Kids - 1, Parents - 0

We have this terrible secret in our house - 

Maddie still prefers- or rather demands a pacifier to go to sleep.

We've gotten to where she only has it at nap and bedtime, but it needs to go away. I swear it's starting to mess up her teeth and just the fact that she is so dependent on something bothers her father and me.

For a few weeks now we've been talking to her about when the paci's are going away - trying to mentally prepare her for when they are no longer available. 

So tonight was the night - we gathered them up from all over the house and put them in a box.

Then when bedtime came around it all went sour.

After an hour of screaming from my daughter - it was almost 10 p.m. and Wyatt was still not asleep because he was overtired and picking up on his sister's angst - I went into her room and stuck a paci in her mouth and told her to go to sleep.

Go ahead - lecture me on being inconsistent and rewarding negative behavior and all that other psycho babble - YOU come to my house and try to get her to settle down because nothing we tried worked.

Tomorrow is another day and I'm not ready to discuss the pacifiers quite yet. 

Honestly I need my kids to sleep more than I need to worry about braces and other dental issues. 

They'll probably end up needing them regardless of the pacifiers. 

Love your enemies

I've been reading ahead in our little scripture devotional that we use with the kids and found two that are very important in my life and in anyone's life really.

Just wanted to share them with you in case you need a little spiritual uplifting or direction...

August 6

Love Your Enemies

"Love your enemies! Do good to them!" Luke 6:35 (TSLB)

Jesus taught his followers a new way to treat people. Usually when people hurt you, you want to hurt them back. If people don't like you, you don't like them either. But Jesus tells us to love our enemies. It's never easy, but Jesus can help you. If you do good to your enemies, you could change your life and theirs - forever.

When someone is mean, I pray that I'll find

Love in my heart and strength to be kind.

August 29

The Peace that Jesus Gives

"[Jesus said,] The peace I give isn't like the peace the world gives. So don't be troubled or afraid." John 14:27 TSLB

When you feel calm and peaceful, it seems like nothing can bother you. But sometimes all it takes is an annoying brother or a rude sister to take that peaceful feeling away. Just remember, though, that Jesus can fill you with the kind of peace that will never go away. The peace Jesus gives makes you feel safe, calm, and happy - all at the same time. You can feel this peace even when your brother is bugging you or your day isn't going right. It's a peace that lasts and lasts.

The peace Jesus gives me does not disappear. 

No matter what happens, it's always right here!

Grandmomma Goodies!

It's a happy day when there are packages waiting in our mailbox. Maddie has been all about writing letters for some time now. She would sit down and color a picture, proclaim it a letter -seal it in an envelope and tell me to whom it should be addressed. We've sent letters to Mimi, Grandmomma, cousins, and some of her little friends.

Most of the people she's "written" to have written back, but some haven't. I guess letter writing is becoming a lost art...

Today there were squeals of excitement when Maddie opened up the front door and exclaimed, "A PACKAGE!" and she quickly followed with - "Is it for ME?"

I knew it was in fact for her - and for Wyatt, because Paula had called to let me know she was sending them each something special.

She always wraps up their little presents so they get the thrill of opening a present. Ever since the letter writing started - she's been making these beautiful little cards for Maddie - and I must say she's quite the artist and creative person!



I handed Wyatt's package to him and Mike and immediately Wyatt said "WOW," except it was a quite, almost hushed wow - like he was truly awed.

He then proceeded to start saying "tommy," over and over because Grandmomma knows how much he loves Thomas.

Maddie, of course, had princesses on her card - because she is the eternal princess. I'm hoping they don't have a dress code forbidding the wearing of crowns at preschool because it's part of her daily wardrobe...

Grandmomma Paula always writes such lovely things for the kids and Maddie will hold onto her card and ask me to read it over and over. I put both of them on the fridge, in easy reach - and even hours later Wyatt was still going over and getting it and exclaiming over Thomas.






The cards were a big hit, but even bigger were the books inside the wrapping paper!



Perfect choices for the future station master and future, i mean current princess!

We were leaving for the birthday party, so the books went in the car with us. Wyatt enjoyed his the whole way there!



So thank you grandmomma for such perfect presents! They have been read over and over this afternoon and evening - and Maddie looks forward to reading the rest of the princess stories. We started with Belle, of course!

We love you and miss you much - hoping to get to see you sometime before Christmas.

Picture Dumping Grounds

I've been fighting with photobucket all day - it would load, but not load the pictures and then it would work and quit halfway.

I'll have no peace in my head until i get some of these pictures up here, so forgive the lack of commentary - my stomach is rather queasy and I'm going to bed as soon as I paste all the picture codes. If you have questions, leave comments! Otherwise I hope to eventually get back to write the stories behind the pictures.

Azzie cat is licking my toes as I write this - it feels weird!

Story Time with Mimi- I want no grief on giving Wyatt a bottle - go read my post "On Weaning" to see why I did it...







Big Kahuna's on Friday - it rained off and on and I didn't get a lot of good pictures... My camera was cold from being near the ice packs and it was kind of foggy.








Cracker Barrel last night:






Pictures from a birthday party this weekend - the firemen came and talked about fire safety. Maddie looks sour because she was running and tripped in the driveway..




- wyatt and his pinata find:




Garden Glory - can you believe it? 5 whole okra at once! It's a bumper crop!

Similarities

Take a close look at my two little ones - they're both about the same age when these pictures were taken. Maddie looked at this picture of herself the other day and proclaimed it was Wyatt in the picture. She didn't believe me when I said it was her!

Thirsty

I guess Wyatt was a little thirsty this morning - there were several sippy's of water lying around, but he decided to help himself.

Mike and I were working on our bedroom - the family dumping grounds lately - and I passed by the bathroom in the hallway to hear the sound of water splashing.

Our son, was fishing a cup of water out of the toilet.

I tried to explain to him that we don't drink out of the toilet! And he started shrieking "Wa Wa Wa Wa" which is his current word for water (other than Tea or Milk).

I took the cup of toilet water away - I don't think he actually drank any of it - and gave him his Thomas cup with water in it.

Aw mom - that's just not as much fun!

welcome home becca

I just wanted to say that I'm so glad you're home again and that we have a week or two before school starts and the course of our lives changes drastically.

I've missed you and Maddie has asked for Todd and Ryan almost daily.

Mike is off the whole weekend - so we'll be trying to get in some family time before he leaves for the big Louisiana trip next friday - but call or stop by - I can't wait to hear your stories.

Oh, and - you have a LOT of blogging to do - you'll never catch up to me at this point :)