tickles to combat fits

noah has been pretty good with throwing some tantrums.

for example, not getting to touch scott's computer. that's usually a BIG upset.

or really to not do something that scott does is always an upset.

a couple of years ago, i sat back and stared at parents whose kids were out of control in public.

it didn't make sense.

just make them stop pitching fits. tell them sit in their chair at dinner. put them in their room. stop screaming. come on.

then came noah. wow has he forced me to look at people with grace. now i get it. more than anything it teaches me what's in my heart. noah can make a scene on the outside and i sure can on the inside... just with a sweet smile to cover it up, of course.

this baby has high highs and low lows.

that's just how he is right now. can't wait to tell him about it when he's all grown up and socially poised, right? praise Him that His goal isn't well behaved children.

so yesterday, scott's remedy was to tickle him right out of a fit.

and that little bit was good for that day.

BEACH

it's just good for the soul.

for mine, and his, and the little his.

thailand

We are at this wonderful beach for a conference and some days of relaxation.

First thing yesterday morning when we woke up, Scott opened the balcony doors

and Noah took his little cheerios and watched the birds flying around out by the beach.

We've heard it said that you don't really know

how much you need these things [sun, space, people, quiet] until you get here.

Now I know exactly what they're talking about.

on biting and hitting...

As I was skype messaging my Mom [why weren't we just talking? weird],

I told her that Noah wants to bite and hit his only little best friend he has.

These are Mom's next fix it sentences:

"Pretty soon you will be able to do a time out or take something away...

Then he will grow up to be a teenager and slam his door and say he hates you."

[this was totally me, by the way]

"Then he will turn 20 or 21 and he will love you again.

Or maybe sooner, but he won't admit it."

It made me laugh instead of cry. Oh how horrid I was when I was little. And oh how things come back around.

I've tried the soap method... putting a tiny bit of soap on his tongue if he bites, then he would immediately hate it and therefore quit biting.

FALSE.

That may be most kids, but Noah did the signal for "more". He wanted me to put more soap in his mouth.

That stinker.

en route.

[noah is on the move. felt like this picture captures what most of our christmas days were like. noah didn't seem to get the memo that we could sleep late during the holidays.]

a really great family came to visit us for a few days, while on their way to pick up their two girls from this side of the world. while they were here, the mom/wife said one of the wisest things about christmas. i had previously been [and maybe still am] a little "thrown off" by being away from home during special times. i felt like i had a light bulb conversation. i still hear the words spoken to me from last week...

"it's okay that we aren't "home with our families". mary and joseph were en route during that very time of jesus' birth. they left things and travelled... [then speaking on contentment] and we won't be 100% content here or there. that's what keeps us longing for heaven."

it was a light bulb conversation. and it wasn't until today that it started flashing up above my head... when reminded that perhaps it is on this side, for me, where i long for heaven most.

he's alive.

there is a mass of people that have little knowledge of the very reason for our being.

that's a huge part of why we moved. in fact, that is why we moved.

to a place that's on the opposite side of the globe than where we were born.

to a country whose language couldn't be more different.

to a people whose kids are diaper-less and instead wear split pants.

any time in scripture where i see the word "strangers", i literally feel it.

it would seem pretty rare to move to a foreign place to have someone of the other culture remind me of who jesus is. right?

i've heard the stories. ones that move me and make me cry. ones where believers' lives have been totally changed by seeing His Power move through the people that they had come to witness to.

and now, on this day. i've had my very own.

as i was talking with a chinese woman who helps me clean our apartment, she started teaching me new words. this isn't unusual. what was unusual was that she was over by our little, tiny nativity set sharing these words. after many, many SLOW speaking chinese words, i finally understood what she was dying to tell me.

"Jesus died, but he's not dead.

He rose. He lives. He sees me. I know Him, but I can't see Him.

He's not dead. He died, but He's not dead."

and that's what i came here to learn.

my g0d's not dead. he's surely alive.

the tree is up

and we've got some pictures thanks to self timer.

[noah only pulled the tree down twice within the first 24 hours it was up. pretty good, right?]