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Category Archives: parenting

Jan 18 2012

I’m Going to Pretend Today is “Someday”

by amy

You know that elusive ,”someday”? That time that eventually arrives and you’re able to laugh about everything that didn’t seem funny at the time? Yeah, that “someday”. I think I had an experience that qualifies today.

I had a lovely morning with the kids and decided I had some time before lunch to drive to the local Lifeway store to buy my Bible study book. I took them inside. We found the book. I coaxed the kids away from the children’s area where some perfectly behaved, well-dressed children were listening to their mother read a book.

Isaac was showing some signs of. . . how shall I say this delicately? NOT OBEYING!

I found my way to the cashier and let Ethan, Audrey and Isaac stand a few feet back. Rookie mistake. Only I’m not a rookie. I have a child who is almost 7. As the cashier asks for my phone number, Ethan is loudly parenting Isaac. He’s telling him what to do and what not to do. It just makes Isaac mad. So, he runs off a little farther to the side of the room and decides to crawl beneath the bags that are hanging on the wall.

I’m trying to finish paying for my one item. The cashier needs my phone number. I give her my new one. It’s not in the system. I give her my old one. Ahhhh, there it is! “Let’s update your address in the system.” Ethan and Audrey have now run after Isaac and are trying to drag him out from under the bags that he has crawled under. Isaac is proclaiming, “YOU MAKE ME SAD!”

Kids always wait until their parents’ hands are tied to do something that requires the parent to take action. What could I do? I had people behind me in line, my children were safe and not causing any damage except to my pride. I could choose to annoy the people behind me and have them wait while I went and rounded up my children and then held onto a screaming toddler while I finished my transaction or I could finish up with the cashier and then take my children and leave.

I chose to finish paying for the book first.

So, this is going to be funny someday, right?

Categories: life, parenting | 7 Comments »

Dec 21 2011

Sometimes My Job is Disgusting!

by amy

We have “the sickness that will never end” at our house.

This is how it’s been for us:

Tuesday: Isaac gets sick

Wednesday: Isaac seems fine. Ethan, Audrey and I get sick.

Thursday: Recovering from being sick

Friday: Everyone is fine

Saturday: Everyone is fine

Sunday: Everyone is fine

Monday: Isaac gets sick again. Nathan feels sick. We find out that during the time frame where we all felt good, we infected at least three other people.

Tuesday: Isaac is better. Everyone seems fine.

Wednesday: Audrey gets sick again. Isaac has the most disgusting diapers known to mankind.

See how sneaky this sickness is? Maybe it’s two different things. All I know is that I really want it to be done. I’ve been spending a lot of time washing laundry and towels. Earlier today, what I thought was a routine diaper change resulted in what looked and smelled like a pile of manure on the boys’ floor and all over Isaac. A variation on that little episode happened to Audrey today too.

Please pray that no one else gets sick and that Isaac and Audrey feel better soon. We’re really in crunch time here with getting stuff done!

Categories: life, parenting | 2 Comments »

Dec 13 2011

Poor Baby!

by amy

Our sweet boy is starting to feel a little better. It’s hard to see if from this photo though! No puking today, but he’s tired. I went to get him for lunch and found that he had fallen asleep on the couch. He didn’t wake up when I moved him to his bed. We’re praying that everyone else stays healthy. The band-aid is to keep him from touching and itching the place where he got stitches.

Categories: parenting | 1 Comment »

Oct 3 2011

Permission Not to Can

by amy

I had the most fascinating conversation with my friend, Cheryl, a few months ago. It was about canning. What? That doesn’t sound fascinating to you? Bear with me here!

We were talking about expectations on moms/women and how, at one point in her life, it seemed like everyone around her was into canning. She convinced herself that it was something that she should be doing.

She brought it up because I had just mused that perhaps I should get a garden going and start canning.

So, she told me her story. I don’t remember the specifics, but I do remember the final outcome of her canning adventure. It didn’t work well. She no longer does canning. And, she’s fine with that. She’s confident in her non-canning self.

Do you know how freeing that was to me? I want to pass that freedom along to the rest of my friends. This is me standing on the mountain top exclaiming, “Put down your canning supplies*” It is possible to be a really cool (even frugal) woman without canning.

I’m going to step out on a limb and take this even farther. This might sound like blasphemy to some of you, but to others it will warm your soul. Here it is:

You can be a good mother even if you don’t scrapbook. Or crochet. Or blog. Or [fill in the blank].

What do you think? Have there been activities that felt you should be doing because of a role you play?

*If you happen to enjoy canning and find it helpful for your family, yeah for you! I’m happy for you and hope you have many years of canning enjoyment!

Categories: parenting | 3 Comments »

Aug 29 2011

Bedtime Routine

by amy

I’m going to want to remember this someday. So, I’m going to share it here with you all and let you see a sneak peek at part of our bedtime routine.

(we don’t do baths every night, but it’s a cute picture and I thought I would include it in this post!)

After the kids brush their teeth, we have several nightly “rituals”. First of all, Nathan gets down on the floor and lets Isaac ride him like a horsey to his bedroom. We tuck the boys in and pray for them. More often than not, both boys are in Ethan’s bed. They want to snuggle and we don’t really mind. After we tuck in the boys, we come out to the living room and Audrey wants us to race to bed. Nathan, Audrey, Max and I all race to Audrey’s room. She is always the one to say, “go” and always has a head start. She wins every time. That’s the way it works! Then we tuck her in and pray for her. A few minutes later, she comes out of her room and kisses me on the cheek.

I don’t remember what I did as a child for a bedtime routine, but I do remember my mom tucking me in and lying down next to me and talking to me even as I was older. I have been missing my mom today. When the kids are grown I hope they have as many happy memories of their parents tucking them in as I do.

Categories: family, parenting | 3 Comments »

Aug 27 2011

Help! We’re Living the Terrible Two’s!

by amy

I didn’t set out expecting the 2-year-old stage to be hard. I’ve always loved toddlers. I just think there is so much sweetness and cuteness about that age.

But, OY! Isaac is living out the stereotypical “terrible two’s” right now. I had blocked out that stage from when Ethan was going through it, but it’s all coming back now. This week has kicked my butt. I seem to spend all day doing battle with a two year old. I tell Isaac to do something (or not to do something) and he disobeys. He looks at me, screams “No” and points his finger at me and runs away. I have to chase him down and decide the appropriate discipline. It really doesn’t matter what the discipline is because he’s going to do the same thing over and over again all day long. It is physically and emotionally exhausting. And, oh yes, we have 2 other children who are not perfect angels 100% of the time.

See this photo? Isaac isn’t in it because he was sent to his room.

In the middle of today’s battles, I managed to clean the living room.

And Nathan has been laying carpet in the basement:

Next week will be better, right?

Categories: parenting | 2 Comments »

Aug 24 2011

Valentine’s Day

by amy

Audrey spent much of the day making “Balentimes”

I’m not sure how many she made, but there are a lot of them!

In other news, Isaac can say “Macgyver” and tells me he’s making bombs out of random household objects. Two year olds can pick up a lot from random TV shows!
He decided he needed to plop down in the middle of the floor in the kitchen with his pillow today.

I’ve been trying to be more intentional about enjoying the kids, but I’m feeling a bit tired out at the end of the day. Isaac is really challenging me a lot. It’s exhausting to deal with all day. I’m hoping this stage passes quickly.

Categories: family, parenting | 1 Comment »

Aug 23 2011

Growing

by amy

I took the kids in to Crown today to meet Nathan at the end of the day. We made our regular rounds to see all of their friends. We always stop and talk to Cheryl at the reception desk. Then we talk to Kimberely and Ellen in the Registrar’s Office. Then it’s Gary, Ron, Kim, Ladene and Katie in the Finance Office and finally, Judy in the Financial Aid Office. We have to make all of these stops or the kids are disappointed!

Everyone kept commenting on how much the kids had grown. It’s harder to see it when I’m with them every day, but it’s true. They have all grown a lot. Audrey and Isaac seem to have shot up quite a bit.

Here Audrey is showing me how big she is next to the door where we mark their height.

And here are my big boys snuggling at bedtime:

Categories: life, parenting | 1 Comment »

Aug 16 2011

Beware of prayer-warrior 6 year-olds

by amy

If you have a six year old who wants a dog and he prays about it, you might end up with a dog.

One by one all of the major objections I had to having a dog were all taken care of!

Yesterday, as Ethan and I were waiting for swimming lessons to start, I asked him, “How in the world did you talk me into getting a dog?” He said, “I’m not telling you!” I persisted and he gave in and told me that he prayed about it and talked about dogs a lot.

This is what they look like as puppies: