Some exciting stuff going on around here! Yesterday we were at a friends house and Jacob fell off their deck (only 1 1/2 feet high). When he landed he must have bit his tongue because it bled and bled and bled. Now, if you have never experienced holding an 18 month old down and stuffing a wet rag in his mouth, you have missed out! He was so mad at me and kept biting me! After about 15 minutes it finally stopped. If I had thought they would stitch the tongue I would have taken him in. However, I had always heard that mouth injuries tend to heal quickly and I could not believe how good it looked today. Of course it has not slowed him down a bit.
Earlier in the week I went and played tennis with a new gal I met. She is just getting back into the tennis scene after years of not playing (just like me). She convinced me to play in the upcoming tournament....next weekend. So, I registered today for singles and told the tournament director if someone needed a partner I would be willing to play doubles or mixed doubles. The only thing I am a little concerned about it the level I am playing. The national website has me listed at a 4.0 because of a team tournament I played in 5 years ago. I was told rankings are good for 3 years and I could probably appeal the ranking and be moved down to a 3.5 since I have not played much in recent years. However, I kept getting kicked around the website so decided not to appeal but just to play as a 4.0. I think going to the backboard for the next week will get my strokes back but I am concerned about my conditioning. I guess I will have to run sprints all this next week to atleast warm the ol' body up to that kind of moving! I am excited though to get back into it.
Today B had his pre-school play date at the park. His teacher is a lot of fun. It appears that there are about 10-12 kids in his class and he is only 1 of 3 boys. I have also found a local church that does AWANA and am excited to get him into that. One more avenue I can use to help instill God's word into his little heart! However, it means for very busy Wednesdays. I will have Bible study from 9:30-11, B has preschool 12:15-2:45 and then Awana 3:30-5:15. I don't think I will have to worry about B sleeping that night.
We are headed over to Livingston (30 miles east) when JR gets home. Some friends recently moved over there and we are gonna get away for a night or two. JR and Mike can do some hiking and all 4 boys can play! Should be a beautiful weekend! Here is a video of the boys playing at the house!
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
YYIIPPEE
Two nights running. We have done our bedtime routine/schedule for 2 nights and it has worked like a charm. There has not been any fighting or coming out of the room! I pray it continues. JR and I almost don't know what to do with ourselves when the house is quiet at 8pm. Feels like I can get so much done in an hour without little feet underneath me. (Maybe the verse of the week that B and I have memorized and repeat often has helped - Phil 2:14 - Do all things without complaining or disputing!)
Also, fruits of my labor starting to peek through. The other day I went for my weekly chiropractic appt. I decided before we went in there that I was tired of the boys reeking havoc while I was getting adjusted. So, I put J on the chair and told him to stay and not get up. The chiropractor looked at me and said "Good Luck". J sat in that same spot for my whole adjustment (okay, maybe only 4 minutes, but still, pretty good for 17 months)!!!! He did not get up. Then after my adjustment it was his turn and I looked at him and told him he could get down now. It was his turn. He got off the chair, climbed up on the table face down! He has never been adjusted while laying down but I guess this was the first time he had sat still long enough to actually watch everything. The Chiropractor was quite impressed. He has a daughter a few weeks older than J and he said he must be too soft on his girl. I just told him this stay at home mom is tired of it and ready to whip everyone in to shape.
I even bought two new books today - The Five Love Languages for Children and Boundaries for Children. Can you tell I am getting my arsenal ready! Will have to let you all know how we like the books.
Thursday B has a one hour time at the park where he will meet his other classmates and his teacher. They will play a few games, sing songs and do a craft. I am looking forward to hopefully meeting some other kids (boys) for him to play with that might live in our neighborhood!
Also, fruits of my labor starting to peek through. The other day I went for my weekly chiropractic appt. I decided before we went in there that I was tired of the boys reeking havoc while I was getting adjusted. So, I put J on the chair and told him to stay and not get up. The chiropractor looked at me and said "Good Luck". J sat in that same spot for my whole adjustment (okay, maybe only 4 minutes, but still, pretty good for 17 months)!!!! He did not get up. Then after my adjustment it was his turn and I looked at him and told him he could get down now. It was his turn. He got off the chair, climbed up on the table face down! He has never been adjusted while laying down but I guess this was the first time he had sat still long enough to actually watch everything. The Chiropractor was quite impressed. He has a daughter a few weeks older than J and he said he must be too soft on his girl. I just told him this stay at home mom is tired of it and ready to whip everyone in to shape.
I even bought two new books today - The Five Love Languages for Children and Boundaries for Children. Can you tell I am getting my arsenal ready! Will have to let you all know how we like the books.
Thursday B has a one hour time at the park where he will meet his other classmates and his teacher. They will play a few games, sing songs and do a craft. I am looking forward to hopefully meeting some other kids (boys) for him to play with that might live in our neighborhood!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Fall is in the air
I actually woke up this morning and wanted to put an a sweatshirt. However, then I realized that we were to hit high 90s and decided against it. But it is that great time of the year where the Aspens will be turning soon and the cool crisp air.
I don't know what it is about the start of school, but seems like everytime this year I get motivated to whip things in to shape. We are starting a new bedtime schedule this week. The boys have never been on any kind of a consistent bedtime routine/schedule. It certainly cannot hurt or disrupt things.
I have found myself starting to pray a lot more for the boys. Just knowing that as they get older and are exposed to more things, how critical it is going to be for them to have that protection. Also trying to instill scripture more in them and teach them how to apply it to their daily lives. We have a great book called My ABC Bible Verses by Susan Hunt. It has a verse for every letter of the alphabet and a story about Missy and Bill (siblings) that incorporate just how that verse can be used and applied. One of B's favorites is the verse "Even a child is known by his deeds" (Prov 20:11). (Missy and Bill don't argue with their mom in the grocery store when they want candy and chips - the store manager notices and tells them how well behaved they are - Missy and Bill tell the manager that it is because they know Jesus and try to obey Him - the store manager and his family start going to Missy and Bill's church) On more than one occasion I have used that verse and story to help remind Benjamin how people are always watching him and how his behaviors and attitudes can affect/influence other. He seems to understand it but, like all of us, forgets to apply it. I am also trying to pray outloud more to model that for them - when we hear sirens, see a car wreck, etc. we pray outloud for those involved. I am even finding, and it is pretty effective, when I get frustrated with him, if I will stop and pray outloud about my frustrations and for God to help both of us. Not only does it redirect me, but it also perks him up to 'hey, this is serious, mom is praying'. I just don't think you can overdo it/over model it to kids at this age.
One really cute thing - yesterday B was really tired and probably frustrated with me. I kept reminding him of his bad attitude and how it needed to change. He sat down in the chair and sighed. He said "I think I am just going to spend some time with God." Then he got out his picture bible book and sat for about 10 minutes looking at the pictures, etc. Those are the moments that touch my heart the most.
Not much going on this week. Pretty quite. We are just hanging low! Oh, yesterday for church we had a boot day. The whole family wore their boots. We put Wranglers and boots on J for the first time. It was hilarious watching him try to learn to walk in them. He is getting it though! Here are the pictures.
I don't know what it is about the start of school, but seems like everytime this year I get motivated to whip things in to shape. We are starting a new bedtime schedule this week. The boys have never been on any kind of a consistent bedtime routine/schedule. It certainly cannot hurt or disrupt things.
I have found myself starting to pray a lot more for the boys. Just knowing that as they get older and are exposed to more things, how critical it is going to be for them to have that protection. Also trying to instill scripture more in them and teach them how to apply it to their daily lives. We have a great book called My ABC Bible Verses by Susan Hunt. It has a verse for every letter of the alphabet and a story about Missy and Bill (siblings) that incorporate just how that verse can be used and applied. One of B's favorites is the verse "Even a child is known by his deeds" (Prov 20:11). (Missy and Bill don't argue with their mom in the grocery store when they want candy and chips - the store manager notices and tells them how well behaved they are - Missy and Bill tell the manager that it is because they know Jesus and try to obey Him - the store manager and his family start going to Missy and Bill's church) On more than one occasion I have used that verse and story to help remind Benjamin how people are always watching him and how his behaviors and attitudes can affect/influence other. He seems to understand it but, like all of us, forgets to apply it. I am also trying to pray outloud more to model that for them - when we hear sirens, see a car wreck, etc. we pray outloud for those involved. I am even finding, and it is pretty effective, when I get frustrated with him, if I will stop and pray outloud about my frustrations and for God to help both of us. Not only does it redirect me, but it also perks him up to 'hey, this is serious, mom is praying'. I just don't think you can overdo it/over model it to kids at this age.
One really cute thing - yesterday B was really tired and probably frustrated with me. I kept reminding him of his bad attitude and how it needed to change. He sat down in the chair and sighed. He said "I think I am just going to spend some time with God." Then he got out his picture bible book and sat for about 10 minutes looking at the pictures, etc. Those are the moments that touch my heart the most.
Not much going on this week. Pretty quite. We are just hanging low! Oh, yesterday for church we had a boot day. The whole family wore their boots. We put Wranglers and boots on J for the first time. It was hilarious watching him try to learn to walk in them. He is getting it though! Here are the pictures.
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Getting smart
Today the boys and I took a bike ride. We had to stop as several stop signs so B could sound out the letters. He also was wanting to read the street signs. He is reading Exit signs too. I sure hope he picks it up quickly so that he can start reading to J. However, I anticipate it will be another 6-12 months though.
Little J cracked me up today. I often tell him no toque (no touch in Spanish) and then I often will give his hand a little hit. Well today I told him no toque and then he immediately started hitting his own hand! Too cute.
Boy, they are getting big! I am trying to be more consistent in training J than I was with B. He is learning now how to clean up toys, put clothes in laundry basket, throw things away, etc. Not that B was not taught, but somewhere along the way he stopped doing it and I started doing it. Enough of that. Today I did a major clean and once again, we will see how long we can keep things someone picked up.
Little J cracked me up today. I often tell him no toque (no touch in Spanish) and then I often will give his hand a little hit. Well today I told him no toque and then he immediately started hitting his own hand! Too cute.
Boy, they are getting big! I am trying to be more consistent in training J than I was with B. He is learning now how to clean up toys, put clothes in laundry basket, throw things away, etc. Not that B was not taught, but somewhere along the way he stopped doing it and I started doing it. Enough of that. Today I did a major clean and once again, we will see how long we can keep things someone picked up.
Monday, August 18, 2008
A great weekend!!
What a busy weekend it was. The boys had a great time at their 24 hour playdate/sleepover! Mom and dad had an equally good time. We hiked 11 miles round trip to a nearby lake. Spent most of the day out there. (I have realized that I am in dire need of some more hiking boots. I guess after 9 years, it is time to get a new pair. How many miles have they hiked?? Into the triple digits for sure!!!) The weather was beautiful and the lake will be a perfect spot for an overnight. There were tons of fish rising, although J did not have his pole.
On Sunday it was more softball for me! We are now 0-3! We really have a decent team. At least we are getting beaten, versus beating ourselves!
J went on a 20 mile bike ride. We have decided our next date we will load up the backpacks and set off on our bikes and see how far we can go in an afternoon. Let's just hope the mountain snows hold off for a few more months.
Here are some recent pictures!
On Sunday it was more softball for me! We are now 0-3! We really have a decent team. At least we are getting beaten, versus beating ourselves!
J went on a 20 mile bike ride. We have decided our next date we will load up the backpacks and set off on our bikes and see how far we can go in an afternoon. Let's just hope the mountain snows hold off for a few more months.
Here are some recent pictures!
Friday, August 15, 2008
Another week gone!
A pretty good week here! The last 10 days or so B has really expressed an interest in the letters of the Alphabet, the sounds they make etc. Sure is fun starting to see the fundamental blocks of reading falling in to place. We have checked out a couple of Leapfrog videos from the library. One of them we checked out about 6 months ago and he would not watch more than 5 minutes of it. This time around, he will watch it 4 times through in one sitting if I let him.
I still have a desire at some point to maybe homeschool, but for now went ahead and enrolled him in a Christian preschool just down the road from us. We got the confirmation letter in the mail today that school starts Sept 3rd. He will be going Mon and Wed afternoons from 12:15-2:45. I am really excited for him to meet some other kids outside of church. My plan (we will see how well it works) is to put the boys in the bike trailer, go drop B off, then J and I take off on a long bike ride before heading back to get B. Sure would be nice if I could pull it off and get some great exercise, without having to pull both of them around. Amazing how much easier it is when you take away 35 pounds.
Had J's hair cut this past week. I was hoping to get a short video clip, but no, I had to hold him down and hold his head still. Not because he was screaming or scared but he loved the chair that spun around and would not sit still for a second. He insisted very early on that the cape was not going to stay around his neck. I did get a few pictures while it was being cut but have not gotten a good one of the finished product. Maybe I can get some this weekend and download them. It does not look a whole lot different. After cutting some of the length off, his curls bounced back, so still has the tight ringlets.
A family from church is going to watch the boys all day Sat and Sat night so J and I can do an all-day hike then come home for a quiet evening. Sure am looking forward to having no 'kid responsibility' for a day!!
I still have a desire at some point to maybe homeschool, but for now went ahead and enrolled him in a Christian preschool just down the road from us. We got the confirmation letter in the mail today that school starts Sept 3rd. He will be going Mon and Wed afternoons from 12:15-2:45. I am really excited for him to meet some other kids outside of church. My plan (we will see how well it works) is to put the boys in the bike trailer, go drop B off, then J and I take off on a long bike ride before heading back to get B. Sure would be nice if I could pull it off and get some great exercise, without having to pull both of them around. Amazing how much easier it is when you take away 35 pounds.
Had J's hair cut this past week. I was hoping to get a short video clip, but no, I had to hold him down and hold his head still. Not because he was screaming or scared but he loved the chair that spun around and would not sit still for a second. He insisted very early on that the cape was not going to stay around his neck. I did get a few pictures while it was being cut but have not gotten a good one of the finished product. Maybe I can get some this weekend and download them. It does not look a whole lot different. After cutting some of the length off, his curls bounced back, so still has the tight ringlets.
A family from church is going to watch the boys all day Sat and Sat night so J and I can do an all-day hike then come home for a quiet evening. Sure am looking forward to having no 'kid responsibility' for a day!!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Quiet Weekend
We set the tent up in the backyard over the weekend. J and the boys slept out there Friday night and B and I slept out there Saturday night. While we were out there it rained, so sure was nice - even though we heard the occasional dog bark and the train. B loved it anyway. He was sad when we took it down!
Played a little bit of softball today. We are now 0-2. At least today we got beat, versus beating ourselves!
Have a great week!
Played a little bit of softball today. We are now 0-2. At least today we got beat, versus beating ourselves!
Have a great week!
Friday, August 8, 2008
Hot days here
Montana has not escaped the heat. We have seen our fair share of days in the nineties and a few have hit the 100 mark. The nice thing though is it is a very dry heat and it cools down a bit (last night upper 60s) at night. This past week I took the boys to the park after dinner. We took the bike and trailer. The tires were low and I could not get enough air in them with the bike pump. Anyone knows what happens when you overfill them at the gas station. I began to look around for the one that had fired the gun and then realized everyone was looking at me. Fortunately J was home to come pick us up in the car. Not much planned for the weekend. A little softball, tennis and some down time. J is going to get the boys out of the house for most of Saturday. I might just lay down and take a nap. Hit a few garage sales this morning and against my better judgement, I bought a huge set of lincoln logs and legos. Oh well, J and B will have fun building with them, if I can just keep them contained to the table or blanket. Here is a video, B wanted me to take this...normally he runs from the camera. As you can see, J still has his 'bush' as my brother puts it. Everyday I say this is the day and then at some point during the day someone stops me to tell me what awesome hair he has.
Monday, August 4, 2008
Praise
I recently came across something on another blog that I thought I would share here. It has really challenged me....
“Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.” -Psalm 117:1-2
I recently received this story from a good friend, and it is a beautiful reminder of the power, not just of prayer, but also of praise. I hope it will encourage you as it did me. This young woman has been battling cancer, and she explains one way that God has met her in this trial:
“I just wanted to tell all of you who have supported me throughout my treatments that next week is my LAST chemo treatment! HIP HIP HOORAY! After the last treatment, they will continue to monitor my blood work weekly for about a month. If everything comes back negative, then I will see the doctor once a month for the first year.
“It's been on my heart to share an experience I had a few weeks ago. It was the Thursday after Christmas and about an hour after I got home from my treatment I started to have a reaction. My entire body started shaking like I had the chills, but the shaking continued to intensify and I couldn't get my muscles under control. It was very painful as my muscles repeatedly contracted. A call was made to my doctor, who said to go to the emergency room. My mother-in-law, Dinah, got me into the car and started the 10-minute drive to the hospital. I was praying out loud for God to touch my body and make the reaction stop. I had been praying for about 5 minutes of the ride with no obvious result.
“Suddenly, my thoughts focused on a sermon my husband Bill had taught to the children in our Children's church about David. He and his men were returning home from battle and found their city had been attacked. It was burned to the ground and the women and children had been taken as prisoners. David's men fell to the ground sobbing and turned on David in anger. In the midst of his grief, David found strength in the Lord; He began to praise God. God sent David after the attacking army and gave him the victory over them. Everything was restored to David and his men.
“When this sermon came to my mind, I decided to follow David's lead. I started to pray in a different way. I praised God for who He is, regardless of whether he chose to stop the reaction or not. Within 30 seconds, my muscle contractions had been reduced by 50% and within a few minutes they were gone. By the time we pulled up to the ER, I was okay. They ran a bunch of tests but found no explanation for what happened.
“After thinking about what happened, I feel I was given a glimpse of God's heart. He desires our praises more than anything. In fact, the Bible says that is why we were created and if we don't, then he will cause the rocks to cry out. This experience has impressed on me the importance of praising God regardless of my circumstances. I know that all of us go through difficult times, and I wanted to share this with you and encourage you to praise God through everything. He won't disappoint you.
“Please feel free to share this with anyone in your life that you feel needs to hear it. It has been a powerful experience for me and I feel led to share it with as many people as I can. I love you all!”
-Brandie
We are enjoying the first week of August here. Hard to believe how quickly it is going by. I have finally had enough and took all of B's toys away. I am tired of picking them up. I have sorted them into 4 different tubs and will rotate them out daily if needed. How do you teach kids responsibility? (mom, quit smiling...)
“Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD.” -Psalm 117:1-2
I recently received this story from a good friend, and it is a beautiful reminder of the power, not just of prayer, but also of praise. I hope it will encourage you as it did me. This young woman has been battling cancer, and she explains one way that God has met her in this trial:
“I just wanted to tell all of you who have supported me throughout my treatments that next week is my LAST chemo treatment! HIP HIP HOORAY! After the last treatment, they will continue to monitor my blood work weekly for about a month. If everything comes back negative, then I will see the doctor once a month for the first year.
“It's been on my heart to share an experience I had a few weeks ago. It was the Thursday after Christmas and about an hour after I got home from my treatment I started to have a reaction. My entire body started shaking like I had the chills, but the shaking continued to intensify and I couldn't get my muscles under control. It was very painful as my muscles repeatedly contracted. A call was made to my doctor, who said to go to the emergency room. My mother-in-law, Dinah, got me into the car and started the 10-minute drive to the hospital. I was praying out loud for God to touch my body and make the reaction stop. I had been praying for about 5 minutes of the ride with no obvious result.
“Suddenly, my thoughts focused on a sermon my husband Bill had taught to the children in our Children's church about David. He and his men were returning home from battle and found their city had been attacked. It was burned to the ground and the women and children had been taken as prisoners. David's men fell to the ground sobbing and turned on David in anger. In the midst of his grief, David found strength in the Lord; He began to praise God. God sent David after the attacking army and gave him the victory over them. Everything was restored to David and his men.
“When this sermon came to my mind, I decided to follow David's lead. I started to pray in a different way. I praised God for who He is, regardless of whether he chose to stop the reaction or not. Within 30 seconds, my muscle contractions had been reduced by 50% and within a few minutes they were gone. By the time we pulled up to the ER, I was okay. They ran a bunch of tests but found no explanation for what happened.
“After thinking about what happened, I feel I was given a glimpse of God's heart. He desires our praises more than anything. In fact, the Bible says that is why we were created and if we don't, then he will cause the rocks to cry out. This experience has impressed on me the importance of praising God regardless of my circumstances. I know that all of us go through difficult times, and I wanted to share this with you and encourage you to praise God through everything. He won't disappoint you.
“Please feel free to share this with anyone in your life that you feel needs to hear it. It has been a powerful experience for me and I feel led to share it with as many people as I can. I love you all!”
-Brandie
We are enjoying the first week of August here. Hard to believe how quickly it is going by. I have finally had enough and took all of B's toys away. I am tired of picking them up. I have sorted them into 4 different tubs and will rotate them out daily if needed. How do you teach kids responsibility? (mom, quit smiling...)
Friday, August 1, 2008
Camping!!
We had a good time camping. Got out there just in time to set up the tent, cook dinner, have marshmallows, play for a short bit and go to bed. One of the few times I remember actually being comfortable. Not that I got a lot of sleep. Between B's talking in his sleep and rousing periodically to tell me he was cold, I got lots of cat naps. But for one of the first times, I woke up in the morning and was not sore or stiff. Maybe those weekly maintenance trips to the chiropractor are starting to pay off!
We had a little bit of excitement. We went to a campground that is only accessed by crossing Ted Turner's land. Everyonce in a while we will see some of his buffalo, but this trip, wow....Going into the campground there were probably 1500 head of buffalo right along the road. Several times we were idling down the road to give them time to clear. On the way out, the buffalo had moved farther north, but still hanging out right next to the road. At one point, I was a little nervous. I was driving and there was a HUGE buffalo on my side of the car, about 1 and a half feet a way. He kept looking at my and snorting. There were lots of calves around so not sure if I was in between a momma and calf. We finally got around the buffalo without incident. I tried to imagine what would happen if a buffalo charged us and got their horn stuck in the door. I hope my nervousness was not seen by the boys. I try not to let my fears show because the last thing I want is them being scared of a spider or grasshopper or snake just because mom is!
While camping we headed to the river so Jose could fish. B and J found a little eddy to throw rocks into. As I sat watching them, I thought, I hope J does not fall in. Guess what, he bent over to get a rock and just toppled head first. It was just deep enough for him to be face in the water when on hands and knees. Fortunately, although the water was very cold, the air had warmed up a bit. We stripped him down and threw him in a sleeping bag in the tent! I wish I had had the video going.
Our church is participating in a softball league. We have our first game on Sunday. Excited about the boys getting to cheer mom on. At practice I was put in left field. There was no outfield fence and lets just say we had some huge hitters and I got lots of exercise.
We had a little bit of excitement. We went to a campground that is only accessed by crossing Ted Turner's land. Everyonce in a while we will see some of his buffalo, but this trip, wow....Going into the campground there were probably 1500 head of buffalo right along the road. Several times we were idling down the road to give them time to clear. On the way out, the buffalo had moved farther north, but still hanging out right next to the road. At one point, I was a little nervous. I was driving and there was a HUGE buffalo on my side of the car, about 1 and a half feet a way. He kept looking at my and snorting. There were lots of calves around so not sure if I was in between a momma and calf. We finally got around the buffalo without incident. I tried to imagine what would happen if a buffalo charged us and got their horn stuck in the door. I hope my nervousness was not seen by the boys. I try not to let my fears show because the last thing I want is them being scared of a spider or grasshopper or snake just because mom is!
While camping we headed to the river so Jose could fish. B and J found a little eddy to throw rocks into. As I sat watching them, I thought, I hope J does not fall in. Guess what, he bent over to get a rock and just toppled head first. It was just deep enough for him to be face in the water when on hands and knees. Fortunately, although the water was very cold, the air had warmed up a bit. We stripped him down and threw him in a sleeping bag in the tent! I wish I had had the video going.
Our church is participating in a softball league. We have our first game on Sunday. Excited about the boys getting to cheer mom on. At practice I was put in left field. There was no outfield fence and lets just say we had some huge hitters and I got lots of exercise.
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