Took JB in for an evaluation with a speech therapist - the same one who worked with Jbird. Jbird started at 18 months and JB is almost 15 months, but the speech therapist said that there is a bigger gap between when JB understands and what he can communicate than Jbird. She witnessed several of his screaming fits over frustration. So, next week he starts for 45 minutes once a week. She is really good with the kids and I anticipate that JB will make fast progress.
Our last soccer game this weekend. So glad since it is getting colder! Also ready to finally put the soccer balls, shoes, etc up and out of the garage. I finally got the laundry room reorganized and was able to move all of the boys' clothes in there. No more hauling clothes back and forth, I can conveniently put them away as I fold them. JR is getting out this weekend and hunting. Still has not seen anything but this weekend should be some rain/snow and hopefully that will drive the animals further down the mountain.
At the grocery store with 2 younger boys yesterday. And I saw it coming. I noticed a college student with a patch over his eye. Jbird commented that he had the pirate thing on. I tried to dismiss it and then as the guy walked back by us, Jbird again pointed it out. The guy just kind of smiled and I mentioned that it looked like he had an owie. I thought for a split second I could compliment him on his 'costume' but decided not to. I am fortunate in that they have never said anything too embarrasing in public, except B and Jbird now, have commented on eye patches.
Helped out in B's classroom today and was there for the halloween party. B insisted on wearing his spiderman costume, that he wore 2 years ago. Just cracked me up how small that thing was but he managed to keep it on.
B has been wanting to invite a classmate to AWANA. I have drug my feet about calling his mom for weeks. I don't know them and I always had an excuse for not calling. This past week I finally made the call. She was so excited. Her son Marquis was even more excited. I guess he has been asking lots of questions lately and his mom is not at a place where she is ready to go back to church. Talking with her further, she is a newly single parent, has her 6 year old, gave up a daughter 4 years ago for adoption and has a 3 year old son that was just diagnosed as autistic. She is going back to school and does not have any family or friends locally. Marquis had a blast at AWANA and wants to keep going. He is also going to church with us this Sunday. Just a simple reminder from God about never saying no for someone else. What might appear intimidating, could just be God working in someone's life, even a 6 year old!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
PIctures
The boys and I headed off on the city bus recently. Rode it to the college campus to feed the ducks and walk the camput. Hit the local museum where the boys enjoyed the kids area...lots of pretend play. We were gone all day and I was worn out! Check out the photos.
B in some of the dress up clothes at the museum.
Jbird hauling in all of the fish they caught to cook it inside the tent.
This one cracks me up and he even looked through them the right way - instead of turning them backwards.
Here are a few pictures from our recent BMX track outing.
Bought a training wheel bike for Jbird this past week. We were at Target and it was a few dollars less than Wal-mart so I bought it. It was in a box and it said only 15 minutes to assemble. That should have been my tip-off but it wasn't. It took me 45 minutes and then JR still had to do one thing with the bike before it was ridable.
We went to another store and was met by a friendly sales associate. She was talking with the boys and asked if the boys were shopping with mom or grandma today. Our eyes locked and I bet I looked at her for a good 10 seconds. The boys said mom and then she kind of laughed and said 'you just don't know these days....I became a grandma at 34'. I told her I knew of several that had become grandmas at 34'..... but (you always err on the side of caution. Better to give a compliment than an insult).
Later that evening, we were in the car. I had given B some hard butterscotch candy because he had been coughing. He was eating one in the car and he started making weird noises. I looked back and he was grabbing his throat and saying he was choking. (I was not too concerned because if you are making noise, you are not all out choking). So I pulled into a nearby gas statoin parking lot. He was very scared. He was crying, telling me to call the police and ambulance, saying he did not want to die, etc. I tried reassuring him to no avail. He then started spitting/throwing up. Like a good mom, I cupped my hands, thinking I was going to catch it! Not sure why I thought that would work, but could not think of anything else since we were in the car. After he continued on and on crying and screaming to call 911, I told him I wondered if it was stuck in his throat. I went into the gas station where we were parked and bought cheetos. He was able to eat them just fine. We continued on down the road. A few minutes later he was gagging again. I pulled over quickly and opened the back door. As I hurriedly hopped into the car, I hit my head on the doorframe. I had my glasses on top of my head and it hurt, real bad. I screamed out loud and started crying. B sees me on the floor and starts screaming and crying "mom are you okay, mom...". I assured him I was fine but just needed a moment. Things eventually settled down but I sure don't want anyone eating hard candy again for a while. 5 days later I still have a knot on my head.
B's knee and hip issues have disappeared. I have not asked about them and have not seen any limping, except right after riding his bike. This morning B wanted me to read a Clifford book. He picked it up and surprised himself that he was able to read most of the words. He was very excited. Had another soccer game. They lost but B did great again. Still getting so excited that he is kicking the wrong way at times, but he is in the game and charging the ball. One more game to go. Will be nice to be done as the cold weather is moving in.
Jbird is convinced he is ready to cut his curls. Makes me sad just thinking about it. My fear is that he will find scissors sometime soon and do it himself. I will have to keep going in there when he is asleep to try to get the tangles out of the back - otherwise can't get him to sit still.
No more steps out of JB. He does have what I think are 4 molars. Seems early, I thought they came at 2 years.
Another quiet week in store for us.
B in some of the dress up clothes at the museum.
Jbird hauling in all of the fish they caught to cook it inside the tent.
This one cracks me up and he even looked through them the right way - instead of turning them backwards.
Here are a few pictures from our recent BMX track outing.
Bought a training wheel bike for Jbird this past week. We were at Target and it was a few dollars less than Wal-mart so I bought it. It was in a box and it said only 15 minutes to assemble. That should have been my tip-off but it wasn't. It took me 45 minutes and then JR still had to do one thing with the bike before it was ridable.
We went to another store and was met by a friendly sales associate. She was talking with the boys and asked if the boys were shopping with mom or grandma today. Our eyes locked and I bet I looked at her for a good 10 seconds. The boys said mom and then she kind of laughed and said 'you just don't know these days....I became a grandma at 34'. I told her I knew of several that had become grandmas at 34'..... but (you always err on the side of caution. Better to give a compliment than an insult).
Later that evening, we were in the car. I had given B some hard butterscotch candy because he had been coughing. He was eating one in the car and he started making weird noises. I looked back and he was grabbing his throat and saying he was choking. (I was not too concerned because if you are making noise, you are not all out choking). So I pulled into a nearby gas statoin parking lot. He was very scared. He was crying, telling me to call the police and ambulance, saying he did not want to die, etc. I tried reassuring him to no avail. He then started spitting/throwing up. Like a good mom, I cupped my hands, thinking I was going to catch it! Not sure why I thought that would work, but could not think of anything else since we were in the car. After he continued on and on crying and screaming to call 911, I told him I wondered if it was stuck in his throat. I went into the gas station where we were parked and bought cheetos. He was able to eat them just fine. We continued on down the road. A few minutes later he was gagging again. I pulled over quickly and opened the back door. As I hurriedly hopped into the car, I hit my head on the doorframe. I had my glasses on top of my head and it hurt, real bad. I screamed out loud and started crying. B sees me on the floor and starts screaming and crying "mom are you okay, mom...". I assured him I was fine but just needed a moment. Things eventually settled down but I sure don't want anyone eating hard candy again for a while. 5 days later I still have a knot on my head.
B's knee and hip issues have disappeared. I have not asked about them and have not seen any limping, except right after riding his bike. This morning B wanted me to read a Clifford book. He picked it up and surprised himself that he was able to read most of the words. He was very excited. Had another soccer game. They lost but B did great again. Still getting so excited that he is kicking the wrong way at times, but he is in the game and charging the ball. One more game to go. Will be nice to be done as the cold weather is moving in.
Jbird is convinced he is ready to cut his curls. Makes me sad just thinking about it. My fear is that he will find scissors sometime soon and do it himself. I will have to keep going in there when he is asleep to try to get the tangles out of the back - otherwise can't get him to sit still.
No more steps out of JB. He does have what I think are 4 molars. Seems early, I thought they came at 2 years.
Another quiet week in store for us.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
moving on up
B had a great soccer game on Sunday. He was finally in his grove and focused on getting the ball. He still kicked it the wrong way several times but he was charging the ball and not just standing back, watching and encouraging his teammates on. The next morning I even told him again how well he did and as we prayed on our way to school, thanked God for his abilities. (It amazes me how I can often get things across better if I do it in prayer...their little ears perk up when they hear me talk to God about them.)
JB took his first unassisted steps on Sunday. 3 of them. He has also perfected the little pouty look. He can be having a great time, you tell him no and he turns and stares at you. His lips turn into a frown and quiver, his eyes get all watery and then the tears come. He has started throwing himself back and as long as you stand there, he pours it on. As soon as you walk away, he gets over it. Still no words but does a decent job communicating. When thirsty he will go to the cup drawer and find his lid and cup and drag it all over the house to find you.
Jbird still just has lots of volume....does not seem to be a low switch. He is pretty consistent about coming into our room in the middle of the night. Most nights he is staying dry and still proudly announces when he needs to go to the bathroom.
I have been moving furniture around. Furniture gathers stuff, so trying to move it into closets. Keeping the sight zones clear does wonders for me. I am only in closets once or twice a day and then I can close the door. As long as they are organized, I don't care how high things are stacked!
JR has not done any hunting...still pretty warm. The last few weeks have been bow season and Saturday starts rifle, so I expect him to get out more. He is gearing up for a very busy winter season, not only his 'normal' job but the shuttles/taxis he drives to and from airport for his company. This is our winter to really focus and tighten things down and shoot for the 6-8 months worth of living expenses in savings. Will see how we do come spring 2011.
Off to the school for the annual spaghetti feed.
JB took his first unassisted steps on Sunday. 3 of them. He has also perfected the little pouty look. He can be having a great time, you tell him no and he turns and stares at you. His lips turn into a frown and quiver, his eyes get all watery and then the tears come. He has started throwing himself back and as long as you stand there, he pours it on. As soon as you walk away, he gets over it. Still no words but does a decent job communicating. When thirsty he will go to the cup drawer and find his lid and cup and drag it all over the house to find you.
Jbird still just has lots of volume....does not seem to be a low switch. He is pretty consistent about coming into our room in the middle of the night. Most nights he is staying dry and still proudly announces when he needs to go to the bathroom.
I have been moving furniture around. Furniture gathers stuff, so trying to move it into closets. Keeping the sight zones clear does wonders for me. I am only in closets once or twice a day and then I can close the door. As long as they are organized, I don't care how high things are stacked!
JR has not done any hunting...still pretty warm. The last few weeks have been bow season and Saturday starts rifle, so I expect him to get out more. He is gearing up for a very busy winter season, not only his 'normal' job but the shuttles/taxis he drives to and from airport for his company. This is our winter to really focus and tighten things down and shoot for the 6-8 months worth of living expenses in savings. Will see how we do come spring 2011.
Off to the school for the annual spaghetti feed.
Friday, October 15, 2010
The gorgeous fall weather continues. Enjoying the quiet days! I have completed one book and 1/4 of another. The book I finished was the Yada Yada Prayer Group by Neta Jackson. A really good, fun, no brainer read that I found motivating. The book I am in the middle of right now is Dying Declaration, by Christian attorney Randy Singer. He is likened to John Grisham. He writes novels that are based on ethical issues. The one I am currently reading is about a boy that dies because his parents refuse to get him medical attention due to their religious beliefs. I am finding I carry it with me everywhere. Amazing how many times throughout my day I have down time to read.
Not much on the schedule for the weekend except a soccer game.
JR has not been out hunting except twice, weather is still just too warm.
Pooh Bear (the bunny) is still around. There was a cat in our backyard today. Jbird said it was chasing the rabbit but when I went out there to shoo it away, the two of them were both in the grass just hanging out. There is a bb gun by the back door that could be used as a deterrent if needed.
I saw these photos recently and appears that JR was playing around with his camera with JB recently.....
Not much on the schedule for the weekend except a soccer game.
JR has not been out hunting except twice, weather is still just too warm.
Pooh Bear (the bunny) is still around. There was a cat in our backyard today. Jbird said it was chasing the rabbit but when I went out there to shoo it away, the two of them were both in the grass just hanging out. There is a bb gun by the back door that could be used as a deterrent if needed.
I saw these photos recently and appears that JR was playing around with his camera with JB recently.....
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Fall days
Other than a soccer game, BMX trip and church, a very quiet weekend. Beautiful fall weather we are having. Today's soccer game was the first one where clouds were over cast and cool. The boys sure played well. I think 6 of the 8 boys on the team made goals - yes plural. I was proud of B - he finally got in there and played soccer - some. He is just so social. He would be put on defense with one of the best players and B would end up distracting him and the ball would go right past both of them. At least four times B got in there and got control and probably 3 of those times ended up in the wrong direction. Fortunately his teammates are quicker than he and got the ball turned around. But he got in there and ran with the ball. I don't know when I have laughed so much as I just stood there shaking my head. He was having fun!
On a trip to Wal-mart we loaded up the bikes and stopped at the BMX track. The boys loved it. B is starting to get more comfortable going over all the hills. Still my cautious boy. Jbird on the other hand...look out. His bike got left in South Dakota on his recent trip with JR, so he had his scooter. He was scaring me some of the hills he would tackle. He was so proud of himself when he would wipe out and then stand up talking about how glad he was to have on his knee pads. We happened to get to the track just before the racing started. Was fun to watch the older guys raced. We watched a 4 year old 'race' and I thought to myself, that will be Jbird next summer. As soon as those training wheels come off, we will have to invest in one of the racing helmets because he will take off and not look back.
Soccer practice has dropped from twice a week to once a week, so should make for a slower week. Other than bible study and helping out in B's classroom, the week should be quiet. I went to the library yesterday and asked the librarian for some good reads. After explaining what I was looking for, she lead me to several different authors. Checked out 4 books, one by each of the authors, so plan on kicking my heels up some this week and reading. Not to mention with the cooler weather, more relaxing reading time in the bathtub!
On a trip to Wal-mart we loaded up the bikes and stopped at the BMX track. The boys loved it. B is starting to get more comfortable going over all the hills. Still my cautious boy. Jbird on the other hand...look out. His bike got left in South Dakota on his recent trip with JR, so he had his scooter. He was scaring me some of the hills he would tackle. He was so proud of himself when he would wipe out and then stand up talking about how glad he was to have on his knee pads. We happened to get to the track just before the racing started. Was fun to watch the older guys raced. We watched a 4 year old 'race' and I thought to myself, that will be Jbird next summer. As soon as those training wheels come off, we will have to invest in one of the racing helmets because he will take off and not look back.
Soccer practice has dropped from twice a week to once a week, so should make for a slower week. Other than bible study and helping out in B's classroom, the week should be quiet. I went to the library yesterday and asked the librarian for some good reads. After explaining what I was looking for, she lead me to several different authors. Checked out 4 books, one by each of the authors, so plan on kicking my heels up some this week and reading. Not to mention with the cooler weather, more relaxing reading time in the bathtub!
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
Pumpkin Patch
This past weekend the boys and I went to the local Pumpkin Patch. It is an annual treck. The boys love playing on the hay bales, petting the goats and sheep, swinging under the awesome shade tree and riding out to get pumpkins. I had more than one parent comment on how brave JB was. He kept pushing his way into the corral and climbing on anything. Tried my very best to get a decent picture of all 3 but figure those days are over for now.
This was the first year the tractor driver asked for kids to help him drive. Here is a shot of Jbird taking a turn. (B also got to drive but I was not in a position to take a picture).
Here is a recent (random) picture I took when we went camping a few weeks ago. It was cold in the morning so we gathered in the van for our usual camping breakfast of white powdered donuts. (If you don't see it, JB is a spittin' image of his momma at that age...)
B has now seen the chiropractor twice with his hip situation and the doc thinks that it is possibly a combination of stresses MCL in his knee (not his hip) and some growing that is going on. He has been working on several areas and the limp is getting better. We are going to give it until the end of the month.
Jbird is learning how to spell now and quite proud of himself. Other than his name, his new word is N-O. So, I hear N-O a lot these days...some times it makes me smile and other times it doesn't.
JB is really close to taking off by himself. He is picking up balls while standing and when he is put down, he wants to land on his feet, instead of a seated position.
Today Jbird, JB and I took the broom and dustpan up to B's school. While we waited for the bell to ring, we swept up leaves into a pile. There were a lot of leaves. The little kids had fun playing. I did not anticipate all the older kids that came over as they got out of school. We had lots of kids playing, rolling around, burying themselves and throwing them in the air. Of course I took the opportunity to play with them!
This was the first year the tractor driver asked for kids to help him drive. Here is a shot of Jbird taking a turn. (B also got to drive but I was not in a position to take a picture).
Here is a recent (random) picture I took when we went camping a few weeks ago. It was cold in the morning so we gathered in the van for our usual camping breakfast of white powdered donuts. (If you don't see it, JB is a spittin' image of his momma at that age...)
B has now seen the chiropractor twice with his hip situation and the doc thinks that it is possibly a combination of stresses MCL in his knee (not his hip) and some growing that is going on. He has been working on several areas and the limp is getting better. We are going to give it until the end of the month.
Jbird is learning how to spell now and quite proud of himself. Other than his name, his new word is N-O. So, I hear N-O a lot these days...some times it makes me smile and other times it doesn't.
JB is really close to taking off by himself. He is picking up balls while standing and when he is put down, he wants to land on his feet, instead of a seated position.
Today Jbird, JB and I took the broom and dustpan up to B's school. While we waited for the bell to ring, we swept up leaves into a pile. There were a lot of leaves. The little kids had fun playing. I did not anticipate all the older kids that came over as they got out of school. We had lots of kids playing, rolling around, burying themselves and throwing them in the air. Of course I took the opportunity to play with them!
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
A long rambling post!
Had a great time at our Ladies Retreat. Went through a book called Discover the Life by Neal and Judy Brower(don't even know if it is available in bookstores). The whole premise of the book is to refocus us on God and not ourselves. Some of the prayer practices were giving God glory with statements that recognize who He is (God, You are complete, everyone else is needy**God, You are unchanging in nature, yet unpredictable in what You do**God You can't be threatened, overwhelmed, thwarted, intimidated, manipulated, predicted, controlled, or overcome by anyone or anything**God, You are self sufficient, You need nothing from anyone to be complete**God, You are in control, You always get what You choose). We can also give God honor by choosing Him over everything else (You are God and can do whatever you want to with my life**No matter what happens I'll be okay because I have YOU and You are enough**I don't have ot be happy now, this isn't my life. My real life is in heaven). A third practice was giving God thanks by celebrating all that He means to our hearts (Thanks that I don't have to perform for You because Jesus made me good**There is nothing I can do to make You love me more**There is nothing I can do to make You love me less).
Just a great weekend away and hanging out with other women! All the boys survived without me, which I knew they would.
Monday morning about 5am B woke up crying and said he could not walk - seems his hip was hurting. He fell back asleep in our bed and even when he was sleeping I would go to move his leg and he would flinch. We proceeded with our morning, hoping that getting into our 'let's go to school' mode would help. Not much. So, ran him down to the Urgent Care for an x-ray (could not imagine what was wrong). Nothing showed up. The doctor did not have much to say except that if it was still hurting in a week, to call an orthopedist. I decided trying to take him to school (he has lots of stairs to climb). The pain became less and less but there was still a very noticable limp/catch in his walk 2 days later. During our weekly chiropractic appointment Tuesday, B got checked out again. I was telling the chiropractor about what the other Dr said. He was not totally on board with some of the stuff. He asked about the x-ray and I told him it was taken lying down and he said something about a lying down x-ray is not the best because it won't show any bi-lateral movement issues so they should have been taken standing up. (Just always interesting to hear different opinions in the medical community.) I do think our chiropractor is more in touch with the situation and if it does not alleviate itself by the end of the week, will probably get one more x-ray standing up. The slightly ackward gait is still there but it does not seem to hurt much. When he runs, his stride appears normal, which the chiropractor said that it is a slightly different movement. He also said that sometimes growing pains can be very painful and wonders if that is what it was. Supposedly kids have a very strong sense of altering behavior when something hurts so maybe that is why he still (consistently) limps.
The chiropractor has been working with me because my hands tend to fall asleep when I am sleeping. We started talking about sleeping positions and he told me that a lot of carpal tunnel is caused from sleeping on your stomach. He also told me that over time you can hurt your rotator cuff from sleeping on your side (that is why it is recommended to alternate which side you sleep on). I did a little bit of research and appears that there is some truth in it all. Amazing how God created the body and put it all together.
It is fun listening to B read. I can see improvements weekly. It use to take him 15minutes to read something that should only take 2 minutes, but as he gains more confidence, he is more eager to read. His reading teacher, who is not his homeroom teacher, seems like a great teacher. This past Tuesday B brought home a note about Chile-dog. Seems they have a dog every Tuesday that comes into the classroom so the kids can read to him and B loves it. I am going to be in the classroom every other Friday for a few hours. Will line up play dates for Jbird and throw JB into the backpack.
JB's newest tricks....opening up the toilet lid and throwing things inside - he gets so excited. He is also tall enough to see in to the kitchen trash can so he loves seeing what food he can find - gross! He has started chewing on his tongue, so half the time he looks like he has a huge wad of dip in his mouth. He is voluntarily walking more on his own and can now stand unassisted for 10-15 seconds.
Jbird is really enjoying Awana and hanging out with his friend John. When you ask him his verse for the day, it is always...and everything He made was very good. I don't think he grasps the concept yet of changing verses. At least that one is ingrained in his head. Whenever he asks me a question and I give him a 'I don't know' or 'I am not sure' or 'we will see' answer, he always comes back with 'mom, I just need to know, say yes or no".
JR brought home another rabbit. B calls it Fluffy and Jbird insists the perfect name is Pooh Bear. This one is darker and more social. I was watching it today and it sure was scoping out the fence, probably looking for another get away. He just does not get it how good he has it here, food and safety from all kinds of predators. I guess that is how it is with our lives and God sometimes. The grass seems greener on the other side, but oh, so not true.
Another quiet weekend in store. JR has a few side jobs and then will do some hunting. The weather has been so warm lately, hard to hunt. Seems like the meat will spoil within hours, definately before you could drag it out. We have been having record highs in the high 80s, low 90s. Can't complain though, the snow is coming!
Just a great weekend away and hanging out with other women! All the boys survived without me, which I knew they would.
Monday morning about 5am B woke up crying and said he could not walk - seems his hip was hurting. He fell back asleep in our bed and even when he was sleeping I would go to move his leg and he would flinch. We proceeded with our morning, hoping that getting into our 'let's go to school' mode would help. Not much. So, ran him down to the Urgent Care for an x-ray (could not imagine what was wrong). Nothing showed up. The doctor did not have much to say except that if it was still hurting in a week, to call an orthopedist. I decided trying to take him to school (he has lots of stairs to climb). The pain became less and less but there was still a very noticable limp/catch in his walk 2 days later. During our weekly chiropractic appointment Tuesday, B got checked out again. I was telling the chiropractor about what the other Dr said. He was not totally on board with some of the stuff. He asked about the x-ray and I told him it was taken lying down and he said something about a lying down x-ray is not the best because it won't show any bi-lateral movement issues so they should have been taken standing up. (Just always interesting to hear different opinions in the medical community.) I do think our chiropractor is more in touch with the situation and if it does not alleviate itself by the end of the week, will probably get one more x-ray standing up. The slightly ackward gait is still there but it does not seem to hurt much. When he runs, his stride appears normal, which the chiropractor said that it is a slightly different movement. He also said that sometimes growing pains can be very painful and wonders if that is what it was. Supposedly kids have a very strong sense of altering behavior when something hurts so maybe that is why he still (consistently) limps.
The chiropractor has been working with me because my hands tend to fall asleep when I am sleeping. We started talking about sleeping positions and he told me that a lot of carpal tunnel is caused from sleeping on your stomach. He also told me that over time you can hurt your rotator cuff from sleeping on your side (that is why it is recommended to alternate which side you sleep on). I did a little bit of research and appears that there is some truth in it all. Amazing how God created the body and put it all together.
It is fun listening to B read. I can see improvements weekly. It use to take him 15minutes to read something that should only take 2 minutes, but as he gains more confidence, he is more eager to read. His reading teacher, who is not his homeroom teacher, seems like a great teacher. This past Tuesday B brought home a note about Chile-dog. Seems they have a dog every Tuesday that comes into the classroom so the kids can read to him and B loves it. I am going to be in the classroom every other Friday for a few hours. Will line up play dates for Jbird and throw JB into the backpack.
JB's newest tricks....opening up the toilet lid and throwing things inside - he gets so excited. He is also tall enough to see in to the kitchen trash can so he loves seeing what food he can find - gross! He has started chewing on his tongue, so half the time he looks like he has a huge wad of dip in his mouth. He is voluntarily walking more on his own and can now stand unassisted for 10-15 seconds.
Jbird is really enjoying Awana and hanging out with his friend John. When you ask him his verse for the day, it is always...and everything He made was very good. I don't think he grasps the concept yet of changing verses. At least that one is ingrained in his head. Whenever he asks me a question and I give him a 'I don't know' or 'I am not sure' or 'we will see' answer, he always comes back with 'mom, I just need to know, say yes or no".
JR brought home another rabbit. B calls it Fluffy and Jbird insists the perfect name is Pooh Bear. This one is darker and more social. I was watching it today and it sure was scoping out the fence, probably looking for another get away. He just does not get it how good he has it here, food and safety from all kinds of predators. I guess that is how it is with our lives and God sometimes. The grass seems greener on the other side, but oh, so not true.
Another quiet weekend in store. JR has a few side jobs and then will do some hunting. The weather has been so warm lately, hard to hunt. Seems like the meat will spoil within hours, definately before you could drag it out. We have been having record highs in the high 80s, low 90s. Can't complain though, the snow is coming!
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Camping
We had a great time camping. It rained on Friday just as we finished dinner so we all gathered in our friend's camper for hot chocolate and games. They have 3 girls relatively close in age to our 3 boys, so the kiddos had a great time. Saturday morning while the guys were out hunting (got within 60 yards of a bull elk but never got a good shot) we stayed around the fire and then explored a local Baptist Camp that was empty. All the kids piled in/on the four wheeler/trailer and went for a drive Saturday afternoon. We decided to come back Saturday evening after dinner. JR recently informed me that our 'family' tent was no longer waterproof and leaked, so we opted for a smaller tent. I did not know how well we would all sleep in the tent so I volunteered to sleep in the van with JB. If anyone is interested, sleeping in a tent is a lot warmer. I woke up at one point and turned the heater on for a while. When we woke up in the morning it was 44 degrees. Sure made me wish we had done more camping, but next summer JB will be fully mobile which will make it easier.
I have started pulling out the winter clothes. I've noticed that a lot of B's clothes that I hang up fall off of the little hangers. It is just about time to start using the adult hangers. He seems to have gotten taller over the last couple of months. He is anxiously awaiting the loss of his first tooth. Seems like all his other friends have already lost one. He had another soccer game Sunday. They won and did better staying with the ball. At one point B took a kick to the leg that put him on the ground. He got up with a few tears in his eyes and think he enjoyed everyone clapping for him.
Jbird has been exhausted lately. He actually fell asleep at 6pm tonight, as he did last night. That little boy just runs and runs. He has a best friend now. Little "Johnny" as Jbird calls him. They have play dates at least once a week and usually it is for the whole day. (That means that every other week, I have a whole day of just one kiddo!) They play really really well together and I am so excited to see them grow up being buds.
JB still thinks he can get around faster by crawling. He is starting to vocalize sounds more with some m's and d's but is fine having his brothers speak for him or me just pick him up when I get tired of the whining. He still has a few tufts of curls on the back of his head but the hair up top is very straight.
I am slowly getting back on top of the house. Amazing how quickly it seems to get away from me. The two things I find I don't stay on top of, matching/folding the socks once they are clean and vacuuming. Don't know why. I think it will take me getting rid of all the random pair of socks we own, buying B all white socks, Jbird all gray socks and JB yet another color. Then sorting them will be so much easier. We have a double kitchen sink. On the left side is where I do all my washing of dishes and it is also the disposal. On the right side is where I have the dish drainer. Other than rinsing out the right side of the sink once a week or so, we don't ever use it. Imagine my surprise when I went to rinse it out and something had sprouted down there. Upon further investigating, it is really nasty down there. I am afraid to try to take anything off and clean it for fear I might gag at what I find. Wonder if cleaners down the drain will work or if there is a bigger problem?
This weekend I am headed to a ladies retreat at our church. It will be great to get away and very excited for the nice weather we are suppose to have.
I have started pulling out the winter clothes. I've noticed that a lot of B's clothes that I hang up fall off of the little hangers. It is just about time to start using the adult hangers. He seems to have gotten taller over the last couple of months. He is anxiously awaiting the loss of his first tooth. Seems like all his other friends have already lost one. He had another soccer game Sunday. They won and did better staying with the ball. At one point B took a kick to the leg that put him on the ground. He got up with a few tears in his eyes and think he enjoyed everyone clapping for him.
Jbird has been exhausted lately. He actually fell asleep at 6pm tonight, as he did last night. That little boy just runs and runs. He has a best friend now. Little "Johnny" as Jbird calls him. They have play dates at least once a week and usually it is for the whole day. (That means that every other week, I have a whole day of just one kiddo!) They play really really well together and I am so excited to see them grow up being buds.
JB still thinks he can get around faster by crawling. He is starting to vocalize sounds more with some m's and d's but is fine having his brothers speak for him or me just pick him up when I get tired of the whining. He still has a few tufts of curls on the back of his head but the hair up top is very straight.
I am slowly getting back on top of the house. Amazing how quickly it seems to get away from me. The two things I find I don't stay on top of, matching/folding the socks once they are clean and vacuuming. Don't know why. I think it will take me getting rid of all the random pair of socks we own, buying B all white socks, Jbird all gray socks and JB yet another color. Then sorting them will be so much easier. We have a double kitchen sink. On the left side is where I do all my washing of dishes and it is also the disposal. On the right side is where I have the dish drainer. Other than rinsing out the right side of the sink once a week or so, we don't ever use it. Imagine my surprise when I went to rinse it out and something had sprouted down there. Upon further investigating, it is really nasty down there. I am afraid to try to take anything off and clean it for fear I might gag at what I find. Wonder if cleaners down the drain will work or if there is a bigger problem?
This weekend I am headed to a ladies retreat at our church. It will be great to get away and very excited for the nice weather we are suppose to have.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Soccer
JR and Jbird made it back from South Dakota. They had an awesome time and Jbird did great. He says he did not even miss mom. Here are a few photos (by the looks of the last photo, he had a great time eating and drinking too).
B had his first soccer game Sunday. It was chaos. Don't know the exact score but we lost probably 12-2. The other boys definitely had a year of soccer under their belt. B seems to enjoy the defensive positions better. Anytime the other team got the ball, regardless of how close he was to the ball, he would turn and run to block the goal.
We are camping this weekend with some friends - getting one last trip in before the snow starts flying.
JR does not make the blog often, so figured I would post a few pictures of his recent backpacking trip with my brother.
A little excitement on the way to school today. The car in front of us hit a boy on a bicycle. The kid totally was not paying attention and made a wide right turn (despite him having a stop sign) and hit the back end of the car. It was more of a deflected hit, but he hit the ground none the less. A great lesson for B and J and the dangers of riding and not paying attention.
B had his first soccer game Sunday. It was chaos. Don't know the exact score but we lost probably 12-2. The other boys definitely had a year of soccer under their belt. B seems to enjoy the defensive positions better. Anytime the other team got the ball, regardless of how close he was to the ball, he would turn and run to block the goal.
We are camping this weekend with some friends - getting one last trip in before the snow starts flying.
JR does not make the blog often, so figured I would post a few pictures of his recent backpacking trip with my brother.
A little excitement on the way to school today. The car in front of us hit a boy on a bicycle. The kid totally was not paying attention and made a wide right turn (despite him having a stop sign) and hit the back end of the car. It was more of a deflected hit, but he hit the ground none the less. A great lesson for B and J and the dangers of riding and not paying attention.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Another week has flown by!
On Wednesday JR and Jbird (my most commonly used nickname for J these days)left for South Dakota. JR is in a wedding and we debated on whether we would all go. We asked B what he wanted to do and he decided to stay here and not miss any school. With B in school, JB and I have had some fun and I have gotten a lot done. I painted our bedroom (hopefully the bathroom will happen tomorrow), totally organized and rearranged things a bit, had a leisurely lunch with a friend today and planned out all the meals for the rest of the month. I keep hearing how it can save money and time, so giving it a try! I cooked/cut up all the meat and it is now in the freezer.
B's first soccer game is Sunday. He is really enjoying it. All parents have to volunteer one game to be either a line/side judge or referee. I know the bare basics about soccer, so assuming it can't be too difficult or the crowd too harsh! He also has his first den meeting next week. He continues to enjoy school and much to my surprise, makes a mad dash for me at the end of the day with open arms. His teacher seems really on top of it and she is a great communicator (with parents). His teacher last year did not like having contact with parents!
Jbird is having a blast with his dad and all the one on one time. I think it has been great for both of them. He is loving all the fun foods and drinks he gets on vacation and the running around. He slept in until almost 10 am this morning. The place they are staying is in the country with combines, tractors and lots of room to explore. They should be back on Sunday or Monday.
JB has some serious teething going on. He has been a little crabby lately and I understood once I felt the back of his gums. Very swollen and a molar coming in on both sides. He is officially weaned of the bottle. He is a pretty good problem solver, especially when it comes to him figuring out how to get something he wants. I love to watch him pick up hats and put them on his head. He is starting to use his hands more (sign language) when communicating. He can say the word boo and sounded like today he attempted mama.
The boys recently discovered they could give JB rides on their bikes and JB loved it.
This past weekend we met up with a friend in Billings for the day. The boys had a great time swimming at the hotel. B conquered the water slide and I would now consider him a full-fledged swimmer, Jbird loved the hot pool and JB just loved the water. (B is pushing JB)
Here was B's first day of school, that I am finally getting around to. He did not want to smile for the camera.
On Wednesday JR and Jbird (my most commonly used nickname for J these days)left for South Dakota. JR is in a wedding and we debated on whether we would all go. We asked B what he wanted to do and he decided to stay here and not miss any school. With B in school, JB and I have had some fun and I have gotten a lot done. I painted our bedroom (hopefully the bathroom will happen tomorrow), totally organized and rearranged things a bit, had a leisurely lunch with a friend today and planned out all the meals for the rest of the month. I keep hearing how it can save money and time, so giving it a try! I cooked/cut up all the meat and it is now in the freezer.
B's first soccer game is Sunday. He is really enjoying it. All parents have to volunteer one game to be either a line/side judge or referee. I know the bare basics about soccer, so assuming it can't be too difficult or the crowd too harsh! He also has his first den meeting next week. He continues to enjoy school and much to my surprise, makes a mad dash for me at the end of the day with open arms. His teacher seems really on top of it and she is a great communicator (with parents). His teacher last year did not like having contact with parents!
Jbird is having a blast with his dad and all the one on one time. I think it has been great for both of them. He is loving all the fun foods and drinks he gets on vacation and the running around. He slept in until almost 10 am this morning. The place they are staying is in the country with combines, tractors and lots of room to explore. They should be back on Sunday or Monday.
JB has some serious teething going on. He has been a little crabby lately and I understood once I felt the back of his gums. Very swollen and a molar coming in on both sides. He is officially weaned of the bottle. He is a pretty good problem solver, especially when it comes to him figuring out how to get something he wants. I love to watch him pick up hats and put them on his head. He is starting to use his hands more (sign language) when communicating. He can say the word boo and sounded like today he attempted mama.
The boys recently discovered they could give JB rides on their bikes and JB loved it.
This past weekend we met up with a friend in Billings for the day. The boys had a great time swimming at the hotel. B conquered the water slide and I would now consider him a full-fledged swimmer, Jbird loved the hot pool and JB just loved the water. (B is pushing JB)
Here was B's first day of school, that I am finally getting around to. He did not want to smile for the camera.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Teachable moments
I realize I have not posted pictures in a while...for some reason I have not had the camera out much this month!
J's hair is getting long enough now that he has been mistaken for a girl several times this week. Today we were at Sears and J was pushing JB in the stroller. A lady looked at JB and said "is she pushing you around?" J stood there dumbfounded and give this lady the strangest look. I just had to laugh and then she realized her mistake when she saw how he was dressed. That is what I don't get. Most girls at that age are either wearing girly clothes or have something in their hair that indicates they are a girl. I guess I need to either cut his hair some or at least try daily to get the tangles out of his hair so that the curl will come back.
As soon as we walked into Sears, the boys saw all the fridge/freezers. I had no idea the entertainment that would provide. We walked around and opened up all 30 of them. We had to talk about all the drawers, shelves, etc. B would open one up and go 'how beautiful is this', 'I just can't believe these', 'amazing'. That is actually the one purchase I hope we can make with our tax refund next spring. Just seems our food gets lost in the one we have.
The other day I was preparing to put a roast in the crockpot. I was cutting off the bottom layer of fat and J asked what I was doing. I told him I was cutting the fat off the roast. He looked at me and said "Mom, you don't call meat fat and you don't call people fat."
The other night all five of us were in the car. We were heading home on a 4 lane road, going 65 (which was the speed limit), the roads were wet from an earlier rain and it was dark. I suddenly saw 2 deer in the middle of the road headed my direction. All I could do was say "Oh dear Lord, dear Lord, dear Lord" (no pun intended). They both ran in front of us and we missed hitting the second one by about 10 -12 inches. The closest call I have ever had. The entire rest of the ride home we talked about how God's hand of protection was on us and I explained that that is precisely why I pray for God's protection every day as I drive B to school. It was a great object lesson for the kids. I was glad that I was able to react with a short prayer and not other choice words. I was also impressed that after years of hearing JR say "if an animal runs out in front of you, I would rather you hit it than swerve", I stayed on course and did not swerve at all. It made me think of an Amy Grant song from years ago "Angels Watching Over Me"
......"God only knows the times my life was threatened just today.
.......A reckless car ran out of gas before it ran my way.
.......Near misses all around me, accidents unknown,
.......Though I never see with human eyes the hands that lead me home."
AWANA has started up again and B and J are both in it. I am helping out with the under 3 crowd (watching the other leaders' kids so they can teach mine). The group B is in has a workbook that comes with a CD. The CD is basically the audio version of the book but with sound effects, etc. Today we were listening to the story of Eli and Samuel. At the very end of the story it talks about how Eli was a godly man but God punished him and his family. B's ears perked up and he asked why God punished Eli. We went back and listened to the story again. Eli was very godly but he had 2 very wicked sons. Eli knew his sons were doing wrong and Eli never did anything to try to correct/stop them. Seizing the moment, I explained to B that that is why we discipline him. God has made us the parents and it is our job to train him up and teach him to do what is right and honors God. He seemed to really hang on to my words, now I just need to remember to go back to that story from time to time to remind him of why we do what we do as parents. I love the teachable moments that God gives me and how applicable the two this week were.
Fluffy has hopped out of the coup. Numerous times she would get out and would eventually come back. JR would find the hole and fix it, only for her to find another one. The other day I looked out the window and saw some neighbors congregating out front. Between them they had a fish net, broom and small kennel. I knew what was going on. Sure enough, they had found Fluffy, soon to be cat food. We brought Fluffy in, only to have her leave again. The next day saw her across the street. JR tried to get her but she took off. He decided so be it.
J's hair is getting long enough now that he has been mistaken for a girl several times this week. Today we were at Sears and J was pushing JB in the stroller. A lady looked at JB and said "is she pushing you around?" J stood there dumbfounded and give this lady the strangest look. I just had to laugh and then she realized her mistake when she saw how he was dressed. That is what I don't get. Most girls at that age are either wearing girly clothes or have something in their hair that indicates they are a girl. I guess I need to either cut his hair some or at least try daily to get the tangles out of his hair so that the curl will come back.
As soon as we walked into Sears, the boys saw all the fridge/freezers. I had no idea the entertainment that would provide. We walked around and opened up all 30 of them. We had to talk about all the drawers, shelves, etc. B would open one up and go 'how beautiful is this', 'I just can't believe these', 'amazing'. That is actually the one purchase I hope we can make with our tax refund next spring. Just seems our food gets lost in the one we have.
The other day I was preparing to put a roast in the crockpot. I was cutting off the bottom layer of fat and J asked what I was doing. I told him I was cutting the fat off the roast. He looked at me and said "Mom, you don't call meat fat and you don't call people fat."
The other night all five of us were in the car. We were heading home on a 4 lane road, going 65 (which was the speed limit), the roads were wet from an earlier rain and it was dark. I suddenly saw 2 deer in the middle of the road headed my direction. All I could do was say "Oh dear Lord, dear Lord, dear Lord" (no pun intended). They both ran in front of us and we missed hitting the second one by about 10 -12 inches. The closest call I have ever had. The entire rest of the ride home we talked about how God's hand of protection was on us and I explained that that is precisely why I pray for God's protection every day as I drive B to school. It was a great object lesson for the kids. I was glad that I was able to react with a short prayer and not other choice words. I was also impressed that after years of hearing JR say "if an animal runs out in front of you, I would rather you hit it than swerve", I stayed on course and did not swerve at all. It made me think of an Amy Grant song from years ago "Angels Watching Over Me"
......"God only knows the times my life was threatened just today.
.......A reckless car ran out of gas before it ran my way.
.......Near misses all around me, accidents unknown,
.......Though I never see with human eyes the hands that lead me home."
AWANA has started up again and B and J are both in it. I am helping out with the under 3 crowd (watching the other leaders' kids so they can teach mine). The group B is in has a workbook that comes with a CD. The CD is basically the audio version of the book but with sound effects, etc. Today we were listening to the story of Eli and Samuel. At the very end of the story it talks about how Eli was a godly man but God punished him and his family. B's ears perked up and he asked why God punished Eli. We went back and listened to the story again. Eli was very godly but he had 2 very wicked sons. Eli knew his sons were doing wrong and Eli never did anything to try to correct/stop them. Seizing the moment, I explained to B that that is why we discipline him. God has made us the parents and it is our job to train him up and teach him to do what is right and honors God. He seemed to really hang on to my words, now I just need to remember to go back to that story from time to time to remind him of why we do what we do as parents. I love the teachable moments that God gives me and how applicable the two this week were.
Fluffy has hopped out of the coup. Numerous times she would get out and would eventually come back. JR would find the hole and fix it, only for her to find another one. The other day I looked out the window and saw some neighbors congregating out front. Between them they had a fish net, broom and small kennel. I knew what was going on. Sure enough, they had found Fluffy, soon to be cat food. We brought Fluffy in, only to have her leave again. The next day saw her across the street. JR tried to get her but she took off. He decided so be it.
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Misc
The garage sale this past weekend went well. Between our family and the other family we made just under $500. I put a lot of time in to it this past week so our stuff was very organized. We even got comments from shoppers about how nice it was to look because everything was so organized. When we boxed stuff up, we only had about 6 medium size boxes!
My brother comes in for a long weekend this weekend. Him and JR are taking off to the backcountry for a couple of nights. Hope they don't get any snow - we have had some cool evenings.
Fluffy (bunny) has figured out how to escape from the back yard. All 4 times though she has come back. JR keeps fixing the holes but somehow she finds other ones.
Tomorrow my oldest niece gains her wings. She gets dropped off at Western Michigan. Hats off to my sister and brother-in-law for raising an incredible daughter. She will do well.
Several weeks ago I discovered some frugal living blogs. I have been reading up on couponing and how to really make it work - getting grocery bills down to $40-50 a week! I don't know that I will ever be that proficient, but today I went and bought 3 boxes of name brand cereal, 6 bottles (64oz) of Apple Juice, 4 boxes of granola bars and 2 Del-Monte ready to make fruit smoothies for only $7. I was quite excited, now I just need to work on stockpiling the coupons. Our local paper very seldom has coupons so I am having to be very creative about how to find them.
JB has perfected his high pitch squeal. He is so proud of himself! He continues to climb on anything he can find. J is down to about 2 potty accidents a week and most nights he is staying dry. Soccer starts tomorrow for B.
My brother comes in for a long weekend this weekend. Him and JR are taking off to the backcountry for a couple of nights. Hope they don't get any snow - we have had some cool evenings.
Fluffy (bunny) has figured out how to escape from the back yard. All 4 times though she has come back. JR keeps fixing the holes but somehow she finds other ones.
Tomorrow my oldest niece gains her wings. She gets dropped off at Western Michigan. Hats off to my sister and brother-in-law for raising an incredible daughter. She will do well.
Several weeks ago I discovered some frugal living blogs. I have been reading up on couponing and how to really make it work - getting grocery bills down to $40-50 a week! I don't know that I will ever be that proficient, but today I went and bought 3 boxes of name brand cereal, 6 bottles (64oz) of Apple Juice, 4 boxes of granola bars and 2 Del-Monte ready to make fruit smoothies for only $7. I was quite excited, now I just need to work on stockpiling the coupons. Our local paper very seldom has coupons so I am having to be very creative about how to find them.
JB has perfected his high pitch squeal. He is so proud of himself! He continues to climb on anything he can find. J is down to about 2 potty accidents a week and most nights he is staying dry. Soccer starts tomorrow for B.
Wednesday, August 25, 2010
School
School started today. The playground was chaos as all the kids were seeing friends they had not seen over the summer. There are two buildings with B's school and he has moved across the street so he can now play on the big playground. Most of their equipment is the old stuff...the big metal slides with very low sides that I watched kids zoom off of. I know J will be excited to try that one out. His teach seems really nice. She sent a letter to the house, one for parents and one for B a few days before school started - a very nice gesture. When we went to Back to School night he only had 3 kids from his Kindergarten class in his current class, so lots of friends he will get to know. I was excited to see the girl he sat next to was from AWANA! JR was asking B how it went today and the conversation came up about cute girls (a little early for me). JR asked if the girls were as cute as mom (ie me) and B said "no, way cuter! Slam, I was expecting the no one is as cute as mom, but I guess we are not there yet. We got a good laugh out of that.
The school has a really nice front lawn, so about 30 minutes before the bell rang, the other two boys and I went to the school, sat in the grass under a huge shade tree. JB crawled all over the place (I am sure he would have been in a tree if he could have been) and J ran around like a mad man. I think that will become the norm for us...gotta enjoy the weather while we can! It will change all too quickly.
Been busy with garage sale stuff. My friend and I have managed to fill 10 6 foot tables and that does not include some of the big items that will go outside. I can honestly say that there is not much more I can take out of my house that is not used on somewhat of a regular basis. Between the two of us, I don't think we have a lot of junk either....good quality stuff. Ready for Sat at 1 to be here, though so I can quit thinking about it and get on with other things!
Next week some of the extra curricular activities start, so looking forward to AWANA, Cub Scout meetings and possibly soccer. J will do AWANA this year and I am going to help out with the infants/toddlers (just watching the younger kids of the leaders - to my knowledge does not require any lesson plans, etc so that will be nice not to have any outside preparation.
Fluffy is still doing good (the rabbit). He (she -who knows) absolutely mowed down the lettuce. I can understand why people don't like them. Nothing but bare stalks. We toss carrots out every day. She is getting more use to us and does not run as quickly, although he does not come right up to us yet. I am told that she will live in the backyard during the winter too. I am told they live outside in the wild, so why not in our backyard. Will be interesting to see how that goes. Guess we should dig a hole somewhere???
The school has a really nice front lawn, so about 30 minutes before the bell rang, the other two boys and I went to the school, sat in the grass under a huge shade tree. JB crawled all over the place (I am sure he would have been in a tree if he could have been) and J ran around like a mad man. I think that will become the norm for us...gotta enjoy the weather while we can! It will change all too quickly.
Been busy with garage sale stuff. My friend and I have managed to fill 10 6 foot tables and that does not include some of the big items that will go outside. I can honestly say that there is not much more I can take out of my house that is not used on somewhat of a regular basis. Between the two of us, I don't think we have a lot of junk either....good quality stuff. Ready for Sat at 1 to be here, though so I can quit thinking about it and get on with other things!
Next week some of the extra curricular activities start, so looking forward to AWANA, Cub Scout meetings and possibly soccer. J will do AWANA this year and I am going to help out with the infants/toddlers (just watching the younger kids of the leaders - to my knowledge does not require any lesson plans, etc so that will be nice not to have any outside preparation.
Fluffy is still doing good (the rabbit). He (she -who knows) absolutely mowed down the lettuce. I can understand why people don't like them. Nothing but bare stalks. We toss carrots out every day. She is getting more use to us and does not run as quickly, although he does not come right up to us yet. I am told that she will live in the backyard during the winter too. I am told they live outside in the wild, so why not in our backyard. Will be interesting to see how that goes. Guess we should dig a hole somewhere???
Tuesday, August 17, 2010
One week until school
Summer is quickly winding down. We found out today that B's teacher will be Ms. Miller. Don't know much about her personally but hear she is pretty good. We have back to school night on Monday so B is excited to see who is in his class.
Fluffy, the bunny, is still around. She or he, who knows, has the run of the yard. She does have a cage but she has found her own little hiding spots under some trees. We really have a great spot out in the backyard that is mostly dirt and lots of small trees/bushes. She has come in a couple of times but I have yet to handle her. B is allergic to a lot of fur (horses, cat, deer, elk, antelope or any other animal that has been in our garage) but the one time he held Fluffy it did not seem to be a problem. Not sure what the plan is when winter arrives. Assuming she will have to come inside. She loves getting all the lettuce she wants. In our small garden. Seems we are not big lettuce eaters. It is nice to have lettuce for tacos or hamburgers but we are not eating a lot of salads. The boys love going out and picking it and pulling up onions. We will definately do more onions, hopefully a larger variety next summer. I hope to get a better game plan next summer and get started earlier. Seems we let the cilantro grow too long so will try again with a fall 'crop' in our pots.
One night recently I was trying to put lotion on J after his shower. He was not too keen on the idea (he gets bad eczema with his food allergies) so I told him I would give him a massage. He loved it and B got in on the action. Now, it seems to be the perfect way to get them all settled in their beds, to rub them down with lotion as they are going to sleep. They have even enjoyed giving me massages, they especially love massaging my feet. Why didn't I think of that when I was pregnant with JB.
Have a boy scout hike this Saturday. Actually it is more of a walk with a bar-b-que afterwards but will be fun.
Not much else going on other than gearing up for my first garage sale ever. Having it at a friends house. She has a double garage and we should be able to do all the setting up next week with the garage sale the 28th. Curious to see how we do. I have always thought it was a lot of work for not very much money, but I guess anything is better than nothing!
Fluffy, the bunny, is still around. She or he, who knows, has the run of the yard. She does have a cage but she has found her own little hiding spots under some trees. We really have a great spot out in the backyard that is mostly dirt and lots of small trees/bushes. She has come in a couple of times but I have yet to handle her. B is allergic to a lot of fur (horses, cat, deer, elk, antelope or any other animal that has been in our garage) but the one time he held Fluffy it did not seem to be a problem. Not sure what the plan is when winter arrives. Assuming she will have to come inside. She loves getting all the lettuce she wants. In our small garden. Seems we are not big lettuce eaters. It is nice to have lettuce for tacos or hamburgers but we are not eating a lot of salads. The boys love going out and picking it and pulling up onions. We will definately do more onions, hopefully a larger variety next summer. I hope to get a better game plan next summer and get started earlier. Seems we let the cilantro grow too long so will try again with a fall 'crop' in our pots.
One night recently I was trying to put lotion on J after his shower. He was not too keen on the idea (he gets bad eczema with his food allergies) so I told him I would give him a massage. He loved it and B got in on the action. Now, it seems to be the perfect way to get them all settled in their beds, to rub them down with lotion as they are going to sleep. They have even enjoyed giving me massages, they especially love massaging my feet. Why didn't I think of that when I was pregnant with JB.
Have a boy scout hike this Saturday. Actually it is more of a walk with a bar-b-que afterwards but will be fun.
Not much else going on other than gearing up for my first garage sale ever. Having it at a friends house. She has a double garage and we should be able to do all the setting up next week with the garage sale the 28th. Curious to see how we do. I have always thought it was a lot of work for not very much money, but I guess anything is better than nothing!
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Our new pet
Well, JR came home with a 'surprise' for the boys today. In the house he walked carrying a box with holes in it. He was told at work to trap this animal and kill it. He was able to trap it but obviously not kill it. So, we have a new pet, for now. Will be interesting to see how long we can keep him in our yard before he finds a way out.
Finally getting around to posting some pictures from JB's first birthday. Just had the two neighbor boys over for cupcakes. JB really enjoyed them.
Here is a picture that B took of us. He really enjoys taking pictures and seems to have a knack/interest in photography.
On JB's birthday, he performed his greatest stunt yet. He climbed up on top of the stove. Thankfully it was not on! If you look at the picture in the previous post of him on the white step-stool, he has figured out how he can stand on the top of the leg of the step-stool. I decided that I was going to take pictures of everything he climbed on in one day...did not get very far, with the camera that is but managed to snap another one.
Yesterday we were playing at some friends house. As we were getting ready to leave, I called up to the boys to start cleaning up. I heard a few words and then B said "come on let's clean up, I want to obey my mom!" I was so surprised. I have really been trying to work on not parenting from fear. I don't want the boys to do things because they fear the consequences but because it is what is right. A lot easier said than done.
Yesterday we went to the library and checked out a lot of books. B was looking at his monster truck book. He then exclaimed, "oh wow, this wreck would cause cancer". To which J asked to see and then B said "it is not an appropriate picture for a 3 year old"!
One last photo....
Finally getting around to posting some pictures from JB's first birthday. Just had the two neighbor boys over for cupcakes. JB really enjoyed them.
Here is a picture that B took of us. He really enjoys taking pictures and seems to have a knack/interest in photography.
On JB's birthday, he performed his greatest stunt yet. He climbed up on top of the stove. Thankfully it was not on! If you look at the picture in the previous post of him on the white step-stool, he has figured out how he can stand on the top of the leg of the step-stool. I decided that I was going to take pictures of everything he climbed on in one day...did not get very far, with the camera that is but managed to snap another one.
Yesterday we were playing at some friends house. As we were getting ready to leave, I called up to the boys to start cleaning up. I heard a few words and then B said "come on let's clean up, I want to obey my mom!" I was so surprised. I have really been trying to work on not parenting from fear. I don't want the boys to do things because they fear the consequences but because it is what is right. A lot easier said than done.
Yesterday we went to the library and checked out a lot of books. B was looking at his monster truck book. He then exclaimed, "oh wow, this wreck would cause cancer". To which J asked to see and then B said "it is not an appropriate picture for a 3 year old"!
One last photo....
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Happy First Birthday JB
Look who is forward facing now......
You love being able to see where we are going instead of where we have been, seeing me in the rearview mirror and being able to sit side by side with your brothers.
Can't believe it has already been 365 days. Happy birthday JB.
You are quite the little climber. I know you are my third, but boy you sure scare me with your determination to get to higher places. When anyone is standing on something, you throw quite the ruckus until you can get right up beside them, be it the couch, step stool, bean bag, chair, etc.
You have not yet said your first word, but I am not concerned, knowing you can't get a word in edgewise. You enjoy laying in your bed and babbling. I like sneaking in there in the mornings and just watching you as you stretch and wake up. You eventually see much, greet me with a huge smile and stand up.
You like to throw your food on the floor, we are working on that.
On command, when I say "what is in your mouth", you spit whatever out!
You like your dog Douglas and it brings comfort when the tears fall.
Just yesterday at Wal-mart you were sitting nicely in the cart, until it was time to check out. You were chewing on one of our purchases. Knowing you had one in each hand, I gave one of them to the lady to scan. You did not like that at all, you immediately threw the other one you were holding onto the floor. I gave it back to you (to see what you would do) and you threw it again. You made it very clear that you were not happy! Then when I told you no again, you got even madder because I would not give it back to you. We left the store as others turned to watch us walk out.
When you are really tired, I will pick you up and you will lay your head on my shoulder.
You enjoy giving high fives and if we lean in to you, you will head butt us.
You have the wet slobbery kiss down pat.
You love to play with your brothers in the shower. I still can't figure out how you escaped from the tub one time....had to have been a head dive over the side.
I love you little guy and are so thankful that God gave you to us to round out our 3 sons. You have already enriched our lives so much more...can't wait to see what the next 365 days hold.
You love being able to see where we are going instead of where we have been, seeing me in the rearview mirror and being able to sit side by side with your brothers.
Can't believe it has already been 365 days. Happy birthday JB.
You are quite the little climber. I know you are my third, but boy you sure scare me with your determination to get to higher places. When anyone is standing on something, you throw quite the ruckus until you can get right up beside them, be it the couch, step stool, bean bag, chair, etc.
You have not yet said your first word, but I am not concerned, knowing you can't get a word in edgewise. You enjoy laying in your bed and babbling. I like sneaking in there in the mornings and just watching you as you stretch and wake up. You eventually see much, greet me with a huge smile and stand up.
You like to throw your food on the floor, we are working on that.
On command, when I say "what is in your mouth", you spit whatever out!
You like your dog Douglas and it brings comfort when the tears fall.
Just yesterday at Wal-mart you were sitting nicely in the cart, until it was time to check out. You were chewing on one of our purchases. Knowing you had one in each hand, I gave one of them to the lady to scan. You did not like that at all, you immediately threw the other one you were holding onto the floor. I gave it back to you (to see what you would do) and you threw it again. You made it very clear that you were not happy! Then when I told you no again, you got even madder because I would not give it back to you. We left the store as others turned to watch us walk out.
When you are really tired, I will pick you up and you will lay your head on my shoulder.
You enjoy giving high fives and if we lean in to you, you will head butt us.
You have the wet slobbery kiss down pat.
You love to play with your brothers in the shower. I still can't figure out how you escaped from the tub one time....had to have been a head dive over the side.
I love you little guy and are so thankful that God gave you to us to round out our 3 sons. You have already enriched our lives so much more...can't wait to see what the next 365 days hold.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Filling our summer days...
I was recently telling a friend of mine about a family member that lost a job. I had made the comment that they did nothing wrong to lose their job. B overheard me and started inquiring as to what I meant. I explained that they worked for a man that sold real estate and reminded him about our conversations about the economy and how it was bad and it meant people were not spending money. Therefore, the real estate guy could not sell any houses or buildings because no one had any money. So, he was not able to pay his employee and had to let them go. So, the person that lost their job, it was not their fault, they did not do anything wrong. B did not even wait a split second and he said "Oh, so it was the government's fault?" Stopped us in our tracks.
Several weeks ago I stopped by Michaels and Target and found all kinds of projects for the boys that cost very little. Wooden train cars that had to be glued together and then painted. Wooden automobiles that you punch out and then piece together. All kinds of educational and historical workbooks and flashcards. (Figured it would not hurt me to learn about landmarks, presidents and states too.) Super hero coloring and activity books. New markers, crayons and pencils, not to mention some special markers designed for windows and mirrors.
The boys have loved it and well worth every penny I spent. B especially will sit for long periods and just color. He really enjoys the nights that the other 2 fall asleep on time and he can sit in bed with JR and draw.
We went out this morning and dug up rocks that were in the dirt. JB was the dirtiest for a while and then I engaged the boys in a 'who can get the other dirtiest' game. The boys loved throwing their rocks in an irrigation canal. JB though wanted to crawl in - no fear.
Spent some time yesterday at the splash park. Have not been there too often because it is all concrete and with JB not walking, just difficult. I decided to let him crawl in it with jeans and socks to protect his legs and feet. He had a ball.
He also enjoyed crawling in the tunnel at the park.
Then we came home and had homemade jello popsicles.
The common theme around our house continues to be forgiveness. The boys are learning what it means to ask for forgiveness, not only from the offended individual, but from God and to seek forgiveness. We recently talked about being a blessing and the boys decided they wanted to be a blessing to our neighbors by rolling all of the trash cans along the street (put out for garbage collection) up to the houses. Maybe I can incorporate being a blessing everyday and see what things we can come up with.
J is doing great with the potty training. Maybe one accident every couple of days. We are going tomorrow to buy him some pull-ups. I told him that once he is good at going in the potty that I would get him some pull-ups for night time. He has already decided that he will pick out Toy Story ones.
Several weeks ago I stopped by Michaels and Target and found all kinds of projects for the boys that cost very little. Wooden train cars that had to be glued together and then painted. Wooden automobiles that you punch out and then piece together. All kinds of educational and historical workbooks and flashcards. (Figured it would not hurt me to learn about landmarks, presidents and states too.) Super hero coloring and activity books. New markers, crayons and pencils, not to mention some special markers designed for windows and mirrors.
The boys have loved it and well worth every penny I spent. B especially will sit for long periods and just color. He really enjoys the nights that the other 2 fall asleep on time and he can sit in bed with JR and draw.We went out this morning and dug up rocks that were in the dirt. JB was the dirtiest for a while and then I engaged the boys in a 'who can get the other dirtiest' game. The boys loved throwing their rocks in an irrigation canal. JB though wanted to crawl in - no fear.
Spent some time yesterday at the splash park. Have not been there too often because it is all concrete and with JB not walking, just difficult. I decided to let him crawl in it with jeans and socks to protect his legs and feet. He had a ball.
He also enjoyed crawling in the tunnel at the park.
Then we came home and had homemade jello popsicles.
The common theme around our house continues to be forgiveness. The boys are learning what it means to ask for forgiveness, not only from the offended individual, but from God and to seek forgiveness. We recently talked about being a blessing and the boys decided they wanted to be a blessing to our neighbors by rolling all of the trash cans along the street (put out for garbage collection) up to the houses. Maybe I can incorporate being a blessing everyday and see what things we can come up with.
J is doing great with the potty training. Maybe one accident every couple of days. We are going tomorrow to buy him some pull-ups. I told him that once he is good at going in the potty that I would get him some pull-ups for night time. He has already decided that he will pick out Toy Story ones.
Monday, August 2, 2010
Just hanging out
Been staying close to home. Had two sets of friends (Pahals and Pankratz') last week that were in town and hooked up with them at different parks. Fun to see how the kids have grown and to watch everyone play together. This past weekend our missionary friend Naomi, from Zimbabwe, stayed here and spoke at our church.
B attended VBS last week and enjoyed it. This past weekend he went to a shooting sport activity through the Cub Scouts. Him and JR took the BB gun to a local shooting range where B got instruction on the parts of the gun, safety things, shooting tips, etc. He was quite excited to bring home his target for me to see.
School starts in 3 1/2 weeks. Should find out this week who his teacher will be.
I have been struggling with some inner ear issues that are causing dizziness. I think it has to do with some fluid in the ear but also what are known at crystal rocks in your ear. They seem to have come loose or displaced. My friend Naomi, who is a nurse and dad is a chiropractor, was around last night when it got really bad. It dropped me to my knees. Fortunately her dad was able to walk us through an exercise that helps to reset the rocks. So far so good.
This weekend is JB's first birthday. Hard to believe!
Here are a few pictures from a recent 'hunting' expedition JR took J and B on. Not to worry, it is a BB gun and safety is always first!
B attended VBS last week and enjoyed it. This past weekend he went to a shooting sport activity through the Cub Scouts. Him and JR took the BB gun to a local shooting range where B got instruction on the parts of the gun, safety things, shooting tips, etc. He was quite excited to bring home his target for me to see.
School starts in 3 1/2 weeks. Should find out this week who his teacher will be.
I have been struggling with some inner ear issues that are causing dizziness. I think it has to do with some fluid in the ear but also what are known at crystal rocks in your ear. They seem to have come loose or displaced. My friend Naomi, who is a nurse and dad is a chiropractor, was around last night when it got really bad. It dropped me to my knees. Fortunately her dad was able to walk us through an exercise that helps to reset the rocks. So far so good.
This weekend is JB's first birthday. Hard to believe!
Here are a few pictures from a recent 'hunting' expedition JR took J and B on. Not to worry, it is a BB gun and safety is always first!
Friday, July 23, 2010
Another big week
JB is finally pushing his 'walker' and getting up on his feet. He is too unsteady to walk all by himself but sure is proud of himself and his progress.
J has only had a few accidents this week in the potty training department. We are down to about 8 diapers and I have told him I am not buying anymore unless they are just for nighttime. He has also said goodbye to training wheels. He can't go more than 20 or 30 feet before getting distracted and crashing, but he is doing awesome.
Yesterday we attended our first Cub Scout event. Family campout. Unfortunately JR had to work most of the night so he was around just a few hours Saturday afternoon. A whole new group of people that I do not know, along with traditions that I will learn over time. We watched the flag ceremony where the colors are presented. The boys made rope (very interesting), chalk and rockets that they shot up to 30 feet in the air. All the food was provided and it was a tight run ship.
They had a flag retirement ceremony (I did not know they existed and certainly did not know they cut up the flag and burned it). All the scouts headed down to the river for the ceremony. The younger two and I got down there towards the tail end. When we walked up, I saw the scout master talking to B. I wondered what was up but figured he had done something wrong. Then we watched all the scouts put a part of the flag in the fire. B then walked over to me crying. He was very upset that the flag was being burned! The scout master was trying to tell him that it was okay, but to no avail. Then we had a campfire and the boys played with their ropes and ran around until dark. We all slept really well. The boys and I had a great time and my cub scout (tiger cub) looked great in his uniform. He insisted on the salute and would not smile!
J has only had a few accidents this week in the potty training department. We are down to about 8 diapers and I have told him I am not buying anymore unless they are just for nighttime. He has also said goodbye to training wheels. He can't go more than 20 or 30 feet before getting distracted and crashing, but he is doing awesome.
Yesterday we attended our first Cub Scout event. Family campout. Unfortunately JR had to work most of the night so he was around just a few hours Saturday afternoon. A whole new group of people that I do not know, along with traditions that I will learn over time. We watched the flag ceremony where the colors are presented. The boys made rope (very interesting), chalk and rockets that they shot up to 30 feet in the air. All the food was provided and it was a tight run ship.
They had a flag retirement ceremony (I did not know they existed and certainly did not know they cut up the flag and burned it). All the scouts headed down to the river for the ceremony. The younger two and I got down there towards the tail end. When we walked up, I saw the scout master talking to B. I wondered what was up but figured he had done something wrong. Then we watched all the scouts put a part of the flag in the fire. B then walked over to me crying. He was very upset that the flag was being burned! The scout master was trying to tell him that it was okay, but to no avail. Then we had a campfire and the boys played with their ropes and ran around until dark. We all slept really well. The boys and I had a great time and my cub scout (tiger cub) looked great in his uniform. He insisted on the salute and would not smile!
Saturday, July 17, 2010
Sayings
Just some of the things that have come out of the mouths of my babes lately that bring a smile to my face.
There are many nicknames I have had over the years...Red, North, Scooter, Carrot top and Mory but none as dear as Aunt Shoo (other than Mom of course). I just had to smile recently when we were in Ohio. B heard Aunt Shoo a lot from his cousins. One day B walked up to me, gave me a big hug and said "Mom, do you care if I call you Aunt Shoo?"
We have started working more diligently (again) on potty training J. He was putting on a pair of 'training pants' that does not have the front hole for boys for some reason. He said "Mom, why don't these underwear have a hole in them?" I told him that I did not know and he responded "maybe God should make my underwear".
These are just a few of the things that have been coming out of my mouth lately...
Why are you putting peanut butter on your brother?
Please don't use your real tools to work on the tv.
Did you just wipe your nose on the back of my shorts?
I don't care what kind of animal you eat like, just eat with manners.
You don't hit someone with a hammer, ever.
Please don't put your boogers there.
Why are you cutting your hair?
Believe it or not, I have spoken these words to both of my boys, not just little J.
There are many nicknames I have had over the years...Red, North, Scooter, Carrot top and Mory but none as dear as Aunt Shoo (other than Mom of course). I just had to smile recently when we were in Ohio. B heard Aunt Shoo a lot from his cousins. One day B walked up to me, gave me a big hug and said "Mom, do you care if I call you Aunt Shoo?"
We have started working more diligently (again) on potty training J. He was putting on a pair of 'training pants' that does not have the front hole for boys for some reason. He said "Mom, why don't these underwear have a hole in them?" I told him that I did not know and he responded "maybe God should make my underwear".
These are just a few of the things that have been coming out of my mouth lately...
Why are you putting peanut butter on your brother?
Please don't use your real tools to work on the tv.
Did you just wipe your nose on the back of my shorts?
I don't care what kind of animal you eat like, just eat with manners.
You don't hit someone with a hammer, ever.
Please don't put your boogers there.
Why are you cutting your hair?
Believe it or not, I have spoken these words to both of my boys, not just little J.
Monday, July 12, 2010
A lot going on
Last week was a great week. Nothing particular and nothing on the calendar! I just hung at home with the boys - enjoying them and doing just what needed to be done to keep up the house. One day we baked cookies and then decorated them later in the week.
The boys did lots of coloring, playing with the plethora of toys and being outside.
Here is a picture of them with JR. I had bought some water bombs and they loved throwing them. They discovered big boxes are great shields.
One of the biggest things of the week is that B's training wheels came off! He loves riding his bike. He wanted to learn on his old bike so we lowered the seat way down so he could comfortably reach the ground with his feet. He has been outside on the bike everyday since. He does not yet want to try getting on his big bike. He looks so cute on that short little bike. We have slowly raised the seat up and have told him that when he complains of his knees hurting, that is why. He needs to be on the bigger bike. He is also gaining more independence. When I am outside with him I let him cross the street by himself on his bike. One of my biggest fears is the kids not being street smart and turning out in front of a car. He likes to let J know that he is a big kid now and is earning more privileges.
I have also seen some changes in him in regards to God working on his heart and attitude when he is ugly or rude to someone. On more than one occasion I have gotten on to him for something he said or did. A short while later he has come back on his own and apologized and asked for forgiveness (without my prompting). I have also heard him tell J several times that J has hurt his feelings. Building on what he learned at the Peacemakers Club a few weeks ago has been fun. Many occasions have arisen where we have talked about his attitude or what he did (ie name calling) and then talked about why it was bad and if it was on the continuum of escaping or fighting or working it out. Yesterday I was even on the phone with a friend and was being pretty direct with her and saying "no, you are not going to do that...there is no reason for that...". After I hung up he very loving came up and say "Boy mom, that sure was an argumentative tone of voice you were using..." Just a reminder of the things they take in and the many teachable lessons throughout the day.
J has had some success in potty training. Since we have been home a lot, he has been wearing a lot of underwear. On those days that I set my timer for 30 minutes and remind him to go, he stays dry. He is getting there!
JB now has 8 teeth and loves playing peek a boo. He is such a climber. Fun to watch him get up and over some of the stuff we pile up on the floor.
We decided this past weekend to paint the boys room. I just don't like white walls and amazing what paint can do, for a nominal cost. We picked out two paint colors to match a sports border I had picked up a few years ago. The painting went pretty well. I tried a new technique for getting a clean, crisp line where two colors meet and it worked perfectly. After we painted the two colors (one a light brown and one a darker blue) to match the sports border, I began looking at the sports border. It was self-paste but seems the glue was old and did not work well. Bought some wallpaper paste and the border went up without a hitch. I put the border up by myself, which is not recommended. Next time I will make sure there is another adult at least 5 feet tall nearby to help. It looks really good though (pictures did not do it justice). I am ready to paint our room and the bathrooms!
One really awesome thing with me the last 10 days or so is I feel like I have finally broken through a spiritual plateau/valley. For so long I have struggled getting up early in the morning or finding another quiet time during the day to read my bible, etc. Through a book I was reading about intimacy with God, it really encouraged me to just do it. I finally got out of bed recently and had an awesome morning. I ended up camping out on a verse in 1 Peter chapter 5. A very familiar one to me.... "Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.." I had always known about the be alert part, but not the self-controlled part. It struck a cord. I struggle with self-control and discipline in so many areas. However, after spending some time on that verse, the struggles are not what they were. I also started thinking about lions and their hunting habits. They are not real fast endurance runners so they can't win a long chase. They need to get close to their prey and they do it by blending in with their surroundings. Then when the prey is least suspecting, the lion goes in for the kill. Since scripture refers to the devil prowling around like a lion, I started looking at my life. With today's society it is very easy for the devil to blend in. Where is the tall grass in my life and where is he waiting to pounce? When I monitor those areas and keep them in check/cut the tall grass, I find I already put the devil at a disadvantage. He is then on the defense. I need to be alert and self-controlled! There have been numerous other things that I feel like God has shown/revealed to me but still trying to work through some of them. Just good to be at a place where I feel like I am moving forward in my relationship with Christ versus just sitting stagnant in the middle of a lake with no wind in my sails.
One last picture I recently took of my camo boys.
The boys did lots of coloring, playing with the plethora of toys and being outside.
Here is a picture of them with JR. I had bought some water bombs and they loved throwing them. They discovered big boxes are great shields.
One of the biggest things of the week is that B's training wheels came off! He loves riding his bike. He wanted to learn on his old bike so we lowered the seat way down so he could comfortably reach the ground with his feet. He has been outside on the bike everyday since. He does not yet want to try getting on his big bike. He looks so cute on that short little bike. We have slowly raised the seat up and have told him that when he complains of his knees hurting, that is why. He needs to be on the bigger bike. He is also gaining more independence. When I am outside with him I let him cross the street by himself on his bike. One of my biggest fears is the kids not being street smart and turning out in front of a car. He likes to let J know that he is a big kid now and is earning more privileges.
I have also seen some changes in him in regards to God working on his heart and attitude when he is ugly or rude to someone. On more than one occasion I have gotten on to him for something he said or did. A short while later he has come back on his own and apologized and asked for forgiveness (without my prompting). I have also heard him tell J several times that J has hurt his feelings. Building on what he learned at the Peacemakers Club a few weeks ago has been fun. Many occasions have arisen where we have talked about his attitude or what he did (ie name calling) and then talked about why it was bad and if it was on the continuum of escaping or fighting or working it out. Yesterday I was even on the phone with a friend and was being pretty direct with her and saying "no, you are not going to do that...there is no reason for that...". After I hung up he very loving came up and say "Boy mom, that sure was an argumentative tone of voice you were using..." Just a reminder of the things they take in and the many teachable lessons throughout the day.
J has had some success in potty training. Since we have been home a lot, he has been wearing a lot of underwear. On those days that I set my timer for 30 minutes and remind him to go, he stays dry. He is getting there!
JB now has 8 teeth and loves playing peek a boo. He is such a climber. Fun to watch him get up and over some of the stuff we pile up on the floor.
We decided this past weekend to paint the boys room. I just don't like white walls and amazing what paint can do, for a nominal cost. We picked out two paint colors to match a sports border I had picked up a few years ago. The painting went pretty well. I tried a new technique for getting a clean, crisp line where two colors meet and it worked perfectly. After we painted the two colors (one a light brown and one a darker blue) to match the sports border, I began looking at the sports border. It was self-paste but seems the glue was old and did not work well. Bought some wallpaper paste and the border went up without a hitch. I put the border up by myself, which is not recommended. Next time I will make sure there is another adult at least 5 feet tall nearby to help. It looks really good though (pictures did not do it justice). I am ready to paint our room and the bathrooms!
One really awesome thing with me the last 10 days or so is I feel like I have finally broken through a spiritual plateau/valley. For so long I have struggled getting up early in the morning or finding another quiet time during the day to read my bible, etc. Through a book I was reading about intimacy with God, it really encouraged me to just do it. I finally got out of bed recently and had an awesome morning. I ended up camping out on a verse in 1 Peter chapter 5. A very familiar one to me.... "Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith.." I had always known about the be alert part, but not the self-controlled part. It struck a cord. I struggle with self-control and discipline in so many areas. However, after spending some time on that verse, the struggles are not what they were. I also started thinking about lions and their hunting habits. They are not real fast endurance runners so they can't win a long chase. They need to get close to their prey and they do it by blending in with their surroundings. Then when the prey is least suspecting, the lion goes in for the kill. Since scripture refers to the devil prowling around like a lion, I started looking at my life. With today's society it is very easy for the devil to blend in. Where is the tall grass in my life and where is he waiting to pounce? When I monitor those areas and keep them in check/cut the tall grass, I find I already put the devil at a disadvantage. He is then on the defense. I need to be alert and self-controlled! There have been numerous other things that I feel like God has shown/revealed to me but still trying to work through some of them. Just good to be at a place where I feel like I am moving forward in my relationship with Christ versus just sitting stagnant in the middle of a lake with no wind in my sails.
One last picture I recently took of my camo boys.
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