And so it begins...

Let the food frenzy begin!

(Note the kung fu grip on the first photo!)

Grace Training

Today I thought we had it. Ellie was very excited about pooping on the potty. We even had a preliminary pee event that prompted the wearing of real undies. I was thinking that we could really get it this time. She's been backsliding by peeing in the pull-up often. I know part of this is my fault for not reminding her every half-hour, but I really thought she had learned what to do and would if she had encouragement.

So, we were playing a game before her "rest & snooze" time today and I smelled something. I asked if she needed to go to the bathroom. She looked me in the eye and said, "No." I went on her word. (bad choice, momma). Sure enough, after our game was done and we were getting ready for her nap, I asked her if she would go pee before she laid down. She said, "Sure, but you have to change me, too." Yep, she had pooped...in her undies...after she had told me she didn't need to go. GRRR. Ignoring the fact that my sense of smell must have finked out on me by not cluing into this earlier, I tried to stay calm and clean her up, but I couldn't help but say to her that I was disappointed and even a bit mad that she didn't go on the potty, especially after I had asked her about it. She went down for her nap without a story as a consequence and I headed downstairs to contemplate what is going on.

And then it dawned on me...it may be a stretch, but it reminded me of God's grace. How many times have we sinned, even after we said we weren't going to make that mistake again? How many times have we opted for a more "fun" activity, rather than doing what we should, like taking time for devotions or even going to church? And every time, EVERY TIME, God promises His grace on us. We can look Him in the eye, through prayer and petition and then turn around and sin. He will give us grace. I know His grace is unending, but I also know that being truly sorry for our sins means that we do our best NOT to do it again. I know that as a child of God, I have been the recipient of his grace so many times. I hope that through His Word and the relationships of those who are also close to Him, I can work on not making the same mistakes.

As for our dear little potty trainee, maybe that's why the Lord told us to name her...Ellie GRACE.

WFMW-Freezer list

Pretty sure this is not an original idea...but it Works for Me!

Recently I took an inventory of what was in my freezer(s). Anything that was in the deep freeze was written in blue, anything from the refrig/freezer was written in black. I keep the list posted on the side of the frig. and we are good to go! Now I can see quickly what I have in stock, and if there is any need for replenishing. It also helps so I don't over-buy a certain frozen product. (Of course it doesn't seem to be working for the purchase of ice cream goods...those just keep popping up in there! hehe)

Hope this helps organizing your freezer goods!

Check out more great ideas at Rocks in my Dryer!

How quickly they change...

I got a good reminder about how quickly our little ones change as I was browsing for pictures to print for a new set of frames. I love how you can even get a glimpse of Owen's world famous wide-mouth smile beginning to emerge already in the early picture!

Enjoying Ellie

I have really enjoyed being with my little Ellie lately.

Don't get me wrong...

I have relished Josh's stories about school, soccer and new adventures like Children's Church (Josh is learning Spanish at school, and enjoys teasing us that he plays "football" instead of saying he plays "soccer."

And Owen is about the most adorable guy you'll ever meet and his smile is extremely contagious. (Today, after reading Ellie a story before nap time, Owen was resting on the bed on his belly. I laid my head next to him and said, *sigh* "Maybe we should all just take a nap here." He slowly popped his little head up with a similar sigh that made me think he agreed.)


But there is just something about spending time with Ellie lately. She can be so animated and lively. I guess sometimes I want to just be around her to absorb some of her spunk by osmosis. We've also been working on her ABC's and I think a little light bulb went on in her head yesterday. It was so exciting to see her going on a "letter hunt" and actually naming the letters she found. Up until now it's been a bunch of "I don't know" when I ask her about what letter I've pointed to.

We've been playing a lot of games during Owen's naps when we are home together. She loves pointing out the "structions" to me, just in case I'm not sure how to play. (pretty sure she makes up her own rules along the way)

We've also just been talking more. I remember when I was home with Josh those first summers when it was just him, or when we would go to the grocery store on our way home from work/school, we would talk about anything and everything...reminiscing about our days and previous happenings, discussing what we saw and whatever was on our minds. I noticed I wasn't doing that as much with Ellie (probably just enjoying a silent moment every now and then!) so I decided to be more purposeful in our time. I've also noticed since I've begun this, she is more amiable, cooperative and easy-going. Maybe because she is getting some good quality time?? I know that I don't always give the quantity of time that I might like, but I do see that even short quality times are making a big difference in our relationship.

I'm reading a book called Confident Parenting by Jim Burns. I'm only a chapter or so into it, but one of the first things I've picked up on is that parents need to have a purpose as they parent their children. Making a list of things that you want for your children, who you aspire them to be, is a great start to being purposeful in your parenting. It seemed pretty obvious after I thought about it. We make lists and set goals for just about every other important thing we do. So I'm looking forward to reading more in this book and making that list.

Now I just need to find a few extra hours in the day to read it, talk with the Hubs about it (he's reading it, too) and make that list. Hmmm...

Storing/Organizing Little Girls Hair bands

Hi there just trying to find a way to organize those little clear hair bands that we like to use on our daughter's ponytails! Right now we have them in a cup! (not the most efficient!) Can't wait to hear what works for you!

Check out more questions at Rocks in my Dryer!

Moments

We've been spending a lot of time in the car lately, so most of these are moments from Mom's Taxi:

Josh: "Alright Mom, Round Two!" These are the words he shouts as we drop off Owen & Ellie at the sitter, and then head back to the van on our way to his school. (secretly, I say "round three" as I head on my way to school after dropping him off.)

Ellie: "Mom! We IN a cloud!" (a foggy morning sparks a science lesson on the way to school one day this week)

Owen: In his rear-facing car seat he's discovered that he can strain his little neck far enough to see me in the front seat. It's too cute to look back and see him peering over the edge of his seat. I wonder what he's thinking...probably "why are you over there and not back here having fun with me?"

The Hubs: Our Sunday morning rides are amazing quiet as the kids color and listen to music on the way to church. We've had some great conversations lately. Not to mention I get to eyeball him in his handsome church clothes without him noticing...

Me: I'm in love with Fall. I find myself purposefully standing at the back screen door watching the clouds, feeling the cool breeze mixed with warm sun. I've been peering at the leaves watching just the tips begin to change. I've loved having the windows open in the house and in the car, getting a little "air in our hair" as we've now dubbed it. I know winter is coming...but for now I'll enjoy my favorite season.

Crazy hair Day At Josh's School

This is the best we could do for Crazy Hair Day. It's punky and cute, but definitely not as colorful as some others we saw at drop-off this morning. Maybe we'll include an "after" picture. After a whole day at school, his hair might have a whole new look!

(if you click on it you can see it bigger...just ignore the messy kitchen in the background!)

Owen Update: 5 months

My darling Owen is charming everyone lately. I believe I am the one most smitten, but this little one is all about spreading the joy. A good friend of mine recently said that he happily sits on a hip until someone comes by and "activates" his smile. This is so true. He is such a content baby and his smiles are readily available to anyone looking his way (this includes trees, and several other inanimate objects).

He loves rolling over and seems to be a bit more purposeful about it now. Everything goes into his wide open waiting mouth including hair gripped in his pudgy little fingers. (The Hubs has to watch out for Owen's groping hands on his hairy arms! Ouch!) Owen is attempting some solo sitting, but often slowing falls to a side or onto his nose if we aren't watching carefully.

We're waiting a couple of more weeks to introduce any solid foods and so the stories of food flying and oozing will just have to wait yet. He continues to be a great sleeper taking 2 naps a day and a quick snooze around dinner time. He's usually in bed between 8:30 and 9:00, but can be an early riser, waking around 6-6:30 am. We've even been able to lay him down with his eyes open/drowsy, and he finds his sleep on his own.

I think the thing that I love the most about him, besides his goofy smile, is that he really enjoys his siblings as much as they enjoy him. Josh was the first to get him to laugh out loud by some action other than finding his tickle spots (shoulders, armpits and lower back). Owen will just crack up if one of the kids grabs his hands or feet and just wiggles them with all their might. Although he spooks easily, Owen seems to enjoy the kids surprising him around a corner or with a raucous game of peek-a-boo. These are the moments that get the whole family laughing, and that is music to my momma ears.


**Oh, p.s. I'll try to post a picture soon. I don't have any super recent pictures, so I'll be taking some and sharing soon!**

The Hobbyist

**Note to readers: I LOVE my husband. And I have gotten permission to write this blog.**

My darling Hubs is a hobbyist. This is something I didn't exactly know about him until a few years into our marriage. He has always been into "stuff" and loves trying new things. Let it be know that these are some of his best character traits. The Hubs is always encouraging new family outings and helping us break out of our routine with something new. For this...I love him dearly.

Problem comes in when all of these new activities hit the pocketbook. It actually began with small things like a football ("what if I want to toss it around with your brothers?"...*note the appeal to my love for family bonding*), tennis rackets for both of us ("now we can play together!"), or a video game system ("they have games that girls like, too!"). Then he jumped up a notch or two with the urgent need to purchase...a Jeep. (ok, more than a few notches). This was a hobby purchase because soon we were on Jeep trips to the dunes, off-roading one of the cars that got us to work each day, and filling it with a sound system to rock out on when the sun was shining and the wind was blowing through our hair. The only way that one got traded in for a more sensible choice was with the promise that someday he will own one again.

Since then it's been various sports like softball (bats, gloves, shoes), biking, fishing, and landscaping. (If you don't think landscaping is a sport, try digging a hole for a 6-7 foot tree...not to mention there seems to be a competitive thing about it among male neighbors.)

So when he told me he wanted to take up running, I about peed with excitement. I began to think this one through. This could be the only sport that requires no purchases, equipment or other paraphernalia. All you need are legs. You don't even need to go anywhere special for this. I thought this was his best idea yet. I fully endorsed the idea with a slap on his rear as he headed out for his first run. (ok, maybe that is a bit of a fib, he runs at the crack of dawn). He researched a plan to take him from couch potato (which he's not) to 5K in 6 weeks. I applauded him for his enthusiasm and was so pleased that he had finally found a hobby that wasn't going to cost us a penny.

I was wrong.

It began with the watch. This is a special watch that beeps intermittently to let him know to change from his running pace to a walking pace as he increases his endurance during the journey to his 5K goal. Then there were new clothes. Ones that are meant to wick away the sweat, and keep you cool or warm, all the while sporting a nice spot to secure your IPod. New shorts. A visit to the shoe store. Talks of joining actual 5K runs that have entrance fees.

Running IS NOT a cheap sport. I was amazed. Either our society has found a way to capitalize on every sport possible, or my husband is a cunning individual set on owning every piece of sport equipment and/or hobby paraphernalia known to modern man.

I think he wants to try rock climbing next. That can't be too expensive, right? I'm mean rocks don't cost a thing, and they're everywhere...right??