the golden child

anna and avery were playing over at emily's house and i told them that when they sat down to dinner, that they needed to come home. after the kids came home, the phone rang and it was emily telling me what a good girl i have. she said that anna was watching tv and didn't notice that they had sat down to dinner and when she noticed she got right up and started putting on her boots so that she could come home. emily and kyle were trying to talk her into staying and finishing her show, but she was insistent that her mother told her to come home as soon as they sat down to dinner and so that is what she did. emily said that she felt a little bad because they were trying to get her to disobey, but it didn't work. we have always wondered why we were given her. she is such a precious gift and way more than we deserve. i am really worried about the teenage years because she has to rebel sometime, right?

the golden rule

avery: i know what the "golden rule is, do you?"
mom: yeah
avery: do you want me to tell you
mom: yeah
avery: do unto others as you would have other do unto you (this is where it gets scary). like, if they kick you, kick them and if you punch them, they will punch you.
mom: that isn't what the golden rule means, it means treat them like you would want to be treated. like, when your nice to them, they are nice to you.
avery: thats what i meant mom. what if your nice to them and they are still mean to you?
mom: you only have control over yourself.

he's a genius.

gambling

i am sitting in the office with blake (he's on his computer and i'm on mine, he calls it "bonding") and he starts teasing with anna (yeah she's on her computer). he holds out his hand so that she can slap it and then quickly pulls it away. he does it again and it is like cold honey as she tries to hit his hand over and over. then he starts saying double or nothing. she then stops playing the game and says, "dad, i don't gamble."

you might think that she is a golden child, well she kind of is, but just a few months ago she was all for the gambling experience. her dad and her were playing the same game and he says, "i'll pay you a dollar if you hit my hand, but if you miss, you owe me 2 dollars." they play until anna is in the hole about $10 and then he says, "ok, double or nothing." she of course misses his hand again and he tells her to go and get her money. she starts bawling and tells him that that money is for college and she doesn't want to pay up and thats when he teaches her a life lesson.... wait for it..... he says, "thats why we don't gamble." ever since, as soon as he starts putting money on the table she says, "dad, i don't gamble." its pretty cute.