In our Sunday School class we have talked about how it is important for spouses to say 5 positive comments for every 1 negative or neutral comment. I like this idea. And I think it should be applied to all aspects of ones life. So here is my one negative:
I am feeling so irritated at the moment that for the last few months, every time I sit down, I am seen as the mlking cow to my son. When I don't volunteer the milk, he lifts/pulls/tears my shirt off himself, and if I still decline to acquiese, then he slaps he slaps. GAAAAH!!!
1. I am blessed to be able to breastfeed him. There are some who are unable at all and some who would love to nurse longer than they have experienced. Next week my babe will 18 months and he still loves the breast.
2. Because of breastfeeding, my son has a stronger immunity. Illnesses last shortly and are infrequent, even with having two older brothers.
3. We have a stronger bond because of how much time has been spent breastfeeding. This is not to say that you can only have a strong bond with breastfeeding, but it is true for my son and I.
4. Because of the amount of time spent breastfeeding, my older boys have come to understand that breasts are not just sexual. My children only know that breasts are functional for the purposes of feeding and soothing babies. And that ideal is reinforced everytime my booby monster is at the breast.
5. No matter how upset my baby is, I know that he can be calmed by the closeness of nursing. He can feel my warmth, hear my heart beating, and close his eyes in comfort as his belly is filled with the deliciousness of mama milk. Those are comforts he's known from the beginning.
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
September
We'll start at the end of August....
*Paul, our boys, and I were sealed together for all time and eternity on our 7th wedding anniversary (and my birthday) at the Salt Lake Temple. It was so beautiful. I am full of gratitude and love for those who came to support our sealing. It was neat too, as my cousin and his wife were married later that week so Paul and I had a chance to see a temple marriage so soon after our own. Absolutely wonderful.
*Kade started speech therapy. He's been going twice a week since the end of August and his speech has improved dramatically already. Not only is he doing well during sessiosn, but he's spontaneously using the correct letter sounds at home too!
And throughout September...
*Trent's vocabulary has just soared! He says at least 40 words, with new words added daily. At 17 months he folds his arms for prayers, eats well with a spoon and fork, drinks from a regular cup all by himself, kicks a ball, walks well, tries to run, enjoys "reading", throws paper airplanes, loves to pretend and dress-up, always says "thanks" after receiving something, says "amen" after bedtime prayers, loves feeding the ducks and chickens, thinks showers are the best thing in the world, poops regularly in the potty, and lots more. Yes, he is still a breastfed babe!
*Kade is trying out riding Braxton's two wheeler bike and actually stays on by himself for a moment or two! He is so amazing. Kade started school at a private preschool (yes, we are still homeschoolers!) so that he can make friends with some other kids his age. He loves it there. His teacher was a homeschooling mom herself and has taught preschool for over 20 years. Every day that I pick him up he is just so excited from the time he spent at school. When I ask him what did he do that morning he says, "I played with toys, I ate a yummy snack, I sang some songs, Read some books.....it was so much fun!!"
*Braxton's reading and math skills have really taken off. He enjoys reading the children's versions of The Book of Mormon, Old Testament, New Testament, and then of course Dr. Seuss, Arthur series, and anything that has anything to do with the ocean. His new favorite obsession though is paper airplanes. All day long he is working on those engineering skills as he designs and formats new plane ideas.
*We ate our rooster. Yes. It's true. And I don't advise anyone to eat a 1 year old bird. It was awful. Not only was the slaughtering horrific, but the taste was just terrible. Whiskey enjoyed it though.
*We acquired two new ducks, after finding out the three remaining ducks were all boys. Boo. So now we have two egg layers that we are waiting on to lay eggs. And since we don't want to just feed lots of male ducks, we gave away 2 of the 3 males. I would like to believe that they are now living happily together in a nice yard, enjoying shade and a lovely pool of water, but I think the lady who picked them up was licking her lips too much for that to happen. I have a feeling she ate orange sauce today.
*We went to the Utah State Fair and had a fantastic time. We don't do the rides or much of the expensive food. Instead we enjoy seeing the animals, the crafts, and watching the various magic shows. And the Ice Cream Festival. Oh yes, my friends, an ICE CREAM FESTIVAL. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
I think this about sums up the last month and a half. I can't believe the year is 3/4 of the way over already. Now we are getting ready for Halloween, Braxton's 6th(!!!) birthday, Puerrrrrto Rrrrriico(!!), and then the holidays. Whew! That's exhausting just thinking about it. Oh, and I found a snail in the washer today. It came from Kade's pocket. I remembered after pulling the gooey-shelled creature from the penny catcher that Kade had put a snail in his pocket while we were on a walk the other day. Good times.
*Paul, our boys, and I were sealed together for all time and eternity on our 7th wedding anniversary (and my birthday) at the Salt Lake Temple. It was so beautiful. I am full of gratitude and love for those who came to support our sealing. It was neat too, as my cousin and his wife were married later that week so Paul and I had a chance to see a temple marriage so soon after our own. Absolutely wonderful.
*Kade started speech therapy. He's been going twice a week since the end of August and his speech has improved dramatically already. Not only is he doing well during sessiosn, but he's spontaneously using the correct letter sounds at home too!
And throughout September...
*Trent's vocabulary has just soared! He says at least 40 words, with new words added daily. At 17 months he folds his arms for prayers, eats well with a spoon and fork, drinks from a regular cup all by himself, kicks a ball, walks well, tries to run, enjoys "reading", throws paper airplanes, loves to pretend and dress-up, always says "thanks" after receiving something, says "amen" after bedtime prayers, loves feeding the ducks and chickens, thinks showers are the best thing in the world, poops regularly in the potty, and lots more. Yes, he is still a breastfed babe!
*Kade is trying out riding Braxton's two wheeler bike and actually stays on by himself for a moment or two! He is so amazing. Kade started school at a private preschool (yes, we are still homeschoolers!) so that he can make friends with some other kids his age. He loves it there. His teacher was a homeschooling mom herself and has taught preschool for over 20 years. Every day that I pick him up he is just so excited from the time he spent at school. When I ask him what did he do that morning he says, "I played with toys, I ate a yummy snack, I sang some songs, Read some books.....it was so much fun!!"
*Braxton's reading and math skills have really taken off. He enjoys reading the children's versions of The Book of Mormon, Old Testament, New Testament, and then of course Dr. Seuss, Arthur series, and anything that has anything to do with the ocean. His new favorite obsession though is paper airplanes. All day long he is working on those engineering skills as he designs and formats new plane ideas.
*We ate our rooster. Yes. It's true. And I don't advise anyone to eat a 1 year old bird. It was awful. Not only was the slaughtering horrific, but the taste was just terrible. Whiskey enjoyed it though.
*We acquired two new ducks, after finding out the three remaining ducks were all boys. Boo. So now we have two egg layers that we are waiting on to lay eggs. And since we don't want to just feed lots of male ducks, we gave away 2 of the 3 males. I would like to believe that they are now living happily together in a nice yard, enjoying shade and a lovely pool of water, but I think the lady who picked them up was licking her lips too much for that to happen. I have a feeling she ate orange sauce today.
*We went to the Utah State Fair and had a fantastic time. We don't do the rides or much of the expensive food. Instead we enjoy seeing the animals, the crafts, and watching the various magic shows. And the Ice Cream Festival. Oh yes, my friends, an ICE CREAM FESTIVAL. Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
I think this about sums up the last month and a half. I can't believe the year is 3/4 of the way over already. Now we are getting ready for Halloween, Braxton's 6th(!!!) birthday, Puerrrrrto Rrrrriico(!!), and then the holidays. Whew! That's exhausting just thinking about it. Oh, and I found a snail in the washer today. It came from Kade's pocket. I remembered after pulling the gooey-shelled creature from the penny catcher that Kade had put a snail in his pocket while we were on a walk the other day. Good times.
Friday, August 20, 2010
What's New?
Well..hmmm...lots. Shall we start individually? Youngest goes first...
Trent - He is 16 months old now and has all of his teeth. He can say many things, but usually only in front of me. Sometimes to Paul. But here's the short list, "mama", "dada", "no", "pee", "ew", "what's that?", "who's that?", "woof", "meow", "need", "hi", "boo", "water", "tree", "one, two, three". Trent loves tickling, growling, using different voices to be different "characters", like Batman, and just loves doing whatever the Big Boys are doing. Oh! And he's walking. Yes, folks, that's right. On August 17th Trent walked from one end of the house to other all by himself! And yes, he is still happily breastfed. :)
Kade - Has a vocabularly that is growing a mile a minute. He will also be starting speech therapy next month, so that everyone can understand his hundreds of new words. During his evaluation we found out just how smart he is and let's just say he can comprehend the same as those who are twice his age. Which reminds me, Kade is 3 1/2 next month. He is a pro-tricycle rider and I think he's ready for a big boy bike with training wheels. He loves to draw (just look at the walls!) and is doing great at tracing his name and numbers. He can recite our address and has an amazing imagination. Kade is my superhero.
Braxton - He is 5 3/4. And if you say anything else you are going to hear about it. He reads well and does simple math well. Braxton loves riding his scooter, flying paper airplanes, and has a current interest in origami. He has lost his bottom front baby teeth and the adult teeth are almost all the way in. It seems as though Braxton has lost his interest in Bionicles, which is big, since for about a year or more he would only eat, sleep, and breath Bionicles.
Paul and Kimberly - I suppose the biggest new change in our life though would be spiritual. Since the end of May, Paul, the boys, and I have been going to church together. Yes, it's true. My path down the wiccan road has come to an end. I am proud to announce that I have found my way back to "the church". I am a Latter Day Saint and very, very happy. Paul and I were recently endowed. That in and of itself was wonderful. And quickly arriving, on our 7th wedding anniversary and my 25th birthday, Paul and I will be sealed to one another and our children to become an eternal family. Our lives have become filled with happiness, hope, love, and peace. Choosing to live by the gospel has truly been a blessing to our home.
Trent - He is 16 months old now and has all of his teeth. He can say many things, but usually only in front of me. Sometimes to Paul. But here's the short list, "mama", "dada", "no", "pee", "ew", "what's that?", "who's that?", "woof", "meow", "need", "hi", "boo", "water", "tree", "one, two, three". Trent loves tickling, growling, using different voices to be different "characters", like Batman, and just loves doing whatever the Big Boys are doing. Oh! And he's walking. Yes, folks, that's right. On August 17th Trent walked from one end of the house to other all by himself! And yes, he is still happily breastfed. :)
Kade - Has a vocabularly that is growing a mile a minute. He will also be starting speech therapy next month, so that everyone can understand his hundreds of new words. During his evaluation we found out just how smart he is and let's just say he can comprehend the same as those who are twice his age. Which reminds me, Kade is 3 1/2 next month. He is a pro-tricycle rider and I think he's ready for a big boy bike with training wheels. He loves to draw (just look at the walls!) and is doing great at tracing his name and numbers. He can recite our address and has an amazing imagination. Kade is my superhero.
Braxton - He is 5 3/4. And if you say anything else you are going to hear about it. He reads well and does simple math well. Braxton loves riding his scooter, flying paper airplanes, and has a current interest in origami. He has lost his bottom front baby teeth and the adult teeth are almost all the way in. It seems as though Braxton has lost his interest in Bionicles, which is big, since for about a year or more he would only eat, sleep, and breath Bionicles.
Paul and Kimberly - I suppose the biggest new change in our life though would be spiritual. Since the end of May, Paul, the boys, and I have been going to church together. Yes, it's true. My path down the wiccan road has come to an end. I am proud to announce that I have found my way back to "the church". I am a Latter Day Saint and very, very happy. Paul and I were recently endowed. That in and of itself was wonderful. And quickly arriving, on our 7th wedding anniversary and my 25th birthday, Paul and I will be sealed to one another and our children to become an eternal family. Our lives have become filled with happiness, hope, love, and peace. Choosing to live by the gospel has truly been a blessing to our home.
Monday, May 31, 2010
While putting on eyeshadow this morning:
"Mom, that eye make-up sure makes you look stylish. You are so beautiful. And gorgeous!" - Braxton
Braxton has always been so good at making me feel good about myself. I remember when he was 18 months old and we were on vacation in Florida, we had walked past a model doing a photo shoot at this historical building and I watched for a moment, totally taken back by her beauty. Walking away from her I felt so ugly. And then my sweet toddler looks up at me from his stroller and says, "Mama, you are so pretty."
"Mom, that eye make-up sure makes you look stylish. You are so beautiful. And gorgeous!" - Braxton
Braxton has always been so good at making me feel good about myself. I remember when he was 18 months old and we were on vacation in Florida, we had walked past a model doing a photo shoot at this historical building and I watched for a moment, totally taken back by her beauty. Walking away from her I felt so ugly. And then my sweet toddler looks up at me from his stroller and says, "Mama, you are so pretty."
Friday, May 28, 2010
The Giant Robot by Kade
Once upon a time there was a big giant. And big and mean. The the big, mean giant stomp at me. And I want him to stop stomping at me so I stomp back. (Stomp, stomp, stomp) The nice giant has to be here somewhere! He's coming! I hear it! Then the nice giant get big, big, bigger. Then the giant get small, small, smaller, like me! Then I push the red button and he starts flying. Then he start flying faster. The the nice, big giant turned into a robot. And a red button on top of the nice giant's head make the robot go up and down. Then I press the button on the nice giant robot and make him stop flying. Then I press the red button on top of the nice giant robot and he flies forever and ever and ever. And then the robot fall and me catch it and me hold it and that nice of me! And me let go of it and me catch it with my hand and then I smash it. And then the robot walk on his feet.
The End
The End
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Year of Commitments: January - April Review
We stuck to our limit of tv time pretty well in January and have been better off for it. Since then we've had the tv on much less and are finding more activities to do together. There is a lot more creativity going on in the games my boys play. And lots more animated voice character changes too.
February was overall pretty successful. If you don't know what February's commitment I have one word to refresh your memory: giggity. Although I will admit that February's activity hasn't made an impact in these following months.
March involved eating A LOT of oatmeal, eggs, toast, and muffins. I have been cooking more (Dr. Seuess eggs...mmmmmmm) but the boys still love cold cereal and fruit and frequently prefer that over a big breakfast.
April wasn't as successful as one would hope, but I did try various other hairstyles so that I wasn't only wearing a ponytail. I have considered wearing make-up, but some days it just doesn't feel worth it.
May is to make my bed daily and I will confess that so far that's only happened 2 out of the 9 days we are into the month. I should hide my face in shame, but instead I'll keep my chin up as tomorrow is a new day.
February was overall pretty successful. If you don't know what February's commitment I have one word to refresh your memory: giggity. Although I will admit that February's activity hasn't made an impact in these following months.
March involved eating A LOT of oatmeal, eggs, toast, and muffins. I have been cooking more (Dr. Seuess eggs...mmmmmmm) but the boys still love cold cereal and fruit and frequently prefer that over a big breakfast.
April wasn't as successful as one would hope, but I did try various other hairstyles so that I wasn't only wearing a ponytail. I have considered wearing make-up, but some days it just doesn't feel worth it.
May is to make my bed daily and I will confess that so far that's only happened 2 out of the 9 days we are into the month. I should hide my face in shame, but instead I'll keep my chin up as tomorrow is a new day.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Owl Mama: Live Feed
It's pretty neat. You can watch the mama owl as she awaits the hatching of her little owlets.
Molly and McGee
Molly and McGee
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