Freddie's Artist Statement

For most of his life, Jones's artwork has been typified by being hastily done and monochromatic. In other words, he seems very uninterested in creating visual art. He just rushes through it to move on to the next thing.

By contrast, Freddie's art is usually meticulously done. Mrs. Shana at Clyde First Baptist taught him to not "scribble scrabble" when coloring, and it's a lesson he took very deeply to heart. He also uses colors a'plenty to create some of my favorite pictures on the planet.

Take, for instance, this beautiful drawing he did when he was waiting for last nite's Catechism class to start. Click on the video below the picture to learn more about the drawing.

Promotion Sunday!

We knew going in that today was Promotion Sunday at church. What we DIDN'T know was that Freddie was being promoted in-to Jones's class, which means he was being promoted OUT of the nursery (I thought he had another year of the pre-K Sunday School class). This is really exciting for a mama who's more "onward and upward" than "please stay a baby."

It DOES, however, mean the end of our regular interactions with Mr. John & Mrs. Betty. This  husband and wife team has spent Sunday mornings with 25 years'-worth of Arden Pres babies. This is the only sad part of the whole arrangement. John and Betty will be very deeply missed.

I was concerned about how the boys would behave, being in the same class and, probably, seated in pretty close proximity to each other. I threatened them within an inch of their lives before saying goodbye and told each of the teachers to be sure they behaved. When we got back to pick them up, we got a glowing report. Hopefully, the sweet teachers weren't just covering for our tiny guys.

During the service each week, Jones always asks if he can pass the offering plate. He takes this responsibility VERY seriously. I honestly have to watch myself, lest I inadvertently pass it without letting him hand it to (or from, depending where we're sitting) his daddy. Well, on this Sunday, he handed the plate from one person to the next. He then turned to me and flexed his muscles, like he were Rick Friggin' Flair. It's worth noting here that he is CONVINCED the Flintstones Vitamins he's been taking for about the last six week are turning him into a superhero. Whenever he does some new skill or show of strength, he will look amazed and say, "Mama! It's the Flintstones! They're working!"

Also of note from church on Sunday is a conversation that Jones had with Reagan Moore ... well, it wasn't so much a conversation as Reagan talking to Jones, who either stuck his tongue out or growled at her in response. I can't quite remember.

The Moores sat behind us in church. After the service, Reagan gave Jones some pictures she'd drawn for him on her bulletin. She told him, "I love you" and, a beat later, "Sometimes, I wish you were my husband."

I can't remember if Jones growled at her or stuck out his tongue, but whichever it was, he did it with a glint in his eye, and on the way to lunch, he sweetly and sincerely said, "We should write Reagan a Thank You note!" so no matter how he responded at church, "I think he doth protest too much."

I DID, however, have to explain to him what a "husband" is. "I'm not gonna HAVE a wife," he told me in response. Sounds like Reagan's got her work cut out for her.

Palm Sunday Celebrations

For as shocking as it is after two snow days last week, it's Palm Sunday.

On the way to church this morning, we read the account of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey as the people laid palm branches at His feet and said, "Hosanna!" We then sang Sandy Patti's "Hosanna" as many times as would fit into our 30 minute trip, because it quickly became Jones's new musical obsession.

It laid a great framework, though, for what the boys learned in Sunday school and then what they got to do in church. As the Arden kids do every year, they carried palm leaves around the sanctuary. Last year, Jones and Freddie did it, but I walked with them. This year, they walked on their own, though the idea of it made Jones ... shall we say ... uncomfortable. Still, he did it without whining or crying or clinging to me, and I stood in the back of the sanctuary, taking pictures and praising God (again) for the growth in my big boy. In fact, on this video, if you listen closely, you can hear me saying to my friend Elaine, "He's doing it! He's doing it! He's not waving anything, but he's doing it!"



After the "palm parade," we tried to keep Freddie in "big church" with us. That lasted through most of a single verse of "All Glory, Laud, and Honor" before I realized keeping him in there would be at the cost of my sanctification; back to the nursery he went.

Freddie picked Culver's for a quick lunch after church. As we ate, I showed them the video of what they'd done. Freddie said, "My favorite part is REAGAN." Then, as we left, a couple told the boys that they looked so handsome. Both boys said, "Thank you," and then Freddie embellished his appreciation with a very deep, very dramatic bow, which, of course, made the crowd seated around us go wild.

From there, we went to the Shriner's Circus at Furman - I will try to write about this in a separate post, but to be honest, there wasn't much to it, so we left at Intermission and took a few photos of the boys in their cute suits at "Mama's cah-wedge."

Happy Valentine's Day!

Valentine's Day has come and gone; hopefully, Jones and Freddie are well aware of how very much they are loved - not just today, but EVERY day.

Our celebrations actually started on Saturday. Like last year, we did a Valentine's Dinner at Ruth's Chris. Jeremy had told the boys on their way to church Wednesday (I had to be at the Peace Center) that we were having a special dinner and not to tell me, because it was a surprise. They kept the secret - mostly.

I'd try to guess where we were going, and they wouldn't budge - until Jones told me it was like the Blue Rooster. "Ruth's Chris?" I asked. "Yes. That's it. Ruth's Chris."

Freddie is a significantly tougher nut to crack. I am filing this information away to use to my advantage in future "secret" situations.

Dinner was great, as it usually is at Ruth's Chris. Jones discovered that the butter left over on his bread plate was the PERFECT consistency for rubbing, like a lotion, all over his face. Maybe I should try that on my wrinkly forehead?

When we got back from dinner, we gave the boys their presents - mostly because there was no way in the world I could wait any longer to give Freddie the football uniform we'd gotten him. For weeks now, he's asked about a hundred times a day to watch the "Cat movie" on my phone, which is actually a 45 second ad on Amazon for these kid-sized football uniforms. I ordered him the uniform and have to say - he reacted with the exact level of excitement I'd have expected.

Jones got a bucket of dinosaurs and a blow-up T-Rex. In the weeks since Christmas, he's had sudden-onset dinosaur obsession. Since we didn't have any dinosaur toys, Valentine's Day was the perfect opportunity to stock our coffers with some pre-historic creatures. Jones responded is typical, explosively grateful way, which is one of the things I love the most about him.

He named the T-Rex "John" and parked
him right beside the door to his room. 

watching "Paddington," a new favorite, on Netflix

I think their gifts were a hit. Walking in to church on Sunday, I noticed Jones clasping something in the chest of his vest. Turns out, he was sneaking his pterodactyl ("Jack") in. We ended up making a nest for Jack on the church pew between us.

Freddie's had his uniform on pretty much non-stop, too. On Thursday when I went in to get him dressed for school, he was already halfway there - wearing his "Cat pants" and asking if he could wear his helmet. When I said he couldn't, he asked me to bring it with him when I picked him up, and the first thing he said to me when I pulled into the carpool line was, "Did you bring my helmet?"

Of course, Little Man.

Freddie was very excited about his Spider-Man
valentines, but he was NO so sure about GIVING
all of those pencils away. He really
wanted to keep them all for himself.

On Valentine's Day itself, I had the exciting privilege of hosting Freddie's class party (like I hosted Jones's for Thanksgiving). I sure do love his teacher and their little school. When I went in to wave at Jones in his class, he gave me a half-smirk and a tiny little wave and went about his business. Mrs. Janet noticed and said, "THAT'S a big change!" and we both agreed that our little boy is growing up. After school, we met Jeremy for lunch at Bogart's. The boys had a ball going through their bags of school Valentines, and I was very excited to show off the locket they'd given me. While they were in school, I'd gotten pictures printed and put into the locket. For as much as they like to look at and open it, I'll be lucky if this thing lasts until Easter!

Another thing I did on Valentine's Day was to officially apply to Haywood Christian Academy. Hopefully, we'll hear soon whether or not they've been admitted. It was amazing the peace I felt as I dropped off the check to pay their application fees. I'm really excited to join the HCA family for as long as we are there - maybe it'll just be a year, maybe it'll be more. Still, as I dropped the check off at the Upper School campus, the peace with which I did it was not lost on me. I am grateful that God has led us there, and that He's made a way for us to pay for it. 

That nite, we went to church. Jones had his Catechism class; Freddie had his bi-weekly brawl (and I mean that in a good way; they wrestle but have a ball together) with Brice, and I watched Week Two of a four-week video series on marriage presented by Paul David Tripp. I missed Week One, but Jeremy loved it, and after seeing Week Two, I can sure see why. When I picked the boys up, Freddie said he wanted to take a picture with Reagan. He sure does love Miss Reagan. So we took some pictures - Jones didn't want to be in them - and then we headed home with hearts in our eyes after a wonderful, eventful Valentine's Week.

The week ended with Jones saying to me, "Next time, I want you to get me a locket with you and Daddy in it. Den, I will wear it ev'ry day." 

Talk about hearts in our eyes. 

So thankful for these sweet little boys God gave us.