We went to our first kid's birthday party. What an adventure! Jarrod and I debated on the way there... what exactly does one do at a 1 year old's party? Our curiosity was quickly enlightened: it's much like being at a petting zoo. If you want the animals, or in this case, newly-and-nearly 1 year olds, to come up to you and play, simply hold out food! The appetizers of choice were of course goldfish and cheerios. The kiddos were rather indiscriminate regarding who they are fed by; even Eliaya who normally shies away from new people was quick to speed-crawl to the nearest open palm.
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This was perhaps my favorite activity. Pack n play + plastic balls = impromptu ball pit! Brilliant. As you can see, Eliaya was holding her own with the boys :) E had a blast playing with her friends (there was even some sharing going on!) and Jarrod and I enjoyed time with friends who are in similar life-stages. The idea-board is rolling... E's FIRST BIRTHDAY is only a few weeks away! The craziness of this truth is mind-blowing What a fantastic year. Lots of blessings. Definitely gonna celebrate :)
Valentine's day was an adventure... bravery (or perhaps insanity) was the overriding sense that morning and Eliaya and I made edible finger pain. Oh what fun ensued. She "painted" some valentines for Jarrod and family. I couldn't help but smile as she timidly spread her fingers in the pink goo, smiled, then fiercely rose and plummeted her hand back into the puddle of paint. Splatters shot everywhere: her face, the stove, the floor. Then a full-fledged belly laugh. Pure joy.
In the midst of our painting festivities, she discovered the edible nature of our paint. And, of course, Eliaya is a great eater. So... we were pretty much done making valentines and went more for a face-painting/eating routine. My inner clean-freak wanted to halt all craziness, but she was having so much fun. So, after all the paint had begun to dry and I had one content kiddo on my hands, we headed for the shower. Luckily, it all washed off, no problem, and even came right out of her clothes. Perfect!
*Recipe for edible finger paint: (taken from http://thekrazycouponlady.com)
2 cups flour
1/2 cup of sugar
2 teaspoons of salt
2 cups cold water
2 cups hot water
Food Coloring
Slowly mix your flour, sugar, and salt into a bowl and stir in the cold water. Once it is mixed well, stir in the warm water. Divide the mixture into separate dishes and add 2-3 drops of food coloring per dish. Stir well until the color is the hue you wish it to be.
You are ready to begin!
I made this in a half batch, and it still made a LOT for one child, consider making 1/4 recipe for 1-2 colors, and a half batch for 3 or more colors. They also keep for a week or so in the fridge if you, like me, make to much at first and wanna save some for later
Jarrod and I went hiking for our valentine's getaway. It was so refreshing. He found a neat preserve a little south of where we live and we did between 6-7 miles. Every time we get time together outside of the business of normal life, I'm reminded of how important it is for us to make time for us. To stay best friends. To be silly. To explore. To have fun.
I've been reading through the book of John recently, and this verse has been on my mind continually:
Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36 ESV)
Believing in the Son leads to eternal life, believing inherently entails obedience. For those who do not obey, they rightfully remain where we all deserve to be: in God's wrath.
I hope you have a marvelous week, believing God and living as ambassadors for His kingdom!
-the Reeds
