A Trip to the Zoo and my 50th Post!

Fifty posts may not seem like much to some people, but it was neat for me to see that this is my 50th post!!

Tuesday, Mercie, Silas and I went to the zoo with my sister, her 2 boys, and my mom for her son Bryton's 4th birthday! The kids had a great time, and I enjoyed the time with my mom and sister. (Too bad my other sister lives in Baton Rouge...) I took lots of pictures, but stole my mom's idea and made a collage! It's my first one...so I think it's pretty cute!

I am so thankful for the time that I get to spend with my children! I do miss Mikaela and Eli, and although putting them in school has worked for this season in our life, I don't believe I'll be putting them in again next year. They aren't learning anything more than they were at home, even when I felt like we hadn't accomplished much, we accomplished more than I thought. They like it, but it's not as fun as they pictured. And Eli has been acting out when he comes home from school lately. Rod pointed out that it could be because he's not getting as much 'attention' from me as he is used to. And looking at it that way, I can see how that's possible. They get home at 3:20 in the afternoon. I have to help Mikaela with her homework, cook dinner, bathe the baby and Mercie and help Eli bathe. Mikaela bathes herself! I usually have to nurse/rock Silas for a while at night. We have to clean up and usually the only time I spend with him is doing his sight word flashcards and after Silas goes to sleep, I put Mercie to sleep and try to spend a little time with Mikaela and Eli before they go to bed at around 7:30 or 8. Now that this is brought to my attention, though, I'm going to try to spend aLOT more time talking to him, holding him (he has been wanting to be rocked and held lately, and I usually put that off -bad mommy!- because I need to do something else...), playing a game with him, etc. And by acting out, I mean he has a bad attitude, he's disrepectful, he's angry, he can't cope when things don't go his way, he flies off the handle...and this is NOT normally how he acts. So I'm not so sure school is the cause, but school is the cause of him being gone all day, and missing me, and missing out on the time we spent together, whcih is the cause of his acting out. So I'm resisting the urge to pull him out of school right now, and let him finish. They will be through in the middle of May, which isn't too far off. And I'm going to pray that God will show me ways to fulfill Eli's needs.

And...last night we got a bad storm, and we lost electricity for a while. The kids thought it was cool, to have candles burning and stuff. We were asleep when it came back on, so I'm not sure exactly how long it was off. Rod's little brother Rueben spent the night with us last night. He is Mercie's age, and they play great together!

Well I'm off to take a bath and get ready to start my day!! Enjoy yours!!

Which way am i going?

Yesterday was the first time I've heard  (almost an entire) sermon in I don't know how long! Rod and I taught the toddler class at church for so long I can't remember how long, and although I loved it, I was ready for a break! So another lady volunteered to take my spot, and miraculously, Mercie went to class with Eli without a word of complaint, Mikaela goes to children's church, and Silas fell asleep in the nursery when I was feeding him, so I got to sit in church with Rod without any children or distractions for the first time in forever! It was so relaxing, and the sermon was really convicting.

He made one statement that really struck a chord with me and Rod. He said, "Every decision you make, you are either taking a step toward God and toward righteousness, or you are taking a step away from God." That really makes me look at every thing I do differently. When you put your daily decisions, even simple ones, into that perspective, it really causes you to think...

He also talked about why we "cling" to certain sins, and why we can't just let them go. They hinder us, they cause us to stumble, to keep us from experiencing uninhibited fellowship with God, yet we just can't LET THEM GO. That was rather convicting to me, because there are a few sins that I am having a problem letting go. And why? They are SIN...SIN...SIN...Nothing good comes from sin, it's only enjoyable temporarily, it makes you feel guilty, it puts strain on your relationship with God...so why can't we sling that sin off?

Just a few thoughts that I've been pondering this morning. Which way am I going? Toward God? Or away from God?

What a Day!!

Whew! We have had a busy busy day today! THREE birthday parties!!
10:30 this morning was Bryton's 4th birthday party! It was so much fun.
1:00 was Mikaela's friend Eden's 10th party at the park.
2:00 was Eli's friend Anna Klair's 6th party right next door to us!

We have been going going all day long. We haven't been home too long, just enough time to nurse Silas and put him down for a nap. Eli's watching a movie and Mercie just feel asleep on the ottoman. Mikaela's doing mosaic art she got for Christmas, and I just popped online to check my email and blog for a few minutes! The kids are having sandwiches for supper tonight, and I'm going to try to convince Rod to scamble some eggs and cook some toast for me and him! I got the house cleaned this morning, mopped floors and folded 2 loads of clothes and put them up, made beds, and even dusted the dining room! But no matter how much I do, there's always MORE to do. So now I'm off to do just that.

Growing up

Silas is getting SO big. This morning, when I went to get him out of his crib (because he slept ALL NIGHT for the SECOND night in a row!!), he was STANDING UP IN HIS CRIB! For the first time!! He's been pulling up for a week or two now, but it was the first time in his crib!!

Then he was 'cruising' back and forth between his toy basket and his jungle gym!! And now he is crusing back and forth on his ABC train!

It blows me away how FAST they grow up! It's exciting, but it's also sad. He won't be an infant much longer. He's going to be a toddler - walking, talking, playing, eating real food. It really makes you stop and CHERISH these moments.

Moments of rocking him sleep.
Moments of kissing his soft hair.
Moments of breathing in his sweet smell.
Changing his little diapers.
Tickling his tiny feet.
Giggling over each new milestone reached.
Watching him nurse.
Holding him.

I know how fast it passes. Mikaela is EIGHT. Eli is FIVE. Mercie is THREE.

Where does time go? Why must these moments pass by and become the past? Why do babies have to grow into adults? Why is our time with them so fleeting?

I tell Mikaela all the time, "You can quit GROWING now!!" And she just laughs. But...but we can talk now. We can joke around. She wants my company. She wants me to teach her things...how to cook...how to draw...how to sew (!)...how to be a mommy. She wants me to be her friend. Her confidant. Her counselor. She tells me her secrets, her fears, her dreams, her aspirations (which change almost daily). She talks to me about God. About her understanding of who He is...about he questions she has about Him...And I guess, that although I long to keep her young and innocent, growing up is part of God's plan for all of us. And as sad as it can be, it is also amazing and exciting to be a part of my child's life. To have a relationship. Fellowship.

So, although I am sad they are all growing up, I am thankful that I have the opportunity to watch them grow up!

It's Snowing!!

It's snowing here in LOOOOsiana!! The kids have been dying to go out in it...but we've had runny noses, coughs, ear infections, strep throat...so I finally said OKAY. Go play in the snow. Silas and I will watch you from the WINDOW. LOL. I don't like the cold.

After 30 seconds, Mercie was crying because she was cold and came inside. After 2 minutes, Mikaela came inside. Then came Eli.

The snow and the cold isn't nearly as fun as they thought it would be!

School is cancelled today! We are multi tasking right now. Watching Nancy Drew; Eli's playing with his GI Joes; Mikaela's playing with her Polly Pockets; Mercie is playing with her shopping cart and 140 pieces of food, coupons, money, etc that came with it (thanks Melissa and Ash!); Silas is rolling around, pulling up, biting my toe; Rod's sick and asleep in the recliner, and I am just blogging!!

Enjoy the snow (if you got it)!!

Mercie is 3!

Sunday, Mercie turned 3 years old! We had a party here at the house, complete with Dora cupcakes and horse rides! One of our friends brought their horses over and rode the kids around. It was a huge hit!

I can't believe she is 3 already! She is a sweetheart. She talks really well, and all the time. She loves 'tats' (cats). She loves to watch Dora. She is hilarious!! Before she goes to sleep each time she HAS to say, "You smell like the rainbows" to me and I have to say it back. Then she says, "You and me are sliding down the rainbows." She starts out in her own bed at night but always ALWAYS winds up in ours before morning. She loves to be outside and she loves to swing and slide on the swingset. She does NOT stay clean longer than 5 minutes a day; dirt jumps on her like a magnet. She loves Silas and calls him 'buddy'. She loves drinking from a sippy cup, and when she's sleepy, she twirls her hair while drinking. She loves to go to walmart. She loves to color and draw (often times, on the wall...or her bed...or the floor...) She's as stubborn as mule. She's as sweet as an angel. I don't know what I'd do without my Mercie girl!

 Her birthday present, and yes she can zoom around fast on that bike.

 Mercie and her handsome daddy.

 Mercie and Ruben, Rod's little brother.

 Mikaela and Bryton.

               And I wanted to add this one in of Silas. He can now pull up to a standing position!

Bumbo Seat Warning

I absolutely love the Bumbo seats. Silas loves his, and he sits in it often. He even bathes in it most night! He doesn't like to lay down in the tub, he outgrew his baby bathtub, and he is waaaay too slippery sitting up in the bathtub by himself. The Bumbo seat is wonderful for many reasons.

But! He, at 7 months old, has managed to slip out of the Bumbo, not once, but TWICE. (Not in the tub...) Thankfully, he was on the floor in it both times, as I have also used it on the kitchen counter while I was cooking or unloading the dishwasher or sweeping or whatever. (I was always arms length away from him. I'm not a bad mother, people! I'm careful.)

He was in the bathroom the first time, while I was bathing Mercie. He was just playing with a toy and kinda bouncing around in it, and I heard a little thud. I looked to my right, and he was on his belly, smiling a "I did it!" smile.

The next time I watched him, trying to see what he did. He was straightening out his body (as best he could in the Bumbo), and arching his back, and twisting around until, WHAM, he's out!

I'm just letting anyone who might be reading this and using a Bumbo (not for themselves...for their baby!) to watch baby carefully while in Bumbo. I had no idea he would ever be able to twist his way out. I figured he was in there tight enough not to be able to get out.

But babies have minds of their own...and they often surprise us. And now, you have been warned!!