Once again here's some catch up...
Brielle's buddy, Grayson, came to spend the morning while his mama was at work. Brielle was so excited to have a friend over for a play day since usually she's the tag-along little sister.
Dressing up as a 100-year-old for the 100th day of school celebration.
Family trip to Kansas for a family funeral. Despite the circumstances, Julie and I had a great sister getaway. And some of the Kansas décor and food reminded us we weren't in the South anymore!
Fun at school
Kendall (and Mommy and Daddy) love her new hair cut!
Tooth count is now up to 4!!
It's obvious Kendall carries the teacher gene. Here's an assignment she made for JuJu.
For homework, Kendall was given a writing assignment. Her only complaint was that Mrs. L only gave ONE piece of paper on which to cram the entire, lengthy story. No fear, we just added our own second page.
Happy birthday to Kendall's sweet friend, Hannah!
They went on a Frozen scavenger hunt with clues from Frozen lyrics.
And what else would one give a bff for her birthday??
Speaking of teacher gene, Kendall wrote and delivered an entire lesson plan herself on Abraham. Here she's allowing her friends to guess how many stars are on her picture then record their prediction on her chart. (I had nothing to do with any of this...all on her own.)
Valentine school party.
Giving Mommy a thumbs up from the cafeteria on a text straight to her teacher that we had just landed in Kansas.
Hannah's new puppy, Molly.
LOL!
Kendall, Hannah and Mr. Alan at a birthday party for another sweet friend.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Tuesday, February 24, 2015
2.5 (Plus a Month)
I missed blogging a monumental time in my OCD brain. My baby turned two-and-a-half. And in my preschool teacher brain, 2.5 carries extra weight. Because teachers know that the "terrible twos" is actually usually from age 1.5-2.5. Could I actually hopefully count down the days these past two months to when we close that chapter in this house? Maybe??
Maybe not. Brielle is a passionate two-year-old, who keeps me running and guessing. As a friend whose girls are now teenagers wisely told me, "The first one teaches you, and the second one tests you." BOY is THAT seeming to be true these days!
So to capture this bundle of joy-excitement-passion-energy toddler in her 2.5 element, here are some memories of my Briellie Bop at the age of two-and-a-half (plus a month).
Brielle...
.... can count to twelve (but always skips 6).
... know her colors and shapes.
... either doesn't know or doesn't care about her letters (she calls them all H or Q. Except for B and K. she knows those two.) And it's stressing out this preschool teaching mama.
... thinks it's funny to call animals by their wrong name (notice a pattern from the previous entry?)
... loves to eat broccoli, greens, and any type of fruit.
.... wishes she was a big as her sister and gets frustrated she's not.
... loves school.
... likes to be barefoot, especially in the car.
.. .loves to color and cut with her scissors.
... had a brief problem with getting out the bed at night.
... calls blue her favorite color.
... still likes to rock with Mommy before bed and sing the same three songs...in this exact order...Jesus Loves Me, Praise Him Praise Him, God is So Good.
.... is showing to have the OCD gene after all. Doors and drawers must be shut properly, outfits may not hang crooked on the hanger, and things must be put in their proper place.
... likes to swing and slide.
... is a big helper for her teacher.
... sleeps with her blankie and a given animal of choice each night.
... isn't ready to potty train yet, but hates a dirty diaper. She can name which exact friends in her class wear big girl panties and big boy underwear.
... talks in complete sentences and carries on conversations.
... takes her phone with her in the car so she can text and call her peeps.
... went to the dentist for the first time and loved it because she got to pick out a prize just like Kendall did the week before.
... likes to watch Miss PattyCake, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Lion King.
... can sing a few lines of "Let it Go".
... likes to cook in the play kitchen.
... likes to do Mommy's hair.
... is prone to flushing things down the potty.
... likes to sing in the karaoke machine.
... likes peanut butter (yea!)
... has a difficult time staying at the dinner table because she pitches fits, throws food, and uses potty words sometimes.
... likes to help cook dinner.
... is learning how to pedal her tricycle.
... lines her toys up in "choo-choo-train" lines.
... listens for the garage door indicating Daddy is home from work.
... names her baby dolls either Sela or Kendall.
... just began calling her sister "ke-nall" instead of "di-dull".
... gets her own water in her cup from the fridge dispenser.
... breaks crayons purposefully.
... keeps all her dozens of favorite stuffed animals on her bed. (Don't remove one...she'll notice.)
... talks on the phone to various family members.
... invokes laughs
... is so opposite of her sister in personality in many ways, but LOVES her sissy.
... is an awesome nose-blower.
... likes Brady Bunch and I Love Lucy like her sister.
... points out the turn to school/church when driving by.
... can't ride in the car buggy at Kroger because she's untrustworthy. (In a recent trip with Daddy, she grabbed, opened and began eating Reeses' nutella spread before Daddy ever noticed.)
.... therefore is not easy to take grocery shopping.
... keeps us laughing.
... brings JOY to our family each day.
Maybe not. Brielle is a passionate two-year-old, who keeps me running and guessing. As a friend whose girls are now teenagers wisely told me, "The first one teaches you, and the second one tests you." BOY is THAT seeming to be true these days!
So to capture this bundle of joy-excitement-passion-energy toddler in her 2.5 element, here are some memories of my Briellie Bop at the age of two-and-a-half (plus a month).
Brielle...
.... can count to twelve (but always skips 6).
... know her colors and shapes.
... either doesn't know or doesn't care about her letters (she calls them all H or Q. Except for B and K. she knows those two.) And it's stressing out this preschool teaching mama.
... thinks it's funny to call animals by their wrong name (notice a pattern from the previous entry?)
... loves to eat broccoli, greens, and any type of fruit.
.... wishes she was a big as her sister and gets frustrated she's not.
... loves school.
... likes to be barefoot, especially in the car.
.. .loves to color and cut with her scissors.
... had a brief problem with getting out the bed at night.
... calls blue her favorite color.
... still likes to rock with Mommy before bed and sing the same three songs...in this exact order...Jesus Loves Me, Praise Him Praise Him, God is So Good.
.... is showing to have the OCD gene after all. Doors and drawers must be shut properly, outfits may not hang crooked on the hanger, and things must be put in their proper place.
... likes to swing and slide.
... is a big helper for her teacher.
... sleeps with her blankie and a given animal of choice each night.
... isn't ready to potty train yet, but hates a dirty diaper. She can name which exact friends in her class wear big girl panties and big boy underwear.
... talks in complete sentences and carries on conversations.
... takes her phone with her in the car so she can text and call her peeps.
... went to the dentist for the first time and loved it because she got to pick out a prize just like Kendall did the week before.
... likes to watch Miss PattyCake, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, and Lion King.
... can sing a few lines of "Let it Go".
... likes to cook in the play kitchen.
... likes to do Mommy's hair.
... is prone to flushing things down the potty.
... likes to sing in the karaoke machine.
... likes peanut butter (yea!)
... has a difficult time staying at the dinner table because she pitches fits, throws food, and uses potty words sometimes.
... likes to help cook dinner.
... is learning how to pedal her tricycle.
... lines her toys up in "choo-choo-train" lines.
... listens for the garage door indicating Daddy is home from work.
... names her baby dolls either Sela or Kendall.
... just began calling her sister "ke-nall" instead of "di-dull".
... gets her own water in her cup from the fridge dispenser.
... breaks crayons purposefully.
... keeps all her dozens of favorite stuffed animals on her bed. (Don't remove one...she'll notice.)
... talks on the phone to various family members.
... invokes laughs
... is so opposite of her sister in personality in many ways, but LOVES her sissy.
... is an awesome nose-blower.
... likes Brady Bunch and I Love Lucy like her sister.
... points out the turn to school/church when driving by.
... can't ride in the car buggy at Kroger because she's untrustworthy. (In a recent trip with Daddy, she grabbed, opened and began eating Reeses' nutella spread before Daddy ever noticed.)
.... therefore is not easy to take grocery shopping.
... keeps us laughing.
... brings JOY to our family each day.
Mommy Thoughs
I think it's a combination of this cold, dreary, icy day with canceled school and the fact that I'm working on my blog book and therefore are reading entries from the recent past. But once again my Mama thoughts are running again. I'm watching my kiddos lay around on this lazy morning in their jammies, watching way too much tv and pulling out way too many toys at one time. And I'm thinking about this six year journey of Motherhood I've been on. And one thought stick out...
Thank you, Jesus, for your faithfulness!
Each new struggle in mommyhood brought stress on me since, especially in the beginning, I was in uncharted waters. And my thought this morning is that (usually) I'm not at stressed as I often was a few years ago. This whole "mommy thing" hasn't gotten any easier. My kids aren't any more stellar behaved than before. And I still only have 24 hours each day. So what's the difference?
I'm hopeful the difference lies in me, and not my circumstances. I'm seeing how faithful God has been (His track record is amazing). And I'm realizing exactly how fast kids grow up and I really don't want to look back with regrets. The funny thing is, as I read a lot of old entries, I don't have as much memory about the stress. My perspective just a few years down the road is on how precious the time with my kids is. Oh I still remember sleepless nights, frustrating afternoons (they still exist) and overwhelming feelings. But they seem to be in their proper place, which is in the background.
My prayer is that my I never forget the hardships so that I can minister to other young moms. May I never dwell in the hardships that have the power hold me in chains. May I never diminish the hardships and walk dangerously into self-reliance. May I never magnify the hardships and live in despair, squeezing out God's hope in me. May I never fear the hardships and bring fear and dread into my life. But may I be grateful for the hardships that continue to grow me, stretch me, and force me once more to run back to my Savior's arms, the Savior who took those hardships, worries, regrets, and sin to the cross so that I can walk in freedom.
Thank you, Jesus, for your faithfulness!
Each new struggle in mommyhood brought stress on me since, especially in the beginning, I was in uncharted waters. And my thought this morning is that (usually) I'm not at stressed as I often was a few years ago. This whole "mommy thing" hasn't gotten any easier. My kids aren't any more stellar behaved than before. And I still only have 24 hours each day. So what's the difference?
I'm hopeful the difference lies in me, and not my circumstances. I'm seeing how faithful God has been (His track record is amazing). And I'm realizing exactly how fast kids grow up and I really don't want to look back with regrets. The funny thing is, as I read a lot of old entries, I don't have as much memory about the stress. My perspective just a few years down the road is on how precious the time with my kids is. Oh I still remember sleepless nights, frustrating afternoons (they still exist) and overwhelming feelings. But they seem to be in their proper place, which is in the background.
My prayer is that my I never forget the hardships so that I can minister to other young moms. May I never dwell in the hardships that have the power hold me in chains. May I never diminish the hardships and walk dangerously into self-reliance. May I never magnify the hardships and live in despair, squeezing out God's hope in me. May I never fear the hardships and bring fear and dread into my life. But may I be grateful for the hardships that continue to grow me, stretch me, and force me once more to run back to my Savior's arms, the Savior who took those hardships, worries, regrets, and sin to the cross so that I can walk in freedom.
Monday, February 9, 2015
Terrifying
Know what scares me as a mamma right now more than anything else??
... arguing, whining or complaining? nope
... sibling rivalry? nope, but we have a touch of it around here lately
... outside influences? nope
Even more than moving to first grade next year...
...POTTY TRAINING!
Seriously. Potty training my first born was by far the most traumatic mommy experience thus far. I don't have any credentials to offer any new mama advice in this department given it took me three years, yes YEARS, to potty train my elder child. Granted, along the treacherous journey medical GI issues were diagnosed that were our of her control which played a huge role in the potty training obstacle . But some behavior was in her control. And mix that all together and it was three long, frustrating, bury-my-head-in-the-sand journey to dry panties. Like my bff said, "she was the worst case scenario."
I have avoided potty training my second. I've fled from it as though a clown was chasing me with a knife. I've dreaded this season since the day I found out I was pregnant. Please, Lord, just let me skip over potty training. If any mother deserves a child who potty trains on her own over night it's me, Lord. I've done my time! (By the way, I instantly dislike any mother who claims the twenty-four hour independent training method stated aforementioned. They're liars. And I don't appreciate those mamas either that "just stayed home one weekend and knocked it out." Liars.)
Put me in a room full of toddlers or preschoolers, and I'm in my element. I can manage the room with one hand behind my back. Circle time, paint time, etc, I got it. Put me in a bathroom with a potty and a two-year-old with her own agenda, and I buckle at the knees and hit the floor. Oh the ineptitude of it all!!
I have hoped the old adage of siblings being opposites would really play to my benefit in this situation. No such luck so far. I'm only half kidding when I state that I'm not potty-training. I'm just holding out for the day Brielle sits me down and says, "Mommy, all my friends at school were big girl panties and big boy underwear. Can I wear some too?"
Seriously. Avoiding like the plague.
I did get brave stupid two weeks ago and decide to give it a try. I gave up by 9am when I found her mopping up a pee puddle with her shirt and laughing. Bribery will not get her to the potty. Force will only keep her on the potty for 3.5 seconds. Skittles and m&m's? No doing. Brielle proudly names which friends in her class tee tee in the potty, then proceeds to inform me that she only tee tees in diapers.
Hives. Breaking out.
This July birthday of hers will allow her to squeak by into preschool next year. And I really find no solace in the advice that she'll do it in her own time. To my elder child that happened to be at age six. And the clock is ticking on mandatory potty training rule for preschool.
Oh the stress of it all.
So I'm offering a huge reward to any individual willing to step up and potty train my child. Because this mama just can't seem to face the mountain again.
Hopefully positive updates will come soon that will make the offer null and void. Stay tuned.
... arguing, whining or complaining? nope
... sibling rivalry? nope, but we have a touch of it around here lately
... outside influences? nope
Even more than moving to first grade next year...
...POTTY TRAINING!
Seriously. Potty training my first born was by far the most traumatic mommy experience thus far. I don't have any credentials to offer any new mama advice in this department given it took me three years, yes YEARS, to potty train my elder child. Granted, along the treacherous journey medical GI issues were diagnosed that were our of her control which played a huge role in the potty training obstacle . But some behavior was in her control. And mix that all together and it was three long, frustrating, bury-my-head-in-the-sand journey to dry panties. Like my bff said, "she was the worst case scenario."
I have avoided potty training my second. I've fled from it as though a clown was chasing me with a knife. I've dreaded this season since the day I found out I was pregnant. Please, Lord, just let me skip over potty training. If any mother deserves a child who potty trains on her own over night it's me, Lord. I've done my time! (By the way, I instantly dislike any mother who claims the twenty-four hour independent training method stated aforementioned. They're liars. And I don't appreciate those mamas either that "just stayed home one weekend and knocked it out." Liars.)
Put me in a room full of toddlers or preschoolers, and I'm in my element. I can manage the room with one hand behind my back. Circle time, paint time, etc, I got it. Put me in a bathroom with a potty and a two-year-old with her own agenda, and I buckle at the knees and hit the floor. Oh the ineptitude of it all!!
I have hoped the old adage of siblings being opposites would really play to my benefit in this situation. No such luck so far. I'm only half kidding when I state that I'm not potty-training. I'm just holding out for the day Brielle sits me down and says, "Mommy, all my friends at school were big girl panties and big boy underwear. Can I wear some too?"
Seriously. Avoiding like the plague.
I did get b
Hives. Breaking out.
This July birthday of hers will allow her to squeak by into preschool next year. And I really find no solace in the advice that she'll do it in her own time. To my elder child that happened to be at age six. And the clock is ticking on mandatory potty training rule for preschool.
Oh the stress of it all.
So I'm offering a huge reward to any individual willing to step up and potty train my child. Because this mama just can't seem to face the mountain again.
Hopefully positive updates will come soon that will make the offer null and void. Stay tuned.
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