Today my youngest, Hannah, turned five! Because we homeschool (which is going to be the theme of my post tomorrow, so come back, if you're interested in why we do) and several of our friends do too, we had the party during lunch today, Wednesday. It was a Butterfly Birthday Party. The kids played "catch the butterfly," which is a game Mark and I made up just like "pin the tail on the donkey," and then we gave everyone butterfly nets and they went to the yard to catch real ones. It was a fun time! I was blessed by how sweet and delighted Hannah was the whole time too. As a side note: this morning when Hannah came out to find me reading on the couch she cuddled in my lap as I wished her a happy birthday. It suddenly donned on me that she is FIVE. A quick memory check reminded me that most of the parenting literature I have read says that children need the issue of authority resolved and solidified in their hearts by the time they are five. In other words, life will go much better for them if, but the time they are five, they know they are not in charge, mom and dad are, and they are willing to obey mom and dad. I've read it many times--it's what "they" say! So, remembering that I said, "Hannah, who is your authority?" She replied, "God." Wow, I was genuinely surprised! I know she said it because she's heard me say it so many times, not because she genuinely feels that way. Then I said, "Right. And who did God put in your life to help you learn to obey?" She replied, "Mommy and Daddy." Whew! It appears that, by God's grace, authority has possibly been established in her life. Not that she won't rebel--she has several times since this morning and I'm pretty sure she's going to be the most colorful of our bunch--but it was encouraging to at least hear her parrot what I've said to her many, many times!
