We are done.. with birthday's that is. Yay! My handsome husband turned 30 just over a week ago and my darily Little Man turned 5 on Monday. This season is so much fun! We surprised Little Man with a Batman birthday last Thursday. Ryan and he went to Nanny's house to use their internet while the girls, Buddy, and I frantically decorated the kitchen with a batman table cloth, napkins, plates, and dinner (don't remember what we had now...). Right before they came home, we darkened the house and hid behind furniture and doors. As Little Man came walking in, we turned on the lights and yelled "Surprise!" His little mouth fell open and he started laughing - I think it took a good 30 minutes for it to hit him :)
Then Friday, we took the girls to my parents house and the boys and I headed off to Disney. We had a BLAST! Now, I know you're probably thinking, "Wow, that's kinda cruel, leaving your girls behind to visit Mickey Mouse." The thing is, they had just been to Disney last fall with my inlaws and had a FABULOUS time. Last time we went was before Buddy was born in the spring of '08, and Little Man barely remembered the park. (Plus, ever tried to find a cheap motel for 6 people?? doesn't happen.. for 4 people you can find them cheaply, but not 6.)
So we had a blast at Disney - Buddy's first time being there, Little Man's first time riding the big kid rides - was SO awesome and so different than taking the girls - it was quiet and relaxing, they make it crazy with all their excitement and jabber (I missed them terribly, but it all worked out well). Little Man's favorite ride was Big Thunder Mountain Railroad. He got off the first time, covered his agape mouth and laughed "That.. Was.. AWESOME!" He and Ryan rode it again later that day.
We actually had so much fun we toyed with the idea of taking all four kids down there next month - staying over the night before and then coming home after the park - but realistically, we can't afford to do that. Maybe we'll go again in the spring - my wonderful parents have a timeshare there and already booked a week to go and said we could go along as well.. may have to take them up on that offer.
Now we're back to school and work - I have a midterm and paper due this week (make that a mid-term only, already turned in the paper -high five). The girls (and Little Man) are learning about owls this week and have told me all sorts of interesting facts (kids retain so much!!). This weekend we're making various owl munchies to celebrate the end of their unit. We're also going to make homemade pumpkin pie. Love it!
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Train Up a Child
It's finally occured to me that parenthood isn't just about training up a child, it's also about training up a parent. So many times over the course of parenthood it's really about keeping me accountable, holding me responsible, making sure I'm making the best decision possible for each specific child.
A good example is potty training. While it's a good idea to wait until the child is interested to start pursuing this opportunity, I think many kids are ready to begin this adventure months before their parents are. Really, who wants to jump onto the potty after every meal, every sip of water, before every outing, after entering each store, etc. Just thinking about it seems exhausting. Yet, doing this for just a few days can make a HUGE difference to the world of potty training. Doing it for a week or two and bam - you're little champ is trained.
Same thing with doing school work. Now of course it's about teaching the child the subject matter, having fun teaching and learning it, and building special stepping stones that will be used for the rest of his or her life. It's also very time consuming, stressful, takes a strong commitment, and is a lot of hard work. Training myself to make sure I set aside time (an hour or more most nights) to do math and writing work each school night and making sure the lesson plans I prepare are not only educational, but fun and engaging as well. Not just going through the monotonous motions of regurgitating what the teacher books say, but really getting the material on my girls level, making it applicable to them, showing them how what they learn is going to be used forever in their life. It's tough!
So my purpose in typing this, is that I hope to look back to it frequently and remember "Yeah, I am accountable, responsible, and can handle it." Giving it my all, working at everything I do as if working for the Lord, making the most of each opportunity and each day, that I will not only better my children, but better myself in the process.
My children are worth it. Every sweat pouring minute in the heat of the day, every tiring moment at the end of the day, and all moments in between. God is using each second to train me up in the way I should go, hopefully I too can train my children up in the ways He wants them to go.
A good example is potty training. While it's a good idea to wait until the child is interested to start pursuing this opportunity, I think many kids are ready to begin this adventure months before their parents are. Really, who wants to jump onto the potty after every meal, every sip of water, before every outing, after entering each store, etc. Just thinking about it seems exhausting. Yet, doing this for just a few days can make a HUGE difference to the world of potty training. Doing it for a week or two and bam - you're little champ is trained.
Same thing with doing school work. Now of course it's about teaching the child the subject matter, having fun teaching and learning it, and building special stepping stones that will be used for the rest of his or her life. It's also very time consuming, stressful, takes a strong commitment, and is a lot of hard work. Training myself to make sure I set aside time (an hour or more most nights) to do math and writing work each school night and making sure the lesson plans I prepare are not only educational, but fun and engaging as well. Not just going through the monotonous motions of regurgitating what the teacher books say, but really getting the material on my girls level, making it applicable to them, showing them how what they learn is going to be used forever in their life. It's tough!
So my purpose in typing this, is that I hope to look back to it frequently and remember "Yeah, I am accountable, responsible, and can handle it." Giving it my all, working at everything I do as if working for the Lord, making the most of each opportunity and each day, that I will not only better my children, but better myself in the process.
My children are worth it. Every sweat pouring minute in the heat of the day, every tiring moment at the end of the day, and all moments in between. God is using each second to train me up in the way I should go, hopefully I too can train my children up in the ways He wants them to go.
Friday, September 10, 2010
Two down, Two to go
So we've come to the season known as "birthdays" in our house. It's nestled between late summer and early fall. Within 7 weeks, four out of the six of us have birthdays (poor me and Lulu, stuck all the way out there in November and February - smack right next to Thanksgiving and Christmas- caching). So thus the title, "Two down, Two to go." Next up is Ryan, my wonderful hubby and best friend. A few days later is Little Man. Now if we really want to complicate this we can add in days before Ryan's is my brother-in-law's birthday and right after Little Man's is my sister-in-law's, but that's just too complicated. :)
We're still adjusting to the new house - have hit a few snags, but are trusting in God for his provision and guidance. One of the things the kids love is all of the cows and goats (and even a donkey) that surround the neighborhood. There must be 300-500 head of cattle all within 3 miles of our house - it's awesome! The kids love seeing them, especially Buddy Boy who says "Look Mama! Cow! Cow!" So much fun :)
School is going well. The kids have had a two week "imagination" unit where they've created their own creatures (part animal, part ampliance - think "microphant" by Lulu; or two different animals - Eaglion by Doodle) and their own hamburgers. It's been so much fun! Last week we had our very own Crazy Burger night where the concoctions the kids created were brought to life and enjoyed (mostly) by all. I'll have to tell you about their unique burgers later - so cool. Tonight they're going to bring their crazy animals to life via clay. Can't wait!
I'm now reading through a study on Women of the Bible. I've done two of these types of studies before and always learn such amazing things - I'm only one week into this study and have thoroughly enjoyed it. So much to glean!
We're still adjusting to the new house - have hit a few snags, but are trusting in God for his provision and guidance. One of the things the kids love is all of the cows and goats (and even a donkey) that surround the neighborhood. There must be 300-500 head of cattle all within 3 miles of our house - it's awesome! The kids love seeing them, especially Buddy Boy who says "Look Mama! Cow! Cow!" So much fun :)
School is going well. The kids have had a two week "imagination" unit where they've created their own creatures (part animal, part ampliance - think "microphant" by Lulu; or two different animals - Eaglion by Doodle) and their own hamburgers. It's been so much fun! Last week we had our very own Crazy Burger night where the concoctions the kids created were brought to life and enjoyed (mostly) by all. I'll have to tell you about their unique burgers later - so cool. Tonight they're going to bring their crazy animals to life via clay. Can't wait!
I'm now reading through a study on Women of the Bible. I've done two of these types of studies before and always learn such amazing things - I'm only one week into this study and have thoroughly enjoyed it. So much to glean!
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Chicken Nuggets, Garden Salad, and Green Beans
You know you're a parent of multiple little children (MLC's) when you have a date night with your husband and instead of going out, you zap some chicken nuggets in the microwave, zap some leftover green beans in the microwave, and pair it with a garden salad for dinner. :)
We are all moved and settling in. It's wonderful! We are fortunate to live in a very nice quiet neighborhood with quite a few other MLC's on the street. Our house is small, but not too small and our front yard is massive. The kids have had a great time exploring the yards and meeting our very nice neighbors.
The girls (and Little Man) started school last week and seem to be doing well. Some of the same battles we had with Doodle Bug last year have popped up their ugly blood sucking heads, but we're popping like zits on a 15 year old boys face. Pop! Ok, sorry for the mental image that just conjured up.
Anyways, my school starts back next Monday, so we're gearing up for another busy season. And can you believe it - Doodle Bug and Buddy Boy have birthdays coming in next week and week after - they'll be 8 and 2. Yes, 8 and 2!! I can't believe it. I'm relishing this young age, it won't be long until Doodle Bug is "too cool to hang out with us." So in the mean time, we're playing Barbie's, Pioneers, and trying to keep Buddy from hurting himself as he climbs any and everything he can inside and outside the house. It's a chore, but a wonderfully good and fun one!
We are all moved and settling in. It's wonderful! We are fortunate to live in a very nice quiet neighborhood with quite a few other MLC's on the street. Our house is small, but not too small and our front yard is massive. The kids have had a great time exploring the yards and meeting our very nice neighbors.
The girls (and Little Man) started school last week and seem to be doing well. Some of the same battles we had with Doodle Bug last year have popped up their ugly blood sucking heads, but we're popping like zits on a 15 year old boys face. Pop! Ok, sorry for the mental image that just conjured up.
Anyways, my school starts back next Monday, so we're gearing up for another busy season. And can you believe it - Doodle Bug and Buddy Boy have birthdays coming in next week and week after - they'll be 8 and 2. Yes, 8 and 2!! I can't believe it. I'm relishing this young age, it won't be long until Doodle Bug is "too cool to hang out with us." So in the mean time, we're playing Barbie's, Pioneers, and trying to keep Buddy from hurting himself as he climbs any and everything he can inside and outside the house. It's a chore, but a wonderfully good and fun one!
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
Moving time
So the last few months of chaos and craziness are coming to a close.. well at least they will by this time next month (I hope). We're moving!!! YAY!!!!
We found a wonderful mobile home in a very nice area that we will be calling home. It's it a nice little neighborhood with some children, sherrif deputies, and police officers. I can't wait!!
We still have a lot we need to do, but we're getting it done slowly and surely. I look forward to just being moved, being settled, and being at home. Now, we're still renting, not owning, so it's not exactly "our home", but close enough for me.
The girls both passed their grades this year (YAY!!!!) and are eagerly awaiting to be 3rd and 1st graders. They grow up so fast! I remember when the girls were each 2 and 3, teaching them just to color on the paper instead of the table was a huge accomplishment, now they can read, write, do math problems and so much more. How wonderful it is to be able to be there and teach them!
My school is over as well, thankfully. It was a difficult semester. Seems like each semester and each class gets harder and harder. I wasn't sure if I would pass this class (statistics), but appears that I made a high C in the class. Now, I'd much rather have an A or a B, but I've resolved myself to be ok with passing - that is after all my goal now. Pass each class, glean some knowledge, and press on towards my degree.. which I will have.. eventually.
I'm reading through the Upperroom Discourse in the book of John. It's another study by Lenya Heitzig and Penny Rose. I've read these chapters many times over the years but it always amazes me the little nuggets I'm able to glean from them with each subsequent reading. So wonderful to be able to dig deeper into the root of the words and meanings. I just need to remember to take time and soak in His wisdom, not rush through it to get my day going.
Hope and pray you're doing well.
We found a wonderful mobile home in a very nice area that we will be calling home. It's it a nice little neighborhood with some children, sherrif deputies, and police officers. I can't wait!!
We still have a lot we need to do, but we're getting it done slowly and surely. I look forward to just being moved, being settled, and being at home. Now, we're still renting, not owning, so it's not exactly "our home", but close enough for me.
The girls both passed their grades this year (YAY!!!!) and are eagerly awaiting to be 3rd and 1st graders. They grow up so fast! I remember when the girls were each 2 and 3, teaching them just to color on the paper instead of the table was a huge accomplishment, now they can read, write, do math problems and so much more. How wonderful it is to be able to be there and teach them!
My school is over as well, thankfully. It was a difficult semester. Seems like each semester and each class gets harder and harder. I wasn't sure if I would pass this class (statistics), but appears that I made a high C in the class. Now, I'd much rather have an A or a B, but I've resolved myself to be ok with passing - that is after all my goal now. Pass each class, glean some knowledge, and press on towards my degree.. which I will have.. eventually.
I'm reading through the Upperroom Discourse in the book of John. It's another study by Lenya Heitzig and Penny Rose. I've read these chapters many times over the years but it always amazes me the little nuggets I'm able to glean from them with each subsequent reading. So wonderful to be able to dig deeper into the root of the words and meanings. I just need to remember to take time and soak in His wisdom, not rush through it to get my day going.
Hope and pray you're doing well.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Time flies when you're... busy
That pretty much sums up the last few weeks: busy. "House" hunting, finishing the fiscal year at work, finishing the school work with the girls, finishing up school work with me.. phew... BUSY!
We think we've found a place just a few miles from work (not the best side of town), has onsite security, maintenance, pool, playground, and laundromat. Plus, right outside the mobile home we are hoping to get is a huge field and two big oak trees that I KNOW Little Man would LOVE to climb. I think that's where God is leading us. Lots of 'little' things falling into place, makes me wonder if this is where He's leading us.
The work year ends tomorrow. It's been a bit busy making sure all accounts are paid properly and all reimbursements are ready to go for next year's opening. My work isn't as hectic as others in the area, but still keeping me on my toes.
The girls finished school two weeks ago. We're just trying to work with Doodle bug on her math. She is not remember to carry or borrow all the time, so she's getting things confused. We've gone back to square one with her. Praying it will work as she will be evaluated next Thursday (prayers, please!).
I'm taking Statistics this semester and have really enjoyed the class, but am finding it hard to keep up with the course work. We have assignments due every week, which is good because it forces me to stay ontop of things, but I don't get a chance to breathe. I've applied for some financial aid to help with books. I get two classes every semester for free thankfully, but still have to cough up $100 or more for books each semester. I'm praying I get approved, but if I don't then I know He'll provide for me. He always has and always will :) He's cool like that.
God is showing me the quiet times amidst all of the chaos. He's showing me His love and His rest, which I so deeply need at times. Some people ask for more hours in the day, not me - I'd just fill them with more frivilous and confusing stuff.. I just ask that He goes with me through the day, not giving me more than I can handle. Helping me to be a good witness for Him, for His cause. Loving others when I'm out of love, helping others when I just want to sit, praying with others when I'd rather just leave. He's changing me.. it's a good thing, but not always comfortable!
Our whole family is in for a change. When we're used to almost instant access to TV or the internet, we'll be relying on books, board games, and (dare I say it) more family time. I'm really looking forward to it, but it's going to take some getting used to. My prayer is that we draw closer to Him as a family, become the family He wants us to be - a witness to our neighbors, a help to our neighbors, a light in this oil filled world. I'm excited for what He has in store.
We think we've found a place just a few miles from work (not the best side of town), has onsite security, maintenance, pool, playground, and laundromat. Plus, right outside the mobile home we are hoping to get is a huge field and two big oak trees that I KNOW Little Man would LOVE to climb. I think that's where God is leading us. Lots of 'little' things falling into place, makes me wonder if this is where He's leading us.
The work year ends tomorrow. It's been a bit busy making sure all accounts are paid properly and all reimbursements are ready to go for next year's opening. My work isn't as hectic as others in the area, but still keeping me on my toes.
The girls finished school two weeks ago. We're just trying to work with Doodle bug on her math. She is not remember to carry or borrow all the time, so she's getting things confused. We've gone back to square one with her. Praying it will work as she will be evaluated next Thursday (prayers, please!).
I'm taking Statistics this semester and have really enjoyed the class, but am finding it hard to keep up with the course work. We have assignments due every week, which is good because it forces me to stay ontop of things, but I don't get a chance to breathe. I've applied for some financial aid to help with books. I get two classes every semester for free thankfully, but still have to cough up $100 or more for books each semester. I'm praying I get approved, but if I don't then I know He'll provide for me. He always has and always will :) He's cool like that.
God is showing me the quiet times amidst all of the chaos. He's showing me His love and His rest, which I so deeply need at times. Some people ask for more hours in the day, not me - I'd just fill them with more frivilous and confusing stuff.. I just ask that He goes with me through the day, not giving me more than I can handle. Helping me to be a good witness for Him, for His cause. Loving others when I'm out of love, helping others when I just want to sit, praying with others when I'd rather just leave. He's changing me.. it's a good thing, but not always comfortable!
Our whole family is in for a change. When we're used to almost instant access to TV or the internet, we'll be relying on books, board games, and (dare I say it) more family time. I'm really looking forward to it, but it's going to take some getting used to. My prayer is that we draw closer to Him as a family, become the family He wants us to be - a witness to our neighbors, a help to our neighbors, a light in this oil filled world. I'm excited for what He has in store.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Experiment #1
A few months ago my husband took our nice big TV out of our 'family' room. He replaced it with a 19 inch old TV that was in our bedroom (which is where we normally watched TV in the evenings). It took about a week to really adjust to not watching TV every night. The kids still watched some PBS during the day, but other than movies, we really didn't watch anything at night.
It started as part of an experiment, how we can adjust to not having TV in our lives (or at least not having a large amount of TV). We found ourselves enjoying life more. Instead of being bored and popping on the TV, we'd read, do chores (had a very clean house for a while), or play board games.
Then my husband started watching TV through the laptop via Netflix, Hulu, and CBS. It was great! We snuggled up close and got to decide on what to watch, either a 30 minute program or an hour long one. We didn't do it very frequently, deciding to spend our nights reading or playing board games, but it was nice to be able to watch something and relax.
Well, now that the World Cup is on TV, my husband hooked up the big TV in our room (what a nice clear, big picture!). Was supposed to only be for World Cup, but I think he and the kids spent most of Saturday afternoon watching cartoons on it.. at least they were together right?
Now I fear we're back into becoming zombies. We'll see how the rest of the World Cup goes... :)
It started as part of an experiment, how we can adjust to not having TV in our lives (or at least not having a large amount of TV). We found ourselves enjoying life more. Instead of being bored and popping on the TV, we'd read, do chores (had a very clean house for a while), or play board games.
Then my husband started watching TV through the laptop via Netflix, Hulu, and CBS. It was great! We snuggled up close and got to decide on what to watch, either a 30 minute program or an hour long one. We didn't do it very frequently, deciding to spend our nights reading or playing board games, but it was nice to be able to watch something and relax.
Well, now that the World Cup is on TV, my husband hooked up the big TV in our room (what a nice clear, big picture!). Was supposed to only be for World Cup, but I think he and the kids spent most of Saturday afternoon watching cartoons on it.. at least they were together right?
Now I fear we're back into becoming zombies. We'll see how the rest of the World Cup goes... :)
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