are beyond anything we could ask for.


So as a parent, we have some decisions to make. Will I give my children everything they ask for? How can I bless my children today?

Do You Remember How to Play?

As I watched my daughters play with their Barbie dolls, I realized how long it had been since I myself had played with Barbies. I was in a chair reading while they were playing quietly in their own little Barbie worlds, occasionally stopping to ask me to change an outfit (remembering that was always hard to try to fit pants and skirts on those legs). I stopped reading and watched them play before my oldest asked me if I wanted to play with them; I happily joined them. I was instructed which Barbie was to be wearing which outfit and what the dolls were suppose to be doing. We placed the dolls in and out of the cars; played in the little home; and cheered for the team. We all laughed as we made them jump and dance.




Let's face it - as parents it is hard to try to give each child their own special time during the evenings when homework, dinner, baths, laundry, and bedtime stories have to be done in such a short period of time. We probably did not play for more than fifteen minutes that day but I was able to love my girls in a way that was rewarding for all of us. I also learned that my youngest daughter wants to have quality time with her mom as does her big sister.





Find something you and your children can do together whether its tossing a ball, cooking together, playing on the Wii or working on a puzzle . Children are hungry for affection from their parents and don't we want to teach them now, as preschoolers, to come to us for the love and affection they need and desire.