Time with Dallas

God convicted me this weekend at the conference that Dallas needs more one on one time with Sean and I. Since he's the middle child he usually ends up being with us with either Boston or Asher or Both. It's never just by himself, which Asher and Boston get. He gets grouped with being older or younger. And the worst part about this is that we believe his love language is quality time (which is actually Sean and I's lowest scoring love language) So my goal is to focus on spending more time with him alone. God helped make that happen today. I woke up this morning with whatever cold Dallas has and knew I couldn't take either of us to church. So we stayed behind with Asher while Sean took Boston. Asher slept most of the morning and we spent some really good time together. And then Sean took Boston to Michelle's b-day party and Asher took an afternoon nap. We played cars, pretended, read, talked, ate, swang, walked the dog and had a great time together. I've realized that he doesn't like to do the things he usually will do when Boston is here. Sometimes he's just following Boston's lead. Like when he's alone he rarely plays with the trains. He always wants to do something that involves make believe or reading. So I prayed tonight that God would show me opportunities and creative things I can do with Dallas that he would enjoy.

This weekend one of the speakers said something so profound for me. She said if the child doesn't feel like their love cup is full they will have a hard time obeying you. Of course Dallas is also at a hard stage of 3, but I think there is something to be said for being the middle child, and it being a lot harder for him. Sean was a middle child, I was a first born. I relate very easily to Boston most of the time because of the birth order and the fact that I think he tends to be more like me. So I pray that God will give me the right things to do and say to fill his love cup, because there's no question I cherish and love him more than he will ever know. And I never want him to think that he is the cause of strife or stress because of his behavior, that no matter what he does or doesn't do, he is loved unconditionally for WHO he IS!