Parenting...
I spent some time outside in the dark tonight. It was drizzling. The cool temperatures of fall chilled to the bone as I looked up to the heavens and let them spit on me. I prayed for the women’s retreat and asked God to help my wife lead with freedom and peace and refreshment. I so desire for her to come back with stories of joy and friendship. The women of our church need this badly. I hope God is blessing them even now.
I went to Daddy Day Camp with the girls tonight…we were one of three families in the theater. We consumed a 16 dollar bag of popcorn and shared a 42 dollar cup of Coke and devoured a 12 dollar box of Jelly beans. The venue was gracious enough to give us free refills on the popcorn and pop. I can’t believe they can sleep at night gouging us so. But it was worth it to sit with my daughters pilled on top of me…we laughed and snuggled…that’s priceless.
I took them out to T.G.I. Fridays after the movie and we talked about boys, modesty, television, school, attitude, priorities, wealth, thankfulness, bragging, family, stories, vacation, soccer, friends, language, beauty, embarrassment, bullies, restaurants, movies, fall, tests, reading, memories, mommy, food, disco balls, distractions, American Girl dolls, shoes, Jimifin, church, giving, prayer, hairdos, laughter, coveting, divorce, honey mustard, etch-a-sketch, coloring, pride, listening, Dora, Spanish, Foster care, adoption, needy kids, femininity, pastors, vehicles, shopping, gratitude, simplicity and a host of other random subjects. I love hearing them interact about life and teaching them how to view those things that we come into contact with.
Kami was telling me about a girl at school the brags about how rich her family is and how she wants everyone to call her “the girl’s name” the Great. We laughed as she described how this girl tells fibs and tries to get attention by fabricating far out stories. This girl also said that she is friends with famous rock stars. So funny.
I guess we all have trouble growing out of tall tales that make us look a certain way. We get better at masking these chimeras as time goes on, but we all love the limelight. Sometimes I can’t get over how much people love to talk about themselves. There are times when I feel that I could leave my body, go elsewhere for a couple hours, and then reenter my body without the other person knowing I left. They just need a manikin who will sit there and act as a human leach field for their opinions, ideas and feelings. After they are done using you, they simply say something like, “Well, it was good talking to you. I hope we can do it again sometime.” I guess that’s the difference between talking to someone and talking with someone.
As my daughters grow, I feel like we’re bartering a little. I am helping them to discover and learn and live, and in return they are helping me to uncover, unlearn, and relive. I feel like I’m getting more than I’m giving…I sometimes don’t feel I could ever repay them for what they are pouring into my life. Parenting = watching your children teach you how to live while making them think it’s the other way around.
I went to Daddy Day Camp with the girls tonight…we were one of three families in the theater. We consumed a 16 dollar bag of popcorn and shared a 42 dollar cup of Coke and devoured a 12 dollar box of Jelly beans. The venue was gracious enough to give us free refills on the popcorn and pop. I can’t believe they can sleep at night gouging us so. But it was worth it to sit with my daughters pilled on top of me…we laughed and snuggled…that’s priceless.
I took them out to T.G.I. Fridays after the movie and we talked about boys, modesty, television, school, attitude, priorities, wealth, thankfulness, bragging, family, stories, vacation, soccer, friends, language, beauty, embarrassment, bullies, restaurants, movies, fall, tests, reading, memories, mommy, food, disco balls, distractions, American Girl dolls, shoes, Jimifin, church, giving, prayer, hairdos, laughter, coveting, divorce, honey mustard, etch-a-sketch, coloring, pride, listening, Dora, Spanish, Foster care, adoption, needy kids, femininity, pastors, vehicles, shopping, gratitude, simplicity and a host of other random subjects. I love hearing them interact about life and teaching them how to view those things that we come into contact with.
Kami was telling me about a girl at school the brags about how rich her family is and how she wants everyone to call her “the girl’s name” the Great. We laughed as she described how this girl tells fibs and tries to get attention by fabricating far out stories. This girl also said that she is friends with famous rock stars. So funny.
I guess we all have trouble growing out of tall tales that make us look a certain way. We get better at masking these chimeras as time goes on, but we all love the limelight. Sometimes I can’t get over how much people love to talk about themselves. There are times when I feel that I could leave my body, go elsewhere for a couple hours, and then reenter my body without the other person knowing I left. They just need a manikin who will sit there and act as a human leach field for their opinions, ideas and feelings. After they are done using you, they simply say something like, “Well, it was good talking to you. I hope we can do it again sometime.” I guess that’s the difference between talking to someone and talking with someone.
As my daughters grow, I feel like we’re bartering a little. I am helping them to discover and learn and live, and in return they are helping me to uncover, unlearn, and relive. I feel like I’m getting more than I’m giving…I sometimes don’t feel I could ever repay them for what they are pouring into my life. Parenting = watching your children teach you how to live while making them think it’s the other way around.
Comments
love ya bro. rack
Have you ever heard anyone close a conversation with, "Talk at ya later!" instead of, "Talk to you later?"
I'm trying to work on being in the moment with the person I'm having a conversation with and be a better listener.
Say hi to Heidi!