Raising Little Chefs and Little Daddies

Isn't it funny how you make plans to do one thing, but then so much MORE happens?

I mentioned in a previous post that I started watching a baby girl three days a week this summer. This was something that I did not go searching for, but something that God brought to me... for so many reasons. I'm learning though, that perhaps the most important reason is so that I can have the awesome opportunity to teach my boys yet one more thing... how to be daddies.

I'm sure you've noticed the many men out there who just don't know the first thing about how to be a dad. They hear their babies crying and think the world is ending. They look at changing diapers as some kind of payment for sinful acts. They sometimes don't even know that babies like to be talked to too, and doing so brings the most precious smiles from their faces. Don't get me wrong. I'm not trying to have a slam-fest on men here. I'm just being truthful. There are also many GREAT daddies out there (including the one I sleep with every night).

Lucas, Colby and Caleb are learning how to be awesome daddies. They are learning about hearing a baby's cry and knowing what that kind of cry means and what to do about it. We were in the car last week and the baby was crying and Colby let out this loud exasperated expression. He said, "Mom, please tell her to stop crying." I informed Colby that you can't just ask a baby to stop crying. She was crying because she was tired. If you are patient and try not to let the crying bother you, she will go to sleep. Soon after, she did. At home, the boys love to hold her and talk to her. They have even been seen dancing for her in front of her little swing, but you didn't hear that from me. Being that this isn't their little sister, I don't allow them to change the diapers, but I have noticed quite a change in their opinion about that. They used to run into another room every time I had to change her. Now they might even sit next to her and distract her with a song while I'm changing her.

Even though this little sweet thing isn't their sister, they love her like she is. It has been the most precious thing to see them grow and develop in their "man-hood" in this way. It has been a gift!

This summer we have also decided to explore their creativity in the kitchen. It's an idea that they came up with... and I loved it even more. I'd be pretty dumb NOT to, right? After all, I'll have three men cooking for ME soon. They each picked out their own cookbook at Barnes & Noble and paid for it with their own money. Luke's first creation was an awesome sandwich, Colby's first was a trifle (Grandma LOVED getting the phone call asking if he could borrow her trifle bowl), and Caleb's first menu item was a big bowl of caramel corn. They have been consistently in the kitchen since... I LOVE IT!!

I was just thinking yesterday of how good God is. He can take our simple stick figure piece of "art work" and make it something so much more beautiful... a masterpiece! He adds all the little detail that we didn't even know was there to be seen. It's something so amazing and exciting to me. I never even thought of all the good that could come from a couple of small ideas, but God knew because He has a plan... Always.