FOUR leaf clover

I found my first four leaf clover today! My very first one!  It came on the day that my lost dog was finally found, so I was already feeling blessed. :-)  Just wanted to share!

My son is eating the seeds off of the top of his hamburger bun.  He likes the burgers, but he prefers french fries.  So when I told him he couldn't have anymore french fries until he ate a bite of his burger, he chose this "compromise."  I'm not sure how this is better than just taking a bite... but whatever.
Today my little guy kicked his precious MawMaw. He was being silly, and thought it would be funny I guess.   Luckily his Daddy was there to give him a pop and a stern talking-to.  Later on in the day, when I went to pick him up, I mentioned something about not kicking, and he gave me the funniest look.  He put down his head, and frowned, and cut his eyes up at me with an expression that I can only describe as sheer confusion.  How did Mommy KNOW about when I got in trouble today?  I tried to keep a straight face.
Mommies always know, dear one.  Always.

Today's blog

For today's blog, go to NCtoVietnam.com and see today's post.  A little back story: my dad was in Vietnam, and my grandmother kept all the letters he wrote to the family while he was away. At this moment, 45 years ago, he had just finished with Basic Training. Our family invites you to eavesdrop on the conversations held between them during the most trying time of their lives.  Although I have mixed emotions about the things I might learn along the way, one thing I know for sure: history exists so that it can't be repeated. Hope you're blessed today.

Easter Egg Hunt day

So, today was scheduled to be my little guy's very first Easter Egg Hunt at church. However, his Mommy is paranoid about weather and they're calling for severe thunderstorms (which may mean tornadoes) during the window of time directly surrounding said hunt. 
On top of that, his Mommy also woke up with her nose reminding her that it doesn't like spring's yucky yellow paint all over the world. As in, I scratched my nose and felt it in my throat. 
So, we're not going.
Instead of being sad about it (she said, trying to convince herself that she's not sad), we're having our own Easter Egg Hunt!  Chez Willis!  One day only!  Or, you know, until he gets tired of Easter eggs. Based on last year's example, that could be a couple of weeks.
So we're home today, playing with eggs. And watching it rain. From the inside. :-)

A message from the little guy:
knnmmmmnnnnnnnnnnbbbbvvvvvvvvvvvc xxxxxzasdffffffffffffgggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhjjjjklqwwww1
w
wwwwwewrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrfffffgggggh
jjjjjjjjjjkkkkkkkkkkkllll12
34
567890
Translation: Happy Early Easter, everyone!

Three Leaf Clovers

I've never found a four-leaf clover. Don't get me wrong - it's not for want of trying. I've spent hours upon hours staring at grassy patches in other people's yards as well as my own trying to spot those little suckers. That doesn't even count the time I've spent looking at the ground while I walk through any size space filled with grass, hoping to see one. All this time searching, and then I hear about these people who have found several in their lifetime. What am I doing wrong? 

Okay, let's go through the process.
Step One: Stand in some grass. Check.
Step Two: Open your eyes. Check.
Step Three: Point them toward the ground. Check.
Step Four: Find a four leaf clover. ... sigh.

It's that pesky last step that has me stumped. What am I missing here?
I wonder if it isn't luck at all, but just some special breed of grass that only grows in certain - oh, what's that? You found a four leaf clover in my yard? Good for you.
Sigh again.
Want to know what got me thinking on this subject? I was baking this evening and realized that I've never found a double yoked egg either. As I laboriously stirred my two eyeballed eggs into my cake dough, I wondered if they really exist. I've heard they do. But what do you do if you find one? Fish out one of the yokes? Or just don't open the second egg? But would that leave enough egg white for the batter? Oh, the pressure!  I'm almost glad I haven't found a double-yoked egg. I don't think I could handle it.

So it begs the question: do I care if I'm not lucky?

I don't mind that I've never won the lottery. Who needs the headaches? I'd rather be proud of my day's work than ashamed of my bank balance.  I also don't mind that I'm not very good at Monopoly (I'm determined that there's no skill to that game, just luck and meanness).
So where does this leave me? An unlucky woman, surrounded by three leaf clovers.
But maybe that's not so bad after all.  If I'm surrounded by them, that means I'm in someone's yard, and that's normally a pretty good place to be.  It also means that there's good weather because, really, who looks for clovers when it's raining out?  And if there are several three-leaf clovers, that also means that the rain levels are good this year. And my yard looks greener even if it's not grass.
Maybe I have a little luck after all.  I've seen a few shooting stars.  I don't think that's luck though - that really is just a matter of leaving your eyes on the skies for long enough.  Especially if there's a meteor shower.
The moral of this story is that luck is all well and good for some people, but for me - I'll take my blessings. The three leaf clovers will make me happy today. And the cake that will be made with the single yoked egg. And the extra dollars in my pocket not wasted on a lottery ticket. And the peace of mind knowing that I could win Monopoly if I wanted to, if I make up my own rules.
So look, world, look for four leaf clovers!  And while you're searching, I'll rejoice in the abundance of three.

Potty Motivation: Lesson One

In the effort to get my son interested in using the potty, I used his favorite thing to try and motivate him: washing hands.  I'm not sure what it is: the water, its temperature, the noise... who knows.  What I DO know is that he loves to wash his hands!  So I told him today that, after he goes potty, he gets to wash his hands.  Poor guy, he just looked overwhelmed.  He just doesn't get the potty thing just yet, and I think he's getting tired of hearing me ask him if he wants to go.  So he sighed, and appeared to resign himself to life without the bonus hand washing.

I'm not sure what the parallel is, but I'm sure there's one in there somewhere.  Any ideas?

Two? Seriously?

My little boy is two years old, and I'm a little... I don't even know what the word would be.  Confused? Flabbergasted?  Where did the time go? What happened to my itty bitty baby? 
I didn't realize how big he was until we were looking at some pictures the other day, and I was pointing out the baby to the baby, noticing that one baby was tiny and the other baby was taking up my whole lap.  We watched a couple of videos, and I remember the moments like they were yesterday.  In one, I was holding a video camera, afraid to move, absolutely positive that he was going to turn over for the first time. Any. Second. Now... And of course he didn't.  I remember being so excited, and thinking of all the people I was going to show, and how I was going to keep this video for aaaaaaaall eternity so that I could remember my baby boy just this way.  And now?  He's accomplished all the goals he was supposed to, from turning over to crawling to running, whether I had my camera or not.  He went from babbling to random words to sentences.  I'm so proud of that little guy.
So I have to take a step back and wonder - is this how God feels about me?  He's known me since before my conception, and saw all my major milestones.  For Him, though, they were marked by different things.  He remembers fondly the first time I ever prayed.  He remembers the time, as a very small child, I invited him (shyly) to please come live in my heart and clean me up.  He remembers the moments, as I grew, when the fire of passion in my heart ignited and grew.  He remembers when I committed my life, my whole life, to His service.  He remembers every journal page, every tear, every single whispered prayer. 
The best part of this story is that I don't know the next step.  When it comes to my being a parent, I'm pretty sure I know the next battles that lie ahead.  I know we're on the cusp of potty training and big boy beds.  My son doesn't.  In the same way, I have NO idea what's coming up next in my life with God!  What a comfort to know that He does.  And he's standing by with His video camera.