The other morning, my daughter woke up at 6:30. In an effort to get a few more minutes in bed, I offered for her to join me in bed. Not long after she crawled in, I smelled something a bit rank. My daughter has been potty trained since July (yay!) and I suspected she'd had an accident. I proceeded to touch her rear to confirm my suspicions, when she says to me "My buhiney is wet because I went down the wet slide." Ummmm...yeah nice try!
We got back from a weekend at Myrtle Beach, trying out our new 5th wheel. We had a fabulous time! When we got our first camper trailer, we had so many issues with leaks (shower, rain, etc.) that I was a bit apprehensive about getting another trailer for fear of dealing with all of those "new trailer" issues. Well, I'm so relieved that didn't happen! Now, I'm really looking forward to our weekend trip to Boone, NC next month!
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Sunday, September 13, 2009
My "Bad Mommy" Moment
Ok, all you Mommies out there....you know you have 'em. And the Dads out there are not immune either. I'm talking about "bad parent moments." You know, the moments you wish you could push the "rewind button" on and do a do-over.
Well, I don't seem to have them too often but this is one that happened recently that I thought I'd share. I'm sure every parent can relate to it.
Those who know me or read this blog know that I have 3 children....2 boys and a girl, who is the youngest. Well, the boys lately seem to be outgrowing shoes so much my husband and I have seriously considered buying some stock in Payless Shoe Store. Even in this down turned economy, everyone's gotta have shoes and my boys have been making sure we've been stimulating the economy for shoe retailers. Every time we turn around, they have worn a hole in the soles of their shoes. They MUST be twirling on their feet every day....that's the only explanation for how they wear holes in their soles so quickly (or poor workmanship, but I digress...).
Well, recently my 3 year old daughter has been complaining (though not too often) that her shoes hurt her feet. So, I put on my mental "To-do list" to take her shoe shopping soon. A few days later, I turn on my computer and as it boots up I once again look lovingly at the computer desktop picture of my 3 gorgeous angels. Then something catches my eye. It's the shoes on my daughter's feet. They're the exact same ones she's wearing today....only the picture was take A YEAR AGO! We hadn't bought that child shoes in a YEAR! We took her shoe shopping today and found not only were her feet NOT the size 7 shoe she was wearing (DUH!) but she is wearing a SIZE 9! Maybe she needs to do a little more twirling in her shoes....
Well, I don't seem to have them too often but this is one that happened recently that I thought I'd share. I'm sure every parent can relate to it.
Those who know me or read this blog know that I have 3 children....2 boys and a girl, who is the youngest. Well, the boys lately seem to be outgrowing shoes so much my husband and I have seriously considered buying some stock in Payless Shoe Store. Even in this down turned economy, everyone's gotta have shoes and my boys have been making sure we've been stimulating the economy for shoe retailers. Every time we turn around, they have worn a hole in the soles of their shoes. They MUST be twirling on their feet every day....that's the only explanation for how they wear holes in their soles so quickly (or poor workmanship, but I digress...).
Well, recently my 3 year old daughter has been complaining (though not too often) that her shoes hurt her feet. So, I put on my mental "To-do list" to take her shoe shopping soon. A few days later, I turn on my computer and as it boots up I once again look lovingly at the computer desktop picture of my 3 gorgeous angels. Then something catches my eye. It's the shoes on my daughter's feet. They're the exact same ones she's wearing today....only the picture was take A YEAR AGO! We hadn't bought that child shoes in a YEAR! We took her shoe shopping today and found not only were her feet NOT the size 7 shoe she was wearing (DUH!) but she is wearing a SIZE 9! Maybe she needs to do a little more twirling in her shoes....
Thursday, September 10, 2009
Summer Time
It seems I blinked and the summer was over. We have had lots of fun and stayed busy this summer.
My oldest started 4th grade and my 5 year old started Kindergarten in July. There weren't as many tears (his or mine) with my 5 year old starting school as I thought there'd be. He's becoming so independent and proud that he knows how to get to his class all by himself. He enjoys buying school lunch twice a week. He's so shy so I wasn't sure how he'd do with having to say his lunch number aloud but I've been to lunch with him a couple of times so far and he's sounding pretty confident! He's starting to learn and recognize sight words. He's on his way to reading!
During the summer, my daughter went to preschool camp and loved it! The first month she went gave my 5 year old and me some time to spend, just the two of us. I rarely have the time to spend one-on-one with each of my children but I feel like my 5 year old, being in the middle, really doesn't get the chance. The way I see it, my oldest got all of my time prior to my second being born....3 years....and my daughter is having her time with me alone now that the boys are both in school. So I try to steal time as best I can with each of my children. The second month my daughter went to preschool camp, I had 3 whole hours, 3 days a week for 3 weeks all to myself! I never knew what I was missing! I was able to finish tasks that I started. I feel so ADD at times because I'm constantly having to stop something I'm doing to referee or help them and so I'm constantly barraged with "Mama!"
In August, during the boys' track-out, we went to the lake for the week. We camped in our travel trailer. My husband's parents and aunt and uncle camped with us as well. It's always so much fun to spend a week swimming and spending time with the whole family. With everyone being so busy, it's nice to be able to get together. While we were camping, we decided that the RV we had (Damon (now Keystone) Hornet) was just getting too small for our family of 5...not to mention feeling like the 10 year old trailer was being held together by 3 year old caulk. So, we took the plunge and bought a new RV. It's a Keystone Laredo. Here's a picture of the new trailer along with a link to the floor plan and other pictures.
http://keystone-laredo.com/index.php?page=321BH-gallery
We are going to try out our new trailer next weekend when we hit Myrtle Beach. I'm hoping all goes well. All of the kids are so excited to have their own space and beds. My oldest has even told me that with the exception of taking showers (the shower is in the kids' room) we (the parents) are not allowed in their room. Perfectly fine by me! We're also planning on going to Boone, NC next month to try out the new camper.
My youngest and I started back to preschool this week (her as a student and me as a teacher). This year I am teaching the young twos (as opposed to the 3's for the past 2 years). Our first week has gone great...very low-key and easy-going, though we do have a couple of kids who are having a hard time adjusting. We'll see how next week goes. I know it'll get better....or so I'm told!
My oldest started 4th grade and my 5 year old started Kindergarten in July. There weren't as many tears (his or mine) with my 5 year old starting school as I thought there'd be. He's becoming so independent and proud that he knows how to get to his class all by himself. He enjoys buying school lunch twice a week. He's so shy so I wasn't sure how he'd do with having to say his lunch number aloud but I've been to lunch with him a couple of times so far and he's sounding pretty confident! He's starting to learn and recognize sight words. He's on his way to reading!
During the summer, my daughter went to preschool camp and loved it! The first month she went gave my 5 year old and me some time to spend, just the two of us. I rarely have the time to spend one-on-one with each of my children but I feel like my 5 year old, being in the middle, really doesn't get the chance. The way I see it, my oldest got all of my time prior to my second being born....3 years....and my daughter is having her time with me alone now that the boys are both in school. So I try to steal time as best I can with each of my children. The second month my daughter went to preschool camp, I had 3 whole hours, 3 days a week for 3 weeks all to myself! I never knew what I was missing! I was able to finish tasks that I started. I feel so ADD at times because I'm constantly having to stop something I'm doing to referee or help them and so I'm constantly barraged with "Mama!"
In August, during the boys' track-out, we went to the lake for the week. We camped in our travel trailer. My husband's parents and aunt and uncle camped with us as well. It's always so much fun to spend a week swimming and spending time with the whole family. With everyone being so busy, it's nice to be able to get together. While we were camping, we decided that the RV we had (Damon (now Keystone) Hornet) was just getting too small for our family of 5...not to mention feeling like the 10 year old trailer was being held together by 3 year old caulk. So, we took the plunge and bought a new RV. It's a Keystone Laredo. Here's a picture of the new trailer along with a link to the floor plan and other pictures.
http://keystone-laredo.com/index.php?page=321BH-gallery
We are going to try out our new trailer next weekend when we hit Myrtle Beach. I'm hoping all goes well. All of the kids are so excited to have their own space and beds. My oldest has even told me that with the exception of taking showers (the shower is in the kids' room) we (the parents) are not allowed in their room. Perfectly fine by me! We're also planning on going to Boone, NC next month to try out the new camper.
My youngest and I started back to preschool this week (her as a student and me as a teacher). This year I am teaching the young twos (as opposed to the 3's for the past 2 years). Our first week has gone great...very low-key and easy-going, though we do have a couple of kids who are having a hard time adjusting. We'll see how next week goes. I know it'll get better....or so I'm told!
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Kid-isms
My oldest ended his third grade school year today. Yesterday, he participated in "step up day" where the children meet their next year's teacher and see the kids in their upcoming class. Before this happened, my son's teacher asked her class to complete a writing assignment on a foot shaped piece of paper titled "My advice", for the children in her next year's class to read at their desk when they came to her for "step up day." He brought home his paper and here's what it said:
"My advice to you is for you to listen to the teacher and to make sure to finish your work on time. Believe me, it is not fun! And, did you know in your lifetime you will walk equivalent to 5 times around the equator."
That's my boy! :)
"My advice to you is for you to listen to the teacher and to make sure to finish your work on time. Believe me, it is not fun! And, did you know in your lifetime you will walk equivalent to 5 times around the equator."
That's my boy! :)
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Love....Actually
In honor of my husband's and my 13th wedding anniversary, I thought I'd write on the subject of love. At our wedding, one of the scripture readings the minister read was in 1 Corinthians. I think many Christian weddings these days have some sort of reference to this passage from the Bible during their ceremony. But recently, I read the whole chapter that these excerpts are taken from and I thought it shed a whole new light. Here it is: 1 Corinthians 13 (Revised Standard Version)
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
This love that Paul is speaking of, I believe, is not only just a love shared by a husband and wife. This is a love that should be in all of our relationships. It's a love God gives us...unconditional. It's a love given to us not because of what we've done or the fact that we love Him. It's given to us for no specific reason at all.....for lack of a better explanation: just because. And the best part is, this kind of love...this unconditional "love never ends"....no matter what we do or say. Everything we do should be out of this kind of love for one another. This is especially hard when someone has hurt us deeply.
For some reason, it's so much easier to harbor that pain and resentment, build up a wall and never look back. The bad part about that is, most of the time that pain and resentment that built that wall comes from the filter of negativity and depression. You start to forget the good things about that person and let the looming dark cloud take over, overshadowing any and all positive memories. Years pass and either you believe your dark thoughts to be the truth or you forget why you were mad in the first place. But as this Biblical passage reminds us, "our knowledge is imperfect."
God wants us to let His light of love shine through us. We can't, however, do this when we've built up walls. Walls cast shadows, blocking the light. We've got to let those walls down. God will let you know when it's time for you to break it down and will help you do it ("when the perfect comes"). When you accept this journey, God will help you see the situation for what it truly was ("the imperfect will pass away"). It will give you a peace you never thought you were missing and that is when God's light will shine through you like never before. Is there a wall from the past or today that's blocking God's light in you?
If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophecy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away. When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child; when I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall understand fully, even as I have been fully understood. So faith, hope, love abide these three; but the greatest of these is love.
This love that Paul is speaking of, I believe, is not only just a love shared by a husband and wife. This is a love that should be in all of our relationships. It's a love God gives us...unconditional. It's a love given to us not because of what we've done or the fact that we love Him. It's given to us for no specific reason at all.....for lack of a better explanation: just because. And the best part is, this kind of love...this unconditional "love never ends"....no matter what we do or say. Everything we do should be out of this kind of love for one another. This is especially hard when someone has hurt us deeply.
For some reason, it's so much easier to harbor that pain and resentment, build up a wall and never look back. The bad part about that is, most of the time that pain and resentment that built that wall comes from the filter of negativity and depression. You start to forget the good things about that person and let the looming dark cloud take over, overshadowing any and all positive memories. Years pass and either you believe your dark thoughts to be the truth or you forget why you were mad in the first place. But as this Biblical passage reminds us, "our knowledge is imperfect."
God wants us to let His light of love shine through us. We can't, however, do this when we've built up walls. Walls cast shadows, blocking the light. We've got to let those walls down. God will let you know when it's time for you to break it down and will help you do it ("when the perfect comes"). When you accept this journey, God will help you see the situation for what it truly was ("the imperfect will pass away"). It will give you a peace you never thought you were missing and that is when God's light will shine through you like never before. Is there a wall from the past or today that's blocking God's light in you?
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