Precious Gems

These quotes are from a combination of Heart to Heart newsletters from over the years:

Ladies, thanks so much to all you dear ladies for allowing me to include your Precious Gems in Heart to Heart!  I'd love to hear the cute and funny things you or your grown children said as a young child, as well as current gems.  Years ago I used to entitle this section, "Out of the Mouths of Bab**," but had to change that after the newsletter started coming to some ladies as spam!  Can you believe that?  It's so sad that such a sweet and innocent word has been distorted.  The words, "Precious Gems" seemed to fit, and so here are some more of those treasures for you to enjoy!

I was talking to my cousin on the phone, who by the way, is also my sister-in-law, since she is married to my husband's brother!  Their children and ours are first and second cousins!  Now that you are thoroughly confused, let me tell you about two quotes from her granddaughters that she gave me permission to share in the newsletter.  The first is from Elaine two year old granddaughter, Kara.  Elaine asked the granddaughters if they would like to hear some songs that she used to play for their daddy when he was a little boy.  They did!  When Elaine brought out a record to play for them, Kara exclaimed, "Oh Gramma!  That's a really BIG CD!"

Elaine's oldest granddaughter, Maegan, 4, named after her Great-Grandma "Mae," really loves pink, and said she wants everyone to come to her birthday party dressed as a princess. She told Elaine she wanted her to come dressed as a princess too. Elaine said, "Oh, but I don't know what I'd wear!" To which Maegan quickly replied, "You can wear your wedding dress!" Her grandma explained that she's too fat to get into her wedding dress anymore - that she'd never be able to get the zipper up! Maegan said, "No, you're not, Grandma! Grandpa can just push you in and zip it up!"

Contributed by Elinor in Virginia ~ a quote by her five year old grandson, Max, who is mesmerized by tools, lawn mowers, tractors, construction - anything a man might use.

Dialog with Daddy following a "time out" experience for discipline.

"Hey Daddy, tell me about when you were a little boy and you were punished!"

"Well, for one thing, Meems and Pop Pop did NOT do 'time out' - they gave me a spanking!"

"Well, what did Meems and Pop Pop spank you with?"

"It was a wooden spoon."

"Was it the pwessure tweeted kind?"

Dad cracks up!!! The family has one more story to add to our book of "Max Tales!"

My Cody, age 5, just started Kindergarten. I've been drilling him about his address and phone number. He gets quite exasperated with me asking him all the time. I asked him again, this morning, on the way to school, "What's your phone number?"
He said, "Mommy, it's the same as yours!" ~ Billie in PA

"Yes, Jesus Loves Me" - As I was rocking and cuddling my 18 month old grandson recently, while singing this song to him before bedtime, I paused for a short time. When I did, he hummed a few notes with his head still on my shoulder. Then he sang, "Yes, Je Je," - his way of requesting that I sing some more. What a precious moment as I heard him include Je Je (Jesus) as one of his first sixty or so words! It is my prayer that Justin will invite Jesus into his heart at an early age and love and serve Him all his life. I'm sure that is your prayer for all of your children and grandchildren as well. Let's pray for each others' families, okay? ~ Lois

My daughter, Joy, gets recipes off Internet recipes sites all the time. The other day she caught her daughter, Ryan Elizabeth (2) at the computer, typing away on the keyboard.  Joy asked her what she was doing and Ryan said, "I hungry.  I getting food to eat!" ~ Lois

When I picked up Hallie (5) today from kindergarten, I asked, "What was your favorite thing that happened today, Hallie?" She smiled and said, "This moment."  Awww! ~ Cherith in Texas

Here are a couple questions Ethan (5) asked me at lunch today.  "Mom, do all bears, including Build-A-Bears, hibranate in the winter?" and "How much does an ant weigh?"  This is just a sample of the variety of conversation that I experience in about a 2 minute span of time.  =) ~ Liz in Washington

Sam (4): "Mom, If God is big, does He look like a skyscraper?" ~ Tiffany in Colorado  

Sam (4) made me feel good today- He said I look "long and skinny like a carrot" :-) ~ Tiffany in Colorado

I find myself using metaphors my mom used and my kids just don't get it. For instance, "Joshua, you are already in hot water." Joshua (9): "But mama, I don't see any water." Another time I say, "You are going to be up that creek if you don't....." Joshua: "What creek?" ~ Penny in Virginia

I got a good lecture from my middle son, Boom-Boom (5), today. He asked me if I can bake a MILK cupcake for him. I said, "I don't think I can do that, bud." His "very mature" words for me: "Mommy, you need to say, 'I'll try, Boom.' Then you make it and if it's not good, you don't have to make it again." Ha! ~ Darlene in Thailand

Boom-Boom (5) said another one last week too: "Mommy, do you know what "compassion" means?  I know what compassion means.  It is when someone needs help you go help them."  By the way, when he talks, he replaces most of his "s" with very aspirated "t," so it's even cuter when you listen to him. ~ Darlene in Thailand

My daughter, Joy, said that almost every time she sees a scratch or mark on her daughter, Ryan Elizabeth (2), and asks what happened, Ryan says, "Doggie did it!"  And that very well may be the truth.  Just this week Bailey (still a puppy, but a rather big one now) chewed on her mommy's new shoe and the TV remote!  Oh, no! ~ Lois

Most weekday mornings when my daughter, Joy, drops off my grandson, Justin (7) and the boy next door at the Christian school, Justin's sister, Ryan Elizabeth (2), cries and says, "I miss my Justin!"  Then when it's time to pick them up after school, she says to her mom, "It's time to get my boys!" ~ Lois

Caleb, 4, the other night said, "Mama, since you're sick, you can sleep with one of my stuffed animals."  He gave me his little lion and then said to it, "Now don't you bite Mama!" The lion roared an "OK".  Caleb then said, "Mama, you be SURE and tell me in the mornin' if he bites you."  I said I would.  :) How thankful I am for these three God-given treasures!! :) ~ Katie in Virginia

Susan in Virginia, shares two Precious Gems from a long time ago - both about her nephew, Mark, who is now 36: 

One day when Mark's mother hugged him, he simply replied, "When you hug me, Mom, you make hearts pop out all over me."

Mark and his mother went to the doctor one day.  It was before he began school.  He had to have his shots.  He cried.  When they came out into the waiting room which by now was full with parents and children, in a very loud voice he announced, "Listen up customers, they're giving shots in there and they hurt!!!"

The next two were sent by Vickie in Idaho:

My 6 year old daughter lost her first tooth a couple of weeks ago. When I showed her the tooth she says, "Mom, is that blood?  I think I need some pizza." (to this I'm thinking ... when most females are stressed, they want chocolate.  My daughter wants pizza!)  Dad surprised her with pizza for dinner :)

Last May, about the time my grandson turned 8, he said something and had the actions of my wonderful husband. I told him, "Charlie, I think you have been hanging around Papa too much. You are beginning to sound and act just like him." To this he answered, "Nana, Papas are like sugar, you can just never have too much of him."  My daughter (his mother) took this quote and made a framed picture collage of Papa and Charlie photos for Papa for Father's Day with the words throughout the collage. It was awesome! 

     
A mom was driving her five year old son to McDonald's one day and they passed a car accident. Whenever the Mom saw something terrible like that, she would always say a prayer for those who might be hurt, so she pointed and said to her son, "We should pray."
      From the back seat she heard his earnest request: "Please, God, don't let those cars block the entrance to McDonald's."

      After school one day, a young first-grade boy was sitting at the kitchen table, eating his afternoon snack, when he blurted out, "Mom, the teacher was asking me today if I have any brothers or sisters who will be coming to school."
     The boy's mother replied, "That's nice of her to take such an interest, dear. What did she say when you told her you are the only child?"  She just said, "Thank goodness!"

"As a mother, my job is to take care of what is possible and trust God with the impossible." -- Ruth Bell Graham