Am I big enough?

Preschool starts next week. He will go three days a week for three hours. Yesterday we had open house to meet Parker's teacher. The night before last I was explaining we were going to meet his teacher in the morning. I asked him what he was going to say when he met her. He said, "I am going to say, I can write my name and it is nice to meet you."
Yesterday morning he was sitting in my lap. I reminded him that we were going to meet his teacher at preschool today. Still half asleep he said, "but I'm not big yet. I'm supposed to go to school when I get big." I told him he was plenty big for preschool.
As I got ready he decided he wanted to draw his new teacher a picture. A few days ago he drew the first picture that actually looked like something. (I cried) He brought it to show me and I suggested he write his name so she will know who it is from. He asked, "does my new teacher have a name?" "Yes" I said, " I just don't know it yet."
We made it to school (just around the block) and he realized he left his picture. I didn't want him to be disappointed during the important moment so I asked if we needed to go back and get it. We did. When we met his teacher he said, "this is for you." He was smiling from ear to ear. I think it is going to be a great year!

me...sewing?

All my life I have watched my mom create some amazing things. Whether sewing are painting or just making things she always has a project. Since she moved I no longer count on her to get excited about my ideas and create them for me. This is a good thing I guess because it has caused me to teach myself to do some things. I never had time in high school to take a Home Eco. type class but always wanted to sew. I asked for a sewing machine at Christmas and opened it up this week. I am hosting bunko next month and all those projects I listed last month are in full swing. For some reason I do half a project and move on to the next. I am sure I will complete them all, I just get bored easily. Back to the sewing...one of my projects was curtains for my bedroom. My sweet husband bought me some bedding I loved when it was half of half with an additional 30% off at Dillards. I needed some curtains to match. Mom and I went to the fabric store because after I painted my living room my cornice board needed an update. Would you believe they had already reduced designer prints an additional 75% off?! I got this gorgeous fabric for $3 a yard. I bought enough for the cornice and then bought some for the curtains. Friday night I had no kids at home thanks to my mother in law so I spent until one in the morning reading the manual and making a panel. It was not perfect but really got me excited.

So then I thought about the cute A-line dresses on eBay that are seasonal with a monogram on the front. I really wanted Maggie to have one but couldn't afford them. My mother in law suggested I go buy a pattern and we could look at it together. Sunday night we cut it out at her house then I took it home and sewed. It was so fun. Here it the dress without the orange ribbon for the trim. I already made another one and have plans for Christmas pajamas. I love clothes and can't afford to shop so this is so exciting to me. I never thought I had enough patience to do it but I really enjoyed doing something besides TV in the evening when the kids are in bed.

Two other projects I listed are in the process of being completed. I painted the headboard I have been putting of for sometime now. It still needs moulding at the top but looks good for now. Also, I had inspiration from Cathrine on Parker's room art. Do you see a trend? Only half way done. : )

I promise to finish when I get another moment without kids. Parker starts preschool next week so maybe I can get a few things done with just Maggie. Overall it was a pretty productive week.

The discipline to discipline

Wednesday Mom came to town to help me make decisions on huge issues in my life such as what color I should paint the headboard I am making. We had a great time doing what we use to do two or three times a week...just run errands together. Since Parker has recovered from the mysterious virus that has plagued so many of us he has really been testing me. I recognize at times that he requires a LOT of one on one attention. The times where he is not included in the convo and the shopping is not pleasant but this was different. He was genuinely testing me. I'm not sure why but believe me I was going to stay firm and consistent. Consistent has been my prayer this week. Consistent and patient and consistently patient. ha. I literally had to spank him three times at the mall. I didn't have a choice. I mean deliberate disobedience. I was actually calm and took him to a private area each time. I was just happy my mom was with me. Where a lot of times I feel judged about my parenting I don't at all around my mom. In fact she always reassures me I did the right thing. I guess my issue is not so much if spanking is wrong, I know the Bible clearly tells me it is a good thing. My question is am I doing it right? I remember as a child after receiving a spanking being upset for a while and staying on the DL for a while afterwords. I guess that is why it shocks me when he snaps back so quickly and retains next to none of my scolding or ....sting. Today was almost a carbon copy of yesterday. More spanking more scoldings. I also added leaving early from spending time with his cousin and best bud. That cracked him. I mean he was so upset. So I guess what I have discovered is that I will continue to spank but a strong and powerful currency to him is time with his buds. I have learned his love language is definitely quality time. (he may think it is gifts lol) Tonight he came up to me and just growled with a big smile. He knew Maggie was in bed and he knows better than to yell during that time. I had to just grab him and hug him. He needed some one on one attention...bad. We went to his room and out of anything he wanted to play he asked to put the four foot long floor puzzle together. As we put it together his enthusiasm made me so proud. Even though I spanked him and took him home early he loves me and knows I love him. What an example for me as I learn to deal with discipline from our Heavenly Father. I never knew this is what they meant when people say parenting is tough. I always thought it meant the energy draining tough. My goal tomorrow is to be consistently patient and focus on my relationship with the Lord. All things are put into perspective when I am in the right place.

sick of being sick..and a soap box

Whew....It has been a long 5 days. Wednesday Parker woke with a low grade fever. Being that you have decide at dawn to take your child to the pediatrician or you can't get an appointment for that day I called and scheduled him. Sure enough a double ear infection. Fine, I thought we are not contagious and everyone is acting happy. Oh nnnnoooo. That night I get a fever too. The next day my throat is awful. My fever is up and Parker's fever is through the roof. We stay medicated and of course the next day....Maggie has a fever. I am sure it is the virus that two of our close friends have dealt with but ugh....
Sunday the kids and I stayed home from church. We didn't go to Jer's parents for dinner to spare them a virus. Parker and I remained fever free all afternoon and we both needed out of the house. Daddy suggested Cracker Barrel so I was in. Parker was so funny. The little golf tee game that is on every table has new rules. According to Parker all the tees are to be placed on the table. Then very strategically you take turns placing a tee in each hole. Daddy asked Parker, "how do you win this game?" Parker said, "I win!" Oh... so we keep putting them in till you win. Got it! It was so funny Jer kept acting as if he had a strategy. He would say things like...ohhh don't put there..awe that was where I was gonna put mine. Parker loved it. Maggie had command of the tiny creamer cups and butter cups. Until she got sick of them and threw them in the floor....along with a saucer that broke. Nice. We came home put the kids to bed and I did my weekly Sunday night grocery shopping. I love shopping alone but hate how there is never anything left.
My throat still is killing me. I would be concerned about strep if I didn't know of a few others with this virus. If it isn't better by Tuesday morning I will make an appointment. It is bad to have sick kids but it is the worse to have sick kids and be sick yourself.

A Soap Box by: Natalie
School starts tomorrow for the rest of the world. Like I said I do my shopping on Sunday nights. Would you believe that at 10:30 the night before the first day of school there are kids out at Walmart? I mean not just a couple but a bunch. If that wasn't bad enough here is an example of showing your kids how important school is. There were a few with the school supplies list! Getting their school supplies at 10:30 the night before school starts. Nothing says your ready for a new year like that! I wasn't going to mention that the mother had a 'cupids lingerie' tank top on but it did add icing to the cake. How does that kid have a chance? The sad thing is if that child has a problem at school the parents will likely be as confused as they were tonight over why there are no pencils at Walmart the night before school starts! ugh! Kristen, I almost had to say something! ha
Seriously though. It made me think. (as I judged these people...I know) I can get fired up about people not showing children being prepared for school is important. What about parents not preparing our kids to know Jesus. I strolled past with the same crippled buggy I seem to always find and thought do people get this worked up over parents not showing what a big deal God is to their children? I don't want to be a mom that has her kids out at "10:30 at night" trying to show them how powerful God is in their life. That will have no effect on their life accept to say that God is not important to me. I pray that I can show my kids that Jesus is the only way to have a joyful life. I pray that everyday we constantly talk about what God has done for us. I want them to know God is important and that it is why we go to church and read his word. Not for our glory but because God is that important. Kids will see what it important to us. It is not the stuff we say at 10:30 at night. It is the stuff we prepare for.
Note: Believe me I know school is not the most important thing in life. Our society worships school in my opinion but just for comparison sake....

Weekend update part two

We also went to the cutest birthday party. It was a cowboy themed party and Aden's mom had a petting zoo. The weather was next to perfect and the kid's loved it. Parker especially loved feeding the goats and the pony....and the pinata. Maggie loved going in and out of the goat pen. She would get down really close to them and just tell them all about it. If you haven't heard Maggie "talk" you are really missing out. We have probably been to 15 birthday parties in the past couple of monthes but this one was my favorite.

The weekend update

I mentioned that we made cookies for my great-grandmother's 102 birthday. She is not able to leave the nursing home anymore so Parker and Maggie and I took them to her. Parker did pretty well considering the enviroment. He was a little scared just because he hasn't been around her very much and her roommate is well....not all there. My great-grandmother still has her mind remarkably. She is blind but still remembers Shell and I vividly. She tells all the same stories about us as kids. It is kinda comforting knowing that she still remembers. I wanted to add a few pics of us. The first is my grandmother and the kids and the next is with the birthday girl. My mom told her not to have a wild party. She thought that was funny.

Mediocre... again

We had bunko tonight and once again I didn't win. I always fall right in the middle. Thats okay it was really a great time and I ate till I was stuffed. I guess I felt like I deserved it since I went for a weigh in today and am down 19 pounds! Whoohoo! I don't have much to say...although....drum roll please...you can see my menu once again!

Monday
Sloppy joes and tots (yuck, I ate at bunco)
Tuesday
Chicken casserole, cheesy potatoes (Parker wanted them with sloppy joes) something green
Wednesday
This new chicken pasta thing I got...another something green
Thursday
enchaladas and rice
Friday
Payday...out!


Also...remember a few weeks ago when I listed all the projects for the house...well yeah bunco is at my house next month. You WILL be seeing progress. I hate to follow Tanya's house. It was amazing....not cookie cutter out of a magizine amazing. Warm and homey and the view... I thought I was content. I am....I love my home but wow! It was perfect for me. Still...a nice home isn't worth going back to work for. I have more than I need.

Late night...

Why oh why am I still awake...I'll tell you why. I got to looking at custom clothes for little girls and I have looked wayyy to long. I can't wait for the fall now that Maggie is walking. The fall brings school and well....I am a little sad to send Parker to preschool. I mean it is 3 hours only 3 days a week. But a selfish part of me wants to keep him to myself...teach him myself. I am not saying homeschooling is selfish...I am still undecided about what we will do when real school comes. Basically it comes down to how this goes. I guess the freedom of choosing a curriculum that is best for your child is so exciting to me. As a former teacher I always felt like I was a disciplinarian and a whole bunch of other horrible stuff. Rarely did I feel like I was giving my students what I thought they needed. It was always someone else telling me what to teach and how to teach it. Parker is beside himself with excitement for school. He doesn't know that he won't eat lunch there yet and I am not excited about telling him...that was his favorite part of mother's day out. I don't care if my kids can read at four or anything like that but I just want to do all the things that I never got to do in my class. I know....just do it...I will. Preschool or not I can give them experiences and we can write about them together. I love being home! Have I said that lately? I think my thankfulness happens most this time of year when I think of that pit in my stomach dread of going back to school...as a teacher. I think I am the only teacher minded person that hated teaching! This will be my third year to watch the school year begin from home. Nothing better than to have all our favorite hang outs to ourselves during the day...chick-fil-a play land, the park, library....all free from big kids.

Oh I guess I could talk about this evening. I bought Parker a pirate hat in Daytona during beach camp...he didn't need another t-shirt from somewhere he couldn't go. Anyway, last night at Target I found a cute pirate set on clearance. It had a pirate gun (sorry if i offend) sword and bandana hat. I bought it thinking about Halloween. Parker and I played pirates today...don't you love where he kept his sword!

The most important thing we did tonight is bake cookies. My great-grandmother is turning 102 on Sunday! No one believes me but it is true. We are driving 2 1/2 hours to take her some cookies tomorrow. She will be so happy. My grandmother and my mother are only children so my sister and I are pretty important to our small family. Parker is the first boy they have been around and they think he is hilarious...he is. After I put Maggie to bed Parker and I baked 3 dozen cookies. I hope he is as enthusiastic when we take them to her as he was making them.

Big hands

I often fear that I am not doing the right thing for my babies. But I want them to know I tried. I want them to know I care more about them then anything on this earth. Today has been a day I am proud of as a mommy. A day with the TV off and mommy unplugged from housework. We read book after book from the library and then played school. Parker learned to write the letter P with my help about a month ago but today he wrote them with no help or instruction. I was in awe. He is so smart. Then he wanted me to trace his hand...something they did in God's Big Backyard the other day. When he asked to trace my hand I said sure. Then he put his hand in the drawing of mine and asked me to trace it. Maggie woke up and he suggested we put Maggie's in the middle. Something about that just made my heart skip. Seeing my babies hands in mine reminded me how big I am to them. I want them to know they are safe in my hand only because of whose hand I am holding. I am so thankful to get to watch them grow. Let me not take any days for granted. Let me live each day thinking of them in my hand and my eyes on the Father. I don't have to have fear of the future if I pay attention today. I love you Lord and all the blessings in my life.

okay I am going to get on the ball....really. I started this morning after reading in Exodus (those laws....I have many questions but not the time nor the place.) I started with the floors. My house was built in 1970. Somewhere along the way someone put parquae (sp?) wood floors down which I am most thankful floor. I have come to the conclusion that whatever floors people have are those they claim are hardest to clean. Well, mine are! Not really though! I have found the trick! No MOP! I hate mops for many disgusting reasons but there is no reason why you cant take 20 minutes with a rag and floor cleaner and scrub the floor. I mean get next to baseboards. As I was doing this I thought how many women have doen this in the past. I sorta had abonding moment with all my fellow homemakers of the past. Last night after reading a few blogs I enjoy I decided (once again) we are away from the home way too much. I got my binder which I have worked on a little here and there began with menu planning. When the family was on a strict budget I did this religiously. I have fallen away and plan to plan better. Once again me and the kiddos have moved into exist mode. We are always busy but never really accomplishing much. The last two weeks have been devoted to Bible School which is important but I am glad to get back to a routine. I am going to make a better effort to be home more. HOME =PRODUCTIVITY for me anyway. Thats all... oh my menu you ask....
Monday: Meatloaf, potatos, corn
Tuesday: LARRYS!
Wednesday: fish sticks pastaroni, green beans
Thursday: Chicken casserole, baked sweet potatos, green beans
Friday: Tacos, dip

the sunday funnies

Parker went to his new Sunday school class today. YEA! Real Sunday school not just a floating optional person in the room. He came home saying, "we talked about Samuel and how he was a baby but grew up and him mommy made him a coat and supper. (This evening I found the little lesson sheet and sure enough it says he was a baby and grew up and his mom made him a coat. "I guess he just assumed she made him supper too.)

As we drove to Mamaw and Papas today Parker pointed out a "beanstalk." He did however inform us that there was no giant.

While making brownies he took the box and announced, "we need two eggs." How did he know? There is a picture of two eggs on the box...never noticed.

As Brett left the driveway Parker says, "Bye shuug!" (just like Mamaw does)

I love that little boy with all my heart.

Maggie....my beautiful Mags. She was promoted out of the nursery. I thought I was going to cry and would have if I wasn't in such a hurry. She did well...no crying! I just want to say she is too precious. She is walking all over the place. It will be too soon I am afraid and look forward to at the same time that she will be saying funny little things. I love that little girl with all my heart.