Funny Fall Fellows

Sorry I've been missing again.  I think that is just going to be the norm.  You just never know when I'll pop in!

We went to Red Top Mtn Park to scout out some spots for pictures.  Of course I grabbed a couple of nice sweaters so that I could have some pictures of my boys looking like respectable young men instead of always looking like scraggly street urchins!  There really is no point in putting little boys in nice clothes.

Unless it is for pictures.

Seriously - I know they are mine.  But really.  Really.

Standing on the fence.                                              Falling off the fence.

I love them so.  I didn't like them so much though when we were trying to get this shot.  The words, "Look at the camera and smile!"  to my boys means, "Look anywhere but the camera and look bored."  

But this picture was worth the yelling coaxing.

Typical Caleb face.                                             Delaney loves her "Cabub"!

 We pretty much lost them after this shot.  As you can see by the following pictures.  

Photo.  Shoot.  Over.

Go play you crazy kids!!

Oh my.  Oh my, oh my, oh my. 

And lastly, Daddy has to do silly hair pictures. 

 Good thing because I cut their hair today.

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MIA but BIS

Caleb at our creek

I know you think I died. My family and friends have written me off as a no show.

I've been Missing In Action but now I'm Back In the Saddle!!

I will update my blog! I will, I will.

Because life is too interesting around here to keep it to myself.

And because I can't remember what happened yesterday so I'd better write it down somewhere!





Like Caleb drinking a sour blue raspberry icee and how every time he took a sip he scrunched his face up and put his hand just in front of his mouth. Crack us up!





Or taking the boys to Escalade Climbing Gym and after 4 tries Carter making to the top and hitting the buzzer! I found out they have homeschool days so we will be back every month, the boys had a blast!!

Well, they had a blast in the kiddie area.

Caleb never made it much above my head climbing.

I will post about how homeschool kindergarten is going soon, I promise.
But this should give you a clue. Friday we watched our 4 yr old neighbor for a few hours in the morning so I told Carter we didn't have to do school right then if he wanted to play. So when said neighbor came over I overheard Carter say,

"Mommy says I can skip school this morning if I want to because you are over but I don't want to. I love school! It is my favorite thing in the whole world."

Yes, I cried.

And then squeezed the ooey gooey stuffing out of him!!!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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No Easter Bonnets

So I made bow ties and belts.

I don't have little girls to dress up so on Christmas and Easter I dress up my boys.  And seriously, aren't they the cutest things ever!!  Thanks to this tutorial for the bow ties and my own basic belt idea, I think they are pretty spiffy.  And yes, I even learned to tie them myself.

I see more bow ties in our future.

So typical Caleb.

I cry a little every time I look at this picture.  So sweet and too old.

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Made you laugh

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Patience

Something one needs lots of when parenting young children. When do I lose my patience?

When they don't do what I want them to do as quickly as I want them to do it.

When they interrupt what I am trying to do.

When they need me to be a good parent and I don't want to.

It really comes down to I lose my patience with them when I am being a bad parent!

I get frustrated when I am trying to email someone and they can't find a toy they NEED and whine because I can't tell them exactly where said toy is located. I get angry when they are being silly boys and I am running late, trying to get to church somewhat on time. I get impatient when they are talking at the table instead of eating.

Why is it all about me? Isn't my job to PARENT them? Isn't it my mission to lovingly train them in the ways of the Lord? Am I giving them a vision of a loving God or a vision of the self-absorbed Other Guy?

I'm afraid it is too often that Other Guy. As parents we need to give ourselves grace when we fail, but not excuse ourselves. Will I lose it with my kids today and speak harshly? Probably. But I must truly seek the Lord's help to NOT act this way. It must be a constant battle for me.

I want to be a graceful parent? I must actively train myself to be a more graceful parent.

How do I attempt to fight this battle?

Music - My Grooveshark praise playlist, Pandora Hymn station or classical music is almost always playing at my house. It is harder for me to yell at my kids when Chris Tomlin is singing, "How Great is our God" in my ear.

Scripture - Some friends and I are memorizing the book of Colossians this year. I try and carry around my verse for the week in my pocket and when my blood pressure starts to go up, I stop and read over the verses.

Play - Put down the dishcloth and pick up a Matchbox car.

Books - Again, put down the dishcloth and read to them (am I the only one who feels like I clean up the kitchen a million times a day?).

Touch - When I need to discipline or when they are whining or I am tempted to commit child abuse, I caress them. This is hard because I am tempted to smack them :) but in touching them with a loving hand I am better able to speak words of grace. It is also much more effective to discipline face to face than to yell from the next room, not that I ever do that! :)

Do I have responsibilities? Yes.
Do I want them to think the world revolves around them? No.

But I do want them to know that our Father loves them and is full of grace and holiness.

Parenting is a balance.

Speaking firm words in a graceful voice.
Being responsible for my daily work, not my daily computer addiction!!!
Listening to my children with my full attention and then turning THEIR attention to what they need to do.

I have discovered that I must have a time in the morning before they get up to cozy up on the couch with my coffee and my Bible.

Feeling very convicted of my behavior this morning and praying for the patience that only He can give me.




- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

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Rollin' rollin' rollin'

Costco.

$30.

Yes, I tried it.

SOOOOOO much fun.

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The effects of having a big brother

When Carter was 4.5 he was proficient with the training wheels so we decided to pretty much force him to learn to ride with out them.  It took a week or so and then he was able to ride by himself.  I thought this was pretty good for a 4.5 year old.

However Caleb, at 3.5 years old, decided that Carter was pretty cool with his non training wheel bike, so yesterday (Sunday) afternoon he told us he wanted to learn to ride without training wheels.  We took him down to the cul de sac and on his first try he was riding.

I was shocked!

We then went down to the ball field parking lot and I ran up and down trying to keep up with him and keep him from falling.

He was too fast.

Within fifteen minutes he was riding around by himself but still couldn't start or stop well.

This morning he said he wanted to go down to the cul de sac and practice some more.  We got down there and I got him going.  He proceeded to ride around and within minutes was starting and stoping on his own.  Turning, playing, even standing up and pedaling!

Our boys may be wussy, whiny and cry easily -

But we can ride bikes!

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