I don't want them to grow up

The next couple of weeks hold big milestones around our home. We have Dave's birthday, Valentines Day, and Ryan's Birthday all in the same week. It just might be one of the busiest weeks we have had in a long while. Ryan has already started talking about his birthday and he get extremely agitated when we talk about Dave's. Although Dave's is a week before Ryan's, I have learned this week not to mention that "daddy's comes first" -at least not if I do not want my almost 3 year old to scream like a girl and make a HUGE scene.

We had the worst trip that we have ever had to Target in forever. Let me start the story by saying that my actions may not have been what I would like others to see me do BUT I am human, a mom, and I do have a rough temper (sometimes). So... we were in Target and my dad has graciously come to watch the kids tonight so that Dave and I can go to dinner in Tampa for his birthday. My dad took Ash and Ry to look in the toy section while I shopped for everything else with Lexi. I had headed back to the Valentines section (ughhh-kindergarten valentines exchange) when Ashley informed me that they had the High School Musical 3 DVD out for sale. My first thought was that she was mistaken because that movie isn't being released until February 17. We have it marked on our calendar so that I can get it for her the day it comes out. So I asked if she was fibbing and she vehemently told me that they had it. I looked at her like most adults look at kids and gave her "the look" -you know the one, and we headed down the aisle to check out. We had to walk right past the toy section and what does my daughter hold up but a High School Musical 3 DVD. Now yes- I do know it isn't supposed to be out until the 17th but there was a large stack of them sitting there and my 5 year old is beside herself with glee so I said throw it in- we can get it. We then walk up to the check out counter and when the cashier rings it the screen says- CAN NOT SELL UNTIL FEBRUARY 17. I politely tell her that there is a large stack of the movies in the toy section and that it isn't my fault if someone there screwed up and put them out early. So , a manager comes over, takes the movie and just says I can't sell it to you and my temper erupted. I said, "I have a 5 year old who has been waiting for this movie for 3 months, you tell HER that we can't buy it!" It was childish of me but I live with Ashley and not this manager, well I don't think I mentioned it but Ryan was getting a movie too. When the manager said he couldn't sell us the movie, he didn't specify which one and my 3 year old starts wailing in the check out line because he now thinks he isn't getting a movie. Ahhhh... luckily I have a infant who just sat in her carrier and slept through it all, because I do NOT like this growing up stuff.

We have all had a rough day and this picture sums it up for us!

I am so excited- and I just can't hide it

I love taking pictures. In college I took photography 1 and 2 just for fun, but i didn't really pay attention or read the books or anthing like that. Well, about six months ago- my wonderful parents bought me this...

little did I know what I could actually do with it.

It is amazing what you can do once you (dum da da dum) read the manual. Since I do not have enough to do today I thought that I would have a little photo shoot with Lexi and of course I had to take some pictures of the world's most beautiful boy. Uh huh- yes I did just call my son beautiful (inside and out). He has the most amazing eyes that I have ever seen and no that isn't because they are my color. Little man got the color by mixing mine and dave's perfectly. God did know what he was doing when he gave the boy beautiful eyes. I can already see the line forming of girls coming to our house just to be be seen by my boy. Ok, so off topic but that is how my thoughts flow so...on to the photography study.

I have decided to take some time and play with it a little and I love the pictures that I got with it today of both of the kids I had home. I am sure that Asha will get some time with the camera when she gets home from school.

My largest problem is I am not creative. I have no idea how to set up shots that do not look just like every other shot that I take.

Any suggestions? oh and pictures to come soon

:)So love these kids :)

What a week

We have so much going on and so many good things happening that I don't know where to begin. I guess I should start with child #1- Asha ( as we call her) :) She got her report card this week and of course all 1's and S's which I guess in kindergarten means straight A's. We found out (after the fact) that she had been tested at school for being gifted. So... she since the results of the test stated that she is gifted (oh I always knew this) she will be going to a special class every Friday to learn above and beyond what they teach in her regular class. She also got her enrichment (free afterschool activity) back this week and she is taking Little Scrapbookers (hooray!) which is every Thursday. I don't know what I will do when all of my kids are in different activities but for now one child participating is just fine.

Child #2- Ry guy. Well, he is almost 3, so I figured we should try to potty train. Let me tell you, way harder with little boys than with girls. It has been hit or miss for the past 2 weeks and I am not giving up but I am going to ease off a little. Funny story though. I had to wake Ryan up from his nap in order to go pick up Ashley from school. I didn't think I had enough time to sit him on the potty so I grabbed a diaper and told him to lay down and said "Don't pee on me". Well, I take his diaper off and the 'sprinkler"started. I kind of screamed an Oh No and then told him to walk to the bathroom to finish while I cleaned up the pee on the carpet. So off he went to the bathroom and two seconds later I hear him say Oh no. So, I walk in there and he is standing next to the potty chair and there is pee everywhere. That is everywhere but the toilet (ha!). He is also crying like the world is ending. So- lesson for the day, when you don't think you have enough time to sit the 3 year old on the potty, sit him there anyways. It will save time in the end :)

Finally Child #3- Lexi Lu! We went to the doctor for her 2 month check-up and I was very nervous. I of course had no reason to be nervous but hey I don't always have a good reason for my feelings. So, we go to the doctor and they put her on the scale and it says 8 lbs. 10 oz. and I did a happy dance right there in the hallway (yes the nurse looked at me like I lost my mind). I am just so happy that she continues to progress so well. When I was sitting in the NICU the first couple days after she was born begging her to eat those 50 cc's of formula I really didn't think that in 2 months she would be eating 4 oz. every 3-4 hours. She also has decided it is time for her to sleep through the night (hallelujah!). Sleeping is not something my other children did well, so the Lord knew I needed at least one who didn't require being bribed to sleep in their own bed (yes, sadly we did do that with Ashley but she was 3). The shots went without a hitch and we don't have to go back until 4 months.

Shepherding a Child's Heart

For my baby shower a friend of mine gave me the book Shepherding a Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. I was super excited to start reading it and then oops went into labor and ya'll know the rest. So, I was going through things in Lexi's room and there was the book, as if God said now you need to read this girl. So, today I began reading it.
You see I have one of "those kids". You know the ones. They are the kids that pitch a fit in the grocery store and scream and carry on over the smallest thing. I have the child who talk back and says mean things to get attention. Uh huh, I have one of those. We always tell her to "drop the attitude" but I don't know if she even knows consciously what she is doing. It is just a knee jerk reaction sometimes.
Okay, back to the book. So, I read the introduction and the first chapter and a few things stood out to me.

• The purpose for your authority in the lives of your children is not to hold them under your power, but to empower them to be self-controlled people living freely under the authority of God.

This really spoke to me. People in our society are not self-controlled people. They see something and they buy it- even if they are already massively in debt. The want to over eat and they do- hence 500 lb. people. So, teaching my children self control is the key right. well.....

• The parent is the child's guide.

Whoa!!! I am her guide. She learns her behaviors from watching things that I do. So in order to teach my children self-control I need to be a model of it for them. I need for them to see it in my life first.

• He shepherds the child to understand not just the "what" of the child's actions, but also the "why."

In the past we usually have disciplined our kids by what they have done. This is giving me another perspective to think of. Why are they doing those things. What is the motivation behind the actions.

Do i think that if I follow these principles we will wake up tomorrow and everything will be ok. No I don't think that but for things to change in our family, I have to be the best informed mom I can be. I need to love my kids and exhibit God's love to them through my disciplining of them. I want my kids to know God and to have a relationship with him but this goes back to the last principle. I have to show them God in my life. I have to be their guide to him. I am definitely up to the task and I pray that I can be the good example that he wants me to be.

2 months already!

Isn't she cute? She is now 2 months old and we will be going to get her first shots on Tuesday. Since she is going to be my last baby I am very sad that she is growing up so fast. Too soon she will be 5 and I will look back and think where did all of the time go.

Do I have a choice?

One of the things that I would really like to accomplish this year is to bog daily. Now, I know to many of you bloggers out there that doesn't sound very difficult but it is HARD for me. It seems like I have no choice in a lot of the things that I have to do on a daily basis. That doesn't mean that I do not want to do all of my other daily tasks but I really want to do this. We have had a lot of changes around here. 2009 is 18 days in and I have a 2 month old baby (AGHHHHH!). can it possibly be 2 months since I had Lexi- really? Has it been almost 3 months since the whole hospital ordeal- what? Where does the time go and can I slow things down a little.
Since you really don't know me, let me tell you a little fact about me- I have a horrible memory. Yup, that is right, my memory is the worst. So, I want to blog so that I can remember things about our life that at the time may be insignificant but when I look back, I will be so happy to remember. So, I am going to try to keep this promise to myself and I am going to hopefully make some nice blog friends a long the way.

I am a bad blogger

It seems as though I haven’t blogged in forever, and I haven’t with good reason. At 33 weeks in my pregnancy I was admitted to the hospital and they kept me there for 2 WEEKS!!! It was a very rough time for me- no physically but mentally. It was very hard to be away from Ryan and Ashleya nd even though I knew I was there to help Lexi, I felt like I was deserting my other kids who I had never left for more than a day in their lives. We were very blessed though because Auntie Becky was able to come and help with the everyday kids activities which left Dave available to be with me in the hospital. The hardest time of the day was when everyone was able to go home and I had to stay. I learned so much about myself during those 2 weeks, some good and some bad, but in the end Lexi was born 4 weeks early (we did spend a week in the NICU but just for antibiotics) and everyone is back to normal.
Normal for me has definitely changed. I think things through a little more than I used to and I have a greater appreciation for being able to things with those I care for.
So… 2009 is a new begining. I am thrilled that I now have 3 kids. Lexi is a treat, Ryan is potty training (not very succesfully), and Ashley is in cheerleading, awana, ballet, you name it she is doing it. I am so blessed