I think I've explained before that we kind of feel like we have Team A and Team B, or two sets of kids, the older ones and the younger ones. We realize we gave the older ones really unique experiences that the younger ones haven't had. We don't necessarily have to repeat what we did, but if it was fun and they learned something from those experiences, why not repeat them?! So this week we brought out the old aquariums that we had kept in storage for years and once again, we are stocking them up one fish at a time.
Fortunately this hasn't been an expensive hobby as we had already owned the aquariums, the stands...all the expensive things. The fish aren't too bad, sometimes $1 a fish or $3. What has been the most interesting is that RM hasn't had to really do anything except drive people there. It has been our older son who we did this with in the first place who has done all the setting up, all the prepping of the tanks, everything! This has spared RM from doing all that lugging around. It has been amazing to realize all that our son had learned in the process all those years ago. Now he is the expert passing it on to his little brothers, a true renaissance man in the coming.
Sometimes you feel badly as you see your children growing up and you wonder if you've missed out on watching them grow up. With us, if that ever was the case, we feel so privileged to get a second opportunity! And, the older ones get to watch, from a completely different perspective, what they would have looked like when they were that age, for example, when we first started talking about the fish, the tanks, then actually going to the store to pick them, then bringing them home.....it has been so fun to watch the little boys' eyes light up each time a new fish is added. The older ones are enjoying it as much as we are as they observe the little ones' excitement. They are nearly bursting with happiness, "Is it time to feed the fish?!" They've already overfed them, stuck things in the tank, put their grubby fingers in....all the classics from round 1.
We didn't plan to do tanks this year, it just kind of happened. Sometimes, I wonder if it is just another example of God's grace in our lives as we long to bless our kids, but we want to be wise with our money. We want to give them experiences and memories, but without all the expense. In the widow and the oil, Elijah asked her, "What do you have?" We had tanks. It occurred to RM, "We can do this! We have tanks!" Going to the fish store is better than any zoo - they have reptiles, birds, fish...even a big shark...and it's all free (well, to visit, anyway!).
Manoah, Sampson's father, prayed "O Lord, please let the man of God whom you sent come again to us and teach us what we are to do with the child who will be born." (Judges 13:8) We've often prayed a prayer like that, "Teach us what we are to do with all our children." We want them to have many interests that will teach them many things. We long for them to not be helpless and to know how to "do things" without having to hire for everything. A simple thing like having the fish tanks helps us to achieve some of those goals. Everyone learns so much from these little fish and it's really been a whole family experience so far. We all went out together to pick the fish and walk around the store. My little 3 and 5 year olds were guiding me everywhere.
So I thank God for even the fish today. It's fun to have them back in the house along with the running water sound. What shocks all of us is that as you observe these little creatures, you start to notice they have personalities. They are less than an inch long and yet you can see which one is the bully, which ones are the weaker ones, which ones think they should be in charge.....so funny, kind of like in our house!
Alright...the week is off and running.
No comments:
Post a Comment