Lent - Toddler Style

Like I've said before, I enjoy participating in Lent even though I'm Baptist.  It's about preparing my and my family's heart for Easter.  This year, I'm hoping to make it even more toddler-friendly for Hudson than last year.

After searching through pinterest - I stole this idea and combed it with these ideas.  Basically, there will be 40 Easter Eggs with slips of paper including a random act of kindness for Hudson to complete.

This Christmas we had lots of fun doing our Advent Calendar, but I noticed that after about a week Hudson started asking where his present was each morning.  I get it, I like presents.  However I don't want him to be entitled, but to be grateful. So this Lent season he's not getting candy or presents in the eggs, but will pray for and serve others to hopefully gear his little heart towards thinking of others more than himself.

Inside the eggs, there are 33 papers directing Hudson to pray for one of our church members that attend regularly - that's one plus of a small church, I guess!  Then the other seven are more service oriented:
- visit Aunt Maxine
- mail his cousin Woovens a letter
- bake cookies for neighbors
- tape money to our town's coke machine for someone to enjoy (yes, we have a town coke machine, actually only Pepsi products - yuck! and I have no idea who stocks it - weird)
- leave an encouragement package for our mailman Mr. George
- visit the nursing home
- give away a toy of his choice.

The strips are ready, now to dig out the plastic eggs

The week of Easter, we'll make a tomb from biscuit dough with a cross made from sticks.  Then we'll move Jesus around while reading about what happened to him during holy week.  Here's the recipe I use for the Easter mountain.

Last year's Easter Mountain

And of course, we'll do typical stuff like dying eggs, an Easter basket, wear a new Easter outfit, etc...

So that's the plan!  Pray for my sweet boy - that the Lord will soften his heart towards loving and serving others over himself.  I know he's not yet 3, but it's never too early.

H and me, Easter 2014

Joshua told the people, "Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow 

the Lord will do amazing things among you." Joshua 3:5

Quotable

It's hard to believe that this time last year, Hudson was being tested for a speech delay.  Turns out he did have a delay - 30%; but in Missouri one must be 50% delayed to receive any kind of therapy so tough luck, huh?  One day I'll write Missouri a letter about being the only state in the country with such a pitiful standard....anyway back to my point.

About a month before Hudson's second birthday, he started speaking.  Today? It's pretty much nonstop talking from the moment he wakes up until he goes to sleep.  I wanted to write down some of the things he says so I can remember them later.

"I have the piccups"
     Piccups is what Hudson calls hiccups.  Too cute for words

"I can't see my eyes!"
     Anytime Hudson enters a dark room, or if we turn the lights out suddently, he'll respond this way
     to declare his sudden blindness.

"My favorite!"
     Randomly, I'll tell Hudson that he's my favorite.  Don't tell him that as an only-child, he has no
     competition.  He'll usually repond by pointing at me and telling me that I'm his favorite!

"Thank you Jesus for _______, Amen!"
      Hudson loves to pray.  He'll pray for before meals and bedtime, and will pray at church
      sometimes.  So far all his prayers are the exact same - the prayer above with whatever in the
      blank - food, Mommy and Daddy, his friends, his Sunday School teacher, his snowman, etc...

"I can do it myself!"
      If I had a dollar for every time Mr. Independent says (screams) this in any and every activity, I'd
      be rich.

Because Hudson is surrounded by older people (kids and adults) he speaks rather impressively well for an almost three year old.  The other day at the Dollar Store, he ran up to a little girl and introduced himself with:

      "Hi, I'm Hudson and these are my friends Dada and Mama!"

Sadly, the little girl was a tad timid and just stared at Hudson before walking away.  LOL

His vocabulary amazes me. Some of the words I've noticed him use (correctly) in the past few months include:

nervous
responsible
brave
courageous
intelligent
disappoint

He has several of his books memorized - Brown Bear What do you See? The Very Hungry Caterpillar and The Groucy Ladybug.  We're big Eric Carle fans!

He's also very sweet with his words.  I think he has a burgeoning gift of affirmation/encouragement.  He often tells me that I'm a nice mama.  Sunday night, I heard him tell K, one of our preteens at church, that she was a nice girl after she helped him into his carseat.  He generously gives compliments.  It's super sweet to hear.

And of course, because he's almost three we do hear "No!" a lot as well.  Followed closely by its cousin "Stop it!"  Fun times with a toddler - sweet one minute, sour the next.