The Story of the Boots

Since we've been married Paul has bought me a purse each birthday. He has fantastic taste and I've gotten 5 fantastic purses from him - this year being no different.
A few weeks ago we were talking about the purses and how I've probably got enough and next year he could start a new gift trend.
The one item we both thought would be kind of fun was cowboy boots.

So just so we're straight: a couple weeks ago Paul decided that next year for my birthday he'd buy me a pair of cowboy boots. And yes, he's pretty much that organized thinking so far ahead about gifts. He's fantastic.

Saturday was my birthday, and as you know it was just me and the boys together that day since Paul is away doing some training.
I took the boys out to some yard sales and one of the homes we stopped at was selling these gorgeous boots.
They still had a $90 price tag on them. I asked the lady what she was selling them for and she said $20.
When she saw me put them down she said "well, I will take $10 for them."
When she saw me walking back to my car she said "Ma'am, would you like to make me an offer for the boots?"
I told her I'd pay $5 and she said that was fine, I could have them for $5.

After I paid for them and was back in my car it hit me: I'd just gotten a pair of cowboy boots on my birthday. Perhaps it's a bit silly, but that thought completely delighted me - that God in His abundant gracious loving kindness had a pair of boots for me on my birthday, a year ahead of when Paul had planned to buy me a pair.

Your loving kindness is better than life,
My lips will praise You.
So I will bless You as long as I live;
I will lift up my hands in Your name.
Psalm 63:3&4

30 Days of Littles Day 25

I keep a stash of presents for the boys Christmas and birthday gifts that I collect from yard sales and sale items throughout the year - it saves money and time and they end up with nicer things of greater value than if I were to pay full price for a gift right before the occasion.

That being said, because of their age they really aren't that into gifts. What I did last year with Judah and am doing this year with both of them is occasionally pulling out their Christmas or birthday gifts one by one for an afternoon of fun. They play with the item, figure out what it does, entertain themselves for a few hours and then I put it back away - then come Christmas morning they'll KNOW what their present is and actually be excited about the gift =)

Happy Birthday

Dear Wezzy,
It doesn't seem possible that you have been with us for one year! This year has flown by, and every single day of it we have been delighted by your radiant eyes, smiling face and contagious laugh.
You are adored and loved by your brother, daddy and me.

You slipped right into your roll as younger brother quite seamlessly - you have never objected to the abundant affectionate Judah has bestowed upon you, in fact, you seem to delight in any attention you get from your brother (which is a lot!).

In the morning when you first wake up and after nap time when you wake up, you boys spend upwards of an hour just giggling at each other - I adore your baby giggle and your ability to so easily entertain yourself. You come by that honestly!

For the most part you play very well with your brother. Sometimes his bouncy curls prove to be too much of a temptation and you give them a tug and he in turn yells "No, Wezzy, no. Don't touch hair." And then you giggle.

And while most of the time you are cheery and bubbly you certainly can hold your own- if Judah wants a toy that you particularly like you hold onto that toy with all your strength. If Judah manages to get that toy from you your fiery temper shines through.



Your fiery temper doesn't show itself very often, but when you do have a temper it is a nasty one. We're working on that with you and praying that your passion will be used for God honoring things.

You are very obedient, and while I probably shouldn't say this, it is almost comical just how obedient you are;

Up until the last couple of weeks you have been swaddled tightly before every nap and bedtime - it's just how you liked to sleep! A few weeks ago we noticed you fighting it, so we stopped swaddling you and just lightly wrapped a blanket around you. With this new found freedom you loved to jump up after being laid in your crib and so we worked with you on having you lay down in your crib - and stay laying down.
The last few nights you have gotten mad about being told to lay down at bedtime and you have lain in bed for 10+ minutes crying because you were told to lay down - but you stay down. You haven't once tried to get up!


You have been a chatty baby for a long time - you started with "Mmmm" for momma when you were about 6 months old and about 8 months you started saying "Momma" and soon after added "Dadda" to your vocabulary. Those two words are the only words we recognize so far.

You are a pro stair climber - much better at going up than coming down, but much to my dislike you enjoy going down the stairs too. Daddy and I are convinced you are going to be the son that sees the ER the most :) You are a little daredevil with little fear and less caution.

You are affectionate and love a good cuddle with me or daddy. Recently you've started crawling up to us to limply place your wet lips on our lips - your kisses are so sweet and come at random times throughout the day, they are cherished.


The first year of your life has been a delightful one, and I am looking forward to each day that this next year holds.

I adore you.
Love,
Mommy

30 Days of Littles Day 24

Judah is all about guns and has been for a long time.
Paul and I don't have a problem with him "playing guns" - bananas, markers, spoons, toy trucks and empty toilet paper rolls have all served as play guns for him recently. Judah has this amazing ability to make a gun out of *anything*. I am choosing to believe it's a talent =)

To keep from going totally crazy with his play fighting and to teach him distinctions in male and female, Paul and I made a rule early on that he is NOT allowed to shoot women. He sometimes forgets in his excitement but he is daily reminded that women are to be protected and not shot. His daddy and brother and all the imaginary bad guys are allowed to be shot. But never mommy.

It melts my heart to hear him growl "Judah manly man. Protect Mommy. Die bad guy."

Yard Sale Finds - boy stuff

A few yard sale things I picked up this weekend for the boys:


I just love these shoes and was so excited to find them for .25 cents. I brought them home and tried stuffing Judah's feet in them, but sadly they don't fit. They're a size 7.5 and he is in size 9, so I knew they likely wouldn't fit but it was still disappointing that they don't. I'm holding on to them until Wesley's feet grow into them =)


This set of plastic coins were .25.


I love wooden toys and was excited to find these wooden camels (above) and the wooden fruit (below) for the boys. The camels are attached to each other by a chain with a donkey leading them - so cute! They were .50 cents.
The fruit was $2 is beautifully detailed - it came on a nice wooden serving dish and is suppose to be used for display but I am packing it away for a Christmas gift for the boys for them to use for play.


Click for more thrifty treasures

Hardwood Floor

Click on the above image for a larger view.

As promised, here are some pictures of our floor! The table was moved into the dining room the morning Paul left - it's not centered in the room properly and it is driving me nuts!! It's too heavy for me to move on my own, so it'll stay off center for now.
The floor is also in dire need of a wash, so please ignore that!

We went for a bit of a different look painting the one wall black, while we haven't totally committed, we're pretty sure we're going to hang THIS MIRROR on the black wall.

The wooden table you see behind the dining room table I am thinking of painting black, if I actually keep it in that room.
And the chandelier I am thinking of painting white.

Eventually.

For now I am just thrilled to have our dining room table in our dining room, and our back porch is now free for our patio furniture. I've been having fun pulling that room together and will post pictures later this week.

30 Days of Littles Day 23

While I certainly don't take advantage of every opportunity to teach Judah (whew! I'd be exhausted!) I do try to teach him in various scenarios and make it fun.
Like when we are in the car and stopped at a red light I ask him what the letters are on the signs around us. Or if we're playing in the front yard I ask him the colors of the cars that drive by.

Or the other day he was eating Cheerios and had 5 left. I asked him if he could count his Cheerios for me and tell me how many there were.
He looked at me, looked at the Cheerios, out them all in his mouth and said "None - all gone!" =)

To Rug Or Not to Rug

I have always wanted rugs for our house, but I have never (and still!) don't really know what size, style or color to buy - there are too many options! And they aren't cheap. It'd be a shame to spend so much on one only to discover a few months later that it really wasn't as nice as I'd thought.

Last week I was in Target and they had these door mats on clearance for $3.50! I picked up three of them for our back porch and I just love how cheery they are. We have three doors on our back porch - two leading outside and one leading inside, in case you were trying to figure out why I'd bought three mats!

Having bought these mats they've got me thinking about rugs again... I would really love to venture out of my non-rug-ness look I've got going on and find some fabulous rugs for our home. But then I start thinking maybe I wouldn't like the rug look. I'm having commitment issues.

Do you rug? Do you like it?

30 Days of Littles Day 22

While a schedule and routine is important for structure in a young child's life flexibility is just as important. I am learning that in this time that Paul is away (we're one week down, two more to go!) Paul's never been away from us for quite this long before and the times he has been away he has been able to call us several times throughout the day.
This time he isn't able to call til after 11pm, and then only for a few minutes as he needs to get to bed so he's ready to start the next day.

I think the lack of talking to Paul combined with the fact that Judah's getting older is making him miss Paul a lot more than he has in the past.

A couple of times this week I have let Judah stay up late so he could talk to Paul when he called. While Judah just chattered on and on about motorcycles (his current favorite thing in the world!) it cheered him up to hear Paul's voice.
Judah's also been refusing to eat much of anything, and while it concerns me, I definitely understand. I have a hard time wanting to eat or do anything when Paul is away too! The other evening I took the boys to the grocery store just to pick up special things so Judah would eat - peaches (his current favorite fruit, I think because it's sticky and makes a mess!), cheese strings (he won't eat just cheese, but cheese strings he will - go figure!), drinkable yogurt, pepperoni, pumpernickle bread and animal crackers.

Those foods, in addition to eggs, are all he will currently eat.

So while I earlier said that the boys eat what we eat and they go to bed on schedule each night, being flexible and adapting to meet their emotional needs is very important.

And while it is fairly unique to military families to have the dad go away, every family goes through situations where you need to be flexible for the sake of your child's well being.

Happy Birthday to Me

24 years ago.

A little bit less than 24 years ago.

storm

I love the way branches move violently about when a storm is coming in. I love the sound of the rain pouring down, the form of the storm clouds. And the beautiful smell that comes at the end of a rain storm.
I love how small storms make me feel, and how they leave me in complete awe of how great and awesome our God is.

The heavens declare the glory of God - Ps 19:1 a

30 Days of Littles Day 21

I asked my bloggy friend Kristin if she would like to write a guest post for this series and I am so happy she agreed! Kristin blogs at This is the Life and I have really enjoyed her honesty and real-ness in her posts. And her children are adorable, as you can see in the picture below! Here is Kristin:

When Jessica asked if I wanted to do a guest post for her 30 Days of Littles series I was unsure. I mean, what do I know about parenting? I just muddle through from day to day. And I pray a lot. That’s my main survival strategy for parenting: prayer. Without that I’d be lost.

Alright, let me introduce myself. I’m Kristin. I’ve been happily married to Chris for almost 8 years. I am the mother of two adorable children: Helen, who will be 3 in September, and Patrick, who was born in March. I am very lucky to be able to stay home with my kids…it’s the greatest job ever.

One thing I think is important is that every member of the family contributes to the running of the house in some way. My husband goes to work every day to provide for our financial needs. He is also responsible for most of the outdoor work around our place. I keep the house as clean as possible with two young children (and to help with this I have a pretty strict schedule… every day has a job that needs to be done), I feed everyone and I take care of the grocery shopping and other errands, etc, etc, etc.


So, one day I was preparing dinner with a two year old underfoot (as usual) and I realized that she was old enough to have responsibilities as well. So, Helen has a job chart. She is responsible for making her bed in the morning, setting the table for dinner, putting her clothes in her hamper before her bath and picking up her toys before bed. Helen need incentives and reminders to do her jobs (don’t we all) so we have a chart on the refrigerator that lists her jobs and she gets a special princess sticker when she finishes one.

She gets lots of help doing all of her jobs and my expectations take her abilities into account. When she “makes the bed” she is mostly pulling the sheets up and putting her pillows in place. I help her every time and show her how to do it and how it should look. We do this every morning because I want it to be a habit she keeps as she grows up. When she sets the table I hand her each plate, cup, fork, knife, spoon and we put them on the table together. I show her how a place should be set. Someday she’ll set a perfect table on her own.

In some ways these jobs are more time consuming with her help than if I just did them myself. But Helen lives here and she needs to be a part of life here. Patrick has responsibilities too. He’s three months old and he is responsible for learning to control his head, rolling over and, eventually, walking. That first year is full of some pretty difficult responsibilities! Including everyone in all aspects of family life is an important part of life with littles. The great thing is, little love to help so teaching them to work now is helping develop good habits for later (I hope).

Sticky Fun

They got stickers 2 days ago in the mail from my mum. They had an enormous amount of fun putting them all over their body. I am still finding stickers hidden on them.

Which is to tell you, I haven't bathed them since Tuesday before mail time.

30 Days of Littles Day 20

Last summer we spent a good number of days swimming and one of my main hang ups of going swimming was the cost of swim diapers - they end up costing about $1 a piece, which is insane!

Earlier this year I had Judah in swimming lessons. Lessons were twice a week and we were going through disposable diapers like mad. (I know I said earlier that we don't do scheduled activities- swim lessons are the only thing I have scheduled with Judah and honestly, it was a lot of work! It interrupted Wesley's sleep schedule and made for a hectic morning trying to get there in time. And he still can't swim. Maybe if he was an only child it would have worked well, but it was too much for us and I wouldn't do it again anytime soon. Now we go to the outdoor pool about three times a week for fun as it's a short walk away from us.)

And then I noticed another mom at the pool had her son in reusable waterproof diapers.
I asked her where she'd gotten them from and she said Target had them, so right after that lesson I raced over and got Judah a pack. 2 pairs for $7!

Since then I have bought one other pack, for a total of 4 pairs of water proof training pants for $14. We have been to the pool many times - probably over 30 times since I bought them.
He has had accidents in them twice and the downside to them is you can't tear the sides like you can on regular swim diapers to pull them off, so unless you have something to cut the sides with it is a bit of a mess getting it off.
Maybe some moms would be economical and wash them out, but the ones that have gotten dirty I just toss.

I do wash them after each swim time to get out the chlorine and any urine accidents he may have had, and they do just fine in the washing machine. I have never put them in the dryer as they're plastic and I think they would melt. I let them air dry.

Maybe I am the only person on the planet who didn't know about these as an option for swimming (our pool doesn't allow regular diapers in the pool.) But maybe I'm not, and hopefully this post will help someone find a more economical way to spend your summer with little ones at the pool!

Measuring Tape & Daddy Love

Last night he begged me to "cuddle in daddy's bed."
I'd of slept with the munchkin all night in my bed, 'cept he doesn't sleep when there are people within touching distance. He gave me a 20 minute back rub and a 15 minute head rub - all in an effort to not have to go to sleep. Ahhh, it was nice.

But I didn't want to deal with a sleep deprived 2 year old today, so after 2 hours of cuddling time and no sleep I told him I was going to put him in his bed.

And he sobbed.
He sobbed for his daddy.
I felt so helpless.

And then I got the idea to let him wear Paul's hoodie to bed.
See the little smile starting to form on his face? He was so proud to be wearing his daddy's shirt. And the little smile was because we were taking a picture to send Paul.

He also grabbed Paul's measuring tape to sleep with and fell asleep minutes after I tucked him in his own bed.

Naked Little Toes

Summer brings to mind many things.
Family.
Playing dress up.
Bare feet.
Green.

I took this picture of the boys, along with many like it, a couple weeks ago so that I could submit it to be blown up into a 16x20 inch picture from my blog sponsor, Uprinting.

UPrinting.com is a leading online provider of
business cards, brochure and mailing postcards.

Uprinting recently sent an e-mail out to all their sponsors about a new contest they are holding, just for those they are sponsoring.
Enter a summer picture for a chance to win a cash prize and a 16 x 20 Gallery Wrapped Canvas Print. *Hear my heart go pitter patter.*

Today I received the 16x20 inch poster print from UPrinting and it is beautiful - it is truly stunning and a wonderful work of art. Forget the cash prize, I want to win the Canvas Print! (Not that I'd be throwing away the cash...)
They are not paying me to say this - but I am absolutely thrilled with their service and would recommend them for your picture printing needs.

30 Days of Littles Day 19

Chillin' in our super cool fort.

It is easy for me to do things for my children. To give them kitchen tools to play with. To pull out some blankets and other odds and ends and build them a fort. To hand them empty toilet paper rolls for them to use as trumpets. Those things don't take much effort from me.

What is hard for me is taking the time and sitting down and playing with them in their creative play. That, for me, takes a much greater effort. On the one hand I want my children to explore and play independently. But on the other hand I want them to know that I delight in them, and in delighting in them, I enjoy doing the things they enjoy doing.

Paul's been away for a few days already and the boys are missing him terribly. In an effort to cheer up the boys a bit (and give myself something to do!!) I have really been trying to get down on their level and truly play with them.
Not just hand them the mixing spoon and pot, but sit down and be a part of their band.
Not just build the fort for them (over.and.over.and.over.again), but sit in it and help destroy it (and then build it over.and.over.and.over.again.)

You get the idea. Intentionally playing with my kids.
While no amount of attention from me can take away the fact that Paul isn't here right now it has helped to distract them (specifically Judah) from his absence. The boys both love when I sit and play with them in "their house" (the sheet tent!)

And ya know, it's pretty fun to be down on their level, totally immersed in their world of play. It's pretty funny to be a part of it and not just a spectator of it.

Chai Tea & Memories

Chai Tea is hands down my favorite type of tea ever. It's like a mug full of warm, flavorful sweetness. If I drink one mug I generally drink two or three more - it's just that yummy! I know you can make your own, and I have several recipes I intend to try, but in 4.5 years I have never gotten around to trying to make my own!!

Paul introduced it to me before we were married and the morning he proposed (early in the morning, on the beach *sigh*) he brought along a thermos of chai tea for us to enjoy (it was a chilly November morning!)
Every time I drink this tea it makes me think back to that morning - it's kind of fun having such a sweet reminder of that romantic time!
Here we are just after our engagement:

We were in a costume shop, all dressed up for fun.

Do you have foods that you associate with special times in your life?

Tasty Tuesday

30 Days of Littles Day 18

I have almost no pictures of my boys sleeping because they wake up at the sound of the camera shutter. They're light sleepers for sure!

We don't have family nearby to watch our boys and we very rarely get babysitters, and yet we maintain regular date nights at home by getting our kids to bed early and at the same time each night.

It took us awhile to find our nightly routine, but it's been working well for us for several months now. The boys know what to expect at bedtime - teeth and potty time (though admittedly I forget that part sometimes...), diapers and pajamas, three story books, prayer list, prayer, cuddle time with Judah while Wezzy gets swaddled, put in their beds, lights out and then a song of Judah's choosing.


It is nice knowing that after 8pm every evening it is our time.
I am working on a post for at home date night ideas for a future blog post :)

Red, White & Blue on a Stick

Aren't these adorable?! They are currently at Target in the $1 section.
I can just see them with marshmallows, strawberries and blueberries for the 4th.
Or maybe various colored soft candies in red, blue and white.
I just love them!

Other patriotic ideas are:
(white) bread, (white) cheese, red peppers, raspberries and star fruit... that is all I can think of at the moment!
Any ideas for a patriotic themed skewer?! :)

30 Days of Littles Day 17

After yesterdays post about valuing the important, and different, ways that dads contribute to their kids lives I thought I would share this video of Paul.

Paul does various exercises with Judah each day as a fun bonding time for the two of them (and as a way to burn off some of Judah's energy!!)

Paul made this video for Judah while he's away so that Judah can continue doing some of their exercises. Judah has been walking around the house growling "manly man" for the past two days. It's so funny!

And I kinda think Paul sounds a little mean at the beginning of the video, but he really isn't mean! He was just doing a mean Drill Sgt voice because that's just how my guys do their exercises! Barking orders and "Yes Sirs."

I think they do it to make me giggle.

It's a Wrap

I love old wrapping paper. Something about it makes my heart go pitter-patter. Thrift stores and yard sales are the PERFECT place to pick up vintage looking gift wrap, and usually it's priced at .25 and under!
Here are some of my favorite finds up close: (some may have been gifted to me by my mum, she's good at feeding my love for paper stuff and she shops thrift stores too!)

Today's Thrift Treasures

Edited to add: I do use the paper to wrap gifts for people, but generally only for gifts I won't see the recipient open. I don't want to know that they ripped up and threw out the beautiful paper! :)

30 Days of Littles Day 16

Have you noticed how differently your husband parents than you?
Paul has definitely made my heart race faster with some of his ideas - from how high he tosses the boys in the air to the spicier foods he lets them try to the more daring things he teaches them to the gross critters he lets them touch.

I'll be honest, sometimes I am tempted to say NO! You can't do that to my son.
But then I (usually!) remember - he is Paul's son too. Paul loves him just as much as I do. Paul is just as concerned for their safety, well being and character development as I am.

Paul, in his daring, adventurous, so unlike me style is teaching our boys how to be boys. He is teaching them how to not be squirmy when it comes to bugs and critters. He is teaching them how to use their excessive energy in fun and safe ways. He is building strong bonds with his sons.

I appreciate the time Paul invests in our boys and the things that he is teaching them that I never could.

While this isn't really an activity idea to do with your little one(s), in honor of Father's Day I want to encourage you to encourage the relationship between father and child. It is invaluable.

Rocket Pop Mess

The four of us had a fun day together yesterday. We ran errands together. The boys were treated to some Rocket Pops. (And I am left wondering: why?? Why did anyone create frozen dyed sugar that melts? They must have hated mothers.)
In the evening we did a special dinner in honor of Paul for an early Father's Day celebration since he won't be with us on Sunday. Afterward we went outside and did some firecrackers and sparklers since he won't be with us for the 4th of July either.

It was a nice day spent together.

After the boys were scrubbed down and snoozing away in their beds I grabbed Paul's hand and asked him to come with me. We went and sat in our boys room and listened to their breathing as they slept. We smiled as Wesley tossed and turned a half dozen times while we were in there because he sleeps *just* like me. We smiled even more when we looked closely at Judah and saw him snuggled up tightly on one end of his big bed, clutching tightly in his fist one of his toys.

We sat in their room for several minutes, savoring the quiet. Enjoying the beauty of our sleeping children. Thankful for the treasures God has entrusted to us.

Enjoy your children today! Even more, enjoy them with your husband. But enjoy them without Rocket Pops.

30 Days of Littles Day 15

Another big sanity saver in this house is that the boys eat what we are eating. When they're just starting on foods they either get jarred or mushed vegetables, but once they're table eaters, they eat what we eat.

I grew up with that, as did Paul, and it blows my mind that some moms make TWO meals for each meal time - a kid friendly one and their own. Whew, that exhausts me just thinking about it!

Confession.

Everyone has their secrets.
Mine happens to hide on the bottom shelf in my freezer.

How about you? Do you hide snacks in your house?

30 Days of Littles Day 14

Another big sanity saver is that I don't do scheduled things with the boys. Or at least very rarely.
I don't belong to any mom-groups or toddler play groups. I don't take them to the park unless the fancy strikes. And it doesn't strike very often.

We have a fantastic backyard for them to play and imagine in.

I suppose in a few years telling them to imagine they are swinging on swings and going down swirly slides won't work anymore. But for now it does. And they are so happy playing at their own house. And I am relaxed and un-rushed.

Airplane of Food

Right Now, This Moment

This picture makes me laugh. Wesley can go from bubbly-happy to dissolving in tears in an instant. This boy doesn't just cry. His whole face crumbles when he cries.
The biggest cause for his cries are when I walk out of the room that he is in.
I am his whole world, and I cherish that. (*ahem* even if I do giggle about his dissolving face look!)

It won't be forever that I have this type of an impact on his life.

30 Days of Littles Day 13

Another sanity saver is teaching our boys to do things themselves.


Judah wants new hardwood floors? He can put them in himself.

Just kidding on that :)

But real examples would be when Judah finishes with something (a cup, a toy, a crayon) he generally brings it to me and says "I don't want it."
It would be easy to take it from him and put it away, but I don't.
I ask him what the proper way to say that is, and he says "No thank you." And then I ask him what would I do with the item, and he then runs dishes to the sink or crayons to the table.

We go over situations like this a dozen times a day, and he is slowly but surely learning to clean up the items himself.

The Gender of a Lightbulb

Judah is potty training at his own pace right now, and right along with the potty training he is learning all his body parts, with their correct names. No cutesy names for body parts in this house!
The other night him and Paul had this conversation:

Judah: Judah have p---s?
Paul: Yes, Judah has a p---s.
Judah: Daddy have a p---s?
Paul: Yes, daddy has a p---s.
Judah: Wezzy have a p---s?
Paul: Yes, Wezzy has a p---s.
Judah: Mommy have a p---s?
Paul: No. Mommy is a girl. Mommy does not have a p---s.

Judah paused for a moment.

Judah: Oh. (insert various males he knows, though one by one) have p---s?
Paul: Yes, they have a p---s.

Judah: (insert various girls he knows) have p---s?
Paul: No, they are girls. They do not have a p---s.

Judah: Oh. Lightbulb have p---s?
Paul: No, lights do not have p---s.

Judah: Necklace have p---s?
Paul: No, necklace does not have p---s.

Judah: Closet have p---s?
Paul: The closet only has a p---s in it if Judah is hiding in the closet.

Judah: Oh.


I had tears running down my cheeks I was laughing so hard - Judah was asking these questions in all seriousness and Paul was answering them in equal seriousness. It.was.too.funny!