Friday, July 31, 2009

Random thoughts on Charlie July 2009



7/1/09 *Tonight I noticed that technically he no longer needs to stand on a stool to brush his teeth. Sigh, I knew he was growing, but really, he could slow down a bit!

7/2/09
*Today, while eating lunch on the back porch, mid bite of macaroni and cheese:
Charlie: "Is there a man in Mickey?"
Mom: "A man?" (not sure what he meant)
C: "Does he have a man in him?"
M: "Oh, a man.....um well, Mickey is Mickey."
Charlie ponders the response.
M: "Char, why did you ask if there is a man in Mickey?"
C: "Cause he doesn't talk to anyone."
M: "Mickey can't talk at Disney because there are SO many people there that if he talked to all of them his throat would really hurt!"

7/10/09 Charlie of course loves his little brother Thomas and I have witnessed countless acts of kindness between the two. Yet tonight was a little different and worthy of documentation as it completely and utterly melted my heart. While laying in Mommy and Daddy's bed with legs entangled, Lovey and Blue in attendance, the soft sucking noise of the bink and watching a show, ie Thomas or Bob the Builder, Charlie starts patting his chest and saying "Ah Tomma, let me hold you! Ah come on Tomma I love you, let me hold you" At which Thomas promptly negotiated his way through a gazillion pillows, body parts and lovies and into the arms of his older brother. Head on chest, arms hugging and big smiles. I love my boys!

July: Charlie is really taking to drawing outside with chalk. He loves to draw trains and fish (I LOVE them!) and has even begun to illustrate things that we had experienced that day. We went to the Natural History Museum and he saw an exhibit of a coal car that was carrying copper out of a mine, so he drew that and it was amazingly accurate. He even included the shoot that the coal slide down on the wall. Today we went to the zoo and he drew the zoo train, even spelled out the word zoo all by himself and included a signal with flashing red lights and all.

7/12/09 At 4:35am Trent was awaken by the crying out of our eldest boy. His mother lay in a deep sleep until she heard a shrill little voice at the side of the bed say "Oh, I am SO excited I get to sleep with you Mama!" One flannel/softy pillow later, one soft lovie all snuggled and smelly and one tiny boy wrapped up between the loving arms and legs of his parents and we all settled in to sleep. There is nothing sweeter then to snuggle with the man you love and your babies!

7/22/09 Growing pains again. Every few months our sweet, obedient boy turns into a four year old. Oh wait a minute, he is a 4 year old! The whiny, argumentative, opinionated, grouchy, head butting monster rears its ugly head and over takes our sweet son. Typically this lasts for about 2 or 3 days. We are in day 2. Dear sweet boy, I know these are growing pains that we all need to go through and I know that you come out on the other side stronger and more independent, a big boy who is kind and sweet, obedient and loving. But the days in which "teaching" and true "growth" occur, are difficult. Mostly for you, for you little mind is trying to wrap itself around concepts and rules that are foreign to you. Growing up is hard to do! :) UPDATE: going into day 8 what IS going on?!?!!?

7/27/09 Charlie started VBS today. He seemed to like it but doesn't fork over much information about camp or school for that matter. He did tell me that they made a "light bug" craft and that he had some chips for snack, but only a few and that he DID NOT want a drink and so he did not have one....alrighty then! He definitely did NOT like that another boy that was in his group continued to yell during camp and that this boy also repeatedly "escaped" and ran away....terrific! He was exhausted afterwards (it runs from 9-12am) and even started to drift off in the car. One would think that he would have crashed for a nap, but nope, he is too busy reading his book and sing a song about Jesus right now....gotta love it!


Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Brothers

An afternoon in the pool
brings about the sillies
the serious
and the love of brothers
they are so cute

Monday, July 13, 2009

Kids Day 2009

Mother's Day is celebrated in May and Father's Day in June, and after all the festivities and fun, Charlie asked "Can we have a kids day? Why isn't there a kids day?" To which we replied, "why isn't there a Kids Day? and of course we can have one!"


A fun day at the Natural History Museum
,
>
special treats

and of course presents!

We really had a great day and we ended it with family snuggles on Mama and Dada's bed.

Here is to new traditions!!

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Goals Revisited

We have made some great headway on the 2009 Goals, personally, as a family and as a couple. We certainly have a ways to go and I pray that we will never be finished. But progress is a wonderful thing and I praise God for the Blessings and opportunities He continues to provide for our family

So here go my goals for 2009: REVISITED

Religious/Spiritual goals: To read scripture everyday. To join a Bible study at our church. To make a time each day that as a family we read scripture and talk about it with the kids (looking for a devotional book for preschoolers if anyone has any suggestions). To work on and deepen my relationship with and understanding of the Holy Spirit. REVISITED: Just recently I have begun to read the corresponding Proverbs in the morning pertaining to that day. I have been reading it out loud while the children play in the family room. I know that they are not comprehending what I am reading, but I want to instill in them the importance of reading the Bible and pray that as they grow and mature that our Bible time together can be a forum for discussion and reflection. I pray that as a family we can carve out some time in our daily lives to do the same. With Trent's work/school/travel schedule it is difficult, so it is a matter of prayer. I am also in prayer about our church home. We have been members at a wonderful church for the last 3 years. However, for the last year a huge void has been placed in my heart. After much prayer we believe it might be best for us to start looking for a new church. We will begin the search in the next few weeks but will continue to pray on the matter and will go or stay wherever the Lord directs us.

Financial: To gain complete FREEDOM from credit card debt. This we hope to accomplish by September 2009. Then once free from cc debt we want to sock away savings for our emergency fund. We also want to start saving for Charlie's preschool next year and for a family vacation for summer 2010. REVISITED: We feel incredibly blessed to have been able to make significant gains in this area. Thanks be to God!

House goals: To accomplish a thorough Spring cleaning of the entire house and garage. To be more organized and more efficient. My goal is to complete Spring cleaning by June 1st and garage cleaning by July 1st. To finish the ceiling in the basement and to refinish the hardwood floors. REVISITED: Spring cleaning of the house was completed and we have yet to tackle the garage. Trent will work on the hardwood floors perhaps late in the summer? Just depends on his schedule.

Marriage goals: To have a monthly date night with my honey! To plan a get away of 2 nights with Trent, kid free. :) To be more of a help mate to Trent and to make our home more of a haven for him to come home to! REVISITED: We have had a few date nights and have planned a 2 night getaway with just us to celebrate our 5th wedding anniversary. Working on being a better helpmate and making the house more of a haven....these are things that will always be a work in progress!!

Children goals: To design a curriculum for the summer for the boys. It should contain a theme for each week, crafts, science, literary, and music sections. To find a daily devotional book for preschoolers/toddlers and spend time each day reading, discussing it and praying with them. REVISITED: Instead of designing a curriculum for the boys I have started doing "learning time" with Charlie several days a week right after I have put Tommy down for his nap and before Charlie's nap begins. We do workbook pages, crafts, Bible lessons, puzzles etc. We love spending the time together and he is excited to do his work. A prayer that is heavy on my heart is if we should home school the boys. It has always been a thought in the back of my mind and has become something that we are researching and praying about.

Personal goals: To exercise at least three times a week. To read a book a month. Not over commit, simplify. REVISITED: Yeah, not like over committing myself with my personal goals or anything! Geesh! Not really exercising on a consistent basis but have been doing Weight Watchers...down 6 pounds in one week!!! Reading the Bible daily and some Christian discipline books. Doing better about simplifying certain aspects of my life but really need to work on over committing.

Gardening goals: To plant 2 types of vegetables this year in containers. REVISITED: Next year!

All in all I am pretty pleased with the progress. There is a lot of things I want to accomplish, that I need to pray about and that I need to investigate.

Saturday, July 4, 2009

Happy 4th of July

Five Years Ago

Five years ago he was reading a love letter written by yours truly

And we were waiting anxiously in the basement
for this fellato do his God given duty

So that we could finally do this

and then we were one


And they were happy

So, we forwent the traditional and opted for the fun

And SO in love were, are we
They stood beside us
And without them, well, we wouldn't of been there
It is amazing how your heart can hold so much love
And even more amazing how that same heart can grow to hold even more


5 years does not seem that long in the scheme of things and yet it feels as if you have held my heartstrings for eternity. God placed us in each others arms to cherish, love, protect and live life together.
The last 5 years have been a whirlwind of fantastic moments, of new life and of new beginnings. We have weathered storms, we have grown together, we have become a team.
I can't wait to see what the next 5 years hold for our love affair.
Happy Anniversary Baby
Love you!