Pillow Talk With Aidan...

Even though bedtime can be an especially tiresome process in our house, I have always tried to give the kids a few minutes each of my time before they fall asleep. I am usually exhausted from the day and many times have to force myself to go do it. Sometimes I begrudgingly remind them, "You are only getting 2 minutes each tonight." Pete and I have, many times, fallen asleep right along with them as we are trying to put them to sleep. But as the months and years go by I am learning that on most nights I am rewarded for the extra measure of diligence. As I lay with them in the final moments of their day they are filing through their memories and are processing all of it in their little minds. It is a unique time to find out what really made an impression on them and it has produced some really amazing conversation and teaching moments that I am very thankful for.

Tonight was one such night. It was a funnier moment than most with my little guy, Aidan. From the time Aidan was born, he has been the best of the 3 children at falling asleep the fastest. He is purposeful at bedtime. When he goes in his bed, he knows it is time to lay down, roll up the covers and go to sleep. I have caught him on many occasions intentionally closing his eyes with the express purpose of "closing down shop" for the night.
Tonight, as I lay with him, we started talking and decided it was a good time to pray and close out our evening. As I finished my prayer we laid in silence for a minute or so and Aidan says, "Mommy, you fawgot to pway for something that stawts with a "T"." (All of Aidan's "Rs" are "Ws" by the way.)
"Oh, I did?", I replied. (So I begin thinking of what he could possibly be speaking of that starts with a "T".)
"Is it a person?", I ask.
"No. It's temptation. You fawgot to pway for our temptations."
"Oh. Well, what are you tempted by Aidan?" I ask.
"Thwee things...XBox, mawshmallows and donuts."
"Oh," I say, "Well, lets pray about that then."
So, I begin to pray about Aidan's "thwee" temptations in life and he pipes in, "I know what tempts Daddy the most."
"Oh really? What?", I say. (Thinking because he mentioned his XBox temptation he would say Daddy had the same one. Which he does.)
"Sneaking goodies at night. And Uncle Wob (Rob, Pete's brother) has the same temptation too."
Oh, he just melted my smiling heart tonight. That child must have gotten about 50 kisses from me tonight before bed. I can only imagine what his dreams will be of tonight. Probably him sitting in the living room in front of the XBox with a big bowl of marshmallows and donuts. He was out for the count about 3 minutes after that conversation. Like I said, he's a great sleeper. Here's how I left him.



We went to "Olivet Day" last Friday. Olivet Day is a monthly homeschooling co-op that we participate in with our school, Olivet. Many of the parents teach a number of different classes utilizing the classrooms at Westside Baptist church in Fort Pierce. It is an amazing blessing to us. Connor and Noelle look forward to it as they get to see their friends and participate in some very unique opportunities in a classroom setting with their peers.
Because Aidan is only 4 years old and Olivet is only credentialed as a K-12 private school, he is not allowed to participate in Olivet Day. Which is just fine with me because it has become a day we can look forward to spending some one-on-one time together while Noelle and Connor attend their classes. So, last Friday we decided to take a walk around Westside Baptist's campus. There are a number of tress, many of which are great for climbing. I was thankful to have brought along my camera that day. Here are some of the images I captured of my handsome lil' guy.

I love you my little booger.

'Tis the Season....

We are all gearing up for Christmas here at the Vitale home. The first of December marked the date of our decent on our lonely Christmas decorations. The kids were so excited about getting the tree, lights and ornaments down from the garage. They were involved in every aspect of decorating from putting up the tree to putting the lights on and decorating the rest of the house with wreaths and our festive decor. We had a lot of fun.
One of the ways this year is special is having our new addition to the family; Chewie. Even though many would say "he's just a dog", he is "just one of the kids" to me in so many ways. Being Mommy, I sure do take care of him like he's one of them, cleaning up after his messes, feeding and bathing him. But I consider it a joy with all the fun he brings to our lives. I catch him on many occasions playing with the kids outside, interacting with them like he understands their play. He engages in what they're doing. Call me crazy, but I think he tries to make them laugh sometimes by doing what I call "turbo" all over the yard. We were all snuggled in Noelle's bed tonight, with Chewie smack dab in the middle of us and I said to Pete, "You know, I trust that dog will never hurt anyone or anything." Pete wholeheartedly agreed. We have witnessed many opportunities Chewie had to rightfully defend himself, not only with the kids pulling on him one way or another, but especially with some of the neighbor's dogs getting rough with him. The sweet thing just puts his tail between his legs and lets the "other guy" win. We all are very thankful for the gift of Chewie. Aidan is especially thankful for him saying that Chewie was what he was thankful for at Thanksgiving this year.
We are looking forward to all the visitors we will be having around our home for Christmas. For the last few years we have been so blessed to have many of our family and friends stopping in for a time the week of Christmas. Last year Aunt Nancy (my sister) and her family came and spent the Christmas week with us. Uncle Rob (Pete's brother) and Aunt Boo make their way down from North Carolina for Christmas with our 180 lb canine nephew, Malcolm, every year, so they will be here again. Our friends Uncle Little Pete and Aunt Weesha and Christian (Connor's best friend) will be visiting this year, which we are soooooo excited about. We certainly have a lot of pet names for our loved ones don't we? No pun intended. I am looking forward to laughing a lot with you Aunt Weesha :)
Last week Connor had one of his first poetry assignments. He had to write a poem about a word. He could pick any word he wanted. I will leave you with his poem. Until next time...

!Wow!

A poem by Connor Vitale

Wow!

It sounds fun.

It means totally awesome!

Like a circus dog that flips in the air!

A windy snow storm.

A giant explosion of all colors!

Excitement, joy , surprise, wonder & pleasure.

Seeds lyrics by Brooke Fraser

I found this song tonight and love it. I dedicate to my children. I love you Connor, Noelle and Aidan...

"Seeds"

Night
Field of stars above us
You pick one
We frame it with our fingers intertwined

Seeds of every generation
Between our hands
And the promise to teach you the little I have learned
So far

[CHORUS]
Child
What will you live to do?
What have I left for you?
What will we leave behind?

You
Learning as you're growing
Not yet knowing
The world isn't always quite as beautiful
As it is now

[CHORUS]


Night
Field of stars above us
I pick one and name it for you
And all who are to come

I just read Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening to Connor. I asked him to close his eyes and imagine the scene I was about to read about. When I was done with the poem he opened his eyes, with a big smile on his face and said, "Santa Claus". Cute!

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

The Road Not Taken

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

"The lesson I have learned from my failures is that I don't have to succeed. I have to do the right thing under God's guidance and leave success or failure in His hands."

We have to leave fruit bearing in God's hands. When was the last time you saw an orange tree struggle or strain to make an orange. It doesn't. It happens effortlessly with exposure to water, some fertilizer here and there and sunlight. We are responsible only for abiding in His spirit and the fruit he wants us to bear will come as a natural byproduct of our abiding.

"Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one: and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour." 1 Cor 3:1-8

It takes the pressure off, doesn't it. God's always in control and that is cause for joy! Thank you Lord....

Just getting my head around this new endeavor...wanted to check fonts and colors...I think I am gonna like playing with this. I've been wanting to journal for a very long time. I think this will serve me well. So long for now...Good Night All!