Beach Trip #2

The first time we took Mariah to the beach I didn't get any pictures because I didn't want to take my SLR to the beach. For this visit we borrowed mom's camera to get some pics of the kids. Mariah really likes the beach, both the sand and the water. Chase at that age was more like me, I don't really care for either. The water is dirty and I can't see what could possible be nibbling at my feet and the sand is hot and gets everywhere. It's just one of those things you do for your kids and husband. The funniest thing is that Mariah will shove a bunch of sand into her mouth, I will wipe her clean and force to chug some water, and then I turn around and she is cramming more sand in. I don't get it, obviously she doesn't mind it or I would even venture to say she likes it!! Who knows. Both kids love it when Jordan takes them out into the water because he goes way out and tosses them up like volleyballs. I of course am standing at the edge of the water yelling at him and getting a migraine at the sight of my kids being tossed around in drowning water. You can see who the fun parent is in this situation.

Summer Photos!

This morning the kids were so nicely dressed for church that I decided to take advantage of clean matching outfits and take pictures. We didn't have any meltdowns, but as you can see I didn't get any great pictures with both of them looking at me. Mariah was so enamoured with the grass so we handed her a flower to keep her busy, then of course Chase wanted one, and then by that point Mariah was squishing hers and trying to cram it into her mouth before we could pry it from her tiny fingers. Oh well, memories are made in the moment!

The Perfect Day!

Some days raising two kids, keeping up with the household chores, staying in touch with friends and family and just breathing can be a tall order to fill. Some days are good and some days I try to forget. What makes a perfect day for me? Hmmm.
- To have both kids wake up happy!
- Have a healthy breakfast, lunch and dinner ready on schedule.
- A clean house.
- Chores done.
- Fun outings planned and executed without meltdowns, whining or crying.
- Naps accomplished.
- Baths and bedtime on schedule.
- No arguments, time-outs or sibling rivalry throughout the day.

Some days I seem to have the perfect day, and some days seem to fall apart right after breakfast. Sometimes I have to stop and ask God what kind of day he wants us to have. Maybe a day spent in pj's, picnics on the floor and goldfish for dinner are okay with Him! Maybe it's okay if they go to bed with peanut butter on their faces and sand in their hair! I need to learn to let God schedule my day as to accomplish the goals he has in store for us. So when I think that way, there is no need for the perfect day!

Cool Story To Share!

I read this article in a magazine and wanted to share:

Three years ago, Mike Foster had everything he thought he wanted: a thriving design business, a new, fully loaded Infinity G35 Sports Coupe, and a 3,100-square-foot home.

"I was living within the comfortable American dream,"says the 38-year-old Corona, California resident. "But I was unsatisfied. It sounds terribly arrogant, but I began thinking, 'If this is all there is, I'm going to be really bored the rest of my life.'"

Mike grew up in California as a Christian and lived what he calls a simple, normal life. "But somewhere along the path, I was indoctrinated," he says. "I bought into what the world tells us: 'Spending, buying and financing things that we can't afford is the path to happiness.' It simply isn't true."

In what Mike calls his "first act of rebellion against consumerism, "he sold his sports car. Using this money, he paid off his car loan and paid cash for a 1993 Toyota Camry with a cracked windshield. With the $600 a month he had been paying on the sports car, he began donating to Compassion and other charities. In spring 2006, Mike founded the Junky Car Club and soon began promoting Compassion sponsorship on the club's Web site. Their membership is estimated at 6,000 plus.

Junky Car Club members are encouraged to drive older vehicles that are paid for, so they can give their money to those who are in need. "Investing in the poor, in sponsor ships for kids - that gives satisfaction I can't find in new, shiny stuff," says Mike. "We made the decision to downsize from our 3,100-square-foot home to a townhouse about half the size," says Mike. "We got rid of about 60 percent of our stuff. It's been a beautiful, kingdom-building sort of thing, getting our loves aligned." "All of us have a story. We need to step out in faith and let God do some things through us. I don't look at what I'm doing as unique - I just want my life and priorities to be different."

I enjoyed this uplifting story and I hope you did too!!

2 Quick Videos!

Humpty Dumpty



Caught taking a quick stand.

Weeds and more weeds!

Jordan and I decided to spend Saturday by cleaning up the front flower bed. It desperately needed some attention since we haven't touched it since we moved it, some 2 years ago!! My hope was that Mariah would take a nap and Chase would play angelically well on the porch with chalk. Yeah right, that's what you get for dreaming in a world of perfection. Mariah would not nap and Chase tired quickly with the sidewalk chalk. So, time to improvise. Out came the pool, sand toys, snacks and a highchair. I was able to weed most of the bed, plant a couple of flowers and Jordan was able to remove a shrub root and some Virginia Creeper (lots of fun). Its amazing what cut grass and watered flowers can do to a yard. Of course the work ended in the kids crying for lunch and cranky for their naps, but we did make some good progress. We will have to finish another day! I did manage to snap a couple pictures for good ole memories!!

Change who? . . . Me?

Life with Chase had been a . . well. . . blessing? I love my child with all my heart, but he drives me to frustration, distraction and everything in between. Apparently I was a strong-willed, stubborn and determined child when I was younger as well. My mom still believes God led James Dobson to write The Strong Willed Child just so my dad and her could parent me. I have actually seen their copy, basically the whole book is highlighted and underlined. I just have no idea what they are talking about!!!

Anyway, I have been reading the Childwise series (Growing Kids Gods Way) for help and advice on parenting and discipline. A friend let me borrow some tapes in conjunction to the series and I was quite anxious to learn how to change my child's wild behaviors. The tapes gave lots of advice but then they turned the finger towards me. I had no idea how I could/should change through all of this, besides Chase is the problem right?? I learned how my attitudes, behaviors, frustrations and thoughts could be causing his lack of obedience.

Since I have been scheduling our day (yes when I say scheduling I mean every 15 minutes of our day is accounted for and filled) and changing our discipline, Chase has turned into a drastically different child. I have had so many people comment on the difference they have seen in him. I have learned that parenting is more than just raising kids, it involves prayer and guidance from others wiser than yourself.

Moms Notes: "It is not isolation from the world but immersion in the word that allows us to be in the world but not of it."

George goes swimming!

All was not well in our house today, for poor George went for a swim. Who's George you ask, swim where you say? George would be Chase's stuffed animal Curious George, and the preferred swimming hole was the potty. I heard the two cohorts laughing quietly in the bathroom (loud laughter is usually safer than quietly laughter) and went in to investigate. I found the two of them watching George as he sat in Chase's potty seat on the potty! We have lost some binks (pacifiers) and cars to the porcelain swimming hole, but never a stuffed animal. I calmly explained to Chase that the potty was a place people to pee and poop and not toys . I grabbed poor George by the hand and led him to the trash, to be his final resting place. Chase of course had a huge meltdown and ended up in time-out! I know it sounds harsh, but I wanted Chase to get the point and not to do it again. At the moment, George is in a plastic bag awaiting my decision on his fate. I may try to wash him or just pull out the spare we have. Ahh, life with a three-year-old!!!

Changes!!

We have been battling with Mariah's skin for months now. She breaks out in red patches all over her body and then after a couple days they go away. They don't seem to bother her, but they are annoying the heck out of me. Is it ring worm, eczema, rash or irritation?????? Our pediatrician kept saying it was eczema, but all the lotions and washes we tried were not preventing new patches. Then my friend Abby found our new miracle in a bottle, California Baby products. It is very expensive but you can find it at Target. The bottles run about 18.00 to 20.00 a bottle. Let me just say miraculous. In two days her patches were almost gone, and we haven't seen any new ones in a week!!! Thank you Jesus!!! We are only using the body wash, lotion and sun block right now, but we will probably try their other products as needed.



In other Mariah news, as well as standing and starting to walk (3 steps so far) she has discovered the stairs. She has always known they were there, but didn't dare to defy my scolds to climb them. Well apparently at 9 months she has become brave. Jordan and I each thought the other had her, well no one did. In a panic, I found her halfway up the stairs. Okay, now the gate at the bottom of the stairs is a permanent fixture. I do feel sorry for Chase, who at 3 now has to yell and plea for Jordan and I to lift him over it.

The other day I felt so bad for him. I was upstairs dressing Mariah with the top gate locked and Chase was downstairs playing. I had left the bottom gate on because I knew we were going to be back downstairs to play. Chase started whining for help and I yelled back he would just have to play patiently in the playroom until we returned. Well apparently he got tired of waiting and climbed the bottom gate, but to his dismay the top gate was also locked. Now he was stuck in the middle with no where to go. I found him 10 minutes later on the middle step with his hands on his knees saying "I'm still waiting."

By the way, in these next two pictures Jordan is just out of view of the camera. I didn't want anyone to think I would endanger Mariah just for a good picture!!!!

Videos!

Mariah is starting to talk and she will say ball, mama, dada and uh oh. But as you see, she did not feel like performing!! Oh well, it is still cute. I think its funny to see her clapping and doing "so big" like Chase used to do. Maybe I can video her taking her 3 steps, walking here we come!!!



Chase is singing the "The Bitsy Bitsy Spider." He apparently prefers the bitsy bitsy spider to the itsy bitsy one.

Thank you Dr. Chase!!

Chase received a doctor kit for his birthday, and I really had no idea he would love it so much. We have been playing with it all the time during out "sibling free playtime" (a whole other story). The first time he checked my heart I said "Thank you Dr. Chase" and now he expects me to say it every time.

I will say that I do have to watch the shot giving because Chase tends to jab her in the arm and the scissors sometimes get stuck in her hair. I will give him points for correct scissor holding though!!

Who knows, maybe Chase will drop the train fetish and move onto being a doctor! Well enjoy the pics of my little man growing up and my little princess catching up!

Natural Consequences!

In most of the parenting books I read they talk about different types of consequences in discipline. One of the types of consequences is natural consequences. Like if you walk into a wall, that is a natural consequence for not paying attention to where you are going. Well here are the two most recent of Chase's natural consequences!!!


First skinned knee of the summer season from running on asphalt when told not to!



I was not home for this one, but apparently he was running in the playroom and hit the floor!

Presents from Disneyworld!

Jordan's sister Jacklyn stopped by today to see the kids and bring them presents from Disneyworld! She brought Chase a stuffed turtle Crush from the movie Finding Nemo, and Mariah a stuffed baby Belle from the movie Beauty and the Beast. Jacklyn picked Belle for Mariah because it looked the most like her. Funny thing is, Belle is one of the nicknames we have for Mariah (don't ask me why). Thanks Jacklyn!!!!!