Glimpses

It is so neat to watch personalities develop.  Ever since he was little and the most easy-going baby I've known, I thought he was developing an easy-going personality for the long-haul.  But this does not seem to be so!  He is very particular about how things are done (this applies to everybody around him, not just himself), and is quickly upset if we try to change his precedent.  

For example: Lincoln likes clean surfaces (not, unfortunately, including the floor).  

• Since the time when he could pull himself up to stand, he has swept all contents of the coffee table onto the floor.  When we moved, I gave up on the table runner altogether; what's the real point when it spends every day crumpled on the floor?  No reason to continue this battle of wills between my son and my own particular self, right?
• Whenever there's a "mess"--something splashed or spilled or strewn--he's quick to grab a towel and run over to clean it up.  It ends up more or less clean...but I'm thankful he cares enough to do something about it.  It's a big deal to him if a kitchen towel is MIA; how do you clean a mess without one?!
•  Some days, he'd prefer his toy bins and work bench and kiddo table to be pristine.  Which means that their contents become a sea of toys to go wading through across the living room floor.  

For example: His creations are masterpieces to be thoroughly admired.

• If he makes you a birthday cake (a plastic cup full of miscellaneous small toys), he reminds you to "eat" it if you do not begin immediately upon receiving it.
• When he arranges blocks and other objects into "trains" and "teams" and "castles," it needs to stay set up until he decides it's ok to take it down.  He wants to be sure daddy and I (and anyone else who may come to visit) can admire every detail.  Lewis, however, is not welcome to admire.

For example: Lincoln requests to do "a work" at least once a day.

• If this involves cooking, he makes sure we're wearing our aprons before we start. 
• If this involves washing dishes, he makes sure we take his shirt off before we start. 
• If this involves gluing popcorn kernels onto paper plates, I need to rub the glue off his fingertips in between each kernel.
• When I cleaned out the file cabinet last weekend and littered the floor all around me with the vast amount of papers we cleaned out of there, Lincoln's "work" (by choice) was to pick up every piece of paper and stack it--in a VERY tidy stack--on top of the desk.  Which actually was VERY HELPFUL!  And he was not happy when I cleaned up Round 2 by myself because he was napping.  

For example: He's a little bit of a hypochondriac.  

• Last night, he scraped his toe enough to bring a few tears.  After being consoled, he raced me (running, and winning) into the living room to get his blanket before Lewis could.  After that, we put a (n awesome, Muppets!) bandaid on his cut toe--and he "favored" it the rest of the evening by walking on his heel and telling us when asked that it was still cut.  This morning, we asked him if his toe still hurt and he said yes, it was still cut. But a minute later, he asked daddy to take the bandaid off, and immediately said, "My toe's all better!  It's not cut anymore!"  He's dramatic sometimes :0)
• He remembers where every "ouchie" is on mommy and daddy, and remembers the circumstances of how it was gotten, and regularly asks about those ouchies until they are all healed up.  He's compassionate too :0)
• Every time there's a bump or big noise or a yell, he yells from wherever he is, "Are you OK?" We'll respond, "I'm OK!"  
• If he stumbles or slips a little, he'll gasp and say, "Oh! I almost fall down get hurt!"

For example: He calls the shots when we're playing together.

• When Lincoln Lion roars, we are to be "scared."  If we happen to roar back at him (usually this is something I try), he thrusts his hand up to cover my mouth and says, "No mommy! I not like that!"  
• In our "Roll and Play" game, Lincoln delights in every activity except the card that says "Sing a song"--even though he can sing at least two songs...  He's very picky about songs and when they're sung.  Unless it's to sing Jesus Loves Me at bedtime, mommy is not really allowed to sing.  (For his whole life, Lincoln has not liked mommy's singing, which makes me sad.  I often go ahead and sing anyway, because, you know, I love to sing!)

Listen Up

In our new home, the laundry is in the basement.  My household is happy right now, and these are the sounds I heard up above me while changing out loads: 

the slapping of little hands and knees as Lewis scoots around our "racetrack" layout; the buzz of the stand-alone freezer next to me (that doesn't actually freeze food very well); off in the distance, the up and down tones of Diego entertaining my Lincoln for awhile; squeals and rummaging noises from Lewis as he sorts tupperware and makes other such discoveries; the praise music buzzing down from my laptop in the kitchen, setting the tone of our home.  

And then, drowning out the rest of it for a few minutes, the furnace kicks on behind me, roaring to life to keep me and my household warm.  It's a reminder, depending on the state of my heart, of either a) another large bill coming up that won't really be easy to pay, or b) the assurance that my God is watching over all, blessing us with heat and finding yet another little way to take good care of us.   

Proverbs 4:23 says, "Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life."  Our hearts WILL pour forth streams.  Let them be sweet streams, pouring out thanksgiving to Jehovah Jireh, our provider of every good gift!