I hate this part

This morning Cathy took Emma Grace to work with her while I ran some appointments for Clean and Green. I picked Emma Grace up from church at about noon and we went home. When school ended back in June, one of the things that Cathy wanted to make sure of was that Emma Grace continued reading during the summer. So she signed Emma Grace up for a summer book club through life way and Emma Grace has to read 100 books before school starts. These are great books and not only help Emma Grace with her reading but the majority are books with bible stories, so she is getting to learn a lot about people in the bible too. This also helps us to limit her TV time. This morning Cathy explained to Emma Grace that she had to read 10 books today and clean up her play area when she got home, and all this had to be done before she could start watching any TV. She of course said "Ok Mommy, but you could tell the full effect had not really hit her because she did not have to do it right then and there, she still had play time at the church first.

As I said I picked up Emma Grace at church about noon, she saw me through the door and came running to let me in and hugged me and told me how glas she was that to see me. This is standard procedure for her, she always does this, and it always makes us feel so good.

Once in the van and heading home though, her attitude began to change, it took me a little bit to figure it out, but as soon as she said the words "Daddy, this is starting to not be a good day" I knew what was going on in her little mind. She realized as we were driving that there would be no TV once we got home. There would be cleaning and book reading to do.

She continued to whine and complain about how this day was turning out, and I of course explained how you have to take the good day's with the bad. This went back and forth for a little bit until I finally said "that's enough, I don't want to hear another word" followed by the "I SAID NOT ANOTHER WORD" to which she folded her arms and poke that lower lip out as far as she could. And I added, "you better get happy real quick young lady or the rest of your week is going to be filled with bad days" this as we were headed up the steps and walking into the front door.

Once inside the door, Emma Grace decided to really show her displeasure and kicked off her flip flops in a manner that they went flying up about 10 feet in the air. I then looked at her and said "you are this close to a spanking, (holding my thumb and index finger real close) now get to reading" and apparently deciding that she needed to show out a little more, she then banged her hand on the couch cushion as she climbed up on to the couch to take her place at her "desk"

So, I went and got the paddle, came back downstairs, and as I was approaching her she said, "what's that" and I said "you are getting a spanking for the way youa re acting" and I then grabbed her and gave her one swat across the rear end. Well she did commence to bawling, let me tell you.

I went back up stairs and grabbed the garbage bag to take it to the street and as I walked down the stairs, I told her, "I am taking the garbage out to the street, when I get back you had better be done crying and reading your books" I said this as I continued to walk and she said, "I just like it better when Mommy...." and the rest I didn't hear as I was out thte door.

When I returned she indeed had stopped crying and was reading her books. After about an hour or so I allowed her to watch some TV as she ate her lunch, and she was back to being the usual sweet Emma Grace, asking me questions with that sweet voice, answering yes sir no sir, and all. And on the couple of times I had to say no to a questions she would answer "OK Daddy"

After her lunch I came down the stairs and she was busy cleaning her play area, and I told her to turn the TV off and get back to reading, she explained that she was cleaning now because the reading takes so long and that she wanted to ahve the cleaning part done so she wouldn't have to worry about it. So she finished the cleaning and then went back to reading. A little while later I came back down and had her read a couple books to me. After reading I explained to her why I spanked her, and explained to her about her attitude and life not being all fun and games and all that stuff a parent would day.

She then looked at me and said' "Daddy, I just like it better when Mommy spanks me because she holds me and cuddles me and talks to me after she spanks me." And I in my brilliant parental wisdom said, "well that's the difference between me and Mommy, we don"t always do things the same way." And we don't, I prefer to talk to her a little while after her punishment, Cathy I guess prefers to do it immediately. I don;t think either way is wrong or right, just a preference.

I do know this, my Dad was right. Whenever he spanked me he always say before doing so, "Son this hurts me more than it hurts you" to which I always said, under my breath, "ain't no way"
but I know now what he means. It does. I HATE THIS PART.

Emma Grace's Birthday

Yesterday was Emma Grace's 7th birthday. We had a really great time. I did some work outside in the mornig, and then we went to the Pool for about an houst. At the pool Emma Grace finally put her head under water for the first time ever. She actually held her nose, held her breath, and went under water, up to her forehead. That was BIG. For that we went to the store and she got ice cream, we then went home and she was rewarded with 2 big scoops. That is what I had promised her if she would go under water. On the way home in the car, she said, "Daddy, I have NEVER had 2 scoops of ice cream before, this is going to be awesome."

Later in the day MawMaw & PAwPAw came over and we fried fish, had cake and watched Emma Grace open her presents. She got a set of the HSM doll's, some coloring pens, her own set of post it notes, (she loves to leave us little notes) and her own roll of scotch tape. Her favorite was her own roll of tape. Now she can keep her own tape on her desk and she doesn't have to ask Mommy for hers anymore. She also got a game form someone at the church that is called "pictureka" and her and Cathy played that for a little bit after MAwMaw and Paw PAW left.



On Friday we took Emma Grace to a place called "Incredible Pizza", it's kind of like a Chuck e Cheese, only bigger and better, and is christian owned. (which means NO BEER sales) Emma Grace took her friend Callie Gilman with her. They had an absolute blast. They really enjoyed the bowling, race cars, and the little games, but I am pretty sure that their favorite was the Bumper Cars. Emma Grace would not ride them at first, so Cathy and Callie did. LAter Cathy Callie, and Emma Grace rode them together and Emma Grace had a complete blast. Watching her on those reminded me of when I was her age and everytime we went to a theme park, me and Dad would always ride the bumper cars. Dad and I had two favorite things we would always ride, sometimes over and over, the bumper cars and the log ride.



As I watched Emma Grace over her birthday weekend, I found myself on several occasions praying and thanking God for giving her to us. You have know that GOD is REAL when he allows a wretch like me to raise his precious child. It is unfathomable for me to think what a great GOD we have that has plans for us, great plans that we do not even know. I just praise him for choosing us to raise this precious child of his. Thank you Jesus, you are awesome.



On friday I found a note in the car that Emma Grace had written, it had a big question mark on it, and it read, "I always sin, I'm mean, I was post to take 1 cookie, but I got 2"

Later I asked Emma Grace when shewrote this and why. She said "one day when I was younger, probably when I was 3 or 4, because when you are 3 and 4 you really can't think yet, but Mommy told me I Could have 1 cookie and I accidentally took 2, and the other day when I was 6 I remebered it and felt bad about it, so I wrote it down so I wouldn't forget that I did that." I then asked her what made her think about it and she said, "I don't know, I guess because I know how to think now, when you turn 6 you learn how to think." Little does Emma Grace know but she just made her first journal entry confessing sin.

Yesterday when we were going to the pool I asked her what she thought about being 7 and she said, "well, Callie say's it's a lot harder than being 6, but she has 2 baby's that she has to take care of," (Callie has two younger sisters) "but I don't have any babies to take care of so 7 shpouldn't be as hard for me as it is for Callie, but I wish I had a baby to take care of, even if it was just one baby"

Emma Grace is such a sweetheart and I love spending time with her. She is such a blast.

Happy Birthday Emma Grace, you are 7 years old today. Your Mommy and Daddy love you very much. You are a special little girl and given us so much joy.