Random

We are wrapping up our first week back from vacation and we are exhausted! Ok, well, I am exhausted! We have a busy Saturday coming up...Will has a baseball game and then 4, yes I said, FOUR, basketball games!!! OH MY! I know, I know, I bring this on myself....I hear it from everyone around me. I just want Will to have the opportunity to do what he loves. Right now, it is possible, so we are making it work. It is just exhausting me in the process.

It could be worse though. I know that. I could be in Mckmama's shoes...separated from most of my family with a sick baby that doctors can't seem to fix. Take some time to go to her site and read up on Stellan and pray for her family!

I am trying to finish up potty training Caroline. I know that sounds weird, but I am STRUGGLING!!!!!! She is frustrating me to the absolute nth degree. To be frank, and I apologize for being so, well, graphic, she won't poop on the potty. She is great with not having accidents so long as she does not have to have a bowel movement. She has had issues in the past with this, where she refuses to go, holds it in....you get the point...so making her sit there for hours and hours won't help (I have tried...she is stubborn and VERY good at withholding!)! I don't know what else to try...I have bribed (Disney World, toys, etc) and I have threatened that she won't do ANYTHING fun anymore until she does....but she is not motivated and I am losing hope. She may be starting kindergarten still not fully potty trained....Any advice anyone has would be great!!!! I will take it all!

I was looking through pictures the other day and found these great photos of Caroline and her cousin Jenny. They crack me up!!!! Just wanted to share! (I titled this post random for a reason!!!!)!!! These are pictures of them from 2007, 2008, and 2009! They change so quickly don't they?

Have a super weekend!

Paige

Such Fun!

VACATION!

I just returned from the beach for 11 days and while it was cold, it was so worth it! Remember my whining about how cold and rainy it had been for SO long (click here if you don't). Well, I finally got to say good-bye to my little town and head to my parent's house for a little R & R in the sun!!

Well, the R & R was definitely there...it was the sun that did not show itself until Thursday and then it came riding in on a most definite strong wind! But we ventured out into the sun Thursday-Saturday. and my foolish, brainlesschildren actually got into the frigid waters! BRRR!!!! A good time was had by all though and I even documented with some pictures!

Easter dinner was great...Will, honey, I think you have green beans between your teeth!

Easter Sunday before church. We wanted to take a picture like my grandmother would have taken outside by her pretty flowers...this was the only thing blooming! :)

Grandma and Grandpa and some of the grandchildren!

Caroline relaxing by the fountain while we waited on grandma...she (surprisingly) wanted to swim in it!

We even fit in a trip to the aquarium on one of the windy, cool days and Caroline had the time of her life (Will did too, but he was not as shocked by what was in the tank!)!
This is what she is pointing at! YIKES!

My little pirates...climbing on the pirate ship structure....stopping for a picture to appease mom!
Caroline was not afraid this year (last year she was deathly afraid---stayed very far back from the water and kept asking me to turn it down because it was too loud!) I love that kid! She would run from the waves and laugh, saying, "It's chasing me, mom!"
Caroline buried Will....

And in turn, Will buried Caroline!

We had a GREAT time and can't wait to go back this summer (when mom doesn't have to wear a sweatshirt on the beach to stay warm!)!!!!!

Paige

CHAMPIONS AGAIN

ENOUGH SAID!

Paige

Not Me!

Not Me Monday

Therapy

I did NOT ignore my children at all as they ran through the house the other day arguing over whether they were playing against each other or on the same team. I usually do try to step in to remind them that we are a family and on the same team but I did not do that this time. I also, did NOT laugh out loud, when my three year old daughter said, "Fine then. I am not on your team! Mom?!?!?! Mom!!???!! Can I take my shirt off so I can be a skin?" I would never encourage such behavior or talk between my children nor would I allow my daughter to go around shirtless. Not me!

I did not tell my same three year old daugher to quit complaining about dinner or she would be going to bed early and hungry. I did not interrupt her everytime she started to say, "But mom...." with an "I am not listening to it young lady. Eat your dinner!" I would never do that, because I am kind and caring and always give my children a chance to speak their mind. I was also not mortified when she announced that she was "gwossed out" because her food had hair in it! Oh my! Not me! I would never make my children eat hairy food! That IS gross! (turns out it was just the stringy stuff on the fresh corn that had not all been taking off...)! :)

What have you NOT been doing this week?
Paige

Photo Post!

I love to see pictures of just about anything. When I am reading on someone's blog I love to see pictures of, well, whatever. I think it is fun. So, I try to post pictures as often as I can when I write. Since I have missed putting pictures on some posts, I am making up for it here. So, a photo post with a few cute kids...and a couple of captions!


She LOVES to talk on the cell phone...especially to her Aunt Leslie!!! Oh...they start early!

Him, not so much, but will if it is necessary. Here he is talking baseball with his cousin Elijah. It was a pretty cute conversation between two six year old boys. (don't you love his purple Larry Boy pajamas? He LOVES them and calls himself the Purple Monster!)

We were in Chattanooga and waiting to sit down and eat dinner. They were fascinated by this "fountain"! Will wanted throw a penny in it and Caroline...well, she wanted to swim in it.

They were looking at the Tennessee River. Will was in awe and wanted to just watch and Caroline...well she wanted to swim in it!

This is Will with his 3-D glasses on before Monsters vs. Aliens.

This is Caroline...she did not care that they were on wrong. In fact, she told us ours were on wrong and hers were right!

And she was firm on that!

RAIN!!

Rain!

I love the rain. I love the fact that it rejuvenates the land around us. It washes away the dust and pollen and allergens that are so irritating (or so the allergist says). It makes the flowers and grass grow and it usually smells so good after the rain finishes.

I love to hear the rain on the roof and even on the skylights we have in the kitchen and the den. Yeah, sometimes it is a little loud when I am trying to watch TV and the rain is beating against the skylights, but most of the time it is a pleasant sound. It makes me thankful to have a roof over my head and warm place to stay dry. It makes me thankful that God cares so much about the land that He provides the nourishment it needs when it needs it. I know that if He will take care of the land, He will provide for my every need too!

I especially love to listen to the rain when I can lie down and take a nap! It is a family tradition, or perhaps it is a genetic thing, that we nap when rain falls from the sky. Someone asked me once if I could sleep when it rained (strangely they could not) and I said, “Oh yes! I can sleep in the rain!” My husband, who was across the room tending to something else, and who should NOT have been eavesdropping much less commenting on our conversation, butted into the exchange and so sweetly said, “Yeah, and you can sleep in the middle of thunderstorms, and when it is dark and when it is light and if the sun is shining and if it is cloudy….” So, apparently, the rain has nothing to do with it!

Well, anyway I love the rain. Normally. However…

All it has done for the last eight days is rain. Rain! We either wake up to it or go to bed to it or both. I was picking up my daughter from her babysitter and at the top of the hill behind her house, I watched a huge tree fall over today for no apparent reason…all we could figure was that the ground was so wet (and it was a bit “blowy” according to Caroline) that the tree just fell over. That might be a negative side effect of rain.

No recess for the kids at school is another negative side effect. No time to play outside for my own children is yet another negative side effect. The headaches that tend to come my way could be another one…but that could also be from stress. I will reserve judgment on that for now.

I am ready for the rain to stop. I want, no I NEED, to see the sunshine. I need to feel the sun. I need to sit and soak up the sun. Which is why I can’t wait til this time next week. I am going to see my parents and sisters at the beach! Whoo-hoo! I am going to feel, sit and soak up the sun. I can hardly wait!

So, let's recap...this what I have seen of late:

And THIS is what I want to see:

Paige