Easter is almost here so I had to break from the blog posts I have been doing on each of the kids to properly recognize one of my favorite holidays!! We are celebrating this time around as we have for the last 5 or 6 years – in Austin with a house full of family – nothing better! All of the kids are super-excited for the festivities and the wall-to-wall fun…and hopefully someday they’ll be as excited as Casey and I are for the amazing opportunities for worship and praise that await us at Riverbend church!
I don’t know exactly what it is, but the Easter holiday seems to take on more and more significance in my heart with each passing year. Casey and I first visited Riverbend Church on an Easter Sunday several years ago and we were instantly hooked on the atmosphere, the warmth, and the mission of the church – to serve the bruised, the battered, the broken and the bored of our community and world; reclaiming, restoring and reproducing for the cause of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God. But it wasn’t until Eliot came along and then when the Quint Invasion took over our world that we realized fully the impact of what Christ did for us on the cross so long ago and continues to do for us today by his LIFE, LOVE, and GRACE. There is not a doubt in our minds, He is risen!!
So I have a couple of quick stories that will put a smile on your face. First, if you follow us on Facebook, you probably saw this little story about the absurd conversations our little ones somehow get us into. It was too funny not to share here for those who didn’t catch it the first time around so here it goes again…
If you haven’t heard, we have been potty training since shortly after the Fab Five’s 3rd birthday in January. It has been a tough few months, but we are about 95% potty trained!!! And of course, you know we have had plenty of funny/frustrating/ridiculous times along the way to teaching 5 tots how to use the potty properly!! So underwear and panties are now a big deal in our home, more importantly the cartoon character or Disney Princess that is on the underwear is what has become the topic of much discussion. And this is how one of those discussions played out the other day…
Britton: “Ryan, do you like my Belle panties?”
Lila: “I want to see your Belle panties!”
Britton: “No, YOU can’t see my Belle panties ‘cuz YOU’RE not my best buddy!”
Me: “Oh no you didn’t, Britton – you are not going to be a brat like that! You show Lila your panties!”
Britton: “I caaaaann’t doooo it!”
Me: “Britton, you pull down your pants and show Lila your panties right now!”
Britton: “I caaaaaaannn’t!”
Me: “Britton, you pull down your pants and show Lila your panties or you’re going to timeout!”
(Britton pulls down sweatpants to show her panties)
Me: “See, Lila? See Britton’s panties…aren’t they pretty?”
Lila: (couldn’t care less about the panties)
Me: “Britton, pull your pants up…”
I’m pretty sure that one belongs in the Parent-to-Child-Conversation Wing of the Parenting Hall of Fame! That exists, right? The Hall of Fame of Parenting………??
And for story #2, we pick up the scene as the Jones family has embarked on another of Casey’s picture taking adventures, arriving to meet Casey’s crack dealer, Elle Mendenhall of Ella Bella Photography fame, in a field of Texas wildflowers. This field, by the way, is incredible! I have been sworn to secrecy as to its location, but let me just tell you, there is no better field of wildflowers, tall grasses, live oak trees, and all things that scream springtime in Texas…it is a slice of Heaven on Earth!
So we’re taking pictures and having a pretty good time with it because the kids are loving all of the flowers, Brooklyn most of all. Our little princess, Brooklyn Faith is absolutely giddy in love and can’t take her eyes off of the Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes as Elle snaps away. Recognizing that Casey is about to faint from her feelings of elation from knowing she just might get the cutest photos ever taken of any child ever in the history of child photo taking, Elle goes in for the kill and pulls out……………..A BABY BUNNY!!!!!
OH…MY…………..GOOOOOOOOOSSSSSSSSSHHHHHHH!!!!!! Are you kidding me????? At this point, I seriously begin to worry that both my wife and Brooklyn might die from an overdose on cuddly cuteness!! Acute Cuddly Cuteness Trauma – trust me, it’s a medical condition – rarely seen, often fatal. Against better judgment, we put the baby bunny in Brooklyn’s lap and she literally cannot stop giggling and glowing from her whole being as she looks down upon this helpless little creature before her.
You may not understand how much Brooklyn loves bunnies so let me make this abundantly clear: the little girl’s world revolves around three things: princesses, flowers, and bunnies!! Every night at bedtime I go around to each of the kids to tuck them into bed and I ask them to tell me something good about their day. You can imagine the responses I get – they are as varied and hilarious as the day is long. But there is one constant to this routine – every time I get to Brooklyn and ask her the question, I get the same response: “I love my bunny.” Sometimes I get, “I love bunnies” and at other times I also get, “I love bunnies hopping in fields of flowers.” Every! Single!! Night!!! She never mentions princesses, doesn’t say anything about the color pink…it’s ALWAYS bunnies!!!
I’M NOT MAKING THIS UP!!!
Ok, Back to the story…
So this bunny, the physical manifestation of all that Brooklyn has dreamed of since before her first breath, is sitting in her very lap in a field of flowers no less!! If it is possible to die, at the age of 3 no less, having achieved and experienced everything you have ever dreamed of in life, it would happen in this moment with Brooklyn, the bluebonnets, and the bunny!! And for some reason, I seem to be the only adult who seems to be concerned about the possibility of Brooklyn’s spontaneous combustion before our very eyes!!!
And then it happens.
The bunny is still in Brooklyn’s lap and Brooklyn is still super-duper-crazy giddy with excitement when something else somehow catches her eye – the flowers!!!! And suddenly it’s as if the baby bunny IN HER LAP does not exist as she giggles helplessly at the flowers surrounding her.
And then it happens again – something other than the flowers catches her eye – the bunny in her lap!!! And suddenly it is as if the flowers SURROUNDING HER do not exist as she giggles helplessly at the baby bunny.
And then, the flowers around her once again catch Brooklyn’s eyes and it’s as if the baby bunny IN HER LAP does not exist as she giggles helplessly once again at the flowers surrounding her.
And then, the bunny in her lap catches her eye and………….this carousel of bunnies and Bluebonnets goes around and around and around and around and could still be ongoing today if we had not pulled the bunny for fear that we would all die from Acute Cuddly Cuteness Trauma!!!!!
CLASSIC Brooklyn Faith, our sweet little princess…need I say more??
Yes, I will say one more thing: HAPPY EASTER FROM THE JONES FAMILY!!!!!!!
God bless,
Ethan
P.S. Elle is super slammed this time of year, but found time to get me the pics for this post! Thank you, Elle!!
Aww. So adorable!
Lokking forward to your next few posts!
Have a blessed Easter :). Really enjoy hearing the funny stories of your crew :D.
How sweet! I love how your family celebrates holidays. So many traditions and family fun. I look forward to your next adventure. Take care and have a Happy Easter.
I loved all of the funny stores! Oh my goodness, I love the way you guys celebrates all of the holidays!! I Hope you had a great easter!!!!
Ethan,
I hope you all had a wonderful Easter. I also enjoyed your story, carousel that it was!
Exploding daughters must be a constant worry in your family of five girls. I wonder when Jack will present such a danger? Trucks and sirens and things that go bump in the night bring out the giddiness in him?
Great story, as usual, Ethan. I ask again: when shall you compile them into a book? Of course, it must include Ella Bella’s Photography!
Thanks for sharing!
Aww so adorable kids
They are so cute! Me and all of my friends, family, and neighbors loved your show. We were wondering of you were going to keep doing it.
It’s been over a month since you posted this! Too long! Looking forward to your next 3 posts especially, hope the next is posted soon. Xx
I love you guys even though you go through alot you never give up! Best luck always! And when is your show coming on again?????? Have fun with your shining stars and never give up!!!!