Blue Elephant: A Year In Review

Blue Elephant turns FIVE today! Here are the highlights of your "fourth" year in picture review:

First Viewing of Star Wars: A New Hope, complete with popcorn. Daddy Elephant was delighted to share this with you!

Second year of Cubbies in the church Awana program begins. You LOVE "Earn E. Elephant" (surprising, I know! lol)

Your first day of Kindergarten! Blue Elephant, I was met with alot of raised eyebrows when I decided to homeschool you, and when we started you at FOUR. BUT you are excelling!

Building your "new" red big boy bed with Daddy... men and thier tools! You love this bed, and are proud to be growing up!

First Predators Hockey Game as a family. You and Pink Elephant had alot of fun. You are acting silly for the picture, of course!

We spend alot of time creating imaginative toys/pretending at our house. Here, you and Pink Elephant are playing Firefighters in a repurposed box!

We love to bake and make cookies! Here you are making "mini fall leaves"... I think between you and your little sister, half the cookies got eaten before they made it to the oven!

You are growing so fast, it is hard to believe that you are already 5 years old, today! We love you, Blue Elephant!! Happy Birthday!!

I'll Fly Away

This morning we had our breakfast time Bible story, as usual... today we had reached the story of Jesus on the Cross. Daddy Elephant was home for breakfast this morning, so he got to read the story. Both little elephants, mouths full of scrambled eggs, looked at the pictures and listened.
I took the opportunity to connect the dots for Blue Elephant, and explain about salvation again, as we have talked about it many times throughout the last few months.
Did he understand Passover? Did he know what that lamb's blood did for the Israelites? Yes, he "got it"... Did he know when Jesus got "whooped" (love little one's point of view!) before the cross, that it was so bad, there was blood from cuts? Did he understand what THAT blood meant? ( I explained)... Did he know that HE could be saved from Hell  (yes, we have talked about what that place is and what it means) and have Jesus help Him choose to do right, and not "sin"? (yes, the little elephant understands what sin is... he is way smart for a 4 year old!)
Did he want Jesus to live in his heart? Yes, he did!
At this point, Daddy Elephant and I were both crying openly.
He repeated a prayer after Daddy, and I asked a few more simple questions, to see if he really, truely, did comprehend what he had just done.
We sincerely believe that he does... And now, my precious Blue Elephant,

Some glad morning,
When this life is o'er,
I'll fly away!
To a home on God's celestial shore...

And you, as well, my beloved one, will fly away to Jesus when your life is done!
Being present for the salvation of my precious BE??
Priceless memory!
Thank you, Jesus!

Sleep in Heavenly Peace

Pink Elephant is in that between stage. You know, the "I still need a nap but there is NO way I am admitting it" stage. I've tried all kinds of things... being on errands at naptime so she just dozes in the car, trying in vain to get her to just plain nap in her room, letting her use my bed as a treat, skipping naptime and putting her to bed earlier (which just means she's up even earlier the next morning...).
Today I got her to lay on the couch and cover up with a blanket, and I put in Babe for both PE and BE to watch.
Well, success! In 23 minutes, PE was out like a light... and BE was doing headstands on the couch- right next to her! Goodness, if it ain't one thing its another with that little male elephant! so now that BE has been sent upstairs to play legos, PE is dozing on the couch. Going on almost 2 hours of straight sleep, now! YAY for naptime actually happening in our house for once.
I don't think i can swing this routine everyday, with our crazy schedule and with BE already trying to come downstairs at least 5 times (just since i started writing this!) but it works for today.
which reminds me of a saying that my mom has repeated to me multiple times since i became a mother...
"whatever works in the moment, do that"... and with children (er, elephants..) I am so inclined to agree!
Today PE will sleep in heavenly peace.
Today I will not get to share in that heavenly peace...
Today BE will keep trying to come pell-mell rumble-tumble downstairs and risk waking her up!
But for this moment, its working... so we are gonna take what we can get!
Happy napping, my sweet Pink Elephant!