All Aboard!!

This weekend we took the kids to a local train depot and enjoyed a Pumpkin Patch Train ride. I was SUPER excited because I knew the boys would LOVE it! I try not to spend money on things that they are too young for or I don't think they'll really fully enjoy but I knew a train ride was just perfect for them - and I was right. I told them the night before and they were so excited! They woke up Saturday morning ready to hit the road and get on that train!

Checking out one of the many trains with daddy

EXCITED!

As you can see it wasn't really a pumpkin patch as much as a field they had transported some pumpkins to - all the same to them :)

The attempted family shot

The train ride back was beautiful and quite peaceful - so much so that John-Mark actually fell asleep sitting up! Our friend Chris was kind enough to scoop him up and this his how he spent the rest of the train ride
When we got home I let the boys paint their pumpkins - such artists they are!

I said "John-Mark, stand next to your pumpkin and show it to mommy" - this is what I got. His shirt says "I'm a stinker" - how appropriate :)

Baby Boy got a hair cut

So, at 2 years and 2 months old we finally got John-Mark's first hair cut. Jeremy has been wanting to do it for months now but I had been holding him off. I just wasn't ready to cut all his curl away and thankfully Jeremy didn't take matters in to his own hands/razor like he did with James :) John-Mark, poor thing has his mommy's hair - very fine so it had gotten pretty thick in the back but because it's so fine it was just a mess every time he woke up. I was finally tired of having to "water" his hair down every morning to keep him from looking like he had bed head all the time :) We took him to Jeremy's regular Sports Clips and had him trimmed up - he LOVED it and was such a good boy the whole time. And, much to my delight all the curl/wave isn't gone!

Checking himself out in the mirror - feeling like a Big Boy for sure!Sitting so still during the hair cut - eyes on himself at all times :)
Enjoying the blow out
The finished product - still not looking at mommy - just admiring his good looks - as he likes to tell me "I so cute mommy" - yes you are baby, yes you are!

James had a little trim while we were there too. This was also a treat for him since Daddy is his normal stylist :)

Here are some fun pics of the kids around the house- brothers being silly for the camera

James being a good big brother and feeding everyone oatmeal - what a help for me!

Dinner time at the Allen's. The boys have their little table they eat at and while sisser isn't quite able to pull a chair up to the table she loves to just "pull up". The boys have learned to keep their plates as close to the window as they can get them so she can't grab them! She LOVES to eat. Outside of baby food her latest favorites are her morning oatmeal with the boys, little mandarin orange slices (which she's snacking on in the pic below), grapes and turkey. I've yet to find something she won't eat!

Thoughts

So, after my rant yesterday about the difficulties of disciplining I've had a few thoughts and a change of perspective.
First, I attend a mentoring moms small group through our church and I love it. Moms that are a little or a lot further down the road than I share, encourage, and challenge us all each week to be better wives and mommy's. This week we were talking about what we could each do to provide an environment of peace in our homes. After the morning we had (started with disciplining almost before my feet hit the floor - which always encourages you about the day:) which led to me whining to Jeremy about it which I'm sure made him feel real peaceful -public apology - sorry babe) I was thinking my home is the absolute opposite of peaceful right now. Then after some of the moms shared what peace looked like in their homes I realized that while things may feel a bit chaotic right now - I do have a 3, 2, and 11 month old and we are working to get there. The reason I have to remain diligent today is so that there will come a day in the future when the kids know to clean up their toys after playing with them and I don't have to carry a spoon around in my back pocket to "remind" them. They are learning the art of patience and only asking for something once, and waiting until I am able to complete their request instead of asking 20x until they get it! There will be a day when they will play amongst themselves so that I can pull dinner together and when Jeremy comes home I won't be frazzled beyond recognition and there's a lousy hot dog and mac n cheese waiting for him :) I know they are not perfect and there will always be tough days but in general this is what I'm working towards. I also realize that I can control if there is peace in my home or not and it's pretty silly to let my emotions be hijacked by the decisions of a 2 and 3 year old - I am the grown up for goodness sake!
Secondly, after small group we headed to Cosco to grab a few things and enjoy a foot long hot dog lunch - a favorite treat for my boys. As we were enjoying our lunch a couple walked by and honestly with a look of amazement the husband asked me if they were always this well behaved. Thinking about the last couple of weeks I replied, "um, they have their moments:)" The wife commented that their children would never sit still like that. To which I was reminded, and responded with what Jeremy always says "If they don't obey you at home they sure aren't going to obey you in public so we better beat them at home so we won't have to do it in public" (I use the word beat for emphasis) The husband got the biggest grin and looked at his wife and said "see" and back at me with a "thank you!". She went on to tell me that she's the softy with the kids. Now, I KNOW I am not a softy and sometimes I think maybe I don't love my kids as much or something because even though I don't enjoy disciplining them - I am committed to it! I told her that being a full time stay at home mom with 3 under 3 doesn't really allow for me to be a softy - they would run our house!!"
Of course after they walked away James wanted to know "what they say that for mommy" and I loved on him and John-Mark and told them what good boys they are (which honestly I wasn't even thinking about before that moment - so much for positive discipline - thanks God for the heads up:)
As we walked to the car I was talking to God and thanking Him for the encouragement of strangers to remind me that there is fruit or our labor (and repenting of the earlier morning whine session:). I am able to take my kids pretty much anywhere by myself. I never miss an opportunity to take them somewhere or do something with them because Jeremy is working and I need his help because I'm worried about their behaviors. I've never really thought about it but I think this is a pretty big deal.
I have no idea what this couple does but considering they were at Cosco together at lunch and she was dressed pretty professional I made the assumption that she works outside of the home and I thought I would be a softy too if I worked a full time job and then only got a good 3 or 4 hours with my kids each day. I surely wouldn't want to spend most of that time "training/disciplining" them! I would just want to have fun with them. I have often thought that maybe I would "love" my kids better if I was able to get out of the house more- solo- it would be easier. Maybe I wouldn't get flustered so easily. But you know what I realized - it wouldn't. It's never fun to discipline. And while some days I lay my head on my pillow almost in despair and I feel like all I did all day was discipline and correction - I am so thankful that I get the ENTIRE day with them and hopefully all the hard work from today will make tomorrow or maybe next week a little better.
Isn't God just the ultimate perspective shifter!?!

Around Here

It's been another week of "bootiful" (as James would say) days around here. Temps in the high 70's, low 80's - perfect. Lot's of outside playing and lots of baths (well, there should be lots of baths - sometimes I just do a quick wash with a wet wipe because getting THREE kids in and out of the bath can wear a girl out!)
We also have two new puppies in the house - let me introduce you:
They were soooo cute I just had to bring them home :) At the Y every time I come in to get the kids James is wearing a puppy dog costume and running around having the best time. I was at a consignment sale last week and I found these two costumes for $2 a piece and had to have them. I love these silly boys!
I also got a couple of bike helmets for the boys. I'm not sure if I've posted this here but Jeremy has started riding a bike for exercise. He's even taken it all the way to work - A 23+ miles ride! I'm so proud of him! Such determination. I'm pretty sure I would get to about mile 5 and be calling someone to come pick me up. The boys of course want to be just like him and James is getting a "big" boy bike so it was time to get helmets. James wants to wear his 24/7 - and probably not a bad idea with all the stumbling and falling we do around here!

James' interpretation of a cowboy :)We've also started a new thing this year - Community Bible Study. This is an interdenominational bible study that meets at different churches through out the city. They also have a great program for the children which we are all loving! James is learning so much about God's love and having so much fun. Both boys are learning lots of songs and it's so much fun to sing together - you know how much I love to sing. The other night I was reading about the 3 wise men and James said "mommy, wait" - and started doing the hand motions and singing "the wise man builds his house upon the rock"! LOVE. IT! I'm studying Revelation at CBS and wow is the Lord opening my eyes up to see Him in a different way! I'm absolutely overwhelmed by His power! This study is totally changing the way I worship Him. I've always envisioned him as the sweet Jesus that said "come to me little children" and while He is that He is also SOOO much more.

Gracie Belle is getting bigger everyday. Her top two teeth finally broke through so she has a grand total of 4 teeth now. I know I'm partial but isn't she getting prettier every day? She loves being outside and swinging or just watching the boys run around. Today we were at the park and a mom had two kids and one a little older than Gracie that was a new walker that she was having to track everywhere - I'll be honest - I'm not looking forward to that. I like being able to go and let the boys run around and not worry about them falling or walking in to a moving swing! Right now it's so easy to just stroll around with Gracie in the stroller - but I know my time is coming :)
She found her way to the boys bouncy house and with lots of work and determination she's able to pull herself in to it - I just have to make sure the boys aren't "wresting" when she's in it with them:)
Now, after all these fun, cute pics let me just tell you something not so fun and cute that is going on around here. DISCIPLINE - and lots of it! And I don't like it. I don't like to be disciplined very much, I don't like to discipline very much - ugh - but the Bible is clear about our need for discipline from the Lord as well as our call as parents to discipline our children. I now understand why people with a 3 year old are sometimes hesitant to have another child. It's not that they are terrible but they are demanding and require lots of consistency and quite frankly it's all a bit tiring for this mommy. Right now it appears that we are going through another "testing" phase with the boys which requires me to be on my game. It feels as if for the past couple of weeks my boys are totally oblivious to what first time obedience even remotely looks like - I'm talking from the big stuff like "don't hit your brother" to the little stuff of "put your underwear on". They are totally in this "I'm going to do what I want to do until you make me" mode and it's driving. me. crazy! And I'm not a softy - I think we are pretty firm disciplinarians around here. I can only imagine what we would be going through right now if we weren't!!! I think what makes it more challenging around here is John-Mark is going to do whatever James does so I am having to deal with these things ALL. DAY. LONG - with one or both of them. Another reason I'm glad Gracie isn't too mobile yet - at least one I'm not having to discipline so much, at least not yet:)
I put all this out there because while most of this blog is all mommy bragging stuff and I hope that 10 years from now I'll only remember all the "bootiful" days we had together - let me not forgot the hard work that went in to these years as well!

The two cutest UAB fans I know!

Wanna sit in my lap brudder?

Sure! :)

More beach pics

You may have noticed that our header picture is slightly different - same family pose but every one is looking at the camera - John-Mark looks a little out of it because he had been fast asleep about 2 minutes before we took the picture. Nana and Papa Rich sent us the pics they took while we were there and I'm so glad they did! The pics of the boys swimming remind me how much fun we had and what crazy little fish we have!!
Enjoy another round of Beach Trip 2010 pics :)

The Ladies Man :)

James swimming to the side of the pool!

John-Mark just hanging out in the pool - treading water all the while - doing the same below but this just shows how good he was at it - we're not even near him and he's just "floating" alongAll that work he needed a rest :)The boys loving playing in the ocean with Papa RichSeriously, what would these guys do without each other!?!

Sweet Gracie Belle and her Nana on the beach in their matching tops :)

Now, these pictures are what going to Nana's is all about - she is an amazing cook and even better baker - Jeremy grew up with a homemade cake in the house on a weekly basis - she let the boys help her make brownies and then lick the bowl!
James looks like he got caught with his hand in the cookie jar while John-Mark is too busy to even care!

Does he look happy or what?

Gracie's dedication and 11 month post

Baby girl is 11 months! She is becoming such a big girl - look at her riding around in her brothers push car - and loving it!
What's new with Gracie?:
She love, love, loves music and clapping! She loves when the boys start singing their ABC's or one of their bible study songs and she will start "dancing" and clapping like crazy. She also will clap on command and is quite proud of herself when she does. She is in that phase where she loves to stick her finger in my eyes and mouth and she's learning the names of all the parts of the face. She has a little baby doll that she loves and when we ask her "where's your baby" she'll go find her and smile so big! The boys love to bring her baby and say to her "baby" to which she responds with "ba ba" or rasberries - that's probably her favorite thing to do right now. Sometimes she'll get started in the car and since she's facing the boys they'll start doing it too which makes for some pretty slobbery kids when we get to our destination!
Her favorite words are dada, mama, and baba right now.
It's almost time to move from the bottle to the sippy cup and so far she's not too good with a sippy cup. She likes to play with it but doesn't really drink from it yet.
She still only has her two bottom teeth but those two top middle teeth are visible right under her gums so we expect them to break through any day now.
She's still not walking - however her crawl is becoming more of a walk/crawl where she gets up on her toes and pushes along. She pulls up on everything but struggles getting herself down still. She isn't cruising around the furniture yet and we bought her a little push toy and it kind of scares her when it starts to move - she usually just gets herself spread out as far as she can and then falls instead of moving her feet forward. No worries, I know she'll be walking soon and she keeps me on my toes enough as it is just crawling. She loves to be in the middle of where the boys are and wants to touch them and pull up on them all the time. She also has a gift for finding ANYTHING on the floor - no matter how small and it goes straight in to her mouth.
Hangin' out with the boys - I think it's almost time to get her a chair as well :)
The picture below you can tell she is turning away from messing with John-Mark and he's pulling away from her - slightly annoyed :)

She's ready to color too!Well, we finally formally dedicated our sweet Gracie girl to the Lord at our church this past Wednesday. It was kind of hectic getting everyone dressed and there late in the evening and then I forgot our camera and was stressed over that. Thankfully my dear friend, Laura Gail's mother had her camera so we were able to get some pictures. It was a sweet time to be able to stand together as a family with our church family and recommit that Gracie is not ours but the Lords and our need for His help as we raise her to become a woman after His heart. So thankful for such a wonderful church that our babies will be able to grow up in!

My sweet mom made Gracie's dedication dress - so pretty. When we got home I wanted to get some pics of her in it on our camera and the boys were getting undressed - they ran out in diapers and undies and wanted a pic with her as well -

Can you tell she loves these boys! She is such a happy girl but these boys always make her smile even more! She can't get enough of them :)