I think I Would Prefer J.K. Rowling

My husband is incredibly creative. He “oozes” it actually. I have always hoped that our children will inherit this trait and Z is showing signs of creativity in his imagination. However, crazy mother that I am starts to twist this interesting streak into something to worry about – roll your eyes with me - of course I have.

It started with me trying to talk about “stranger danger” with Z. I told him that if anyone he doesn’t know approaches him when Daddy or I are not around to not talk to that person and to never follow that person anywhere. He told me not to worry he will uses his karate on them and kill them. Hmm. So I try to tell him I am serious and that he should not use his karate on anyone unless he is in class and I don’t like him saying he will kill anyone but don’t go anywhere with strangers. He responds with “I am serious Mom. I will use my karate and get him.”

So I have been tossing the scenario in my brain – can he tell where his imagination ends and reality should begin? I am frustrated because I do not feel that he took away from our conversation the dangers of strangers but rather had an elaborate play in his head where he is some superhero karate dude.

Then adding to world that is Zachary’s he has recently announced that we, the Martins, are his second family. He says he used to live with his community helper family (HUH?) in England (which he explains is "an island with a king" --???) when he was little. He added his community helper family in England call cookies biscuits, fries chips and dogs lickers (don't know about that last one!).

What the heehaw???? He loves to share stories of his other life with the community helper family all the while throwing in tidbits about England. I am thinking he must be learning about England in school or else they have changed Boom-a-rang from Cartoon Network into some sort of discovery channel because I did not teach him those things about England.

He is quite open about this other family with people he meets or friends we see. The people we know just smile and look at me saying “he has quite an imagination doesn’t he?” Those that we don’t know haven’t a clue how to process the information and smile and move on.

I am trusting this is a phase kind of like having an imaginary friend which I have heard is actually a sign of intellect and creativity. That is what I have heard. So I am choosing to believe that while I haven’t actually taught him about stranger danger that his stories of his other family and karate heroes are signs of a successful career in the future in the arts some how.

As my friend's mother said over the weekend “Maybe he’ll be the next Stephen King!”

I was inspired today...

OK – I know these seems totally and completely random for me but it struck me so much that I wanted to share. I have pulled these sentences out of context from Richard Rohr’s daily meditation and the point of the meditation was more about sharing in Christ consciousness but the bold sentence lead me in another direction.

We have to let go of the passing names by which we have tried to name ourselves and become the “naked self before the naked God.” Your bare, undecorated self is already and forever the beloved child of God. When you can rest there, you will begin to share in the universal Christ consciousness, or the “mind of Christ.”

It is so hard for me to wrap my brain around that bold sentence. Naked to me is pretty much the most vulnerable position you can put me in – to stand before God naked with my sins, my bad decisions, my anger, my hurt is a frightening prospect to say the very least. It is not as easy as one would think to remember how very loved we are by our Father – ironic huh? We love our children unconditionally and yet there are many moments in my life I forget that I am loved unconditionally with all my flaws and in my nakedness by God.

As my dear friend Debra has said – There is nothing I can do to make God love me more and there is nothing I can do to make God love me less.

Jan-Feb Z nuggets

How do people get up...?
Tonight, as we were finishing up reading the heart touching story of "The Littlest Angel", Zachary says, "mommy, I have a question." (Here we go- the realization that the littlest angel was a boy; and why was the little boy in heaven, and how do people get there... ooooh how to answer this?)
Zachary continues, "How do people get up into monster trucks?"
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The morning of Cain-ita and Abel
One morning, as we were running late out of the door, a fire truck and ambulance siren could be heard in the distance. Mary Kate has encouraged Z to say a prayer for the people the rescue workers are going to help. So- Zachary stops in his tracks and says, "we've got to pray, daddy!" and proceeds to start a very sweet spontaneous prayer out loud. In the meantime, Rylee takes out at full speed for the alley. It's Monday- the trash truck is coming down the alley. So- I am chasing my demon daughter running into harms way 'round the car while NOT supporting my angel son making me proud of his spontaneous prayer. Lovely.
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Adult stuff
While keeping both kids all weekend, I was explaining to Zachary why I was not going to Play Super Mario Bros (gen 1 recently rescued from SA) because of all the housework. Z replies, "Daddy, you've got to learn me all of this adult stuff because I'm just not going to know it." I'll try...
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Par-tay
As we were shopping for invitations at Target, Z started inviting random people to his birthday party. Two accepted.

Adventures with LuLu

My friend Leigh Anne, affectionately known as LuLu to Zachary, has saved the day for Chad and I over the past couple of weeks and taken Z on "dates" for the two of them. She had two stories to share with us:

Zachary does something for Leigh Anne, and she says "Gracias. Do you know what that means?" And he says "I think it is a bad word." It seems Spanish class at TLC is not really paying off for us.

But this one is for Uncle Andrew:

Z and LuLu were in store at the mall and someone walked out with something causing the security system to go off which makes Zachary say "Oh my LuLu -- that is quite alarming!"

Move Mom to Yellow

I purchased a bunch of pants, leggings, and tights for Rylee yesterday. I was showing Chad my purchases and explaining that shirts can go with pants and not tights but sometimes leggings and dresses can go with leggings and tights but not really pants, etc. Chad looks at me like I have lost my mind, covers his ears, shuts his eyes, shakes his head, and groans really loudly.

Zachary was sitting with us and asked "What is wrong with Dad?"

I said "I think I pushed dad over the edge with my Rylee dress code."

Zachary very seriously responds "You pushed dad over the edge?? I think I need to change your color for that."

Jesus Really Loves Everyone

Driving the kids home from school last week, I passed by a Halloween store that has a HUGE blow up Frankenstein. Zachary points it out and asks "Who is the big green guy?"

I tell him "Frankenstein."

He says "Oh yeah - Frankenstein - he's friends with Jesus."

That right there made me laugh. Z is not too keen on being laughed at when he is not trying to be funny. So he says "Frankenstein and Jesus ARE friends. Jesus told him to build a boat."

I look back at him and say "Honey - I think that is Noah."

He says "Oh, Noah. Hmmm. No I really think it was Frankenstein."

Just so you know...

I called Zachary my little boy yesterday and he informed me that he is not my little boy.

"Mom, I am not a little boy. I am a medium boy. Because I growed."