Friday - Extra playtime with Daddy because Mommy was at work.
Saturday - Early nap and then Surprise! Pop Pop took me to see Thomas! Thomas scared me when he made his choo-choo sounds, so I hid between Pop Pop's legs. I colored a picture of Thomas and got my picture taken. Then, when I got home, surprise! Mimio and Mimi-Mimi were there for a short visit! Fun evening at home with Daddy while Mommy visited with a friend from out of state.
Sunday - Church! Mommy stayed in Baby Blvd. with me because my teacher hurt her back. I played so well and Mommy was so proud. I learned about how God created man, so I colored a picture of a man and glued him to a Popsicle stick. I got to help tear everything down and sat at the teacher's desk like a big man. I didn't want to leave church! After a short nap, Mommy and Daddy took me to meet Baby Bambi! He wasn't scared of me at all and I played and snuggled with him (Mommy and Daddy said I'd have to take a bath when I got home). I also got to play with Ms. Nancy and a big dollhouse with all sorts of fun stuff - a grill, tv, animals, baby, etc. We had to leave early so Mommy could go to work, but when we got home people brought over a play set for our backyard! I got to play with some big boys and it was so much fun!
Monday - I woke up early and went to a parade with Mimio and Uncle Zac. It was hot, but Mimio sprayed me with lots of water and made sure I had plenty of sunscreen. When I got home we packed up to spend the day with Kandice and Kip! They have a huge bucket of toys for me to play with, and I love it. I also played with their cat toys. :) I ate so much watermelon - I was in heaven! They also let me watch Finding Nemo so they could play some game about Apples.
This was a fun weekend and I am so excited for my birthday and summer!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Friday, May 27, 2011
Acts 20:24
However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God’s grace.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
Monday, May 23, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Cameron Says
This morning, I woke up hearing Cameron yelling at the front door. "Kiss and a hug! I want a kiss and a hug!" Over and over. He was yelling at Chris. :) Fortunately, I was able to call Chris quickly and after I told him how Cameron was carrying on, he came back in and gave Cameron another kiss and a hug. That made for one happy little boy and one heart-warmed mommy/wife.
"I like saying Jesus and God." (Can't remember why he was saying this. I think it's because I told him that I was going to spend some time reading the Bible and I told him the Bible talks about Jesus and God.)
"I want to read a-votional with you!" (I explained I was reading my devotional.)
"I want to see the coffee - I just want to sniff it." I liked the way he specified that he wanted to sniff it. And he did. ;)
"I like saying Jesus and God." (Can't remember why he was saying this. I think it's because I told him that I was going to spend some time reading the Bible and I told him the Bible talks about Jesus and God.)
"I want to read a-votional with you!" (I explained I was reading my devotional.)
"I want to see the coffee - I just want to sniff it." I liked the way he specified that he wanted to sniff it. And he did. ;)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Proud Moment
This morning we took Cameron to tour his preschool for the fall. I was almost 100% I wanted to send him to this school, but I wanted to see how it runs for myself. Chris took the day off of work (which was great for all of us) so he could come and help with Ian.
When we arrived, the doors were locked. We loved that. It was reassuring, that even though this school is located inside a church in a safe neighborhood, they are taking no chances. They were able to see us by video, and then a secretary let us in. She took us to meet Ms. Lance, the preschool director. We then got a tour of every classroom (they have three for 3 year olds, two or three for 4 year olds, and one for 5 year olds), the large muscle room area, the library, and the office. We were very impressed by the amount of different options for the kids, and that all of children there seemed to really be enjoying themselves. We met all of the teachers, and saw that there is always a parent-aide in each classroom every day. This is a cooperative preschool, so part of the way they are able to keep costs down is to have every parent commit to spending 6 days in the classroom per school year. Definitely fine with me. :)
Cameron seemed to like it there a lot (so many toys!), and I really appreciated how well Ms. Lance interacted with him. The average amount of years the teachers have been at that preschool is 14 years, so they must enjoy their work. :) We decided to sign Cameron up on the spot (to snag one of the last remaining morning openings), and I filled out the paperwork. As I was doing that, Ms. Lance asked when Cameron's birthday is. I told her it's next month, and she looked really confused. I told her he'd be turning 3 in a few weeks. Her response was that she had assumed he was at least 3-1/2 based on his independence, verbal communication, and cooperation! As a mom, that was one of the best things I could have heard! It's hard to know exactly how your child measures up when they are your oldest. I don't much to compare with. Of course I think he's very bright, but it's wonderful to hear that from a seasoned professional. :)
Cameron starts in September, and he has already told us a few times that he wants to go back to school. I'm very excited for him. :)
Side note - I know preschool is not for every child. I believe that I could have definitely gone straight from being at home to kindergarten, but I was also a very verbal, social child. I know that Cameron is a very smart little boy, but I think right now for him the most important thing is for him to learn social skills among other children. He doesn't have a lot of opportunities to play with kids his age outside of his church class on Sundays. It will be great for him to learn to listen better, and to follow directions.
When we arrived, the doors were locked. We loved that. It was reassuring, that even though this school is located inside a church in a safe neighborhood, they are taking no chances. They were able to see us by video, and then a secretary let us in. She took us to meet Ms. Lance, the preschool director. We then got a tour of every classroom (they have three for 3 year olds, two or three for 4 year olds, and one for 5 year olds), the large muscle room area, the library, and the office. We were very impressed by the amount of different options for the kids, and that all of children there seemed to really be enjoying themselves. We met all of the teachers, and saw that there is always a parent-aide in each classroom every day. This is a cooperative preschool, so part of the way they are able to keep costs down is to have every parent commit to spending 6 days in the classroom per school year. Definitely fine with me. :)
Cameron seemed to like it there a lot (so many toys!), and I really appreciated how well Ms. Lance interacted with him. The average amount of years the teachers have been at that preschool is 14 years, so they must enjoy their work. :) We decided to sign Cameron up on the spot (to snag one of the last remaining morning openings), and I filled out the paperwork. As I was doing that, Ms. Lance asked when Cameron's birthday is. I told her it's next month, and she looked really confused. I told her he'd be turning 3 in a few weeks. Her response was that she had assumed he was at least 3-1/2 based on his independence, verbal communication, and cooperation! As a mom, that was one of the best things I could have heard! It's hard to know exactly how your child measures up when they are your oldest. I don't much to compare with. Of course I think he's very bright, but it's wonderful to hear that from a seasoned professional. :)
Cameron starts in September, and he has already told us a few times that he wants to go back to school. I'm very excited for him. :)
Side note - I know preschool is not for every child. I believe that I could have definitely gone straight from being at home to kindergarten, but I was also a very verbal, social child. I know that Cameron is a very smart little boy, but I think right now for him the most important thing is for him to learn social skills among other children. He doesn't have a lot of opportunities to play with kids his age outside of his church class on Sundays. It will be great for him to learn to listen better, and to follow directions.
Airing my Dirty Laundry
A recent discussion about laundry came up on an online Mom's group I participate in. One mom asked for tips on how to cut back on the amount of weekly laundry she has for her family. The first response came from a mother of 5 - she said that she gets away with only 2-3 loads of laundry per week! That's for 7 people!! Now, I find that hard to believe (although I have no reason not to trust that she's telling the truth). With our family of 4, I can easily do 2-3 loads of laundry per day, and still not be caught up! Now, of course, I am usually behind, playing catch-up. All it takes is two days in a row of not doing laundry, and all of a sudden there's Mt. Washmore. But to keep up with it all, at the very least I would need to do one load a day, and I'm not sure if that would cut it. And that still brings me to 7 loads per week!
In an effort to cut down on laundry (because really, it's a lot of work for me, and that time could be spent doing something I enjoy, such as reading for myself or reading to my kids - not to mention the price of water and electricity!), I read some follow-up comments and did some brainstorming with Chris. When I stopped and thought about what the bulk of the loads are, it comes down to kid stuff: clothes, bedding, towels, bibs, etc. I wash everything, often. Chris will wear something to the point of it smelling (which takes a while, because he has no odor), and I will re-wear outer clothing (sweatshirts and pants) as long as they don't have any stains or odors. But, with the kids clothes, I wash everything, every time. For some reason I feel like I have to, regardless of the appearance, for them to be clean. So that's where I'm going to start first: re-using bibs until they are actually dirty/gross (which may be only 1 time, or maybe it will be good for a few uses); having Cameron wear his pants and sweatshirts more than once, as long as they aren't stained (which may or may not happen, haha); having both boys wear their pajamas more than just one night, as long as it's not sweaty when they wake up. Simple things that should cut down on at least one load per week. I think we do pretty well with towels, but I got the idea from the posting, that after a few uses (which is typical for us), then to use the towel to wipe down the tub or bathroom floor before laundering. I like that idea.
I already caught myself once today, almost throwing something that for all intents and purposes, was clean. Ian wore his footy pajamas last night and was changed first thing in the morning. I almost threw them in with the laundry, but thought about it, and instead hung it up on his closet to air out (even though it didn't smell or anything). Then, tonight, I was about to change him into those pjs, when I realized that he was wearing comfy clothes and that they would be fine and warm enough to sleep in. So that's another outfit getting used twice before washing. So, baby steps, quite literally. :)
Side note: I also hope to dry more laundry outside this summer. I always try to dry blankets, comforters, bath mats, etc. on the deck if the weather is favorable. I would love to figure out how to rig a clothing line on our back deck (we don't have any trees), so I could also hang clothes. :)
In an effort to cut down on laundry (because really, it's a lot of work for me, and that time could be spent doing something I enjoy, such as reading for myself or reading to my kids - not to mention the price of water and electricity!), I read some follow-up comments and did some brainstorming with Chris. When I stopped and thought about what the bulk of the loads are, it comes down to kid stuff: clothes, bedding, towels, bibs, etc. I wash everything, often. Chris will wear something to the point of it smelling (which takes a while, because he has no odor), and I will re-wear outer clothing (sweatshirts and pants) as long as they don't have any stains or odors. But, with the kids clothes, I wash everything, every time. For some reason I feel like I have to, regardless of the appearance, for them to be clean. So that's where I'm going to start first: re-using bibs until they are actually dirty/gross (which may be only 1 time, or maybe it will be good for a few uses); having Cameron wear his pants and sweatshirts more than once, as long as they aren't stained (which may or may not happen, haha); having both boys wear their pajamas more than just one night, as long as it's not sweaty when they wake up. Simple things that should cut down on at least one load per week. I think we do pretty well with towels, but I got the idea from the posting, that after a few uses (which is typical for us), then to use the towel to wipe down the tub or bathroom floor before laundering. I like that idea.
I already caught myself once today, almost throwing something that for all intents and purposes, was clean. Ian wore his footy pajamas last night and was changed first thing in the morning. I almost threw them in with the laundry, but thought about it, and instead hung it up on his closet to air out (even though it didn't smell or anything). Then, tonight, I was about to change him into those pjs, when I realized that he was wearing comfy clothes and that they would be fine and warm enough to sleep in. So that's another outfit getting used twice before washing. So, baby steps, quite literally. :)
Side note: I also hope to dry more laundry outside this summer. I always try to dry blankets, comforters, bath mats, etc. on the deck if the weather is favorable. I would love to figure out how to rig a clothing line on our back deck (we don't have any trees), so I could also hang clothes. :)
Monday, May 16, 2011
Ian's Dedication
Biddy Baby Ian was dedicated yesterday at our church. We felt so blessed to have our family and a close friend stand up for Ian and for us, in choosing to partner with us to raise him to know Jesus. While I do have to wonder if some of the people really understand what that means, I am thankful for the opportunity to show them what that looks like, while doing the best we can to raise our boys.
Some pics from the dedication:
Monday, May 9, 2011
Dear God
Cameron told me during bath time tonight that he wanted to "Dear God."
"Dear God,
Thank you for Ian.
Thank you for froggy.
Thank you for truck.
Amen."
(The frog and truck are bath toys.)
I prompted him a little. "How about thank you for Mommy?"
"Thank you for Mommy. Amen."
"How about thank you for Daddy?"
"Thank you for Daddy.
Thank you for Mimi-o (Grandma).
Thank you for Mimi-Mimi (Great-Grandma).
Thank you for Uncle Zac.
Amen!"
"Dear God,
Thank you for Ian.
Thank you for froggy.
Thank you for truck.
Amen."
(The frog and truck are bath toys.)
I prompted him a little. "How about thank you for Mommy?"
"Thank you for Mommy. Amen."
"How about thank you for Daddy?"
"Thank you for Daddy.
Thank you for Mimi-o (Grandma).
Thank you for Mimi-Mimi (Great-Grandma).
Thank you for Uncle Zac.
Amen!"
Friday, May 6, 2011
Random Thoughts
- My hat goes off to single mothers. Not that I am even trying to compare myself to a single mother, but seriously, it's hard work.
- Potty training is frustrating. Re-potty training is even more frustrating.
- Friends who fairly spontaneously bring over home-cooked supper and drinks are awesome. Friends who leave the leftovers are even more awesome. :)
- Running out of diapers because you thought your toddler was more or less potty trained is awesome when you realize they still need them. /sarcasm
- Having a 9 month old that basically wears the same size diaper as your almost 3 year old comes in handy.
- "..." annoys me. Not calling out any one person in particular, but almost every time I see this, it bugs me. (That's cool...)
Philippians 4: 4-9
4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9 Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you
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