...sort of.
The kids and I spent all of last week in Athens so the boys could take swimming lessons from a good friend of my family. They really did a lot better than I expected. (And I did take pictures with my phone, but for some reason my phone and my laptop aren't on speaking terms...) Anyway. We spent a lot of time hanging out with the family, and my good friend Hannah and her kiddos were up, too, staying with their family and taking swimming lessons with us. We stayed with my brother and sister-in-law, as usual. We drove up on Monday morning, just in time for swimming lessons (okay, so we were a few minutes late). Hannah and I took the kids to McDonald's after swimming lessons (and a trip to Wal-mart), then that night, we had a big family supper at my grandparents', and everyone was there except Jeremy and Tenleigh. Tuesday, after lessons, we went back to my grandparents' for dinner and then next door to my aunt and uncle's for more swimming. Wednesday, we took the kiddos to Chick-fil-A for lunch and playtime, then back home for a nap before time to get ready for church services. Thursday, I got to spend a little (but no where near enough!) time with Roxann and Macy Kae, when they came to eat lunch and swim a little with us. That night, we ate at my parents' with them, Chris and Christie, and my grandparents. Then, when we got back to Chris's, I got all of our stuff packed back up. After their last lesson Friday, we stopped back by my grandparents' for lunch again, then headed back for Horton! We were all missing Daddy. Ty asked me Friday morning if we could just go home instead of swimming lessons. Bless their little hearts. We were all glad to get back home.
Today, we took the kids out to our pool (which we finally got fixed yesterday! Whoo hoo!) and tried to get them to show Jeremy what they had learned at swimming lessons. Nada. Just would not do it. Lazy, perhaps? Who knows. All I know is that before we left Athens, Ty was jumping off the side of the pool beside the diving board and making it back to the ladder by himself, and today he just cried when we took his life jacket off. And Troy was almost swimming by himself just a couple of days ago, and he wouldn't even take his life jacket off. Gonna have to do some thinking on this one.
Showing posts with label boys. Show all posts
Showing posts with label boys. Show all posts
Sunday, July 31, 2011
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Shuffling
...Priorities, that is.
Jeremy taught the boys' Bible class at church last night since their regular teacher is on vacation. He told me this morning that they couldn't answer any of the questions about God's first people (Adam and Eve). I was floored. We have gone over this. We have talked about this. I know that once upon a time they knew this. So how could they remember their memory verses from a year ago, and not remember this?
Maybe I have been a little lax lately in my Bible instruction with them. I know that their spiritual training should be top priority, and I want it to be. I know it is just an excuse, but it just seems like it is so hard sometimes, when there is so much going on. Especially when our regular schwedule relaxes so much in the summer time, and Jeremy is working longer hours, and yada yada. I know. Excuses.
But I have decided things are going to be different. Less tv watching. More time together spent talking about God. We used to do this. I'm not sure where we got off track, but I am going to make it happen again. This is about to be a different home. A different mom, in more ways than one. I actually had a dream last night about how I was a terrible mommy. I know, a little irrational, but it's kinda the way I have been feeling lately.
Man, when did I become such a Debbie Downer??
A little bit of funny to lighten up the post....Audrey has started shaking her head "no." If she is doing something she doesn't need to be, I say, "Audrey" and she looks at me, and I say "no, no." Then she grins and shakes her head and goes ahead and does it anyway. Lol. It's a learning process, right? :)
Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Update 7/19/11: I feel better now...we talked about the story and they could answer nearly every question I asked them. Whew! I don't feel like such a slacker mom now.
Jeremy taught the boys' Bible class at church last night since their regular teacher is on vacation. He told me this morning that they couldn't answer any of the questions about God's first people (Adam and Eve). I was floored. We have gone over this. We have talked about this. I know that once upon a time they knew this. So how could they remember their memory verses from a year ago, and not remember this?
Maybe I have been a little lax lately in my Bible instruction with them. I know that their spiritual training should be top priority, and I want it to be. I know it is just an excuse, but it just seems like it is so hard sometimes, when there is so much going on. Especially when our regular schwedule relaxes so much in the summer time, and Jeremy is working longer hours, and yada yada. I know. Excuses.
But I have decided things are going to be different. Less tv watching. More time together spent talking about God. We used to do this. I'm not sure where we got off track, but I am going to make it happen again. This is about to be a different home. A different mom, in more ways than one. I actually had a dream last night about how I was a terrible mommy. I know, a little irrational, but it's kinda the way I have been feeling lately.
Man, when did I become such a Debbie Downer??
A little bit of funny to lighten up the post....Audrey has started shaking her head "no." If she is doing something she doesn't need to be, I say, "Audrey" and she looks at me, and I say "no, no." Then she grins and shakes her head and goes ahead and does it anyway. Lol. It's a learning process, right? :)
Proverbs 22:6 "Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old, he will not depart from it."
Update 7/19/11: I feel better now...we talked about the story and they could answer nearly every question I asked them. Whew! I don't feel like such a slacker mom now.
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Friday, May 27, 2011
I Just Thought My Heart Beat Fast
Nothing like having a police officer knock on your door to make your pulse go up.
Like mine needs any help breaking the speed limit.
You automatically think the worst. Someone has had an accident or something else really bad.
(Also keep in mind my house is almost half a mile off the road, so chances are he isn't at the wrong house.)
Not at my house.
He just knocks on the door and says "Jeremy's not at home, is he?" No, I'm sorry, he's not. He hands me his business card. "If you don't mind tell him to call me. I had talked to him about getting some gravel." I sure will. Sheesh. Alright, heart. You can slow down to your normal speeding and get out of the reckless driving zone.
You just never know what is going to happen here.
Did I mention it was right before I was about to get in the shower, so I had my hair all pulled back, make up smeared under my eyes...you know. The works when you are a SAHM of 3. And the boys looked like little orphans. They both were in just a pair of shorts and had been eating oreos and koolaid. You can only imagine.
P.S. The boys were not concerned at all that there was a police officer at our house (possibly due to the fact our brother-in-law is a police officer), but were very concerned about the unmarked car he was driving not having lights on top of it. Go figure.
Like mine needs any help breaking the speed limit.
You automatically think the worst. Someone has had an accident or something else really bad.
(Also keep in mind my house is almost half a mile off the road, so chances are he isn't at the wrong house.)
Not at my house.
He just knocks on the door and says "Jeremy's not at home, is he?" No, I'm sorry, he's not. He hands me his business card. "If you don't mind tell him to call me. I had talked to him about getting some gravel." I sure will. Sheesh. Alright, heart. You can slow down to your normal speeding and get out of the reckless driving zone.
You just never know what is going to happen here.
Did I mention it was right before I was about to get in the shower, so I had my hair all pulled back, make up smeared under my eyes...you know. The works when you are a SAHM of 3. And the boys looked like little orphans. They both were in just a pair of shorts and had been eating oreos and koolaid. You can only imagine.
P.S. The boys were not concerned at all that there was a police officer at our house (possibly due to the fact our brother-in-law is a police officer), but were very concerned about the unmarked car he was driving not having lights on top of it. Go figure.
Friday, March 25, 2011
My Little Meteorologist
I have a love/hate relationship with stormy nights.
On the one hand, it's relaxing and nice to hear rain on the roof and thunder rolling, and watch the lightning flash across the sky.
On the other, I have seen the damage severe Alabama thunderstorms (and the tornados that often pop up with them) can do.
Back to the first hand...it is so much fun to watch my junior meteorologists get excited about the weather. Both of the boys like to talk about storms - especially since the big one that caused so much damage in the community almost a year ago - but Ty is almost obsessed with the weather. He loves looking at the radar and watching the weather channel. A little hail storm came through earlier, and he was dancing with the broom saying, "It's coming a BIG hail storm! Ice cubes are falling on the porch!" He was so excited he had to call both sets of grandparents and tell them about it. He kept running to the window to watch the lightning and see if it was hailing. He finally fell asleep in my recliner watching the lightning through the big picture window. The sweetie.
We may see him on the weather channel one day.
On the one hand, it's relaxing and nice to hear rain on the roof and thunder rolling, and watch the lightning flash across the sky.
On the other, I have seen the damage severe Alabama thunderstorms (and the tornados that often pop up with them) can do.
Back to the first hand...it is so much fun to watch my junior meteorologists get excited about the weather. Both of the boys like to talk about storms - especially since the big one that caused so much damage in the community almost a year ago - but Ty is almost obsessed with the weather. He loves looking at the radar and watching the weather channel. A little hail storm came through earlier, and he was dancing with the broom saying, "It's coming a BIG hail storm! Ice cubes are falling on the porch!" He was so excited he had to call both sets of grandparents and tell them about it. He kept running to the window to watch the lightning and see if it was hailing. He finally fell asleep in my recliner watching the lightning through the big picture window. The sweetie.
We may see him on the weather channel one day.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Cruisin' For A Bruisin'
See this adorable child?
Looks can be deceiving.
Troy, bless his heart, I think ended up with a combo of stubbornness from both the Johnsons and the Bowerses. Again, bless his heart. He is the sweetest child, loves his mommy, great big brother, smart as a whip....but when he gets an idea in his head, it is do or die. I'm thinking positively and saying this will give him drive when he's older. For the time being, however, I just want him to live that long. As in, not get beat half to death.
Like yesterday. I had to take Audrey back to the doctor for a reckeck from her RSV, so Troy stayed with his nanny. On the way home, I stopped and got him and my niece Happy Meals. They were out of Sprite, so I got them Hi-C. When I get there he is upset there is no Sprite. I try to gently explain there wasn't any, and I want him to try the Hi-C. He tells me nanny has Sprite. Of course, I have already told him to try the Hi-C, and since trying to get him to try new things is a big deal right now, I decided to make him try it or not get anything. Here was strike two against me in his book (not having Sprite to start with was strike one). A few minutes later, Nanny noticed a black spot in his hairline, and since they had been playing outside, we wanted to make sure it wasn't a tick. We asked him to look down, and re refused. I gave his head a little push, and he slapped at me. Since hitting out of anger is a big no-no, I gave him a little spanking (bear in mind, this is a good spanking, not child abuse.) This prompted the biggest fit/temper tantrum I have ever seen him throw. He was swinging his arms, kicking his feet, throwing his body around, anything to keep us from checking that spot on his neck. I spanked him again, to no avail. I finally had to sit down in the recliner with him in my lap like you'd hold a baby on your shoulder, wrap a leg around his legs, hold his body and arms down with my arms, and hold his head between my hands just to keep him still enough Peggy could check the spot (which turned out to be just a scabby scratched place). We packed up and came back home.
Once home, I sat down at eye level and made sure he understood why he was in trouble. I also told him since he was ugly at Nanny's, he wouldn't be going back for the rest of the week (which is a big thing b/c they just live next door and he generally goes several times a week to play with my niece). He was calm and fine and went and took a nap, waking up 2 hours later just as sweet as ever.
So today, he said he wanted someone to play with while Ty is at school. Sorry, Charlie, you are grounded for the next 2 days. I know he understands what he did was wrong, but I don't know if he completely understands that the punishment is a result of that. I think he does, but you know, he's not quite four. I do think he will be fine and maybe next time he will remember this before he pitches a fit.
[And today when Jeremy came home from lunch, he had to explain to same wild child why it we kill some animals (i.e. cows/deer/rabbits for food, wild dogs for chasing the cows) and not others (like the racoon that was playing in the pasture this morning). I'm telling ya, he's smart. He even brought up Bambi. Which is another post in itself.......]
Looks can be deceiving.
Troy, bless his heart, I think ended up with a combo of stubbornness from both the Johnsons and the Bowerses. Again, bless his heart. He is the sweetest child, loves his mommy, great big brother, smart as a whip....but when he gets an idea in his head, it is do or die. I'm thinking positively and saying this will give him drive when he's older. For the time being, however, I just want him to live that long. As in, not get beat half to death.
Like yesterday. I had to take Audrey back to the doctor for a reckeck from her RSV, so Troy stayed with his nanny. On the way home, I stopped and got him and my niece Happy Meals. They were out of Sprite, so I got them Hi-C. When I get there he is upset there is no Sprite. I try to gently explain there wasn't any, and I want him to try the Hi-C. He tells me nanny has Sprite. Of course, I have already told him to try the Hi-C, and since trying to get him to try new things is a big deal right now, I decided to make him try it or not get anything. Here was strike two against me in his book (not having Sprite to start with was strike one). A few minutes later, Nanny noticed a black spot in his hairline, and since they had been playing outside, we wanted to make sure it wasn't a tick. We asked him to look down, and re refused. I gave his head a little push, and he slapped at me. Since hitting out of anger is a big no-no, I gave him a little spanking (bear in mind, this is a good spanking, not child abuse.) This prompted the biggest fit/temper tantrum I have ever seen him throw. He was swinging his arms, kicking his feet, throwing his body around, anything to keep us from checking that spot on his neck. I spanked him again, to no avail. I finally had to sit down in the recliner with him in my lap like you'd hold a baby on your shoulder, wrap a leg around his legs, hold his body and arms down with my arms, and hold his head between my hands just to keep him still enough Peggy could check the spot (which turned out to be just a scabby scratched place). We packed up and came back home.
Once home, I sat down at eye level and made sure he understood why he was in trouble. I also told him since he was ugly at Nanny's, he wouldn't be going back for the rest of the week (which is a big thing b/c they just live next door and he generally goes several times a week to play with my niece). He was calm and fine and went and took a nap, waking up 2 hours later just as sweet as ever.
So today, he said he wanted someone to play with while Ty is at school. Sorry, Charlie, you are grounded for the next 2 days. I know he understands what he did was wrong, but I don't know if he completely understands that the punishment is a result of that. I think he does, but you know, he's not quite four. I do think he will be fine and maybe next time he will remember this before he pitches a fit.
[And today when Jeremy came home from lunch, he had to explain to same wild child why it we kill some animals (i.e. cows/deer/rabbits for food, wild dogs for chasing the cows) and not others (like the racoon that was playing in the pasture this morning). I'm telling ya, he's smart. He even brought up Bambi. Which is another post in itself.......]
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Turn That Frown Upside Down
The boys came out of class at church tonight with frowny faces on their papers. :(
I know they are boys, and boys will be....well, boys. But lately they have been becoming increasingly wilder, more out of control. Not wanting to listen or pay attention. Interrupting adults. Running like crazy people. I don't know if it is a stage they are going though or what, but their behavior has just become unacceptable. Jeremy called Miss Pam tonight on our way home from church to see what they did in class. They were interrupting her, not listening, not singing, and talking about things other than class material (i.e. Tom and Jerry - and I can't help but laugh). In all fairness, it wasn't just them. It was the class as a whole acting up. Which would mean less if they were older. But they are only 3 and 5. It is so hard when you are that little to behave when the other kids don't.
When we got home, Jeremy gave them a stern talking-to. Their DSIs got taken away for today and possibly tomorrow. )We considered not letting them have them back until Sunday, and only if they got smileys instead of frownies. But we decided that would be more punishment for us since we are headed out to Athens Friday afternoon to spend the night.) They were also told that if this happened again, there would be spankings involved. And the frowny face papers were hung on the refrigerator as a reminder to hopefully be replaced with smiley papers Sunday. We will see how things go.
Tyler does pretty well learning his lesson with a firm scolding and a little spat. All you have to do is hurt his feelings and he has a change of heart. Although he is pretty stubborn when he wants to be. He once went 17 hours without peeing.
Troy, on the other hand, I think you could beat half to death and take away every toy he has and he still wouldn't care. Sometimes I just don't know what to do with him.
Looking for smileys on Sunday!
I know they are boys, and boys will be....well, boys. But lately they have been becoming increasingly wilder, more out of control. Not wanting to listen or pay attention. Interrupting adults. Running like crazy people. I don't know if it is a stage they are going though or what, but their behavior has just become unacceptable. Jeremy called Miss Pam tonight on our way home from church to see what they did in class. They were interrupting her, not listening, not singing, and talking about things other than class material (i.e. Tom and Jerry - and I can't help but laugh). In all fairness, it wasn't just them. It was the class as a whole acting up. Which would mean less if they were older. But they are only 3 and 5. It is so hard when you are that little to behave when the other kids don't.
When we got home, Jeremy gave them a stern talking-to. Their DSIs got taken away for today and possibly tomorrow. )We considered not letting them have them back until Sunday, and only if they got smileys instead of frownies. But we decided that would be more punishment for us since we are headed out to Athens Friday afternoon to spend the night.) They were also told that if this happened again, there would be spankings involved. And the frowny face papers were hung on the refrigerator as a reminder to hopefully be replaced with smiley papers Sunday. We will see how things go.
Tyler does pretty well learning his lesson with a firm scolding and a little spat. All you have to do is hurt his feelings and he has a change of heart. Although he is pretty stubborn when he wants to be. He once went 17 hours without peeing.
Troy, on the other hand, I think you could beat half to death and take away every toy he has and he still wouldn't care. Sometimes I just don't know what to do with him.
Looking for smileys on Sunday!
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