operation BIG boy

Sam will be 4 in just a few months and I've realized there's a BIG list of things I still do for him.

He needs to:

dress himself...can but won't

wipe his behind...can but won't

thumb sucking...ok speech therapist and dentist

puppy pants(a pillow pet)...the source of many a tantrum

buckle his seatbelt...can but won't

put on his shoes...does but stresses about how they feel

This parenting thing is tough! I know no one said it was easy but the 3's with Sam have be exhausting...don't get me wrong there are lots of joyful months too. Tanner was so hard at 2 but a breeze by 3 so I just thought I had the perfect child since Sam was an easy 2...NOPE!

So over the next few weeks OPERATION BIG BOY will be in mode. Next time you see same he will be dressing, wiping and buckling himself!!

{thankful for}

43. a Saturday with no plans

44. Sunday lunch at my parents

45. the boys teachers

46. a run on my lunch break

47. grace

48. worship time after dinner

49. a date night at Local...yummo

50. modern medicine

Was that sermon written for me???

JOY and COMPLAINING are not COMPATIBLE...ouch...those were the words I heard and they hit me pretty hard.

I can not tell you how often I pray for a joyful heart not just for me but for one of my boys as well.  I pray that God will let me see the good not the bad.  I don't however ask God to stop my 

complaining heart

so 

last Sunday when Dr. Strickland said

joy and complaining are not compatible I was CONVICTED...big time. 

This sermon was for me:)  

How could God possibly answer my prayers for a joyful heart when I do complain so often?

Dr. Strickland called it

"RISE AND WHINE"

hum...yes some days I do just rise and whine...i didn't get to run, the boys are making me crazy, often i find myself feeling like other people have an easier life or i feel sorry for myself and want someone to appreciate me...i know PITY PARTY.

Philippians 2:14 says 

"Do everything without grumbling or complaining". Another translation says "do everything readily and cheerfully".  I do grumble and I do complain so this week my prayer has changed not just God give me a JOYFUL heart but cease my awful complaining.  

"ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE"

Another point made was to 

"See God at work in all things"...not sure that I really do that

so I am praying to learn how to better...

"fix our(my) attention , not on the things that are seen, but on the things that are unseen. What is seen lasts only for a time, but what cannot be seen last forever." 2 Corinthians 4:17b-18

I clearly need to change HOW I look at things because this is how my attitude is determined.

So from this I take: (all Dr. Stricklands' words)

I CANT CONTROL THE CIRCUMSTANCES BUT I CAN CONTROL MY ATTITUDE.

CHALLENGE:

FIND THE GOOD IN THE HERE AND NOW!

a missing car?????

Sooooo....

my car was stolen

from the driveway

while we slept

and

in the midst of writing down the contents of my car

i realized

i secretly HOARD in my car

maybe its bc I'm obsessed with a clean house

tell me you car is not empty???

i run(drive) all day

stuff just accumulates

east memphis to germantown to midtown

taekwondo baseball church play dates bible study lessons school

i am in the car alot

no they haven't found it but in the grand scheme of things its just a car

it can be replaced

we are safe

the boys are safe

so for now I am driving "the Beast"...thats what I call the Tahoe...its so stinkin wide

no Poplar for me in the wide load "Beast"

so

a SEA DOG was necessary last night

i rarely drink but it was a beer kind of night

actually

a 2 beer night

the boys have had excessive energy so we found a good tree to take it out on

we filled a few big yard divots...and chris and i got a bonus 45minutes of interrupted talk while they retrieved the sand/dirt and filled the holes

i may dig a few more yard holes for them to fill

made some grocery trips via bike and trailer

suprisingly Sam had NO tantrums for Chris at Kroger...ahh he bought him cheetos first...bribery

found some snakes...note to self "you are a city girl"...I do not prefer snakes

and had some MELON for dessert...yummo

MAMARAZZI

GOOD GOLLY MAMARAZZI

This past Saturday, I took my first photography class. Totally worth it...Molly is an excellent teacher considering teaching was her first career though her degree has always been in photography.  Needless to say talent flows through her blood. The class was held at the Botanical Gardens and despite the rain, I left finally off of AUTO...still confused not  really!  I now just need LOTS of practice and some children who don't run when they see the camera:)



Look at our goodies and coupons...I just ordered my new camera strap..$5 off woo-hoo!

Here is the group from the class...I can not wait for the next one.

31 DAYS TO A BETTER PHOTO

In true teacher fashion we were given homework. 

Day 1...something that makes you smile

Day 2...shadows

Day 3...attitude

birth-DAY turned birth -WEEKEND

Soooo this weekend I turned the big 3-2!

I can not believe I am old enough to be steadily climbing in the 30's!
Chris and I celebrated my birthday a night early with the boys because he was working Saturday (he ended up only working an hour or so:). We went and got sushi around the corner...we love it because it's fast and LOUD! Sam ate his first piece of sushi...welcome to the "sushi eating club."

Saturday morning, I was pleasantly surprised by a cup of coffee from my favorite coffee shop...Poplar and Perkins. In my book that was PERFECT way to start my actual birth-DAY.  I headed out for a "long run" on the trails...it took a little pep talk to get out the door...it was freezing on Saturday morning!

A great trail run is measured by the mud on your shoes! I really love when the trails are muddy...love going the day after it rains:)

My new birthday running shirt from the boys is pictured below...it's so me. I wonder what the "hardcore trail runners" think about me when I run in ruffle skirts or hot pink ruffle shirts with my turquoise and yellow trail  shoes?? I typically don't do all at once but you see what I mean??  I have a slight obsession with Lululemon...it is making buying gifts for me easy right now...because it's my favorite! I'm obsessed with  the Run: Inspire Crops...they have secret pockets for all of your "running junk!"

from birth-DAY to birth-WEEKEND

I expected my birthday day to be over but Chris ended up being home most of Saturday so we spent the day as a family, they even shopped with me. Chris' parents stopped by on Saturday to bring me my birthday gift and offered to keep the boys overnight Sunday...WOO-HOO!!

Some sweet friends called us to come over for dinner Saturday night so I called my parents last minute to babysit and as always they said yes...see the DAY extending into the WEEKEND!!!

We started a new class on MARRIAGE in Sunday school. It is so nice to be able to laugh together at the joys and trials of our marriage.

We ended my birth-WEEKEND with dessert at Sweet Grass...my favorite restaurant in ALL of Memphis.

Whew...I am one lucky girl to have such sweet friends, great family, adorable boys and a thoughtful husband...THANKS FOR MAKING A GIRL FEEL SO SPECIAL!!

BONUS...bc the boys are staying spending the night with Nana and Pops tonight...I will get a very early trail run in tommorow with my new Garmin.  Can't wait...the new one will beep at me when I am going too slow.  Somebody has got to hold me accountable...thank goodness for a Garmin:)  It is a runner's best friend!

cooPERaTION

My SWEET children have been at each other's throats lately...well at least last week!  Of course, to me a week of bickering has felt like an eternity.  Much to my surprise, Saturday morning they decided to rekindle their friendship!!!  Tanner is just like me...very particular about how things are done.  He picks up an area before he plays, organizes his toys for 30 min just to crash them...you get the picture!  This of course is a stark contrast to Sam...he loves to make a big mess!  Playing to him is throwing the blocks, crashing the cars and dumping the buckets (probably just organized by T)!  They put their differences away and just played...PURE JOY for this mama!

Notice the coffee mug and magazines in the background...ahhh! This mama was able to take a breathe of fresh air...from the bickering at least!

 

Sam style...

and Tanner style...notice a difference?

Loving this moment...

Is this not precious? My sweet boys love each other so much they are willing to squeeze into a twin bed to sleep together. I am so glad I captured this sweet moment because my attitude at the time was not so sweet...

The boys started sharing a room a few months ago. It has been lots of fun for everyone AT FIRST! When we first put them together it was so sweet...they would talk and laugh but everyone stayed put...of course Sam was still in his crib. Sam transitioned out of his crib before Christmas(i think) and that is when the trouble started!!!! Both boys started getting out of there beds...WHAT...I found myself saying things like "I am off mommy duty and I am spending time with daddy". After a long road of trial and error and pure irritation...we started to use the SUPERNANNY method...and my word it worked! WE CAN DO THIS...Walk them back to the room, no words or eye contact (hard for me not to give kisses and Chris likes to tell them not to get out again) and put them back in bed. Tanner spent the first few days grumping..."my mommy is ignoring me..humpf" and Sam thought it was a game he said "weeee" when we put him in bed (so hard not to laugh) ! Our lives are now back to normal...well our version of NORMAL!

My mom bought them booklights so now the bedtime routine looks like this:

baths

games with mom and dad or a walk on the greenline...kiddos choice

potty and brush teeth and choose books for book baskets

mom and dad read books, Bible story and say prayers...anything needed must be gotten by this time...water, blankies, stuffed friends, etc.

booklights on and books can only be choosen from the basket...Tanner LOVES books and he was getting out of bed to look for certain books

I'm Gonna Miss This

I was standing on the front porch yesterday morning...in my p.j.'s...still...watching the dog potty(i know)...while the boys ran wild in the front yard half dressed...desperately trying to get out the door to go on a walk...nothing complicated...no shower necessary...just a stroll

then

the neighbor walked by...we talked a minute and she said...

"I MISS THOSE DAYS!"

(both her kids are in school all day)...

huh...
I walked in and started CRYING...

and it made me think how lucky I am to be home with the boys...

we may not have tons of STUFF

but

this is better than stuff...

LOVE THIS SONG... totally makes me BOO-HOO!

BOY TIME=MAMA TIME

Tanner and Sam are REALLY PLAYING with each other.

Ok there's lots of bossing by Tanner and some "I'm not getting my way" screaming by Sam

BUT I AM TOTALLY WILLING TO TOLERATE THAT. I love watching Tanner help Sam with things he can't do and I love watching Sam "grunt" at Tanner and rub his belly to sign "please" for Help! Play-doh is a big hit with both boys!

Wrestling...another big hit...they are in the same weight group...if you're wondering!

A little computer time.

Sam is in the "It's funny to disobey stage"

and

Tanner is in the "Oh I forgot the rule because Sam was doing it stage"

thus the party on the table.

Snapping beans...they love shucking corn too!

This goes out to the new moms and dads...

***you'll have to go turn my music down first...sorry

My stomach is killing me from laughing so hard...I almost wet my britches...and I emptied the kleenex wiping all of the laughing tears from my eyes while I was watching this!! ENJOY!!

Whatever it takes!

To Do List:
Cook dinner for a friend.
Go to Target.
Finish the laundry.
Pack for Gatlinburg.
Clean out my car.
Give the dog a bath.
Give the boys a bath.
Finish paperwork for work.
Make muffins for the trip.
Put bills in the mail.
TRY to pick up the house before we leave.
Try to remember what I'm not thinking of????


...NOW YOU CAN SEE WHY I LET SAM TEAR AND EAT PAPER FOR AN HOUR!!!

 
 
 
 

HIppie Mom

NO I'M NOT DOING CLOTH DIAPERS...

I just wanted everyone to see my HIPPIE wrap (MOBY wrap). Both of my boys LOVE this crazy wrap. I LOOK LIKE I'M ON MY WAY TO MUSIC FEST (what you can't see is I haven't showered...it really adds to the wrap look)...actually we are just getting ready to run errands...and yes the wrap is coming with us...and yes I do wear it out in public!