Today

After three trips to the bathroom in 90 minutes post-bedtime (even after peeing immediately before bed), I've decided Will can never again eat almost an entire carton of grape tomatoes ("ma-matoes") as a bedtime snack. I was excited for him to be eating something healthy and it was so cute watching him pick them out that I didn't weigh the gastric effects as heavily as I should have. He'd pick one up and say, "There's a good one," or, "That's not a good one." After I while I discovered he likes them to be very firm. Gotcha, kid. I'm the same way.

Will has been stuttering a bit lately as he tries to say his phrases the right way. I could tell he was thinking about how to tell Daddy, "I played in the sand today and I dug a hole." It took him a little bit but he got it out perfectly. I am a grammar sucker and it's really nice to see my efforts having an effect.

It occurred to me that the majority of the last several months have not involved regular family worship. I've been so unfaithful with it and my mentality has been, "Okay, so we miss another night... what's ONE night?" And my late realization was that ONE night adds up to a lifetime. My new goal is not to have a perfect track record, but every morning and night we offer a sacrifice of praise is a tally on the right side of the page, and that will add up over time.

Barrett is such a meatball. The boys got haircuts a couple days ago and his is a bit short on the sides and longer on the top. It makes him look kind of like a meathead tough guy and with his fat teeth he is simply edible. He's been refusing many forms of protein lately so getting him to eat cottage cheese today was a good victory.

Tomorrow is my mother-in-law's birthday, and I am so thankful for her. I want to be like her in so many ways, specifically how she hosts people and makes them feel completely at home. She is very gracious and pours out constantly. I want to be more that way.