A Mother's Heart

Back From New Jersey!

Here we are, safe and sound and back from vacation. Hmmm, vacation, I guess that's what you'd call it!  No, we really did have a good time, it's just that with 2 little ones, travelling is never easy, especially for Mom!

We were visiting my husband's parents and his sister and her family.  It WAS a great time visiting with family.  We were able to take Adam to the Jersey shore for the second time, but he didn't really enjoy it all that much.  Pictures to come!

We were also able to spend the day in NYC sans children, which was great! We went to a great italian restaurant and to a Broadway show.

The rest of our time was spent relaxing and visiting with family.  Even though my husband and I are very much alike, it's amazing how different our families are.  It's just a different speed of life, I guess.  Our speed = slow, their speed = fast!!  Andrew said, "I wonder if I would be like that if we had stayed in NJ or NYC?" 

"No," I said.  "We left for a reason.  It just didn't fit us!"

The 4 days in the car went exceptionally well.  I have 2 GREAT travellers!  More pics on that, too!  The nights in the hotel weren't quite so great, especially on the way home, when the boys decided to wake at 3:30 AM!!!  After a little while of denial, Andrew and I decided to just get a VERY early start.  We were on the road by 5AM!

So, all's well that ends well, and Mamma is very happy to be home!!

Leslie 

Low Sodium, Here We Go!

Well, my husband has been diagnosed with some pretty severe high blood pressure.  He went to the doctor for daily headaches....I'm so glad he did!  It turns out his BP was around 150/117, I think. 

He was immediately put on meds to bring it down, and now we've jumped on the low cal, low sodium wagon!  At first, I felt daunted.  I had just gotten my meal planning down pat, and now I had to throw ALL my recipes out!  But after extensive search on the internet, and examining my recipes, I'm confident I'll be able to build a recipe box full of good, healthy, EASY meals for my family. 

I know this will be a great blessing when all is said and done.  We needed a boost toward healthy living and weight loss (especially my wonderful husband), and this was what it took. 

So, here's to healthier eating, and setting a great example for my boys!!!

If anyone has web site recommendations for recipes, I'm all ears.

Leslie

A Day at the Carnival and Thoughts on Discipline

Oh, the Fourth of July!  During the week of the glorious Fourth, our little town musters up the grandest celebration of the year.  We have a carnvial for 4 days, and 2 nights of fireworks.  The people come in droves, I tell you!  And of course we were there, endlessly riding the merry go round and train ride (the only 2 Adam was able to ride).  He had such a great time! 

Grandpa told us we should go the first night, because he thought it would rain all the other evenings.  But I think it was just a plot, because it didn't rain at all, and Grandpa took Adam the next 2 nights!  Just Grandpa and Adam.  I don't know who had more fun!

Do you think this Grandpa is smitten with his grandsons?  I feel so blessed to live in the same town as my parents.

So, my discipline dilemma.  We have been doing much better in the last days.  I realized that I was just getting all worked up, and making the situation worse.  I try to be calm and firm, and I give him a choice.  Either you can obey mamma all by yourself (tapping into that 2 yr old independence) or mamma will make you obey, and that's no fun! 

Also, I try to take care of little problems before they take over.  At the first sign of whining, he has a time out.  Any hitting or pushing, he gets a spanking, etc. 

So, although I know that before I get comfortable with this, a new challenge will arise, I feel very good about our progress thus far!

Leslie

Outdoor fun!

We do love playing outside!

But lately Adam has been very negative and disobedient.  He is testing every limit, and my patience!  I pray daily for God's wisdom, diligence, and consistency.  I want to make it through this "phase" triumphant, not regretting every decision, like I am lately.

Sometimes I just don't know what to do!  Anyone else live in fear of "ruining" their kid?

Leslie

Yelling At My Children?

I still consider myself at the "starting gate" of this parenting adventure.  As my oldest is only 2 and a half, I am just on the cusp of the real parenting issues.  However, it's never too early to start losing your cool. 

I unfortunately have already found myself raising my voice, or becoming overly harsh with my son.  Now is the time to nip it in the bud!!

Carrie over at How I Love Thee has issued a challenge.  Responding to your children in a Godly manner.  I am ready!  I need to know now how to deal with stressful situations, because I can only assume they will get even more stressful as time goes by.

I think I tend to yell when I am not giving my full attention to my boys.  Trying to clean, or cook dinner, etc.  While these things are necessary, they are no excuse for responding wrongly.  I need to think before I speak!

Also, I get frustrated when Adam just doesn't seem to be obeying me, despite repeated attempts.  This is MY problem, not his.  I need to be more diligent and patient in my training of him.

So, with these things in mind, let the challenge begin!  It is never too early or too late!!  My precious boys deserve the best from me in my parenting efforts.

Leslie

What Do People Crave?

People are emotional creatures.  I believe the Lord created us exactly like that for a reason.  He gave us hearts to feel love, hate, joy, friendship, compassion, etc.  We crave those emotions.  We crave something REAL! 

Why are we drawn to the dramatic story, the tragedy, the underdog who overcomes adversity?  We crave the raw emotion we find there. 

I think that as Americans we are more likely to hide our feelings away than express them.  We live in a very isolated world, filled with words like freedom, individuality, and human rights.  We aren't supposed to want or need other people. 

God wants to fill that need for emotion, for realness.  Am I real with God?  Am I real with others?  I don't think so.

I hope to be able to be more real.

Summer Fun

I have 2 little water bugs!  I know where we will be spending many hours this summer....in the water!

I bought this cute little pool at K Mart, early in the spring.  Of course, the very first time we used it, it sprung a leak!  The patch seems to be holding, however, and considering it was only 5 or 10 dollars, I think we'll get our money's worth out of it.

Enjoy the summer!

Leslie

Adam's Help

As you can see, Adam is a great big help in the garden.  His latest thing is to help me hoe.  That's quite a trip!  I'm torn between wanting to encourage him and wanting to save my precious plants!  So I let him hoe in my soon-to-be strawberry patch.  It's all the same to him!

Leslie

I was Tagged!

Ok, I am not very blog-savvy, but here goes nothing! 

Monica a Books, Bedlam and a Lively Hope tagged me. 

At the end of the post, the player then tags 6 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog.

Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

1)  What was I doing 10 years ago?

Let's see - at 20, I was a sophmore in college, one year from finishing my BA in English.  I was not in a very good place spiritually.  For some ridiculous reason that even now I can't explain, I was participating in stupid activities involving drinking.  Most, if not all of my most shameful memories came from this time.....wow, was that really just 10 years ago??

2) What are 5 things on my to-do list for today?

Well, since today's almost over, tomorrow I need to:  do laundry, grocery shop, hoe my beans (while keeping Adam from hoeing UP my beans!!), take care of muchkin 1, take care of munchkin 2!!

3)  Snacks I enjoy:

Pringles, ANYthing chocolate, ice cream, popcorn

4)  Things I would do if I were a billionaire:

Wow!  well, tithe, buy a house with at least 2 bathrooms, set up massive college accounts for my boys (and any future kids), then probably spend the rest of my life giving it away and wishing I weren't a billionaire!

5)  Places I have lived:

I am gratefully back home now in my stomping ground of rural MO, but other than Missouri I haved lived in NYC (Staten Island then in a studio apartment nearly under a highway in Brooklyn), New Mexico near the 4 corners, and while in college I spent a semester studying in England, and lived in a 19th century manor house - definitely my grandest residence!! Check it out here

http://www.ueharlax.ac.uk/harlaxton/index.cfm

well, there it is!

I am tagging:

MicheleC11

Kim2661

DJGreenway29

KwithJosephines

momma25js

Rain, Rain, Go Away!

We have had so very much rain lately!  It seems annoying now, but it is awesome for my garden.  My beautiful garden is sprouting like crazy.  Everything is at least up now, I'm just holding on to 2 plants that need to go in to replace some storm casualties.  I lost 2 tomato plants!

As you can see, my Adam loves to play with my um-be-da....umbrella.  Good thing!

I've been feeling very disorganized lately.  I'm not the most organized person in the world on the best of days, and it seems that lately many things have happened to even further throw me into chaos.  We have all been sick in the last few weeks, with my almost one year old even needing a trip to the ER for dehydration. 

Also, little Ryan is coming into that stage where he is needing more supervision and training.  Add in the fact that he is now down to one nap per day and you have one busy mom!

I don't like feeling out of kilter, and I'm thinking the time has arrived for a real schedule.  Up to now, the boys and I have led a pretty fancy-free life.  Time to crack that whip!  I knew this would come sooner or later, so now it's time to bite the bullet and figure out a daily schedule.  I think we'll all be better off for it.

Leslie

How Does My Garden Grow?

Here is a shot of my beautiful garden, with its load of beautiful manure!  Who knew you could get so excited about waste matter!!!

My wonderful husband and I spent an evening spreading all this out with shovels, as it was dumped in a big pile just to the LEFT of my garden.  I wish they could have dumped it ON my garden, but oh well.  We got some good exercise!

As of right now, my tomato and pepper plants are in, as are all my seeds.  Now we wait! 

Adam loves to water Mamma's garden.  Such a big helper!

I hope all your seeds are germinating as we speak.  I love spring!!!

Leslie

My Beautiful Home

Here is a picture of my house with our wonderful NEW front porch and front door!  Previously, we had treacherous, uneven concrete stairs with no railing, and some really bright fuscia outdoor carpet.  Also, our front door was installed wrong, and I would repeatedly scrape my knuckles on the door frame when opening the door.  Frustration!

We are so very happy with our new - up to code - porch and stairs.  My mom has MS, so it seemed particularly urgent that we get some safe stairs, unless we never wanted Grammy to come over again!!

Now for some moonflowers, and I'll be in heaven!

Leslie

Sandbox Joy

When I was a kid, my dad built me all kinds of things.  From a sandbox to a working miniature covered wagon (big Little House fan!) if I asked for it, he made it.

My dad decided it was time to build the boys a sandbox.  As you can see, Adam is very excited about this development.  He was a big helper, and handed my dad every single screw, and there were 65!

Now, 2 truckloads of sand later, it's time for some full-blown sand fun!  Granted, Adam won't actually get in the sandbox, and insists on shoveling sand from the edge, but we'll work on it!

Leslie

Brag Time!

I think it's about time for me to brag on my beautiful boys! 

My Adam is now 2 1/2 years old, and as Grammie and Grandpa say, he is a genius!  He talks more and more every day, and he says the cutest things.  He has decided he doesn't like "short pants".  He has one special favorite pair of pants, and if I put something on him that he doesn't like, he says, "I want my green pants!"  He loves wearing his "candy cane jammies"

He loves ravioli, and yesterday I made spaghetti pie, and he ate it up like a big boy!  We are currently working on putting our toys away in a timely fashion, and on coming in from outside without whining. 

Adam loves to be outside!  He pushes his bubble mower around just like Daddy's big mower, and LOVES to play with Dad's hammers and screwdrivers.  His new favorite phrase (which he must have learned from Daddy) is "We working hard today!"  He loves to help me set the table, put clothes in the washer and dryer, pour and stir anything.  He loves music, and sometimes plays piano on my face, arm, anything!  He is a very good helper. 

Ryan is now 11 months old.  What a big boy! 

He is very active, and has a bit of temper.  Sometimes, if he doesn't get what he wants, he'll crawl straight into something!  He loves his mama, and loves playing with his brother. 

Aren't my boys handsome?

Leslie

Of My Childhood

After reading Monica's post about her childhood memories, 

http://www.homesteadblogger.com/mennobrarian/

I am inspired to do the same.

I grew up in a small town, with my best friend right around the corner.  We had such a good time!

Playing and fishing and catching crawdads and tadpoles in the creek all day long,

Building sand castles in the sandbox my dad built us,

Lemonade stands,

Making forts and bows and arrows,

Making tapes of us singing in my room,

Telling "stories" on tape,

Playing kick the can and ghost in the graveyard with all the neighborhood kids,

Eating dinner with my family every night at 5:00,

Playing with the dogs and dressing up the cats,

Jumping on my friend's trampoline (the hit of the neighborhood),

Riding 3 wheelers,

Riding bikes to the store,

Washing the neighbors cars,

Doing gymnastics in the front yard,

Walking to school.....

Could any kid have wanted more?  Add to all this a mom and dad who were loving and Godly, modeling for me a Christian life and marriage.  I had a truly golden childhood.  I hope very much to be able to offer my own kids the same experiences.  I was given the freedom to know myself, yet given the guidance to know who I should be.