He is RISEN!!

Saturday was beautiful so we decided to have the kids hunt for their Easter baskets early. Turns out, it was a great idea, since we never have any extra time on Sunday morning!
I managed to take a few shots of the kids before church, these pictures aren't good, but they were the best two.
Wyatt has been sick with a cold, and had a fever off and on. We made it to church but as soon as we got home I put him down for a nap and then Will and I headed into my sister's house. Wyatt took a three hour nap, and then he, Craig and Anna met up with us for a bit. Below is cousin McKenna helping Anna hunt for eggs!
It was quite the week, both Craig and I are on antibiodics for terrible sinus infections, and with Will's party, and all the Easter prep we did for worship, I feel like I didn't get the chance to really reflect and focus on Easter. It snuck up on me and now it is over. However, I know that Easter just isn't a "day" we celebrate. I have the chance each and every day to thank Jesus for loving me and calling me his own. And so, even when my ideals and expectations don't always come to fruition like I've planned out in my head, I know I can make a choice each and every day to focus on what Jesus has done for me.

Lord, you died for me and I will forever praise You!

Will's 7th Birthday

Seven years

Dear Will,

Seven years ago today we made our way to the hospital. A quick ultrasound confirmed that you indeed were still snug as a bug in your jack-knife position. As the doctor pulled you out, bunners first, via c-section around 10AM Daddy and I officially became parents. Being our first, you were our guinea pig in many ways, and I learned a lot. You were my greatest teacher and have filled my days with joy.

Now, 7 years later, you have grown up so much, I haven't really noticed, being your mom, and seeing you every day, but as I type out s-e-v-e-n, I am shocked at how that time flew by. Today you are very much a perfectionist and oh so determined (like your daddy). You love books and tend to get easily overwhelmed (like your mommy). You are very sensitive to other people's feelings and always try to make everyone feel good. You take your time at sharing your feelings. You take your time with everything. You are patient with your younger siblings and such a loving big brother. You still give me a hug and a kiss every morning and you love to indulge Anna in piggy back rides. You are Wyatt's greatest hero. You are your daddy's pride and joy when he's teaching you how to shoot a basket, bat a ball, or cast your fishing line. You are my greatest joy when we snuggle on the couch reading books together. You are my precious first born son. Today you are seven!

I love you so much!

Love,
Mommy

A few of my favorite things

The past few days Craig and I have both been sick, fighting colds. Today he stayed home from work, which was actually his first sick day that he has ever taken (beside when I had babies or when he had surgery) for he, himself being sick. I think he has over 400 hours of sick time accumulated so I convinced him he could give up 8. It was nice because while he rested in the AM, he was feeling a little better and I was able to lay down this afternoon for about 40 minutes and take a much needed nap. I have been living on ibuprofen, tea, and chicken noodle soup. But I think I am on the mend. I'm hoping my body and the weather cooperates and I'm able to get outside this week and work on my flower beds. I have sweet peas and onions that are ready to get in the ground! Today spring break started. Craig has conferences the rest of the week....which doesn't really mean anything for a PE teacher, and Will gets to be home with us for the next 12 days! I am very excited about that.

My friend Christi posted some of her favorite things on her blog and invited any readers to do the same. So here are a few I thought of:

1. Lysol Disinfecting Wipes: These are a must have for any mother with little ones. Here, let me justify it for you. I buy them in a three pack at Costco (Kirkland brand works well, too) and they often put out coupons for both brands. I put one in each of our bathrooms and the other in the kitchen. I am way more likely to do a quick wipe down of the bathrooms and kitchen with these handy wipes. My house stays cleaner and I'm ridding this place of germs. In the past few weeks we've been hit with the stomach flu and cold so I have taken a tub around my house and wiped down doorknobs, light switches, computer, phones, fridge and microwave handles....anything I can think of that accumulates germs. I am not naturally very good at this, but the wipes make it so much easier. I can clean the entire bathroom (with the exception of the inside of the toilet and shower) in just a few minutes, and with three boys and a potty training toddler they are well worth it! Plus you get the clean smell euphoria when you use them. Who doesn't love the smell of a clean house? Try them, I know you'll love them!

2. Licorice Spice herbal tea by Stash: Ok, so I know we may be few, but I can't be the ONLY black licorice fan out there? My sister Paige told me to try this tea, and after I finally remembered to buy a box it has become one of my favorites. It is caffeine free and tastes like a giant mug of melted good 'n plenty's. If you like those candies, you will LOVE this tea. My second favorite tea remains Celestial Seasoning's Candy Cane Lane ( I stock up at Christmastime!)

3. Red Robin's Bruschetta Chicken Burger: This is a fairly new item on their menu and I think I have ordered it about 4 times, so far! It is so delicious, I crave it often, and it seems to get better each time I order it. If you like pesto and garlic, try this. It's so good I even tried to re-create it at home for dinner one night....didn't turn out as good, but it was worth a try. It comes with garlic fries which are equally yummy.

That's all I can think of for now. Post your own list of "favorites"!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Love, Wyatt & Anna

Two things that made me smile today

my plants reaching for the sun....






.....Anna's curly piggy-tails!

farm life

On Sunday evening we were kinda feeling blah and at 5:00 we still had a couple hours of daylight left. We needed something to beat Sunday night depression (Craig's term :) but we were having trouble thinking of anything fun to do. Then Craig got the idea of calling up our friends the Morris' from church. They live on a farm and we thought it would be fun to go feed the ducks. They were all for it so we headed out to their place and had a great time. I really think my kids would be great farm kids--really what kids wouldn't?? What kid doesn't like to stomp around outside in rubber boots, feed ducks, throw rocks in the river and be outside enjoying the fresh air and open space. It was a great way to end our weekend and start off our week. We even got to take home peacock feathers as a souvenier!

Tooth Fairy...and my latest project!

Just 12 days shy of his 7th birthday Will has finally lost his 1st tooth! It had been real wiggly for a few weeks and when he woke up this morning he shouted "my tooth is gone!" Luckily it was still in his mouth, so he is readily awaiting his visit from the tooth fairy tonight!

He is growing up fast, and before too long he will have a mouthful of grown-up teeth, changing his look, and making him seem even bigger. Even though he was the second to last kid in his class to loose a tooth, I am secretly happy that he was able to stay my "baby tooth boy" a little longer than most. Now it's time to REALLY become diligent about keeping those pearly jewels clean and shiny!

Below are a couple pictures of what I have been working on these past few days. I made another rag quilt for a friend whose baby girl is due this month. I'm kind of addicted to making these. I really love the fabric and how it all turned out!

How do you know you're a redneck??

When you use your burn pile fire to roast marshmellows!!
Wyatt (aka monkey-boy) has graduated from crib climbing, closet climbing, counter, table, and tree climbing to door-way climbing.

He has developed many tricks and variations in his climbing skills. Watch the below video for a taste of one.

Living life to the fullest

Yesterday I received and email asking me to pray for a fellow MOPS mom, Annie. She had been admitted to the hospital with pneumonia and was given a less than 5% chance of living. I just found out this morning that last night she went home to be with her Savior. Annie leaves behind a husband and three children.

This morning I told Wyatt (who had been praying with me all day yesterday) that I had some sad news. Through tears I shared that Annie had died, and she had gone to heaven to be with Jesus. Wyatt said, "oh, so she has a new body now?" and I replied, "yes, she does". Then Wyatt said," well then, that's a good news, mom, don't be sad." And so, through the eyes of my 4 year old, despite my deep sadness for her family, and knowing just how much she will be missed, I can be happy that she indeed has a new body and is rejoicing in Heaven this very moment.

Annie got the chance to share her testimony with us MOPS moms earlier this year. She shared so much, but what I most remember is she inspired us to pray! She was never shy about sharing Jesus with anyone. She lived life to the fullest for Jesus. She did awesome puppet shows for the kids in AWANAS and had a passion for sharing God's love with children. My only regret is that I did not get to know her better. She was a bold woman of faith and I was so encouraged through her.

PLEASE.....join with me in praying, as Annie would have encouraged us to do, for her family in the weeks and months to come.

The Romans 12 Challenge

A number of years ago, I was told that if I read Romans 12 once a day for a month, it would change my life. Curious and also expectant about such a challenge, I then took it to my singles’ group at the time. It was 1993. Over 50 people from our group took the challenge and then gathered together at the end of the month to share their experiences from the Romans 12 Challenge. It was Easter.

Here’s just a sampling…two people gave their life to Christ; many said that they had never read the Bible before every day and couldn’t believe what an encouragement it was; another said that after going through a difficult situation at work, Romans 12 gave her a whole new perspective; and many, many others said that their expectancy in the Lord’s care and activity in their life increased and deepened. It was so cool to hear how the Lord worked in our lives.
Discouraged? Frustrated? Worried? Wanting to see the Lord at work in a specific way?Take the Romans 12 Challenge with me over this Easter Season (March 1-31) and see how the Lord manifests Himself in your life in a significant way. He will.

My mom-in-law sent me this forward and I agree with her in thinking this is a great way to spend these weeks before Easter. We are going to try and read through it aloud with our kids everyday. Who knows? By the end of the month we may have some of it memorized! Thought some of you might want to join with us!

Romans 12
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--his good, pleasing and perfect will. 3 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. 4 Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. 6 We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. 7 If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; 8 if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully. 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with God's people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head." 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

simple random truths

It feels good for it to be sunny enough to wear sunglasses again. And he sure looks darn cute in them….

When your child’s preschool teacher asks you how your mother is doing since her house fire, you know it’s time to once again address the lying issue with your 4 year old.

When you yell “Anna where are you?” and hear a voice from the bathroom say “I poopy” it’s already too late and not gonna be pretty.

You know you’ve created a true girl when you find her painting her own toenails (and even though it ended up all over her foot you can thank God it was light colored polish and she didn’t spill it, then you can't resist snapping a picture.)
When your almost 7 year old is telling you facts about penguins, sea life and the solar system that you didn’t even know existed it will make you proud and sad at the same time realizing once again just how fast they grow.

A sunny week in February can completely change your outlook on life. You will drop everything to be outside, be inspired to put plants in your planter, start seeds indoors, sit back and for a few moments feel as if everything is right with the world.

Tomorrow's friday!!
Happy Weekend!

An ode to teachers

I got this "teacher" forward and while it made me chuckle, it also got me thinking about the teachers I know, the teachers I have had, and just how blessed I am. The public school system gets such a bad rap, sometimes I just feel the need to focus on the positive. In the past eight years Craig and I have been so blessed through the fellow teachers and staff that he works with. Each of our babies were showered with TONS of gifts and a week of meals delivered to our home. "Surprise" gifts have shown up countless times, and so many of the teachers he works with have become close friends, almost like family to us.



Each time I volunteer in Will's class or watch Craig manage energy-filled kids for their turn at PE I am amazed at the love I see poured out into these children's lives. I am so thankful that Craig and many other teachers get the opportunity to show Jesus' love to their students. When I walk into his school I feel safe and surrounded by people who care about me and my family. My parents recently went to the grandparent lunch and they too were amazed at the the whole atmosphere of the school. Their comment was, "wow, I didn't know there were public schools like that anymore."



Part of what makes this distict so special is that from 2nd grade though 12th grade there is weekly bible school. Each class get an hour a week of bible school taught by volunteers from various churches in a building right next to the school. It is optional, of course, but almost all kids attend. Everyone I tell this to finds it incredible. And so I thank God again for another blessing in our public schools.



God is present everywhere, if we just invite Him to be. I believe he walks the halls of that school, as I have prayed each morning for him to be with Will and Craig every moment of the day. I honestly feel His presence when I go there.



By no means do I dissaprove of any other type of schooling, or do I say public school is the only way to go. I am truly amazed by all teachers, whether you teach at a private school or you are a mother homeschooling her kiddos. I truly feel that if we seek God and listen to his Holy Spirit's direction we will each make the choice God desires for our kids. I know He had been present in our decision.



And so, on a lighter note I will leave you with the forward that got me thinking on all this. Hats off to teachers!!! Whatever kind you may be, everywhere and anywhere!!

HOW DO YOU KNOW YOU ARE A TEACHER? by Jeff Foxworthy

1. You can hear 25 voices behind you and know exactly which one belongs to the child out of line.
2. You get a secret thrill out of laminating something.

3. You walk into a store and hear the words "It's Ms/Mr. _________" and know you have been spotted.

4. You have 25 people that accidentally call you Mom/Dad at one time or another.

5. You can eat a multi-course meal in under twenty-five minutes.

6. You've trained yourself to go to the bathroom at two distinct times of the day: lunch and your planning period.

7. You start saving other people's trash, because most likely, you can use that toilet paper tube or plastic butter tub for something in the classroom.

8. You believe the teachers' lounge should be equipped with a margarita machine.

9. You want to slap the next person who says "Must be nice to work 7 to 3 and have summers off."

10. You believe chocolate is a food group.

11. You can tell if it's a full moon without ever looking outside.

12. Y ou believe that unspeakable evils will befall you if anyone says "Boy, the kids sure are mellow today."

13. You feel the urge to talk to strange children and correct their behavior when you are out in public.

14. You believe in aerial spraying of Ritalin.

15. You think caffeine should be available in intravenous form.

16. You spend more money on school stuff than you do on your own children.

17. You can't pass the school supply aisle without getting at least five items!

18. You ask your friends if the left hand turn he just made was a "good choice or a bad choice."

19. You find true beauty in a can full of perfectly sharpened pencils

20. You are secretly addicted to hand sanitizer and finally,

21. You understand instantaneously why a child behaves a certain way after meeting his or her parents.

I'm trying out some new layouts. Links will return, soon!

I'm thankful today

I know I have blogged about this before, but Wyatt has a really sensitive tummy. He's been a real puker from day 1. This weekend while in GP, we went out to breakfast and he ate a bunch of fried food, bacon and downed two cups of strawberry milk. As we were finishing he didn't look so good and I knew what was coming so I rushed him outside where he puked and puked all over the restaurant flower beds.

The next morning we had another big breakfast and then we had promised the boys that we would take them to get a phosphate at the pharmacy so we headed there. Wyatt drank his down in about a minute and a half and again, didn't look so good. As we were crossing the street he puked again all over the curb. People were driving by with grossed out looks on their faces.

Now, TODAY (4 days later) I pick him up from school and find out they celebrated TWO birthday parties so he not only had a cupcake, but also 2 cookies and juice. We had plans to go out to lunch with a friend, so he then shoved chicken nuggets and fries down along with an orange soda. We let the kids play outside on the play equipment before heading home. Just as I'm opening the front door Wyatt pukes again over the tile entry way, and then finished it off in the yard. (He really isn't sick.....no fever at all and he's completely fine once he gets it up!) It just happens when he's had to much junk. It has really taught me a lesson to watch what he eats, though. His little tummy just can't take it all!

So, why am I so thankful?? I was just now imagining how much worse it could have been. He could have thrown up all over the restraunt, me, the play place a Burger King, the inside of the van........yuck!! Of the three I only had to clean up one and it was just on my tile entryway. So I feel really thankful!

Spring is getting closer (that is my second "thankful"). Yesterday we walked to the park and I let the kids play as long as possible, soaking in the sunshine and vitamin D. We came home and played in the yard a bit and I pulled out a bunch of dead things that I neglected to do this fall. I LOVE spring! I am so ready to go buy those seed packets. Yay, it's almost here!

Valentine artwork

We just got back from a 4 day Winter Vacation to beautiful southern Oregon! We visited Ama and Papa and had a great time. We had gorgeous weather, the kids played a lot outside, and Craig and I even got to go out for lunch and a movie while Ama babysat!

As I was cleaning up the house today I found a bunch of Wyatt's artwork. This and MANY others were all over my kitchen table, and overflowing out of the art basket, but I thought the one below was so cute. There is a really big heart and then these two "lovebirds" thinking loving thought towards each other. Anna scribbled on the back before I rescued it, so there are pen marks bleeding through. But it is pictures like this that really let me into my little Wy-boy's mind. He has so much love to give and so much creativity, energy and imagination to channel. I love all his little talents and I'm so excited to see how the Lord will use him. He signed it at the top Love Mr. Button....completely backwards. Right to left and a mirror imaging of the letters. Slightly freaky.....but I have talked to a couple teachers who assure me that it's normal 'til about 2-3rd grade, and my niece, Reilly, (a lefty too) did the same thing with whole stories when she was little.

Love is in the air.....

Mmmmm....sugar cookies, with sprinkles! Anna just picks the sprinkles off and licks the frosting.

Wyatt enjoying his cookie

Wyatt concentrating hard on his craft (notice the tongue).

My husband never ceases to amaze me. After almost 10 years of marriage he has become so good at knowing what I love and what makes me tick. I feel like I'm really a simple girl at heart, but I do anticipate a little "thought" on his part for V-day. The less money spent the better!

He had a little scavenger hunt set up for me this morning complete with a D.B coffee and another CD he made. What I love most is that he wrote about every song and why he put in on there for me. I just love it. One of the most meaningful gifts ever.

The above are some pictures of the kids Indoor Park Party. I meant to take more pictures at Will's party this afternoon, but I forgot my camera. I was so bummed because I got to bring Wyatt and Anna and they each got root beer floats and sugar cookies. There would have been some cute pics, I'm sure. But I must get over the mother-guilt.

Happy Valentine's Day!

just wondering?

Just one of the many questions I asked myself today:

When will this child learn to use utensils??

(ps......it's yogurt)

He's got it under control

There are so many little things that happen in the day to day, but I have been reflecting on this one since it happened last week. It is such a good example of how God is always taking care of us. Even with the little things in life.

Last week Craig was leaving for work and he went out to start his truck up. He came in REALLY upset and told me that his truck box was wide open and his tool box was missing. Now, this isn't any old tool box. It's about three feet wide and a foot and half deep and I can barely lift it. It has all his most used, favorite tools in it (since we don't have a garage). Beside that, tools are one of Craig's most favorite things in life. It would be the equivalent of having someone steal all my finished scrapbooks. He was really upset.

We talked for a couple minutes and I said I would call our insurance to see if they would cover the stolen tools. He decided to go out and have another look around, just to see if they messed with anything else. He came back in a few minutes later and had found his tool box sitting right behind our van. It was such a huge sigh of relief. And it turns out, after talking to some neighbors, there were several other "pranks" on our street that night.

We realized that in the grand scheme of things, tools are pretty insignificant, but we felt so blessed to know that God really does care about the little things, and he's got eveything in control.

So, I just had to share.

He's always good for a laugh

I'm so thankful. Whenever I need a laugh I just need to hang out with or listen to Wyatt. Here are a few things that made me chuckle today:

Wyatt get very serious and says, "I have ISSUES mom". I ask him what kind of issues. He replies, "just ISSUES."

In my attempt to clean I was just about to throw away a broken Christmas ornament that Wyatt had found and been playing with. I tried explaining to him that it was broken and no good. He threw himself into hysterics and the tears started..."please mom, please, if you throw it away I will be just HEARTBROKEN." How do I say no to that??

Driving into "town" is always a highlight for my redneck kids. On the way in Wyatt was chattering with glee over all he was seeing. "Look, the golden man....look, the carousel, look, mom, there's the giant world." Soon we came to a stoplight with a 76 station (big spinning orange ball in the sky) and a cemetary. Wyatt says happily "Look there's the spinning ball.......and there's the place where they put dead people!"

Good morning!

This is what happens when mom doesn't get her shower until AFTER the kids wake up.....stick pretzels anyone??

She looks pretty guilty, huh??

(sorry about picture color, some setting on my camera is messed up)

For your enjoyment....

....I have added a couple blogs to my list! Check them out!

The first one is my friend Jessie's photography site. Jessie and I met in college, and she now lives on the East Coast with her husband and adorable daughter, Ava. Jessie is a talented photographer who runs her own business from her home office/studio. We've been lucky enough to have her take pictures of our kids and family when she is on the west coast, which I cherish. check out her blog http://jessicapasson.typepad.com to enjoy her amazing work.

The other is my dear cousin Harmony's blog. Harmony is in Argentina for the next five months, living and improving her fluent Spanish. She just started her blog http://viajesdearmonia.blogspot.com and I am excited to stay connected with her in this adventure.

Gearing up

The potty chair has been out for about three months now. She uses it frequently, but not all the time. We've checked out half a dozen books on toilet training from the library and read them over and over. I think she's getting it. And when she poops she is quick to rush to the bathroom and TAKE OFF her pull-up by herself (remember, "I do it!!!") and "clean" herself up with wipes {disgusting}. I made the mistake of buying the princess pull-ups and showing them to her before I was fully committed to spend a week or two devoted to taking her potty every 20 minutes, and cleaning up accidents. We have just about finished the pack. She has big-girl panties ready and waiting, and stickers as a reward for using the toilet.

All this to say....I'm gearing up. I kept telling myself that after Christmas I was going to focus on potty trianing. Then kept putting if off til "next week". Now, it's the last day of January and I need to kick myself in gear. I am hopeful that with some work on my part, she will get this thing. If you moms of girls have any advice before I dive in head first, let me hear it. Craig gets all the credit for potty training Wyatt a few weeks after Anna was born so this one's all mine. I'll keep you posted on our progress.

My incentive is dreaming about what I could do with that extra diaper money each month!!

We got our snowman!!

Seems as if we got dumped on out here to the west! This morning we woke up to a 2 hour delay and about 3 inches of snow. It's now turning to slush, but before heading out to school/work Craig and Will built this snowman. We were given this cute snowman "kit" and were really hoping to be able to use it this winter. Fun!

Our short-lived winter wonderland

The snow is just about gone now, but we enjoyed a little time outside this morning in our winter wonderland. Who knows, there might be more tomorrow?

Getting ready to play in the snow with Dad this morning!

Will had high hopes of making a snowman, but our snow was really powdery so the snowman ended up being about a foot tall.

Our little blue-eyed snow baby, all bundled up.

This is from a few days ago, and is one of those classic photos that will be really funny in about 10ish years or so. Anna is all about the "girly" things in life, but she is also a sister of two brothers, and when they play "super-heros" she loves to join in as "spiderwoman"!

Dreaming of Spring

Despite the chilly weather, today is one of those beautiful clear winter days that gives me an ounce of hope that spring is not too far off. I find myself gazing out the window into the sunshine and imagining about 30 degrees warmer weather on a late spring day when my sweet peas are just about ready to bloom. I love sweet peas for their many colors, their smell, and the fact that the more you pick, the more they bloom. Only about a month til I buy the seed packet and start them indoors. Spring is really not too far off, is it?

One can dream.....

Wyatt's Dance Moves

Here I am a stay-at-home mom who has been spending way to much time staying at home lately. So, how do you spend a cold January afternoon? Dancing in the kitchen to Toby Mac, of course. Wyatt's favorite song is "Hush little baby", and I laugh so hard watching him dance, it is good therapy for me. (I'm his mom though so I don't expect you all to think this is that funny). If you care to watch be sure to notice:

1. His outfit. The sweater vest and plaid shirt are his FAVORITE and he begs me to let him wear them everyday because they are so "handsome". Today I gave in.

2. The cookie he takes bites out of while performing.

3. The "Egyptian" and "the Zombie", dance moves that Wyatt invented.

It is (just about) finished

Anna's new and improved big girl room is just about finished. We stayed with the same color theme so everything matches, but we did give the walls a fresh coat of paint and changed them from a light green to a very soft pink, called "slipper". It is ever so girly and was very fun for me to pour all my love for pink, feminine, shabby chic into one room. I was given so many of the items for her room, I really spent very little money, but it all came together. Here it is.....

My dad made the picket fence headboard for my niece and now she's now 10 and isn't using it, so we are borrowing it for Anna's room for a while. My other niece who's 14 gave Anna this nightstand. The framed picture above her bed was stiched by my grandma and my parents had it framed for Anna's room before she was born.
Here is Anna's special rocker that she likes to sit and look at books in and rock her babies. Ama made a slip cover for it and gave it to her as a 1st bday present.

A little bookshelf in the corner. I love the antique lamp, it was in my room growing up, and the corner shelf was also my grandma's and I painted it pink.

This is not new, she has had it in her room all along, but I love it. Craig's parents custom made this shelf to go above her window.

Her simple dresser and accesories above. I found the miniture white hutch at the Assistants League in Salem for $7. And my mom-in-law gave me the metal shelf abover her dresser, which I painted pink as well.

And the post wouldn't be comeplete without a picture of the big girl asleep in her bed. She loved her new bed and was really excited to sleep in it the first night.

I am still seraching for the perfect sign to put above the wall on the side of her bed. I want to find something that matches and says, "thank heaven for little girls". I found a regular fabric shower cutain at Goodwill for $3 in great condition that is a light green background with pink floral desing and matches perfectly. I am planning on hanging it as her closet door since we have been without closet door in the kids rooms for years. I just need to buy a rod to hang it from.

So there you have it, the almost finished project!

Shock Value Parenting

I don't know it I am the only parent who occasionally uses this technique. (I hope not!) I admit there are times I think a certain child could benefit from a little bit of shock value parenting.



Let me explain.



For several months now Wyatt has had a problem with lying. It is where his imagination and story telling cross over the line, and becomes a flat out lie. I'll pick him up from pre-school and simply ask him what he had for snack. He'll make up some off the wall answer like, marshmallows and jellybeans, when I can clearly see the remnants of cheese crackers on his lips. He'll say it with such a straight face though, that I do sometimes question myself. Maybe he is telling the truth this time, I think. He'll go on to tell me they got a new student in their class named Tim. He's fully describes Tim and I can always suspect he's lying by the amount of detail he'll put into something, so I come back with, "Oh that's nice, I'll have to ask your teacher how this new students is doing." That'll throw him off guard for a second, but then he'll come back with, "ummmmm, she was sick today, so she didn't meet him yet." I just waved goodbye to his teacher about 30 seconds ago. Another lie. I really think I could write a book entitled, The World According to Wyatt.



The lying about really insignificant things was starting to bother me so after a few other things I decided to try shock value parenting. I read him the story from the Bible where two people lied about something and God "struck them down dead" putting great emphasis on this part. We also read the 10 commandments and talked about how when you grow up, and continue lying you could go to jail and get locked up. (I know, I'm so horrible). Did this work? No, not really. He will tell anyone the story of God striking the liars down dead, but it still doesn't stop him from lying. Do I still think shock value parenting might work on him one of these day? Yep, I do. And when the opportunity presents itself I continue to try.



Yesterday Wyatt was balancing precariously on top of a step stool flailing and acting as if he was going to fall. When he did fall (on purpose, for attention) he landed on a VHS we has checked out from the library and cracked the plastic. I decided on the spot to try shock value parenting again and said something like this:



Oh, my gosh Wyatt, you BROKE the video that we checked out from the library. We are going to be in so much trouble, I bet the library won't ever let us come back!



He looked at me and for a second I thought it might work. But no, it really had no affect on him so I had him put the stool away and warned him not to play on it like that again, it just isn't safe and things get broken. The video, although cracked a tiny bit, will still play perfectly, so I let it go. It was at least 10 minutes later I passed the boys room to hear someone sobbing. I looked in and found Will on top of his bed with his head buried in the pillows crying his heart out. It took me a full minute to calm him down enough to get him to tell me what was wrong. "The library won't ever let us come back", he choked out.



Ok, now I really felt bad. I went on to explain to him that, yes the library will let us come back, the worst thing that could happen would be we'd have to pay a fine, and I mostly just said that to teach Wyatt a lesson. I apologized and he was fine.



Am I the only one out there who has tried this method? Maybe I should just stop the whole shock value parenting. I realize it is not highly effective in most situations. But I know it works on one kid. I just keep thinking that someday it might work on the other.

So, in closing I'll leave you with a totally unrelated quote from Wyatt, today:

W- Mom, do you know what girls do when handsome boys are around?
M- No, what?
W- They blink their eyes really fast.

What a wonderful day

I know the majority of people with kids in the public school system see a snow day as something that interrupts their schedule. Working parents have to make arrangement for their kids, and things just generally get thrown out of whack. With Craig being a teacher we have always been in the public school system and I continue to LOVE a snow day. Although a 5:11am call woke me up this morning to alert us of the two hour delay, I had no problem just turning my alarm off and going back to sleep. When I rolled out of bed at about 7:30 (major sleeping in for me) I was greeted to Craig and the kiddos snuggling and watching cartoons. A little after 8am we received yet another phone call giving us the news that school was cancelled! "SCHOOL'S CANCELLED", I yelled and we all began giving each other hi-fives, even Anna joined in on the fun, not really understanding what all the excitement was about. I not only had a lazy day with the kids to look forward to, but my husband had an unexpected free day off work, with pay! So cool. Now, can you see why I love "snow" days so much?

And, of course, here in Oregon a "snow" day seldom really means you're really stuck at home. We had a couple errands to run in Salem and then went to the Gilbert house for about an hour. Craig got some projects done around the house this afternoon and I have been working on Anna's new room. I hope to have it finished by the end of the week, so I will take pictures so you all can enjoy. She's slept really well for two nights in her BIG GIRL bed. I am so proud of her and yet a little sad that now the crib is definitely a thing of the past. Her room is turning out pretty cute though, and I'm excited to finish it.

So, just a random update. It was a wonderful day!

Just my thoughts, today.....

Looking back on the road of parenting that, for me, began nearly 7 years ago, it started out quite easy. Many people know that Will is a very compliant child. As a baby and toddler he was easygoing, and content. He never climbed out of his crib, never scaled his closet shelving, never jumped in the bath fully clothed, never took a bath in the kitchen sink without me knowing. When people would ask if he was "easy" I didn't quite know how to respond. I had nothing to compare him to so I didn't really know if he was easy or not. Let me assure you now, though, he was easy.

We welcomed Wyatt into our family just after Will turned two. We all adjusted great and life was pretty smooth. Then, on Wyatt's 4 month bday he had his first real roll. By the end of the day he was rolling across the room, even into other rooms and pretty much getting where ever he wanted via rolling. That should have been the first dawning for me that these two boys were like night and day. At about 5 months Wyatt was happy to army crawl and by six months he was a full-fledged crawler. Life for me became busier, of course, but Wyatt was always a happy baby. He took his first steps at 9 month and by 10 months he was a walker. Gradually we noticed more differences between our two boys. Where Will had always been content to play with his toys and basically do what mom and dad told him to, Wyatt was curious and fearless. We pulled out all the stops including a leash (yes, I used a leash on my child!) and a bungy cord on his doorknob to keep him in his room at bedtime. I spent the following summer chasing Wyatt.....literally....everywhere. Shortly before Wyatt turned two, and I felt like I was able to take a breather every now and then, we found out we were expecting our third baby.

When we found out Anna was going to be a girl, I was so excited. I had visions of me and my 2 year old daughter, happily walking hand in hand together in the store. She would hold my hand and we would shop together, looking at all kind of girly things and she would never once reach out to touch them. (Boy, the hormones must have had me really deluzioned!) I would sit in the rocking chair in her pink and green girly room awaiting the arrival of my sweet, calm, compliant, little girl. Anna arrived and boy was she sweet. She has also grown into a very, determined, spunky, fearless, and strong-willed little girl. As Craig puts it, "she's the girl form of Wyatt".

Here is a typical conversation with Anna as she puts her shoes on, yes I know some of this is her age, but you'll get the point:

M- here's your shoes, lets get them on
A - I do it!! (grabbing the shoes from me)
M- okay, you do it

(Anna forcing her foot into the shoe and having a hard time)

A - Help me!!
M- do you want me to help you (me reaching to gently help her out)
A -No, I do it!!! (grabbing the shoe back)

Repeat that process about 7 times before the shoes actually get on her feet.

And on it goes......

Now, I really don't mean to put labels on my kids. But lets face it, if you have more than one you are bound to notice the differences. They are each unique and I am so blessed by each one. Imagine what would my days look like if I had all Will's (predictable, serious....) Or all Wyatt's (I'd probably be in a funny farm). My point is, I know God gave me each of my kids for a reason. I need to focus more on what I can learn through each of them, in whatever stage they are in, and be joyful in the process. If I am being honest, I have to say Wyatt and Anna are definitely more challenging, right now, and yesterday was a particularly hard day for me. By 6pm I was running on empty, feeling like a sucked dry juice box (a term I stole from my mops magazine, because it is so fitting). Craig wasn't due home until late and I managed to make it through the evening. Sometimes I feel like I don't know what I'm doing. Like I honestly don't feel like I can make the right decision, or any decision for that matter, in a given situation. After the kids went to bed I prayed and read my Bible in peace and quiet for a while. Nothing earth shattering was spoken, but I did feel a whole lot better about myself as a mom. The skill of parenting is something I'm sure I will never master. But as long as I am seeking the Master in it, I know I can't go wrong.

I truly thank him for each of my children. I am not at all worthy, but He has shown great love for me in letting me mold and shape these three.

Cruella de Ville

The other day I was getting on Wyatt about something....like not getting his shoes on when I told him to.... or something like that. He looked at me and said. "Mom, you're kind of reminding me of Cruella de Ville right now." Wow. I guess I need to tone it down a little.

Do you see any resemblance??

Happy New Year!

We had a fun, and rather uneventful New Years Eve with the kids and Craig's parents. We went out for a yummy breakfast and then laid low for the day, since I woke up with a super bad sore throat. Over the past three days I have drank probably 20 cups of tea and I am starting to feel better today. Craig had a great idea of making ice cream sundae's with all the fixings for a special New Years Eve treat, and I think that may have to become a tradition! The kids have been practicing "cheers" at mealtimes the past couple weeks with whatever drinks they have, so they were very excited to get out fancy cups (I had to rinse them out, they were so full of dust) and sparkling cider to toast with. We rang in 2008 at 9pm with the boys (Anna already in bed) and then sent them off to bed. CHEERS!!
"Cheers" photo with Ama and Papa.....
The friday before New Years we had to return a coat at the Lincoln City outlets, so we decided to make a day of it and visit the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport. I can't believe how cool this place is, and all for FREE. I had to post some pictures of our fun. The kids loved it!

Touch pools......

Anna was a little hesitant about actually touching, but she loved all the "shishys"

Here I am with the three at the touch pools.....Wyatt's favorite were the baby skates (they look like sting rays only they don't sting) and he was not shy about touching them!

This is the octopus, Jimmie. She was out and moving all over. The volunteer tried to let us touch her, but then she became a little too feisty. Last time we went Jimmie was sleeping so it was pretty awesome to see her out and about.