Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Fishing with Daddy

Saturday, Noah and Greg headed out once again to go fishing. Greg said they hadn't been there 2 minutes when Noah cast his line out (by himself). Greg went to grab the pole to help him recast because he thought it wasn't out far enough. But he'd already caught a fish. Noah reeled it in all by himself.






Monday, May 16, 2011

You Never Know What He'll Say (or Do)

When Noah gets a haircut, they offer a sucker for good behavior. I always make him get buckled up in the car before I let him have it. He had picked a mango sucker. Half way home, he said "I want a different flavor." I told him he could pick another flavor the next time. He said, "Do they have scotch tape flavor?" I then determined he meant butterscotch.

Noah was playing with his Fischer-Price bus. John decided he wanted to play too. There was a tug-of-war going on over the bus. Noah was not going to share. He finally punched John in the face. It wasn't funny, but it was a little...

Wet 'n' Wild

Last week, we had some really hot days. One day, I put the boys in their trunks and took them out to play in the water. They have this really big beach ball that a hose hooks up to. Water sprays our of the ball. They had so much fun. They mostly played near the water. When I tried to turn it off a few times, Noah had a fit. The boys were so dirty when they were done. (So dirty is an understatement...)

Aunt Suzanne got the boys these super cute trunks last year. I saved them for this year. Thanks Aunt Suzanne!!


Taking in some rays


"Playing" in the water (he refused to run through it)


Check out those dirty knees (you should have seen his bottom!)


Watching the water


Having a ball!


The fun is over... Hold me, mommy!

Gone Fishin'

Two weeks ago (we're getting a little more current here), we went to Greg's sister's house to celebrate our nephew's 8th grade graduation. They live on a dairy farm. When we got out of the car, Noah didn't even say hello to Grandma. He said, "It's stinky here." as he was fanning his hand in front of his nose.


After lunch and a nap, the kids headed off to go fishing. This was Noah's first time. We did not come very prepared... Aunt Suzanne found Noah some boots. They were size 12. He wears a 7 or an 8. (As soon as they got back, he kicked them off...or just let them slip off as the case may be.)


Checking his pole



Catching fish with Rosie



...and daddy


Fishing with Jake

Happy Easter (Just a Little Late...)

Easter weekend, we dyed eggs. Not thinking, I bought the same eggs I always buy...which are brown. When I got home I realized that may not have been wise.


John trying really hard to reach the eggs.


The completed eggs...didn't turn out so bad after all.

Easter morning Noah was so excited to get up and see his Easter basket. John was just excited to eat breakfast.



Noah "steeling" an egg from John's basket.

I was chastised a little bit for putting Goldfish and raisins in the boy's eggs. Hey, they were happy as clams! Once John figured out there was food in the eggs, he sat and opened all of his eggs. After he polished his off, he started in on Noah's. That did not go over well...

Noah smiling, John eating.



Easter picture at church.

After church, we drove to Grandpa and Grandma's to have lunch and just spend time with family. We had a great time! Grandma is very organized with her Easter egg hunt. She tells everyone how many eggs they are allowed to find. Noah found lots. He shared with his cousins.


Annual head in Easter bucket picture.


John joining in the tradition.


Hunting


Inspecting the egg (Is there a snack in this one too?)

Peewee Field Trip

Noah had his first field trip just before Easter. John and I got to go with him. It was a bit chilly, but was very fun. We went to Purina Farms.


Noah playing with grain and tractors (I had to drag him away from this station)


Noah's whole class watching the sheep.


Thinking about petting the pig.


Petting the pig. (Hand sanitizer please!)


Riding on the trailer.


John on the trailer ride.


It's hard to see, but they all hold a loop in a rope when they walk. It's super cute. At one point there were 4 kids trying to get the same loop. They kind of looked like puppies chasing their tales. They all finally found their own loop. Very cute!

The day of the field trip was also the same day as their Easter party at school. The original plan was to have the party at Purina Farms. But since it was so cold, we went back to school. When we got into the classroom, I put John on the floor with the diaper bag so he could play. I turned around and started getting the kids their snack ready and when I turned back around to hand it out, this is what I found...



He got his water out of the bag and bellied up to the table like the other kids. (Notice the little boy on the left protecting his snack from John...with good reason.)

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

You Never Know What He'll Say (or Do)

From time to time, Noah will be dancing around as if he has to go to the bathroom. The following conversation ensues:

Me: Noah, do you need to go potty?
Noah: No.
Me: Why are you dancing?
Noah: (as he really busts a move) I'm just dancing to the music.

We've had this conversation enough now that when I ask if he needs to go potty he dances and says he'd just dancing to the music. He just cuts right to the chase.

Boys sometimes beat up on each other... I try to explain to Noah that he must set the example for John and be nice. Yesterday, after we had that conversation, Noah said to me "Don't tell me that every day." I thought to myself, "Hellllooooo! Just be nice and we won't have to have it!" But, you can't reason with a 3 year old.

A few weeks ago, we were at the Hunter's. The boys were playing. I turned around and this is what I found... No idea how he got in there.


Today, we were rear ended...in our brand new car. The person 2 cars behind us hit the person behind us causing them to hit us. It was very minor. Both boys were scared, but everyone was okay. Everyone we talked to today Noah said, "Mommy, tell them what happened." It didn't matter if we'd already told them or not, I had to tell it again. I think Greg heard the story 42 times. Noah didn't take his Froggy with him in the car (which he usually does). When we walked in the door, he went to Froggy and was telling him what happened. It was very cute.

Picnics, Fro-yo, & Cookies

A few weeks ago, we went to Super Smokers for a fine dining experience. There were 4 families which equated if 634 kids and 6 adults... Okay, it was 12 kids and 8 adults (pretty much the same thing), but it was quite a scene. John thought he was pretty big stuff trying to put a straw in his sippy cup like everyone else.


We've decided Noah is old enough to do housework. I'm retiring. I just sit around and eat bon-bons while he runs the vacuum and does my housework. He always likes to help. And he is such a great helper.

John's hair just cracks me up... It's so long, but yet it looks short and well kept because of the super tight curls. He hasn't yet had a hair cut. (By the time Noah was this age, he'd had 4.)

In spite of some really nasty weather, we've also had some really great weather too. We've been having picnics. It's a little extra work to get everyone outside, but the clean up is a bit easier... I don't have to pick up all the food off the ground. We just leave it for our chipmunk (even though he broke our air conditioner last year).


Forced Smile

As mentioned some time ago, our house is on the market (or was). Our realtor recommended we paint the basement floor the spruce it up a bit before we officially listed it. So, we put Noah to work once again. He loves to help mommy and daddy. We listed our house on a Saturday and had an offer the next day. Eureka, here we come (if we can decide on some flooring)!

A few weeks ago (everything seems to be a few weeks ago...who is running this blog anyway!), we took the boys to Orange Leaf for some fro-yo. John and I secured an outside table while Greg and Noah went in to get the fro-yo. I told Greg to get Noah one of the fruit flavors and just get fruit on it. He came out with a LOT for fro-yo with chocolate syrup and M&Ms. And there was some fruit too... Noah was so happy with his treat.


Excuse the poor picture quality, but you use what you've got, right? I had the boys in the tub and Noah started washing John's hair. It was very sweet.

There's not much to say about this picture... Cookies in the oven.


Last week, we surprised MiMi for her birthday. While there, John pushed Poppy's little red chair around the kitchen (taking Hippo for a ride). My dad learned to walk pushing this same chair.

John made his first pictures last week. He made Mother's Day cards for Grandma and MiMi. He did have it all over himself too... Big mess.

Sunday, May 8, 2011

Happy Mother's Day!

Sometimes it’s hard to see and appreciate all the many things moms do. So today, we want the moms among us to know just how special and appreciated they are.


Mothers wear many hats. You don’t appreciate all of these hats fully until you are yourself a mother. Many of these hats have multiple uses. (It’s just like a mom to get the most for her money, right?) Let’s take a look at just a few of these hats.

We all need food to survive. Moms wear a chef’s hat. When she wears this hat, she provides nourishment for her family. Sometimes the meals are gourmet. And sometimes, it’s out of a box. But nevertheless, these meals are all made with love and with the intent to satisfy one of the most basic needs of her children.

The chef’s hat is important for another reason too. Proverbs 10:21 says, “The lips of the righteous feed and guide many.” Isn’t it so true that we can lift up or tear down someone with a single word? A mother encourages when no one else can. She loves us even when we’re unlovable. It’s the closest picture we have on earth of Christ’s love for us.

Particularly important in a house of boys is the hard hat. This hat has quite a number of uses. In my house of boys, there is always something flying through the air. In fact, I neglected to put on my hard hat a few weeks ago and ended up nearly needing stitches.

And doesn’t it just always happen that something breaks when you need it most and no one else is around to fix it? Once again, it’s time to pull out the hard hat and get the job done. That clogged drain will wait for nothing!

Ephesians 6 talks about putting on the armor of God. Verses 17-18 instruct us to “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayer and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.” As mother’s we are one of the most important and prominent influences in our children’s lives. We need to be in the word and provide that wise counsel for our children. And we of course, need to lift them up in prayer continuously.

This hat needs little introduction. The chauffeur, or mom, seems to always be shuttling her children from place to place for school, sporting events, sleepovers, birthday parties, the list goes on and on. I’m told, the older they get the more you wear this hat.

As a mother, we guide and steer our children in the ways of the Lord. When they are young, they’re just along for the ride in our spiritual car. As they get older, they begin to drive their own car. But moms still gently guide them at first. 1 Peter 1:18 from the Message says, “Your life is a journey, you must travel with a deep consciousness of God.” It is every mother’s hope that she will pass this consciousness of God on to her children.

As the party planner, a mom wears a party hat. Moms always plan the most special parties for their children. It can be an elaborate birthday celebration or just a simple heart shaped pancake to face a difficult day. Mothers are always celebrating their children in small and large victories and always find a way to celebrate the disappointments too.

Sometimes, the last thing moms feel like doing is celebrating. But Proverbs 17:22 says “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Moms always find a way to focus on the positive of every situation instead of letting her children dwell on disappointments. She is her child’s biggest cheerleader.

A mom knows how to cure a fever, a splinter, a bruised spirit, and so much more. As a nurse, a mother can cure just about anything with a kiss and a band-aide. Moms are always on call. Illness does not have business hours. Sometimes moms sit up in the night just holding a sick child.

There’s a saying “Sticks and stone may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Unfortunately, we all learn at an early age this just isn’t true. A mother who is rooted in Scripture is well equipped to nurse the emotional wounds of her children. Ultimately, Christ is the great physician just as Psalm 147:3 says, “He heals the broken hearted and binds up their wounds.”

As a mother, she must be a good detective. In the beginning of motherhood, this entails searching for that special swaddle blanket at the store that will solve all of her problems. As time passes, the detective duties move to finding that lovey or special toy that has been misplaced. Where was it last seen? A mom knows all the right places to look. When her children gets a little older, she must monitor what they watch, what they read, who they are spending their time with.

Proverbs 1:5 tells us “Let the wise listen and add to their learning and let the discerning get guidance.” Mothers must always seek guidance from the Lord. This is a particularly hard task in my opinion. Mothers often want to swoop in and protect their babies from every bit of harm. But sometimes, she must just stand by and watch as the Lord works.

Small children come up with some very interesting and sometimes tricky questions. For instance, “Mommy, did God paint me?” Sometimes, she has to be very creative to answer these questions. Now it’s time she put on her thinking cap.

“I ponder all your great works and think about what you have done.” Psalm 143:5 The Lord is pretty amazing. It is often hard to grasp all of his wonder. This can be especially hard for her children to grasp. She must really ponder His great works to explain them to her children.

As a mother, it’s sometimes hard to feel pretty…what with the peanut butter in your hair (can that be considered hair product?) and the unidentifiable substance on your shirt. From time to time a mother must dust off her tiara and spend a little time doing something for herself.

Proverbs 4:9 says, “She will place on your head a garland of grace; She will present you with a crown of beauty.” Isn’t it good to know no matter what the situation mothers are crowned with grace and beauty? The Lord is her strength. His grace is sufficient to sustain her as she guides her children in His ways.

I once heard my mother say about her own mother, “No one loves you like your mother.” It’s very true. Mothers are amazing. Only a mother can ask her child for help, when she knows later, she’ll have a little extra work to do because of this help. Today, we want to thank all the mothers among us for the wonderful things she is and represents. Happy Mother’s Day!