Thank God for Big Sisters!

Solveig was able to attend 2 three-hour courses while I attended the adult sessions at our educational conference at the University of St. Thomas in Minneapolis on Saturday.  Here is Solveig with one of her projects - making race cars and a garage for them, and learning about what materials and building techniques make for the most effective results- a fast car!  She had a blast designing the cars and racing them against the other students in her class.

We got back from our trip on Saturday, and 4 hours later I was ill with the stomach flu and all the icky things that go with it.  I was unable to separate myself from bed/bathroom Sunday morning to take the kids to church, and since the pastor has other obligations on a Sunday morning, Solveig was employed as chief child-care provider for the day.

I am so blessed to have a wonderful daughter who not only kept a 7-year old and 2-year old entertained, out of trouble, dressed and fed, but also thought enough to bring me a Mickey Mouse plate with 4 saltines on it, arranged on top of a folded paper towel with a heart sticker placed carefully in the corner.  

How thankful I am that I have been entrusted with this wonderful young lady! When I am highly irritated by the dirty laundry and piles of books on the floor, lost jackets and mittens,  and the ever-increasing-in-frequency eye rolls of tweendom, I will try to remember what a sweet and kind girl she is, and how God has given me a tremendous gift in having the opportunity to raise this child.  

My dad often requests the "cute thing of the day".  Well, last night, right at prayer/bedtime, Jonah and Anju appeared wearing partial costumes from the dress-up box over their pajamas, and holding orange McDonald's Halloween buckets.  Jonah and Anju both said "Trick or treat" (or something close to it).  We said it was time for bed, but they could play that tomorrow.  Instead, Jonah took Anju over to the pantry and "trick or treated" from the pantry.  She came into the living room with her eyes bright and showed me, "teet!  teet!" in her bucket- a package of raisins Jonah had given her.  Jonah thought it was hilarious to trick or treat from your own stock of food, and Anju was delighted to have gotten a treat.