The Tale of the Ring Pop, An Egg-Crate Jesus and Dryer Sheet Robes

Oh dear me!  I feel like a kid in a candy store! I'm so very excited to 1) be sitting in absolute quiet at the present moment 2) drink a huge cup of decaf w/ almond milk 3) BLOG...my soul just aches to WRITE! 4) did I already mention the whole sitting in absolute quiet thing?? 

There are so many times I just wanna park myself at the keyboard and write to my hearts content.  I find much solace in journaling.  I always have.  I currently have 3 journals in my night stand that go back all the way to 1996.  (WHOA!  Doesn't that sound ANCIENT???) I have a couple of diaries that I wrote in every day as a kid.  There are 2 things that "de-stress" me on a practical level...writing and jogging.  It clears my head, puts things in perspective, and both allow me to either hash things out w/ God or just praise Him because of who He is.  However, I am finding that squeezing in the time to journal (and jog, for that matter) is getting very difficult.  A girl can only do so much in a day, for cryin' out loud. Let's face it all you parents out there, some things we just have to SHELVE for the common good of the family, right?  And I do so w/ all the cheerfulness a girl can muster and would never, EVER, go back to life B.C. (before Charlee...and of course, Sam Watson)  So it is with great excitement that I find myself where I am right at this moment.  Easter Eve.  2011.  I'm feeling a bit long-winded tonight and my fingers are going 100 mph, so you might wanna get comfy, grab a coffee, sit back and relax because I ain't goin' anywhere anytime soon.

Tonight's focus is on...well...hmm....hold on...I'm searching for the right words...Ok, ok.  Tonights focus is on what Easter is really all about.  No, scratch that.  Tonights blog focus is on parenting.  Oh no, totally scratch that.  Ooo, I got it.    Tonight's focus is on a mother's reality and just doing the best she can on a day to day basis.  Perfecto.

A week ago Charlee and I had "girlz nite out".  She and I went to an Easter party w/ some very dear friends of ours.  One of her BFF's introduced Charlee to her very first ever RingPop.  You should have seen her put it on her finger and hold it up like it was the most prized possession.  I kept telling her she could EAT the Ring Pop but something about it made her want to preserve all of it's greatness.

Charlee had just met her magnificent obsession.  (For future reference I will abbreviate this by typing "M.O.")

C's "M.O."

 You should have seen the way she stared at her M.O.  She reminded me of Gollum in Lord of the Rings... remember how he caressed the ring between his fingers, completely infatuated? Yep, that pretty much sums up Charlee and her RingPop.  I thought it cute.  Normal.  Fun.  Although I did laugh at myself as I pictured her in my mind stroking it while saying, "My Precious..."

This is actually a pretty good representation of C's first experience w/ a Ring Pop.

As soon as we got home she showed her Daddy.  She looked at herself in the mirror wearing it and giggled.  Still, I'm thinking maybe a tad strange at the total OCD-ishness of it all, but not too concerned.

And then it happened.  She hit her RingPop on the table and it broke into several pieces and before any of us could do anything, Harry (our 90 lb Golen Retriever) gobbled it up.  I was ready for major drama to unfold so to "downplay" it, I say casually, "No worries, Charlee.  I bet the Easter bunny will bring you one!"

And so it began.  Any time anyone dared mention the word "Easter" to Charlee, all I would hear about was how the rabbit would bring her a Ring Pop.  Her M.O.

Now, some of you might be asking yourself, "What's the big deal?"  Hmmm...let me see here.  Where do I start?

Me: Charlee, let's read your book about Jesus!  He died for you and me, but God raised Him from the dead...(interrupted)

Charlee: RingPop, Momma!

Me: Yes, hunny, but the real reason we celebrate Easter is b/c...(interrupted again)

C:  Bunny bring me a RingPop, Momma!

Me: he just might, but God raised Jesus from the dead and that's why..(interrupted yet again)

C: I get a RingPop, Momma!

Me:  **sigh**

Now, this conversation has happened EVERY SINGLE DAY.  So today, after it happening yet again, while C was napping I pulled out the big guns.  CRAFTS.

I could almost hear my close friends/family gasp as they read that.  Yep, it's down in ink, folks!  I, Misty, actually attempted at a craft today!  I said "ATTEMPTED" so don't get your hopes up too high.

It was time to take matters into my own hands.  This child would learn about Jesus, His death, and His resurrection even if it killed me! (Pardon the pun) I got all my supplies ready and was just waiting for her to wake up so we could begin our first "lesson" on Easter.  First, I need a Jesus and a cross.

cut out of old egg carton

Next, Jesus needs to get dressed.  Hmmm...what to use?  I didn't exactly prepare for this...(rumage through cabinets)...Old Dryer Sheet.  Perfect.  Some string for the belt and botta-bing-botta-bo I's got me a Jesus!

Should I draw a smiley face on Him?  Since we'll be crucifying Him I'll opt out of any facial expressions. A few other supplies and I was set and ready.

small nails I found amongst Jim's tools

Red fingerpaint!

When Charlee woke up I ran into her room, so very excited to be "crafy" w/ her...but mostly because I KNEW this would do the trick.  We made ourselves comfortable at the kitchen table and I started by just showing her Jesus.  Then I explained how religious leaders felt very threatened by Him so they nailed Him to a cross, even though He had done nothing wrong.  (I was hoping to find some thumb tacks, but no luck so we used real nails)  She helped me "pierce" his hands/feet onto the cross.  I told her how He suffered and bled.  We grabbed paintbrushes and painted red on Jesus' nice white clothes.  Then we talked about the crown of thorns and she helped me place it on His head. (which was actually just grape stems)

Charlee checks out the cross

Charlee adding "blood"

Nails in hands/feet

Jesus complete w/ a Crown of Thorns...hmmm...the smile tells me she doesn't quite get that we just crucified Jesus...

I told her that is was a sad day for many people, but they didn't understand that it MUST be done...and Jesus died. 

Charlee's expression after talking about His death on the cross

Some of His friends gingerly took His body off the cross and wrapped it up lovingly.  They even put beautiful smelling perfume all over His body b/c that was a symbol of royalty...& that showed He was extra special.

"Perfume" was body spray. Joint Tape from Jim's workshop was the wrapping.

And then they placed His body in a tomb.  It was covered w/ a large rock.

Charlee chose the burial spot

Covering the "tomb" w/ a large rock

She kept patting the rock

 Now up to this point you'd think, Wow, things are going really well!  I think she's actually getting it!  Until we put Jesus in His tomb.  My plan was to leave Him there until Easter morning and I imagined us running out together and looking under the rock only to discover HE WAS GONE! and then I was going to hide Him somewhere inside in a really philosophical place like..oh, I dunno...in a lamp and then i could say something like, "Look!  There is Jesus! On the light! He's alive and you know what else??  He's the Light of the World!"  You know...something like that.

But there was a kink in the plans, peeps.  While C and I are having a "moment" Sam Watson strolls by me and I got a whiff of straight poop.  As I turned to look at him, poo was dripping down his pant legs and over his socks.  So I had to leave Charlee at the "tomb" so I could hose down my son in the bathtub.  Then I looked at the clock and realized we had to get dressed and out the door ASAP b/c the plan was for us to go to Saturday night Easter service at church.  And you might wonder where Jim is during all of this?  Puking his head off upstairs w/ the stomach flu.

I stood in the front door and saw Charlee patting the large rock covering the tomb w/ one hand while the other hand held the cross.  I told her to come inside so we could start getting ready for church...and she refused to come in.  In the mean time, Sam is buck naked and I have poop all over my arm.  I tell her again to come in...but again, she would not obey.  Finally, after starting to get really irritated I went to the doorway ready to discipline her for disobedience until I saw her sweet little face.  She wasn't disobeying from a heart of rebellion...she was heart-broken.  I know my daughter...I know her facial expressions as well as I know my own.

Watching Charlee from our doorway

I asked if she would like to open the tomb and bring Jesus inside w/ her.  That was all it took.  Before she could even say, "yes" the rock was out of the way and she was marching up the steps w/ Jesus in tow.  I had a tinge of frustration flow through me because this was "messing up" my plans!!  I had it all mapped out!  Easter would be ruined!  Woe is me!

Do you want to take Jesus to church w/ you, Charlee?

And my heart stopped in my chest.  It was a moment I never EVER want to get out of my mind.  All she wanted was Jesus.  The very thought of leaving Him in that tomb was completely unacceptable to her.  And ya know...it was completely unacceptable to HIM, too.

Needless to say, Egg-Crate Jesus (now naked once again b/c Charlee unravelled his wrappings) went to church w/ us.  As soon as we got home she wanted a snack and asked for Jesus to sit next to her on the table.  And then He went to bed w/ Charlee as I read them books and prayed w/ her, and kissed her goodnight.  Jesus was tucked safely beside her pillow.


As I turned off her lamp and blew her a kiss, it dawned on me that my 3 year old daughter taught ME about Easter instead.

And now it is Easter Eve, exactly 10:44pm.  I just snuck into her room to get Jesus.  He was a little wrinkly.  His arms had been severed from His body and one leg was broken.   He'd obviously been "tampered with" after I left the room earlier.  Guess it just adds an element of reality.

Arms severed and broken leg

I put His NEW clothes on (a brand new, clean dryer sheet to represent His new glorified body!) and I decided I WILL go ahead and hide Him somewhere inside the house...I want her to understand that He IS alive, He DIDN'T stay dead, broken, bloody and bruised in that tomb.

The question remains...where to hide Him?


Ahhh...I got it.  He'll go right back where He belongs.  The perfect place...Jesus will be exactly where He last was.  Tucked safely next to Charlee's pillow.  Only this time He'll be WHOLE once again...complete w/ a brand new clean outfit!  And while I'm at it...let's add that smiley face.

Resurrected Jesus! See the nail marks in his hands?

And that M.O. we discussed earlier?  Well, let's just say that's what Grandma's are for! 

EASTER MORNING UPDATE... When I went into C's room this morning I opened her door to see she was still snuggled under all her blankets but her head popped up and you wanna know the FIRST WORD out of her mouth?  "JESUS!"  She whipped out of bed and the pitter patter of her feet told me she was headed to the front door.  I ran behind her, tickled pink that even though she had physically removed Jesus from the tomb, she still couldn't wait to run and see if He was still there! I wondered if that is how Mary felt as she, too, ran to an empty tomb.  Even though it was very cold, Charlee didn't hesitate to walk barefoot in the cold grass...she could barely contain her excitment.  Jim and I smiled at each other as we watched her "roll" the stone away. 

Are you there Jesus?

BUT THE TOMB WAS EMPTY!

This picture captures Charlee initial face expression when she didn't see Jesus.  It was more like, "Huh?"

We clapped our hands and shouted, "Hosanna!" as we ran back inside to find where He was.

Back into her room she ran.  She lifted the pillow to find a new, glorified Jesus in His resurrected body, complete w/ a smiley face. 

Jesus! You're alive!

A very excited little girl...

Can I put him in my pocket, momma?

Of course we still did our Easter egg hunt, but I couldn't believe she didn't mention her M.O. even once this morning.

Jesus has done lots of stuff w/ us today.  We danced w/ Him while listening to praise music.  He went to WalMart w/ Charlee and I and, according to my daughter, He preferred to ride in the buggy w/ Charlee.  On the way home his head came off, but nothing a little spiritual scotch tape can't fix!  HA!

He's currently taking a nap w/ Charlee...and guess where she put Him?  Tucked safely under her pillow once again.

Looks like C has a new M.O.  And this momma couldn't be happier.

 HAPPY EASTER!