Taking {capsule} Pills

So, do you want to know the trick to swallowing capsule pills?  We've got the tried and true answer, thanks to Kristine who was told recently by a local pharmacist.  But hang tight...why you may ask did this trick come in handy?

Well...T came home Friday afternoon crying because his ear hurt...two hours later, the doctor confirmed he had an ear infection.  He asked up if T could swallow pills.  He'd never done before, but we figured it couldn't be that hard, right?  Our first attempt Friday evening was unsuccessful.  If you could have only seen T's facial expressions the 4+ times he tried.  In the end, we broke the capsule and poured the inside on a spoon to swallow.  With one pill down and nineteen to go, I figured somewhere during the next ten days he'd learn to swallow a pill...but I didn't think it'd be the next morning.

Later that night we were telling Herb and Kristine about our efforts and Kristine shared the method she had learned.  Place the capsule in your mouth...fill mouth with water...bend forward at the waist...begin swallowing.  The capsule floats, so by bending forward, the capsule floats to the top (which is now at the back of your mouth) making it the first thing you swallow.  Cool, huh!?  It worked the first time T tried it Saturday morning and has been proud of this accomplishment ever since!

Work

(an excerpt from my conversation with William this morning as we pulled out of our neighborhood on the way to his school)

W: "Are you going to daddy's office?"
mom: "Yes."
W: "Why?"
mom: "Because daddy works hard for our family and he has lots of work to do, so I go to his office to help him."
W: "Because you love him?"
mom: "Why, yes."
(enough said)

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for man, since you know you will received an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving." - Colossians 3:23-24

W-I-L-L-I-A-M

William's first official paper from school where he wrote his name.
(W = down up down up down; I = line dot; L = line; A = up down line across; M = up down up down up)

FIlling their love tank

Since Christmas, God has really opened my eyes to the very noticeable ways T and WY are different.  While I've always heard no two children raised in the same house are the same, and I know that to be true, it's been awesome and humbling to see what makes each boy "tick" these days.

The Five Love Languages of Children authors, Gary Chapman and Ross Campbell, M.D., write; “For a child to feel love, we must learn to speak her unique love language. Every child has a special way of perceiving love. There are basically five ways children (indeed, all people) speak and understand emotional love. They are: physical touch, words of affirmation, quality time, gifts, and acts of service.”  The better we become at identifying how children express love and need love expressed to them better equips us to be the parents God called us to be.  And while we should use all five love languages with each child, generally one (or sometimes two) language(s) will "speak" the loudest.

No doubt about it, William is our quality time and physical touch child.  He needs nearness and focused attention.  He wants you with him.  Snuggle with him.  Hold his hand.  Lie beside him to read books.  Play with him.  He needs confirmation you will "come and sit with me" when finished with a task.  Simply being together without other distractions fills his love tank.  He still loves being held and continues to give "big hugs", kisses and nose kisses.

Quality time and physical touch is important to Thompson, but not powerful as the love language of words of affirmation.  Words of praise, love, encouragement and thanksgiving quickly fill his love tank.  One perfect example was his response to the letters written to him by loved ones for his 7th birthday.  I also think there are times when acts of service remind him he's loved.  He'll sometimes ask for help with tasks we know he can do alone, yet taking a moment (or a few) to help, demonstrates our love for him through service.

Do you know who loves you?

William has recently enlightened us and others on love.  "Do yo know who loves you all the time? Even more than mom and dad?" {who?} "God. You know who loves you all the time and even at Christmas?" {who?} "Santa Claus." {while he's got the first concept right, I'm thinking Santa loves in a way remarkably similar to mom and dad.}