Happy Heart Day

After having kids, I have grown to love Valentine's more and more. This year I decided I need to focus on the big kid in the house too.

Remember I said I wasn't on Pinterest a while back? Well, I took the plunge and joined to get some ideas for Lily's B'day party coming up. And in the process I found lots of other ideas. I found some great ones for Valentine's--for the kids and the grown ups.

I found this idea for your spouse and decided to do it for Lily instead (similar to the Heart Attack we did a few years back). I printed out the ABC cards and wrote something for the 26 days prior to VDay.

For the big kid--I found a cheesy idea. It was called the 14 Days of Valentine's. Each day he got a new treat. He loved it and looked forward to it.

Instead of going out for Valentine's with all you crazies :) we went out for his birthday "Honey-Comb your hair because we have a date tonight". And on Valentine's day we put Lily to bed early and Max joined us for a yummy home cooked meal, complete with this dessert.

I loved each of these ideas. I was able to focus on each of them (Max got to eat every 3 hours--don't think he got left out!)

Snowflake

Nope, this mild winter is not producing snow. But Snowflake, Lily's class pet/mascot was able to come home with us over the weekend.

At the end of the weekend she was to write a report of what Snowflake was able to do.

100th Day of School

This year Lily's class has been counting the days learning how to get to 100 (and just to brag--my girl figured it out in K4). In celebration of making it to 100, the kids had a party and were able to dress up as if they were 100 years old. I had a blast getting creative and making her costume.

Showing off her gray hair.

And here is the nursing home 80 years from now:

Accomplished Kindergartener

It is amazing how much spiritual growth we have seen in Lily this year. She has not asked Jesus to be her Savior yet, but she is so curious and talking more about what she is learning in her class each Sunday. The K5 Sunday School class (Life Group is so hard to say for the little ones) has been working all year on the books of the New Testament as well as the Ten Commandments. I am so proud that my girl has learned both during the fall semester!

Listen to her sing her NT books.

Here is the trophy (her first) for saying the Ten Commandments from memory.

Super proud of you Lily!!

Christmas PJs

Last year JD and I took over the tradition of giving the kids PJs each year. I decided to make the kids matching PJs this year. You know, I will only be able to do it for so long before they boycott being dressed alike. But for now, I will take full advantage. (About half way through sewing I asked JD about boys and polka dots. Oops. I was just thinking red and white were good neutral colors. I'm still learning this boy thing!)

We actually didn't open then on Christmas Eve as we typically do. We didn't get home that night until nearly 11pm. Plus, JD was about 30 minutes later getting home than we were. We planned to open/wear on Christmas morning, but Lily would NOT put them on. Oh well. I told her on the last night " we must get a picture while we are still at Mimi and Pops." And she was very willing.

The little guy waiting

Getting a little 'posing with little ones' practice

Can't wait for next Christmas to add another GIRL to the PJ pic!!

Matchy Matchy, Christmas style

Love that I can make matching outfits for the kiddos!

Here's one side.

And the reverse.

And the precious kids I made them for!

Oh how I love them.

It's a Date

Hey Folks--We have a guest blogger in the house!

Ever since KLee and I started talking about having kids, people began sharing words of wisdom about how to be the best parents we could be. One that stuck with me was 'be intentional'. Set aside time where it's just you and each child.

Lily and I have done that in the past with things like daddy/daughter dates but we have one standing appointment each week that I cherish greatly. In fact, we've been doing it so long now that I can't remember when it started. Probably as soon as she could stand on a chair. Anyway, every Saturday morning Lily and I get up (while mommy sleeps), and make waffles for breakfast.

When we started it, all I could think was 'no messes, please'. But as I relaxed and began letting her "help", that time together became more and more fun and more and more messy of course. One day we started adding mommy's food coloring to make colored waffles. Now a days Lily gets out everything she can reach, we both know the ingrediants and quantities by heart (thank you Bisquik), and she does most of it herself. Oh, we also have gotten more creative in our coloring effects.

I remember KLee sharing memories of sitting on the counter while her mom cooked and I love the idea of Lily sharing the memory of Waffles Saturday with her future family. Hopefully it will lead her to be intentional with her kids. I know I look forward to many more Saturdays with her. Pretty soon she'll me leading and Max will be helping...and mommy will still be sleeping...

It's Playtime

I mentioned a while back that our awesome neighbors GAVE us (as in for free) their playset. With lots of pretty days this fall, JD and Lily got it finished in time to enjoy it a bit before the weather cooled off.

We have swings.

A fort.

Peep eye!

A monkey swing. (And a super fast slide.)

And Monkey bars.

JD made a couple of changes/additions to the existing structure. We now have a platform for each side of the monkey bars. And a climbing wall.

We can't wait for spring to be here!!

Thanksgiving Play

I can't believe it! My girl is old enough to be in her first play! JD and I were so excited to see her. (And Max was just beside himself.) For the last couple of weeks Lily has come home telling us all about this play and who says what and singing thankful songs.

She played the part of a Puritan woman. Isn't she cute?

We loved every second!

The Thank You Meal

This sememster Lily's church music class did a Thanksgiving performance instead of Christmas. It was super cute. We haven't learned how to get good seats for video and pictures yet. But we did our best to capture the memories! 

(Lily is on the back row, far right side. Hard to see her as Blogger won't let me put up a decent sized video.)

Brazil Week

Read THIS if you haven't already. The following will make more sense if you do.

We played the grace card for a while. Thinking maybe that was the answer to the issues we were having. But it only seemed to compound the problem. (Not saying the article wasn't a huge stab to my pride and heart.) All the grace-giving lead to entitlement syndrome. (Yes, I just made that up.) She then believed she deserved to get to watch TV, chew 'blue gum', get dessert or she "needed snuggle time" to get out of punishment. Yep, a problem.

We then reverted back to very consistent punishment for her actions and there was zero grace for a week and no warnings. She knew the rules and the consequences. We also had a major intervention. Here is a bit of background for this project.

1. In 2005, JD took his first mission trip with our church to Brazil. He has been on 4 trips and will be heading back in the spring. To prep for this trip, he is using Rosetta Stone to teach himself Portuguese. (It really does work, in case you were wondering.)

2. In 1998 (give or take a year either way), I began sponsoring a child through Compassion International. ("Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults.") When JD and I married, we added another child. A girl for me and a boy for him. He picked a boy from Brazil. Over the years we have had kids leave the program. We recently picked up a new girl who is 10 days older than Lily. She lives in Brazil.

With that bit of background, our major intervention was to teach Lily about how the Compassion kids in Brazil live.

Monday we learned lots of facts about Brazil.

• It is about the size of the US.
• There are 184 million people living there.
• The largest river, the Amazon, runs through the country.
• They speak Portuguese.
• They eats lots of fish, chicken, rice and beans.
• There are lots of different landscapes--grasslands, pine forests, plateaus, wetlands, beaches, and rain forests.
• They have lots of tropical fruit.
• The animals are different than the US--jaguar, capybara, tamir, sloth, snakes, piranhas, pink dolphin etc (just like on Diego).

On Tuesday we got out her GLOBE and found where it was compared to where we live. It let us listen to the national anthem and told us other interesting info.

Wednesday night are church nights, so we didn't talk much then.

On Thursday night we talked all about Compassion and what our two kids in Brazil are like--their houses are different, they don't have many clothes or toys, they don't get to go to school, they have to run errands for their families, just to name a few. But with our sponsorship to these two little ones they are able to go to school, eat well, get medical care, and most importantly, learn about Jesus. Everyone does not have what we have. We must be thankful for what God has given us and share it with others--not expect others to hand us whatever we want.

Friday afternoon we took some time to write to our newest Compassion child. Lily loved getting to tell all about herself. I hope we will be better about writing consistently so these girls can get to know each other across the ocean.

Probably the biggest thing we did all week was change our menu. Yes, we ate like Brazilians all week! I found a great website with recipes. Everything is flavored with onion, garlic, parsley, salt, and pepper. And every meal is served with rice and beans--flavored with the same spices. And Wednesday night at church we had rice too! Perfect timing!

Monday: Fried Chicken, rice and beans

Tuesday: Breaded steaks, rice and beans, cheese rolls

Wednesday: Pork loin, rice, collard greens

Thursday: Chicken soup, beans, fruit sampler: bananas, pineapple, clementines, mango (all were similar to what they have in Brazil)

Friday: McDonalds (because EVERY country has a McDonalds!)

There was no TV for the week. Lily had to play outside after school. I did not make her run errands for me though. We figured since we do not actually live in Brazil that would get a friendly (or not so friendly) call from DSS.

Throughout the week, with this intervention and consistent discipline, we did see improvements with the entitlement and whining. We began to see a thankful heart and a servanthood come out in her. She has had such a sweet and obedient spirit. Her manners have been over the top. We are so thankful the Lord layed this idea on our hearts, not only to make life easier for us, but to also remind our family that we do not deserve anything that we have. We have been blessed and we need to continue to use what God has given us to further his Kingdom.

Struggles

Life is not always peachy. And most of the time blogging is about sharing triumphs. We paint this perfect picture of our families for the world to see, but behind closed doors, it is less than wonderful.

Our biggest struggle of late has been our oldest child. The once angel has transformed before our very eyes. Not to say she has always been perfect, but she had more positive than negative until now. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my daughter, we just have not seen eye to eye lately. At. All.

We have seen lots of attitude changes in the past 3 months--sassing, whining (until the cows come home...and we don't live on a farm), arguing, complaining, etc. JD and I have tried multiple avenues of punishment. We have moved around bedtimes to get more sleep. We have rewarded. Some to show temporary improvement, only to revert back to the behavior that is less than desirable.

Then I read this article in the October 2011 issue of ParentLife Magazine.

An Unexpected Gift: Lessons Through a Hairbrush
by Angie Smith

She wants me to brush her hair. She knows how to do that herself, and I suspect she is wasting time.
"Kate, brush your hair and get in the car." I shout down the hallway.
Silence.
"Kate, do you hear me?" She is out of chances, and I am out of patience.
"Yes ma'am" comes the quiet, tentative answer.
I am flustered, trying to carry the car seat and get three other kids in the car without losing my mind. I am well aware that we are already 20 minutes late.
I shake my head, gather up my bags, and walk to the car where the other two have already buckled up.
"Where's Kate?" Ellie asks.
"She's taking her sweet time again," I say under my breath. Only it wasn't really under my breath because Abby heard me and made a comment about how we are always waiting on Kate because she is in her own world most of the time.
I drop Charlotte's car seat in its base and look at the back door, imagining that for once my 5-year old will listen without me having to ask her 15 times. No luck. By the time I make it in the house I am furious. I storm down the hall and as i get closer  to the bathroom i can hear her talking to herself. I swing open the door to find her sitting on the cold tile floor, doll in hand. I don't realize it at first, but as i open my mouth to ask her what she was doing I notice she has a tiny plastic hairbrush in her hand.

A Realization
Instead of snapping at her as I had intended, I felt the Lord speak to my tired soul.
You are teaching them how to care for others.
You don't have "time" to brush her hair and yet you expect her to make time for others.
You say disrespectful things about her in front of her sisters and then you expect them to respect her.
I stood frozen in the doorway. She looked up at me as she started to stand, realizing she hadn't done what was expected of her.
"I'm sorry , Mommy. I forgot."
She set down her little brush and reached for the one her size.
I put my hand over hers and whispered, "I'll do it, Sweetie."
I bent down to her and gave her a big hug, all the while praying the Lord would remind me of this feeling when I get caught up in everything else. As I brushed through the tangles and watched her face light up, I thought about what a gift it was to be able to have the chance.

Ummm...was someone inside my house videoing my family? This story hit the nail on the head. This is how we roll. How many times have I waited until the last minute to get up, rushed to get me ready, and forced Lily to rush to get ready too? She is always wanting some snuggle time. Many times I tell her no, "because we are late." How many times have I said hurtful things to her because I was frustrated?

I have torn down my little one's spirit. She is only 5 and still learning. The last thing I need to do is beat her down and not give her the love that she deserves. She is a child of God and a precious gift in my life. I need to treat her as such instead of acting like she is a burden.

Now, get up and go love on your kiddos and extend lots of grace!

Just a Swingin'

Daddy finshed part one of the play set! And she has already spent HOURS outside playing! I'm loving this perfect weather!

My Texas Rangers

**Yes, the WS is over, but I am catching up.**

Our Texas Rangers are in the World Series again this year! Woot! We love it when they play in the post season because we can finally watch the games!

Max and Daddy got to sport the Dallas Cowboys apparel, now it is time for Lily to have her turn!

We had a friend send us a little baseball jacket for Max. Isn't he just the cutest thing?? I love him so!

All dressed up for the game!

Pumpkin Patch Time

It's Lily's first field trip for K5.

But let's back up a bit.

I am amazed at how quickly she is learning. She has a unit study each week. She has studied dinosaurs, spiders, bats, and rocks so far. She is now officially taking a math class and having tests! What? And she has popcorn words every week. She can now spell/read her colors, rock, spider, bat, I, see, and like. Those are the ones of the top of my head.

It is kinda weird hearing her use words like paleontologist, omnivore, echolocation, sedimentary rock, etc. Those are some big words! She is also walking through the Bible learning more and more details. I love how much she is enjoying school!

While learning colors, she was able to make a tie dye shirt. This is the shirt they will wear on all their field trips "so Ms. H doesn't get lost from them."

And why not make it a family affair. So glad Max is such an easy baby! He was perfect!

It's About Time

Lily turned five seven months ago. It was right after Christmas and we were still playing with her new Christmas toys. So, I stashed away most of her birthday goodies and have been bringing out something new about once a month.

She got this garden stone to decorate. I knew it would take some effort to pull it out and to decorate it with all the colored glass, etc. But I really didn't know how much time it was going to take. For some reason, I thought it was already formed. Oh no, we had to mix up the concrete. Oh yeah, this is a Daddy job for sure!

Lily and I made the design and had all the glass pieces layed out and John mixed and poured the concrete. We placed all the pretties and then had to let it sit, for two days.

Then we cleaned all the mess off the glass and then continued to let it sit. For days upon days.

But, I think it turned out pretty nice even though it was a project that took way more time than I like to spend on crafts. I guess it's all worth it when she is super proud of her work!

Charlotte's Web

For a while now, I have wanted to sit down with Lily and read a chapter book. When I was home back in December, I picked up a couple from my childhood to read with her. Book number one: Charlotte's Web. She loves animals and I thought it would be a great place to start.

It took us about 4 weeks to finish. Read about a chapter per day, skipping a few days trying to get into the routine of school. But it was a special time we spent together.

Did she comprehend it all or listen intently to every single word I read? Of course not. I think I probably read the book twice. But when it was over I googled a quiz and she did great on it! Guess she was paying attention more than I thought.

The near ending was a bit overwhelming. We had to read it three times for it to sink in. Then we took a break before finishing it. She went to her room and came back with a piece of paper.

Guess she really is using the pencil to express those feelings.

And after all the words were read, we celebrated by watching the movie!

Can't wait to do it again. I have the Little House series and I also picked up some classics from the Target Dollar spot a few weeks back.

What chapter books have you read/want to read with your kids?

We Remember

On the 10th anniversary of an event that changed our nation, our church had a remembrance service. It was a time to honor our local service men and women, emergency personnel, and elected officials. It was also a time to reflect on who are true rescuer is. Jesus.

Because of all the publication of 9/11, JD and I took some time to talk with Lily about the tragic events. We looked at pictures and even watched some video. We discussed how the world is an evil place that need Jesus and we are here to share HIM with those who we come in contact with every day.

She asked lots of questions and we tried to answer them to the best of our ability and pray that God will give her peace about the others.

A couple of hours later, she showed us this (an old craft with new drawings on it). It seems as though she expresses herself through drawing.

On the "J" is an airplane flying over a tall building filled with people. At the bottom is a firetruck.

On the "M" are the twin towers, each with and airplane flying into them.

As I have watched the news reports of the events, I have found myself loving on my family more and thanking God for the blessings he has given to me, all while remembering that everything I have is HIS.

Pintrest

I had to say no.

Pintrest started getting big while I was big--as in great with child. I spend enough time online reading emails, blogs, and facebook. I have heard it has some great ideas, but I also heard it was a time sucker.

But I have still been able to find some great ideas through the blogs I already read. Go ahead, pin it. I won't be. :)

Manners Candle
A camp friend of mine started using a manners candle at her dinner table, and since it was such a great idea, JD and I decided to put one at our table. We came up with three manners to work on at the dinner table:

1. Don't eat before we pray.
2. Stay in your seat.
3. Don't interrupt.

Each night we light the candle. As long as the manners are being followed, the candle burns. Once the candle burns all the way down, we get a prize. Lily decided she wants to take a trip to the dollar store for a toy.



What's For Lunch?
Lily is packing her lunch every day at school. Instead of frantically trying to find something to eat each morning, she has a LUNCH MENU to fill out for the week. We picked out items we know she likes and that are healthy. She can arrange them anyway she wants. When looking at her menu, I know what to shop for.

Lunchbox Love Notes
A friend recently asked me to write notes to put in her son's lunch box. She loaned me the book Love Notes in Lunchboxes. I love that just a simple note can encourage my girl while she is away from home. And since I love the idea so much, I am copying. I would love for our friends and family to be in on the notes in her lunchbox every day. Would you do that for her? You can mail them or give them to me at church. Be sure to read Beth's POST for more details and some examples. 4x6 is about as big as they can get without folding. She will LOVE having a note from someone other than Momma and Daddy!

Weekly Meal Planner
Lily has her meal planner, now I need mine. I found this FREE printable. My grocery list and meal list is all on one page. I have loved it so far. This girl makes so cute stuff. You can see all her free stuff HERE.

***Now, don't forget to pick up a note card, scrapbook paper, or whatever your medium of choice is and write some sweet words to my girl!! Thanks in advance!

Homework

Crazy to think my girl is old enough to have homework. Fortunately, it is easy and she is a smart girl.