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Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini
Speaker of the National Assembly Patrick Matibini says Parliament Television studios will create demand for the public to participate in the business of parliament.
Speaking during the launch of the TV station, Dr. Matibini said the establishment of the project was necessitated by the need to enhance accountability, transparency and good governance.
He said the setting up of the studios started in 2012 when the National Assembly entered into a financial agreement with the German Development Bank under the strengthening parliamentary control in Zambia project.
And Germany Ambassador to Zambia Achim Burkart said his government has a strong interest in supporting the Zambian government to follow a path of good governance, transparency and accountability.
Mr. Burkart said this is because good governance overcomes poverty, fosters development, creates jobs and bridges inequalities.
He said the German government has spent a four million Euros, which amounts to fifty million Kwacha in the strengthening parliament control project
The Burial of six children who drowned in POSA Dam
The six children who drowned in the Posa Dam in Serenje District have been buried. The six died after a speed boat they were on capsized on Friday.
Five of the bodies were retrieved on Monday while the last one was retrieved on Tuesday by Zambia Army Commandos.
And Minister in the Office of the Vice President Sylvia Chalikosa led a team of ministers at the burial service. Ms. Chalikosa said the death of the six children is regrettable. She said government will devise ways of making water Transport safe in the wake of people dying on water.
And Education Minister David Mabumba said government will renovate Posa Primary School in memory of the pupils. The Ministers who included Central Province Minister Sydney Mushanga, Serenje MP Maxwell Kabanda and Deputy Parliamentary Chief Whip Chanda Mutale also toured the Dam.
And Mr. Mushanga has called for the proper management of the Dam to ensure easy passage of pupils when going to school.
The Burial of six children who drowned in POSA DamThe Burial of six children who drowned in POSA Dam
Health Minister Dr Chitalu Chilufya has informed Parliament that transparency and accountability are key in the use of resources released to fight cholera.
Dr Chilufya said all the funds disbursed are audited and that the Government has so far released K64 million to combat the disease which has claimed 85 lives between October 2017, and February this year from a cumulative total of 4,202 cases.
“Even if an audit is done today, no single ngwee will be found missing from the funds being used to combat th cholera epidemic, ” he said.
He said this in response to a question by Mazabuka Member of Parliament Gary Nkombo (UPND) who wanted to know how much Government has so far spent in containing the cholera epidemic.
This was after Dr Chilufya delivered a ministerial statement to update the House and nation at large on the outbreak of cholera in the country.
Dr Chilufya said the cholera outbreak is still active and if communities were allowed to accumulate garbage indiscriminately, use pit latrines that discharged human waste into nearby shallow wells which they drank from, and allowed vending of ready to eat foods in the streets, it could increase cholera cases.
He said donations from corporates and other partners are recorded in a donations register and that no money goes into the coffers of the ministry, as it is channeled directly to the fight against cholera.
Dr Chitalu Chilufya said President Edgar Lungu made a bold decision to contain cholera and so all leaders ought to follow suit.
The Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry, Permanent Secretary, Kayula Siame has expressed gratitude to the Heads of State for Zambia and Rwanda for their visionary guidance to their countries.
Mrs. Siame said this has necessitated the convening of the 6th Session of the Zambia – Rwanda Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) of Cooperation which will advance the bilateral relations and cooperation even further.
She said this at the official opening of the on-going 6th Session of the Zambia-Rwanda Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation in Kigali, Rwanda.
The Permanent Secretary said the two countries have enjoyed excellent relations as evidenced by the exchange of visits by our two (2) respective Heads of State with H.E. President Kagame undertaking a State Visit to Zambia in June 2017 and H.E. President Edgar Chagwa Lungu undertaking a State Visit to Rwanda, today the 21st and 22nd February, 2018.
“Zambia and Rwanda have indeed come a long way from the time our two (2) countries established this Joint Permanent Commission of Cooperation under the General Cooperation Agreement that was signed in 1982. Since then, we have held five (5) Sessions alternately in the two countries with the last one being hosted by Zambia in 2010”, she mentioned.
She further disclosed that the 2010 bilateral session made a number of major decisions regarding cooperation in areas such as exchange of visits and information as well as the identification of seventeen (17) MoUs and Agreements.
The Zambia Rwanda Joint meeting
The Head of Delegation applauded the Government and people of Rwanda for the positive strides made in economic development especially in areas such as ICT, clean cities, tourism, ease of doing business and global competitiveness.
Speaking at the same forum, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Cooperation and East African Communityof the Republic of Rwanda, Mr.Claude Nikobisanzwe acknowledged and upheld the good relations, friendship and cooperation, which characterized the two sister countries.
Mr. Nikobisanzwe noted that Zambia and Rwanda enjoy excellent and friendly relations, through the representation of Diplomatic Missions in Lusaka and Dar es Salaam respectively, and through the continental and Joint Regional Integration Commitments such as the African Union, Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA).
“Rwanda-Zambia relations are supported and sustained by an established Joint Permanent Commission as a framework of cooperation in various fields, such as Diplomacy, Defense, Justice, Immigration, Trade, Investment, Agriculture, Infrastructure, Local Government, Tourism, Sports and Culture, Justice, Environment, education, ICT and so on”, he reiterated.
Mr. Nikobisanzwe expressed hope that 6th Session of the Zambia – Rwanda Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) of Cooperation meeting would provide a golden opportunity to discuss and set up a mechanism to implement all the decisions, in order to reinforce the already existing of cooperation.
He is also added that the Government of Rwanda is committed to further promote all of these bilateral exchanges and to explore more and new areas of cooperation in order to support our mutual capacity to meet future challenges
This is contained in a statement issued to the media by Ministry of Commerce, Trade and Industry Public Relations Officer Godfridah Chanda
The Rev. Billy Graham,
The world’s best-known evangelist, the Rev. Billy Graham, has died. A spokesperson announced on Wednesday that the man known as ‘America’s Pastor’ had lost his life at the age of 99 after a lifetime devoted to his faith.
Graham, who passed away of natural causes at his North Carolina home, served as a spiritual leader to hundreds of millions of Americans as well as multiple presidents.
He is survived by his five children with wife Ruth Bell, who passed away in 2007, and 19 grandchildren.
From the gangly 16-year-old baseball-loving teen who found Christ at a tent revival, Graham went on to become an international media darling, a preacher to a dozen presidents and the voice of solace in times of national heartbreak. He was America’s pastor.
Graham retired to his mountain home at Montreat, N.C., in 2005 after nearly six decades on the road calling people to Christ at 417 all-out preaching and musical events from Miami to Moscow. His final New York City crusade in 2005 was sponsored by 1,400 regional churches from 82 denominations.
He took his Bible to the ends of the Earth in preaching tours he called “crusades.” Presidents called on Graham in their dark hours, and uncounted millions say he showed them the light.
Billy Graham’s reputation was untouched by sex or financial scandals. When anti-Semitic comments came to light as transcripts of conversations with Richard Nixon surfaced, Graham was promptly and deeply apologetic.
He never built a megachurch, set up a relief agency, launched a political lobby or ran for office. Yet he redefined American Protestant life by popularizing Christianity’s core message — Christ died for your sins — downplaying denominational details and proclaiming the joys found in faith.
Graham was, however, drawn to power. Eventually, he met, prayed with, comforted and joked with 12 U.S. presidents, and Graham learned to walk a tightrope.
He found a fine balance that allowed him to become America’s pastor, Democrat or Republican. North or South.
“The GREAT Billy Graham is dead,” President Trump tweeted. “There was nobody like him! He will be missed by Christians and all religions. A very special man.”
Graham’s last decades were slowed by illness and injury. He was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in 1989, felled by broken bones, bouts of hydrocephalous and rounds of pneumonia.
Age, illness and bone-breaking falls had left him struggling to deliver 20-minute sermons.
Graham’s last crusade, in June 2005 in New York City, drew 242,000 people to Flushing Meadows; 8,786 made a new commitment to Christ and thousands more renewed or rejoiced in their faith.
Then he retired to his Montreat, N.C., mountaintop log cabin home (where his five children grew up mostly without their traveling father) to spend his days with his beloved wife, Ruth. They shared Bible study, devotions and an endless recycling of the movie musicals she loved to watch. Those were bittersweet days, with Ruth bedridden and Billy relying on a walker. Their frequent prayer was, “Help me, Lord.”
At her funeral in June 2007, Graham called Ruth the finest Christian he ever knew.
Though Graham’s shoes could likely never be filled, his son, Franklin, has taken over in some aspects—leading The Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and becoming a confidant of President Donald Trump, including speaking at his inauguration.
Zack Songs celebrates his 20th birthday by announcing a 10 track Mixtape titled ‘On My Way’
This Mixtape encompasses on different sounds varying from afrobeats, pop, afropop, rnb and dancehall and is expected to debut on the 7th of July! Zack Songs will be releasing the official music video for his lead single off the Mixtape titled Melody, which was filmed in Johannesburg South Africa, and is expected to have a world premier on the 7th of March! The song Melody is a beautiful Afro-Pop song which has done exceptionally well on both international and local charts such as the Afro-Connection show which is the biggest Afro-beats show in Switzerland competing against 2017 African hit songs such as Davido’s If song & Runtown’s Mad Over You.
Zack Songs debut single Melody has been getting heavy rotation on one of the biggest radio stations in Africa (Trans-Africa) and was named banger of the week in the first week of its release and had obtained heavy rotation on the copperbelts Flava Fm radio and charted on the taffy raw top 20 for more than 5 consecutive weeks.
The Mixtape titled “On my way” is an introductory project of the Zambian superstar Zack Songs to the African continent!
Zack Songs has already released four (4) promotional songs off the Mixtape which have resulted fans to stir up in anticipation.
Energy Regulations Board (ERB) officesThe Energy Regulation Board (ERB) has disclosed that Sudan has taken interest in supplying oil to Zambia.
ERB Executive Director Langiwe Lungu said ERB has recorded an increase in the number of Zambian registered companies applying for oil marketing and renewable energy licenses.
This is contained in a statement made available to ZANIS by the First Secretary Press and Public Relations at the South African Embassy Naomi Nyawali .
Speaking on the sidelines of the 10th Africa Energy Conference being held in Sandton, South Africa, Ms. Lungu said her organization has been approached by a delegation of the representative of the Sudanese government on the possibilities of the country supplying oil to Zambia.
She said if actualized, the move will help to reduce oil and fuel prices in Zambia adding that ERB will refer the Sudanese government to the Ministry of Energy for further consultations.
Ms. Lungu said the interest shown by Sudan was welcome as Zambia was looking for solutions in reducing fuel prices which has affected many people.
She said a total number of 96 standard licences and 85 provisional licences were last year issued in different sectors of the oil and energy sectors showing an increase in the licences issued to local companies unlike in the past.
Ms. Lungu said the increase in demand for licences in the oil and energy sectors can be attributed to the allocation of quotas to the transportation and procurement of fuel as well as the demand alternative energy sources such as Solar and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG).
She said Zambia was engaging Kenya and South Africa to help in formulating regulatory framework including building capacity in the geothermal and wind energy sectors respectively.
Speaking at the same event, Zambia’s High Commissioner to South Africa, Emmanuel Mwamba has expressed happiness that Zambia was applauded for being one of the African countries that embraced renewable energy in addition to traditional hydro and thermal energy use.
Mr. Mwamba said Zambia was investing in energy infrastructure such as transmission lines to help bring some areas on the national grid as well as export power to need countries.
The Lusaka Magistrate Court has sentenced a Chinese national to nine months imprisonment with hard labour for selling fake national team replica jerseys.
Magistrate Greenwell Malumani sentenced Huang Bing of house number 7269 Makeni in Lusaka after having found him guilty of selling good bearing a false trademark.
Bing was on January 20, 2018 nabbed for selling 24 pieces of replicas bearing a false trademark valued at K3, 600.
In sentencing Bing, Magistrate Mulalami said that the offence committed was very serious and amounted to theft.
“It is my view that the offence of the sale of jerseys bearing false trademark is equivalent to theft. The trademark is patented and is a work of creativity so people can learn to be creative when their works are protected,” he said.
“This is one case that should send a clear message especially for a foreign nationals that come to do business in Zambia.”
Bing was charged for sale of goods bearing false description in accordance with CAP 405 of the Merchandise Marks Act.
The Football Association of Zambia is set to offload on the market the replicas for the new KoPa jersey.
KoPa is FAZ’s own brand that was unveiled at the just ended African Nations Championship (CHAN).
Two people have died after they fell in a shallow well in Mansa District, Luapula Province.
Mansa District Municipal Council Assistant Public Relations Manager Gladys Saili named the deceased as Samuel Mulewa 47 and Haggai Muleba 42 of Lukakula Village in Chief Kalasa Lukangaba’s Chiefdom.
Ms. Saili told ZANIS that the incident happened yesterday around 09: 00 hours.
Ms. Saili Mulewa and Muleba wanted to retrieve a hoe in the said well at a named house in Chitamba village when they met their fate.
Ms. Saili says Mulewa became unconsciousness in the well while trying to retrieve a hoe using a ladder and Muleba in the process of helping his friend also lost consciousness and they both fell and drowned.
The PR Manager added that the bodies of the two men were retrieved by the Fire Brigade unit and have been deposited to Mansa General Hospital Mortuary awaiting burial.
File:Dora Siliya cuts the ribbbon to launch the Cashewnuts project
Government says it has almost reached 80 percent of the 6,000 target for the Cashew Infrastructure Development Project (CIDP) in Lukulu District of Western Province.
Lukulu District Acting Agricultural Coordinator (DACO) Simon Masenga says the district last week received 5,773 grafted cashew seedlings to beef up the district nursery which did not have capacity to carter for all farmers.
ZANIS reports Mr. Masenga said in an interview today, that his office the distribution of the seedlings to 20 out of 26 camps which has registered farmers has already commenced with few camps remaining.
Mr. Masenga explained that the remaining six camps are not implementing the project because currently they are no officers manning them hence the office feared that the project was going to be mismanaged.
Meanwhile, Mr. Masenga also disclosed that the district has received eight by 80kg bags of dwarf varieties cashew seeds from Tanzania.
He said that each bag contains about 11 to 12 thousand seeds adding that they geminate after two weeks of planting.
The DACO has since called on farmers to accept and plant the Tanzanian Seed immediately after receiving it adding that it is drought resistant hence it will be very easy to manage once the rain season ends.
The Cashew Infrastructure Development Project is part of government’s policy of job creation as it has the potential to create more than 6,000 full time jobs for rural communities in western province
The Kazungula District Town Council has dismissed media reports circulating stating that the council has swindled over 500 marketeers.
Kazungula Town Council Public Relations Officer Catherine Ngulube, said in a press statement that the role of the council is to reinforce and implement the public nuisance act.
“ The council was established to ensure that trading is done in a conducive environment and that safety precautions are upheld at all times, “ Ms. Ngulube said in the statement.
Kazungula council in partnership with other stakeholders recently embarked on a cleanup exercise in January this year during which illegal traders and shop owners trading without the full trading certificates had their shops closed.
After the cleanup exercise, the council implemented its plan of opening up the market so as to accommodate the affected marketeers and offered permanent trading plots to the affected traders.
The Public Relations Officer revealed that an application process was open on 5th to 14th February, 2018 at a cost of K200 per applicant and that priority was given to Kazungula residents and the affected marketeers adding that out of 250 applicants, 131 were successful.
“ The successful applicants were given a grace period of one year to build a permanent structure in accordance with the approved building standards and that the new market will be operated in accordance with the Markets and Bus Stations Act of 2007 and the Public Health Act, “ she stated.
Ms. Ngulube said the Kazungula Town Council is disheartened to see some media houses speculating by making innuendoes against her council regarding the relocation of displaced traders stating that the council had scammed over 500 marketeers.
She also clarified that her council did not demolish structures but it was the illegal traders themselves who did so after being issued with demolition notices.
“We value our stakeholders and the selection process was with direct consultation from the market committee,” Ms. Ngulube said.
Ms. Ngulube urged the residents of Kazungula district to abide by the Local Government Act and work hand in hand with the council to ensure a smooth transition.
Recently, the Daily Nation newspaper published a story that a whistle blower had exposed a scam linked to the Kazungula District Town Council in which over 500 marketeers whose licensed structures were demolished were swindled out of K200 each.
President Lungu speaking to Journalist before leaving for Rwanda
President Edgar Lungu has defended his appointment of Margaret Mwanakatwe as Minister of Finance stating that she is capable of overseeing the country’s economy.
President Lungu said he has confidence that Mrs. Mwanakatwe is equal to the task and will steer the country’s economy and meet the expectations of the market and the Zambian people.
ZANIS reports that the Head of State said this at Kenneth Kaunda International Airport shortly before departure for a two day state visit to Rwanda.
President Lungu said it is unfortunate that people have gone to the extent of causing turbulences in the market in order to show that Mrs. Mwanakatwe is not the right person for the portfolio of Minister of Finance.
President Lungu said people criticized his own election and cast doubt about his capacity to government the country.
He said though not everyone agrees with his decisions and choice of ministers, people will have to accept and respect his judgement.
The President urged Mrs. Mwanakatwe to ignore her detractors and work hard to shake off the turbulences in the market and stabilize the economy.
“When you reshuffle cabinet the way I did, there is bound to be turbulences, politically, economically. I feel sorry for her because people are saying so many poor things about her. I can only encourage her to work hard, she is equal to the task, I have no doubt,” said President Lungu.
Recently President Lungu made some reshuffles at Cabinet level that saw among others Margaret Mwanakatwe become Zambia’s second female Finance Minister replacing Felix Mutati who was transferred to Ministry of Works and Supply.
The Head of State said he expects his ministers and Members of Parliament to be on their toes and ensure that they serve Zambians by taking development to the people.
The President said he remains convinced that the task force of cabinet he has appointed to oversee completion of infrastructure will deliver following the recent reshuffles and inspection of infrastructure development projects.
“If I wasn’t confident, I wouldn’t have appointed them,” said President Lungu. President Lungu speaking to Journalist before leaving for Rwanda
And President Lungu said his visit to Rwanda is cardinal in strengthening bilateral relations and has demonstrated unwavering friendship and brotherhood.
President Lungu said there is need for Zambia to share and return gestures of goodwill from the region.
He said Rwandese President Paul Kagame has visited Zambia on several occasions and it is only fair that he reciprocates by visiting him and explore ways of cementing relations for the social and economic benefit of Zambians.
The President said it will be folly for Zambia to ignore countries that desire to improve relations and trade with her.
“I have an obligation to reciprocate to friends in the region who have goodwill for Zambia, President Kagame was here when we lost our President, he was here for my inauguration, so it’s only fair that I reciprocate , ” said President Lungu.
President Lungu was seen off by Vice President Inonge Wina, PF Secretary General Davies Mwila, Defence Chiefs, and some Cabinet Ministers, senior government and PF party officials and members.
President Lungu is expected back home tomorrow Thursday February 22, 2018.
Government has reiterated its commitment towards the provision of high quality and affordable fuel through its cooperating partners.
Minister of Energy Mathews Nkhuwa said government has engaged the Saudi Arabia government to supply high quality but cheap fuel to Zambia.
He was speaking today when he launched the National Consumer Fuel promotion co-hosted by Puma Energy and VISA in Lusaka.
Mr. Nkhuwa has hailed VISA and PUMA Energy Zambia for coming together in promoting the usage of visa cards at its 45 out of 57 service stations countrywide when buying fuel.
He has since urged the banks to encourage their clients to use Visa cards as they carry out transactions.
Meanwhile, Puma Zambia Managing Director Yahaya Yunusa said using the visa cards when buying fuel at Puma service stations is the fastest and safer way of buying fuel by motorists.
Mr. Yunusa explained that over 1 billon US Dollars is transacted in service stations countryside per year, hence Puma Energy has come on board to ease the burden.
He pointed out that his firm remains committed to offering the best service to its clients.
And Visa Zambia Country Manager Salome Makau said using a visa card is a secure way of making payments unlike petty cash.
The Eight week win free fuel with Puma and Visa promotion runs from today to the 8th of April 2018.
AUGUSTINE Mulenga, the 2017 MTN/FAZ Super League Player of the Year winner
Augustine Mulenga’s Orlando Pirates debut is going to be delayed after the Zambia midfielder suffered an injury.
The 2017 Zambia Footballer of the Year moved to Pirates in January on a three-year deal from Zanaco.
According to South African media reports, Mulenga is out for two weeks due to an injury he sustained during training at his new club.
Pirates’ medical staff disclosed that Mulenga suffered a knee injury as he attempt to shoot the ball in an awkward position.
Mulenga began 2018 on a high after scoring three goals for Zambia at the 2018 CHAN tournament in Morocco where Chipolopolo made a quarterfinal exit in January.
File:Mother’s tender love…A mother kisses her baby
This stage of life, It’s hard, you guys.
I’m talking right now to you moms who are in your late 20’s to mid 30’s. You have kids. Likely two, three, maybe four of them. They probably range in age from newborns to 7 or 8 year-olds. (Give or take a few, on all of the above mentioned stats).
In this stage of life, you are dealing with exhaustion. Mental, physical, and emotional.
In this stage of life, you are dealing with teething. With ear infections. With stomach viruses. You are juggling nap schedules, and feeding schedules and soccer, dance, or cheer schedules. A million balls you are juggling, and you probably feel like you are dropping most of them.
In this stage of life, you are dealing with guilt. Guilt over having a career, and not spending enough time with your kids, or guilt over staying home with your kids, and not doing enough to contribute financially. Guilt over being too harsh with your kids. Too lenient. Guilt that your house is clean, but your kids were ignored, or guilt that you enjoyed your children all day, and now your husband is coming home to filth. Guilt.
In this stage of life, you are bombarded daily with a whole host of decisions. Some of them life-changing, some of them not. None of them with clear cut answers. Do I vaccinate my kids? Do I not? Do I send them to public school? Homeschool? Charter school? Do I continue to breastfeed? Do I blow the budget so that I can buy all organic? Do I force my child to apologize, even though the apology will be insincere? You don’t know the answers to ANYTHING, but you feel constant pressure to figure out EVERYTHING.
This stage of life is less and less about watching your friends get married and have babies, and more and more about standing by and witnessing your friends struggle in their marriage, and even get divorced. It’s a stage where you’ve got to put in the time and the effort and the work and the energy to make sure your OWN marriage stays healthy. And that’s good, but it’s hard, too. At this point, you or someone you know has experienced infertility. Miscarriages. Loss of a child.
It’s a stage where you are buying houses, selling houses, remodeling houses, packing up houses. And then you do it all again a few years later.
It’s a stage where your hormones are all out of whack. I mean, you’ve basically been pregnant, postpartum, or breastfeeding for the last ten years, right?
It’s a stage where you are struggling with identity. Is my entire identity “mommy”? Is there anything even left of me that isn’t about mothering? Is there something more glamorous I could have/should have done with my life? I LOOK like a mom now, don’t I? I totally do.
It’s a stage where you are on a constant quest for balance, and can never find it.
It’s a stage of life where you are overloaded. Constantly. You are overloaded with questions. Your children never stop asking them. You are overloaded with touch. Someone is constantly wanting to be held, holding on to you, hanging on to you, touching you. You are overloaded with to-do’s. There is so much to do. It never ends. You are overloaded with worry. You are overloaded with THINGS. Your kids have way too many toys. You are overloaded with activities. You are overloaded with THOUGHTS (thoughts about how to not be so overloaded, perhaps?).
It’s hard.
So….what do you need to do to survive it all?
You need to ask for help.
You need to accept help when it’s given.
You need to not neglect your marriage. You need to put your kids down for bed early. Sit outside on the back porch with your husband, drink a glass of wine, and have a conversation.
You need girlfriends.
You need your mom.
You need older friends, who have been there and done that. Who can reassure you that you AREN’T screwing it all up as badly as you think you are.
You need to not feel bad about using your kids nap time every now and again to just do whatever the heck you want.
You need to lower your expectations….then probably lower them again.
You need to simplify. Simplify every single part of your life, as much as it can be simplified.
You need to learn how to say “no”.
You need to practice contentment
You need to be ok leaving your kids overnight, and going away somewhere. Anywhere.
You need to do something you enjoy, every day, even if it’s for no more than 15 minutes.
You need to pray. Girl, you need to pray.
You need a coffee you love, a wine you love, and a bubble bath that you love.
Finally, and maybe most importantly, you need to remember that…..
….this stage of life is beautiful, too. Like, really really beautiful. This is the stage of life where every single older person you ever meet tells you, “you’re going to miss this”. And you already know it’s true. It’s the stage where your kids love you more than they are EVER going to love you again, for the whole rest of your life. It’s the stage where they can fit their entire selves into your lap to snuggle…and they want to. It’s the stage where their biggest problems ARE ear infections and teething and stomach viruses, and you’re not having to deal yet with things like broken hearts or addiction or bullying. It’s the stage where you are learning to love your spouse in an entirely different….harder…..better…. way. The stage where you are learning together, being stretched together, shedding your selfishness together, and TRULY being made into “one”. It’s the stage where you get to see Christmas, Halloween through your kids eyes, and it’s so much more fun and magical than it would be just through your own eyes. It’s the stage of life filled with field trips, class parties, costumes, swim lessons, bubble baths, dance parties, loose teeth, and first steps. And those things are so fun. It’s the stage where you are young enough to have fun, and old enough to have obtained at least SOME wisdom. It’s SUCH a great stage.
