The Tranmer Family Scrapbook » snapshots of our daily life, in words and photos

10-07-2011

Journal Entry – Not Sacrifice

{ASIDE: This is going to be a new category in your scrapbook, baby – a journal of sorts. My thoughts about family, life, God that don’t fit into Dela’s Scrapbook category. Sometimes I just have thoughts, prayers, ideas, hopes – things that I would love for my more grown up daughter to get to read someday that aren’t necessarily documentation of major events or milestones in your life. A place not for pictures as much as for words.}

People say all the time that having children allows you to know God in a totally different way. Being a parent is something totally different than anything I experienced in life up until the point until I held you in my arms and watched you start growing up.

God is our father. He identifies himself that way. I never really had a clue what that meant until I became your Momma. The spontaneous love and affection you give me is everything to me. When you grab my hand or my leg and squeeze. When you turn my face toward you so that you can give me a kiss. When you turn around to make sure I’m watching because you’re proud of what you just did and you want me to see. When you listen to do what I ask with a smile on your face.

It’s not the forced good behavior that I want, a list of rules followed. I want you to love me. It’s so simple and so revolutionary. It’s what God says he wants from us too “I desire mercy (love) not sacrifice and the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”  (Hosea 6:6) And David speaking about God says in Psalm 51 “You do not delight in sacrifice… the sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart.” God wants us to Know him and in turn for us to be devoted to him out of love and affection. He doesn’t want us to follow a list of rules. I know this. I have known this for most of my walk with God. But in reality, in my practical experience, I don’t embrace it, live in it. It’s easier to follow rules than to follow God. But it’s not what he wants. And it’s not what I either. There is no fulfillment in following rules. There was never meant to be.

I want you to know your loving Father more deeply than I do. I want you to know that you don’t have to earn what he wants to give you. Really know it deep in your soul. I don’t want you to live your Christian life as a checklist of “dos” and “don’ts”,  drawing near to God according to the degree with which you feel you are measuring up. I don’t feel that way toward you, and I am an imperfect Mother. Your perfect heavenly Father wants your heart. He wants you to KNOW him. Everything else (all the dos and don’ts) naturally happen when you seek God, really know him, really love Him. “Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.” (James 4:8).  He promises he’ll show up if we do. Everything else follows.

 

add a comment
10-07-2011

First – Frap!

Our last road trip earned you your first Starbucks Frappuccino. You loved it so much – despite temporary brain freeze – that, at one point, you hugged it. HAHA! And see your sweet heart in action – you happily shared your special treat with Daddy. You are the best. The BEST. I love you.

add a comment
10-05-2011

Tot School – First Play Dough!

I have great memories of homemade play dough, afternoons sitting on the tall stools next to the butcher block center island of my childhood home, endless cookie cutters and colors, and the occasional sampling to see if it still tasted as bad as I remember from the last time I tried to eat it. The joy of play dough is one of those things that lasts for years, your whole childhood really – from toddlerhood to the teenage years. I *still* like playing with play dough, especially the homemade kind, warm and soft and fresh right out of our own kitchen pot.

I’ve been waiting patiently for the day when I could make you some. I think we have finally arrived at the point where if I tell you not to put something in your mouth – no matter how inviting – you will almost always listen to me. So a couple of weeks ago we invited Mima over on a lazy afternoon to hang out and make our first batch with us. We skipped the popular kool aid coloring to give you less of a reason to try to eat it. Amazingly, you didn’t try to put it in your mouth once. Good girl! And don’t you look so cute in the apron Auntie Steph gave you last Christmas?

You helped us mix all the ingredients together, blew on it with us to help us cool it off, squished it, rolled it, cut out shapes and letters with cookie cutters. The cookie cutting was absolutely your favorite part of the experience. You loved pressing them down and got the widest smiles on your face when you got to pull out and show off your creations (with our help).

It’s been almost 2 weeks and the stuff is still soft! We’ll definitely be adding some other more batches and colors. It might be a little while before you take this activity into the realm of independent play. I’m sure that day is not far away. I’m not in a big rush. You’re growing up too fast.

add a comment
10-04-2011

Tot School! – Pick Up, Clean Up & Dress Up

Pick up Bin

One of the activity bins I put together for you this month is another dollar store investment. This one cost 2 bucks – one dollar for the bug zoo, one dollar for the plastic bugs. The little zoo came with a little net (which was broken and I immediately had to hand sew, hehe, but it only took me 2 minutes to fix), and a pair of plastic tweezers. The tweezers are a little beyond you right now, but you watched me intently and definitely gave it a try. You loved the little net. Bugs in, bugs out, bugs dumped, bugs shaken, in the bin, in the net, in the zoo, on the table, in the hand. And the bug zoo has a strap so of course, it also doubled as a purse.

Clean Up Bin

Put some clean/new cleaning supplies plus a hand broom/dust pan from the dollar store in a bin to create a cleaning activity. You figured out the broom right away and you did a great job wiping off the table with the sponge and with the rag. The dish scrubber you found a little more confusing. That one ended up brushing your hair. Hehe, I’ll have to do another dish washing activity and show you what it’s actually for.

Dress Up Bin

This is actually just a bin out of my closet containing all my hats and gloves and the hanger which holds all my scarves plus the mirror we keep in the play room so that you can check out all your dressing up. You went straight for the rainbow gloves, and you got them on all by yourself. This was as fun for me as it was for you. I love dressing you up. In fact, you lost interest before I did. We’re definitely going to try it out again sometime.

add a comment