The Tomlinson Family

Merry Christmas, 2010!

2010-12-08T23:50:00.006-05:00

Hello dear friends and family!

For those of you still laughing at my ghetto Christmas postcard....Hey! It seemed like a good idea at the time! It fit the budget and half the postage. How was I to know I was going to stamp and label over every square centimeter of that card? I guess I just have too much to say!

So here's the year in review. I haven't been blogging this year like I have in the past, so for many of you this is the first update on the Tomlinson family in quite some time.

Jason continues to work at PanAmerican Laboratories as the District Manger of Florida. In a time where so many around me are having to move to find or keep their job, I am a little more thankful for his job and a little slower to complain about all his travel.

I started a little business this year in February, Sew Thoughtful. I make and embroider baby gift items such as taggie blankets and bibs. I thoroughly enjoy sewing and even more so, providing the perfect gift for someone to give. I have learned a lot this year about the challenge of balancing a family and anything. This has never been a strong point of mine, so I'm not sure why it surprised me to find it so difficult. Although I had to slow it down a bit, I am still doing it fairly consistently. I'm trying hard to serve my family before I sew. You know, having clean laundry in the house and food in the refrigerator is always a plus!

Amelia, 6, loves first grade just as she seems to love every new life experience. She approaches everything with such joy and excitement. She is quite interested in loosing teeth. Once she discovered the glory of the tooth fairy, she has been pulling out her teeth long before they are ready to come out. One day last week, she came home with one out that was barely loose at all that morning. One night at the dinner table, she was insistent that she got to say the blessing. I guess she had an agenda because she asked God if this time the tooth fairy would give her five dollars!

Lane, 4, is in VPK this year. I have seen such a major change in him from last year as it relates to school. Last year he only went because he had to and never attached to anyone. This year he has figured out it is more fun at school. He has made several friends and seems to be well liked by the other kids. He has really come out of his shell. What a difference a year can make! A few months ago, Lane started changing his name for weeks at a time. Around Halloween, he started asking us to call him Yoshi, his soon to be costume. Next thing I know, he is coming home from school with Yoshi written on his papers. That stuck for several weeks and then a few others. Currently he is calling himself, Theodore (from Alvin and the Chipmunks). Tonight I picked him up from Awana and the teacher said, "Owen, Theodore, your mom's here." What a character!

Owen, 3, works hard to keep up with his brother and sister. He goes to school two mornings a week. He likes it just fine but really is indifferent about whether he goes to school or stays home with mom. His personality is closest to Amelia, joyful and full speed, ready to try anything. It is Lane, however, that he wants to imitate. He is right behind his big brother when it comes to interests or milestones.

We took the kids on a cruise this fall. We never thought we'd take our kids with us, but having them with us turned out to be the best of both worlds. We had great family time most of the day. Then they went to Camp Carnival and Jason and I were able to spend some time together alone. It was so nice to have a nice meal every night without any spilt drinks, dropped forks, or 10 trips up and down from the table.

Jason and I are so overwhelmed by our blessed life. It's not that it's perfect--it has the normal but very real challenges of raising children and upkeep on our marriage. But still, we are humbled by God's faithfulness to our family. I came across this verse today, which perfectly relays my thankfulness:

"Lord, you are my God;

I will exalt you and praise your name,

for in perfect faithfulness

you have done wonderful things,

things planned long ago."

Isaiah 25:1

On that note, I will leave you with one of my favorite songs. The lyrics are so simple but they inspire me. Below are the lyrics and you can listen to it here. I wouldn't say exactly that we are loving Him with our life.....but we are sure trying!

We wish you a wonderful Christmas. May the joy and purpose that comes from knowing Jesus, be yours this holiday season.

Love,

The Tomlinsons

"Getting Into You" by Relient K

When I made up my mind

And my heart along with that

To live not for myself

But yet for God somebody said

Do you know what you are getting yourself into

When I finally ironed out

All of my priorities

And asked God to remove the doubt

That makes me so unsure of these

Things I ask myself, I ask myself

Do you know what you are getting yourself into

I'm getting into you

Because you got to me, in a way words can't describe

I'm getting into you

Because I've got to be

You're essential to survive

I'm going to love you with my life

When he looked at me and said

I kind of view you as a son

And for a second our eyes met

And I met that with a question

Do you know what you are getting yourself int

I've been a liar and I'll never amount to

The kind of person you deserve to worship you

You say you will not dwell on what I did but rather what I do you say

I love you and that's what you are getting yourself into

He said, I love you and that's what you are getting yourself into.

Easter, Amelia turned 6, and Family Vacation 2010

2010-07-05T14:05:00.008-04:00

I will not even offer the apologies on not blogging anymore because I don't really see the frequency changing any time soon. The spare time that I used to find to do it, is now filled with sewing. Most of you know, I started a little business, Sew Thoughtful, and it has really been keeping me busy.

For the grandparents sake, I'm going to post a few pictures all the way back to Easter (cuz they've been asking to see them) and up to our vacation we just returned from.

Easter 2010

Eating dinner and egg hunt at the Flammangs after church

Crazy pose from the crazy three

Easter morning before church with their Easter baskets.

Amelia turns 6!

One highlight of her birthday this year was a surprise visit from our friends the Pardues. Her friend Ella has been at every birthday since she was born. This past year they moved to Savannah but made the trip down for a special weekend.

This is Amelia blowing out her candles on the awesome birthday cake that her Aunt Gina decorated for her. You can't exactly tell, but the absolutely perfect cake did not make it home that way. It has a major crack through the middle where we put the candles and pretended it was an earthquake.

Major highlight of the presents this year was Jessie, from Toy Story. Aunt Gina & Uncle Raul also spoiled the boys and got them Woody & Buzz so Amelia would have the other characters to play along with.

This was first thing birthday morning where she got to open her present from Nana & Grandy. She got a very special baby doll- the American Girl Bitty Baby. This was the first time she ever had an interest in a baby doll so I was pretty excited about her getting it!

Birthday breakfast on the birthday plate

Family Vacation 2010: Singer Island

This year we vacationed at Singer Island, just off of West Palm Beach. The kids had a blast at the hotel and the two pools. They didn't care too much about the beach. I don't know if they're spoiled by living so close to the beach or if they get their indifference from their Daddy who doesn't care much for all the sand and sun.

Owen & Amelia were best buds at the pool because they both preferred to spend the entire time going down the slide. It was so cute to watch them hold hands going up the stairs. Amelia was an awesome big sister looking out for her little brother.

Lane outsmarted us at our star parenting techniques. Because Lane preferred to be at the shallow end of the pool, and because we couldn't be there and at the bottom of the slide watching the other kids at the same time, we bribed Lane that if he would go down the slide, we would buy him the Bullseye character from Toy Story. We said this on the first day at the hotel hoping to simplify the rest of the stay for us. For 5 days, Lane wouldn't budge. He stayed clinging to the side of the pool in the shallow area. On the morning we were to check out, he came up to me and said, "I want Bullseye but I'm afraid the slide will be fast". With realization that this was his last shot, he went down the slide, LOVED it, and the went down it about 20 more times until it was time for us to check out. Jason said next time we stooped to bribery, we were going to state that the offer only applied on the first day. Lane figured out how to stand his ground and still walk away with the toy!

Jason's childhood friend, "Uncle Ben" and his wife, "Aunt Karen" were able to join us for two days of our vacation. They live in Texas and we look forward to seeing them twice a year, even if only for a few hours. This year, we added their new daughter, Hallie, to the mix! Every time my kids see Ben, they are like metal to his magnet. They won't be more than 2 feet away from him.

July 4th

It was the rainiest weekend of the whole season, but we did make it out to watch fireworks in downtown Bradenton with friends and family. Other than that, we pretty much stayed dry inside and recuperated from our vacation!

Lane is 4!

2010-03-22T17:58:00.003-04:00

Middle one has turned four! So hard to believe. With Owen just 18 months behind, I barely have babies anymore.

I adopted some birthday tradition ideas from my friend Ashley. We celebrated Lane's birthday for several days before the actual date. Each morning he would wake up and there would be a wrapped (dollar store) gift to start his day. I also made a sign that said, _ more days until Lane's birthday and each morning filled it in accordingly. This year all gifts were themed spiderman because that's what my little man is into these days. He actually has never seen the show or movie so knows very little about who he is. But somehow all boys innately know he is cool.

On his real birthday, we skipped school and went to Busch Gardens as a family. The next day at school his teacher said, "Lane you were playing hookie at Busch Gardens yesterday!" And Lane said very adamantly, "I didn't play hookie-they didn't have that game there."

And now I'm going to brag on my boy for a few moments. We had his 3rd quarter parent/teacher conference today. His teacher said he is ready to go to kindergarten! (He still has another year and a half until he's old enough though!) Academically, he has surprised me unbelievably. I guess because he had such serious speech issues, I never got to notice how smart he is! His speech teacher said he has met every speech goal and now the only sound that remains incorrect is "r" which is actually age appropriate and alone would not qualify for speech. His OT & PT teacher said he was the most stimulable child they have worked with because even though he rarely knows how to do the task at first, he immediately catches on once shown the correct way. He is writing his first and (long) last name and went from knowing 3 letters in the fall to all of them at this point.

Emotionally, Lane is still my most sensitive child. He is super sweet and always saying thank you for what ever he is appreciating at the moment. "Mommy thank you for taking me to Busch Gardens" or "Mommy thank you for taking me to Wyatts birthday party." He is also the most likely to have an emotional blow-up when he feels misunderstood or that something is unfair. He always thinks of his sister and brother when he is away from them and wants to bring them back one of whatever he is getting. He is finally at the age where he and Amelia can play peacefully for long periods of time. (Throw Owen into the mix and it is still constant fighting).

His sentimental spirit can be seen in his toy choices also. He still chooses stuffed animals over most other toys and he has them all named: Alex, Bud, Nana Bear, and Otis to name a few.

While on the skyride at Busch Garedens he turned to me and said in the sweetest most innocent voice, "Mommy, I feel like I could reach right up and touch heaven."

He is such a special boy and Jason and I are so blessed we have been entrusted with him!

New Endeavor

2010-02-26T08:40:00.002-05:00

I am so excited I can barely type!

As many of you know, I have been making baby gifts for a while now. Nothing too impressive, mostly just little taggies, burp clothes, bibs, etc. What makes them adorable actually, has nothing to do with me. I take my creations to get monogrammed. Put the baby's name on it and it is automatically precious! Many people have told me I should try to sell them. The problem is, I pay just as much for the monogram as I have in to the blanket so I could never charge a reasonable amount to make it worth my while. Buying an embroidery machine for that purpose alone never made any business sense.

Then I started seeing a need for local embroidery. Long story short, yesterday I unboxed my dream machine. It is so amazing. I have always dreamed of owning one of these machines but never thought it would actually happen.

I have lots of ideas for strumming up business. Of course you know Jason had to have a serious business plan before he would go for this.

Problem is, I need a name for my little home business. I need to get business cards made, a facebook page started, etc. , etc.. Here is where you come in. I need ideas. None of my own ideas have been winners with my friends. So I would love to know what your ideas are.

I thought of Monogram Mommy. That got a big thumbs down from my sister.

I stole this idea from my girlfriend Julie: A Good Name Embroidery and Gifts-"A good name is better than riches"-Proverbs 22:1. Jason likes For Names Sake. What do you like?

To Be Fully Known

2010-01-11T13:59:00.002-05:00

"My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me." John 10:27

To be fully known and understood and loved despite all that. I don't know if it's a girl thing or what, but that has always been a deep desire of mine. I guess that's why girlfriends are so important to me, because they come the closest to meeting that need.

Today, I was thinking about how God does that for me and for each one of us who let's him. He knows the depths of our hearts and minds, our intentions and motives. Our ugly. He not only gets what we need, but as our Creator, he fuels that need by placing certain desires in our heart.

I have always been amazed that God knows exactly who I am and still loves me. This wasn't a new realization for me. My Ah-Ha! moment came when I realized that it is absolutely unfair that I would expect any other human to be able to love me like that. And I have unconsciously expected people to, or at the very least, wanted them to and then have been disappointed when they can't. It is no small thing that God loves us in spite of who we are. That is exactly what makes him God.

Today I am overflowing with an appreciation for His unique love for me. I think this may help me love those around me with fewer expectations, more oversight, and with less of a reflection of how they love me.

Flighty Update

2010-01-05T21:08:00.003-05:00

I know, I know. I never blog. True.

Life just keeps blurring past me. Loving every moment (well...almost) of watching the kids grow up before my eyes. But nothing seems significant enough to write about. I'll do my best for an update:

Amelia has lost two teeth. She is obsessed with getting money from the tooth fairy and has been ever since she witnessed her cousin Haley loose a tooth. The first tooth was ready to come out, hanging by a thread. I asked her if she wanted me to yank it out. Uh-uh. She wanted to do it herself. She just reached in there and yanked it out. A week or so later, the next tooth was loose. This time, she yanked that thing out in my opinion, about three days early. It was not THAT loose. She wanted that money bad!
Lane is the cutest thing ever right now. He is talking up a storm. The only noticeable speech problem he has left is his r's, which makes his talking so adorable to me. I love it! I keep saying I'm going to write down some of the way he says things so I can remember it but I never do.
All three kids are really into telling jokes. My current favorite is supposed to go like this: What do you call cheese that doesn't belong to you? Nacho cheese. But when Lane tells it, it sounds like this: What's cheese that doesn't long to you? Nacho cheese. Hey, at least they are starting to make sense!
Owen is 2. Enough said, right?

I myself, am up to my usual hobby hopping! I seem to be all out consumed with one thing for a period of time and then I shift to something else for a while. In 2009 it included sewing, Twilight, baking, photoshop & digital craftiness in general, along with constant projects for the kids school. Every single one of those remains an interest of mine, I just don't have time for more than one of them at any single time. At the moment I am back to reading, thanks to my sister, who hooked me on the Stephanie Plum novels. I am on book 5 of 14. This obsession may last a while. Hoping to get back to sewing soon after that. I really miss it.

I'm not even going there with New Year's Resolutions. I mean really. Just pull up my blog on that matter from last year and ditto that. Depressing!

I'm off to see what kind of blunder Stephanie will find herself in this time. Bible study starts back tomorrow at which time I will institute the Can't Read My Book Until I've Read My Bible routine. That usually works out well. Sometimes.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-14T12:41:00.002-05:00

Merry Christmas from our family to yours!

Great Friends,Sick Kids, Great Friends

2009-11-23T20:04:00.006-05:00

Jason and I just returned from a trip to Dallas, without kids, to see our friends Ben and Karen. Without kids. Can I just say that again? WITH.OUT.KIDS. Do you have any idea how wonderfully, amazing it was? One day, I ate a bowl of cereal at 11:15 am. One morning, Jason brought me a cup of coffee and a brownie in bed. I just sat there and relished every sip. I saw two movies in a theater. I bet I hadn't seen two movies in a theater in six or eight months before that. One night, I stayed up till 2:30, by choice, holding a precious four week old baby while she slept on my chest-and I enjoyed watching every breath she took. No one needed me for 72 hours! And this isn't even touching on the real reason we had such a great trip-Ben and Karen. It was so great to spend time with them just talking and catching up (and having someone to laugh with me at Jason). Karen said it best when she said, "You know you have found a good friendship when it is just easy". That is exactly what the time together was-easy. We never cared what we were doing or where we were going. But whatever we were doing or wherever we were going was a blast.

Hallie, the newest addition to the Wright family, is absolutely precious. She seems to be taking on the laid back disposition of both her parents. You barely even knew she was there. I think she is extremely blessed to have such kind and joyful parents. I don't think she will ever know what stress is because it doesn't seem to exist in either Ben or Karen.

Backing up now a little-I think every possible thing was working against us on going on this trip. Three days before we left, Lane got a sinus infection. Rattled me a little knowing that I was trying to leave, but really no big deal. One day of antibiotic and he was fine. One hurdle overcome. Then we find out that my sister, who is supposed to have my kids for most of the time I'm gone, has to go to a funeral on Friday and Saturday that was out of town. Of course I understand, since I myself would have been at that funeral had I not had a plane ticket to Dallas already paid for. Still, a little moment of stress to now have to make other arrangements for my kids on such short notice. Also the fact that imposing on friends is just never your first choice. My girlfriend Meg saved the day and took them for Fri night and Saturday. Another hurdle overcome. 1:40am on Thursday morning, Amelia has what I thought was an asthma attack. She came into our room gasping for air, crying and panicking, unable to breathe. I used all her rescue meds and she started moving air pretty well. We woke up at 6am with a huge decision to make. I listened to Amelia to try to make my decision and she sounded great. I didn't hear any wheeze or coarseness. But I was still pretty shook up by night before. Very reluctantly, we decided to go on. I took her inhalers to the nurse, took her to school, and started my second guessing. After a call to the doctor, I discovered it wasn't an asthma attack, but croup. Great. I just took my contagious child to school and am getting ready to fly away in an air plane.

This is where the great friends come in once again. Ashley went and got Amelia from school, filled her prescriptions, and took care of her for the next day all the while exposing her son to my sick daughter. She was very gracious in her attitude about the whole thing. Even through all this, the kids had a blast there. I knew they were in good hands. Thank you Ashley and Joe for your willingness to help and your graciousness in a less than ideal situation.

I mentioned my great friend Meg before. She is the one that took my kids for the time my sister needed to be at the funeral. Yeah-did I mention she herself has two year old triplets? Need I say anything more about what a great friend she is?

I only wish this story were over, but, No. The kids finally got to my sisters house Saturday evening just in time for Lane to come down with some sort of a stomach virus. He was up all night screaming, apparently, and threw up all Sunday morning. You know someone who cleans up your kids vomit off their couch, repeatedly, is a great friend.

So you know people are just lining up to keep the Tomlinson children. Yeah, no.

Can you stinkin' believe that all this happened while we were away? Who is trying to punish us for spending a little time together and with friends? I have a new ability to relate to those parents who refuse to leave their kids for the fear that something like this would happen while they were all the way across the country. I guess it actually could happen. But you know what? I still say, Go! Beside the feelings that our kids were an imposition on my friends, I say, that's what friends are for. And I can only say that because I would not even hesitate to keep any one of their kids in the same situation if it meant they got to go away and be together. It's good for you to go away and focus on being married and being a friend and being an adult. Rather than being a mommy and only a mommy-24/7. So plan a trip, now. And yes, I will keep your kids!

Thank you again, Ashley, Meg, Gina and families for blessing our family with the ability to take this trip. That gift is greatly appreciated.

Amanda, Karen, and I enjoying a little New Moon Madness at the 12:01am showing on Friday morning. So fun to finally meet Amanda in person although I've been reading her blog for almost 2 years!

Upcoming Fun

2009-11-14T08:04:00.002-05:00

A few fun things in the near future.

Soon Jason I and will be going to Dallas to see our friends Ben and Karen and their new baby Hallie. Jason grew up with Ben and lucky for me I love his wife as much as Jason loves Ben. I will also finally get to meet Amanda and Zach, two of their best friends, that I have become friends with through their blog and our mutual friendship with Ben and Karen. It is the first big trip Jason and I have taken without the kids in a while. They will be in great hands while we are gone. They will think they are on a vacation as they enjoy their cousins and family friends. I am looking forward to the time with Jason. I feel slightly apprehensive about being across the country from my kids but I know holding them tightly does not change anything as they are in God's control, not mine.

We finally made our Christmas plans! Amelia has been wanting to see snow for a few years now but we have been putting it off until Owen got to a manageable age. Now that I realize he may never be manageable, we figure we will just go. For weeks we have had very vague plans, unsure of where to go and what to do when we got there. Neither Jason and I are interested in skiing and our kids are certainly not at the age for that. But I was hesitant to drive north only to stay in a hotel and turn around and come home. We finally decided on North Carolina to go snow tubing. We have a full agenda of things we think will work for our kids. Reservations are made. We are leaving the day after Christmas. It's official!

Very much looking forward to the holiday season. Our annual Christmas party is around the corner and that is always surrounded with a lot of exciting planning for me and a fun time with friends at its finale. Jason and I feel a huge relief in the gift giving department as we have decided to make our gifts meaningful rather than stress over finding the perfect gift for each person. We are trying to focus on quality time with family rather than a token gift that they probably don't want or need anyway. This really simplifies the season for me and allows me to focus my family on the real meaning of Jesus' birthday rather than rushing around preoccupied with shopping.

Hoping that you all have many exciting things in your near future as we approach this fun holiday season!

Blah, Blah, Blog

2009-10-14T20:32:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe I have resorted to boring blog posts where I just record the happening of our day to day. First we did this, then we did this. Blah, blah, blah. Who cares? How about approaching it with a funny story or a deep thought? I got nothin'. Sorry about that. So for the sake of the grandparents who may be the only people who do care about the day to day, I will try to give a little update. For the rest of you who would actually enjoy something interesting to read, I'm hoping to be inspired sometime real soon.

Amelia is absolutely loving school. She still thinks she is there for the sole purpose of her personal enjoyment. But in the mean time, she is learning a lot. She is reading well which makes her mama very happy! (It's about time, she's been getting SRA lessons since she was 3!) She isn't reading fluently at all but she can sound out most any word and is slowly building her sight words. Reading with her is one of my favorite things to do each day. It is slow going and a little laborious for her but she seems to be satisfied with her progress as well. She has calmed down a little bit on this Nicholas boy at school. At least I don't hear about him every day. When getting dressed for picture day last week, she sighed when looking at the outfit I picked out, and said sadly, "Nicholas doesn't like white." Oh no, sweet girl, we do not dress for a boy, especially at the age of 5! Where does she get this! She has started talking about other friends in the classroom and every once in a blue moon one of them is actually a girl. Come on, I only have one girl, couldn't she be just a little bit girly? Just a little? Actually, I wouldn't trade her independence and free spirit for anything in the world.

Lane also loves school, which is both a major relief and a little surprise. I knew he would like it when he was there. But the other day I gave him the option of coming home with me after having lunch with him and he decided he would rather stay and play. That was the part that surprised me, that he would actually choose school over home. That made me very happy since sometimes I still struggle with the whole being in school full time at 3 thing. He has made the most dramatic gains since going to school. Not for a lack of trying, but Lane went to school without being able to say his ABC's or having any letter recognition. He could count but also no number recognition. I couldn't muster up any interest from him in this department. I wasn't worried. I just chalked it up to boys and girls are different and he'll learn it eventually. I have been amazed at how quickly he has picked up on things. He knows every letter his teacher works on for the week and points them out to me everywhere we go on every sign or piece of paper he sees. He has gone from complete scribble when coloring to very deliberate and careful scribble. He will take 5 or 10 minutes to color one thing as he decorates it with every color in the crayon box. Again, boys and girls are so different-this was never Amelia's approach although she could stay perfectly in the lines by age 3. He has 3, mostly 4, and one 5 year old in his class. Today his teacher told me he knew more things that started with a than the others in the class. That will make a momma proud! It has been really fun seeing all the things he has learned in such a short time. He also is very proud of himself.

Owen is our character. He is truly something else to have so many opinions about things at such a young age. For instance he knows quite strongly that he does not like collared shirts and that he does like hats, glasses, and sometimes even Amelia's dress up necklaces. He asks me why? a million times a day, which is often comical but also exhausting. He is horrible at sharing and would rather the toy get taken away than have to share it with his brother and sister. Thank you Aunt Gina for that wonderful turtle toy you gave at his birthday. You may as well have bought him a drum set! You don't have to worry about him getting walked all over. He will give Amelia or Lane or the random kid at the YMCA KidZone an ear full if he doesn't like what's going down. I have a feeling if I could understand what he was actually saying, he'd probably be getting a few more spankings than he already is. He is going with me to Bible Study Fellowship on Wednesday morning which is a very structured learning environment if you can imagine that for a 2 year old. And I'm not joking. They sit down and listen to the same bible story that I am studying that week, sing hymns, and learn bible verses. We go to a little music class on most Tuesday mornings, also. This is the first time I've gotten to do anything like that with just him. I did all that stuff with Amelia and Lane when they were little. It has been fun to get some special time with just him.

Jason has been enjoying the SEC football season. I try to be flexible when our entire weekend revolves around what time the Gators play. I know the season isn't too long and he doesn't really have a lot of hobbies that take him away from the family. The kids have really gotten into it this year, too. The boys both have Gator jerseys and Owen points to his chest and says,"Te-Bow" to every passerby.

I am enjoying volunteering at the kids school once a week. Sometimes I think maybe I will enjoy going back to the classroom one day but mostly I try not to think about it. I like my current job much better. Being a full time mom, that is.

I have really felt the void of my see- almost- every- day friend Stacie. I mentioned in another blog that they moved to Savannah. It is funny how a friend can become so much a part of your every day life and you don't even realize it until you pick up the phone to borrow a cup of sugar and realize she's not just a mile down the road anymore.

Not that anyone could ever take her place, but thankfully the Lord has blessed me with a new friend, Ashley. I like her so much. She is super easy to talk to-very honest and open. She loves the Lord so I know her life perspective matches up with mine. She is a great mom and has the cutest little baby boy, Owen, who you could just eat up he's so stinkin' sweet! Our schedules don't sync up at all or I'm sure we would be spending more time together. But Jason and I enjoy getting together with her and her husband Joe on the weekends. Right now we are totally benefiting from the fact that their Owen is still so little he can transfer at night from our house back to theirs. This makes late football or card games work out nicely for cheap entertainment. Not sure what we'll do when that doesn't work anymore-we'll actually have to find a sitter!

I am also enjoying the nearness of my sister. She moved to Bradenton in August. I know I shouldn't be complaining since 35 minutes is closer than 3 hours, but I still wish I saw her more. I wish she was my see-every-day friend. I think I see her at least once a week which is WAY better than when she lived in Gainesville. But the more I see her, the more I wish I could see her. I wish we were close enough to exercise together, pick up things at the grocery store for each other, have over for dinner every week, etc. Her life is just as busy as mine so right now we just do the best we can. There will be a life stage when we will be able to do more and knowing that is fun.

I am slightly overwhelmed at how I can pack lunches, check folders, go to aerobics, put kids to bed and before I know it, another week has passed. I know all of that stuff is important. I mean, I do consider motherhood a major ministry opportunity and privilege . I'm just saying, as far as doing more for God and being more of who he wants me to be, where do I fit that in? That is, after all, the ONLY thing that matters. Who I am before Christ is the only thing that goes beyond this life into eternity. I don't really think he wants to hear, "But I was just so busy with life I forgot to do what you asked me and be who you wanted me to be." Yeah, I doubt that's gonna cut it. So in this busy, joyful, stressful, crazy preschool life I ask, how can I get more of You, God? Please show me. That is my heart's cry at this moment.

Owen

2009-09-27T00:04:00.000-04:00

Owen:

adores his brother and sister, greets them with a running hug every day when they return to school, and he just wants to do whatever they are doing.
spends his playtime at home either pushing vehicles rambunctiously around the house or sitting calmly and playing with his Thomas the Train track.
loves to be read to and loves making the animal sounds of the animals he sees on the pages.
is rotten to the core and fits every "baby of the family" stereotype that I've ever heard. He gets away with stuff I would have never dreamed of letting the others get away with, mostly because I have so many other battles to fight and I'm just tired.
is almost perfect in public when you take him out alone but turns into something entirely different when running errands with the other two. He is that kid jumping out of the shopping cart and screaming at the top of his lungs all the way through Publix. Sorry, people, I've got to go grocery shopping!
loves giving kisses, Zerberts, and the best tightest hugs ever. He is very affectionate and gives it out freely, he doesn't know a stranger.
is known for catching you off guard if you are sitting on the floor. He will run and jump on you full speed with no prior warning. He's strong too, and we often find ourselves flat on the floor from this.
copies EVERYTHING his brother and sister say and do. It is hysterical. One thing he picked up from them is saying, "get my hiney, hiney" after his nightly shower. He then runs full speed away down the hall and expects you to run after him and tickle him when he gets to his room. He is so stinkin' cute when he says this.
thinks he needs to wear his sunglasses everywhere he goes. He is also known to have on a string of beads and a hat of some sort. It is quite the sight! Good thing he hasn't discovered Amelia's dress up clothes yet!
is starting to talk more and has many words that are understandable to me and Jason and of course his brother and sister. He calls Amelia, YaYa, which was originated by Lane and he calls his brother Yane.
has skipped the two year old "NO" and moved on the the three year old, "WHY?". He asks this after everything you say.

Happy Birthday, Buddy! I can't believe you're 2 years old today!

A Happy Day In Heaven

2009-09-10T22:11:00.000-04:00

When I was a very small child, I remember this as clear as day, I asked Jesus to come into my heart. I don't remember how old I was, probably like 4 or 5, but I do remember that as much as a young child was capable of having a relationship, I had one with Jesus. I would lie in bed and talk to him. I have no idea about what. But I knew he was listening. I knew he heard me. I knew he was real.

I'm not sure if it was a week or a month or a year later, but I remember very apologetically explaining to Jesus that I had to invite him out of my heart. You see, I realized that when you ask Jesus into your heart, you walk down the isle in church and tell the preacher. That terrified me. There was no way I was doing that. So, with the only logic I had, he couldn't stay in my heart.

Of course he never left. I imagine now how endearing those conversations must have been to Him.

Anyway, thus the question, how young is too young to truly understand the enormity of what Christ did for us on the cross?

I have wondered as much in regards to Amelia. There have been times I could have easily led her through the process by the interest she showed herself. She knows who Jesus is, that he died on the cross to forgive her sins. But I have always been unsure if she understood sin and the need that we have for Jesus because of our sin. So I have answered her questions and talked about it when situations arose. But I've kind of avoided the actual "asking Jesus into my heart" thing.

Tonight she was so straight forward with her questions and determination that there was no question that this would be the night. We were talking about a little boy in Lane's class who announces that, "Jesus lives in his heart". Amelia asked if He lived in hers. The conversation went something like this:

-He can if you ask Him.

-Well I want to ask Him. Jesus please come into my heart.

-There's more to it than that, Amelia. You have to understand what it means. Do you want to hear more about what it means?

(Of course, she's heard this many times before. But this time, after the craziest, most chaotic day, where I couldn't even get the kids to sit still in their dinner chair, Amelia and Lane both said yes, with wide eyes. Stillness fell over the dinner table. And here is the real miracle, Owen got quiet. That doesn't happen, well ever. )

Then a simple version followed of God being a perfect and holy God who hates sin. So he had to make a way for us to be with Him, because we are so sinful. So he sent us Jesus, who took our sin away and forgave us so that in God's sight we could be sinless and live with him forever in heaven one day. I think I did a better job than that in real life.

-Well I want to ask him. What exactly do I say?

I told her.

-Well, mom, I really want to do it but can you say it and I'll repeat after you because I want to do it right.

After the prayer she opened her eyes with the biggest smile on her face.

It's funny how huge things can happen in the every day happenings. I mean, Amelia made the simple most important decision that she will ever make in her life, at my dinner table tonight.

I know it is a happy day in heaven as the angles rejoice in a new believer!

Catching Up

2009-09-08T22:46:00.000-04:00

I haven't blogged in so long I don't even know where to start.

Changes in our house

Owen revolted against sleeping in the crib and now shares a room with Lane. As of this weekend, they both have adorable beds, thanks to my talented father-in-law. I gave him a Pottery Barn picture and he reproduced it for me. I am so happy with them. He is now working on matching dressers.
Owen's old room is now a more spacious guest room and now doubles as my sewing room. Jason is thrilled to get my mess out of our room and I'm thrilled I now have a place I can leave the ironing board out. It was bittersweet for me to see the crib go up in attic. After five and half years and three children, that chapter of our family is over. There was no bitter for Jason. He couldn't get the crib down fast enough!

Things I don't want to forget:

Owen has taken to wearing his sunglasses everywhere-even in the shower. This kid comes up with some laughable get-ups. Last night on the way out to eat, he had on a string of beads, an oversized cap, and his sunglasses.
I'm not sure how Amelia got boy crazy (although I do seem to remember a certain Steven I was fond of on the preschool playground many years ago). One morning she unbuckled her carseat, got this dreamy look on her face, sighed deeply, and said, "I love Nicholas". It must not be too serious because she has moved on to Michael and Douglas. Today she got in trouble in PE for trying to kiss other classmates. We are only slightly amused and take her conduct in school very seriously.
The kids are getting really good at playing together. It cracks me up the things they come up with to play and it changes every week or so. Lately they have been playing Tom & Jerry or the "baby" game which isn't played with a baby doll but with a small stuffed animal called "baby Owen". They still don't play with many toys at all. Mostly it is just their imaginations and stuffed animals. It is just recent that Owen can take part without messing their game up. They find some part for him to play. He acts like he knows what's going on. He just wants to be wherever they are.

Labor Day

We went to visit my parents over the weekend. It is so fun to watch my kids experience things out on their farm. They all got to drive a tractor, which is Owen's favorite and clearest word presently. Against my better judgement, we all went up in a bucket truck to see the view from I don't know, 100 ft. up? Maybe 50-I'm not good with distance. It was way high is all I'm saying.
I also got some short visits with my Grandmomma, Mimi, and Aunt Gloria & her gang. Visits are short when you have three kids getting rowdy but I enjoy any time I get to see them.

Random Updates

My sister has moved to town. This is the first time as an adult that I have lived in the same place as family. She is my bff so I couldn't be more excited. I have not yet felt the nearness as they have been busy adjusting to a new house and town and I have been adjusting to the whole having-kids-in-school-thing.
I still haven't felt that whole, "Oh my goodness I have so much time on my hands now that my kids are in school!" I feel just as busy as ever. M-F mornings start with aerobics. Tuesdays I have started taking Owen to a Music with Mar class. Wednedsays will be for my BSF class that starts next week. Thursdays a girlfriend and I are going to trade off with each others kids so I can volunteer at the school and she can run errands. Although some of that stuff hasn't started yet, I've been running errands and turning my house upside down in an effort to organize it. There hasn't been one moment that I couldn't think of something else I should be doing.
I love having kids in school. I don't mean I love having them gone all day-that I don't. But I love everything about school. I love checking their folders, doing homework with them, I even love carpool line. I love being the one that picks them up and gets to hear about their day. I can't wait to start volunteering. It is like the best of the teaching world without all the parts I hated.

Big School

2009-08-26T20:04:00.000-04:00

This week I have sent two of my children to "big school" for the first time. Amelia has started kindergarten and Lane has started pre-K at Williams Elementary School. You may remember my quandry about public vs. private/home school earlier in the year. My heart was feeling a peace about sending Amelia to public school for some unexplainable reason-I had been leaning against public school for the few previous years. Thank goodness my heart went that way because the other school option ended up falling through anyway, at least for this year.

So everyone asked me, "did you cry to send her to kindergarten?" and with that answer being a big fat "no" came so many emotions. Why didn't I feel sad? What's wrong with me? Where is that mommy gene? But honestly, Amelia was so excited. She was jumping up and down the night before singing, "I am so excited I get to go to kindergarten tomorrow!" The morning of, she was up, fed, and dressed by 7:15 and we didn't need to leave until 8. I was so filled with excitment for her. I quieted that guilty voice inside me that wants to make me feel like less of a mom because I didn't cry by explaining that I wasn't void of emotion or sentiment-I was just feeling the excitement she felt.

Lane is another story. Most of the time I feel really confident about my decision to send him to school this year. I weighed all the options heavily and felt like I made the best decision for him and for our family. Initially, I was just going to send him to a regular preschool three mornings a week, like I did with Amelia at this age. After last year, I wasn't sure how I was going to juggle this with his speech therapy schedule. He would have needed to be up at the elementary school three times a week for outpatient therapy. By the time you add that with three days of preschool and kindergarten pick up and drop off, I may as well have never gotten out of my car all day. I just felt like that wasn't the best time spent with any child. Sending Lane to Williams, allows him to be in a preschool program where he will be getting his speech therapy at the same time. Not to mention it's free. And that makes the time I have with Owen at home each day valuable rather than a non-stop taxi ride. There were other things I weighed also, like knowing that Lane's teacher is absolutely fabulous. That voice does creep in a couple times a day, "I can't believe you are sending your 3 year old to school for a full day!" But for now I have to go with the decision I made and try to keep that voice at bay.

The last three days of school have already proven to be eventful. Amelia has already gotten her behavior clip moved from green to yellow. I guess we didn't even have a honeymoon period. It seems she has already become infatuated with this little boy Nicholas, who she wants to marry, and is found not following directions from the teacher because she is too busy vying for his attention. Mom does not find this cute or humorous, but very irritating that she is drawn to the people in class that are less than mild mannered. Why doesn't she come home talking about the sweet little Briley in her class that I'm sure wouldn't dare do anything to get her clip moved? Let's just hope this is a bumpy start and not a sign of what's to come!

I would post pictures of the first days of school but my Mac is down right now and it has all my pictures on it. I'll post some in a few days.

Keep the Old

2009-08-13T13:00:00.000-04:00

Since my return from Charlotte, this childhood lyric has resounded through my head:

Make new friends, but keep the old

One is silver and the other's gold.

I spent the week with my girlfriend Julie and her family. Julie and I went to Samford together. I was in her wedding ten years ago and she was in mine two years later. She has known me since I was 17. I realize that 16 years isn't that long, but these particular 16 years have seen so many life changes, so many different life stages. It is so comforting to spend time around someone who has known you that long.

There are so many things I appreciated about my time with the Tassy's and so many things I appreciate about Julie individually. The two are kind of hard to separate but they are no doubt why I will cherish dearly the week spent together.

Here are some of the highlights of the trip from the silly to the sentimental:

Julie is an awesome cook! She prepared so much in advance so that she wouldn't have to spend a lot of our time cooking. Everything was so delicious!
Julie remembers things about me that I don't remember about myself. She will bring things up that make me feel so known and understood. I seriously don't think she must ever forget anything and she waits until the perfect moment to remind you that she knows.
Julie is a great mom. I don't really know what else to say about this. It was so easy to parent beside her. Spending time with Harper and Ella was such a delight. And the fact that they weren't perfect made my time there even more refreshing.
Julie is hysterical! So many times she sent me to my loud laugh-some of you know the one, the one where people will turn their heads to find out who is being so obnoxious. It's hard for me to stop when it gets to this point.
Julie and I share the love of creating. She has a home that is filled with her creations which makes it so warm and inviting. We had a craft-gone-bad experience but still had so much fun laughing about it after the fact.
Harper played momma all week to Owen. Seriously it was like a vacation for me. Seriously. She wanted to do everything for him and she wouldn't leave his side. By the end of the week, she was so astute to our schedule that she would be one step ahead of me. Really, can she come stay with me for an extended amount of time? She was more help than a husband!
Christopher was so kind to put up with us for the week. Adding three kids 5 and under can be a little chaotic. Sometimes Julie would be busy and I would sit down and talk with just Chris for a while. It is so nice to not only understand why your friend loves her husband, but to personally enjoy and feel comfortable around him also.
One night we got a sitter and went out to dinner. The night could not have been more perfect. We had this long, slow dinner filled with great conversation, laughs, and people watching. Then we went somewhere different for dessert and coffee, making the night last even longer. (Such a bummer to go home from a night out and find the kids still awake so we were making sure we were out long enough that would not happen!) It was also fun to remember that 17 years ago, we were the babysitters for other families. Now we were the one with these awesome families in need of a sitter for a night out. We have so much to be thankful for!

In reality, it was probably all the little things that happened in between that made the week so awesome. All the moments you can't put into words when I realized how blessed I am by this friendship.

We are so going back there next summer!

Roxy

2009-08-02T21:46:00.000-04:00

Roxy is a sweet little puppy that we just dog sat for three days.

OK, for those of you that know my husband, after reading that first sentence, you are probably either wide-eyed, or choking on your drink, or laughing very hard. Jason HATES dogs. He has never even allowed company bring their dog anywhere but to our porch.

He caved in, I think because of the guilt he feels about how badly our kids want a dog. He knows he'll never cave into that notion. So I guess he figured letting them keep the dog for a few days would be coming as close to giving in as he would ever come.

Poor Roxy, my kids wanted her attention every single second. It was a bit overwhelming for the dog. I think she just starting tuning out her name because every few seconds it was, "Roxy, come" or "Roxy up" or "Roxy sleep in my bed". The dog just wanted to curl up and relax. It was really sweet to watch the enthusiasm my kids had for the dog.

The funniest thing was how much the dog loved Jason. Apparently, dogs cannot sense loathe. Roxy just wanted to be wherever Jason was. If he went in the office and closed the door, the dog would just whine until Jason came back out. Jason will never admit that he liked the dog but I know he did. One time I was leaving the house and was going to put Roxy in the laundry room so Jason didn't have to worry about her while I was gone. He nonchalantly said, "She can stay with me." And get this--Roxy slept on our bed at Jason's feet. He said she was not allowed on our bed at any rate. But she would wait until we fell asleep and crawl up there between us. I couldn't believe it when he didn't kick her out of bed because I know he felt her jump up there. Another sign he liked her.

I started to think that maybe, just maybe, he was warming up to the idea of having a dog. He put a firm end to that line of thinking. I guess dog sitting is as close as my kids will ever come to having a dog. He did say Roxy was welcome back any time she wanted to come over. Baby steps.

Another Farewell

2009-08-02T21:38:00.000-04:00

I suppose it is just life, but I swear our friends are always leaving us! It totally stinks. This is the third time Jason and I have found a couple that we both equally enjoy the girl and the guy, gotten close to them, and then they've moved. First it was Heather and Danny, then Daya and Dave, and now Cliff and Stacie! We are so bummed.

Of course I should mention, we are happy for Cliff and Stacie, and all of the above mentioned couples who have had an opportunity that was positive for their family. But selfishly....I'm just sayin'.

Anyway, have you ever seen such a stinkin' cute messy face? We were celebrating Stacie's birthday and Owen really enjoyed the cupcake!

Sewing Not Blogging

2009-08-02T21:22:00.001-04:00

Sorry my posts have been boring lately. My time has been devoted to my most recent obsession--sewing! This skirt is my latest. The shirt is just from Target-not trying to take credit for it. Hopefully I'll get back to a more exciting life soon!

I'm On a Roll- I Just Can't Stop

2009-07-26T08:44:00.000-04:00

Here is another completed dress! This one was actually the easiest so far. I think if you have great fabric, it doesn't really matter what the dress looks like. You just can't go wrong with these Amy Butler fabrics! It doesn't hurt to have a cute model, either!

My Newest Creation

2009-07-23T15:31:00.000-04:00

Here is my latest sewing project-a knot dress. It's funny, even though I'm far from getting this sewing thing figured out, it's already to where I don't think clothes in the store are that cute anymore. I just look around and think, "I can make something cuter than that!". Anyway, I love this Amy Butler fabric! The crazy print makes it hard to notice where my seems don't match up.

Happy Anniversary to Us

2009-07-21T19:28:00.000-04:00

I have been married to my wonderful husband for eight years now! Some of the times have been more work than fun, some more fun than we even realized at the time, some effortless. We have laughed, cried, worried, yelled, smiled, sighed, dreamed, prayed, hurt, and rejoiced together. No matter what place we found ourselves, we have always found love and commitment--for which I am truly blessed and forever grateful. Can't wait for the lifetime ahead!

Hey Grandmomma, Look What I Made!

2009-07-21T13:51:00.000-04:00

I have just completed sewing the first outfit that I can actually let Amelia wear out of the house! OK, I guess I've let her wear a few of my experiments before but they all were pretty rough. This time I actually started with a pattern. I added the ruffles at the leg without the pattern so they are on a learning curve. I just love the fabric from Michael Miller. So cute! Each project I get a little bit better. I remember when I could barely sew a straight line. Oh how far I've come!

A Brighter Sky

2009-07-20T07:34:00.000-04:00

I am trying to learn a few photoshop tricks. This original picture was taken on such a dreary day. I think the new picture is much improved!

Spoiled Rotten

2009-07-03T17:24:00.000-04:00

We just returned from a five day vacation to Marco Island, a secluded little beach off of Naples, FL.

With my husbands knack for finding good deals and our plot to save up credit card points to use for occasions such as this, we found ourselves in luxury that I am not used to vacationing in. Now my kids and I are spoiled rotten. Poor Jason, he has raised the bar to the point that a normal hotel room will never again do the trick. Not really. I'm just saying that if one of the perks of him traveling all the time is having enough Marriott points to vacation in luxury, then I'm all for it!

Our room had two bedrooms, a full size kitchen, and a full size living room and dining room. Then it had an ocean view porch that wrapped around the entire room with lots of comfy furniture to lounge around on. Without children, I could have had a vacation without ever leaving the room. Lounging on the lanai with the waves crashing me to sleep would have been enough.

The only down side was that the pool with waterslide was so much fun for the kids, the beach was more like torture to them, or something that must be tolerated in order to get back to the pool. Our plan was to go to the beach all morning, go up for lunch, and swim in the pool all afternoon. By the second day, we found ourselves skipping the beach just so we wouldn't have to hear the kids every five minutes, "Is it time to go to the pool now?" or worse, the slow whine, "I want to go to the poooooool". No amount of food, sand castle building, or shelling could deter them. I think the story would have been different had the ocean been calm enough to play in. With storms blowing through every day, it was a bit rough for even me.

Jason and I enjoyed vacationing with friends because when the kids were in bed, we had a nightly card game with the Pardue's. I should say, Stacie and I, one team, took it to Cliff and Jason, the other team, winning three nights to two. It was competition at it's finest. Seeing as I usually don't have a competitive bone in my body, it seeded a fun rivalry that I'm sure will now continue. Jason also had a partner to play two rounds of golf with, which made it more of a vacation for him since his tolerance of the sun and the beach is limited.

Both families took turns sitting through the time share presentation which resulted in a good laugh at the prospect of that as well as two free rounds of golf and two almost free spa pedicures. A little something for everyone!

We had a great time spending time together as a family. Jason and I must have went down the waterslide 100 times between the both of us taking Owen down or riding with Amelia for fun. Lane was, "a liddle scarwed" of the slide and stayed closer to the water fountains where he thought it was hysterical to stand on them and pretend like he was peeing. That's my boy! Owen amazed all on-lookers as he is at that no-fear stage with the water. He loves being thrown up, sunk under, floating on his back, and doing his impersonation of a duck as he puts his head under and kicks.

Daily rain showers or thunderstorms were little more than an inconvenience and served as a great time to come in out of the sun and rest a while. Speaking of rest, I think I napped with Lane and Owen almost every day AND got to sleep in past 8 o'clock each day. Talk about a treat! I guess the sun and water just wore the kids out because it is highly uncharacteristic of them to sleep a minute past 7. Of course it didn't even last one day at home as they were bright and cheery again this morning at the first sign of daylight.

Now we have the weekend to ease back into normal life before Jason returns to work on Monday. It was the best vacation we've had yet and look forward to returning to Marco Island again soon.

Father's Day Intentions

2009-06-24T21:19:00.000-04:00

I really do try to think hard about making Father's Day special for Jason. I always have the best intentions of making the day all about him. The kids and I were going to let Jason sleep in on Sunday while we made his favorite cheese grits. Turned out our kids actually slept in that day and we woke up with little time to spare before we had to be out the door for church. So he had to settle for his usual piece of jelly toast and coffee prepared for him. So next church. Then lunch. If it were Mother's Day, I would love to get to pick a restaurant and be treated to no preparation or clean up. But Jason doesn't even enjoy eating out with our kids. He considers it stressful and expensive. So a treat to him would be eating at home. Not exactly my idea of a special treat, but OK. I asked him if he wanted to go play golf to have some time for himself. I would enjoy that on Mother's Day, a little time to myself. He said he'd rather spend time with us. OK. Then there's his gift. I did have the kids make him something pretty cute. They painted pictures on canvas with their handprints. It was suppossed to go in our toilet room so he could see it all the time. But then I liked it so much, I decided to hang it in their bathroom. I guess I kind of took his gift away. So pretty much the day ended up being like any other day. Nothing too special. Of course, he didn't have a single complaint about it. I did have the best of intentions, though. Does that count?

The top one is supposed to be butterflies and the bottom one is our family tree. Each apple as our name on it.

The Fun Mom

2009-06-24T20:09:00.001-04:00

I remember a conversation with my friend Julie years ago about the kind of mom she wanted to be. She said she figured out fast she wasn't going to be the such-n-such kind of mom (I don't remember exactly what she said but it had something to do with being the mom that had it all together). Anyway, she said she decided right then she was going to be the fun mom.

As much as Julie had to be realistic with herself, so do I. I am so far from the fun mom. I am the mom that is running around in every direction 90 miles a minute. The average onlooker probably can't even tell that in reality, I am loving every moment of motherhood, because all they can see is busy,busy,busy. I wish I were the fun mom. I guess merely meeting the needs of three small children is just a bit too overwhelming to have time to be fun.

But we all have our moments. Tonight was such a delight to get a taste of being the fun mom. We had the Bennett's over for a sleep-over. Andrew (5), Caleb (4), and Bekah (2) added to my crew makes quite the party without even trying. So, what to do in this absolutely ridiculous heat when you don't have a pool? Apparently, you blow up a bounce house in your living room! The kids had a blast. I think it was more the unconventional location of the living room than the actual bounce house itself. I got to hear so many of those deep belly laughs. That is my absolute favorite thing. After dinner they played with some other toys. It was the rare occasion where everything I suggested they play sounded like a wonderful idea to them. That never happens. After the little ones went down, I blew the bounce house back up and filled it with pillows and blankets and let them watch a movie inside it. They thought they were so cool! I brought them hot chocolate chip cookies I made for dessert. All the while I was thinking, OK, maybe this could be a fun house to visit-if I work really hard against my nature of cleaning and scolding and training every single moment. I really enjoyed my kids tonight, and when I say that I'm including the Bennett's which I love like they were my own. I'll have to work more often on this fun thing.

Amelia cannot resist a pose when the camera comes out.

If my daughters butt was not in Andrew's face, I would absolutely delight in the look on his face.

Caleb jumping and Owen on the floor in the background because it isn't his turn to be in the bounce house.

The three of them having a bounce house pajama movie party, winding down for the night.

Strange Sightings

2009-06-10T21:44:00.001-04:00

Two peacocks and a rooster. Not so strange if you're in the middle of a farm. Slightly odd when you are in the middle of Brandon Town Center, where every store you ever dreamed of, with the exception of Old Navy, is located within a 2 mile radius. We were furniture shopping and ended up feeding these birds goldfish. They were very tame and apparently roost in this small patch of trees between the highway and the neighboring store. The kids got a kick out the unexpected sight.

Hamster Hair

2009-06-02T21:45:00.000-04:00

This morning we were all dressed, sun-screened, and ready to go to a swim playdate when a few idle moments turned into drama at the Tomlinson house. Amelia has this new toy hamster that runs around his little exercise wheel-the closest thing she'll get to a pet in our house (strangely closer than her real fish Roni and Roni). For some unknown reason, she thought it would be a good idea to put it on her head and let it climb up her. Yeah. Her hair was wound so tight around the axel of those two wheels that the contraption was stuck an inch away from her scalp. I got no pictures at that point because we were still in a panic. Thanks to consults from my sister and my hairdresser I made attempts with detangler, conditioner, and gentle pulls and tugs. Once we got it down to her ear, we decided to just cut it. I mean there was no way that hair was coming out of those wheels. Thirty minutes later, all during which Lane and Owen were tormenting each other in the background of my stress, she was free from the inside of the hamster that she calls a guinea pig. That was the excitement around our house today. Can't wait to see what's in store for tomorrow!

Have We Arrived?

2009-05-30T21:32:00.000-04:00

Arrived at what, I'm not sure. But perhaps we have arrived at a don't-have-to-pack-everything-you-own-CAN-all-sleep-restfully-in-a-standard-sized-hotel-room-vacation-is-actually-fun stage.

I did actually pack everything I owned on our five day trip to Ft. Lauderdale. The bellman needed two luggage racks to get all of our stuff up to the room. And let me just add that the only reason we were at a hotel nice enough to have a bellman was because Jason had a conference he had to work so the tab was on Pan American! One small perk to having your husband gone over half the time! The point is, I didn't need all the stuff I packed, for the first time. Didn't use the stroller even once. Good riddens to packing that thing!

Then there is the dread over sleeping in one standard sized hotel room with three children who usually require total solitude to fall asleep. Last year, Jason sweet talked the lady at the front desk into giving us this ridiculously huge suite at a ridiculously low price. All so we could put Owen in his own room to sleep so that the rest of us could get some sleep. This year there was no such luck. He tried working his magic but they still wanted an extra $150 a night to upgrade to a suite and this was not happening. I wish I would have taken a picture of what we rigged up. Owen's pack and play was in the closet, which wouldn't close. The light in the closet only went off when the door was closed so Jason had to take down the light covering and unscrew the lightbulb to make this work. Then we draped a sheet over the two closet doors, making him his own little room. Worked like a charm. The child laid down and slept for naps and bedtime every day and night. The kids slept on a fold out couch and Jason and I got the bed.

I don't know what connection is between us, vacation, and rain. Oh yeah, we live in Florida. Anyway, it rained a LOT in Ft. Lauderdale this past week. It was pretty predictable to be nice all morning and nasty all afternoon. So we swam all morning, napped in the afternoon. The only rough time was like 3 to 4:30 when it was still nasty outside but Jason was working so we couldn't really go anywhere. There were a few bad screaming mommy moments in there, but for the most part it was pretty stress free.

Up until now, I have always had one child that made the pool either a stressful place or just completely unenjoyable. I remember last year at one of Jason's conferences, an hour at the pool felt like an eternity. This year, four hours went by rather fast. Amelia is a great swimmer now. Owen is fearless in his floaties. And Lane progressed throughout the week to get off the steps and actually float and finally put his face in the water. They were all pretty independent. I didn't even have to be in the water every second if I wanted to sit out for a few minutes. Amelia made new "best friends" every day while Lane just scowled at anyone that tried to be friendly to him or play with his water toys. Not sure how I got an anti-social kid. Owen tried to tell every stranger his knock-knock jokes and was so confused why they didn't understand what he was saying!

One rainy day, we forfeited naps and went to see the new Disney movie, UP. I can not very often say this about my kids, so let me put it in bold print: They.Were.Perfect. You would not believe some of the parents in this theater. I realize you need to have an extra dose of tolerance when you are at a 12:00 showing of a kid's movie. You expect some crying, some talking, some kids getting out of their seats. The row in front of me had two adults and about five kids. Let's just say that the five kids completely had control of the situation. They were running circles (literally) around their seats and the handicap railing in front of them. Not even attempting to watch the movie. The adults made a few weak attempts of telling them to sit down which didn't even work for one second. The kids just told them no and kept running around the theater. I was so annoyed. I was moments away from leaning up and suggesting

they leave. Thank goodness they finally came to this conclusion on their own. Only after the kids started chanting, "let's leave, let's leave!" It was unbelievable. I just wanted to say, if my 20 month old can sit quietly through an hour and forty minute movie plus previews, can't you control your eight year old, at least? Maybe he was six, I don't know. Whatever. Needless to say, I have never been so proud of my children. Not one trip to the bathroom, not one meltdown over having no concessions, nothing. I gushed all over them all afternoon. Maybe they'll decide to try the perfect thing more often!

Anyway, I've already asked Jason if there are other conferences at ritzy hotels that we can tag along to. I think we could get used to it!

Random Things I Don't Want to Forget

2009-05-14T20:48:00.000-04:00

Boobies

I didn't even know Lane knew the word boobies. I had never heard him refer to it as such and he certainly didn't hear it from me. One day I was in the bra section of Target with a friend of mine looking for a racerback. All of a sudden she motioned me to look at Lane. He was squeezing the cups of a pink and red polka dotted bra while singing, "I love boobies, I love boobies!". So glad to know man's lifelong obsession starts at age 3.

Reprimanded

About a week or so ago, the kids were having a tug-of-war fight over a toy in the car. I had asked them calmly several times to get buckled in. I don't even remember what else was going on that had me all flustered, probably running late of something, but these are the situations where I regularly lose my self-control and become that self-hated screaming mommy. I took the end of the toy that was being tugged and pulled it angrily as to get it away from both the kids. Amelia didn't realize that I had taken the toy from Lane so as I pulled harder, so did she. I completely lost it and yelled something like, "How hard is it to get in your car seats the first time I ask? You NEED to obey MOMMY!" A few silent minutes down the road later, Amelia, with her own initiative, apologizes to me for pulling the monkey and explains that she still thought Lane had the toy or she wouldn't have pulled it from me. Of course I accepted her apology and we had a brief dialogue about the situation. Another few silent moments later, Amelia asks, "Mom.....do you have something you think you should say to me?" It was funny, but since I knew she meant no disrespect, it was sweet at the same time. Oh to be reprimanded by a 5 year old! I took the opportunity to admit my lack of self-control and ask for her forgiveness for yelling at her. I'm glad she feels like she can talk to me about things like that.

Yes, maam or Yes, damnit?

Lane's speech has improved dramatically but he still has a few mispronunciations that will make you laugh. For instance, rather than, "yes maam" his answer comes out, "yes, dam". With his personality I always say the latter is probably closer to what he means anyway!

Knock-Knock

We went through months of knock-knock jokes that made absolutely no sense. It was clear the kids didn't quite get the whole process of coming up with them. They would be ridiculous like, "knock-knock/who's there?/doggy/doggy who?/doggy frog". And that was when they used real words. Sometimes they were altogether made up. Well, one day, Lane happened upon one that was actually funny. "Knock-knock/who's there?/Nana/Nana who?/Nana nana boo-boo." Not bad for a three year old. I think now he's got a total of 3 jokes that actually make sense.

The funny part of this story is actually Owen. Still not talking much at all, he has found his own way to tell knock-knock jokes by repeating the inflection and intonation of your voice. It is pretty funny.

Cancer

2009-05-06T20:35:00.000-04:00

It has been said that at some point in your life you will be touched by cancer.

When it was my grandfather, I could say, yes, I've been touched by cancer. Even when it was my mom's girlfriend or her other girlfriends husband-in a distant way I could say, yes my life has been touched by cancer.

And then it happens to your best friend's husband who is the same age as you and is doing life right beside you. At that point, cancer does not touch your life. It hits you upside the head and knocks the wind out of you.

So this is me asking you to pray for my girlfriend Kelli and her husband Rick. If you are interested in the details, you can check out her blog at www.rickandkelli.blogspot.com. But basically he has an aggressive form of testicular cancer that has been removed but had already spread to his lungs and abdomen. On Monday, he will start nine weeks of chemotherapy. Rick and Kelli have three small children and one on the way. You can imagine that a very sick daddy would be difficult in that scenario. Both Rick and Kelli are a beautiful picture of faith at this point as they are filled with hope and trust in God. Thus far, you could hardly call them shaken by this. Maybe a little unsteady at first, but all in all, their feet are firmly planted in the knowledge that God is in control.

Please keep them in your prayers as they go through this journey.

The Perfect Church

2009-05-05T13:54:00.001-04:00

Anyone who has ever gone to church knows that in fact, there is no perfect church. A church is filled with normal people who, even though they may be pursuing godliness, they are still humans who are going to fail in some way.

Our church is pretty close to perfect, though.

It is led by some of the most genuine people I have ever met. Their passion for Christ and care for his people and his church is plain to see. The vision of the church is easy to be a part of-making Christ accessible to all people, no matter where you are in life. The teaching is very relevant to your every day life. The music rocks. It is just the right amount of contemporary without being so over the top that it gets in the way of worshiping God. My kids love going to church. I'm pretty sure it has a lot to do with doughnuts in the Grand Hall before class, but nonetheless, they are always excited to go to class each week. The casual dress is awesome when you are trying to get three kids out the door for church each week. I mean, I still dress them up in darling matching outfits each week. But it's nice to then be able to run back to my room and throw on some jeans and a shirt while Jason is loading the kids into the van. Another thing that is very important to Jason, is that it is a church you feel comfortable inviting people to. It's pretty safe to say your guests are going to feel comfortable, and enjoy their worship experience, perhaps in a way they had never before.

Then why do I want to find a new church so stinkin' bad? Does that make any sense?

It seems right now when you choose a church there are two extremes. Either it is traditional in its basic structure with church, Sunday School, Wed. night activities and most likely Sunday night studies of some sort. Or, it is a more contemporary model with life groups being the major form of fellowship. Well, ideally, I am all about life groups. I believe meeting in someone's home is a more intimate setting. I believe it creates the opportunity for a real sense of community and friendship while all the while growing together in Christ. I get that. But Jason and I have gone to Suncoast for over six years now and we have yet to find one that works for us. Three kids later and a husband that travels all the time, it's not getting any easier. So what does that mean for us at church? Six years later and I still look forward to seeing and fellowshipping with the same eight people in which six of them are church staff members. We don't know anyone at our church. I so long for a "Sunday School Class" AKA a life group that happens to meet on Sunday mornings so that my children are taken care of AND they're learning about God. I've been saying this for years on and off and I finally asked Jason to please let us try some other churches. This is a big step for him because he L-O-V-E-S our church.

So last week we went to this like-minded church in our area. We had been there before and our first impression was that it wasn't for us. But it is doing some amazing things in our community when it comes to bringing in unchurched people. I think half of our neighborhood goes there and some of them have never gone to church before. That's pretty exciting. No doubt this church is doing some awesome work in the name of Christ. So we decided to go for four straight weeks and re-evaluate. Sure. I felt like I was in a mosh pit during worship. The leader was even jumping up and down and bobbing his head. I never did find a melody line. Not to say this kept up the entire time. I eventually recognized some of the songs. The sermon was very good but a little bit more of, " I'm trying to be cool and current" versus just genuinely being so real that the Word is current and cool. A couple of days after our first visit, we were already talking AGAIN about how to make our church work for our family. We are going to go to that church for the rest of the month like we originally decided but it's not looking good for winning us over.

Ugh. It is so annoying. How do I actively serve and fellowship at a church that is 40 minutes away from me without ways to connect on the weekend? Why can't I pick my church up and move it a little closer and add life groups on Sundays?

Now that would be the perfect church!

Amelia's Salon & Day Spa

2009-04-27T12:59:00.000-04:00

Amelia wanted to have a make-up party so I took that idea and ran. I wanted this to be a very fun & special party because to me 5 seems like it deserves a big deal. So, as you may remember from my post about the invitations, I turned my living room into Amelia's Salon & Day Spa. When you entered the house, there was a big sign identifying the spa. Then there was a waiting room complete with Highlights magazines for the girls to wait for their appointments. They never actually sat down in the waiting room as they were all very excited upon arrival. Amelia had been asking every three minutes, when were her friends coming? By the time 10 am arrived, hyper didn't quite capture her state. There were 5 guest plus Amelia. My awesome friends and mom helped man the stations which included: pedicure, manicure, facial, hair, and craft table. At the craft table, the girls made their bag to put all of their goodies in. They each got to take home, a pair of flip flops from the pedicure station, a fingernail polish from the manicure station, a lip gloss from the make up station, and a mini hair crown from the hair station. When the girls arrived, I took Before pictures and when the treatments were complete, they all took After photos. It all went really smoothly, I thought. We had one casualty of a finger burn from a little girl who reached up and touched the curling iron. But other than that, the girls got a big kick out of getting pampered. After the spa experience, they all changed into a fancy dress, picked out some play jewelry and headed to the tea party. The menu there included: chocolate dipped strawberries, watermelon cut into hearts, brownies, marshmallow and chocolate sandwiches also cut into hearts, pink punch, and of course cake. They all had a big time and were well marked with chocolate by the time the party was over. I had a total blast planning the party and it seemed the girls had an equally fun time together as well. Maybe we'll have a low key party from now until age 10 and then throw a big bash again.

The tag on the bags they made read, " It is not fancy hair, gold jewelry, or fine clothes that should make you beautiful. No, your beauty should come from within you....This beauty will never disappear, and it is worth very much to God." 1 Peter 3: 3-4

One of the highlights for the girls was actually an afterthought-a chocolate mud mask at the make-over station. There were a lot of giggles as they looked in the mirror at themselves.

Sometimes You Flop

2009-04-26T20:26:00.000-04:00

O.K so this is what the cake was supposed to look like. Looks easy enough, doesn't it? In no way was attempting this cake suggesting that there is anything in me that is Martha-esque. But there were step by step directions. How hard could it be?

Let me just state that I have successfully made some pretty cute cakes in the past. If you will recall, my son's birthday cake decorated to look like a lion, just a month ago, was above average for one who has never had any instruction on decorating cakes.

Well, not so much on this attempt. My mom and I laughed so hard at this pitiful attempt. Here's a good laugh for you.

Let's hear your interpretation. My mom thought it looked like a school bus. I thought it looked like a rock on one side and the Leaning Tower of Pisa from the other. It wasn't even worth trying to get the malted milk balls to make the handle of the purse. There was no way this thing was being served as is. I just cut it in slices and served it.

That night Jason was trying to encourage me by saying, "It's fine, honey, it's just a five year old birthday party". Amelia tactfully waited until they retreated to the bedroom to ask Jason, "Why did you say it was fine, dad. That cake is not fine." I couldn't agree with her more!

I Can't Believe I Have A 5 Year Old

2009-04-24T08:13:00.000-04:00

Attempting to Get a Picture of Three Kids

2009-04-12T20:37:00.000-04:00

"Everyone look at Mommy! No don't move. Stay right there. Oh perfect. Wait....Owen has snot running down his face. Lane, get your finger out of your nose. O.K. guys, look this way. No! Don't sit down in the mulch. Lane, finger out of your nose. Quick, smile before Owen runs off. Stand closer. Good. Don't move. Why are you screaming? Forget it! Let's get in the car and go to church."

Matching Kiddos

2009-04-05T18:52:00.000-04:00

I cannot tell you the joy it brings me to dress my kids in matching outfits. Ridiculous, right? I don't do it so that others will tell me how cute they look. Nor because I think in the scheme of things it is important, AT ALL. It is just fun for me. It is like dressing my little baby dolls as a child, only to take all the clothes off and dress them again in something different. I know I won't be able to do it for long, so I'm just enjoying it while I can. Any day now, Lane is going to tell me he does not want to match Owen. I just know he'll be the first to protest. Amelia is still extremely cooperative about wearing what I tell her to. She really could care less what she wears or what she looks like. I'm sure she gets that from me as my hair and makeup gets done about twice a week, at most. I actually would like to get better at that so that Amelia has a model of mom taking care of herself, hoping to pass a little of that on to her. Unfortunately, I am just the last person to get any attention in order to get out of the house on time. Some days, I put the kids in the car all buckled up, then run into the house and change out of my pajamas and give my teeth a quick brush before I run back out to the car to zoom away for a busy day. Isn't this the life of a mom with three preschool children? What? No? You mean you actually wake up early in order to shower, dress and put on makeup? So that's why no one else at the preschool pick up looks like they just rolled out of bed! Who knew?

Princess & Pirate

2009-04-05T18:37:00.000-04:00

Saturday we went to a Princess & Pirate Brunch at my girlfriends' church. It was a really cute event. The premise was to tell the girls that they are princesses because they are daughters of the King and that God loves and treasures them. The pirate connection I'm not so sure of because I wasn't a part of that but I know it involved a treasure hunt and the explanation that they are God's treasure. My girlfriends Jody and Meg did a great job planning and working on the event. I was a Maid in Waiting, the adult in charge of a table of 5-7 year old girls. I was the only one in a Disney princess costume. The other adults had old wedding dresses or bridesmaid dresses with tiara's. I felt a little silly but it was all I could come up with. Next year I am getting my friend Alison's old bridesmaid dress from my mom's house. It is very princess-y. Lane was not too thrilled with the pirate costume but after a big and long fit, he got over it and managed to keep it on for the whole event. I must say he made a stinkin' cute pirate!

First Beach Day of the Season

2009-03-29T22:54:00.000-04:00

Friday the kids were out of school and we headed to Anna Maria for our first beach day of the season. The previous day had been gorgeous which is what put the idea in my head. Of course, I don't watch the news, listen to the radio, or have any regular contact with the outside world, so I didn't know a huge storm was blowing in this weekend. We still had a great day. It was just VERY windy and overcast. The kids didn't even seem to notice. It was just my friend and I that stayed fully clothed and covered up with our towels. The kids frolicked around in the freezing cold water and played in the sand as if it were any regular 90 degree Florida day. Well, I say the kids, but I should clarify-Amelia, Lane, and their friend ran around splashing and playing. Owen apparently had not overcome his dislike of the beach that he displayed last summer. I was sure that it was only because he was so young last year and that this year he would run around and enjoy it like the others. Oh no. The very first moment his feet touched the sand he protested in one of his getting-to-be-regular-fits and it took the next two hours to convince him he could walk on the sand. For the first thirty minutes, he wouldn't even get off my friend or my lap. Then I laid down a blanket and he would walk all over it as if stepping off would end in something tragic. Every once in a while, he would relax to the point he would misstep off the blanket and he'd start crying all over again. After about two hours of this, the seagulls noticed the children and counted on the fact that where there are children there is dropped food. This coaxed him off the blanket little by little because he wanted to go chase the birds. The last 30 minutes we were there, he had just about warmed up to idea of the sand. He was having none of the water but could you really blame him? It was freezing! The other kids were crazy for being out there in that water with 20mph wind whipping all over the place. I think the next time I head out to the beach, I'll wait for more ideal weather so it won't be so overwhelming for him. I think if the water is calm and the day is warm he will enjoy it. He better. That is my free entertainment for the summer and I'm planning on spending a lot of time there!

They're All Looking

2009-03-26T19:07:00.000-04:00

My Fav

2009-03-26T19:06:00.000-04:00

Amelia's Big Accomplishment

2009-03-23T21:08:00.000-04:00

The clip speaks for itself!

Getting to Know Lane

2009-03-18T07:40:00.000-04:00

I feel like I've gotten to know Lane in a whole new way over the past couple of months. His speech has gotten so much clearer and we can actually have some pretty involved conversations together. He is

constantly stating his likes and dislikes. Here are some things that Lane is up to these days:

almost completely potty trained. Doesn't really like the poop part but with a little help from Miralax, he is well on his way.
tells me about 20 times a day that he loves me. He really is the sweet one.
doesn't like any movie that has a remotely scary part. This even includes a Franklin movie that has some scene with an eagle. You know how scary those Franklin episodes can be! He loves Diego, Max and Ruby, and most anything on Noggin.
calls Amelia "YaYa". It will be a sad day for me when he finally gets out her name clearly. I think it is so cute the way he says it.
loves stuffed animals, especially ones that represent something, like a trip to the zoo. Carries them around all day, pretends they are doing whatever he is.
No longer claims dog-dog, his closest friend since infancy, because his mom had the audacity to sew a tag on him with his name and phone number. If you ask him why he doesn't like dog-dog anymore he will tell you, "Mommy put my name on it".
enjoys roaming around the house exclaiming, "hiney, hiney, penis, penis". Sometimes we aren't so sure his clear speech is a good thing!
has very particular opinions about what he eats and wears. He doesn't mix it up too much either. He pretty much wants Cheerios for breakfast, PB&J for lunch, and wants to wear shorts at all times.
doesn't play too well by himself and thinks that mom, dad, or YaYa should be playing with him at all times. We are working on this. Some days I think if I have to play Diego for one more minute I am going to die!
seems to be an indoor man, often explaining it is too sunny, too windy, or too foggy to play outside. I'm not sure how this is going to play out with Jason's dream for him to be star linebacker.
if I can't play with him, he would rather help me do whatever I'm doing than go entertain himself (so opposite of his sister). He will unload dishwashers, wipe off counters, bring me the dirty laundry baskets, etc.

It is interesting to find the kid who, by the looks of him, is all rough and tough, is actually the sweetest and the most sensitive of the three. Don't get me wrong, he won't turn down the opportunity to "rough you up" but he also wants to snuggle up with you and tell you how much he loves you. He is so precious to us.

Middle One's Birthday Number Three

2009-03-14T19:58:00.000-04:00

I absolutely love throwing birthday parties for my kids. Sometimes I go a little over the top all the time knowing it is more because I enjoy it than because it is necessary. I love making the invitations, picking the theme, making the cake-the whole nine yards. This year, when it came time to think about Lane's birthday (in January, you know because you need three months to plan a 3 year old's party {sarcasm}) I just decided we would go super low key this year. I couldn't even think of who I would invite because most of the people we play with are either Amelia's friends who happen to have younger siblings, or family friends. He doesn't really have a friend that he would really pick on his own. So we decided we would just have some family friends over for some pizza, ice cream and cake. Throw some presents in there and to a 3 year old that is perfectly acceptable for a party. And get this, I actually stuck to it. In no way, shape, or form did I make this simple thing over the top like I usually do. It just so happened that my sister was in town for my nieces volleyball tournament so we got to add Gina and Elli to the gathering. It was so nice and relaxing. Lane actually picked the theme, Alex the Lion, because he is obsessed with this stuffed lion my mom bought him at the zoo a couple of weeks ago. All that really inspired was the cake. The kids just played with the toys that Lane opened, mostly the train set that I inherited from someone for free and wrapped it up in a box like it was brand new. Love that. Then they made ice cream sundaes and ate cake. That was it. Party over. We all had a great time celebrating our sweet boy.

So Proud of My Neice

2009-03-10T19:23:00.000-04:00

It seems just yesterday I was holding her in the hospital. Today she found out she is a Presidential Scholar at Queens in Charlotte. She will be playing volleyball while getting an awesome education this fall. I am so proud of her.

Way to go, Tori!

A Little More Girly

2009-03-10T19:12:00.000-04:00

Playing with Photoshop

2009-03-09T23:25:00.000-04:00

I am still looking for a girly-er digi kit to try to make it look more like a 5 year olds party. But this is what I came up with as I was practicing. It is hard to find good digikits for free which is what I'm looking for. So, out of these two, which one do you like the best?

OMG! And Not In A Good Way

2009-03-09T22:55:00.000-04:00

Earlier today I thought that if I did not catch a break I was going to break! I have been thinking that it hasn't been that bad-all this time that Jason has been traveling. I mean, I'd much rather have him here. But, all in all, it hasn't been horrible. Just about the time I think I'm going to lose it, he comes home for a few days and rescues me. But today is only Monday, and it looks like this week isn't going to pass as swimmingly as some of the others.

Here are a few highlights of my day:

Thank goodness for daylights saving time because I think that is the one day of the year that my kids sleep later than 6:30. This morning it seemed glorious when my first child made his first peep in the monitor at 7:40. I absolutely could not believe it. Yes, we do have to leave the house at 8:30 to get Amelia to school on time. But I decided I would be mom of the year and feed my kids Pop-Tarts on the way to school, making it feasible to get out of the house in less than an hour. This seemed to be going rather well. We were in the car by 8:35, not too shabby, and the kids were thrilled with the opportunity to eat a sugar-filled definitely NOT healthy (as Amelia would say) breakfast. I jump in the car, put the car in reverse, and notice over my shoulder that Owen, after gagging on his Pop-Tart is now throwing the entire chocolaty mess all over himself and the car seat. By the time I got him cleaned up and changed, we were so nowhere near on time for school. And I didn't even panic-even though deep down I was resentful that I would now be missing aerobics!
Lane's all day clinginess turned out to have a legitimate cause-a 103 degree fever. Sorry Kelli-I promise I didn't know when I exposed your kids today.
On the way home from a little golf cart ride, Amelia informed me that she felt sick and that she was going to throw up. Great! As of now, that has not happened. She has been sleeping soundly for three hours.

This would be about the time overwhelmedness (I guess I made up that word) set in as I began thinking that they would not be able to go to school tomorrow, I would not be able to go to my bible study, and I was going to be at home all week with sick kids. Unlikely that it's going to be as bad as I'm working it up to be but that's what I do when I get overwhelmed.

I found great escape tonight in playing with Photoshop. I'm going to upload a few practice invitation I'm playing with for Amelia's birthday.

Barely Off Auto Mode

2009-03-02T21:00:00.000-05:00

All By Himself

2009-03-02T20:58:00.000-05:00

Poor Baby

2009-03-02T20:47:00.000-05:00

The Latest Incident

2009-02-28T22:09:00.001-05:00

"Incidents" aren't few and far between when you have three youngsters.

Today it was Owen's turn for the minor emergency. He fell and hit his head on this wood thing in our garage and landed an inch wide and almost that deep gash on his forehead. Because I could see a deep hole inside the gash, I was in a total panic. Queazy stomach even, and that is not like me. Thank goodness Jason was there because he was the calm and cool one in this situation. I always wondered how you would know if you needed to get stitches or not. Then this happened and let me tell you, you instantly know. Oh yeah, this one is going to have to have stitches. I scooped him up, told all the kids to get in the car, and jumped in the backseat holding Owen. Jason is very calmly getting sippy cups and snacks as he considers we may be in the emergency room for hours. He even thought to grab the phone book so we could try an Urgent Care Center before heading to the ER. That is where we ended up. I can't give you the play-by-play on the rest of the drama because Jason is the one who took him from there. He says it was the worst thing he has ever done. It took three adults to hold him down. He said the volume of his scream and his gasps for air in between each scream were heartbreaking. I am SO glad I did not hear any of that. He says the time Amelia got staples in her head didn't even compare to this.

All that sadness to say, once the stitches were in, he immediately went back to his normal happy self. He hasn't touched his head even once. It is as if nothing ever happened. Now I am just hoping for a scar-less healing.

Cirque Du Soleil

2009-02-22T20:13:00.000-05:00

This weekend we took Jason's parents for a little trip to Orlando-our Christmas present to them. It actually ended up being a present to ourselves not only because we had a wonderful time with the Tomlinson's but also because we were child-free. (Thank you, Mom!)

We spent the day browsing stores we don't have like the outlet malls, IKEA, and Home Depot Expo. My big bargain of the day was finding the exact CROCs I had purchased the night before for $25/each for only$9.99 at the outlet mall. As I was driving away, I was kicking myself for not calling my friends Kelli and Stacie to get their kids' size. Luckily, Jason will be in Orlando more often now so we can stock up for all our friends. What a bargain! I can return the one's I bought at Learning Express and get back in good favor with my husband!

One of the laughing points of the shopping day was watching a lady in the car beside us as we waited for the red light. She was apparently oblivious that we were in bumper to bumper traffic with people in every direction because she (no exaggerating, I promise) used three different fingers, all the way up to her knuckle, to pick her nose. That booger must have been way up there because she was on a mission to get this thing out of her nose. As each finger proved unsuccessful, she would stick the next finger in. It was disgusting! Tommy threatened to get out of the car and hand her a handkerchief. Come on, lady, people every direction are watching you. At least wait until you are in the privacy of your own home!

We had an early dinner at PF Chang's. Can you say chicken lettuce wraps? Need I say any more?

After checking into our hotel and resting for a bit, it was time for the main affair- the 9:00 Cirque Du Soleil show. Jason and I had seen it before a few years ago but we thought it would be fun to take his parents. I didn't expect to enjoy it as much the second time around, most things aren't quite as good the second time around because you already know what to expect. The element of surprise is gone. But this show impressed us just as much the second time around. You just cannot go wrong with that show. It will delight anyone of any age. I watched again in sheer amazement at the amount of practice the performers must do to perfect each trick. They are in awesome shape. Just watching them made me want to get up and go work out!

Jason and I were so excited to go to sleep that night, knowing that we wouldn't have any children forcing us out of bed at 6 am. We both knew we wouldn't manage to actually sleep in, but just getting to wake up without three little ones needing you immediately was a real treat. We both slept wonderfully, with a little help from Ambien. I wasn't taking any chances of losing the opportunity to sleep without interruption. Who knows when that will happen again.

I know I've made this post sound like the weekend was all about us, but really it was to spend some quality time with Tommy and Judy. We really enjoyed getting to visit with them just as grown ups, without our attention being divided by meeting the needs of our children. We think Mom and Dad really enjoyed the show and our time together-- which was our main goal for the weekend.

Playing with My Nikon

2009-02-22T13:29:00.000-05:00

Congratulations Hubby!

2009-02-10T13:11:00.000-05:00

Jason just got promoted to the manager of his district with his company, PanAmerican.

I am so proud of him. I honestly believe he was made for this job. His God-given talents will be a huge advantage to him in this job. He is ~~annoyingly~~ amazingly organized. He completely thinks outside of the box when it comes to innovative ways to get things done. He is ~~obsessively~~ wonderfully conscience with a budget. Not to mention that he is just good with people. I think he is going to make a big difference in the success of his territory.

Congratulations, hubby!

Could I Possibly Have A Child Old Enough for Kindergarten?

2009-02-03T20:46:00.000-05:00

It has always felt like it would be forever until I would have to make a decision about sending Amelia to school. That forever has flown by me in a blur and is now right before me.

Jason and I talked about it in the past, back when it seemed hypothetical. We pretty much decided it would be public school for our family. This decision came from the following conclusions: we could never afford private school for three kids, even if we could there isn't one anywhere close to where we live, and finally, I would NEVER homeschool my children.

Again, this was back when it seemed hypothetical. In the meantime, I subbed for a friend's maternity leave at this community school where they go to school twice a week and were "home-schooled" three days a week. At the time, I still didn't think it was right for our family, mostly because of the drive.

Then, Amelia's preschool started exploring the possibility of starting a school of a similar model. There would be a pretty good possibility that I could teach there twice a week, and send all three of my children to school while I worked. At the same time, I could have a very hands on roll in what and how she was learning. Seeing as working with reading curriculum is what I do professionally, there is something very appealing to me about this. On top of all that, sending her to a school where Christian values were taught and practiced would be a major bonus. I mean, I know that's our job as parents, but reinforcement at school could not hurt. I am all about sheltering her a little bit longer if at all possible. I don't think she needs to experience everything the world has to offer at age 5.

So what's the big dilemma?

I went and met with the assistant principal at the public school down the road from us today. I don't know what I was expecting but I guess I just thought it would solidify the thought of sending her to this Christian/Home school. But it didn't. It just made me that much more unsure of what I want to do. I LOVED the school. I just know that Amelia would love the school. The assistant principal seems great-we were so eye to eye on curriculum. I had a great meeting with him and feel like we bonded in just that short time. I feel like just after our short meeting I wouldn't have to worry about which teacher Amelia would get. He already asked me to be on the SAC committee, for goodness sakes! He knows I'm going to be an involved parent. Plus, I think one day down the road, there could be the possibility to work there with reading remediation, just like I've always said I would love.

I don't know! I will just continue to pray about it and hope that it becomes more clear to Jason and I as the time draws near. There are a lot of open and closed doors that could make this decision a lot easier. Maybe it will end up being a no-brainer. At the moment it seems a little overwhelming.

I cannot even believe Amelia is old enough to go to Kindergarten.

Baby Gator

2009-02-03T20:36:00.000-05:00

Today, I found this little hat in Owen's drawer and thought I'd put it on and snap a quick picture for his token baby Gator picture. He, however, was quite fond of it and wore it for the rest of the night. He was cracking me up because if it fell off while he was playing, he would immediately run over to me and have me put it back on.This continued over and over again at least a dozen times over. Neither of my other kiddos would ever keep a hat on their head. Owen may just be my hat boy. Oh, and shoes. I'll have to catch a few shots of his new shoe obsession. He puts any shoe he finds lying around, which at my house he has a large selection, and walks around in them. He doesn't seem hindered by the constant tripping and stumbling that takes place from wearing shoes twice his size. He is oh-so-sweet!

What Did You Do During the Superbowl?

2009-02-01T20:04:00.001-05:00

I got vomited on and cleaned up vomit 6 different times. Fun.

It was like a bad scene from a movie. Amelia was on her third time, by now we were ready for it and had a large bowl at her side. Lane, who hadn't had the slightest complaint, walked over and started throwing up all over me and everything else. I didn't know where to put the bowl. I put it under Lane and Amelia's vomit went everywhere. I put it under Amelia and Lane's vomit went everywhere. It was insane. Had I had one split second to think, I would definitely have chosen the bowl to follow Lane because his vomit was bright red Kool-Aid color. As we speak, Jason is up at Publix renting a carpet steamer. I've never seen such a shade of red come out of someone. It makes a lovely stain on the carpet.

They are both in bed now and I am hopeful this is over. The smell is impossible to get rid of and it alone could bring a person to hurl. Gross.

My Nikon D80

2009-01-31T11:47:00.000-05:00

Jason and I decided to use our credit card points to buy a DSLR camera. I have been wanting one for a while and we weren't going to be paying that much for a camera any time soon (like in the next ten years). It has been quite the ordeal since we decided to do this. Jason, true to himself, did weeks of research on which camera we should order. Canon or Nikon? Nikon or Canon? We went back and forth. Then, it takes quite some time to actually get the camera when you are using credit card points because there are a few more steps involved. Yesterday, the package finally arrived......

The UPS man looked amused with me as I was jumping up and down and singing a little song about my camera finally being here.

This is what came in the package.

I am sooooo excited! It will take me a month just to figure out the camera on auto mode, much less move to making some manual choices. I know it is much more camera than we need but it gives me some room to grow and learn more about photography. Don't be expecting any fabulous photography in the near future! But hopefully one day.

Daniel

2009-01-27T20:32:00.000-05:00

A few of my girlfriends and I have been doing Beth Moore's 12 week study, Daniel, for the last 20 weeks. Yes, that's right. That's what happens when four mothers of 12 preschoolers try to do anything--someone's child is always sick. I feel like if we could have kept the momentum we started with, I would have endless things to blog about on this subject. The constant starting and missing a few weeks has made it a little difficult for me to stay focused. But, wow, is this subject matter worth staying focused on. I believe it completely speaks to the time we are living in. Here is the basic premise:

Beth Moore makes a parallel between the Babylon Daniel is living in and our present day Babylon, the world we live in every day. The similarities are unbelievable. She poses the question how do we stay spiritually relevant without becoming culturally irrelevant. In other words, how can we be who God wants us to be without becoming so radical to the world that we lose our credibility? Personally, this is a balance that is hard for me to find. I absolutely loved going back to all those stories I had heard as a child, (Daniel and the Lion's Den, Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego in the fire, etc.) and looking back on them to find so much more than I could have ever gotten as a child in Sunday School. One of my favorite things from those lessons that I will take with me forever was from the story of the three friends in the fire. Three of her points that day were relating to the fiery trials we go through today. She laid out, from that scripture, the three ways that God will deal with our fiery trial. He will either deliver us FROM the fire, deliver us THROUGH the fire, or deliver us INTO HIS LOVING ARMS. For the Christian, it is really a win-win scenario. These trials will not defeat us. Another thing she said from these early chapters of Daniel that still rings through my head is,"You do not have the one situation that God cannot handle". Of course, in the context of the lesson that was more profound but it was speaking of how often we think our situation is so much worse, or so unlike someone else's. But there is nothing that God has not seen and cannot handle. Today, I was re-inspired by this study as she spoke on selfishness. She was saying that when Satan realizes he cannot keep you from loving God, he then moves on to his next strategy-to keep you selfish. She was using scripture to point out that selfishness is the root cause of everything that keeps us from letting God fulfill His purpose in our life. When we continue to think, "It's all about me, It's all about what makes me happy" we are so limited from being able to live the sacrificial life that God wants us to live. That one really rang loud for me--I am so selfish! A major point she repeats throughout the 12 week study (or 20 weeks, whatever) is that if you want to be a Daniel in your present day Babylon, it has to be intentional. Otherwise, without even knowing it, we will blend right into this world without anyone even realizing it. That is so hard in this life that is passing by me in a blur. But I accept the challenge willingly.

Sorry about my rambling. I am sure if I took out my notes from the study, I could be more succinct. But I figure, what ever has managed to make it from my notebook to my heart, is really what is going to stick with me anyway. So that's what I decided to share.

Our next study will be Esther. I can't wait.

Merry Christmas Mom and Dad!

2009-01-26T20:54:00.000-05:00

This year, Jason and I decided that our Christmas gifts to our parents were going to create the opportunity to spend time together rather than get them something they really don't need, or want, for that matter.

This weekend, my parents came down our way to redeem our gift to them, a dinner and dessert out at Euphemia Haye on Longboat Key.

We had a wonderful time. On the drive out to the key, we saw a beautiful sunset. That just set the tone for a wonderful night. Jason had been to this place before for a doctor's dinner, but I never had, so I was just taking his word on it when he suggested it for my parents. I didn't exactly know what to expect. The atmosphere was awesome! It was very quaint and cozy. They had these hanging plants all over the restaurant with white lights intertwined. There were beautiful and unique plants, that my parents could name, surrounding the restaurant. Downstairs was the restaurant and upstairs, The Haye Loft, was the dessert room. The food was amazing and between the four of us we tasted quite a variety of food from steak and veal, to seafood. Even though we were all too stuffed for dessert, we forced ourselves upstairs to a massive spread of homemade desserts. That choice was the hardest one of the night. We all walked out of there wishing we had eaten a little less! It was great to spend some time with my parents without the kids interrupting and vying for their attention.

Anxiety Is Not Worry

2009-01-23T09:49:00.000-05:00

Did you know that anxiety is not the same thing as worrying? Well, I didn't understand that at all until I experienced it myself. Anxiety is something that you cannot wrap a rational mind around because it is not rational. At. All. Let me tell you what I'm worried about right now. Nothing. I am worried about nothing. Not the economy, the president, our finances, my marriage, my children, or my friends. Nothing. And yet, I am filled with anxiety. My neck and back are in tense knots, very uncomfortable. And the tight feeling in my chest is back. My mind and body are filled with this very nervous feeling that won't go away. But again, I have nothing to be nervous about. I don't even have a stressful day or upcoming week. It makes no sense.

I used my bible concordance today and looked up all the places that anxiety appears in the bible. I will meditate on these and try to cast all my anxiety upon Him, because he cares for me. In the meantime, I am just so puzzled by this weird thing I am dealing with.

Puppy Drama

2009-01-22T19:49:00.000-05:00

Owen has a little security blankie named puppy. My mom bought it for him when he was born. Ever since he has been tiny, he has had this very specific way he holds it as he sucks his thumb when going to sleep. With the other hand, he plays with the little bow around his neck. It is quite tender.

Last Thursday night, I lost puppy.

I never actually thought I would be the one who lost him. I mean, if we are out in public, I watch that thing like it is my fourth child, fearing the day Owen ever has to go to sleep without it.

Well, Target was having its 75% off toys and I was there by myself with the three kids, past Owen's bedtime, in a full out frenzy trying to stock up on birthday gifts for any possible party we might be invited to in the next year. I mean, when a 20 dollar gift is only 5$, I can actually afford to go to that party! Somewhere in the chaos, Owen threw his puppy over and for once, I didn't even notice. When we pulled into the garage and I started thinking through getting the kids in bed, I knew right away that puppy was not with us. I called Target immediately and the person on the phone must have been a mother because she had tremendous compassion for me and actually radioed the staff to walk up and down the toy isles. She stayed on the phone with me for about ten minutes and I could hear the people actually looking for it, but no luck. That was about the only compassion I got because the next four days that I called to check the lost and found, I had the feeling they weren't even looking before telling me there was nothing like that there. I mean, at least pause a few minutes to make it seem like you're looking!

Bedtime was not as tough as I expected, I suppose because he was exhausted. But naps became more difficult and much shorter. I know he would have gotten over it in a few more days, but I wasn't sure I was going to.

So, I started searching the Internet for this exact dog. He has other similar dogs and he doesn't care a bit for them so I knew if there was any chance of him re-bonding to a new blankie, it would have to be the exact one. I searched for at least an hour without finding one at all. Then I found one at some Amazon store for $50. That person should be ashamed of themselves, knowing that some mom is looking for something that can no longer be bought in a store and will be desperate enough to pay the big bucks for a silly blanket. I was not paying $50 for a $15 lovey no matter how long it took me to get over it. After about another hour, I finally found a place that carries these things back about three years. Turns out that every season, Carters comes out with an updated version of the same exact dog. This particular one was from Summer of 2007. So I ordered it and found much relief in knowing that it would be here in 2-3 days.

That got me through the weekend. But by Monday, I still couldn't give up the idea that the dog was at Target. So I drove to Bradenton with a picture of the dog in hand, and went to the Lost and Found myself. The lady went straight to it. (I know it was there the whole time.) I'm not sure who had a bigger smile, Owen or me.

So today the new puppy came in the mail. I was planning on stashing it away for another mishap, but I was just curious whether he would like the new puppy as much as his original. I haven't been able to get it away from him since. Now he just walks around with both puppies. I must say it is pretty cute. I will just make sure that only one puppy leaves the house. The other must stay safely at home so we will never have to be without our puppy again.

Look how different the new one looks from the oh-so-loved one. The head of the loved one is like half the size from the one that is still soft and fluffy. That is too funny.

Finally Finished!

2009-01-21T13:23:00.001-05:00

I finally finished Breaking Dawn, the last book in the Twilight series. It has been the sole reason that I haven't been blogging as often, that I'm doing horrible at all of my New Year's resolutions, as well as neglected every other extra-curricular activity that has gone by the wayside. I am so relieved I can return to my normal life. The all consuming world of Bella and Edward can stop calling my name.

This last book took the longest of all of them to finish. It wasn't just that it was the longest, in pages, but it was also the easiest of them all to put down. Don't hear me saying it was my least favorite of the four, not at all. I couldn't possibly separate one above the others as they weave so closely together in my mind. But this book was more extreme science fiction than the others. As if a love affair between vampires, humans, and werewolves were not science fiction enough, this story had a few twists that let the story be just that, a story. Enjoyable to read. But all the ways I related to the themes in the other books that tied me emotionally to the story were just not there in this last book. The absence of the strong pull the others had on my emotions was really a welcomed change. This book was as great as the previous three, a perfect conclusion.

I'm sure this last opinion will seem radical to many of you. But since it's my blog, I'm going to say it anyway! I don't think this a great book for teenagers. I know. I know. It is written for teenagers- you find this book in the children's section of the book store under Young Adult Fiction. I know. But this is just my two cents. It is hard enough in our world to not romanticize finding the love of your life without this book. Teens see false ideas of what love, marriage, and sex look like in the context of real life. Even if one might say they know it's not like that in real life, they still have these little ideas stored away for what it will be like when they find Mr. Right. I know because I did it. We all did it to some point. This book just takes it to a whole new level. It is such a beautiful love story filled with unconditional, sacrificial love. It is of course, too perfect, for any love we are capable of. That's why its fiction. I'm just saying, even to the most level headed teen, it may set them up for disappointment when they discover that real love is hard. Marriage is hard. You have to work at it. I had a totally romanticized first love when I was a teenager and it took many years to be satisfied with anything but the crazy-in-love feelings that are portrayed so wonderfully in this book. If I were to let Amelia read these books ten years from now, I would at the very least have this discussion with her. I'm just saying.

We Like to Move It, Move It

2009-01-15T20:37:00.000-05:00

The Tomlinson children like to dance! Lane and Owen were cracking me up here. Lane was just moving his left shoulder to the music and Owen was only moving his knees. Hey, at least they were keeping a beat. Amelia's idea of dancing is running around the room in circles.

Don't Have Time For This Obsession

2009-01-14T10:05:00.000-05:00

I SO don't have time for this obsession. I don't have room in my head for these thoughts. I don't have the desire in my heart for this consumption. Ugh.

I read New Moon in 2 days and Eclipse in 2 days. Need to drop a few pounds? Read these books- because I guarantee you if faced with the choice to read or eat, you will choose to read. There is only one book left and I cannot tell you how happy I am that this is about to be over. Think I'm being dramatic? Try mothering three children when all you can think about is Edward, Jacob and Bella. I have not had one single night that I haven't dreamed about them. The lady checking me out as I purchased the second book said, "See you in a few days for the other books!" The lady checking me out as I purchased the last book said she finished them 2 months ago and she still hasn't stopped thinking about them. I refuse. I will return to my normal state as soon as this book is over.

Here are a few of the underlying themes that I love:

loving someone so much that you have to go against your nature to love them the way they need to be loved (don't we all have to do that?)
struggling between someone you're in love with and someone you can't live without
making choices between the pain you will cause others or the pain you will experience yourself

I honestly don't know if I recommend these books to anyone who must carry on a normal life. At least pick a time when you have nothing else going on because it is very hard to live in Forks and in your real life at the same time.

Jason's Top 5

2009-01-11T18:54:00.000-05:00

Jason was able to go to the National Championship game in Miami. He says it was in his top 5 life experiences, putting only our wedding day and the birth of his three children above it. I guess that means he had a pretty awesome time. He was with two great friends, Cliff from our neighborhood, who somehow doesn't get tired of us even though we see them almost every day, and Ben, Jason's best friend from high school. He was in great company. I don't think he had one complaint about the whole trip. Being there for the victory just made the experience even sweeter!

Jason has been quoting Tebow all day, "Oh by the way, let's do it again next year. I'm coming back!" In celebration of his return, Jason is planning on buying Lane a Tebow jersey.

Twilight

2009-01-06T13:39:00.000-05:00

I heard about it. Not interested in a vampire story. I read blogs about it. Not interested in a vampire story. I kept hearing about it. Again and again. And again. Then I started hearing how people are reading all four books in a week time because they can't put it down. Then I started having friends seeing the movie three times in a row. What in the world could be so stinkin' good about a vampire story? I mean, even way back when Tom Cruise was hot I had no interest in Interview with a Vampire. Nothing romantic about vampire stories.

I finally caved in. I just had to know what was so fascinating about this book.

Oh. My. Goodness.

Those of you who know I rarely finish a book will find it telling that I read all 498 pages in three days. I am having total withdraw at this very moment and trying to figure out how I can get book 2 in my hands before the kids bedtime tonight so I can escape into their world once more. I am fully obsessed.

Although you are fully aware that it's a vampire story, it is the intense love affair that pulls you into the book. It is that all encompassing, all consuming, even a bit cheesy, love that one might remember from their first love. I guess that is why it is a book for teenagers. But the intensity between this vampires love for the girl and his inner conflict with his own nature is truly addicting.

Just give in and go read it. You won't be sorry.

Why Bother?

2009-01-05T12:16:00.000-05:00

Today, while I was being super productive and working very hard to make my room look like this......

and my closet look like this..... (usually you can't see the floor)

My children were effortlessly making my living room look like this.....

And their bedroom look like this.....

Seriously, why bother?

New Year's Resolutions

2009-01-02T13:07:00.001-05:00

I know many people think New Year's Resolutions are a bunch of crock. Something to make or break in a months time. I agree when taken lightly, it can be a waste of time. But I also think it is a good excuse to reflect back on your last year and think about if you are any closer to becoming the person you want to be. Of course, the person we all want to be is unattainable as it does not truly exist. But that ever elusive person helps me to keep striving to be more of who God wants me to be and less of who the world wants.

Every year the top spot on my resolution list is to re-prioritize my daily time in the the Bible any prayer. I tend to find discipline in this area for 6 to 8 weeks at a time before I find myself out of the habit for several more weeks. I am not kidding myself to think that this is going to be the year that I start and never stop. But more realistically, that I spend more days with a quiet time than not. I think I'll actually try to keep up with this to see if I do better this year than previous years. I am such a better person when I am focused on what God wants instead of what I want.

Another goal of mine this year is to get farther and farther away from the angry mom that I found myself months ago. I am feeling much more control in this area but I want to get so far away from it that next year at this time my children barely remember they have a mom with a bad temper. I will continue to strive for self-control for myself and peace for my family.

Lastly, I am going to spend (at least) 15 minutes a day playing with each child individually. That means walking away from my blog, facebook, or house chores to have some one-on-one time with my kids. Lane's love language is really quality time and he begs for it. Owen needs it because being the third child, it is so easy to just let him follow the other two around and miss him growing up all together. And with Amelia, I really need to start focusing on making conversation easy and comfortable between us. She's getting so big so fast and I don't want to lose the opportunity to have a position of influence in her life.

Notice I stay away from the exercise every day type of resolution. Why set myself up for failure and disappointment?

I'd love to hear some of your New Year's Resolutions......

The Willing Guinea Pig

2009-01-02T13:02:00.000-05:00

Lane is all too willing to be Amelia's guinea pig for her first makeover. She got some makeup for Christmas and it has turned out to be a big hit!

2008-12-30T21:56:00.000-05:00

I'm going to try to bullet point this post in an attempt to make this post a reasonable length. Our Christmas gatherings were very numerous and I don't want to leave anything out.

Christmas 2008: in a nutshell

May be remembered as The Year Owen Cried. Of course, our family time together was still filled with joy but it took a little extra work to make the best of a not so happy Owen. He wasn't feeling well the first half of our vacation and by the second half, I think he was just accustomed to throwing fits.
Amelia got her long awaited Nintendo DS and has since been found at random times throughout the day singing a little tune, "I got a DS, I got a DS". Her only challenge, at times, is getting it away from Jason so that she can have her turn.
Lane was thrilled to get a riding F150 Power Wheel. He tells whoever will listen that, "I got a tuck! Big tuck!"
Christmas Eve morning kicked off the family festivities with a visit from Jason's sister, Sheila, and her family. It was great for our families to share time together without having to divide time between the whole extended family.
After a nice (and thankfully short as we had all 3 kids with us in the service) Christmas Eve service at church, we returned home for the traditional one present that gets to be opened that night. It is always a pair of matching Christmas pajamas but so far they haven't picked up on the pattern and are very surprised!
We had a wonderful Christmas day at home. The kids played with their new things and other than tiring of trying to calm Owen, it was a pretty relaxing day.
Christmas evening we had our great friends, The Flammangs and The Pardues, over for Christmas dinner. The six adults were outnumbered by the children by one. Considering there were four boys at 15 months, a rough and tumble 2 1/2 year old, and two four year old girls, it was a little hectic at times. Owen stopped crying long enough to let everyone enjoy their dinner in peace. It was a great time of fellowship.
Friday morning we were off to Keystone to see Jason's family and friends. The kids really enjoy time with their Mema, Papa, and Granny. There is lots of room to run around outside and there is always lots of good things to eat and people that will give them whatever they want. They weren't even too upset when they discovered that their cousins, Dylan, Courtlin, and Garrett weren't going to be there this time. They began asking for them just moments after hugging the rest of the family, but we had so much going on, they quickly forgot.
Old friends are the best. Jason's two best friends from highschool, Thomas and Ben, are among those we look forward to seeing at Christmas. I am so lucky that I love their wives, Jen and Karen, just as much which makes our yearly outing with them one of my favorite events. Dinner with great friends and no kids. What could be better? The boys get laughing so hard with old stories we've all heard a thousand times and we all get laughing just watching them laugh.
Saturday it was off to LaCrosse to spend time with the Jones family. We had a lot of visitors which was awesome, and almost made me feel like I hadn't missed the real Christmas day with family. We saw Mimi, Aunt Gloria, Grandmomma and Granddaddy, Susan and Adam, Aunt Lucy, and Ike. So great to see everyone even if each visit was just too short!
Mom, Dad, and Kathryn made a great family lunch. My brother works nights but managed to wake up that morning to do presents and then was awake again for our dinner that night. Ever since we left Nana and Grandy's, Amelia has been asking, " can I go back and then you go to a meeting or something and let me stay there all by myself?" Hmmm. I wonder what happens at Nana's when I'm not there?
Sunday back to Keystone and filled with visits with lots of other great people including The Harps, The Drehers, and Jason's Uncle Harry and Aunt Linda. The kids really did well seeing all these people they don't see very often and warmed up to them all as if they'd seen them last week. That makes all these fast paced visits a lot easier on Jason and I.
Monday it was back home to spend time with my sister and her family, who were on their way back from time with family in Miami. I was super pumped to spend time with them because Christmas just isn't complete without my sister. Gift exchange was exciting for Jason and I this time because we were excited about the gifts we had gotten them. After a fun day together, the adults went out to eat and came back to get the older kids and leave the younger ones with a sitter so we could all go see a movie. We went to see Yes Man, which by the way, is a total renter.
Today, the Christmas tree came down, the decorations packed, and there is barely a trace of Christmas to be found around our house. Except Christmas cards, which I'm slightly obsessed with, and refuse to take down quite yet. I love all the pictures of all the people I love!

Here is wishing you a very Happy New Year!

A Nicer Santa

2008-12-20T14:14:00.000-05:00

Today the kids and I saw a nicer Santa. There was no photographer, no long lines, no feelings of having to rush so the next person could go. He was quite jolly and authentic. This is definitely the way to go as far as Santa pictures go!

There was so much backlight that my pictures didn't turn out very good but the experience is documented. Isn't that what really matters?

Can you please notice that I still do not have one picture where all three of my children look good. I have been trying for such a picture for the last 15 months and have yet to get one. Not. One.

With Jesus

2008-12-20T14:04:00.000-05:00

Jason's great aunt Ruth has gone to be with Jesus. He left this morning to travel to McClenney for one funeral and then on to Valdosta for the second one. Jason's family has taken care of Ruth for years now as she does not have any close family of her own. I know Tommy loved her like a mother. She is in a far better place now where broken bones, dementia, and pneumonia are no longer.

I still cannot wrap my head around the fact that one moment we are here, on this earth, and the next moment, if we so choose, we are in the arms of Jesus. When I got the phone call about Ruth, she had only been gone for ten minutes. I sat thinking, she is with Jesus right now! All the things she could have ever wondered about were answered with one look into the eyes of Jesus. That will always be amazing to me. I believe it with my whole heart but will not be able to fully grasp it until the day my life here on earth is over.

Please say a prayer for Jason as he will have driven many, many hours by the time he returns tonight.

2008-12-20T13:58:00.000-05:00

These are the pictures from Amelia's Christmas performance at church. Remember this post? You can see the girl that thought the whole show was her solo in the second picture to Amelia's right. If I can ever get my camcorder downloaded, I'll have to attach some footage. It was rather funny.

Hee-Haw

2008-12-20T13:47:00.000-05:00

Amelia was a donkey in her Christmas pageant, A Wiggly Nativity. There was a whole song about donkeys during which she walked Mary and Joseph up on stage to the manger scene. She was a very enthusiastic donkey. The whole time she was on stage, she either had a huge smile on her face or she was yawning. I guess the excitement wore her out. I was sure to charge the camcorder so we could get the whole thing recorded. So it goes, there was no room left on the camera and we weren't able to record the show. That has never happened to us before. We've had the camera for over a year and that was the first time it has been full. Time to erase some footage, I suppose. Anyway, we got a lot of pictures to make up for not having the camcorder.

Believe It Or Not?

2008-12-16T20:38:00.000-05:00

I used to think people were very radical and extreme when they chose for their children to not believe in Santa. I can even remember joking with my friend Julie, "Well, can you just make sure your kid doesn't tell my kid the truth?".

So it would only be fitting, or humbling, that I find myself struggling with the same thing.

I had been thinking about it for a while starting a few months ago when Amelia was asking me these crazy deep questions about Jesus. I was so amazed by the things she thought to ask me about and even more so with how easily she believed me when I answered her. I wondered then, in the mind of a four year old, what is the difference between Santa and Jesus. I mean, they are both these things you have to believe in without seeing, and at age four rely mostly on the what your parents tell you.

As the holidays approached, I just quit thinking about it, deciding to cross that bridge when we got there.

On Sunday in the line waiting for Santa, Amelia informed the people ahead of us that, "There is only one Jesus and there is only one Santa!" At this confident exclamation, I began wondering about the whole thing again.

Of course I have both voices in my head. I believed in Santa Clause. I never felt betrayed when discovering the truth. I never felt my parents were awful liars. Never once in my seven year old world did I ever have the thought, "Well if Santa isn't real than I guess Jesus must not be either". I mean, what seven year old would even do that? I'm sure this isn't something that regularly happens. So, why do I feel so torn about painting this facade for my children? Bizarre.

Lately, my response to Amelia's every Santa question has been, "Yes, that's what the storybooks say!" Somehow, that feels like my solution at this point.

What about you guys, Santa or No Santa? Chime in!

She Makes Me Laugh

2008-12-16T20:32:00.000-05:00

Amelia made me laugh out loud two times today.

On one occasion, we were walking out of the mall back to our car when we passed a new, shiny, pea green Jeep. I said, "Well that is a green jeep." Amelia said, "Yeah, kinda poopy-ish color but I'm not allowed to say that."

Then, we were driving home listening to the kid channel on Jason's Sirius radio when the Madagascar song came on, "We like to move it, move it". After a verse or so, Amelia said we shouldn't listen to that song because it has bad words in it. I was puzzled because I was half listening to the song and hadn't heard anything plus it was on the kids channel so I didn't think it could be that bad. The song continued on, "It's time to party, party" and Amelia piped up again, "See, mom, this song says it's time to potty, potty-we can't say potty talk."

I guess you can tell we're dealing with potty talk these days.

A Sigh of Relief

2008-12-14T22:13:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh! This is my sigh of relief. The first one since my crazy, hectic last week. Granted, the hectic was all my own doing. Jason and I throw this annual Christmas party that consumes me the entire week before. It is an incredible amount of work and I love every moment of it. I kept telling everyone last night that it is my one domestic endeavor for the year. Every other night I'm doing good just to get something on the table to feed my family. But on this night, I make (almost) everything from scratch and fill the table with lots of delicious food. I cook for two days. The party is quite a commitment for Jason as well because for two days he has to keep the children out of the house. It is a lot of work for him to try to stay gone so that the kids aren't either messing up everything I just cleaned or stressing me out (by just being kids) while I am trying to juggle four different things at a time. Out of the two of us, I may be the party preparer, but he is the real entertainer. I work hard before the party. He works hard during the party. Once the party starts, I am so distracted by being social, I don't notice another hostess-like thing. He is on top of everything. He notices when food needs to be re-filled, coffee re-made, peoples drinks refilled. He is so good at paying attention to detail that he really makes others feel welcome in our home. I had a great time last night and am so thankful to have wonderful people to fill our home and kick off the holiday season.

This morning, Amelia had her Christmas program at church. This year, she didn't have a solo. Actually, no one was supposed to. This one child, however, stepped up to the microphone and sang the entire song as if she were the soloist. It was hysterical. The whole church was trying not to laugh, knowing that the other kids would feel laughed at if it got out of control. Preschoolers are hysterical-you never know what's going to happen when you get 30 of them up on a stage. Amelia smiled beautifully the entire time as if she were constantly posing for a picture. That, in and of itself, was pretty funny to watch.

Since Amelia was already dressed in her Christmas dress, I figured, why not get the boys in their outfits too and go see Santa after church. The kids were really excited to see him. Amelia told him what she wanted. Lane refused to sit on his lap but compromised by standing in front of him while Owen sat on his other knee. He wasn't a very talkative Santa. He looked real enough I suppose. But I think he was strictly there for the picture taking purpose. I don't think he was even going to ask her what she wanted if I hadn't initiated it. I pretended not to see the sign that asked you not to take your own photographs and click-clicked away. I'm sorry if that is wrong. But I had no intentions of spending $25 on one photo. It wasn't even a good one. I swear, they would probably make so much more money if they'd just offer a picture for $10. That I could have been talked into. The photographer was sure to let me know that my flash canceled out his flash or else several of his photos would have been good. Sorry, buddy, I wasn't going to buy it anyway. Is that bad?

Crafty Creations

2008-12-10T21:52:00.000-05:00

This is my 100th post! I wish it were more blog-worthy!

When I was a teacher, I got gifts ranging from apple figurines from the dollar store to $50 gift certificates to a great restaurant. More often than not it was on the crappy end of the spectrum with a few meaningful gifts sprinkled in between.

Now I'm the mom that is giving the teacher gifts and of course I don't want to be a crappy gift giver. But on the other hand, there is no way a gift certificate of any less than embarrassing amount would be in our budget. After all, my kids do have seven teachers, not counting the Sunday School and speech teachers. All together, I have 13 teacher gifts to give. There is always the option of just not giving these people gifts. But they spend a lot of time and do a lot for my children. That makes them important to me. And they are important to the children, most of all.

Needless to say, I had to come up with a crafty idea to gift all these special people. Well, I would have had to if my friend Lauren hadn't come up with the idea first and passed it on to my friend Kelli, who then thankfully passed it on to me. It took me a little more time than I planned, but all in all, I enjoyed making them and are pleased with the way they turned out. Hooray for inexpensive but hopefully not crappy gifts!

Lunchbox Frustration

2008-12-09T15:08:00.000-05:00

I am so tired of unpacking a lunchbox full of things my daughter didn't eat! Somebody please tell me what you put in your kids lunch that actually comes home eaten? I mean, I could surely use that ten minutes in the morning that it takes to pack a lunch to do a number of other things. It feels like a total waste of time when it all comes right back to me at the end of the day. I have tried PB&J, turkey rolled up, hummus and crackers (which my son eats every day), and a few other things. She eats her yogurt and her juice. That's it. No wonder she looks like she could blow away in a strong wind!

Blog Design Giveaway Entry

2008-12-07T09:42:00.000-05:00

This is a giveaway for a Blog Makeover by Fabulous K, the person who designed my blog. She is in fact fabulous and I have been so inspired by all her creations to learn how to do these blog designs myself. I haven't quite gotten around to researching it yet but whenever I do, I plan to look into the software and try to figure it out. Kelley, Fabulous K, changes her blog design every week or so. That would be so much fun to me if I knew how to do it. Anyway, this is my entry for a new makeover. Wish me luck! Check her out at http://http://www.fabulouskcreative.blogspot.com/

Reindeer and Dinosaur

2008-12-07T09:34:00.001-05:00

We went to a fun birthday party yesterday where the kids had their faces painted by a very talented artist. Owen's face isn't quite as cute because she had to work very quickly to accommodate the amount of time he would sit still. Lane took a lot of coaxing to get his face painted. Once finally up there, the lady asked him what kind of dinosaur he wanted. "A big one" was his reply. Of course!

Gingerbread House Gone Bad

2008-12-06T17:08:00.000-05:00

I bought this gingerbread house kit thinking I could have some fun, quality time with Amelia and Lane. I remember making one last year with no drama at all. I picked this up from Michaels thinking it was the same one we did last year. Oh no! Last year we all sat down at the table, opened up the box, and assembled and decorated the house together. This one is the Wilton version. Wilton, you know, the company that makes all the stuff for real cake decorators. The directions on this box tell you to get out a ruler and make sure all the sides are even and level. Then you have to make the icing and feel like the clock is ticking away because of the numerous warnings about how fast the icing will set. Note to self, assemble the house before calling the children to the table to decorate!!! I was getting so frazzled trying to get the house to stand up because of course I did not follow the directions regarding the ruler. Before the house was constructed I had snapped several times at Jason who wasn't even in the same room. The quality time was salvaged however because once the house was together, the kids had a blast decorating it. Each child had a side to decorate on their own. You needn't ask whose side is whose. From a distant glance you can tell which side was done by a two year old and which one by a four year old. Amelia still can't understand why we aren't eating it and often asks in a very troubled tone when it has to go in the garbage.

Annual Things

2008-12-05T10:54:00.000-05:00

I love things that happen every year--that way you can look forward to them. My annual Christmas Ornament Exchange, for example. Last night I went to the 5th annual party at my friend Kelli's house. It is always at the beginning of the month so it really kicks off the holiday festivities. The appetizers and desserts that everyone brings are so delicious! I wish I could have captured a better picture, this one a bit blurry, but taking a timed picture of a large group is a little tricky.

Now it's time to get busy planning my annual Christmas party. It will consume me this next week, but I love every minute of it!

What annual things do you look forward to this time of year? Comment Now!

Definitely Not A Grinch

2008-12-03T18:40:00.000-05:00

Tight Spaces

2008-12-03T18:35:00.000-05:00

I will never claim to understand why children like to find the smallest, tightest space to play in. If there is no small, tight space, my children will create one. It is ridiculous! They will have a clean room with a whole open space to play in and they will go to one little corner between the dresser and bookshelf and try to put everything they own in that space with them. Today I walked in to Owen's room to find no exception.

A Little Bottom Heavy

2008-12-03T18:28:00.000-05:00

I know this is not uniquely funny, as every family that has toddlers probably has a tree that look very similar to this. But this just cracks me up. Our tree rotates and the ornaments were literally dragging along the floor. I try not to move all the ornaments they place and let them have some pride in the tree they decorated. I had to at least scoot them up a little!

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

2008-11-30T18:53:00.001-05:00

It is officially Christmastime!

Despite retails attempts to start Christmas months ago, in my book the official season started Friday. Thanksgiving deserves to get a little time of its own, you know. Taking time to be thankful for all of our blessings is a wonderful segue into the Christmas season where we receive the greatest blessing of all, baby Jesus.

I am one of those who loves every bit of it. I love preparing and sending out Christmas cards, I love going to the mailbox every day to get Christmas cards, I love having Christmas lights up on our house, putting up the tree, decorating the house, preparing for my Christmas party. You name it, I love it.

One of my favorite parts is setting up my Nativity scene that Jason got me several years back. I probably get this from my mom, who has quite a collection of Nativity scenes. Even before she had her collection, I can always remember setting up the ceramic one she painted herself. I loved unwrapping each piece hoping to find the little baby Jesus that fit snuggly in the manger.

During this time of year, our golf cart rides have a new purpose; looking at Christmas lights. We started last night and each consecutive night for the remainder of the season, we find more and more houses are decorated. Our neighborhood does a nice job and by the time Christmas is here over half of the houses are lit. We sing Christmas songs as we ride and usually come in for some hot chocolate.

I hope you are enjoying this season as well as you prepare in your heart to receive the ultimate Christmas gift-the hope that God gives us through his baby, Jesus.

Not a great photo but Jason did a great job on our Christmas lights this year. He even managed to avoid getting on the roof which is the part he always dreads.

Lane's Independence

2008-11-30T18:44:00.000-05:00

Lane's recent attempts at independence can be heard all around the house at a high pitch squeel, "I did it, Mommmmmmy. I did it!"

As most of you know, Lane came out of the womb strong willed. But oddly enough, he hasn't shown much interest in doing things himself. Amelia was dressing and undressing herself by age 2. Lane, until recently, has been perfectly happy to just sit there and let me do it for him. Now he is wanting to do everything himself.

Here is one get up he insisted on when going out for a golf cart ride last night.

And here is a picture of him after he put his pants on all by himself. Both legs through the waistband, hiney to the wind.

It was my intention to start potty training after the holidays. I mean, this is a hectic time of year without cleaning up pee out of the carpet ten times a day. But yesterday morning, Lane decided he wanted to poop in the potty. And he did. Ask him and he'll tell you, "lotta poop". He was quite pleased with himself and did it again two times today. I guess sometime soon I'll do the full potty training thing. Uggh! But after our diapers going from $32 a box to $40 for 100, I think it seems like a perfect time for potty training!

My Birthday Gifts

2008-11-30T18:28:00.001-05:00

Jason and I promised each other we wouldn't do birthday or Christmas gifts this year. First of all, we really don't need anything. And honestly, we are just a little overspent right now between some home improvements we've done and getting photo's of the kids. But, we didn't want to take that joy away from the kids. So Jason took Amelia to the cheap makeup isle at Walgreens to pick out my gift. Pictured below is my birthday present from Amelia and Lane.

As the story goes, Amelia was trying hard to make mommy's present all about her. She saw some red nail polish and showed initial excitement over the prospect of making this my gift. After another moment of consideration she explained to Jason that this would not be a good choice because, "Mommy doesn't let me paint my fingers red so we better find a pink one". Needless to say, she was very excited to give me the gift and then get to use both the sparkle polish and lip gloss.

Jason had to work even harder to oooh and aaahhh over his birthday gifts. I took the kids to the dollar store and told them they could each pick out two gifts, anything they wanted from the whole store. After going up every isle, Amelia looked up at me discouraged as if to say, "Mom, I know this is all junk". She settled on some bungee cords while Lane picked out an over sized calculator and a set of Allen wrenches. Jason did a great job at pretending to be overjoyed with their selections and his parents who were visiting got a big kick out of the whole thing.

32 Suits Me

2008-11-26T07:21:00.001-05:00

Today is my thirty-second birthday. Here are a few reasons 32 suits me:

I think I'm the only woman in the world who likes her post-pregnancy body better than her pre-pregnancy body. I guess it works to my advantage that I never got around to getting in shape before I had kids. Now taking care of myself means having some time to myself so it is something I really enjoy.
Being a wife and a mother is all I ever dreamed of. One day, I will have to go back to work. But right now, I am living in this small window of time where my life is exactly the way I always wanted it to be.
I have more confidence in who I am than I have in other stages of my life. I am very aware of my weaknesses and where I fall short. But, being comfortable with these allows me to be real in the relationships of my life.
I feel crazy-blessed to have the friends that support me in my daily life. I try hard not to think about the day that I would ever have to move away from here. I try to cherish this stage of life where raising children together makes friendship easier and friendship makes raising children easier.
My marriage at 32 is much better than my marriage in my twenty's. I have really grown to appreciate Jason and all the ways that we are different. Rather than wishing he were different, I see how he has a strength for my every weakness.
My relationship with God is defined by an overwhelming sense of gratitude. I know there will be pain and hardship in my life. But I'm just so amazed at the blessings I am privileged to experience right now.

So Impressed

2008-11-24T13:54:00.000-05:00

Yesterday I went to church with a little more enthusiasm than normal. My picture order from Julie North Photography was in and were to be delivered to me at church. I know, that's probably not the greatest reason to be excited about church. But I couldn't help it, I have been looking forward to them for so long!

The first picture above is of the three pictures I got to go down the hallway toward their rooms. I was so impressed with the way they turned out. I would definitely recommend Julie to anyone who lives in the area. The quality of the pictures was phenomenal.

The second picture is my ledge in my living room. It is obviously not complete as there are pictures that are empty and some that are turned the wrong way to get the shape I wanted. This will take some work. But the three large pictures of each of the kids are the new additions to the ledge.

I know I'm a big dork for being so excited about pictures of my kids. But we usually get our pictures done at JCPenney, so this was a big treat. I know it will be my birthday, Christmas, Valentines, and Anniversary present for the next year. But, it is worth it to me. They will not stay this little, no matter how hard I try!

Fresh Haircuts

2008-11-22T12:28:00.000-05:00

Today Owen had his first haircut. I wasn't planning on it, so of course I got no pictures of it. Jason rolled his eyes as I collected a piece of his baby hair and put it in the Baby's First Haircut Envelope. Hey, I did it for my first two so I had to do it for him, too. I must admit, I have never really felt very sentimental over the first haircut. I think they look a lot cuter when they lose the mullet. Anyway, here is Owen sporting his first haircut and Lane with a fresh trim.

Probably Shouldn't Blog This

2008-11-17T19:43:00.001-05:00

Amelia is obsessed with talking about when she grows up.

"When I grow up I'm going to name my baby Mirabelle."

" Who am I going to marry when I grow up?"

Jason and I are always telling her she should just enjoy being a kid. What a life, right?

So the other night I was out with a friend and came home to a pretty funny story. Jason and Amelia got on some conversation about when she grows up. The conversation came to an abrupt halt with this comment from her:

"Yeah, when I grow up I'm going to have fur on my 'gina like Mommy".

Somehow, I think Jason managed to stifle his laughter! Too funny.

Attitude Remedy

2008-11-17T19:06:00.000-05:00

If anyone has some great remedy for a four and a half year old with an attitude of a sixteen year old, by all means, please let me know! Since I myself am at a total loss, I decided to try a reward chart. Now this is a big step for me because I generally believe that the only reason a child needs to obey is because I said so. Up to this point, that has been the way it is around here. Lately however, there has been so much need for training that I have felt so negative and bitchy towards the kids but especially Amelia. So, to hold myself more accountable to being positive and encouraging, I made a chart. The items that can earn her a sticker are:

I was a peacemaker
I obeyed my mom or dad RIGHT AWAY, ALL THE WAY, and with a HAPPY HEART
I accepted my mom or dad's word as final
I had self-control with my voice

That is just to name a few. It has been going pretty well. I think it has helped me to praise the right behavior more than I was doing before the chart. Amelia will do almost anything for candy and I had to have a plan for what to do with the five gallon sized Ziploc bags of Halloween candy. So, after she gets five stickers, she gets a piece of candy.

The last time Amelia got a piece of candy, Owen decided he needed one too.

Deer Hunting

2008-11-17T18:53:00.000-05:00

Our evening routine has changed a bit since the time change. It now usually involves me getting stuck at home with Owen, (who still insists on going to bed at 6:30 despite many attempts to get him to stay up later) while Jason and the older two go out "shining" for deer. They have seen up to 15 deer in one night just in our neighborhood. That is pretty funny to me because until then, I honestly thought I kept seeing the same three deer over and over again. Oh, we have a little deer family that live in the woods in our neighborhood, so I thought. Apparently, we have a rather large deer population. Clearly Jason doesn't know too much about laws regarding deer because after he bought a huge bag of deer feed, he learned it was illegal to feed deer. Huh, who knew? I wonder, then, why you can in fact go to the store and buy a clearly marked bag of deer feed? Today I was hushing Amelia as she was telling the neighbors all about the remains of corn in the golf cart from the deer food they put out last night. Tonight it is pretty cold (for South Florida) so the kids had to get all bundled up. This is as close to feeling like winter as we get. I think I'll even fix them hot chocolate when they come in!

Ready to Go

2008-11-14T11:12:00.000-05:00

"Amelia, Go get dressed."

"Can I wear whatever I want?"

"Sure, honey."

And I actually let her go to school like this. Nice.

Gina's Manifesto

2008-11-07T18:45:00.000-05:00

I really enjoyed Gina's political thoughts today. Read it for yourself by clicking here.

Not So Much To Blog About

2008-11-07T09:12:00.000-05:00

I have really fallen down on my almost daily blogging. There just hasn't seemed to me much to blog about these days. Here are a few random things.....

Last Friday was Jason's birthday. Pictured here is Amelia making her daddy's birthday brownies. She loved the excuse to make them for daddy since she had been asking me for weeks if we could make brownies. Because Jason has to share his birthday with Halloween, the day is always a bit hectic. If you notice Amelia's outfit, this is the closest we came to having a Halloween outfit. All of the little girls at school starting coming to school in these adorable Halloween outfits a couple of weeks before. By the time Amelia started asking if she had a Halloween outfit, I refused to purchase an item of clothing that she would wear for one day. I should have thought of it earlier so she could have at least worn it all month making the ten dollar shirt a little more rational. So the night before, I took some Halloween ribbon that came off a gift for the boys and whipped her up a hair bow. Then we went and searched her room for some black clothes as I tried to convince her that a Halloween outfit is anything that is orange and black. She did look pretty cute, I must say.