Our Weekend in a List

1. Jim installed an air intake in his truck with a coworker.
2. Gracie got to play with "that boy".
3. I got my hair cut!
4. Madelyn did not take an afternoon nap.
5. We went to Jim's boss' house for a southwestern food night.
6. Madelyn did not fall asleep on the way home.
7. Madelyn was up all night and we have no idea why.
8. Jim drove her around in the car from 1:00 to 4:00 in the morning. Not the best idea, but a desperate attempt to stop the crying.
9. Madelyn slept restlessly in the car and was up from 4:00-7:00 this morning.
10. Jim and I laughed so hard at a cartoon Gracie was watching. Was it really that funny or were we so tired that we were delirious?
11. I walked into my classroom this morning with everything set up and a gift waiting there for me. Thank you, Mandi! You are awesome!
12. Will our kids ever sleep through the night every night???
13. Did I mention that 3 out of the 4 of us are sick?
14. I almost forgot...Jim and I started watching The Long Long Trailer. It's funny!
15. We have a farm animal noise puzzle that randomly "baas" and "neighs" at us. Will that wake the girls or maybe the kid who are SCREAMING outside right now?
16. Lord, please help us to keep our focus on you.

Favorite Moments

*M carrying baby Caroline (the doll) by the head. She just looked so funny!

*G deciding on her own to wear a dance costume all day and dance and sing. I always saw little girls wearing ballerina costumes and secretly wished G would do that.

*M putting a sticker on my shirt and being so proud of herself

*G and I spent most of the afternoon yesterday in our bathroom watching TV and doing art. Thank you for our big bathroom!

*G talking to Joseph and Lydia on the phone. It made me laugh!

*M reading a book so close to her face that her eyes crossed

*Theo (the puppet) visiting the girls

*finding a bunch of preschool letter ideas on another blog. I love blogs!

*how excited G is to pop the bubble wrap that came in a package...and Jim popping them so fast that it sounded like music.

Attitude Adjustment

Today has been a rough day of wiping Gracie's nose and avoiding getting sneezed on. My attitude has been bad today, so I am writing our favorite moments as a reminder to myself to focus on the positive.

Yesterday's Moments
*G asked to cuddle with me.
*We got a free rose from the store. Gracie picked an orange one.
*researching new cameras
*M laughing at the word baboon! Gracie did the same thing when she was younger.

Today's Moments
*G telling jokes while we made supper. Everything ended with, "It had to go potty. Ha, ha, ha!"
*M hugging me and patting me after her bath
*G let me wash her hair without giving me problems. Thank you!!!
*homemade vanilla pudding with coconut...yum!

Favorite Moments

*how cute Madelyn looked while helping me push the laundry basket
*Madelyn brushing my hair
*playing tag with Gracie in the yard
*smelling the creamy rice cereal with brown sugar, cinnamon and raisins as I cooked it for breakfast tomorrow...yum!
*introducing Gracie to Cinderella..."They're wearing mad faces. This is a bad part."

Also from the mouth of Gracie,
"Where do you put your mind when you lose it? I put mine in a box."

Weekend Favorite Moments

*showing Gracie a music video that her doll Caroline is in
*Madelyn trying to sit on Gracie's lap
*Madelyn hugging Gracie before going to bed
*watching Andy Griffith while eating
*taking the girls to the park
*hearing Madelyn laugh with Jim while I read to Gracie
*learning more about photography
*Time to watch TV while labeling pictures
*going back to church after being gone for 2 weeks
*watching Madelyn walk all over the place
*hearing Gracie say in a really adult way, "It's really raining out there. Shooey!"
*seeing rainbows

First Day of School

We had our first day of school at the Loving to Learn homeschool group. We all loved it, even Madelyn! During circle time, Tammi decided to focus on character traits and Bible verses rather than the calendar. I think that is such a wise decision! Gracie sat in Ani's lap, an older girl who watches Gracie during my moms group. Madelyn even danced during circle time when we were singing.

The theme was stars. Gracie got to paint stars, make glitter stars, use star stickers, play with glitter play-doh, use a pin to poke holes on black paper, and make a snack.

I'm thankful God has lead us to this group!

Favorite Moments
*listening to my Wizard of Oz music box with the girls
*the way M always wants to hold my finger when she walks
*reading to the girls for a minute (before M climbed all over me instead of listening to the story)
*G riding her bike. She's getting so good!
*M is such a social butterfly! She was waving to all the neighbors last night and saying hi.
*seeing how excited G was to play with her dress-up clothes
*M walking around with a necklace

Yesterday's Favorite Moments

*oatmeal with blueberries, blackberries and strawberries...yum!
*G reading one of my devotionals...she is listening to what I tell her!
*G made a smiley face on the magnadoodle and left it there for me to find
*seeing friends at the park and store
*starting G's "lessons" with her. Lily was a lion in our story!
*pushing the girls around in their little play shopping cart. Madelyn figured out how to climb into it, and now I can't keep her out!

Verse of the Day

"Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31

Favorite Moments

*G picking "berries" at Grandmother and Grandpa's. I played around with the camera while Gracie played under this tree. I still have so much to learn, as many of the pictures did not turn out, but I liked the way I was able to focus on the berries with Gracie in the background.
*sleeping in my own bed
*M woofing at all the pictures of dogs at the vet
*M walking her little dog on a string
*getting excited as I think about "officially" homeschooling G again and starting our homeschool group this Friday!
*filling G's mailbox with surprises because she took a nap!
*looking at pictures from our trip and finally getting time to label some pictures
*time with Jim
*getting a shower before G woke up
*the fact that Mister Rogers' Neighborhood is on at 5:30 in the morning!

More Favorite Moments

*Date with Jim!!! We love Harry Potter and Flat Top Grill!
*M walking with a BIG smile on her face
*G playing with magnets and Hungry Hungry Hippos
*going to the farm park with Grammy and Bethany and Britt
*seeing Daisy and realizing that we miss Lily
*Daisy's "parents" having us over for dinner, although the girls could have behaved better...
*G taking a nap yesterday!!!
*M playing hide 'n seek with Daddy
*looking forward to lunch and an evening with friends!

Willing

I had to write an appointment on the calendar for September and noticed that September is Self Improvement Month. I find that funny that they dedicate only one month a year to that! I am constantly trying to improve myself.

Lately, I have received books from people on parenting and life in general. I suppose they see my desire to become a better parent. They have been helpful and full of things to remember and do. The problem is, I am not able to do these things on my own. For self-improvement, you have to be willing to change and offer it up to God in prayer. I can read all the "how-to's" and nothing will improve until I surrender to my old sinful way and turn to the Holy Spirit for help. I really struggle with anger and impatience. I truly believe that with the Holy Spirit's help, I can overcome these things. But it will take a lot of practice and time on my part. If I am willing, the Spirit will fill me, and my girls will see the difference.

We saw the street sweeper today. Gracie was fascinated as she watched it clean the street. It reminded me of how God can sweep our hearts clean and leave us sparkling on the inside, if we are willing to let it happen. Lord, I am willing!

Favorite Moments
Gracie
*chasing the bunny rabbit
*playing with the dress-up Barbie with lots of fabric
*writing with sidewalk chalk

Me
*a nap!
*walking outside with Madelyn
*drawing on the sidewalk with Gracie
*writing on the big paper with Gracie
*watching Friends last night
*visiting Jim's family

Favorite Moments

*seeing great-grandparents
*playing outside with rocks, water, buckets, a box
*playing Candyland, Gracie had no interest in playing so Jim, Dave and I played! It was fun!

Madelyn's Party

When I don't have time to reflect and write our favorite moments from the day, I truly feel lost! There have been many favorite moments as we celebrated Madelyn's first birthday! I haven't had many chances to write them down, so here are a few from memory.

Favorite Moments
*giving Madelyn her presents
*Madelyn spitting most of her birthday cake out because she doesn't like anything with texture
*my mom turning her back on Madelyn for a minute only to find her completely covered in cake by the time she returned
*my grandpa playing with Joseph, Rachel's little boy
*Jim's grandpa somehow became the official sippy cup holder while Madelyn opened her presents...he did a nice job!
*all the kids playing together!
*Gracie opening all the presents for Madelyn and not getting upset that nothing was for her
*Madelyn's Theo cake! Jim did an awesome job!
*the basket swing at Grandmother and Grandpa's
*playing with Grammy and Grandpop at the park
*seeing everyone!

Favorite Moments

*stuffing Gracie's mailbox with special surprises because she took a long nap, and then seeing how excited she was to open it

*helping Gracie fill big puddles of glue with beans to make a picture on paper

*Madelyn handing me crayons, she is always so excited to play with them

*Madelyn squealing and talking to stuffed animals at the store today and doing the same thing when she saw puppies in a coloring book

*Madelyn discovering how fun it is to play in our bedspread and watching her crawl all over the house with one of Gracie's play spoons

*listening to Jim and the girls play in the hallway as they made shadow puppets

Favorite Toy

The girls' favorite toy lately has been this keyboard. They both LOVE to dance to the music that it plays. The other night, they discovered that it looks very pretty in the dark because it lights up. Maybe one of them will be a pianist in the future?

Favorite Moments

*Gracie offering us water and a pickle for supper (which were really quarters she was playing with while we made supper)

*Gracie and Madelyn went to their first movie! It was VeggieTales! Our church, which takes place at a movie theater, offered it for free! Gracie had a blast!

*As the sun was blinding Gracie through the window...
G: "I guess it is Sunday."
Me: "No, it's Saturday."
G: "But can it be sunny on Saturday?"

*Gracie's popsicles come with jokes. Today, she made up her own. "What do you do if you swallow a cow? Spit it out!"