Cookie Cutters

Over Christmas, we were at my Parent's house and I was passed down something that I have very fond memories of as a kid. My my mom gave me a bunch of the cookie cutters that she had. As a kid I used to love the sight of this can being pulled out, it is green and white and was a gift from a doctor friend of my dad's, filled with popcorn.  We knew that it meant we were going to get to bake cookies.

We have already used a bunch of the cookie cutters for making cookies, but we have also used them in art projects, for making pancakes and just to trace for fun.

Passing down these cookie cutters has been really cool and I hope that SD and Linus have fond memories of them as well!

Ice Cream Sunday

We have started a little Sunday evening tradition around here.  On Sunday evening, we grill out and eat dinner "Alfresco" as SD would tell us.  The kids typically swim in our fancy large blow up pool while we get dinner ready.  After a yummy grilled dinner, the whole family gets in the pool (yes, it is big enough) and we play a LOT!  BG is really good at playing with the kids in the pool, afterall, he is just a big kid!  Then out we go and have ice cream on the deck.  The nice thing is that it doesn't matter if the kids get it all over them, because they are in their swim suits, outside and about to have a shower!  It really tires them out, so they sleep well on Sunday night and really does set the tone for the week.  Only problem, our pool has malfunctioned now, so I don't know if this routine has stopped or just paused :)  At least it made it through the hot summer for the most part!

Family time in the pool with Gigi!

Sweet Moments

I know, I said I would blog and I didn't! I really want to get back on it, but just haven't found the time. One of the reasons that I started this blog is because I wanted to document things that my family was doing and going through. I post periodically on Facebook, and that has kind of taken place of my blog, but you can't take your status updates and make them into a book like you can your blog entries. Not only that, but I use these entries when I scrapbook and my memory is definitely fading with age, which by the way, I will be a year older this week! Yikes! How did that happen?

So, here are some sweet moments lately in my life.

SD is hilarious really! As I was explaining this story to a friend, she commented that SD had such awe and amazement with everything, which I think perfectly describes her. If you have ever heard her talk, she has a very sing-songy voice that is quite cute! Last night I was putting her to bed, she is sick by the way, and I lifted her up into bed. I don't remember (see what age does) exactly our conversation, but in the context of it, I told her that God had fearfully and wonderfully made her and that He thought she was pretty special. She looked at me with big doe eyes and said with such enthusiasm, "He did! Wow!" It was such a sweet moment and a total God-stop moment for me. It was awesome to put Him in the midst of our everyday conversation, just like instructed in Deuteronomy 6:6-8

Linus has also come into his personality, just like his Daddy, only a little more stubborn, hopefully it is just the age. If you ask him to do something that he doesn't want to do, he just goes and puts his forehead against a wall or piece of furniture and pretends not to see you or hear you. Lucky for him, his mama is more stubborn than a mule! No comments on that please! But, he is a momma's boy and cute as all get out! He has now learned about giving kisses and when you ask for one, he sticks his lips out like a duck and waddles to you! It makes us all laugh, and makes it really hard to stay mad at him.

Well, that is all for now! Hope you are enjoying your day!

Ghost Toast

I have been trying to get the kids (mainly SD) to eat more veggies and stuff that will help her tummy. So I busted out the Deceptively Delicious Cookbook that my sister gave me for Christmas. One of the recipes is for french toast, that is made with eggs, squash and flax seed. I decided to give it a try. When I was getting ready to make it, I remembered that SD and I had found some Halloween cookie cutters a couple of weeks back. I got them out and cut the bread before dipping it in the mixture and cooking the toast. BG saw it and said, what is that, Ghost Toast? I thought it was very dad of him to issue that line, but cute at the same time. So, that is what we started calling it. The kids LOVED it and scarfed it down. Hopefully it will help SD's tummy and it won't hurt either one of them to get that squash or the protein from the eggs. Here is a pic of our Halloween treat.

Next on the menu, banana bread that has cauliflower in it, in the shapes of bats and ghosts of course :)

PKs aka Pastor's Kids

For a long time, there has been a joke about pastor's kids, that they are always the "bad" kids and I think I have figured it out!!!

Last night I volunteered at our church for VBS and had a staff member's kid in my class. Now, it wasn't the pastor's kid, but you can only imagine how much more magnified it would have been had it been. So, this kid was a little feisty, although she was pretty young, I could see where this would go if it continues. I don't know the parents at all, so I can't comment on their parenting style, discipline or maybe lack there of. But I really don't think that is what it is necessarily. I have come to the conclusion that pastor's kids are like mini-celebrities, BG thinks I am crazy for thinking this, but he didn't see the hard evidence like I did. This is how it went...

We rotated from classroom to classroom for the different activities and everywhere we went, this kid was fawned all over. I mean the sure-fire way to get to the parents is to play nice with their kids, right? This happened from adults, high school kids, regular church workers, pretty much everyone. Add to that the fact that this kid is probably up there quite a bit, so kind of knows the ropes and thinks she can roam all over the place. No one really wanted to be firm with her, but being strict and probably a little over the top, I thought that was ridiculous. So, I got on her level and had her make choices. She barely started talking until the end of the night, instead she would go limp like a wet noodle when she wasn't getting her way. That does not pass muster in my book, so I would pick her up and we would have a little conversation. The funny thing is, that by the end of the night, she didn't hate me, she was actually sitting in my lap. I think she appreciated the structure, or at least that is what I am telling myself!

I know a lot of people probably disagree with this, but I firmly believe that children should obey adults, regardless of if they are their parents or not. Granted, this is all within the limits of the child's safety, etc, so don't freak out on me. I know that not everyone agrees with this because there was a time years ago when we were at a baseball game with a group from church and some kids behind us were hitting our seats with those thunder sticks. When I turned around and asked them to stop, which obviously the parents were not going to do, my friend couldn't believe that I would have the guts to do that. Do you think that is maybe what is a little wrong with our world? We are too worried about offending someone or actually expecting something of children? Maybe that is why children don't respect adults, I don't know, call me crazy!

So, off my soapbox and back to the PK, I really think that these kids start thinking that they are the center of the universe and that they can do no wrong. I am not taking all responsibility away from the parents, but I also don't put all of the blame on them! I think this also goes for Principal's kids that go to the same school, or even are in the same district, maybe even down to the teacher's kids, also for kids of the higher=ups in your company. Just a thought...

Why is Linus' Water Dirty

So yesterday afternoon, we decided to get out the kids' pool and let them swim. I got it all set up before their nap so that it would be warm when they got up. The kids love their pool and can spend hours in it! As they were playing, I sat on a towel in my bathing suit reading some really exciting accounting stuff! I just sat there and watched while they "swam" since the water totally freaks me out with kids. (On a side note, Linus has fallen over twice in the bathtub, and was underwater and I was just turning around to get a towel for him!! Scary!!!)

The kids were having a blast and then BG came out and asked, "Why is his water dirty?" You see, our pool has two separate pools, one that is deeper than the other one and then the shallow one has a slide. So, Linus is in the shallow one (furthest from where I was sitting, but closest to the door) and SD was in the deep one. Turns out, the little guy had poo-ed in the pool!!! Nice!! It was so disgusting and we had to whisk him out, empty his swimsuit and then clean up the pool! Not to mention putting the kids straight in the tub!

We are officially parents!!

Playroom Overhaul

Our playroom is tiled, which I love because it is easy to clean and it is not carpet! The only problem is that the tile was not sealed when it was put is. I would mop, and mop, and mop and still, the grout was dirty. So, when my mom was here for Linus' birthday, she helped me clear out the playroom completely. Then while she organized and wiped down the toys, I got on my hands and knees and scrubbed and scrubbed and scrubbed. I went through 5 or so grout brushes and finally got some clean floors. Then I mopped them a couple of times and sealed it, so hopefully they will stay clean.

The nasty dirty tile. The grout is supposed to be white.

All cleaned out except for the big stuff.

Once it was dry, Mom and I put everything back in it, all re-organized. I love the way it looks now and the kids do too. I also think it is a much better use of space, before, everything was pretty much pushed to the edge. There is now a boy section and a girl section, of course neither kids respects those boundaries, but that is totally fine with me! Here are some before and after pics.

Linus' side, closest to the Den so that you can still watch him.

The middle section with toys for both of them and their cute little table. This is right across from the bookshelf as well.

SD's side, complete with her kitchen and baby stuff. We have since moved the easel and that is now where her dollhouse (or doghouse as she calls it) is, which is great because before it was in our front room!

Hospital Visits

Both of our kids have had to go to the hospital in their young little lives. SD has gone twice, and Linus once. On all three occasions, we have had GREAT experiences.

SD had to go the first time because she fell off the changing table. The hospital was great and the ER doctor that saw us, personally called us to check on her later in the day! What great service!

The second time SD had to go, was to get tubes put in her ears. The hardest part was not being able to feed her and her signing to ask for milk. The ENT and hospital were great and they gave her a little stuffed elephant at the end of it. And the miniature hospital gown was adorable!

Linus had to go for the first time yesterday. He had to have some x-rays done of his chest, just to make sure. The Radiology Tech was awesome, great with kids and very patient. Linus did a great job and the radiology student gave him a little race car when we were done.

I know people have had bad experiences with hospitals, but all in all, we have been very blessed!

Poo in the Tub

Okay, so I have experienced this 3 times in the past week!! Really, it had only happened once before when SD was a baby. It is so awful and what do you do? So, here are my three scenarios...

Poo #1 - I had gotten Linus out of the tub and let SD stay in there and play for a little while. Since their bathroom is in between their rooms, I can dress one while the other ones plays in the tub. So, I was getting Linus dressed and set him down and went back in to get SD. She was standing in the tub, leaning over the side looking at the water drip on the floor. I went to grab her and that is when I saw it, she had gone in the tub! REALLY! The child has been potty-trained for months now! Not to mention she had just gone potty before we got IN the bath! Thankfully she was not playing with it, or even in the water for that matter!

Poo #2 - The very next night, the kids were once again taking a bath and I had finished bathing them, so they were just sitting there playing. All of a sudden Linus started making that face, you know the one I am talking about. So, I grabbed him out of the tub when I realized what he was doing. My plan was to whisk him into his room and throw a diaper on him before he actually performed the deed. But no, not so much. As I lifted him out of the tub, out it came onto the floor! Yuck!!!!

Poo #3 - Once again, the very next night, Linus did it all over again.

Really, can I catch a break?

Bath Time Funnies

Last night I was giving the kids a bath, thankfully since they are still little, I can bathe them together. Here is just a little glimpse into our life, kids are funny!

Linus - I am used to giving girls a bath, and evidently boys are very different, even at the ripe age of 7 months. This is how our bath process goes..I turn on the water and as it warms up, I get Linus undressed. Then I put him in his bath sling and start helping SD, who has already started to disrobe on her own. So as I am helping SD, I look over and what is Linus doing, well he is making sure his manhood is intact, just in case some crazy monster came and stole it from him since the last time he checked. And what caused him to notice his manhood, well peeing of course! I guess the self-made water feature caused him to be very entertained by its source!

SD - While I dress Linus, SD gets to play some more, or as she calls it swimming! I glance over and she has her head on Linus' bath sling and is just relaxing, I can see it now, she will do what every normal Texas girl does in college, spend most of her afternoons on a raft at some apartment complex pool! So, I get her out and in to her room to get her dressed, and well, she is 2, so she wants to do it herself. It almost made me pee my pants watching her try and pull up her panties when her little two year old rear end is still damp from the bath! I had to hide my smile because she was very proud of herself, never mind if I had left her panties as is, it would look like she had some sort of padding back there, because they were all rolled up and that can't be comfortable!

Random Kid Comments

To say SD is like me, is a little bit of an understatement. As she gets older, she is definitely not as laid back as once thought. She is very organized and has a touch of her mom's OCD. Case in point...

BG went back to our room and found this. She had taken all of the Disney, and only Disney, videos out of the cabinet and stacked them up.

BG brought home a gift the other day from a lady that he works with. She has no idea about this blog or the fact that our son's pet name on said blog is Linus. Too funny not to share!

Jack and Jill

There are a lot of things that I miss about our Frisco house, but I enjoy where we are much better. Not to mention my house now has character and trees!!! There is a lot that I love about our house, but most recently, I have come to love the Jack and Jill bathroom. In our Frisco house, the kids bathroom was across the hall from their rooms, and while that made it convenient for guests, I am really glad that their bathroom is now between their rooms. I didn't really appreciate the bathroom until I had two kids. I can actually see and hear both of them from the bathroom or from one of their rooms. The other night I was giving them a bath together and got Linus out to get him in his jammies. It was so nice because while I was getting him dressed, I could hear and see SD and make sure she was okay. Then, once he was all dressed, I let him play on a blanket while I got SD out and dressed. Even when I was in her room, I could see and hear him, so there was no reason to worry. I am sure that they will complain about sharing a bathroom later in life, but what doesn't kill them will only make them stronger!

The Perfect Day

Yesterday was one of those days. The kind that you wish you had every day, except then you wouldn't appreciate them as much. I was calm and relaxed pretty much all day. SD was pretty well behaved, she took a good nap and didn't whine excessively. Linus has been working on his BabyWise schedule and did a great job yesterday, taking good naps and barely crying before them. Not only that, but I was a good wife, homemaker and mom, not to mention I took some me time!

We went for a long walk in the morning, which both kids loved, and I actually took a stab at running a few steps! Don't tell my doctor :) It felt pretty good, except next time I will wear a better sports bra :)

Then, I got all of the ironing finished, cleaned the floors and got stuff ready for Amy's shower this weekend. I even crossed a bunch of stuff off my imaginary list. SD and I even got to spend some really good alone time together while Linus took a nap. We played outside on the swingset, did a game (thanks Carla, she LOVES it) and just hung out!

Then, at the end of the day, I felt satisfied and relieved that it was all done! So, I got out my needlepoint and am finishing up the kids stockings. I need them to be done by next week so that I can take them to SA with me and have them made into stockings. I will be so glad to be finished with them!

So far, today has been another great day! We got to see a movie with Aunt MAmy and Lukers (as SD affectionately calls them). And right now both kids are asleep. Oh, and I finally got the cable/internet/phone changed and picked up SD's charm bracelet and it is only 2!

Hope you are having a great day!

Prayer for Baby

I found this prayer a handful of years ago and I kept it. We have prayed it for both of our kids and continue to do so. They each have it framed in their rooms near their bed. It is an amazing prayer for anytime in your children's life, so I wanted to share it. I hope you enjoy it as much as we have!

Baby’s Prayer

Lord, I pray for Baby’s brain that it would be healthy so You can fill it with Your boundless wisdom.

I pray for Baby’s eyes that they would be able to see You and the mighty works of Your creation.

I pray for Baby’s ears that they would hear Your Word and hear Your praises.

I pray for Baby’s tongue that it would be full of grace and ready to be used as Your instrument.

I pray for Baby’s lungs that they would be healthy and strong, ready to shout Your praises from the mountains.

I pray for Baby’s heart that it would be strong, but have more space for You to dwell.

I pray for Baby’s shoulders that they would be big enough and strong enough to carry the burdens of his/her brothers and sisters in Christ as they have carried us.

I pray for Baby’s arms and hands that they would be willing and able to do Your work.

I pray for Baby’s body and all that is in it, that it would be a temple sanctified by You.

I pray for Baby’s legs that they would be strong enough to run the race.

I pray for Baby’s feet that they would look to Your Word for direction and that they would follow in your footsteps FOREVER!

Amen.

To personalize it, just do a find replace and replace Baby with your child's name. Before we named our kids, we just kept it like this and then put their name in when we could.

Two vs. Three

Okay, I said I would list my pros and cons for two vs. three kids, so here it goes. Some of the reasons are really silly, but I am type A and this is totally how I think. Here is a small picture of my self talk:

TWO

• We have 2 bedrooms in our house (other than the master of course)
• There would be 2 adults and 2 kids, we wouldn't be outnumbered
• We have 4 kitchen chairs, 2 adults, 2 kids
• The two bedrooms share one bathroom with 2 sinks
• Less expensive, maybe?!?!?!

THREE

• I have always wanted three kids, my whole life
• 3 is my favorite number
• I have a bench in my front hall that I bought for our kids, I envision them coming home from school and hanging their coats on the hooks and putting their backpacks, etc. in the baskets, there are three baskets
• BG and I make decent parents, and I am Type A Fussypants with sever anal tendencies, so I think I can keep up with 3! (do not EVER bring this up in the future if we have three kids and I look like I have gone through the ringer, you might become the straw that broke the camels back)
• Part of me really wants another girl, SD has really cute clothes and I would love to use them again!

Rebuttals (these are my arguments to combat the reasoning behind stopping at two or continuing with three)

• 2 bedrooms - we are guaranteed to have at least two of the same sex, which means that two kids could very easily share a room. I don't want my kids growing up living a life of abundance, I want them to know how to share and learn to live with what they are given.
• Everyone has two kids, it is the typical American family, and this is where I like to rebel. I am normally a rules follower, but I don't want to be like everyone else!
• The money thing, you never have "enough" they say if you wait to have kids until you can afford it, you will never have kids. Plus, God has blessed us with the gift of living within our means and I think we will continue to do so.
• Should you really make a decision about the number of kids based on a bench in your front hall?
• BG says that with 3, someone will always be left out. I think that with more than one kid, someone will be left out, oh and with one, that kids will at sometime in their life be left out, so why not help them adjust in the safety of your home.

So, I would love to hear you weigh in.