Treasure Hunt Activity for My Treasures!

Let's just keep it real… Parenting is ridiculously difficult! I see even the most confident & secure women, who I greatly admire, second-guessing parenting choices all the time! So those rare moments, when you feel like you have not just survived, but actually THRIVED in a parenting scenario, feel so amazing! Feeling like an "A+ Parent"..... It's such a rare, but satisfying feeling for me. Muah! KFH! (Kiss From Heaven!) This particular KFH came by way of St. Patrick's Day. For those who may just link on from Pinterest, you are welcome to scroll down, if you haven't already! Long story, short... I created a fun St. Patrick's Day tradition for our family! ;)

Longer and more personal story, we had my bonus son (a more favored label for my step-son) here with us for the weekend. I'm not sure if other bonus parents feel this way, but for over 5 years, I've observed this stronger biological love for birth parents (regardless of their actions) and a learned & less loyal love for step-parents (compiled from all parties' actions & birth parents' example). I primarily try to understand the child's perspective, especially with children who start a relationship with their step-parents later in life and children who have experienced their birth parents together in a once loving relationship. With my specific situation, it seems less complicated! I've been in Parker's life, since he was about 18 months old, and his birth parents broke up before he was 6 months old, with no marriage ties. Even though, most (& likely all) of his memories with his Daddy include me, I still perceive Parker's love for me to be more conditional. I truly hope I am wrong. My whole point is this... my perception, whether right or wrong, has fueled me to be a better parent!

Any rare compliment or glimpse of gratitude, that I receive from my bonus son, only seems to be earned with extra effort! I very deliberately work to plan & create loving, fun and teachable moments or activities in the very limited time we share with him. As silly as it sounds, my bonus son "keeps me on my game" as a parent! LOL! All this being said, I love my children (bonus son & birth daughter) with all my heart. It is ONLY out of my love, that I want to help them in every way I can to be loving, joyful & wise people. None of my actions are FOR praise or affirmation... but when Parkey tells me, "This was awesome!" or my little Savanna (almost 2) says, "I love it, Mama!"... I do feel ridiculously happy. It's encouraging to hear their feedback once in a while... almost like a whisper from God (or KFH!) reminding me that my [often invisible and immeasurable] efforts MATTER!

So... warm fuzzies and KFH's aside, let's talk about the St. Patty's Search Activity that was a fun hit in the Greenwood Home! I guess if you're not Irish, St. Patrick's Day may be nothing more than a day of booze and/or the color green. With my husband's past addiction struggles, it was only about GREEN in our home! (and it was just as fun) :) 

GREEN chocolate chip pancakes, GREEN eggs & ham, & GREEN pear slices for breakfast...
GREEN frosting & GREEN cupcakes to decorate...
GREEN mint chocolate chip ice cream in waffle bowls for dessert...
And many more GREEN foods... (The next day, Savanna's diaper was elevated to a vibrant shade of GREEN that only Crayola makes!) ;)
GREEN water for bath times...

I was also going to do some cute Pinterest gags - including little GREEN "leprechaun footprints" on the toilet seat and GREEN "leprechaun pee" in the toilet bowl... BUT my son had a very unexpected and irrational fear of leprechauns! I never imagined a 7 year-old boy being so scared of even the mention of little leprechauns... but we've all had some silly fear. I'm just glad we discovered it, before I began my leprechaun pranks around our home! LOL!

After my leprechaun ideas flopped, I started to think more like an A+ Parent… “What do MY kiddos like?”  Adventures!  Exploring!  Rewards!  So, I drew inspiration from the best part of leprechauns… their POT OF GOLD at the end of the RAINBOW! 

(I already had these items at home, because when we “catch” our kiddos “doing good”, they receive “Greenwood Gold”, which they can use to “purchase  rewards” on Sundays.) Enjoy making your own “pot of treasures”, but the gold coins are from US Toy Company.

I began making colored clues in “ROY G. BIV” rainbow order and hiding them in rooms throughout our home. (It still felt like winter outside, so I hope to incorporate outside clues in the years to come!) You will most likely have fun making your own clues to find your Pot of Gold, but here are mine, if it helps activate your imagination! (We may do more GREEN clues next year to make it last a little longer.)

 

Red – Some people have plaid ones, or beige ones, or brown ones… One of ours is RED, and Mom doesn’t like her pillows sat on!  (Red Sofa)

Orange – Some oranges are fake and some are real… But all oranges are ORANGE, and that’s the deal!  (Fake Orange in the Fruit Bowl)

Yellow – Spatulas flip pancakes, and whisks make jello. Both these kitchen tools are in here & it is YELLOW!  (Yellow Utensil Canister)

Green – It’s textured, soft & GREEN and in Sissy’s room. She lays on it and gets her diaper changed too! (Green Rug in Sissy’s Room)

Blue – Roses are red, and violets are BLUE. Your next clue is in the toilet… and it’s BLUE, too! (Taped on the Toilet Lid… Still found a way to color the toilet water! You could even do it for the GREEN clue!)

Indigo – The only place I could find INDIGO is in this desk… because there’s crayons in it, but it’s a mess! (Crayon Box in Bubba’s Desk)

Violet – Who’s the best VIOLET dinosaur around?! When you squeeze his tummy, he makes a sound! (Stuffed Barney that sings “I Love You, You Love Me”)

Rainbow Paper – I love you, you love me. We’re a happy family! If you look around the room, you will see it too… Behind YOUR FAMILY is the very last clue! (Taped Behind Family Portrait on the Wall)

Rainbow Paper – Yay! It’s closer than you think! Turn & Face SOUTH. Walk 10 paces & open the door to your POT OF GOLD! 

And there you have it… Of course, at Savanna’s age, she liked the shamrock cookie reward the best, but I loved to see how Parker enjoyed the journey, more than the rewards! My toddler loved chasing big brother, playing with some of the objects and holding the clues. My 1st grader enjoyed solving clues, remembering which colors came next and practicing his reading skills on the clues. My hubby was a great adventure guide... there to help his treasure hunters when needed. I just stood back and admired all of them. ;)

Saying What's Important!

Well, I freaking love this film, The Help! I just LOVED so many aspects of this movie, but most of all... the intentional blessings the main nanny teaches to the little girl she cares for... Obviously, this video clip cannot encompass the whole emotional journey, but the little girl's mother either shamelessly neglects her child or openly treats her as an unworthy nuisance, throughout the entire film. As a woman who practices much self-loathing and a soldier in my own self-image war, it was painful to watch those seeds of unworthiness being planted from an ignorant & selfish mother to an innocent, little child. But hope entered in the form of her nanny, "Abee"! Everyday, this loving woman of God made time to speak out specific blessings to this little girl!

 "You is kind. You is smart. You is important." - Aibileen Clark

 

In the last few moments of the film, I was overwhelmingly touched when the little girl remembers those affirmations, after her nanny is unjustly fired. It was perfect evidence that simple & positive blessings, spoken frequently in any environment, have eternal impact! Our words can bless or curse! (James 3:9-10) There is life and death in the power of our tongue! ( Proverbs 18:21)  Abee's faithfulness to repeat those sweet and simple words everyday, changed the eternal course of that young girl's identity!

After I watched The Help, I began speaking the same sweet words over my daughter, Savanna, each day. (Replacing "is" with "are"!) Today was the KFH (Kiss From Heaven!)... It started with me saying to Savanna, "Oopsy- Mommy forgot to wipe your hands. Let's do that. It's important to have clean hands....." Suddenly, I trailed off to listen to my 22 month-old toddler who had cut into the convo by repeating "Important... I'm important!" Then, Savanna began her gibberish (which she's so proud of!). Within her "Savanglish", I clearly heard "kind" and "smart" and "important"! It was such a triumphant moment of pure joy! A FOUNDATION IS BEING BUILT... My daughter will know her value! It's such a KFH (Kiss From Heaven!) when God shows us a glimpse of how our pursuits are having a special impact!

Lord, I pray these words, and many other divinely inspired selections, will be hidden words in our daughter's heart (Psalm 119:11). Thank you so much for the encouragement today! I pray anyone reading this would have an increased sensitivity to the power of their words and influence, especially concerning children. I pray for healing for children and even adults, like me, who battle unworthiness. May whatever lies we've accepted as truth, be revealed, erased and replaced with YOUR WORD for us!

 

Sowing a New Seed...

Not to sound like Captain Obvious, but I am no Bible scholar. ;) I truly love my Heavenly Father, my Savior Jesus Christ & the Holy Spirit, but I confess that I have not even read the entire Bible. It's very difficult for me to digest. At times, I struggle to relate to verses, but other times, I fixate on a few verses and cannot move on! This particular time was the latter... In a study of Psalm 1, I only made it to Verse 3! Those moments when the Word of God comes to life and becomes the "Living Word" are the "kisses from heaven" I am thankful for today. The Lord takes a scripture you have read plenty of times before and sheds new light on it... Muah! Kiss From Heaven! (KFH!)


Here was some of my own revelation from Psalm 1, Verse 3. 

"They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do."


So, I first thought, "How do I define "prosper" in the context of this simile of God's people and trees?" After looking to Webster's dictionary, I see synonyms like "succeed" and "flourish" and "thrive"... Then, 2 simpler words brought me clarity... "grow stronger". I started looking at photographs of trees... realizing every gigantic and majestic tree that I look up to with wonder, started small, but grew stronger!



Red Maple Tree Planted...

Red Maple Tree Prospering!

Many times on my walk as a Christian, I look around at the lives and testimonies of other believers, and I feel like such a small tree in the forest. (Ahhh, the trick of comparing... rooting all the way back to the Garden of Eden, and I still fall for it, today!)

Now, after fully digesting those 2 words, "grow stronger", I realize that everyday, even the days that seem to have little or no "fruit", I am STILL prospering, because I am slowly (and even microscopically!) growing to be one of these strong trees.

Thank you, Lord, for the truth that trees start small, but when rooted in Jesus Christ, GROW STRONGER and "prosper in all they do"!

Live Oak Tree Planted...



Live Oak Tree Prospering!

 I receive the promise of the Lord in His Word. I will be one of these strong & majestic trees someday! If anyone chooses to read this, I pray you are, too!

Let us be deeply rooted in the ways of the Lord!

Japanese Maple Tree Prospering!

Japanese Maple Tree Planted...

Thank you, Lord, for your promise that with deep roots in YOU, we will prosper in all we do! Since this Psalm is also specifically referring to being rooted in your Word, please provide a special grace for me to go deeper in that area of my relationship with you. I pray the same prosperity for anyone else who may read this! ;)

 





Buckle Up, Buckaroos!

I am filled with gratitude to be starting my very own blog! Just 6 months ago, we didn't even own a laptop. (Gasp!) So, to be sitting here typing in my favorite chair, legs propped up and precious silence surrounding me... you bet your bucks I'm grateful!!!

"Bet your bucks"... Did I just make that phrase up?! Do they say "Bet your butt", instead? That actually makes less sense, so I'm going with my version. ;) Altered words, phrases and even my own word inventions will pop up throughout this blog journey. Also, I'm an "EEP" (excessive exclamation point) type of person, so those will definitely over-populate my blog. I think EEP's are fabulous! ;)

Back to being grateful... this blog represents me sowing a new seed. This is my effort to be more thankful of the Lord's special stamp on our lives. The moments that "make my heart smile" (as I love to say) or those "kisses from heaven" we experience when no one is around. The "little things" that make a BIG difference to our souls! This blog will be used to sharpen my senses and spirit even more to those "kisses from heaven". With my memory, (or lack thereof!) I don't want to lose these special moments, as time blurs my memories. And by time, I mean days, not years! Yeah... my memory would probably earn a D- (like the 59.5% kind!) So, this blog is a gift to myself. A record of all the gifts God gives us that we might look right past, if we're too "busy"... "Kisses from Heaven" that bring laughter, tears, clarity, revelation... whatever!

As my Daddy-O always says, "Buckle up, buckaroos! BUCKLE UP!" Tawnie Bear's excited!!! (Whether another soul reads these or not! But if you are, I promise not to speak of myself in "third person" tense very often.) ;)

Sooooo, (I'll probably close most of my blogs in simple prayers) Lord- thank you for the perfect vehicle for me to get to know You more deeply! I truly want to "seek your face" and enjoy writing this blog, simultaneously. I want to see You for who You are, not who I expect. Please help me be open and receptive to your Spirit, so that I don't "miss out" on You! Thank you for your grace and unending love. Help me learn how to love You like that!