Slade and his mom and my mom often tell stories to the boys.
Slade used to tell Russ and Randall about the penny robot. He's told stories about the rubber band boy. We even sing a song about the rubber band boy; we've been singing it for years. There are stories about Speck (my niece and nephew still enjoy a good Speck story when they spend the night), stories about the rainbow fish and, Judson's newest contribution, Buggy.
The grandmas sometimes tells stories from their childhoods and Slade's mom will make up stories like Slade.
All of our boys have loved to sit and listen to story after story. I don't know how Slade does it. I have tried and I am just not able to think of good stories. Maybe because I think the stories need a good moral or to teach an important truth. It's the mom in me.
This morning, sitting at the table for breakfast, I was singing a Sunday School type song. I can't even remember which one. I sang while I cleared the table, waiting for Judson (the world's slowest eater) to finish his strawberries. When I finished, Judson said, "Tell me about Jesus."
So, I started by clarifying that a story about Jesus was real and not made up, like stories about Buggy or Speck. I told him that a story about Jesus could be read in the Bible and that everything in the Bible is true.
Then I told him about how Jesus fed 5,000 people with a little boy's lunch. When I finished, he said, "Tell me about Jesus again!" So, I told him about a man whose legs didn't work, but when Jesus' friends, his disciples, spoke to him, they gave him a better gift than gold or silver, because God used them to make the man's legs all better.
I teared up as I told him stories about Jesus. It isn't the first time I've told him about Jesus or shared stories from the Bible, but it's the first time he's requested them. And he listened so intently. I told him that God made the man's legs all better and the man was so excited and was jumping around, praising God and telling Him thank you and Judson threw both his hands up and cheered. It makes me cry just typing it.
I am so thankful to be blessed with three sweet and wonderful boys. I often feel inadequate to the task, but this Mother's Day, I was reminded that God has equipped me and is guiding me. And that He has been so good to give me such a wonderful man to help raise these boys. I am going to record Slade and Nanny and Grammy telling their fun and creative stories so we can enjoy them for years and years. And I'm so thankful that the stories of Jesus have been recorded for us, too.
Showing posts with label kids say the darndest things. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kids say the darndest things. Show all posts
Monday, May 13, 2013
Tuesday, March 19, 2013
Fitting!
Slade came home the other day and Judson was outside with a sippy cup of water. He would take a big drink and then lean over and spit it on the ground.
Slade: What are you doing, Judson?
Judson: I'm 'fitting.
Slade: You're spitting?
Judson: Yes. I was fitting inside but Mommy got mad and told me to fit outside.
Ha! That kid says the funniest things. I didn't actually get mad, but I told him to clean up his mess and go outside if he wanted to spit. He did. And he would just come in for a refill when he 'fit it all out and needed more water.
He will also play for a long time with a spray bottle of water. On Saturday, after we finished yard work, Slade turned the sprinklers on and Judson had a blast with a spray bottle, his rain boots and the sprinkler's spray.
Slade: What are you doing, Judson?
Judson: I'm 'fitting.
Slade: You're spitting?
Judson: Yes. I was fitting inside but Mommy got mad and told me to fit outside.
Ha! That kid says the funniest things. I didn't actually get mad, but I told him to clean up his mess and go outside if he wanted to spit. He did. And he would just come in for a refill when he 'fit it all out and needed more water.
He will also play for a long time with a spray bottle of water. On Saturday, after we finished yard work, Slade turned the sprinklers on and Judson had a blast with a spray bottle, his rain boots and the sprinkler's spray.
Monday, January 28, 2013
Two Monkeys
Back when Judson was born, Slade took the boys to the toy store on the way to the hospital (the second day) to pick out a stuffed animal to give to Judson. Randall chose a hedgehog and Russ chose a monkey.
Randall's hedgehog "shed" and little bits of "fur" would end up all over the crib, so the hedgehog ended up on a shelf. Over time, however, it became very clear that Judson was getting very attached to the monkey. By 18 months, that monkey (named Monkey because we're very creative around here) was a constant companion and went everywhere with Judson.
I began to have visions of losing Monkey and the distress that would follow and decided to buy a second monkey just in case. I was unable to find one locally so I checked eBay and found him! I was so excited to order him and felt such peace of mind, knowing we wouldn't know the meltdown and sleepless nights that come with losing a lovey.
But, when the new monkey came in the mail, my heart dropped and I had to laugh. Apparently, Monkey had been loved so much that he no longer looked like he had when he was first purchased. He was flat, his fur was matted and his sweet pink cheeks were not pink at all.
Here's Judson with it fresh out of the package. He's tickled that they both have tails (Monkey's tail is his favorite thing--he wraps it around the fingers not in his mouth while he sucks the two middle ones). *grin*
Laughing with the two monkeys on the couch.
I think Chubby Monkey might work in an emergency, but I pray we never have to find out whether he does or not!
Randall's hedgehog "shed" and little bits of "fur" would end up all over the crib, so the hedgehog ended up on a shelf. Over time, however, it became very clear that Judson was getting very attached to the monkey. By 18 months, that monkey (named Monkey because we're very creative around here) was a constant companion and went everywhere with Judson.
I began to have visions of losing Monkey and the distress that would follow and decided to buy a second monkey just in case. I was unable to find one locally so I checked eBay and found him! I was so excited to order him and felt such peace of mind, knowing we wouldn't know the meltdown and sleepless nights that come with losing a lovey.
But, when the new monkey came in the mail, my heart dropped and I had to laugh. Apparently, Monkey had been loved so much that he no longer looked like he had when he was first purchased. He was flat, his fur was matted and his sweet pink cheeks were not pink at all.
Here's Judson with it fresh out of the package. He's tickled that they both have tails (Monkey's tail is his favorite thing--he wraps it around the fingers not in his mouth while he sucks the two middle ones). *grin*
Laughing with the two monkeys on the couch.
When I first gave him to Judson, he grinned and held him and said, "He's so chubby!" So, now we have Monkey and Chubby Monkey. Chubby Monkey is great for sitting at the end of the bed and sometimes he makes a good pillow if Judson lies on the floor, but he will never work as a substitute for Monkey. *grin* He is cute, tho!
Here's Judson telling me he has "two monkeys!" Chubby Monkey is sitting pretty on the left and Monkey is slumped over on the right.
I think Chubby Monkey might work in an emergency, but I pray we never have to find out whether he does or not!
Friday, August 03, 2012
Squirt Bottle from Nanny
Slade's mom often brings a little treat for the boys when she comes to visit. When she came for Randall's birthday party, she brought Judson a squirt bottle. He loved it!
He had a blast with it and was soaked by the time we took it away.
It takes so little to amuse him...
Tuesday, June 07, 2011
First Swim of the Summer
Russell and Randall have been swimming twice this summer, but yesterday was Judson's and my first time to actually get in the water.
My three sweet boys.
Matching trunks! I bought swim trunks last year and crossed my fingers that everyone would be the right size to fit their shorts. And they were!!
I wasn't sure if Russell would like matching his brothers, but he's been more tickled about it than Randall. He put on a different pair and then when I came out with Judson dressed in his, he said, "Oh, they're wearing that pair?! I'll be right back!"
I didn't get any pictures of the kids in the water because I'm not talented enough to hold a baby and a camera without one of the two getting dropped in the water.
Randall has become crazy-brave this year. It's like he has totally lost his fear or timidity in the water. It began last year, but he's taken off this year. He now scares me a little. He said, "I lost my breath a few times when I got out too deep and wasn't sure if I could get back to the edge." What?! Yikes! I have to remember to watch him a little closer...
Russ is a fish. He's amazing. Totally comfortable in the water. He's also already turning brown from the sun, even with the SPF 50 sunscreen lotion.
Judson was not a fan of the water at first. He would gasp as we got in and got wetter and wetter. He was very serious pretty much the whole time we were there. My sweet friend, Luciana, tried to hold him a few times and within seconds, he would stick that bottom lip out and start crying. He smiled a few times and even laughed once or twice, but he didn't want to splash or anything. He was very serious. After about an hour in the water, he fell asleep! Neither Russ nor Rand have ever fallen asleep in the water like that! But, when he woke up, he was a different kid. He was grinning and moving around and smiling! It was crazy!
I wrapped Judson in my towel and laid him on a chair while I gathered up swim toys and towels and such.
He was happy as could be and hardly moved the whole time.
Russ put his towel over his head and Judson looked so cute.
And, my very favorite:
All in all, a great swimming time! We definitely have to go back soon!
My three sweet boys.
Matching trunks! I bought swim trunks last year and crossed my fingers that everyone would be the right size to fit their shorts. And they were!!
I wasn't sure if Russell would like matching his brothers, but he's been more tickled about it than Randall. He put on a different pair and then when I came out with Judson dressed in his, he said, "Oh, they're wearing that pair?! I'll be right back!"
I didn't get any pictures of the kids in the water because I'm not talented enough to hold a baby and a camera without one of the two getting dropped in the water.
Randall has become crazy-brave this year. It's like he has totally lost his fear or timidity in the water. It began last year, but he's taken off this year. He now scares me a little. He said, "I lost my breath a few times when I got out too deep and wasn't sure if I could get back to the edge." What?! Yikes! I have to remember to watch him a little closer...
Russ is a fish. He's amazing. Totally comfortable in the water. He's also already turning brown from the sun, even with the SPF 50 sunscreen lotion.
Judson was not a fan of the water at first. He would gasp as we got in and got wetter and wetter. He was very serious pretty much the whole time we were there. My sweet friend, Luciana, tried to hold him a few times and within seconds, he would stick that bottom lip out and start crying. He smiled a few times and even laughed once or twice, but he didn't want to splash or anything. He was very serious. After about an hour in the water, he fell asleep! Neither Russ nor Rand have ever fallen asleep in the water like that! But, when he woke up, he was a different kid. He was grinning and moving around and smiling! It was crazy!
I wrapped Judson in my towel and laid him on a chair while I gathered up swim toys and towels and such.
He was happy as could be and hardly moved the whole time.
Russ put his towel over his head and Judson looked so cute.
And, my very favorite:
All in all, a great swimming time! We definitely have to go back soon!
Thursday, March 03, 2011
It's a bird!... It's a plane!...
It's a cat?!
Judson has found his voice! He loves to squeal and holler! He makes some of the weirdest noises and loves it when we make them back at him.
Last night, everyone was ready for bed and I was sitting on the floor in the boys' room, holding Judson. Russ was leaned over, talking to Judson in a baby voice (like saying "cwy" for "cry" and such). I was trying to tell him not to talk like a baby, but instead I said, "Don't talk to him like he's a baby."
We all started laughing because that wasn't what I meant to say and then Judson made this weird, meow-like sound. So, I said, "Because clearly he's a cat!" and Russell and Randall got the giggles like crazy! We all laughed so hard!
Maybe you had to be there?
Never a dull moment!
Judson has found his voice! He loves to squeal and holler! He makes some of the weirdest noises and loves it when we make them back at him.
Last night, everyone was ready for bed and I was sitting on the floor in the boys' room, holding Judson. Russ was leaned over, talking to Judson in a baby voice (like saying "cwy" for "cry" and such). I was trying to tell him not to talk like a baby, but instead I said, "Don't talk to him like he's a baby."
We all started laughing because that wasn't what I meant to say and then Judson made this weird, meow-like sound. So, I said, "Because clearly he's a cat!" and Russell and Randall got the giggles like crazy! We all laughed so hard!
Maybe you had to be there?
Never a dull moment!
Thursday, February 03, 2011
Randall's new game
A few weeks ago, Randall was home with what we think was the flu. By the end of it, he felt just fine, but couldn't shake his fever, so he couldn't go to school. He missed an entire week when he only felt yucky for about 2 days.
But, I enjoyed having him around and he was lots of fun to play with. One day, he invented a game for us to play.
You start with a lincoln log house and ladder. One player is Luigi and one is a tiger. You need a dice, too.
Player 1 rolls his dice and, starting at the bottom of the ladder, climbs up the number of spaces he rolled. Player 2 goes next. Play continues up ladder and around the top of the roof (with each corner counting as one space). If, at any time, you land exactly at the top of the ladder, the Boo from Mario would swoop in and knock you off the roof and you had to start over.
To win the game, you have to roll the exact number of spaces to end on the ground. If you have 3 spaces to get to the ground and you roll a 4, you go back 4 instead of forward 3 of the 4.
We played and played that game. It was a blast! Then when Russ got home from school, we taught it to him and played it some more. Slade played when he got home from work, too.
Randall thought through the rules all by himself and I was so impressed with how thorough he was. He says he wants to own his own ice cream shop when he grows up, but if that falls through, I see potential for other avenues. *grin*
But, I enjoyed having him around and he was lots of fun to play with. One day, he invented a game for us to play.
You start with a lincoln log house and ladder. One player is Luigi and one is a tiger. You need a dice, too.
Player 1 rolls his dice and, starting at the bottom of the ladder, climbs up the number of spaces he rolled. Player 2 goes next. Play continues up ladder and around the top of the roof (with each corner counting as one space). If, at any time, you land exactly at the top of the ladder, the Boo from Mario would swoop in and knock you off the roof and you had to start over.
To win the game, you have to roll the exact number of spaces to end on the ground. If you have 3 spaces to get to the ground and you roll a 4, you go back 4 instead of forward 3 of the 4.
We played and played that game. It was a blast! Then when Russ got home from school, we taught it to him and played it some more. Slade played when he got home from work, too.
Randall thought through the rules all by himself and I was so impressed with how thorough he was. He says he wants to own his own ice cream shop when he grows up, but if that falls through, I see potential for other avenues. *grin*
Friday, November 05, 2010
38 weeks
I'm posting this a little late (big surprise, I know) because I can't seem to take a picture, upload it to the computer and blog it in any reasonable amount of time. Luckily, I'm posting this, my 38-week picture, before Judson's arrival, so that should count for something.
It was a wet, yucky day, so I decided not to bother fixing my hair and whenever I don't fix my hair, I lose motivation to put my contacts in or put on makeup. So, what you see is what you get.
I am feeling very good! I still have heartburn and my ankles are still swelling. But, I have energy and I'm not waddling too badly yet. This has been a very good pregnancy and I'm so thankful for that.
I'm not dialated. I'm not effaced. Judson is very comfortable hanging out where it's nice and warm. From today, I have 11 days until my due date! But, having an induction date makes it easier to really have an official date and that's only 13 days away!
Russell and Randall are counting down and are very excited. They love seeing the little clothes and playing with the few little baby toys we've accumulated. Randall was talking the other day about wanting to get a Christmas present for Judson and has been practicing how he will hold Judson when he gets here.
Slade and I find ourselves remembering more and more about when Russell and Randall were babies as we get closer to having another little one in the house. It's neat the things we had forgotten that we've remembered. Everything is going to change again and some days I feel ready and excited and other days I wonder if we'll survive...
We're slowly accumulating all the necessary baby stuff that we got rid of a few years ago. It's so fun to fold little tiny clothes and unpack little tiny diapers.
Nursery pictures coming soon!
It was a wet, yucky day, so I decided not to bother fixing my hair and whenever I don't fix my hair, I lose motivation to put my contacts in or put on makeup. So, what you see is what you get.
I am feeling very good! I still have heartburn and my ankles are still swelling. But, I have energy and I'm not waddling too badly yet. This has been a very good pregnancy and I'm so thankful for that.
I'm not dialated. I'm not effaced. Judson is very comfortable hanging out where it's nice and warm. From today, I have 11 days until my due date! But, having an induction date makes it easier to really have an official date and that's only 13 days away!
Russell and Randall are counting down and are very excited. They love seeing the little clothes and playing with the few little baby toys we've accumulated. Randall was talking the other day about wanting to get a Christmas present for Judson and has been practicing how he will hold Judson when he gets here.
Slade and I find ourselves remembering more and more about when Russell and Randall were babies as we get closer to having another little one in the house. It's neat the things we had forgotten that we've remembered. Everything is going to change again and some days I feel ready and excited and other days I wonder if we'll survive...
We're slowly accumulating all the necessary baby stuff that we got rid of a few years ago. It's so fun to fold little tiny clothes and unpack little tiny diapers.
Nursery pictures coming soon!
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Mr. Smarty Pants and Mr. Slowpoke
This morning, Randall was getting ready to brush his teeth and realized Russ was already finished getting ready for the day. Russ said he would probably be first to play the Wii (Randall, being a dilly-dallier is usually last to play) and Randall said, under his breath, "Mr. Smarty Pants."
I laughed and said, "Is he Mr. Smarty Pants because he was saying he knew he would be faster than you at getting ready?" and Rand nodded.
I said, "If he's Mr. Smarty Pants, are you Mr. Slowpoke?" He grinned and nodded.
I leaned over and gave him a big hug and said that I still loved him even if he was a slowpoke (which he IS) and, without skipping a beat, he said, "If you love me, will you get the red stool for me so I can brush my teeth?"
Silly boy. He's so random and unpredictable.
I laughed and said, "Is he Mr. Smarty Pants because he was saying he knew he would be faster than you at getting ready?" and Rand nodded.
I said, "If he's Mr. Smarty Pants, are you Mr. Slowpoke?" He grinned and nodded.
I leaned over and gave him a big hug and said that I still loved him even if he was a slowpoke (which he IS) and, without skipping a beat, he said, "If you love me, will you get the red stool for me so I can brush my teeth?"
Silly boy. He's so random and unpredictable.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Lookin' Good!
The other day, Randall came out of his room wearing a camo shirt and carrying some green plaid shorts. He asked if they matched and I told him that even though they were both green, they just didn't go together. I made a few suggestions of other options and he headed back to his room.
He came skipping out a few minutes later in the same camo shirt and now wearing the non-matching plaid shorts. He grinned a big grin and said, "Mom, you were wrong. I look great in these!"
He was right. *grin* He still didn't match, but he did look great!
He came skipping out a few minutes later in the same camo shirt and now wearing the non-matching plaid shorts. He grinned a big grin and said, "Mom, you were wrong. I look great in these!"
He was right. *grin* He still didn't match, but he did look great!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Boy Moms Rock
Well, it's hard to follow as exciting a post as the previous one about getting a shed, but we have more news to share.
Yesterday, I hit the halfway mark in my pregnancy. Here I am at 20 weeks along.
And then today was our sonogram! My mom, Slade's mom, Slade and Russ and Rand got to come in with me. Our sonogram tech was wonderful! She was very sweet and seemed genuinely interested in the baby and our lives and oohed and aahed with us over the precious images on the screen.
I am grinning as I type this because I still can't believe it, but we're having another BOY! I had a gut feeling that we were having a girl and although I think little girls are sure super sweet, I have been thinking the last week or so that I would love another boy. So, I was pleasantly surprised when, first thing, the tech said, "Let's find out what you're having before we take measurements... Look at that--it's a boy!"
Russell had wanted a boy and Randall, a girl. I made sure to chat with them beforehand and remind them that God knows exactly who to put with our family and that I hoped neither would be too disappointed if they didn't get the little brother or sister that they were hoping for. But, Randall was so sweet. He said, "Yay, I get another brother!" and truly sounded excited.
It was so fun to watch the baby on the screen. He was very active and wiggly. At one point, he kicked while she was moving the camera around and she felt it, too.
We got to watch him yawn! So, so sweet!
He had the umbilical cord in his hands and pulled it up near his face at one point and we couldn't see his face so she kept going to do other things and then would come back to see if he had put it down yet. It took a while, but he put it down so we could see his face.
But, he kept his hands near his face for a lot of the sonogram. Here he is playing peek-a-boo in 4D.
And, finally, he decided he was done posing for the camera. He was calling it a day.
I don't remember if Russell came with us when we had the sonogram for Randall (I am pretty sure he didn't), but it was so neat for me to have the boys in with us.
Russell was so excited and has been thinking about it for the last few days. Yesterday he said, "I can't wait until tomorrow!" I teased him and asked, "Really? Why?" and he looked at me, with his eyes wide, and said, "You know!"
One day, recently, he said that when he was 16, the baby would be 8 and he could drive the baby to school. He said, "We can even go get ice cream together after school. I can drive Randall, too, and we can all go do things." I'm telling you, God knew that this baby was exactly what our family needed. There's a softening in Russell and an excitement about this little one that blesses my heart.
Randall is just as sweet. He loves getting to come and touch my tummy. He doesn't always feel the baby move, but he smiles and talks about the baby and to the baby. He's always asking questions about what the baby will do when he's born and what he'll be like.
We were going through their toys recently to make room for their birthday gifts and we came across a toy that I said we didn't need because it was really too little for them and Randall said, "We have to save it for our baby! The baby will love it... one day!" So, we started a bin of toys to save for the baby... for one day.
We've been talking about names and tossing them around, so now it's time to get down to serious business. Someone asked if we keep the name a secret and I just laughed and said that I just can't keep a secret like that!
I'm excited about more boy toys and that I get to stay a member of the Boy Mom Club. God has been so good to us and we are so, so blessed.
Yesterday, I hit the halfway mark in my pregnancy. Here I am at 20 weeks along.
And then today was our sonogram! My mom, Slade's mom, Slade and Russ and Rand got to come in with me. Our sonogram tech was wonderful! She was very sweet and seemed genuinely interested in the baby and our lives and oohed and aahed with us over the precious images on the screen.
I am grinning as I type this because I still can't believe it, but we're having another BOY! I had a gut feeling that we were having a girl and although I think little girls are sure super sweet, I have been thinking the last week or so that I would love another boy. So, I was pleasantly surprised when, first thing, the tech said, "Let's find out what you're having before we take measurements... Look at that--it's a boy!"
Russell had wanted a boy and Randall, a girl. I made sure to chat with them beforehand and remind them that God knows exactly who to put with our family and that I hoped neither would be too disappointed if they didn't get the little brother or sister that they were hoping for. But, Randall was so sweet. He said, "Yay, I get another brother!" and truly sounded excited.
It was so fun to watch the baby on the screen. He was very active and wiggly. At one point, he kicked while she was moving the camera around and she felt it, too.
We got to watch him yawn! So, so sweet!
He had the umbilical cord in his hands and pulled it up near his face at one point and we couldn't see his face so she kept going to do other things and then would come back to see if he had put it down yet. It took a while, but he put it down so we could see his face.
But, he kept his hands near his face for a lot of the sonogram. Here he is playing peek-a-boo in 4D.
And, finally, he decided he was done posing for the camera. He was calling it a day.
I don't remember if Russell came with us when we had the sonogram for Randall (I am pretty sure he didn't), but it was so neat for me to have the boys in with us.
Russell was so excited and has been thinking about it for the last few days. Yesterday he said, "I can't wait until tomorrow!" I teased him and asked, "Really? Why?" and he looked at me, with his eyes wide, and said, "You know!"
One day, recently, he said that when he was 16, the baby would be 8 and he could drive the baby to school. He said, "We can even go get ice cream together after school. I can drive Randall, too, and we can all go do things." I'm telling you, God knew that this baby was exactly what our family needed. There's a softening in Russell and an excitement about this little one that blesses my heart.
Randall is just as sweet. He loves getting to come and touch my tummy. He doesn't always feel the baby move, but he smiles and talks about the baby and to the baby. He's always asking questions about what the baby will do when he's born and what he'll be like.
We were going through their toys recently to make room for their birthday gifts and we came across a toy that I said we didn't need because it was really too little for them and Randall said, "We have to save it for our baby! The baby will love it... one day!" So, we started a bin of toys to save for the baby... for one day.
We've been talking about names and tossing them around, so now it's time to get down to serious business. Someone asked if we keep the name a secret and I just laughed and said that I just can't keep a secret like that!
I'm excited about more boy toys and that I get to stay a member of the Boy Mom Club. God has been so good to us and we are so, so blessed.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
PJ's, Popcorn and Pistachio
Our church had a Family Movie Night and showed the newest Veggie Tales' movie, Pistachio. Everyone was invited to come in PJ's to enjoy popcorn and the movie.
The boys were very excited about wearing their jammies and changed into them hours before we left. I missed a picture of Russ because he went to play outside while he waited for everyone to get ready.
But this is Rand all ready to go.
My nephew passed his boots on to Randall and he was very excited to get to wear them. I had to laugh because it was so cute.
Tough cowboy!
The boots were actually given to us because Rand has Western Week at school this week. More on that coming soon!
The boys were very excited about wearing their jammies and changed into them hours before we left. I missed a picture of Russ because he went to play outside while he waited for everyone to get ready.
But this is Rand all ready to go.
My nephew passed his boots on to Randall and he was very excited to get to wear them. I had to laugh because it was so cute.
Tough cowboy!
The boots were actually given to us because Rand has Western Week at school this week. More on that coming soon!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Mom-with-an-M
That's what Russ has been calling me lately. Just at random times. Randall has begun to say it, too. And, he calls everything Whatever-with-a-letter. He'll say, "I need my fork-with-an-f". Silly guys.
I haven't blogged in a while, so I'm going to catch up on the main happenings as of late.
Slade found out last Wednesday that he needed to leave for Egypt the next day. Someone was needed at a meeting with some customers and Slade ended up being available to go. Pretty neat!
Unfortunately, he was also supposed to preach at our church the following Sunday and he knew he wouldn't be home in time. Bummer. It's not often that he gets to preach, so I wish the timing could've been different, but that's okay.
So, Thursday, the boys and I drove Slade to the Shreveport airport around 10:30. I figured that since we were already in Shreveport, we ought to go ahead and enjoy Sci-Port and an IMAX movie. Pictures coming later.
Slade ended up being in Egypt (pictures coming later for that, too) for just under a week (a week when you count in travel time). He asked permission to take an extra day for sight-seeing and really enjoyed seeing and taking pictures of sights you usually only read about. He even got to ride a camel. Watch out, they spit.
The boys did great with Slade gone and we talked to him as often as we were able to with the time difference (Egypt is 8 hours ahead) and the time Slade spent on the rig with no cell phone coverage.
All in all, I'm very glad he had the opportunity to go, thankful that he had a successful and safe trip and, yet, ecstatic that he's back home!
When we first saw Slade at the airport and were hugging and all grinning like we hadn't seen each other in a week, Randall reached out and touched Slade on the back and said, "Yeah, I can still feel that you're sandy." He knew that Egypt was part desert and he figured Slade, being in the desert, would have brought some of the sand home. We had a good laugh about that.
I haven't blogged in a while, so I'm going to catch up on the main happenings as of late.
Slade found out last Wednesday that he needed to leave for Egypt the next day. Someone was needed at a meeting with some customers and Slade ended up being available to go. Pretty neat!
Unfortunately, he was also supposed to preach at our church the following Sunday and he knew he wouldn't be home in time. Bummer. It's not often that he gets to preach, so I wish the timing could've been different, but that's okay.
So, Thursday, the boys and I drove Slade to the Shreveport airport around 10:30. I figured that since we were already in Shreveport, we ought to go ahead and enjoy Sci-Port and an IMAX movie. Pictures coming later.
Slade ended up being in Egypt (pictures coming later for that, too) for just under a week (a week when you count in travel time). He asked permission to take an extra day for sight-seeing and really enjoyed seeing and taking pictures of sights you usually only read about. He even got to ride a camel. Watch out, they spit.
The boys did great with Slade gone and we talked to him as often as we were able to with the time difference (Egypt is 8 hours ahead) and the time Slade spent on the rig with no cell phone coverage.
All in all, I'm very glad he had the opportunity to go, thankful that he had a successful and safe trip and, yet, ecstatic that he's back home!
When we first saw Slade at the airport and were hugging and all grinning like we hadn't seen each other in a week, Randall reached out and touched Slade on the back and said, "Yeah, I can still feel that you're sandy." He knew that Egypt was part desert and he figured Slade, being in the desert, would have brought some of the sand home. We had a good laugh about that.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Big Sigh...
The other day, I was in the bathroom with Randall, who was about to start brushing his teeth. All of a sudden, he let out a huge sigh.
I asked what was wrong and he said, "Nothing. I just had a lot of extra air I had to get out of my mouth."
I asked what was wrong and he said, "Nothing. I just had a lot of extra air I had to get out of my mouth."
Wednesday, March 04, 2009
Interview with a Five and Seven Year Old
This note has been circulating on Facebook for a while now and I finally remembered to corner (I mean, catch) the boys separately so I could interview them. Their answers made me laugh.
1. What is something mom always says to you?
Randall: I love you.
Russell: I love you.
2. What makes mom happy?
Randall: When I obey you.
Russell: When we hug you.
3. What makes mom sad?
Randall: When I disobey.
Russell: When we disobey.
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Randall: When you tell me funny jokes.
Russell: Tickling us.
5. What was your mom like as a child?
Randall: You liked to play.
Russell: mean to your sisters (he's heard stories...) :-) *said with a devious grin*
6. How old is your mom?
Randall: I don't know how old you are!
Russell: 28?...ish? Are you 28 or are you 29?
7. How tall is your mom?
Randall: 15 feet?
Russell: 5'6"?
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Randall: play on the computer
Russell: You like to do laundry, don't you?
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Randall: clean the house
Russell: You vacume?
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Randall: cleaning the house
Russell: Having two kids.
11. What is your mom really good at?
Randall: uh, playing the robot game on the computer (AstroPop)
Russell: cleaning the house
12. What is your mom not very good at?
Randall: playing with boyish toys
Russell: wrestling
13. What does your mom do for her job?
Randall: I don't know. Nothing?
Russell: clean the house
14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Randall: chicken salad
Russell: pizza?
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Randall: that you play with me sometimes
Russell: you're my mom!
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Randall: a girl cartoon character.
Russell: Wonder Woman
17. What do you and your mom do together?
Randall: fold towels
Russell: ride bikes
18. How are you and your mom the same?
Randall: We aren't! No one is! (We had a discussion in our family quiet time about how God made each one of us different and I think he thought this was a trick question)
Russell: we're both family
19. How are you and your mom different?
Randall: Cause God made us different!
Russell: We're not the same person!
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Randall: Cause you tell me! That one's easy! (So sweet!)
Russell: Because you always say it! (So sweet, too!)
21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Randall: That we all play together.
Russell: You love him.
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Randall: To Michael's. (Actually, I prefer Hobby Lobby, but I do like Michael's, too!)
Russell: oooohhh, Baskin-Robbins! (he hit the nail on the head!)
I happened to ask Randall the questions first, so I'll put his picture first.
1. What is something mom always says to you?
Randall: I love you.
Russell: I love you.
2. What makes mom happy?
Randall: When I obey you.
Russell: When we hug you.
3. What makes mom sad?
Randall: When I disobey.
Russell: When we disobey.
4. How does your mom make you laugh?
Randall: When you tell me funny jokes.
Russell: Tickling us.
5. What was your mom like as a child?
Randall: You liked to play.
Russell: mean to your sisters (he's heard stories...) :-) *said with a devious grin*
6. How old is your mom?
Randall: I don't know how old you are!
Russell: 28?...ish? Are you 28 or are you 29?
7. How tall is your mom?
Randall: 15 feet?
Russell: 5'6"?
8. What is her favorite thing to do?
Randall: play on the computer
Russell: You like to do laundry, don't you?
9. What does your mom do when you're not around?
Randall: clean the house
Russell: You vacume?
10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Randall: cleaning the house
Russell: Having two kids.
11. What is your mom really good at?
Randall: uh, playing the robot game on the computer (AstroPop)
Russell: cleaning the house
12. What is your mom not very good at?
Randall: playing with boyish toys
Russell: wrestling
13. What does your mom do for her job?
Randall: I don't know. Nothing?
Russell: clean the house
14. What is your mom's favorite food?
Randall: chicken salad
Russell: pizza?
15. What makes you proud of your mom?
Randall: that you play with me sometimes
Russell: you're my mom!
16. If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
Randall: a girl cartoon character.
Russell: Wonder Woman
17. What do you and your mom do together?
Randall: fold towels
Russell: ride bikes
18. How are you and your mom the same?
Randall: We aren't! No one is! (We had a discussion in our family quiet time about how God made each one of us different and I think he thought this was a trick question)
Russell: we're both family
19. How are you and your mom different?
Randall: Cause God made us different!
Russell: We're not the same person!
20. How do you know your mom loves you?
Randall: Cause you tell me! That one's easy! (So sweet!)
Russell: Because you always say it! (So sweet, too!)
21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
Randall: That we all play together.
Russell: You love him.
22. Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
Randall: To Michael's. (Actually, I prefer Hobby Lobby, but I do like Michael's, too!)
Russell: oooohhh, Baskin-Robbins! (he hit the nail on the head!)
I happened to ask Randall the questions first, so I'll put his picture first.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
MIA
I know I've been Missing In Action, lately, but it's been a crazy few weeks!
I'll do my best to cover what we've been up to without boring you to pieces. Well, I can't guarantee I won't bore you because I know this will be long, but I'll apologize in advance for boring you. How's that?
1.) The kitchen remodel is on hold. The countertops were supposed to be finished on Feb. 10, over two weeks ago. Long story short, they are still not finished, but I'm thankful to have the part with the sink so we could put the new sink in.
Here's a partial shot of the new countertop with the old sink just sitting in place. Lowe's doesn't hook everything up after they finish. Why? Because they're not plumbers. They're plumbers enough to unhook everything, but not hook it all back up. A little frustrating.
But, after talking about it and realizing all that was involved in getting the sink all hooked up, we decided we might as well just purchase a new sink now instead of later. At Josie's advice, we got a black sink and I am so, so pleased! I haven't taken a good picture of it yet, since the whole kitchen isn't finished, but here's one where you can at least see the sink (and the messy kitchen--just keepin' it real here).
I've also decided what I want to do for a backsplash (or rather, instead of a backsplash). It was with Josie's help, as well. You'll just have to wait and see...
2.) Randall has officially stopped sucking his thumb! We began the no more thumb sucking campaign at the beginning of February and he hasn't sucked it once since! I just haven't really blogged since then to share the good news! I owe him a trip to Pump It Up (his choice), but we've been busy and it hasn't happened yet.
Here he is with a bandaid on his thumb. I can't believe that was all it took!
We're still doing the bandaid just to make sure the habit is licked. No pun intended...
3.) Russell had class pictures and he and Danielle (our neighbor) looked so cute, that I had to take a picture.
I told them to smile and this is what I got. An unnatural smile from Danielle and an evil look from Russell. Hopefully, the school photographer got a better set of smiles than I did!
This is the picture I got when I threatened Russell if he didn't give me a good smile. Yeah, my threat didn't work so well...
4.) I've become addicted to the idea of bento lunches. I have ordered tons of bento boxes and am waiting, impatiently, for them to arrive! Hopefully by Friday.
I will do a whole post on what Bento (or Obento) is and what my take on it will be, but until then, here's a picture of a lunch in their regular lunch boxes that is just a little more fun. It's not bento, but it's more fun than regular lunch.
I had my nieces and nephew the other day and decided to make their lunches a little more fun than usual, too.
Here are the lunches. Everyone got a shaped sandwich, ants on a log (cut up since celery is hard to bite off), apples cut thin and peanuts in a Valentine cupcake wrapper.
Ally got a heart.
Julia got a flower.
Randall got a fish and Josh got a dog. Little did I know how traumatizing that dog would be for Josh. He said, "I just feel bad eating the little dog. Can I take it home and put it up in my room?" I told him he didn't have to eat it, but he wouldn't get dessert, and, no, he couldn't display it in his room. Silly guy.
All in all, everyone enjoyed them and everyone ate pretty well.
This is the mess after all the fun.
I can't wait to experiment more and see what the kids think. So far, both boys have loved the new lunches and really have appreciated the extra time I've put into them. And, anything they can stick with a toothpick is a great bonus!
5.) While studying the letter "P", Randall got to have a pajama day at school. It was cold and he only has one pair of pants jammies (and they're too short), but I figured warm was more important than fashion. I think he's exercising in this picture... Maybe warming up for the hokey pokey...
You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around...
That's what it's all about!
Someday, I'll be able to get normal poses out of the boys, but until then, I guess I'll just enjoy putting goofy captions on them...
6.) And, finally, last, but not least--Russell got Student of the Week again! The value they studied that week (a few weeks ago...) was fairness. He wasn't actually chosen because he shows that trait, but the class voted in order to practice being fair. Or something like that.
Anyway, the class agreed that Russell should be the student of the week because he was the only student in his class to never move his behavior ladybug. There were quite a few that have only moved from green to yellow (first warning) once or twice, but Russell hasn't moved his at all.
I am very proud of him for that! So, we all went to his school and got some far away pictures of him on stage. He was proud, too.
Let's play "Where's Waldo", except looking for Russell.
Okay, that catches me up for the most part. I'm back in the groove and, hopefully, won't fall off the face of the earth again for a long time.
I'll do my best to cover what we've been up to without boring you to pieces. Well, I can't guarantee I won't bore you because I know this will be long, but I'll apologize in advance for boring you. How's that?
1.) The kitchen remodel is on hold. The countertops were supposed to be finished on Feb. 10, over two weeks ago. Long story short, they are still not finished, but I'm thankful to have the part with the sink so we could put the new sink in.
Here's a partial shot of the new countertop with the old sink just sitting in place. Lowe's doesn't hook everything up after they finish. Why? Because they're not plumbers. They're plumbers enough to unhook everything, but not hook it all back up. A little frustrating.
But, after talking about it and realizing all that was involved in getting the sink all hooked up, we decided we might as well just purchase a new sink now instead of later. At Josie's advice, we got a black sink and I am so, so pleased! I haven't taken a good picture of it yet, since the whole kitchen isn't finished, but here's one where you can at least see the sink (and the messy kitchen--just keepin' it real here).
I've also decided what I want to do for a backsplash (or rather, instead of a backsplash). It was with Josie's help, as well. You'll just have to wait and see...
2.) Randall has officially stopped sucking his thumb! We began the no more thumb sucking campaign at the beginning of February and he hasn't sucked it once since! I just haven't really blogged since then to share the good news! I owe him a trip to Pump It Up (his choice), but we've been busy and it hasn't happened yet.
Here he is with a bandaid on his thumb. I can't believe that was all it took!
We're still doing the bandaid just to make sure the habit is licked. No pun intended...
3.) Russell had class pictures and he and Danielle (our neighbor) looked so cute, that I had to take a picture.
I told them to smile and this is what I got. An unnatural smile from Danielle and an evil look from Russell. Hopefully, the school photographer got a better set of smiles than I did!
This is the picture I got when I threatened Russell if he didn't give me a good smile. Yeah, my threat didn't work so well...
4.) I've become addicted to the idea of bento lunches. I have ordered tons of bento boxes and am waiting, impatiently, for them to arrive! Hopefully by Friday.
I will do a whole post on what Bento (or Obento) is and what my take on it will be, but until then, here's a picture of a lunch in their regular lunch boxes that is just a little more fun. It's not bento, but it's more fun than regular lunch.
I had my nieces and nephew the other day and decided to make their lunches a little more fun than usual, too.
Here are the lunches. Everyone got a shaped sandwich, ants on a log (cut up since celery is hard to bite off), apples cut thin and peanuts in a Valentine cupcake wrapper.
Ally got a heart.
Julia got a flower.
Randall got a fish and Josh got a dog. Little did I know how traumatizing that dog would be for Josh. He said, "I just feel bad eating the little dog. Can I take it home and put it up in my room?" I told him he didn't have to eat it, but he wouldn't get dessert, and, no, he couldn't display it in his room. Silly guy.
All in all, everyone enjoyed them and everyone ate pretty well.
This is the mess after all the fun.
I can't wait to experiment more and see what the kids think. So far, both boys have loved the new lunches and really have appreciated the extra time I've put into them. And, anything they can stick with a toothpick is a great bonus!
5.) While studying the letter "P", Randall got to have a pajama day at school. It was cold and he only has one pair of pants jammies (and they're too short), but I figured warm was more important than fashion. I think he's exercising in this picture... Maybe warming up for the hokey pokey...
You do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around...
That's what it's all about!
Someday, I'll be able to get normal poses out of the boys, but until then, I guess I'll just enjoy putting goofy captions on them...
6.) And, finally, last, but not least--Russell got Student of the Week again! The value they studied that week (a few weeks ago...) was fairness. He wasn't actually chosen because he shows that trait, but the class voted in order to practice being fair. Or something like that.
Anyway, the class agreed that Russell should be the student of the week because he was the only student in his class to never move his behavior ladybug. There were quite a few that have only moved from green to yellow (first warning) once or twice, but Russell hasn't moved his at all.
I am very proud of him for that! So, we all went to his school and got some far away pictures of him on stage. He was proud, too.
Let's play "Where's Waldo", except looking for Russell.
Okay, that catches me up for the most part. I'm back in the groove and, hopefully, won't fall off the face of the earth again for a long time.
Tuesday, February 03, 2009
Hit 'em where it hurts...
Russell is in a bad habit of chatting during lunch and not eating. He'll come home with a full lunchbox, with maybe two bites of his sandwich eaten and the goldfish/chips. Everything else is untouched.
On a side note... This is his cool new lunchbox. I bought one for both boys a while back and I love them! Russ has this black one with red containers and Randall has a purple one with multi-colored containers.
Anyway, today I told him that he got no dessert in his lunch tomorrow since he couldn't seem to eat his lunch. He said, "That doesn't bother me," very matter-of-factly. I should've realized that wouldn't be too big of a deal since he never eats his dessert anyway. The rule is that if he doesn't eat his fruit and veggie, he doesn't get dessert. He's never tried to cheat or "forget", so he just comes home with the same dessert he left with.
So, I tried a different tactic.
"Then you don't get dessert tonight at the Wooden's." (We were invited to dinner at our neighbors' house since Slade is out of town.)
He paused and said with a small, sheepish grin, "Okay, that bothers me."
Score.
We'll see what comes home in his lunchbox tomorrow...
On a side note... This is his cool new lunchbox. I bought one for both boys a while back and I love them! Russ has this black one with red containers and Randall has a purple one with multi-colored containers.
Anyway, today I told him that he got no dessert in his lunch tomorrow since he couldn't seem to eat his lunch. He said, "That doesn't bother me," very matter-of-factly. I should've realized that wouldn't be too big of a deal since he never eats his dessert anyway. The rule is that if he doesn't eat his fruit and veggie, he doesn't get dessert. He's never tried to cheat or "forget", so he just comes home with the same dessert he left with.
So, I tried a different tactic.
"Then you don't get dessert tonight at the Wooden's." (We were invited to dinner at our neighbors' house since Slade is out of town.)
He paused and said with a small, sheepish grin, "Okay, that bothers me."
Score.
We'll see what comes home in his lunchbox tomorrow...
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Someone needs to teach my kids...
...how to appreciate cold weather foods!
Monday night we had White Chicken Chili (I just follow the directions on the back of McCormick's seasoning envelope and I add all the extras they suggest--corn, tomatoes, etc) with avocado slices and tortilla chips. Both boys wrinkled their noses and whined. They ate, but begrudgingly.
Tuesday night, I made crockpot beans and my neighbor, Allison's delicious recipe for Buttery Cornbread. They ate the cornbread, but didn't appreciate the beans. I think you have to eat both together for the full effect!
Tonight, we're having Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup and Red Lobster's Cheddar Biscuits. I already know how the meal will go. *grin*
But, I'm not giving up! I will teach my kids to like more than "meat and potatoes".
I had a few people ask for the soup and biscuits recipes on my Facebook, so I thought I'd post it here. Let me know if you try it and what you think of it! It's a great last-minute recipe, because you'll probably have everything already on hand. Possibly not the Velveeta or the Biscuick, but probably everything else.
Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 pkg frozen, chopped broccoli florets
1 can cream mushroom soup
1 can cream chicken soup
1 T. chicken boullion
1 C. cubed Velveeta
1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
Cover potatoes with water (I usually do about an inch extra water on top) in large pot and cook until tender. Add frozen broccoli and cook 10 minutes. Add soups and boullion. Stir, cook 5 minutes on medium low. Add cheeses. Let simmer on low, stirring often.
This is intended to be a thick, hearty soup, but if it is too thick, add milk to thin to your preference. Feel free to salt and pepper as desired.
Red Lobster Cheddar Rolls
2 1/2 C. Bisquick
3/4 C. cold milk
4 T. cold butter
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 C. (or more) shredded cheese
2 T. melted butter
1/4 t. dried parsley
1/2 t. garlic powder
pinch salt
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. You don't want to mix too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and 1/4 t. garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.
Drop approximately 1/4 cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.
When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter is a small bowl. Stir in 1/2 t. garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Makes one dozen biscuits.
Monday night we had White Chicken Chili (I just follow the directions on the back of McCormick's seasoning envelope and I add all the extras they suggest--corn, tomatoes, etc) with avocado slices and tortilla chips. Both boys wrinkled their noses and whined. They ate, but begrudgingly.
Tuesday night, I made crockpot beans and my neighbor, Allison's delicious recipe for Buttery Cornbread. They ate the cornbread, but didn't appreciate the beans. I think you have to eat both together for the full effect!
Tonight, we're having Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup and Red Lobster's Cheddar Biscuits. I already know how the meal will go. *grin*
But, I'm not giving up! I will teach my kids to like more than "meat and potatoes".
I had a few people ask for the soup and biscuits recipes on my Facebook, so I thought I'd post it here. Let me know if you try it and what you think of it! It's a great last-minute recipe, because you'll probably have everything already on hand. Possibly not the Velveeta or the Biscuick, but probably everything else.
Cheesy Broccoli Potato Soup
4 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 pkg frozen, chopped broccoli florets
1 can cream mushroom soup
1 can cream chicken soup
1 T. chicken boullion
1 C. cubed Velveeta
1/2 C. shredded cheddar cheese
Cover potatoes with water (I usually do about an inch extra water on top) in large pot and cook until tender. Add frozen broccoli and cook 10 minutes. Add soups and boullion. Stir, cook 5 minutes on medium low. Add cheeses. Let simmer on low, stirring often.
This is intended to be a thick, hearty soup, but if it is too thick, add milk to thin to your preference. Feel free to salt and pepper as desired.
Red Lobster Cheddar Rolls
2 1/2 C. Bisquick
3/4 C. cold milk
4 T. cold butter
1/4 t. garlic powder
1 C. (or more) shredded cheese
2 T. melted butter
1/4 t. dried parsley
1/2 t. garlic powder
pinch salt
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees.
Combine Bisquick with cold butter in a medium bowl using a pastry cutter or a large fork. You don't want to mix too thoroughly. There should be small chunks of butter in there that are about the size of peas. Add cheddar cheese, milk, and 1/4 t. garlic. Mix by hand until combined, but don't over mix.
Drop approximately 1/4 cup portions of the dough onto an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.
When you take the biscuits out of the oven, melt 2 tablespoons butter is a small bowl. Stir in 1/2 t. garlic powder and the dried parsley flakes. Use a brush to spread this garlic butter over the tops of all the biscuits. Use up all of the butter. Makes one dozen biscuits.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Teaching my children to walk in the Way...
Maybe I shouldn't have capitalized the 'w' in 'Way' in my title...
A few weeks ago, my mom, sisters and I had a garage sale at my mom's house. She has a perfect location because she's right off of a main street through town.
I spent the week before the garage sale getting ready (tagging stuff, finding stuff, etc) in our garage, while Randall and Russell played outside.
The garage sale went great and I made $400! I love garage sales--having them and shopping at them!
I think my excitement about garage sales is rubbing off on my kids and I couldn't be prouder.
The week after the garage sale, Randall invented his own game and called it "playing garage sale" (he's creative like that). He wrote out price tags on paper, cut them out and used small pieces of tape to tape them to different items around the house. Then he would tell me that it was time for me to go "shopping".
So, I would shop and buy everything he priced. Then we would sit down together and count up how much I owed him and I would pay him with the boys' fake money. We probably played this game for an hour the first day (that's not counting the amount of time Randall spent writing, cutting and pricing).
He loved it! We played over and over. It cracked me up the way he would determine what he wanted to "sell". He would say, "We don't play with this anymore" or "We just don't like this anymore" or other phrases that I'm not sure where he learned...
I enjoyed playing it because he was working on his writing, on using scissors and then on math as we would add up my purchases. And we were garage sale-ing! What can be more fun than that.
Well, last night, Russell realized that he had accidentally left his Blankie at Aunt Christy's where he had spent the night. He was sad, but was surprisingly okay with sleeping without it so I told him we would get it today.
This morning, when he woke up, Slade and I both commented on how well he slept, even without Blankie. He looked a little impish as he asked, "Since I did well without Blankie, does that mean we have to sell him in our next garage sale?"
Silly little guy. I reassured him (not that he needed it) that we will never sell Blankie and he can keep him for as long as he wants, even if he doesn't need him for sleeping. We talked about things we keep because they're special, even if we don't need them anymore. Then we talked about the kinds of things we sell--clothes we've outgrown, toys we don't play with anymore, books that are too young, etc. (Sometimes I have been known to get rid of things that the kids still like, but I promise that's not often! In fact, if the kids didn't see the stuff in the garage sale pile, they wouldn't even miss most of what we sell.)
He probably didn't want the whole explanation, but I gave it anyway. Teaching my children to walk in the way... :-)
A few weeks ago, my mom, sisters and I had a garage sale at my mom's house. She has a perfect location because she's right off of a main street through town.
I spent the week before the garage sale getting ready (tagging stuff, finding stuff, etc) in our garage, while Randall and Russell played outside.
The garage sale went great and I made $400! I love garage sales--having them and shopping at them!
I think my excitement about garage sales is rubbing off on my kids and I couldn't be prouder.
The week after the garage sale, Randall invented his own game and called it "playing garage sale" (he's creative like that). He wrote out price tags on paper, cut them out and used small pieces of tape to tape them to different items around the house. Then he would tell me that it was time for me to go "shopping".
So, I would shop and buy everything he priced. Then we would sit down together and count up how much I owed him and I would pay him with the boys' fake money. We probably played this game for an hour the first day (that's not counting the amount of time Randall spent writing, cutting and pricing).
He loved it! We played over and over. It cracked me up the way he would determine what he wanted to "sell". He would say, "We don't play with this anymore" or "We just don't like this anymore" or other phrases that I'm not sure where he learned...
I enjoyed playing it because he was working on his writing, on using scissors and then on math as we would add up my purchases. And we were garage sale-ing! What can be more fun than that.
Well, last night, Russell realized that he had accidentally left his Blankie at Aunt Christy's where he had spent the night. He was sad, but was surprisingly okay with sleeping without it so I told him we would get it today.
This morning, when he woke up, Slade and I both commented on how well he slept, even without Blankie. He looked a little impish as he asked, "Since I did well without Blankie, does that mean we have to sell him in our next garage sale?"
Silly little guy. I reassured him (not that he needed it) that we will never sell Blankie and he can keep him for as long as he wants, even if he doesn't need him for sleeping. We talked about things we keep because they're special, even if we don't need them anymore. Then we talked about the kinds of things we sell--clothes we've outgrown, toys we don't play with anymore, books that are too young, etc. (Sometimes I have been known to get rid of things that the kids still like, but I promise that's not often! In fact, if the kids didn't see the stuff in the garage sale pile, they wouldn't even miss most of what we sell.)
He probably didn't want the whole explanation, but I gave it anyway. Teaching my children to walk in the way... :-)
Saturday, December 20, 2008
A Smattering of Happenings
I'm playing catch up here as I post happenings from the last few weeks in no particular order.
1. We went to Shreveport to spend a gift card (from my mom last year for Christmas) for Monjuni's, my all-time favorite restaurant. We decided to make a mini vacation out of the trip and spent the night at a hotel, shopped all day at the Boardwalk, watched Bolt at the Boardwalk theatre and then ate dinner at Monjuni's.
We planned to meet our friends, the Simcoxes, there and then got a fun surprise when we ran into our other friends, the Hampers. We couldn't have planned it better. We all walked around and shopped, ate lunch, and then headed our separate ways in the afternoon.
The Boardwalk was beautifully decorated for Christmas.
What a great photo op, right? Well...
Waiting for the hubbies to do some shopping at the Nike shop.
Everyone's smiling and laughing, let's take a group photo, right? Poor Audrey, she's the only one that looks normal.
The whole crew:
I thought this one was cute of Randall. It's a good thing I got this cute one because otherwise you might think he always looked like he does in the other pictures...
Practicing their aim at the Pro Bass Shop.
Enjoying (I think) the ride on the trolley. We had one heckuva time catching the trolley!
On the way home, I called my sister (who had been in Florida for the week) just to chat and happened to mention that we were on our way home from Shreveport. She said they were on their way back to Texas from Florida and they were just leaving Shreveport, too. Turns out, we were within minutes of each other and we got to wave at them (although Josh and Julia were sleeping from the long, tiring drive) as they passed us. We couldn't have planned that better, either! We got a good laugh about that!
2. Our new appliances are finally installed (except for the microwave which is waiting on the new countertops) and the boys had a blast playing in the box that the dishwasher came in. They colored on it, climbed in it, tipped it over, hit under it and more!
3. We've had some issues to deal with, mainly fighting and speaking unkindly (aka yelling at the top of their lungs) to each other.
One day, I was so tired of it, I sent both kids outside. I didn't realize it was raining until the boys came back in. When I asked why they were back inside, they said, "We were just getting our hoodies. It's raining." I told them they could just go in the garage. I was that fed up with the arguing. Luckily, they enjoyed the light drizzle and the cold outdoor weather.
As you can see, Russell has had to write sentences recently. That seemed to really help him improve his attitude. He was more sincere when he apologized after writing the sentences. He was instructed to use his best handwriting and think about how he was supposed to speak to Randall as he wrote.
He wrote beautifully (he didn't realize he had copied 'kindly' until the very end) and even seemed proud of his sentences. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
I'll save Thanksgiving and Christmas programs/parties for another post.
Whew, we've been busy!
1. We went to Shreveport to spend a gift card (from my mom last year for Christmas) for Monjuni's, my all-time favorite restaurant. We decided to make a mini vacation out of the trip and spent the night at a hotel, shopped all day at the Boardwalk, watched Bolt at the Boardwalk theatre and then ate dinner at Monjuni's.
We planned to meet our friends, the Simcoxes, there and then got a fun surprise when we ran into our other friends, the Hampers. We couldn't have planned it better. We all walked around and shopped, ate lunch, and then headed our separate ways in the afternoon.
The Boardwalk was beautifully decorated for Christmas.
What a great photo op, right? Well...
Waiting for the hubbies to do some shopping at the Nike shop.
Everyone's smiling and laughing, let's take a group photo, right? Poor Audrey, she's the only one that looks normal.
The whole crew:
I thought this one was cute of Randall. It's a good thing I got this cute one because otherwise you might think he always looked like he does in the other pictures...
Practicing their aim at the Pro Bass Shop.
Enjoying (I think) the ride on the trolley. We had one heckuva time catching the trolley!
On the way home, I called my sister (who had been in Florida for the week) just to chat and happened to mention that we were on our way home from Shreveport. She said they were on their way back to Texas from Florida and they were just leaving Shreveport, too. Turns out, we were within minutes of each other and we got to wave at them (although Josh and Julia were sleeping from the long, tiring drive) as they passed us. We couldn't have planned that better, either! We got a good laugh about that!
2. Our new appliances are finally installed (except for the microwave which is waiting on the new countertops) and the boys had a blast playing in the box that the dishwasher came in. They colored on it, climbed in it, tipped it over, hit under it and more!
3. We've had some issues to deal with, mainly fighting and speaking unkindly (aka yelling at the top of their lungs) to each other.
One day, I was so tired of it, I sent both kids outside. I didn't realize it was raining until the boys came back in. When I asked why they were back inside, they said, "We were just getting our hoodies. It's raining." I told them they could just go in the garage. I was that fed up with the arguing. Luckily, they enjoyed the light drizzle and the cold outdoor weather.
As you can see, Russell has had to write sentences recently. That seemed to really help him improve his attitude. He was more sincere when he apologized after writing the sentences. He was instructed to use his best handwriting and think about how he was supposed to speak to Randall as he wrote.
He wrote beautifully (he didn't realize he had copied 'kindly' until the very end) and even seemed proud of his sentences. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?
I'll save Thanksgiving and Christmas programs/parties for another post.
Whew, we've been busy!
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