Alyanna and I were in the kitchen last night preparing dinner. We had some other kids over so we had to cook more food. As she was slicing some of the ingredients, this song started to play from the living room:
“One, two, three, four…high-five!
One, two, three, four…high-five!
Aaaahhhh….
Five in the air let’s do it together…..high-five!”
It was as if the song had Alyanna’s name somewhere in the middle because as soon as she heard it, she stopped what she was doing and looked up to me as if to say “Did you hear that mom?? They’re calling me! They need me to be there with them NOW!”
Of course she didn’t say anything, but that’s what I heard as she looked at me.
Me: “You hear that?”
Alyanna: “Yes, mom. They’re about to watch TV!”
Me: “Would you like to join them?”
Alyanna: (Obviously torn at this point) “Uhm…yes because I love watching TV!”
Me: “Okay, you can go.”
Alyanna: “But what about this mom? (referring to what she was cutting) I’m supposed to help you, diba?”
Me: “It’s okay…I understand. You can go be with your friends.”
Alyanna: *Excitedly puts down the knife as soon as she heard the words “it’s okay”, and motions with one foot that yes, she is just about to leave and have me do all the work in the kitchen.*
….but then she steps right back up on the stool and says, “No, it’s okay mom. I’ll just be fast in finishing this and then I’ll go watch with them.”
Aaaawwwww……. I know that gesture may be nothing to some, but that really just made my day! 
It’s one thing when our children obey us right away. It gives us great pleasure when we see them paying attention to our instructions and following them. In my kids’ case, though, their obedience is more often out of not wanting the consequences of disobedience. They know that they have to obey simply because it is required of them. That’s just where they’re at at this stage.
It is another thing, however, when our children do something for us, not because it is required of them, but simply because they want to honor us. I knew how much Alyanna wanted to just leave me and go watch her favorite show with her friends. When she made that decision to set aside her wants in order to make me happy and be with me, wow…that meant the world to me.
I’m sure this is similar to what our Heavenly Father feels whenever we set aside our agenda in order to honor Him. It’s one thing to obey when it is required of us. It is another thing to do things simply because we know it is what would make Him smile. Aaahhh…. that would mean the entire galaxy to Him.
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This was a conversation that took place this afternoon while Alyanna and I were baking:
ALYANNA: (while mixing the ingredients, smiles and says…) “Mommy, I’m happy.”
ME: “You are? Why are you happy?” *big smile*
ALYANNA: “Because you gave me a chance.”
ME: “A chance?”
ALYANNA: “Um-hm..A chance to mix. Thank you mommy!”
Now, I’m sure most of you can relate when I say that everytime we let our kids in on what we’re doing, it would surely take more time and more mess…but compared to the joy it brings us (and them), we just end up with a sigh and we say, “oh, well!” 
Anyway, here is a “recipe” (I’m not even sure you can call it that! The amounts I would place here are all based on my hands and eyes) of what we whipped up earlier:
HOMEMADE “HEALTH” BARS
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup bran flakes
1 cup chopped nuts
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup sesame seeds
4 tbsp wheatgerm
4 tbsp honey
a tiny amount of fructose (just to add some flavor)
a pinch or two of cinnamon
1/2 cup to 1 cup wheat flour (this, together with the water, is basically just to hold all the other ingredients together)
1/2 cup to 1 cup warm water
* Just mix all the dry ingredients (except flour), add the honey and fructose according to taste (not so much or it won’t be as “healthy” anymore), and mix in the flour and water last (I added this last so I can first make sure I liked the taste already).
* Mix everything well and spread out on a baking pan (the ones we use for brownies would be perfect). I greased the pan with a little olive oil.
* Bake at 180 degrees for around 15 minutes.
* Let it stand and cool, then slice away!
This is super fast and fun to do. Mika enjoyed it because it had so much texture. And it was actually impromptu. Those were the only ingredients I had that I felt might be of use and good thing it worked… somehow.
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Yaaay! It’s mondaaay!
Unlike most people, monday is one of my most-looked-forward-to days because it is Dennis’ day off so we get to spend time with him all we want! We also get the right to complain and demand for him not to think about work stuff or take many calls.
Today Alyanna asked for us to take her to a “house-mall”. I have no clue what her idea of that is, but maybe it’s really just a big mall with lots of kid-friendly places and activities.
Would any of you have suggestions as to where the good kid-friendly places are?? I think I need to have more options…
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My father-in-law came to visit us earlier today. Alyanna does love him, but for some odd reason, she just isn’t warm and sweet to him…not like how she is with my mother-in-law, at least. Anyway, as I was coming down the stairs, I overheard my father-in-law persuading her to give him a kiss. When I got to our living room, I took it upon myself to help him persuade Alyanna into obliging him with a kiss…or a hug, at the very least. I took her aside, and after a few minutes, she finally gave in and agreed to give him a hug….but she insisted that I hold her hand while she did it. I went with her, and she slooowwly walked up to her grandpa and stood there in front of him, her body somewhat inclined towards him as if it was saying “If you want a hug from me, then YOU come and get it from me.” I think my dad-in-law got the message and knew it was the closest thing he could get to a hug from her so he happily took her in his arms and hugged her– Alyanna remained still and somewhat stiff (the “shy” kind of stiff, not the scared or indifferent kind). What came after took me by surprise and just made me laugh…
GRANDPA: *Hugging her tight and cherishing the rare moment* “Alyanna, you’re so fat fat na ah!” *rubbing the sides of her tummy, perhaps implying that her tummy was getting bigger*
ALYANNA: *Quickly forced herself out of those loving arms and hands* “No! I’m not fat!!”
GRANDPA: “Yes, you’re fat na, see your tummy? very big already!”
ALYANNA: *Now very disheartened by the comment, swiftly moved away from her grandpa and sat on our coffee table with both arms covering her tummy, frowning* “No! I’m not fat. I eat healFY (healthy) food! I always eat healfy food I can’t be fat! I’m not fat. You’re fat, not me!”
…At this point I knew I had to intervene….
ME: “No, Alyanna, what Ankong meant was that you’ve gained weight since the last time he saw you, but of course, you’re still not fat….You just got bigger because you’re a growing girl remember?”
ALYANNA: *Walks away from the table and moves to the other couch, still frowning*
GRANDPA: “Yes! Alyanna, you’re not fat! you’re still thin, but you’re fatter…but you’re still thin..just fatter….but thin!”
ME: “Remember? Before, you just weighed 20 pounds..now, you’re 30 pounds already! You’re bigger! But not fatter….because you always eat healthy food right?”
ALYANNA: *Feeling better now* “Yes.”
*She now smiles…and she starts pretending to be a baby and talking like a baby*
….I would understand why she reacted this way if her parents (that’s me and Dennis!) were the type who cared a lot about not getting fat….but obviously, we’re NOT! So I wonder, where’d she get this sudden body image issue??? I thought this was an adolescent thing…She hasn’t even turned four yet! Oh, dear…
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Dennis and I had quite a day— Both of us had to be in Greenhills by noon because call time for the worship team (which I was a part of today) was 12:30, while Dennis also had to finalize everything for his preaching. The whole afternoon and night was work, ministry, work. We both had a great time serving God and the church today, but I was also looking forward to going home and just relaxing after a day’s work. I was looking forward to maybe a movie treat while muching on some snacks in the comfort of our bedroom (using a laptop, of course, since we don’t have TV in our bedroom anymore).
Can I just share this?? We were about to go upstairs just earlier tonight when Dennis and I got a very cute treat from our daughter, Alyanna. She saw her dad’s Bible on the coffeetable and started to open it……
ALYANNA: “I’m just going to preach to the people, okay?!” (With a very excited tone, both arms in a “Hi I’m Alyanna, I’m from quezon citeeeey!” gesture)
“Okay, everyone! Let’s just praise God….Let’s make God happy okay??” (one arm raised, as if asking for the people’s amen…of course, by “people” I mean, me and Dennis)
ALYANNA: *points to the Bible which was facing us, just as teachers do in storytelling time* “So, this is Jonah…and he said to the bad guy…to make Jesus happy, okay?”
(The Bible starts to slip off since it’s too big for her)
“Uh..I just need to get a table and a stage okay? wait….” *Puts her Bible on our coffeetable*
“Okay, mommy will sing and praise Jesus and then I’ll come back and preach after mommy worships God okay? Mommy sing!” (she calls me to the “stage”)
“Here mom! on the stage now…..worship God people!! Clap your hands!”
—-*clap!clap!*—-
“Okay, I’m just gonna preach but first everyone let’s watch this movie…” *walks off to the side and watches, just like the pastors do whenever a video starts to play*
———————-
“Okay, now the kids will be singing. They will wear a skirt just like a princess and then sing and dance and take a bow…Okay kids!” *calls the imaginary kids to the stage and walks over to the side so the kids can take the stage*
“Oh, they’re not yet starting because the teacher is still talking to someone…….oh, now they’re starting already!!”
……..”Okay, thank you kids!” *goes back to the center of the stage*
“I have a mic here, only one on my face okay?” (describes the kind of microphone her dad uses to preach)
“Okay, preaching time!…. God said to the kids….they will go to a princess store…..and they will go up and down but Jesus is still up and He’ll go down to the kids…..” (and she “expounds” on this topic, which I totally don’t get)
———this part is all jumbled up in my mind….all I get is a princess, a princess store, a castle, the kids’ skirts…..———-
“Oh no, the boy grabbed the toys and it’s broken and God said, Do not grab because if you grab it will get sira already….and God said we have to share our toys and if we don’t we will get a rod because we have to obey…..”
———and for another five minutes it was a series of mommy leading praise and worship, watching a movie clip, and Alyanna preaching again——
“Okay, let’s pray. *Raises one arm up towards the people* “Lord, thank you for those that will eat food, and then after mom sings, we’ll eat already our snacks, okay? Amen.”
————————-
Alyanna never fails to amuse us…and amaze us. Just when we thought that our kids don’t pay attention in big church (what we’ve coined our adult service), they do this!
PS: video to follow
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I was having a peaceful time reading my Bible when I heard Alyanna whining and demanding for something in the other room. At that moment, I was tempted to ignore her and thought, it’s supposed to be my “quiet” time with God, anyway. A few seconds later, however, I just knew I couldn’t go on with this alone time if I did not deal with her behavior right away.
I called her into my room and asked what was wrong. She continued to use her whining tone despite my reminder of the consequences that tone would bring about. She was whining because she wanted to wear a hair clip. I’ve told her a few times before to wait until her hair was dry before wearing one, so this time I reminded her again. She then told me she did not want to obey. As petty as the issue at hand was, I had to deal with her heart so I disciplined her.
Usually, Alyanna would apologize, change her tone, and decide to obey after I discipline her–but this time, she didn’t. Instead, she looked at me and said, “I still don’t like to obey.”
This was not the Alyanna I’ve come to know, so I asked her why she was willing to get the rod from whining, just so she could have her way and wear that clip. She then started crying and said “I have to wear a clip so I can be beautiful! Because I want to be beautiful!”
In my mind, “WHAT?!? You’re three years old!! When I was your age……..I couldn’t even remember how things were when I was your age!” ……..I decided to take this as a teachable moment.
ME: “Alyanna, do you think wearing a nice hair clip is what would make you beautiful?
ALYANNA: *sobs* “yes!”
ME: “Sweetheart, you know what? Even now that your hair is messy and still wet, I find you beautiful. You have to know it’s not what’s on your hair that makes you beautiful; it’s what’s in your heart–that’s what makes you beautiful. Do you understand?”
ALYANNA: *nods*
ME: *relieved that she got my point* “Okay Alyanna, let’s just fix your hair later when it’s dry okay?”
ALYANNA: “Okay…..” *smiling at this point* “Mom, can I wear my new dress nalang??”
ME: *thinking of the laundry–soap, water, time, effort…plus the wear on the new dress if she used it to play around…plus it was too hot and I was sure she’d get all sweaty as soon as she put on that dress* “Why? We’re not going out…”
ALYANNA: “Mom, because I want to be beautiful!”
ME: *withdrew from the place of relief* “Sweetheart, you know even if you’re wearing worn-out clothes, I still see you as beautiful! You know why? Because it’s not what you wear that makes you beautiful, it’s what’s in your heart. What makes you beautiful is if you have a heart that makes God smile. Do you understand?”
ALYANNA: “Yes, mom…but can I wear my new dress? I want to look beautiful!”
ME: *thinking: naku you better not be like this when you’re sixteen!*….. “Okay, love, but you have to know once you wear that it’ll be hot and you can not complain. You’re okay with that?”
ALYANNA:*excited* “Yes!”
…So off she goes to get her outfit. As I was putting it on her, she was beaming with excitement and when we were finally done, she asked me, “Mom, Am I beautiful??”
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Amazing…this three-year old is already craving for someone to assure her that she’s beautiful.
I want to make sure she grows up knowing that she is– not because of the clothes that she would wear, nor the hair accessories she would put on…but because she would have a heart that honors God. I want to raise her up and guide her towards becoming that beautiful lady God has destined her to be–not just by teaching her how to dress well, but by training her to live a life that would make her Heavenly Father smile.
—————-
PS: Now, when I ask her “What makes you beautiful?” She gives me two answers: one, “If I smile.”, and two, “If I have a heart that makes God smile.” ….So far I say we’re on the right track.
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