Friday, November 5, 2010

Kyler's 6!!

Tues. Nov. 2, 2004...Election Day
Where did the time go? I cannot believe that my baby boy is 6 years old! I still remember everything about the day before and the day of his birth like it just happened last week. He is turning out to be a great kid and I am so thankful for that. He is doing great in Kindergarten. His teacher says he is very helpful and friendly, he's doing great with his work, and needs to working on his attitude when he loses at something. At least he got his father's competitive spirit! :) I am so proud of him. He played Fall Ball this year for the Yankees and they came in 2nd place...he held his own very well! He loves his sisters and is very helpful around the house (most of the time). He is also starting to notice a lot of the things they talk about at church. I think it's finally starting to click. I feel so unprepared for when he starts asking questions, but I pray everyday that God will give Ray and I the right things to say at the right times. He is having his first sleepover at our house tonight to celebrate and I'm getting mentally prepared for having 4 boys over all night! ;)

If you still read this blog, thank you. I know I've not been keeping up with it very well. This is a very busy season in our lives and somethings have to give...I don't think my family would appreciate it if I gave up cooking and cleaning to blog. :o

Monday, August 23, 2010

Too long...again

Sorry. The summertime gets away from me and time flies by! I can't get the photos to load right, so you'll just have to imagine them. :o Really, I will work on it when I have a little more time.

We have had a great summer just playing and spending time together as a family. I went to Oklahoma with the kids and my mom and they had a blast getting to know lots of new cousins and seeing Great-Grandma and Grandma Sharon. I hope we can go back sooner rather than later. The older I get and the older my kids get, the more I realize how much I miss being around my extended family.

In early July, we found out that we were expecting #4! A bit surprised to say the least, but we accepted God's plan for our family and started preparing. Last Tuesday, I woke up with some issues and we went in to the doctor to find out that we had lost our beautiful surprise. It was (and still is) heartbreaking, but we know that God has a plan for our family. We do not always know why He allows things like this to happen, but it is His plan, not ours. We firmly believe that God is still the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow and we cling to Him in our sorrow. I know that one day I will meet my beautiful baby in the arms of my Savior.

Kyler started Kindergarten full-time today. He is so excited when he gets on that bus in the morning. I'm glad that he loves school and pray that he keeps that enthusiasm throughout his school years. His teacher is amazing...she is exactly the type of teacher I was praying that he would get. She loves her job, her students, and is so encouraging to the kids. I LOVE that!

Kyler is also starting Fall Ball this week. I've never done baseball in the fall, but he is excited to be a Yankee! He will be playing with 5-8 year olds, so he has a lot of work to do to catch up, but he can do it. He is working hard with daddy after school and his coach is very eager to help him out, too.

I think that's all for now. I will try to do a better job of keeping everyone updated now that we are back in a regular school schedule.

Thursday, June 10, 2010

I'm back

I feel like I've been neglecting you. I'm sorry. Things have gotten quite busy in the King household lately.
-baseball season is almost done. Only one more game then the playoffs. His team is second in the 5/6 year old age group. I'm so proud of how hard they are working together as a team.
-Aaliyah has turned into quite the 3 year old handful. She's already learned the fine art of lying (to get her brother in trouble) and using "not-so-pleasant" words (ie. curse words she's picked up from a certain neighbor boy). Needless to say, she has already experienced the hot sauce.
-Juliana is 8 months old (tomorrow) and a handful herself. She has learned how to army crawl, pull up, and she is almost crawling on her hands and knees. She has also learned that when she lays in her crib and screams bloody-murder, mom comes running. This seems to be her favorite thing to do at 2:00 AM. :(
-3 Kings Photography is official. We got our business license and I am now running the business. This is the main reason I have not been blogging as much. What time I have on the computer is spent marketing, researching, keeping track of expenses and income...well, you get the idea. It's overwhelming at times, but I have a feeling that this is why God has not given me a teaching job. I need to be home to run this business that is beginning to take off. **SHAMELESS PLUG** If anyone needs family portraits, children's pictures, engagement photos, headshots, etc. feel free to let me know. I will be more than happy to set you up!

I guess that's all for now. As soon as my husband posts the pictures from Mother's Day and Juliana's baby dedication, I will share a couple with you.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Sat. May 22, 2010

I hope I never forget that day. Not because of something that happened in the world news or national news or even local news. Not because someone famous died or got arrested or shamed themselves. Sat. May 22, 2010 will always be the day that I was so proud of my son that I almost busted out the ugly cry...in public...at the ballfield.

This is his second year playing baseball. He's not the best hitter on the team. He can't throw the ball all the way in from the outfield and he loses all sense of urgency when running the bases when he does hit the ball. But...he improves all season long and from one year to the next. He cheers for his team mates (when he's not playing around in the dugout) and tries hard (most of the time). But...Sat. May 22, 2010 was a day that I hope he never forgets, either. Here is what happened...
Time has run out on the clock and we are at the bottom of the inning, our bat. Kyler is up, the other team is up by 1 run (6-7), and we have two outs and a man on base. "God, please help Kyler hit the ball and make it to base. I can't handle it if he gets the last out of the game...again." Strike one! "God, PLEASE, help Kyler hit the ball." The coach pitches the ball...PING! HE HIT IT!! "RUN, KYLER, RUUUUUNNNNN!!!!!" He rounds first and hesitates to run on (despite the coach yelling at him to go to second). After a quick back and forth, which seemed like minutes instead of miliseconds, he makes it to second base. We are tied! "Thank you, God!" Next kid comes up to bat....PING! Hard ground ball right through the infield and keeps rolling into the grass. "RUUUNNNNN, KYLER, RUN HARD!!!" He comes around third and doesn't hesitate to run on to home. The other team throws it home...kid misses the ball...KYLER SCORES!!!!!!

I know Kyler stepped up and hit the tying run in to save the game and that is what made the coach and the team proud. But what makes this so sweet and this mama so proud was that winning run. He has not crossed home plate yet this season, until now. I totally forgot in that moment that poor Juliana was on my hip probably freaking out because mom was jumping and yelling while she held on for dear life...and who knows where Aaliyah was (so thankful for team parents who help keep an eye on everyone else's kids!). I was beyond happy and so proud of my son. You know what's even better than that, though? Seeing how proud daddy was of his son. The look on his face, beneath the sunglasses (thank goodness he was wearing sunglasses, if you get my point), will stay with me even when I'm old and senile.

Friday, May 14, 2010

Stream of consciousness baby update

For the three or four who read my blog...here's an update on Juliana:

She turned 7 months on Tuesday. Wow, time flies even faster the third time around! I totally didn't get any 6 months pictures made...would it still count if I took them now? In the last month she has gone from rolling over slowly to where she wants to go to army crawling, sitting up on her own (when we put her down and pushing herself up to sitting), rocking on her hands and knees, and eating solids. She prefers to have food she can chew on instead of babyfood, so I may just forgo the whole "making baby food" thing like I did with the other two. She has more or less skipped over 6-9 month clothes which is great because we have all Aaliyah's clothes from 12 mos. and up. We are moving the kids rooms around (finally) this weekend. Kyler will get his own room again and Aaliyah will have to learn to share a room...and not wake up her baby sister at 5:30 in the morning! Her little personality is starting to come out and I can't decide if it's a good thing or a bad thing! :) She is not the needy Princess that her sister was, but not quite as easy-going as Kyler was. She is very flexible with her schedule, though, and that's nice. We noticed two little tooth buds starting to appear on her bottom gums, so I guess teething is just around the corner. I predict she will be pulling up and crusing before too long and walking shortly after that...although I hope the walking holds off until 12 months. When my hubby gets the pictures from Mother's Day and her baby dedication uploaded, then I will post some here...or I may have to resort to taking pictures myself for uploading. ;)
I guess that's all for now...better go make sure she hasn't pulled herself up in her crib since she's not asleep yet!

Thursday, May 13, 2010

Entering a new season

And here we go. I just registered my oldest for Kindergarten today. Didn't I just have him? Wow. When people tell you to cherish every moment because they grow up so fast, I would just nod my head and agree. I don't think it's sinking in how fast time has gone!
When he was born, school seemed so far off. I couldn't even imagine what it would feel like to have a kid in school. Am I that old already? Today was easy...filling out forms, showing him how the kids walked in a single-file line down the hallway. It's August that I really dread. I don't know if I'll be working or not. I don't know what our lives will be like in 3 months, but I do know that he'll be in school regardless of what happens. I went through times that I wanted to homeschool (honestly, I still do) and times when I was all about sending him off to public school (if it worked for me, he will be fine). Private school has never truly been an option for us (although, it would be nice). I was never really scared about him going to public school...until the last couple of years. I've seen what kids are like now. Surely we didn't act like that? I am scared to let him ride the bus with big, scary 5th graders because he is such a follower and looks up so much to older kids. How do I let go? I pray, constantly. The joke has been that I am already praying for his teacher because he knows so much already, that he will be bored and get in all kinds of trouble. Today, I realize that I need to sincerely pray for his teacher...and everyone he comes in contact with. I need to pray that they will impact him in a positive way; that they will be good role models. I've never really prayed over my child. Now is the time.
I feel as though I haven't truly prepared him for what he's going to face in school. Will he be picked on? How will he handle that? How will I handle that? Is he going to get in trouble all the time? I was never in the principal's office...will he be? God has this amazing way to keep you on your knees when you are a parent. Just when you think you've got the groove going, something else comes up to prove that your children are not your children at all...they are His children. Have I done everything I can do to prepare him? no. Is that even possible? probably not. The only thing I can do at this point is pray without ceasing that I can show him God's love as a parent and that he learns to show others that same love.
Knowing that it takes a village, will you please join me in praying for my son, Kyler? That he learns to follow God with the same wide eyes that he follows the big kids? That God will protect him as he starts school in August and that I can learn to let go just enough...enough to teach him independence but not so much that he forgets how much I love him.

Tuesday, April 13, 2010

Realization

I have come to the realization in the last few weeks that I have not been tough enough on my son. Maybe it's because I thought explaining things to him would be enough. Maybe it's because I thought his dad was too tough and felt I had to compensate for that. Regardless of the reason, he is now 5 and will start Kindergarten in August. I have begun to give him more freedom and have watched how he interacts with others. Why is it so hard to be tough on him? I want my son to be strong, to be a leader, but also to have compassion for others and give of himself to help them. I want him to know his identity in Jesus Christ and to let His love radiate to others. I realize that I have to lead by example, but my example fails way too often.
I always thought I would have a house full of boys...on some level, I think that would be easier than having only one boy and two girls. I all of a sudden feel completely ill-equipped to raise a son. I know I'm not alone...I do have my husband, but, as a SAHM, I am with the kids more. What he is doing and the way he is acting may be completely normal, but we have higher expectations for our children than "just normal."
Being one who likes to read about parenting, does anyone have any recommendations for books on raising boys? A few of the ones I have heard of tend to be geared more toward older boys (later elementary ages). Any suggestions on books or websites?

Friday, April 9, 2010

What's a SAHM to do?

So...what does a SAHM do when the kids aren't home?



On my list today...take care of a few personal beauty things that have been left behind lately
>



Hook up our new-to-us washer (thanks to my wonderful brother!) and do laundry

Clean the house...again...but without interruption and no one to mess it up until tonight

Listen to MY music and sing all day

Clean up big kids' room...and mysteriously more things will go missing that they will never miss

Play with my happy baby

Bake cinnamon rolls for tomorrow's rushed breakfast (the boy has to be at the baseball field at 8:15)

Maybe mow the grass (or at least get it ready to be mowed tomorrow)

Maybe take a nap (if I can stop my mind from racing long enough)

ENJOY THE PEACE AND QUIET!






I love my kids, but we all know mom's need a day off every now and then. Thank you to my wonderful mom for taking them off my hands for the day. :)




So...I want to know what you do when you don't have your kids around.

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Facebook status'

If you have been on Facebook for more than a day, then you start to realize that you go through your day thinking in FB status updates. Just last night my husband came home from watching basketball with some guys from work and I asked him how it went. He said "it was basketball. I don't even know who won." (we are NOT a basketball family. we believe that it is just a sport to fill in the gap until football starts up again) I asked him if he even knew who was playing. He said it was Georgetown and some Oklahoma team and I quickly informed him that it couldn't be Georgetown b/c they were beat on Thursday. Then I said "this would make a great FB status!" Anyway, I digress. This morning I have had several potential status updates flow through my head (it happens all the time) and thought I would post them all here.
My morning in FB posts:

-woke up with rip-roaring headache...ugh, need drugs and coffee.
-PTL extra-strength tylenol works on my headaches...did NOT need a migraine today!
-so excited...MY BROTHER IS COMING HOME TOMORROW!! *big cheesy grin* (this one actually made it onto my FB)
-tylenol finally kicked in...an hour later. :\
-mmmm, bacon.
-Aaliyah brought me a pair of shorts and said "here mom, these will fit you"...they were maternity shorts.
-after informing Aaliyah that those shorts only fit when there is a baby in mommy's belly and there is definitely NOT a baby in mommy's belly she brings me a tight, skimpy spaghetti strapped shirt (yeah, thanks dear, that won't fit mommy either...because she has had 3 babies in her belly!)

looks like it's going to be an interesting day already!

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

New Day

After reading back over yesterday's post, I realized that I am sounding really down and negative lately. That's not who I am most of the time, honestly. Maybe it's God working on my heart a little...or a lot! ;)
The school I used to teach at was amazing. Our principal said at the beginning of every morning, "Good Morning! It is a new day and a new beginning." That's how I feel almost every morning. I wake up thinking, "okay, today is going to be different. I will get all my tasks done and spend time with my children loving on them and just having fun." I'd like to say that those things happen every day, but they don't. Things come up. Cleaning takes longer, I'm on the computer longer than I want to be, the baby decided to throw her schedule out the window or is super whiney or wants to be held more or....well, you get the idea. The days I focus on spending more time just playing with my kids, I feel great about that but then worry that the house looks like a mess. The days I have the house looking great, I feel guilty about not having spent more time playing with my kids.
I guess when you're a mom, there's always something nagging at you. There is always one more thing to be done or something to feel guilty about. That's what makes us a mom! So...today, I will start over. I will let my children help me with the laundry, even if it takes three times as long. I will let them play and be kids, but I will also hold them accountable for their actions, discipline them when they disobey, and teach them about giving to others. I will let them wash their own dishes (yes, they like to do it and ask to!) even if I have to go back and wash them again then clean up the water all over the counters and floor. I WILL LOVE MY CHILDREN THE WAY GOD LOVES US! Without condition, despite their flaws and disobedience, in spite of their sassy mouths and selfishness.

Monday, March 15, 2010

Mom guilt

My worst fear has come true. In a constant attempt to mold my children into who I want them to be and worrying about what every little thing they see or hear is teaching them, I have forgotten about my own attitude and actions. In my attempt to make them not so much like me, they have become exactly what I was trying to avoid.
I want my children to love each other. I want them to play together, be polite with one another, give to other people, put others first, and not get caught up in stuff. I don't want them thinking they have to have everything they see on TV or in the store. They, instead, are selfish, greedy, and LOUD! They scream at each other, cry when they get angry or don't get their way, and ask me for everything they see on TV...no, really, at every single commercial I hear "MMOOOOOOOMMMM, CAN WE HAVE...??"
I realized today that it's my fault. I scream at them in anger. I am saying all kinds of words in my head knowing that I can't say them out loud because they will pick them up. I am not honoring God with my thoughts and actions. I am not raising HIS children with HIS love. I pray, I try to take deep breaths and calm down, I try everything I know to do and nothing works. I am so scared they will become adults who need serious therapy because their mother screamed at them when they were little. I'm scared they will go to school and be screwed up because of me...that their teachers will wonder "what kind of parents raise a child like this?"
Yet, I press on. I try to treat each new day as a chance to start over. I continue to pray...and hope that they will still turn out good despite their mother's sad attempt at parenting.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Random...

-working on a new photography blog for 3 Kings Photography. Hoping I can keep that one up to date more consistantly than I have done on this one. ;)
-my brother is finally out of the desert and on his way home...woohoo!
-I am so ready for warmer weather and better prices on fresh fruit and vegetables! I eat so much better in the spring and summer.
-dealing with some old emotional baggage that has crept back up...Satan is having a field day with me. :(
-wish I could just have a couple of weeks with no children and a lot of money...I have some serious urges to clean everything out, organize, and paint!
-Little Bit started cereal this week...I can't tell if she loves the cereal or the spoon coming at her mouth! it's quite funny to see.
-I'm really starting to get the hang of this meal planning thing and using up everything I have on hand before going to the store...I've managed to make our groceries last a much longer time...now if I could just have my own cow to milk...I'm sure it would be a whole lot cheaper! :)
-struggling with going back to work...was so sure I wanted to go back to teaching while I was pregnant...now, not so sure...would like to work part-time during the day while girls are in a MDO program.
-it's starting to sink in that I will have one child in school next year...I'm really struggling with letting go...so scared he will be getting trouble all the time or pick up some really bad habits from the other kids
-I would really like to re-evaluate my parenting and do some things different
-going to take a nap now, Little Bit decided she needed a feeding at 1:30 this AM and K and A decided they needed to get up before 6 because the thunder was "scawy"

Friday, March 5, 2010

so what's it REALLY like? part 4

if you have no idea what I've been writing about, read part 1, part 2, and part 3 first.

So what can we do to change our hearts and attitudes about being a SAHM?
First, understand that you will have good days and bad days. Everyone does. You are not alone! Yes, you feel alone, but you're not. There are other moms who understand. Some are going through exactly what you are, some have been through worse, some not so bad, and some are on the other side and have a wealth of advice and encouragement. Find these women, whether through facebook, your church, a circle of friends and their friends...whatever you have to do to find other women who are encouraging and loving and who have been there.
Second, pray. Find a way, any way, to keep your personal time with God. I feel like a hypocrite telling you to do this part. I am the world's worst at keeping a quiet time, so I am preaching to myself on this one. I cannot stress enough how important it is to have a personal relationship with God. If you have any questions about this, then please feel free to comment or email me at mtsusinger [at] yahoo [dot] com.
Third, talk. Talk to your husband. Be open (yet again, preaching to myself here) and honest with him. Tell him how you feel and ask him what he's going through. Make an attempt to understand each other's point of view. You can never know exactly what it's like to live someone else's life because you are not them, but you can try to see things the way they see them. It may give you a new perspective you didn't think of before.
Fourth, do something for yourself every day. For me, I always feel worse on the days I don't get a shower in the morning. I always try to have my coffee in the quiet of the morning (5:30 in the morning to be exact) before the kids get up. This is time that my husband and I can have together to talk or just sit together before the kids get up. Yes, it's early, but when your kids get up anywhere between 6 and 7, you do what you have to! I also try and get in 30 minutes of yoga. It helps keep me calm and relaxed and gives me a workout at the same time!

The most important thing is to remember that, in the end, you and your husband love each other and you love your kids and that is why this parenting thing is so hard...because true, unconditional love is hard. I'll tell you, though, nothing makes my mind forget all the bad things and melts my heart faster than watching my husband love on our kids. THAT is what makes it worth it for me. :)

so what's it REALLY like? part 3

I had originally intended this to be a 3-part post...it's looking like it will be 4 or 5 parts now. Sorry. ;)

read part 1 here
read part 2 here


So far all I have talked about is the (sometimes) ugly truth about being a SAHM. What about the husband's side? What is it like for him? This is, after all, a marriage of two people...two people working together to parent their children to the best of their ability to bring glory to God.

I have not talked about this with my husband, so I may have it all wrong, but I would imagine that being a SAHM takes a toll on your husband, too. They would probably not talk about what it's like for them unless you poked and prodded and promised hot wings and football...but it does have an affect on them that no one tells them about, either. Let's take it from their perspective (keeping in mind that their minds work totally different than ours).
Husbands have just as much on their plate as we do as moms...we just don't see it that way because we can do a gazillion things at once and still keep some semblance of sanity. They have the huge task of providing for their family's financial needs...alone. For a person whose identity is his ability to care for his family, this is a major stressor. This is similar to how we, as women, feel about how we look. When we take care of ourselves (exercise, eat healthy) we feel better about ourselves, which means that we are better equipped to take care of our family. When our husbands are able to provide for their family, they feel better about themselves and are better equipped to provide for other needs we may have (ie: affection, communication).
Another stressor is what happens when they come home from work. They have been working all day (some physical labor, some office jobs that require lots of brain power) and the first thing we do is say "here, take the kids, I've had enough." We don't even think about what they've been doing all day...we just figure it can't be as hard as what we've been doing. The truth is...and this is hard to swallow...they have been working all day and we have been working all day and we both need a break and some time to decompress. They are stressed from going from one job right into the next (or sometimes, third, if they have a second job outside the home) and we are stressed from doing the same job all day long!

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

so what's it REALLY like? part 2

If you missed part one, go read here first.


***This entry is in no way bashing my husband. I'm not saying that I've never done this, but not recently. Just trying to be brutally honest about what goes through the mind of a SAHM.***

There is a surprising emotional toll to being a SAHM that no one tells you about...until now. There are days you resent your husband because he goes to work and has no idea what you do all day (and has even uttered those deadly words "so what did you do all day?"). You can feel isolated; even more so if you are extremely social, like me. You have all day to let bad feelings fester and boil up. You can get in the bad habit of thinking too much, all day long. For example, let's say that before your husband left for work, he said something that rubbed you the wrong way. He's off to work and has forgotten all about it by the time he gets there...you, however, have not. He had traffic, music on the radio, and planning his day on his brain...you have taken that hurt from what he said and let it sit. Then piled on top of it a fussy baby, a messy house, dishes from breakfast that need to be done, two preschoolers begging you to play with them, or do this, or watch that...then it happens...you see it...something else that has to be picked up. But it doesn't belong to one of the kids. Oh, no. It's a sock (or shirt, or shoes) and it's HIS!! THAT'S IT! I'VE HAD ENOUGH! WHAT IS SO HARD ABOUT AN ADULT PICKING UP THEIR OWN CRAP!!!!!
You have officially snapped. It sits, festering, boiling inside until he walks in the door, then you let him have it the second he looks at you wrong and he has NO idea what he has done.
Sound familiar?
What about this one?
Your kids have been running around the house and talking non-stop all day long, literally. You have told them at least 20 times to pick this up or go do that, even giving them time out for disobeying you, but it's still not done. Daddy walks in the door and they become perfect little angels doing everything you've told them to do the first time he asks. Or maybe it's the opposite, you've had them tow the line all day and they are finally obeying and listening and calm, but when daddy gets home, all hell breaks loose. They are running around, fighting, screaming and yelling and he looks at you and says, "what's wrong with your kids?" My kids? MY KIDS??
yeah, I'll leave that one alone...you can probably guess what is said in response to that comment.
Truth is...I wouldn't trade it, but sometimes I dream of Supernanny coming in and making my home so nice and peaceful and fun...of course, my kids would have to be waaaayyyy worse for her to come here.

so what's it REALLY like?

I remember being at work after my first child was born just dreaming of being able to stay home with him. I would long for a snow day (I was a teacher) or count down to the next 3-day weekend just to be able to spend more time with him. While I was pregnant with #2, I realized that I was only spending about 4 hours a day with my son and he was spending nearly 10 hours a day at daycare. This is NOT what I wanted for my family. I prayed about it during my pregnancy and after my daughter was born and really felt God calling me to stay home with our children...part of that confirmation came when He gave me a daughter who was very high-maintenance from birth! That was 3 years ago. I had visions of play dates, sunny days at the playground, visits to the zoo, and well-rounded, well-behaved kids...all while keeping up with the housekeeping and putting a well-cooked dinner on the table every night. Then we would sit around the table as a family and have dinner and discuss our day.

YEAH, RIGHT!

Fast forward 3 years to today. I have no car (long story) and am stuck at home all day and about two nights a week by myself with three children, two of whom need to run and play A LOT. I struggle to keep the downstairs clean in case we have clients coming over in the evening (we are semi-professional photographers). I only worry about the upstairs (the kids' area) about once a month...maybe. I put food on the table most of the time, but, as my husband will tell you, it's not that great most of the time either. It's usually something I threw together and didn't season well, or burned, or undercooked, or...well you get the idea. I have not been on any play dates during the week day (no car, remember?), we have been to the zoo a few times when we had two vehicles, and I did manage to take the oldest two to the park while I was pregnant with #3 this summer. My children are more well-behaved than many kids I see, but I still see a lot of room for improvement. They watch TV too much and my 5 year old begs all day, every day, to play on the computer or play Xbox.

The reality is...being a stay at home mom is hard. Sure, it has it's rewards...unlimited cuddle time, being the one to answer your child's random questions about topics he's too young to be asking about (at least in my opinion), having the opportunity to watch him read his first word, or watching your daughter twirl around the living room in her tutu because she's a "ballet-er." But for all the good times, there are so many down times. I'm social, so are my kids. We are confined to our house and wherever we can walk to. Do you see the problem? They love to play with friends, but we have no way to get there. The older two crave as much attention from me as the baby...but at some point I have to cook, clean, check and answer emails, clean, do laundry, pick up toys, discipline, answer a million "MOOOOOMMMM!"'s, all while trying to keep the baby's schedule...did I mention I breastfeed, too...oh, wait, I have to clean again, or is it make lunch, or maybe it's snack time?

Monday, March 1, 2010

The Princess is 3!


I cannot believe it's been 3 years since our little girl entered this world. I won't bore you with the birth story (even though I still recall every detail including what I ate the night before) but I was in labor during a major storm and the moment she took her first breath all the rain and wind stopped. Looking back, it makes sense. When the Princess enters, everything will stop because she is all that matters!




She has been a princess since birth. I wrote about how I am thankful for her here. Her pregnancy was the only one that was planned from day one and she has changed me in ways she will never know. She is going to be a great friend and amazing dancer or athlete...or both! She takes great care of her baby sister and knows exactly what she wants. That will serve her well. She is one tough cookie and one good actress. I can't wait to see what her future holds and what kind of woman she becomes.




Happy Birthday, my Princess. Mommy loves you all the time!

Friday, February 26, 2010

Not Me Monday...

I started following MckMama last week and she does this think on Mondays called "Not Me Monday." So...here's my "not me" moment...

I did not let my daughter eat all the caramel before having the apples that were supposed to be dipped in it...no, not me.

I did not eat 5 orange sweet rolls for breakfast on that same day...no, not me!

and I definitely did NOT forget to bring the baby monitor into the bedroom last night b/c that would just be irresponsible of me.

Hope you have a great Monday!

Saturday, January 2, 2010

Wow, what a decade!

When the new year rolls over, I usually look forward and plan what my next year will hold. For some reason this year, I have been looking back a lot. Maybe it's because I'm older, maybe it's because it the end of a decade. Whatever the reason, it's what I'm doing this year.

New Year's Eve was an interesting evening for me. Nothing interesting happened but I had a lot of things swirling through my head about where I was ten years ago. I can remember exactly where I was, who I was with, what I was doing...even what I was wearing! It's sad, I know...I was cursed with a semi-photographic memory. The thing that was so interesting was that I had no idea 10 years ago that I would be where I am now. I had just turned 21 and thought I had it all figured out. Wow, was I ever wrong! I started the decade engaged to my high school sweetheart and thought that ten years from that night I would be married to him and we'd have two boys in our modest house in Murfreesboro. HA! Was I so far off. :) I wouldn't trade my life now for anything. God really does know what he's doing!

In the last decade I have (in no particular order):
graduated college
moved 7 times
sang in two amazing operas
gotten married
went on my first cruise
had 3 beautiful kids
taught middle school (my dream job)
joined an amazing church
started my own business
quit my own business
been to Brazil
lost 2 grandparents
watched my grandfather forget everything
gotten a dog
gained two beautiful nephews and a gorgeous niece
discovered how hard marriage really is
turned the big 3-0 (and I LOVE it)
grown closer to God and pulled away from God
realized how much I love being a mom
...the list could go on and on.

I hope that you have an amazing 2010 and it's everything you want it to be...but keep in mind that you have your plans and God has His. Guess which one wins out in the end??!