I have recently started teaching Aubrey Ann about the “Fruit of the Spirit” found in Galatians 5:22-23. We started a rewards system that will teach her when she is showing the different fruits of the spirit and reward her accordingly. We made a little poster that has the verse and a big tree on it with each of the different “fruits” hanging on the tree. Whenever I catch Aubrey Ann using one of the fruits, she gets to put a few marbles into a glass jar. When the glass jar is full, she and Daddy are going to go on a special date night. Aubrey Ann loves it, and I am hoping (hoping hoping) that it well help keep some of the ‘terrible two’s’ at bay. Either way, it is a great way for her to learn God’s word, and for me to focus on positive aspects of Aubrey Ann’s character and help to build her up.

I got my very first indication that Aubrey Ann was starting to understand what this ‘Fruit of the Spirit’ stuff is all about. She was petting Sherlock very gently, as she always does, and then she looks up at me and says, “Mommy, I’s gentle to Sherlock, that is the food of asparagus!” I couldn’t help but smile, and give her a handful of marbles for her jar.

Why oh why must they grow up? Lord, help me to remember this moment the next time my sweet baby is taken captive by the terrible two’s.

In a time period of about 30 minutes, Aubrey Ann made us laugh 4 different times, here’s why.

1. In the car on the way home from church.

MJ: Who made the trees?
AA: God
MJ: Who made the car?
AA: God
MJ: Who made Daddy?
AA: Mommy
MJ: HAH! I own you!

2. Still in the car…

AA: I used to say Ba-Na-Na (Banana)
MJ: When you were a baby you said, “Ma-na-na”
AA: Ba-na-na, not Ma-na-na

3. At lunch

AA: I know rhyming words!
Me: Oh ya? Tell me two rhyming words.
AA: Cat, Sandwich. Rhyming words.
Me: lol

4. Taking of her shoes getting ready for a nap.

AA: I have Mustache Feet!

I have no idea what “mustache feet” are, but she’s been using “mustache” to describe her eyes, hair, legs, nose, etc for the last week. Maybe one day we’ll figure out what Mustache Feet are…

We just arrived home from San Diego (in a record breaking 5.5 hours! Google Maps was off by 1 hour…)

It’s 11:00 p.m. so naturally Aubrey Ann was very tired. She didn’t sleep on the way home so by 11 p.m. (4 hours past her bed time) she was exhausted. She was sitting in the car seat talking to herself and then said, “Mommy, I have a good idea!”. The rest of the conversation went like this.

Aubrey Ann: Mommy, I have a good idea!
Mari Jo: What’s your good idea?
AA: I’m gonna paint my eyes.
MJ: Paint your eyes?
AA: Ya!

At this point, Aubrey Ann licks her index finger and starts painting her eyes with her saliva. Then she “paints” the eyes on her teddy bear. The rest of the conversation sounded like this.

AA: I’ma paint your eyes mommy!
MJ: I don’t think so baby.
B: I think that’s a great idea, lick your finger and paint mommy’s eyes!
MJ: I still don’t think it’s a good idea.
AA: PAINT YOUR EYES MOMMY!
B: PAINT YOUR EYES MOMMY!

Then we all laughed. Aubrey Ann finished the conversation 2 minutes later.

AA: Mommy, I have a good idea!
MJ: What’s your good idea?
AA: I’ma paint your eyes!

This morning when I got Aubrey Ann up for the day, I suggested that we have eggs for breakfast. Aubrey Ann responded with, “I don’t want to have eggs for breakfast.” So, I asked her, “Well, what would you like instead?” She responded with, “How about an alligator?”

I spent a couple of minutes trying to figure out what I could make that would resemble an alligator, but luckily she decided to have eggs after all! What a fickle little girl we have!