The past few weeks, it seems that our kids are just full of funny lines that are fodder for Jimmy Fallon. So, I thought I'd help you exercise your abs with a bit of unintentional humor from my little ones.
Who will do our chores?
The kids were all going to stay with Nana and Papa for the night on Saturday. That morning, we were packing their overnight bags and getting everything ready to go. When Barrett brought his bag downstairs, Billy reminded him to do one of his morning chores, which is to feed the dogs. As Barrett is scooping food into their bowls, he looks at Billy with a furrowed brow. "Are Jack and Stella going with us, daddy?" he asked.
"No," Billy replied.
Barrett paused for a moment, and then continued filling the dog bowls. When he was done, he turned to Billy and said, "Daddy, I am worried about Jack and Stella. How will they eat while we're gone?"
Billy smiled and said, "Mommy and daddy are staying here, so they'll be here with us."
"I know," Barrett said, his frustration starting to show. "But I won't be here and neither will Audrey, so how are the dogs going to eat?"
Abraham Lincoln
We had dinner with my parents and Billy's parents last night in Greenville. As we were eating, Audrey was telling us about the walk they went on with Nana and Papa and some of the things they saw. One of the sights was a house that Abraham Lincoln had visited. Lana said Audrey read the historical site plaque all by herself so she would know the significance of that house. My mom mentioned that the house she and dad lived in when I was born was nearby there. So, I turned to Audrey and said, "I bet you didn't know you probably saw the house I lived in when I was a baby."
Her eyes got wide with excitement and her head bounced a bit as she said, "So, did you get to meet Abraham Lincoln? Did you see him when he visited the house down the street?"
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
Saturday, February 11, 2017
10 Months
Your 10 months old now...seriously?! How is that possible?! You are definitely every bit of 10 months though. Barrett informed me a couple of days ago that you are getting really big and that even he just can't believe how much you're growing. I am going to have to start breaking out more of the spring and summer clothes soon, because you're getting to the point where a lot of your warmer winter clothes are getting a bit snug. Even your shoes are difficult to get on and off.
It isn't just your physical appearance that is changing. It's becoming more and more obvious that you are well aware of what is going on in the world around you and that you have specific ideas about how you want to interact with that world. You can crawl from one room to the next at lightening speed it seems. You pull up on everything. You open cabinet doors and inspect the contents. You actually "play" with your siblings now watching and imitating everything they do. You love making noises with your brother and sister and giggling when they imitate them.
One of your favorite toys right now are these toddler-sized hockey sticks that your brother likes to play with. You will carry one of those sticks around with you everywhere if we let you. You crawl with one in your hand remarkably well. Your go up the stairs with one in your hand. You try to use them to hit balls and duplo legos across the floor. Your dad told me that he saw you do that unprompted, but I thought it was an exaggeration. Then, I saw you do it for myself. My guess is that you've seen your brother use a hockey stick enough that you're just trying to imitate him. But there is no doubt that you love doing it!
One of your more annoying traits right now is that when you're getting tired, you want to be held and you make this terrible, whiney "eh-eh" noise to make sure everyone knows you want to be held. We've tried wearing you down by ignoring you, but you're persistent. It doesn't help that your siblings rush to your side and try to play with you when you do this. Mommy and daddy are forced then to give in because the attention you get from your siblings just makes you more determined to get mommy and daddy to answer your call.
Your hair is getting even longer and darker. It gets in your eyes all of the time, so we're constantly brushing it to the side to get it out of your face. You also have about 8 strands of hair in the back that are growing down your back. The rest of the hair stops at the nape of your neck. It is the weirdest, scraggliest rat tail I have ever seen. But I just can't bear the thought of cutting your hair yet.
It isn't just your physical appearance that is changing. It's becoming more and more obvious that you are well aware of what is going on in the world around you and that you have specific ideas about how you want to interact with that world. You can crawl from one room to the next at lightening speed it seems. You pull up on everything. You open cabinet doors and inspect the contents. You actually "play" with your siblings now watching and imitating everything they do. You love making noises with your brother and sister and giggling when they imitate them.
One of your favorite toys right now are these toddler-sized hockey sticks that your brother likes to play with. You will carry one of those sticks around with you everywhere if we let you. You crawl with one in your hand remarkably well. Your go up the stairs with one in your hand. You try to use them to hit balls and duplo legos across the floor. Your dad told me that he saw you do that unprompted, but I thought it was an exaggeration. Then, I saw you do it for myself. My guess is that you've seen your brother use a hockey stick enough that you're just trying to imitate him. But there is no doubt that you love doing it!
One of your more annoying traits right now is that when you're getting tired, you want to be held and you make this terrible, whiney "eh-eh" noise to make sure everyone knows you want to be held. We've tried wearing you down by ignoring you, but you're persistent. It doesn't help that your siblings rush to your side and try to play with you when you do this. Mommy and daddy are forced then to give in because the attention you get from your siblings just makes you more determined to get mommy and daddy to answer your call.
Your hair is getting even longer and darker. It gets in your eyes all of the time, so we're constantly brushing it to the side to get it out of your face. You also have about 8 strands of hair in the back that are growing down your back. The rest of the hair stops at the nape of your neck. It is the weirdest, scraggliest rat tail I have ever seen. But I just can't bear the thought of cutting your hair yet.
One of the biggest changes over the past month is all of the new foods you're trying. You love meat. You gobble up sausage, hamburger, pork chops, fish, chicken, and eggs. In fact, you're my first child that will choose the protein on their plate before the carbs. And, when you're out of meat, if we aren't quick enough to give you more, you wail until you get more. You'll notice in the picture below that all of the meat from the pasta is gone and only noodles are left on his tray.
You're continuing to grow by leaps and bounds every single day. I can't wit to see what new skills you learn next. I love being your momma. I love that you're part of our family now. I love the way you make us all laugh. I love your smoosh-face smile. I guess it would suffice to say that I love you more than you will ever know.
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Bad Mom
Disclaimer: There is self-deprication and blunt honest ahead in this post, but I am not looking for pity or compliments. The purpose of this post is to share my perspective and hopefully encourage others feeling the same to know they're not alone.
The past few weeks, I've been a pretty terrible mommy, especially by today's standards. I've yelled at my kids. I've argued heatedly with my husband in front of my kids. I've been snippy with all of them A LOT. I've selfishly put my kids to bed just so I can watch Fixer Upper without interruption. I've fed them sugary food because that's what I wanted to eat. I haven't been as patient, kind, structured, or loving as I know I should be.
Not to make excuses, but there has been a lot going on. Both at home and at work, I've been busy. Billy and I both have. We've needed downtime that there has been no time to have. So, we've resorted to being snippy with each other and with the kids.
Earlier this week, I realized just how bad it had gotten when I used some language that I am not proud of in front of my kids. I saw the looks on their faces, and it was a look of surprise and fear. The comment wasn't directed at them, but it still startled them. I spent that evening feeling really guilty and beating myself up, because Facebook, Pinterest, and all of the parenting blogs tell me that I shouldn't raise my voice or use foul language in front of my kids. They are right, but they often a bit utopian as well. Yes, I choose to read those things. And, yes, I could just ignore them. But I can't not notice them, because they're everywhere. And the more I see, the more I try to hold myself to unrealistic standards, which stresses me out, makes me crabbier, and just perpetuates the issue.
As I layed in bed that night, I initially found myself reliving my mistakes and feeling overwhelmed by everything I had going on. After a few moments, I finally forced myself to pray instead of dwell on the mistakes I'd made. It's a practice that I started a couple of years ago when I read a book on how praising God, even when that is the last thing you want to do, makes a profound difference in the way you live you life. I don't always do it. But, when I do choose to lift a prayer of praise to God in those moments when I am angry, anxious, frustrated, or hurt, the effect is surprising. By the time I fell asleep that night, I had found hope again. I turned my thoughts away from what I had done to what God can do. I accepted God's grace for the sins I'd committed and let them go. This allowed me to see past everything that was making me crabby to focus on him. All of that from a few words of praise and thanks.
The power of praise is that it unintentionally reminds us what God is capable of. I praise him for his grace and mercy, and then I remember that he gives both of those freely to me. I praise him for the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, and I realize the struggles I am facing are not so big they can't be overcome. It's amazing what praise can do for my own heart!
Since that night, I've been able to let more things go, whether the perpatrator is me or my family. I've also been able to stop accepting my bad behavior, because my hope has been restored that I can overcome it. No more excuses. Yes, life is stressful, but it's also beautiful. God's grace and love have allowed me to stop feeling overwhelmed by the fullness of my life and start feeling the love and beauty again. It has always been there, including in these past few weeks, but I was losing sight of it because I was focusing on the stressors. I'm still not perfect, but that is part of the beauty. If I was perfect, my kids would not have this chance to see God's grace in action.
The past few weeks, I've been a pretty terrible mommy, especially by today's standards. I've yelled at my kids. I've argued heatedly with my husband in front of my kids. I've been snippy with all of them A LOT. I've selfishly put my kids to bed just so I can watch Fixer Upper without interruption. I've fed them sugary food because that's what I wanted to eat. I haven't been as patient, kind, structured, or loving as I know I should be.
Not to make excuses, but there has been a lot going on. Both at home and at work, I've been busy. Billy and I both have. We've needed downtime that there has been no time to have. So, we've resorted to being snippy with each other and with the kids.
Earlier this week, I realized just how bad it had gotten when I used some language that I am not proud of in front of my kids. I saw the looks on their faces, and it was a look of surprise and fear. The comment wasn't directed at them, but it still startled them. I spent that evening feeling really guilty and beating myself up, because Facebook, Pinterest, and all of the parenting blogs tell me that I shouldn't raise my voice or use foul language in front of my kids. They are right, but they often a bit utopian as well. Yes, I choose to read those things. And, yes, I could just ignore them. But I can't not notice them, because they're everywhere. And the more I see, the more I try to hold myself to unrealistic standards, which stresses me out, makes me crabbier, and just perpetuates the issue.
As I layed in bed that night, I initially found myself reliving my mistakes and feeling overwhelmed by everything I had going on. After a few moments, I finally forced myself to pray instead of dwell on the mistakes I'd made. It's a practice that I started a couple of years ago when I read a book on how praising God, even when that is the last thing you want to do, makes a profound difference in the way you live you life. I don't always do it. But, when I do choose to lift a prayer of praise to God in those moments when I am angry, anxious, frustrated, or hurt, the effect is surprising. By the time I fell asleep that night, I had found hope again. I turned my thoughts away from what I had done to what God can do. I accepted God's grace for the sins I'd committed and let them go. This allowed me to see past everything that was making me crabby to focus on him. All of that from a few words of praise and thanks.
The power of praise is that it unintentionally reminds us what God is capable of. I praise him for his grace and mercy, and then I remember that he gives both of those freely to me. I praise him for the sacrifice Jesus made on the cross, and I realize the struggles I am facing are not so big they can't be overcome. It's amazing what praise can do for my own heart!
Since that night, I've been able to let more things go, whether the perpatrator is me or my family. I've also been able to stop accepting my bad behavior, because my hope has been restored that I can overcome it. No more excuses. Yes, life is stressful, but it's also beautiful. God's grace and love have allowed me to stop feeling overwhelmed by the fullness of my life and start feeling the love and beauty again. It has always been there, including in these past few weeks, but I was losing sight of it because I was focusing on the stressors. I'm still not perfect, but that is part of the beauty. If I was perfect, my kids would not have this chance to see God's grace in action.
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