We will all laugh about this ten years from now

What a day it has been today! This first day of spring break turned out to be so pretty so a few friends from church and I took the kids to Chick Fil A and then to the park at Lake Bowen. We had never been there and it was so pretty. I love the fact that the lake is right beside the park...it makes for such a lovely backdrop!

We met Susan, Kristen, and Chara at Chick Fil A in Boiling Springs and ate lunch (Laurel met us at the park). I decided to only take the essentials in to the restaurant so I put my phone and the money in Laurie's diaper bag. We had a great lunch and then got everyone ready to go to the park. I did not realize till I got out to the car that my KEYS were in the locked car with my purse. I was not sure what to do...Susan suggested that Kristen give us a ride to the park and we would try to figure out something. I could not call Chris because he has no cell phone and he and Jonathan were at the golf course (in Union!). I called my sister in law who got in touch with my in laws who were in the area and could help me. After a while at the park, my father in law made it to us and we went back to the Chick Fil A where someone came to unlock my car (my mother in law has road side assistance through her cell phone).

The kids did not fully understand what was going on and I was able to keep things pretty normal for their sake. They loved the playground..until Laurie got knocked over by a big kid on a swing!! She busted her mouth and her nose started bleeding. She cried that cry were you can't hear them because they can't catch their breath at first! I thought she was never going to stop crying..but she did and she is OK.

Thank goodness my in laws were still around (they were suppossed to be leaving today to go to NC)! Thank the Lord that He somehow gave me a peace through this whole ordeal. Thank the Lord that Laurie's injury was not a bad one.

Here are some pictures from our adventure!!

A FOUR mile run!!!

I was all alone at the gym today. Erin, who is my usual gym partner, is out of town. I put my mp3 player on and went to town. Before I knew it I had made 4 miles! My usual is 3 miles but today I just decided that I would try for a little longer. It was not easy but I felt such a sense of accomplish! I am looking so forward to this race on April 25!!

Yeah for Spring Break!!

Spring Break is finally here....Jonathan and Chris are so ready for the break! It has been harder and harder to get Jonathan up and going in the mornings and a few of them he has not wanted to even go to school (highly unlike him). I know this break will do wonders for his attitude and I hope we can finish up the school year strong.
The question now is what to do with all this time???
I have a few surprises up my sleeve. I hope the kids will enjoy the outings that we are planning for them. The weather looks great and so I am hoping to go to the park a few times and we plan to go to the zoo in Columbia and maybe to a children's museum too. This week should be lots of fun!

Happy Birthday Corie!

My niece on Chris' side of the family has a birthday today. Corie is 14 today!!! I can hardly believe that she is that old...when I joined the family she was only 2. She is such a beautiful girl and loves music and the colors black & hot pink. We all hope that your day is great!

http://www.dayspring.com/ecards/card.asp?ID=01a2adc0-jlt

Here is a birthday card for you!!

I might actually be able to RUN this 5k

I had a break through at the gym yesterday morning...As many of you know, I am training to compete in a 5k race on April 25. Up until this point I was not sure that I would be able to actually run the race. I knew I could finish the race since I have been doing 3 miles at the gym three times a week for the past 2 1/2 months, but I was not sure if I could run the whole race. BUT yesterday I actually ran more than I walked for the first time since I began this training. The training is set up so that you increase the time that you run slowly until you are simply running instead of walking. I have been following the plan and have been slowly increasing the amount of time that I am running (remember I have never done this before) and yesterday I actually ran 3 minutes of every 5 that it could me to do the 3 miles!!!
I probably ran about 2 miles of the 3!! I am so excited and I think I may actually be able to run the whole race now. I pray that Wednesday morning will go as well as Monday did.

More Birthday Fun

On Laurie's actual birthday, we had a pretty normal day but we did meet Erin and her kids at McDonald's. They were not able to come to the party and so we wanted to get together on Laurie's special day. They gave Laurie a lullaby glow worm! She loved it because she loves music and it played some of the same lullabies that are on her CD. She calls it a baby as she calls all babies. Thank you Emma, Morgan, and Ryan.
I still can't believe that she is 2 years old! Happy Birthday baby girl!

Jonathan sings at church

Jonathan and the k and 1st grade choir sang at both services on Sunday, March 22. Jonathan did a great job and really got into doing the motions. I was so proud of him!! The secretary at his school (she goes to our church) even commented on his air guitar which was the last part of one of the songs. His choir sang two songs and then they sang one with the big kids choir too!

Happy 2nd Birthday Laurie Grace!!

My baby girl is two years old today! I am happy and sad all at the same time..Happy because I know she is growing up and learning to do and say new things everyday and Sad because she is growing up and I am slowly losing my baby (and she is my last one). What can I say about Laurie?? She loves jewelry especially if it is from my jewelry box. She enjoys coloring and using stickers (hopefully I have passed down some of my crafty genes). She is very active and until recently has been going through a bad scratching stage. She refers to herself as the baby and loves a good hairbow (in fact she thinks we are not finished dressing unless we have a hairbow in). She is my joy and has stolen her Daddy's heart. We are truly blessed to have all the children that God has entrusted to us.

For her birthday we celebrated with both sides of the family. On Saturday night, we met my family in Gaffney and ate supper at the Cracker Barrel. The kids were on their best behavior and Laurie loved the cupcakes that I took for the get together. She also loved her pink puffle that her brothers gave her and the doll that my aunt and uncle gave her. My parents were not able to attend the party but they did send her a beautiful dress! Thanks Grandma and Grandaddy!

The boys wanted to 'help" her open the presents

The cupcakes were a hit!

Cousin Matthew and his wife, Karen Aunt Carole and Uncle Dean

Uncle Nathan

Then on Sunday after church, we went to celebrate with Chris' side of the family. Chris' parents and his sisters were there. Laurie's cake was a big cupcake and she loved it (the icing anyway)! We had a good time and the kitchen that we got her was a big hit with ALL the kids.

Cake-good enough to eat!!

She loved her Dora gifts!

By the end of the party, Laurie's expression was this (see above). She was happy to have a party but also happy to go home and take a nap.

AWANA skating party

Wednesday night, all the kids from our AWANA group went to the skating rink. Jonathan's friend, Maggie, went with us. She, Jonathan, and Nicholas had a great time! They skated some (or attempted it), played some games, and ate pizza. They even went to the AWANA store where Jonathan got a set of dominoes and a bouncy ball for Maggie. Nicholas even got a prize from the store even though Cubbies usually don't get to go to the store. He was very happy..thank you Ms. Kim. I forgot to take my camera so I took one or two with my phone.

The boys at the AWANA store

Jonathan and Maggie

Another kindergarten field trip

Today Jonathan went on a field trip today to the Chapman Cultural Center. His class went to see a ballet! They saw Peter and the Wolf. I was not sure how Jonathan was going to do since it was a ballet but he came home and said that he really liked it. I was so glad especially since I was not able to go with him (there was not enough room for chaperones other than the teachers) and since he was unsure of going by himself.

Consignment Finds

My sister in law (Angie), brother in law (Darryl), and myself went to the Children's Market consignment sale on Tuesday. The event was held in the gym at our church and is being hosted by our children's dept. and the early learning center. We found several neat items there!
I bought Laurie a kitchen set complete with dishes and a smocked dress. I got the boys a nice polo shirt a piece and a Diego car for Nicholas. Angie and Darryl also bought some things for my kids. It was so nice of them to think of them! They bought Jonathan a pair of red crocs with mickey mouse on them. They got Nicholas a pair of Gap flip flops and Laurie got two pairs of l'Amour shoes (one white and one navy). I was so excited! All of these items were in excellent condition. My mother in law also got Laurie a beautiful doll house complete with furniture and dolls. She is planning to hold on to it and give it to her for Christmas.
I had a great time and really enjoyed being able to spend time with Angie and Darryl. Thanks guys for thinking of and buying for my kids! They loved the shoes!!

Race Training Progress!

I have been training for a 5k since the middle of January. The race is coming up at the end of next month and I am finally starting to see some results!!
I have been following a training program that my SS teacher recommended and have recently made a few modifications that my brother suggested and I am starting to see the difference. I am now able to run 1.5 miles and I walk the other 1.5 miles! That is big for me because I am not an exercise person in the least. I also have started to see the difference on the scales...I have lost 4 pounds!!
I am so excited and am looking forward to the race. I have a personal goal on running the 5k in 30 minutes or less. I hope that I can meet my goal. I do want to offer a word of encouragement to all those who are working on a goal..Keep on keeping on. The results will happen if you endure.

100th post!!

I started blogging last November after much encouragement from my friends. I never thought that I would have the time or desire to keep up with a blog but I decided to start one so that my parents (who are in SA) could see updated pictures of my kids. Did I ever get more than I bargained for...I love to blog! I enjoy being able to express my thoughts and update everyone on events in our lives. It is like keeping an online journal for me. I am excited about this accomplishment and hope I can continue writing down these events so that my children will remember lots from their childhoods.

Lessons from Mommyhood

The 15th almost slipped up on me...It has been such a busy week! I do have a few lessons that I have been reminded of lately that I thought I would share...

1. All kids grow up FAST! We went to one of Nicholas' friends 4th birthday party yesterday and it hit me that my baby boy would also be 4 soon! Where does the time go? I don't know, but try to cherish each moment.

2. Mommies usually know what is best for their own children. Don't you just love the pediatrician's office..the first thing mine asks is what is going on with your child. Then after I have diagnosed the child for them, they usually look in their ears, mouth etc. and agree with ME. If you are a mom, trust your instincts!!

3. Discipline using the Word of God. This is a big one that I have been reminded of lately. I took a Bible study back in the fall in which we learned to use the Word when disciplining your children. I started to do just that and it was going well and then the study ended and I got slack. That really is the best way to do it though and I am going to make my list of Bible verses this week and start using the Bible again in the way I correct my children. The bonus is that they will learn some scripture very well depending on their problem areas.

4. Your kids will never outgrow the need for your attention. This is a hard one for me since their are 3 of them and only 1 of me. Sure they get more independent as they get older but all of mine still want a little time during the day when it can just be me and them. It is some of the most precious time I spend with them.

Morgan turns 4!

Morgan is five weeks older than Nicholas, so she celebrated her birthday this past Saturday, March 14! The party was at Monkey Joe's and all the kids seemed to really enjoy the place. Nicholas was a little shy about getting on some of the bigger slides and things so I went down one of the big slides with him. Morgan, though, had no fear and absolutely loved it!

Thanks for inviting us Morgan to a great party. Happy Birthday!! You will be receiving your invitation in a few weeeks...Nicholas is getting excited about his party next. He believes that until you have your party you don't turn another year older!

My boys LOVE the swords!

I can't resist telling this tidbit...Jonathan wanted to play the claw game at Monkey Joe's. He wanted one of the prizes. I told him that those were very hard to get out of the machine and that I was no good at it so I couldn't help him. He decided that he would try anyway and Jonathan actually picked up a prize the FIRST TIME! I was so proud of him!

Laurie-the next tattoo Barbie!

My brothers were watching Laurie this morning while Nicholas and I ran to the Wal Mart for a few things. We returned to a Laurie with a hue of blue on her arms! She had taken a marker (an expo marker that you would use on a white board) and written on her hands, arms, top and my TV!! I had the next tattoo Barbie!

I immediately took a baby wipe (that gets most things out) and attempted to clean her off. That was to no aveil...I got blue on me and very little off of Laurie. Nicholas also somehow managed to get blue on him! The marker is not washable as my brother and husband tried to convince me of, it has to wear off your skin and I am just praying that some kind of stain remover will work on her top. I was livid and it took me a long to try to get over it. My sweet husband knew that this incident had upset me so he took hairspray and baby wipes and got the marker off of Laurie and he also got the marker off of her top. Thank you Chris!

I started to ask Laurie who made the mess on her arms and hands because I was trying to get her to understand that it was not a good thing to repeat. She told me about the mess and now the funniest part is that if you ask Laurie who made 'the mess', as she calls it, she will say NATHAN! She takes no blame, it was all Nathan. I guess this will not be the last time something like this will happen in our household. Amazing to me that neither of the boys have done this kind of a thing to themselves. One of them did enjoy decorating my walls though...I guess that counts too.

Can you believe the weather?!

Our weather is always a bit unpredictable but these past 2 weeks have been almost unbelievable! Last week we had snow on the ground on Monday and Tuesday and by Friday it was 75 degrees. This week has started out very warm (almost like summer-in the 70s and 80 degrees today) and the weather forecast is for 55 tommorrow and 45 on Friday!! These extreme temperature differences have made my boys' allergies flare up. They are now taking their singulair and a cough medecine at night. Jonathan and Nicholas have not needed it for some time but once the weather started changing daily, they had to get back on it. I hope the singulair kicks in soon!

I am so ready for the weather to change and stay warm!!! Spring hurry up and come already!

Laurie's difficult stage

Laurie is going through a very difficult and trying stage in her life right now...beyond being almost 2 years old! She has started scratching other children! This is happening mostly in the church nursery (hopefully we won't be asked to leave because of her). I have witnessed it at home some but it usually happens when one of her brothers aggravates her or takes something away from her. I believe that it is like her defense mechanism. I also think that once her vocabulary comes in better, she will learn to use her words instead of scratching to communicate with others. I am very upset and concerned over the matter though. I am a stay at home Mom and so my children are my job..a direct reflection on me! No matter how much people say that children will be children (and I know this is true since there are others at church who are having problems with their almost 2 year olds too) that still does not make me feel too much better.
I need some prayer and wisdom to know how to handle things with Laurie especially since most of the time she is a sweet, loving child. She will even go over to the child she offended and hug him/her and tell them that she is sorry after the incident occurs. I know the Lord will see us both through this stage somehow, but I sure wish I knew His plan!

Moving Day

Recently, our church and Nicholas' preschool moved buildings. They simply moved across the street but the improvements between the old and new buildings are astounding. In Nicholas' old classroom, there were more big plastic toys and in the new building there are wooden toys. In the old building the bathroom was down the hall from his class and in this new building there is a bathroom in every room! Nicholas loves his 'new big school' as he calls it and his first day (today) went very smoothly...all except for the pick up line (I think everyone is still trying to figure out the two laned system!).

Last Friday, the preschool held an open house so all the kids could see their new rooms and get used to the idea before their first day. Nicholas was so excited about the open house..he kept telling me that we were going to eat at the new big school after we prayed. He told me this about five times so I finally asked the director if they were having refreshments at the open house. She said no, not unless the teachers have something planned. Well Nicholas sure knew what he was talking about because Mrs. Mindy did have some cookies and juice boxes in her room for all her students. She also had the kids sign a card for one of the boys in the class who was having surgery that day. Get well soon, Ethan!

Nicholas and Mrs. Mindy

Signing Ethan's card

A brand new baby!

My brother and his wife who live in California are having a BOY!!!
I am having my very first nephew on my side of the family! I am so excited...The baby is due in early August...just enough for me to stock up on some baby boy clothes for him.

'Saint' Nicholas sleeps

This was too cute not to post...

What Nicholas wants to be when he grows up

Nicholas told me yesterday that he wanted to be a POLICE MAN and a FOOTBALL PLAYER when he grew up. He told me that he already had the costume for the football player (he dressed up as one for halloween last year) and would just need the one to be a police man. I told Chris that somehow I could see him doing either one of those if that is what he feels called to do with his life. I am sure this will change as he continues to grow but this was the first time he had expressed anything like that to me. I know he will grow up to be the man that God wants him to be!

The trials of motherhood

As mothers, we are concerned (or should I say worry) about our children constantly. Are they ok? Do they have friends at school? Are they behaving well? Am I doing a good job disciplining them? Do I discipline often enough? And this concern starts from the time we find out that we are pregnant. It may start then and the concerns may be different but every mother has to learn to deal. I personally try not to think about too much all at one time and I try to remember that my kids belong to the Lord who gave them to me. The Lord knows and wants what is best for my kids even more than I do. What an awesome thought!
So when your kids have dished out more than you can handle in one day in one morning...remember we all go through those days and that God is right there with you willing to help if you will simply ask Him.

What to do with 2 days off from school

The boys have now had two days off from school because of all the snow we got on Sunday night. On Monday, they were content to play in the snow and play in the snow some more. However, on Tuesday they were getting cabin fever (that need for a routine was kicking in) so we decided to go to Chuck E Cheese. My kids do not get to go to Chuck E Cheese but on special occasions so they had not been there in a while.
We called up Erin and she and I took the kids for lunch and some play time which was desperately needed by all. In fact, Laurie was so tired from getting up early that she stayed home with Chris and took a long nap instead! Jonathan, Emma, Nicholas, and Morgan had the best time!! They really enjoy playing with each other and the new games that are at Chuck E Cheese. It was a nice relaxing time and the kids seem to be in a better frame of mind now that some of their pent up energy has been released.
I am so thankful to have good friends who will meet me for a play date even after we had a slight mix up in the locations. Thanks Erin...we all had a great time!

Lessons from Mommyhood

This is all new to me and I think that I am posting this a day late-sorry! I have lots of lessons from mommyhood..Now to remember what they all are!

1. Life does not get any easier or less complicated when you have more than one child or when your children get older. Life is always full of complications and surprises when you have children.

2. Here is one from my great grandmother who is now with the Lord. The one thing you can predict about children is that they are unpredictable! Just when you think you have them figured out they throw you a curve ball. For example, Jonathan loved pepperoni pizza for the longest time and then all of a sudden his new favorite became cheese pizza. Now he won't even eat pepperoni pizza.

3. Each child is unique and should never be disciplined exactly like another. For example, Jonathan usually does not require a spanking-you simply need to give him 'the look' or 'the tone' (that special tone of voice that means that Mom means business). However, Nicholas and Laurie usually require a spanking. But time out definitely does not work for Nicholas. It also helps if you sit the child down after the discipline and explain to them why what they did was wrong-especially for Nicholas who tries so hard to do what is right.

4. Devotion and pray time is essential to have with your children. They learn through doing and through example. Make the Lord a priority! He is the one who blessed you with your children to begin with..so honor Him.

5. Children love a schedule and consistency in their routines-at least mine do. Laurie Grace does not sleep well at night if she is off her schedule and does not get a nap that particular day (Good motivator to stay on schedule-a full night's sleep).

There are many other lessons I have learned...but I will save some for the next installment!

Snow Pics

Our snow storm, yes storm, came complete with big snow flakes, thunder, and lightning. Since I grew up in the tropics, I was not aware that thunder and lightning could accompany snowfall. We ended up with about 3 or 4 inches!! The kids loved the snow and Laurie kept walking in it saying 'snow, snow, snow'. We did it all outside...rode on a sled, built a snowman, threw snowballs, and tried to ride the bikes in the snow (and no that did not work). The only down side of all this snow is that I was not able to go to the gym today. I am not even sure that the gym is open..

The boys enjoyed our borrowed sled (from our neighbor)

Spot seemed to enjoy the snow too!

Jonathan's first snowball

Our first attempt at a snowman-it was shorter than Laurie!

Even though she kept falling..Laurie really liked the white stuff