What imagination!?

I love that a few days a week, I have the pleasure of watching my nieces. I live that the two of them have a blast coloring, building Legos and just having fun. On Thursdays, I get to enjoy the fact that Aaron is home with us. Today, they had all of our living room blankets out, and they decided to hide from me.... Such fun!

I think it is important for Children to know that having an imagination is not a bad thing. Draw a picture and describe it to me. Play with Legos with no instructions! (Imagine that) and find a way to have fun with nothing electronic on. It is pretty amazing to see what little children can teach me that I should have already known. I think the phrase "stop and smell the roses" does not do life justice. I want to change it to " stop and see the way the children play!" Sometimes the hardest part is remembering that they are little kids, and they are going to be loud, and disorganized, and silly, and that it is my job to protect them, but not dictate to them how to live their lives.

I wonder if anyone feels this way at times or if I am just late to the game!
Thanks for reading!

Wow...whew

Apparently, I have up writing for lent, because I have been pretty silent lately! I think I am doing so much writing for school that I am just out of fresh ideas.

I think a lot of neat stuff has happened. Caleb is doing so well with piano that he will be playing in Church on Sunday. He is playing an excerpt from Beethoven's ninth symphony. He is so excited, and a natural at playing. Logan is learning to live piano, he loves playing, but he struggles a bit with posture and patience (like his mom) so he is growing. Aaron has been reading books, not really reading, but showing some pre-reading skills, and it is so sweet. School for me has been busy, but all my midterm grades were A's so I must be doing ok. ;) Steve has been so busy at work, but is still able to manage to be a supportive husband, and loving father and he has no idea how much that means. Otherwise, we have had a few medical issues with father, that has added some stress, but, family is family, and you do what you have to to make things ok. Prayers for him would be appreciated greatly!

Many blessings to you and yours today!

Friends like these.

So. Last weekend we were hit with a really big snow storm. This weekend, not a huge storm, but adding 3-4 inches meant a parking ban in our city, which means no church. Note the picture of how we spent our morning at home. We do not have our own parking lot. We have to park on the street, and thanks to the kindness of our neighbor across the street, many members of the church park there, but it is a grocery store, so we have to be mindful of their customers.
I miss church. A lot of my friends are there, my children gain their few hours with their friends who are godly children, and it is a place where we as parents can recharge while our children are safe with others.
I have been wrestling with how much private school costs, and with how far away they are from us.
It is on my heart, and in my prayers. I wish that I had no reservations about it, but I do, and so I will wait.
See? Even when it is about the snow, it is about not being in quite the right place right now. I want for my children to have friends every day like the ones they have on Sunday, and with two Sundays away, miss those friendships.

Juggling anyone?

I was recently asked how I juggle being a mom to three boys, a wife, and a full time student.

I have to say, it is not easy, however, it is doable!

I am blessed to have three beautiful boys. I love every moment I am privilege enough to spend with them, and I realize that those years will be few. I decided a year ago, that I needed to do something with my life. I needed to be a role model, to help others, because it was truly what I loved doing. Helping others. So, I took a course that would certify me to be a teachers assistant.

I loved it!

I enjoyed getting good grades again, and I decided rather quickly to register for the fall semester, full time. I took five classes last semester, and spent a lot of time away from my children. I earned a 3.94 gpa, and I was happy. Christmas break came and went, and now, I am taking four courses this semester. I am struggling a bit in one of my classes, but I am excited to say I qualified for honors and can do an honors project this semester.

Now, the juggling act. I spend each afternoon after school doing homework with my boys. I learn what they are interested in, and we spend time doing those things together. I make sure to have fun time with them. I plan ahead a lot, and I am not perfect at it. I have an amazingly supportive husband, and without him it wouldn't be possible for me to do all of this. I also sing in a group, and one of the classes I am taking is a long term goal, and that is sign language, so I am learning a new language as well.

It is not always fair, I know I am not giving 100% to everything all of the time, and I do feel guilty at times. I pray that my boys see the value in my school so that the time I am not with them will be times that they can plan for when we are together. I pray that I am an inspiration to them. I pray that the difference I can make in the future will be as meaningful to them as time with me now. I pray I am not making a mistake.

Now, I still have a long road ahead, and I know it will not be easy, however my long term goal is my Master's degree in Speech and Language Pathology.

So, if I can do it, anyone can!

Love...

Today is a day that most people set aside to show others how much they love them.

I would like to share some things that I love about my boys, and I ope you will share with me what you love about your children!

Caleb,
He is so sweet
He is innocent, and is easily hurt
He loves to hug
He isn't afraid to let me know how much he loves me
He is in love with life
He struggles with big school assignments, just like me, so we work together
He isn't afraid to let the world see him sing and play music, and dance
He is a helper
He cares about others
He tries hard to be fair
He is smarter than he knows
He was my first, and is still teaching me how to be a mom

Logan,
He is zany
He is silly
He is a mush
He loves hugs
He loves to read
He loves to learn
He is kind
He is understanding of the little ones around him, and helps them
He is a worrier, and always worried about someone else
He wants to learn how to knit, which is a skill I do not have, but he has patience with me
He can be easy going
He loves God, truly, and it shows in his concern and passion

Aaron,
He thinks everything is amazing
He is growing into a polite young boy
He cares about others
He loves to help
He sees life through his own colored glasses
He is energetic
He is loving
His kisses are sloppy, which is something I never liked in a kiss before
He has taught me to appreciate every day
He adores his brothers
He loves school
He is a leader

These are my boys, and I love them so, even when they make me want to pull my hair out, the fact that I can sit and write out all the things I love about them, makes for a wonderful appreciation of them!


So, what are some wonderful things you love about your children?

Breaking the brat, even when it hurts.

So, I have a confession to make,
Ready?

My children are brats.

Oh wait, what, that wasn't a secret? Well, let me explain.

When you want nothing more in life than to become a mom, and you get that gift, you are so excited, and thankful, and you want everything for that child, so, you give it to them. Then somewhere along the line, you realize that you can't stop. You give to stop the whining, or to ease a hurt, or to mend a heart, or to make up for not being there. Then there are birthdays, holidays, and book orders...it never ends.

Well, I am stuck in this rut, of giving out of guilt, saying I will make them learn the value of a dollar, and then not following through, and this is truly on me, not on them.

I am finished. I will not give in, I will not buy just because, and I will not do for them anymore. Aaron seriously threw a thirty minute fit all the way home from target, because I would not get him gummies ( fruit snacks) at the checkout. It was 10 a.m., and just because it says fruit does not mean it is healthy. So, I said no, and he cried and screamed, and we both got upset with each other, but I did not give in, I made him realize I meant it.

I said no!

I know no big deal, but to me, it was a baby step in a long line of steps.

I will not give in, I will not back down, I am a mom, and I will change how my children act by using my actions, not just expect change from them.

Therefore, I will break the brat. I will raise children to do for themselves, and earn their keep, I am just so sorry that it took me this long to see it.

It kills me to know that I have hurt them. I do say no, but apparently, I need to teach them better how to behave, and how to do for themselves, because I love them.

Who found Nemo?

We did!
Unless you do not watch the news, or your life is really interesting, you know that this weekend there was a snow storm, a blizzard, named Nemo in the northeast.

I have no clue how much snow we got, however....
This is where we started Friday at 11am

And this was the front of my house this morning.

And this is out my back window right now.

We were blessed and did not loose power. Right now, I am waiting for Aaron and Steve to wake up from afternoon naps, and I am enjoying the fact that we have nowhere to be!