Losing teeth, rolling over, Mother's Day, a "heart breakthrough," and two little girls in Alabama

Peanut rolls over

We've had a few firsts lately. Holden lost his two bottom teeth and Mary H rolled over. Exciting stuff at the Atchison home ;)

Mother's Day was weird without Billy, Alaina and Elley being here. Me, Holden and MH went to breakfast with some friends and then to church. The BEST part of the day was something that happened with Holden after church. We're driving home and he just had a little boy attitude. Selfish attitude. Me, me, me, all about me attitude. You get the idea. So I'm trying to talk to him calmly, really trying to get him to see his heart attitude. I said, "Everything is not all about you, Where you want to eat, What you want to eat, the next toy you want to buy, etc. You're not even enjoying what you have but only thinking of the next thing you want." Now let me back up a minute. I have really tried to do some special things with him since Billy and the girls have gone. I know moving is hard on him and the girls going to my parents and him having to stay behind AGAIN because of school. We have gone places he wanted to go and I let him pick out lots of things HE likes at the grocery, etc. I struggle with where the line is between wanting to do some fun things for him but not wanting him to start to have an "I deserve" attitude and it's all about what I want to do all the time. Soooo, we're having this discussion in the van and he gets very quiet.

We get home and I get him to feed MH for me. He's sitting on the couch so I tried to find something for him to watch while feeding her. There was a Veggie Tales on the DVR so I turned that on, and even then, he said "I don't want to watch this" and turned off the TV. I told him I wasn't going to change it and if he wanted to watch something that was the only choice. He turned it back on and begins to watch it. It is the one where the man has all these rubber duckies, tons of them, but is only worried about getting another one. So here it is.....the best part of my mother's day....

I walked in the living room and Holden said, "Mama, he's just like ME...he has ALL those ducks but wants MORE...that's how I was acting."

Ohhhhhh, I was soooo thankful that HE recognized this in himself. He GOT IT!!! This is something we talk about a lot. Jesus came to serve not to BE served...consider others better than yourselves, etc. I knew this was a breakthrough moment for him. It was one of the first times that he was able to see his own selfishness without me pointing it out. We have a faithful God who loves our children more than we do....loves them enough to change their hearts!!! Thank you Jesus, for your grace in our lives, causing us to see our depravity...but you don't leave us there.....you have lavished your love and grace on us and we get to experience that all the more.

So we spent the afternoon in the basement playing shoot the army men down with the rubber band. (see above) Later on Holden said "Mama, how's my attitude???" This does my heart good.......I don't expect him to be perfect, I know none of us will be until heaven, but I long for my children (and myself) to (by the grace of God) live an unselfish life. A life that is others focused. A life that brings God glory.

Meanwhile, Elley and Alaina are loving life at my parents....playing outside, playing in the creek, spending the weekend with Beeney(Mary Blake). I thought this was great- Alaina sees the card I sent my Mom for Mother's Day and thinks it's for her. She gets it and opens it up and says, "It says, My mommy loves me so much!" I do little girl!