Sweeties day....

Well, since we are in the habit of moving holidays to suit our schedule....we partially celebrated Valentine's on Saturday.

Our whole crew of 6 loaded up in our Swagger Wagon Bean Pod and went to Krispy Kreme for donuts.

For the record - that was the girls' idea. 

I mean, I completely encouraged them and didn't let them forget that is what they wanted....but it was originally from them.

Since we wanted to do a special "Sweet" breakfast - it needed to be on the weekend so we wouldn't have to go before 6 in the morning.  :)

(Backstory...)

On February 1st I started our LOVE JAR. (I  think it needs a better name....but I'm drawing a blank.) I took one of our mason jars....wrapped a strip of pink construction paper around the middle and glued it on...added a cut-out pink heart....put L O V E  stickers on it....and tore a  bunch of strips of paper. DONE.

I'm ridiculously un-creative like that.

Then, every day, I talked with each of the girls and asked them what they loved about somebody in the family. I wrote it down...folded it up....and thus the jar was filled.

I had never done anything like this with our crew before, and I was a bit unsure of the reception it would receive.  Thankfully, they ate it up. 

So, Saturday found us at Krispy Kreme with our jar, eating donuts, and enjoying each other's company. 

We talked about being sweet - what exactly would that look like? 

Would a sweet heart be snatchy, or bossy, or mean, or selfish, or rude?  

How can you be loving and kind? (As a 2 year old? As a 4 year old? As a 6 year old? As a grown-up?) 

How does Jesus want us to love others? 

Then we read the notes out loud.  

So the whole family could know the special things we love about each other. 

And the girls ATE IT UP.  

Their smiles grew with each note. 

They said thank you after every one. 

And they gave spontaneous hugs and kisses because they felt treasured. 

Hooray for an idea actually going how I imagined! Woohoo!

So, this is from Christmas. At least I have ONE picture with our whole crew!

Happy Valentine's day.

Copyright 2012

Cocoa Bean Moment....

Although it has been a WHILE since I posted one of these....it has not been due to lack of material!

It has primarily been due to lack of sleep, time, and free hands.

But a moment happened yesterday that I just HAD to make time to document.  (Lucky you!)

Bit of a backstory needed....as usual.

I've been trying desperately to instill in my girls where beauty actually lies. 

You can look in the mirror and see "pretty," but that doesn't make you beautiful. 

Beauty is who you are, not what you look like. 

You are beautiful if you are kind, unselfish, loving, peaceful, obedient, compassionate, giving, trustworthy....well, you get the idea. 

Basically, if you are fruity - you are beautiful!

I've been hoping this is sinking in....

especially since these girls are a lot like their mother parents, and mildly narcissistic.

Back to yesterday - Bitty Bean had a toy that Jumping Bean REALLY, REALLY, wanted.
Bitty Bean voluntarily gave up the toy and was happy to share it with her Sissy.
As soon as the hand off was made, Jumping Bean said,
"Oh Sister!  You are sooo BEA-U-TI-FUL because you shared!"

As I basked in the moment of a lesson sinking in, String Bean (who had been observing the exchange) decided to comment on the episode:
"Well, you would have been MORE beautiful...if you had given it to me."

And I laughed. Really, really, hard.

So the lessons are still in progress.......but the moment was still sweet.

~Whitney


Copyright 2011