Month: October 2009

Wow.  Josh and I were with the kids all day…that’s kind of how it works when you’re the parents, it seems.  Both of us like to be together, so we don’t take many opportunities to get away by ourself.  Even when Josh encourages me to go get a coffee in the evening I feel torn because #1-I want to have family time. #2- I like being with him. #3- I know how hard it can be by yourself with all three.  We both can handle them on our own, of course, but it is so nice when an extra set of hands are there to help!  And just having an adult to talk to makes a huge difference.  SO, today was filled with some fun times and some discipline times.  The children are having a hard time listening and obeying the first time.  My voice has been a little hoarse, and I think it has a lot to do with saying everything I say three or four or sixty-five times.  We started moving bedtime up by 10 minutes for each disobedient act that we KNOW they understand….like putting shoes in the bin at the back door or not putting the library books back in their bag, etc, etc.  It’s so funny because as Josh was telling them specifically about obeying the first time and how he only wants to help them and that is why there are consequences to disobedience, I cannot help but think of our Heavenly Father and how the discipline He sends my way is for my good.  The sooner I learn to embrace the consequence and change my behavior, the easier life will be!  I remember my mom telling me that I would have it so good if I would just do what I knew I was supposed to do.

Ruby is the one that has the least offenses, yet she is the one who shows the most remorse over any discipline.  Interesting.  Molly is starting to be more sorry for her bad behavior, and Mack, well……he is still so young….at least that is what I keep telling myself.

I am so thankful for a godly husband who leads so wonderfully, especially with our kids.  I am also thankful he gave the ok for some time away TOGETHER, alone.  We are going to make it our Christmas present to each other, hire Ms. Ashley for (hopefully) two nights and leave the kids with her with a pantry full of pizza, nuggets, and cookies!  They will have a blast, and we will, too!   And Ms. Ashley might appreciate some Christmas money.  Let me go email her……  Good night!

Mack was evidently confused, and who wouldn’t be in such chaos, that the whole time we were at CHUCK E. CHEESE’s, he kept calling the mouse MONKEY CHEESE.  The loud noise, the bright colors, the kids running everywhere, parents just wandering around—all of it could easily be confused with Monkey Joe’s.  Well, minus all the huge jumpy things.

We threw a party for Muhammed, a young boy here from Iraq having surgery on his leg to stretch his leg to be the same, or close to the same, length as his other leg.  He is so sweet.  His dad is so nice, too!  I asked Josh to find out when his birthday was.  We had no idea it was coming up within two weeks of when Josh asked.  Our friend, Ron, said Muhammed would love to go to Chuck E. Cheese’s.  Great!  We love that place….sort of.  BUT, it is the birthday boy’s decision!

As you can see, there was plenty of dancing going on.  Ruby really liked being in front of that camera.  Molly was busy keeping an eye out on when the big Chuck E. Cheese would be walking around.  She wanted to stay far, far away from him.

Ruby and Muhammed

Mack and Karissa sharing  this truck.

Mack And Chuck E.

Molly and a mechanical horse…let’s hope she never moves on to a mechanical bull in her life.   I would have gone wrong, very wrong somewhere.

Annie posing in the princess carriage!  She is very comfortable in there.

If this photo ever screamed for a caption, it would have to be:  “Please, dear goodness, put me back in the womb.  This is the craziest place ever!”

Muhammed and his friend and Chuck E.

There were many families from our SS class there with their kids.  There were other families there and the doctor and some nurses that have worked with Muhammed since he got here.  We are so thankful that the Lord brought this opportunity to us and allowed us to be a part of what He is already doing.

Ruby is having Pajama Day in her Kindergarten class, and she was sooooo excited about it!  She woke up extra early, took off her pajamas to put on her new pajamas!  I bought pajamas because I didn’t want her to go in a thin little Disney princess gown or in mis-matched pj’s.

Ruby’s daddy said, “Those don’t even look like pajamas!”  It isn’t bad that he said it, but that he said it in front of her!  I gave him THE LOOK.  Thankfully Ruby didn’t catch on to what he said, even though he said it every time he saw them and every time she talked about pajama day!  She got to bring her favorite stuffed animal (a tiny schnauzer dog that fit perfectly in a pocket in her back pack) and a favorite game (Bingo Bears).  She is going to have a great day!

Mack is having his own Pajama Day here at the house!

Happy Friday.

Ruby asked me to help her fill out her “Mystery Clubber” paper for Sparks.  She had to tell about herself….like her favorite color, favorite game, favorite school subject and favorite vacation, etc.  She said, “My favorite vacation is DOLLYWOOD.”  I looked at her and said, “But you’ve never been to Dollywood.”  Her response was just, “oh.”  Her favorite school subject was something that is not a school subject…though I cannot remember what it was she actually said.  Oh well.

Oftentimes I say to the girls, “When Mack goes to B-E-D, we will read books.”  (or have a snack or go outside or whatever)  Usually it is just to get them to stop asking for things and let me get one of these children down before I have to deal with the other two.  So yesterday Ruby was wanting something out of the pantry and she leaned over to whisper in my ear, “When Mack goes to B-I-N can I get a marshmallow?”  It was so funny.  I am not sure what a BIN for Mack would look like, but if it would keep him still and quiet, then I need to know more about the B-I-N.

We went to the Library today.  Today was story time.  We got there early so we could return our other books and pick out some new ones.  Ruby walks in and does just as she is supposed to…finds a book, sits on a couch and flips quietly through it.  Molly goes to the computers where I tell her several hundred times to get away from them b/c we didn’t come to the library to play on the computer.  She finally roams around and finds something to look at.  Mack, on the other hand, runs into the library yelling something along the lines on “woooo-hoooo.”  He also tries to get on the computers, then he proceeds to take book after book off the shelves with no intention of looking through them.  He stacks up checkers on a table only to knock them over and laugh ridiculously.  He still just does. not. get. it.  I got on to him one time and made him stay with me and sit by me in the book aisle.  He kept crying and saying, “I want Daddy.  I want Daddy.”  I started to join him in his cry for help, but I thought better of it.  Mack was also horrible in the grocery store as he sits halfway out of the car part of the cart.  He slides his hands on the floors as I push the cart.  That’s not dangerous—not to mention dirty!  Then, when I had my fill of all the morning brought my way, I told him to get out of the cart and get into the car.  “NO,”  he said.  Then he started honking the horn in the car part of the cart.  I pulled him out and planted his feet firmly on the concrete, pointed my finger in the direction he should go, and he didn’t go!!!!  I got a hold of him, put him in seat and buckled him in as tightly as he could be buckled.  He was whining and saying to me, “NOT NICE, Mama.  Not Nice!!!!!”

Oh my word.  This has been an exhausting Thursday.  I wanted it to be fun.  It wasn’t.  Oh well.  We’ll try again tomorrow.