Thankful!

Today I am thankful for my sweet Daddy!!! He is the best Dad and Paw-Paw ever!!! Happy Birthday!!!

I seriously have pictures to post. I just have to get my camera from Shyanne.

Raising Kids

What do you do with a three year old that makes you want to pull your hair out and stomp your feet?

I am reading the book 'Bringing up boys' by James Dobson. Very good so far. In the first chapter he states that in general boys are harder to raise then girls but not all cases. Well based on my three years of parenting (not alot and I will probably say the opposite at a later time) our girl is much more difficult than our boy. She is so strong willed. And I don't mean slightly. I mean if you don't tie her shoes a certain way, fix her hair just right, lay the right clothes out, fix the right thing for breakfast, then she has a lay on the floor, scream and holler melt down. And she thinks she is never wrong. I can tie her shoe in a double knot like she asks, then she will argue that I didn't tie it in a knot. I mean seriously, would I lie to you? Get a grip. Last week we had major meltdowns everyday. She spent the night with my parents and mom told her she couldn't stay anymore until she could act nicer. It is that bad! What makes it even more frustrating is once she gets over it and moves on she is the sweetest kid you have ever seen. And I know she can act right b/c some mornings she wakes up on her own, dresses herself, is ready to eat anything, and says yes ma'am, and has a very pleasant attitude.

I think it is worse when she is tired and last week we didn't get to bed early enough probably. And I am trying a different approach. I call it EXTREME PATIENCE. This is a level of patience way above and beyond any normal level. While it took us 15 minutes to try and fix her hair the other day (b/c I had to brush it a certain number of times in a certain way) and pushed my patience we didn't have a major breakdown. Also if I can't do it the way she wants it, I am just not doing it. I tell her maybe Daddy can do it right or that maybe later she will be ready for me to try again but that I am not going to do it if that is how she is going to act. I don't know if this is good parenting or not, but we are just trying to get through this without her ruling over us and with us having some semblance of being in control and having our sanity. I know it is best for her to figure out now that she is not the boss and that she must respect authority. Overall we are just trying to discipline Biblically and balance the rod with instrucation and love and mostly pray that God will know our hearts and will straighten out what we mess up.

She has been better this week and has even had an ear infection. Who knows? I am sure next week will be different again. She really can be the sweetest most caring child. This is just an opportunity to learn more patience and teach her great lessons in life.

Thanks for letting me vent!

P.S. After mom had her this weekend, she told me that she remembers me acting this way.

Randomness

I have no desire to blog. But here is what we have been doing lately.

-We hosted a housewarming party for some dear friends that moved here on Saturday.
-I had bunco at my house last night! Fun times!
-I am teaching the older Awana's group on Wednesdays. It is such a blessing to be involved and see kids learning to look up verses in the Bible and memorizing them.
-This Saturday we have our Murder Mystery party at my house. We are so excited! I think it is going to be lots of fun! I am playing a librarian!
-I am desperately wanting the book Catch 22. Okay maybe not desperately, but it is next on my list. I read it in high school and enjoyed it and am wanting to read it again. I may start dropping hints to Duane and see if he gets it.:) It would so make my day if he did!
-The kids have been good. Karter was sick last week with the bug or something, but better now.
-Addi is going to be a ladybug for Halloween and Karter a bug catcher. My nieces and my nephew and Addi are bugs and he's the catcher.
-Only ONE month until New Moon! Woohoo!

Have a good week!

I win Mother of the Year Award

NOT!!!!!!!!!

I sent my children to daycare in shorts today. The high turned out to be only 60 degrees. And I find out later the pep rally was outside today.

Bad, bad, mom.

Let's be realistic...

Since Addi was born and until Karter turned 2, I have been on one of the following plans:

1. Pregnant-so you are supposed to be big and gain weight so you can pretty much eat whatever you want.

2. Breastfeeding-burns more calories than I don't know what, so therefore you can eat pretty much whatever you want.

So now that I am on neither of these plans, I think I need a new one. I can no longer wear clothes that I wore last spring (as in 09) or even early summer.

But seriously let's be realistic....

Here's the situation (I'm sure you can all relate):

Two small children (small translates to needs help with most tasks)

Full-time job outside of the home

I am the woman (translates into cooking, cleaning, washing, organizing, laundry, etc.)

So because of the said situation (which I wouldn't trade for anything), the only available times for working out are between 9pm and 6am.

But Let's be realistic....

Since I enjoy sleeping and can't get up in the mornings, let's narrow it down to 9pm-10:30pm. This time only works if all other things are in order, such as kitchen cleaned up, bags packed for tomorrow, clothes laid out, kids in bed.

I would like to say that I could do the Shred video during that time and work hard and really do some good...

But let's be realistic...

I enjoy watching tv and it's my way to wind down after all day. I like to put the kids in bed and then have about an hour of nothingness, just watching tv and relaxing and it's something Duane and I do together. So I'm not really willing to turn the tv off to do the Shred.

So here's my new plan... Put the kids in bed between 8:45 and 9 and then get right on the stationary bike and watch tv while I ride for 20-30 minutes. I know it's brilliant! The only problem is it wasn't getting me the results I wanted. So do you think I'll have to sacrifice and get up earlier and turn on the Shred?

Let's be realistic....

No. I opt instead to give up...(now wait for this, it will shock some of you)


Sweet tea

and

Dr. Pepper

Now I have cheated three times with a DP, besides sips of Duane's b/c those don't count. But as of tomorrow it will be 2 weeks. I even have been ordering unsweet tea from Chick-fil-a. Shocking, I know. Ask Shyanne, I'm serious.

So maybe cutting out these extra calories and riding the bike a little longer and adding some crunches and squats here and there will help. We will see!

Final New York Post

Ok, I am a little tired of the NY posts. I am going to try and finish with this one. It may be long....

Here are some pictures of Times Square in the daytime. It is just like you see on TV. Everything is big and busy!

This last picture Duane made me take from across the street. Apparently some guy thought 'I think I'll go out in my underwear with my guitar and cowboy hat and make a living taking pictures with people'... or something like that. Kinda random.

We then went to Central Park and rode in a bike taxi. A guy pedals you around while you sit in a seat, kind of like a ricksaw (sp?). It was beautiful! Lots of people biking, running, walking dogs, pushing strollers, etc. This first picture is in the first scene of Face Off when John Travolta gets shot on the carousel.

This is the fountain from the beginning of the Friends episodes.

After Central Park, we walked back through Times Square to the Majestic Theatre. We saw Phantom of the Opera. It was wonderful! It is amazing what they can do on one stage. Their costumes were beautiful. It was very dark inside so the pictures I took of the theatre didn't turn out and of course we couldn't take any during the show. So no pictures. I would for sure go to another play!

After the play, we walked through Times Square at night. It is still so lit up that it is hard to tell it is even night! Here are a few pictures of it...

Overall we had a great time! It was a great experience! It did make me grateful for Texas, my home, my family, and the fact we all live so close together. I missed my kids terribly and I don't plan on leaving them for that long again for a very long time!