Disciplining guideline - a good reminder...

1) Eagerly, humbly submit to the Word of God.

When you sin in front of your children, confess it. When you assert your authority over them, your children should clearly see the authority that you are submitting to. Your submission to God is your qualification to teach them. Let them see it, and they will know that you aren’t a petty tyrant.



2) Don’t pigeonhole your children.

Seemingly harmless things like calling your children “the artistic one,” “the athletic one,” or “the loving one” can make your children feel like their value to you is tied up in one characteristic. It can further invite sibling rivalry and resentments. Moreover, sets you up to stop trying to learn about them, as you begin to interpret everything through that expectation and sets them up to think that that's the only part of them you appreciate.



3) Discipline biblically.

When you discipline, make sure it has a biblical category. A godly parent can't discipline for “being annoying,” “making a mess,” or “squirming.” Instead, look to correct disobeying, lying, or something that you can support with Scripture, Proverbs and Ephesians in particular. If there isn’t a biblical principle and name behind it, don’t discipline for it.



4) Set clear expectations.

Explain to your children in advance what you expect from them and what they can expect from you. Make sure they understand. This will greatly aid you in #3, as well as giving them the security of knowing what you want.



5) Recognize obedience.

Talk to your children when you aren’t correcting them. Talk about the things they do right. Tell them about specific things that you love about them. Let them know that you know them, that you think of them, and that you enjoy them.



6) Listen to the whole story first.

With little kids you actually might have to take some time to get the story out. Don’t try to hustle past your children in an effort to quickly discipline them. The discipline is for their benefit, not yours. Make sure that they understand and that they know you are interacting with them.



7) Honor your spouse in front of them.

Show love to each other in front of your children. Don't be short, snarky, or snide with each other in their presence (or out of it for that matter). Children need to see Mom and Dad as one. Parents in fellowship with each other is one of the most basic elements for a secure home.



8) Don’t change your behavior toward your children in public.

Don’t correct them for things just because someone is watching. Security for a child means knowing that their parent is for them, and that when one of them corrects the child, it is for his or her benefit, and not so that others will think the parents have it all together.



9) Don’t take your children’s sins as a personal insult.

Never discipline with a break in fellowship. Don’t be “mad” at your children. Be anxious to have things reconciled.



10) Forgive. For real.

If breaking the window has been forgiven, act like it. Forget it. Do not hold past incidents over your children, especially if you've told them you've forgiven them. Let it go all the way, every time, “as far as the east is from the west” (Psalm 103:12).

Curious Evie

Whilst reading "Curious George"....

Evie: "Mamma. I like curious George. I also a curious little monkey, sometimes."

what is "rich"?

Josephine: "Mamma, rich people: They have doorbells. Then you don't have to hurt your knuckles while you knock."

Wack

Josephine: "Mamma, I have some wack."

Me: "Pardon what?"

Josephine: "Wack. I have wack."

Me: "Wack? I'm not sure what that is?"

Josephine getting exasperated: "Wack!! That stuff in your ears!!! Mamma! WACK!"



....AHA....the singular of WAX.
One wack; much wax. Got it. :-)

Another view of Josephine at the hairdresser (from iPhone)

a shorter fringe and some sideburns (other side a bit more severe but now nicely hidden under bob...)

Madams turban

copying Mamma

coming undone...

does my hair look alright?

face all squished! (Mamma's little kissing lips!)

Dancing Josephine!

picking the song(s)

getting more energetic

Tired little Evie!

Snow wheels

Evie playing around with Father Christmas' beard

Our girls

German Christmas market

This is always a highlight of living in Germany, I must admit.
The Christmas markets are stunning! They have such a warm atmosphere, steaming mugs, roasting nuts, snow, music, etc. And usually they are set in the old historical parts of cities.

This one in the picture was in Wolfsburg at the Autostadt (not an old part of town!) but was so tastefully done too and as a bonus, VW had sponsored ice-skating performances for the whole of December. It was GOOD!

3rd Advent: they light the factory chimneys up one by one as lead up to Christmas

"The little Prince" ice-skating performance. 10/10

Evie looks so snobby here :-)

Dancing queens!

This is a daily scene that I am witness to!
Evie would love to eat, sleep and even bath in her ballet or pwincess dwess. And apart from bathing (and sometimes sleeping) she's always in it.
They always invite me to their concert (although I am never allowed to be a passive onlooker). The music gets put on at a rather high volume so that the Shetland ponies right outside the window do kind of jerk at the first beat or two (although I do have reason to believe they are now expecting or even enjoying it now).
Once the music starts, wild dancing follows. Little fingers are often reaching up as high as they can to the volume dial to make it even louder...and louder. Sometimes microphones get plugged in and they then also sing along. It is fun. My role is to swing them around and around. Evie is light and does literal running through the air as she twirls a metre above ground. Josephine is heavier and longer and we generally skim past furniture by about 1cm. If it wasn't for me getting dizzy, I would do it longer.

Anyway, here are some photos of our afternoon antics.