Discipline

This past Sunday, there was just a brief mention in the Easter sermon about our children disobeying and even that being sin.  This had me thinking....

We HAVE to discipline our children, even with the small things.  Discipline can vary of course depending on the situation but ignoring bad behavior or the "cute" rotten moments, isn't okay.  Sin is sin, big or small.  If we allow our children to disobey, to backtalk, to stomp their feet, roll their eyes, to hurt their siblings, say ugly things, then we are giving them permission to sin again.  If we do not correct them or guide them to make better choices, we are teaching them to sin to get their way or to sin rather than communicate. 

"Sin is pleasure and sin is fun.  If you disagree with this, you haven't found the right sin!"  So to allow our children to sin, gives them a sense of pleasure and pride knowing they got their way or even at times got away with something they shouldn't have. 

We've been known to be hard on our children.  We have rules that are meant to be followed and if those rules are broken there are consequences.  We've also been told how well behaved our children are, how appreciative they are, and how kind and compassionate they are.  This isn't to say they are always like this!  But outside of our home and with other people, we definitely expect them to be on their best behavior.  We also prefer that if they are going to act out, that they do so with us rather than with or around other people.  To say they are sinless, is not the case, as we are all sinners.  Inside our house we are always parenting, always guiding, always reading scripture and talking about the various ways we sin.  We strive as parents to make sure their actions are what Christ would want from us.  Sometimes we fail.  Sometimes we succeed.  Sometimes we are at a loss and fall on our knees in prayer.

But this I know to be true.  Any misbehavior, wrong thoughts, actions or words, are sin.  No matter the age, these very things are sin.  As parents, we need to teach our children right from wrong and we need to teach them what sin is and how to avoid it. 

In the sermon, our pastor also said this: "We can choose how to live our lives, but we do not choose the consequences."  And how true this is!  Our children can choose to obey or disobey, but we choose their consequences and only through those consequences will they decide whether sin is something they want to continue or learn from and change their ways.

We Fix Flats

I am notorious for flat tires, blowouts too.  My first flat tire was when I was 15 with only a permit.  I just hit the curb on a curve and the tire was just gone.  I guess this makes this an official blowout versus a flat tire.  My next flat tire was when I was driving home from a friend's house.  I heard a noise from the time I left and just assumed it was bad gas (in the car, not me).  But after 20 minutes or so driving and people pointing at the back end of my car, I figured out it was a flat tire.  Or really a shredded tire on a rim.  After that, they all become a blur.  I don't hit curbs really, or drive near construction but my tires attract nails like none other.

The other morning Jason calls me and asks what my plans are for the day.  My first thought was "Is this a trick question?  Does he know I had planned to do some shopping today?"  But he just wanted me to check my tire and get it fixed if needed.  Man that tire was flat!  I wasn't going anywhere until the tire was fixed.  Jason did offer to come home from work early and get it done for me but then I would have had to halt my shopping plans for the day and who really wants to do that?

So off to the tire place I go.  The sign reads:

Flats as in tires, not boobs.  This sign used to bring such laughter to my heart.  Now it just means I've managed to get another flat tire and I've heard another lecture from my husband about how to drive and avoid flat tires. 

It's always the same speech - "Look DOWN for nails or anything else that might puncture your tire."  Really?  Who does this?!  I absolutely cannot look down on the pavement for nails AND look up and drive correctly.  It just isn't possible for me.  I cannot multitask while driving.  I can pretend to hear the kids' stories while cooking, I can watch TV while doing laundry, I can even read while taking a bath... but look down on the ground and look forward all while driving.... impossible.

I digress...

I get to the tire place and they asked me to sit in the lobby while they fix my tire.  Do you know what the lobby was?  It was two rolling chairs so old I just knew the minute I sat down, if I were to decide to sit down, that years worth of collected grease and dust were going to shoot up from the seat and into the air.  These said "lobby chairs" were strategically placed between to massive size racks of tires (like the picture above).  Kinda creepy if you ask me.  I chose to stand where they were using some tool that made this horribly loud noise, which I heard no less than 50 times while I was there.  I jumped every.single.time. they made that noise. 

The guys were really nice and I didn't feel too awkward while waiting.  But I have got to learn how to not drive over nails.  The trip to the tire place just wasn't on my agenda for the day and it really wasn't an experience I want to do ever again.  It's a man's job really :)

Pessimistic

Two weeks ago I visited my doctor expecting to hear of my very near death and being diagnosed with diabetes.  I was very convinced of this!  My symptoms: being completely fine to HUNGRY and feeling very queasy all of a sudden and extremely tired.  I just knew it was diabetes.  I went thinking they would tell me that right there in the office, even though I knew they would do blood work and we'd have to wait and see.

At the office he just listened to my symptoms and me fretting over having diabetes and how much I hate needles.  The thought of a needle being in the room with it's sole purpose to put a hole in my arm makes me nauseous.  Then when I actually see the needle.....  How am I going to manage diabetes and pricking my finger multiple times a day?  But wait, upon further research you don't HAVE to prick your fingers.  You can actually wear an insulin pouch.  That's even worse!!  I'd rather prick my finger than have something hanging out of my body for the rest of my life.  This situation just keeps getting worse and worse in my mind.

I got the call....

Dr:  "We got your results and everything is normal."
B: "Normal?!?!  I feel like I'm dying though! Why am I so tired all the time and why do I feel like I'm going to faint when I'm hungry?  I promise I eat!  I never miss a meal."
Dr: "We are going to increase your anxiety medicine and see how that works for you.  If not then we'll discuss changing your medicine."
B: "Hmm.... Anxiety....  Okay.... maybe that is the problem.  Can you call in my prescription please?"

Good news is... I'm not dying.  Bad news is... I'm still crazy.  My poor doctor, surely I'm not the only patient who self diagnosis's via information online.  Simply crazy.  I have since doubled my medicine and feel wonderful.  I was so tired of being tired and feel like a new woman - alive and well. 

Except for the anxiety factor.  But I have trusty friends to tell me when I'm crazy in a particular situation.  Yay for good friends!

Kindergarten Luau

Colton had his Kindergarten performance this past week.  Let me once again reiterate how time flies by too quickly.  My baby is counting down the days to becoming a first grader.  MY BABY is about to complete Kindergarten!  Seriously, I'm getting old and my babies really aren't babies anymore.  But there is still hope.  Although neither Jason nor I can conceive, I still pray for an emmaculate conception.  It happened once!  Why not again with me?

Colton was ECSTATIC about this program.  He talked about it daily and counted down everyday, then hours, then minutes, until it was time.  He told her he didn't have any special parts, that he just sang.  He was mistaken, or he just wanted to be a tad bit defiant and not tell me!  He was a surfer in one song, played the drums in one song AND had was a member of one of the dances/games they did. 

Afterwards, we had open house where he showed us his writing journal and some of the things they've been working on in class.  For as rotten as he is, he really is very intelligent!

And the little girl, she lives in our neighborhood and they are quite found of eachother :)

We Dance Anyway!

This is now Courtnie's 6th year of dancing.  This has been a BIG year for her though - she is doing her first solo and was selected to dance in the studio's elite team.  Competition days are long - we have to travel, we sit and watch far more often than she dances and sometimes we are running back and forth so often we forget what we're rushing around for.  Because of this, competition can go one of two ways... 1. The two of us enjoy our time together, we bond, we laugh, we snuggle while watching the others dancers perform and overall we are more best friends than mother-daughter, or 2. We fight. I didn't do her hair the right way, her costume feels funny, she can't find her shoes, she doesn't like her makeup, she's hungry, and we're both tired and grouchy.  Most times it plays out like #1, but sometimes #2 does happen.  But we still always cherish our time together.

Because of this pictures are hard to get.  So we have to complete the season taking pictures throughout each competition.  This is what we have so far.

Some of my pictures aren't loading, I'll have to keep trying!

A New Season

Seminoles are back together again for another season of baseball.  Last summer they made it to the final round of playoffs in July and battled long and hard to move to the next round, which would have been out of state.  This season... how do I put it nicely... they.are.terrible.  We love the team, the boys, the parents and we ADORE the coaches.  I find sometimes find myself scratching my head, or worse, making my grocery list.  We're playing in a select league and they play like that?  It's getting very frustrating to be honest.  Cameron beats himself up hard about it too.  His passion, his life, and his time all revolve around baseball.  Not to mention he's a sore loser (ahem... definitely not a quality he has gotten from me, definitely not me!).

We still rally them on and know there will come a game and they will shake off the errors and became the incredible team they are.  Until then, I can see show off these amazing pictures I have.  Once again, I failed as a parent and didn't take them.  Thank you to my Uncle Jeff who took these for us though!

How cool is the above picture of Cameron #2 warming up pitching with Jason #2.  They really do make a wonderful father-son pair :)

Colton Plays TBall

For now, we have found what Colton enjoys - tball.  We've tried soccer, karate, and tball last season.  He gets really pumped about practice and games and wants to practice all the time.  So much different than the child who at one time was so bashful and even a tad fearsome when it came to new things.

Since I've become that Mom who forgets the camera with the third child, I have stolen my sisters pictures of my youngest baby.  Here he is, 6 years old, on the field playing ball.  The time really does go by too quickly.  My little lefty bats and catches right-handed. 

I just love baseball season!!I'm not gonna lie, I really didn't enjoy soccer when the kids played.  I stuck it out and enjoyed watching them have fun but there is just nothing more enjoyable than sitting outside in the sun, watching a good ballgame.  And watching your children play and push themselves harder to advance their skills in the sport they love, makes it that much sweeter.

Who knows how long my little one will enjoy playing baseball, but for now I will enjoy my time outdoors with him.  I wouldn't be surprised if one day I were posting about some sort of extreme sports that he were participating in.  The daredevil in him is bound to come out at some point!

Texas Rangers Baseball

We all decided to take an impromptu day off work and have a little party.  So much fun it was!!  Just imagine a room full of people who believe they are umpires, little children running in and out of the house and fellowship with good friends.  That describes our afternoon in whole.

But before the festivities began, we pulled out the cameras and starting taking pictures.  What kind of party is complete without pictures?!  And of course we were all matching in our Texas Rangers gear!

Mom had this HUGE spread of food complete with peanuts and nachos and hot dogs (just like the ballpark serves).  She even had goodie bags for the kids to stuff with their own favorite treats.  I'm pretty sure Colton was the most excited about this!!  Ah yes, we also had Texas Ranger tattoos.  This totally added to our Texas Ranger enthusiasm!!

A tradition has definitely been started :)

Mental Snapshot

I choose to never forget when I drop Cameron off at school and discreetly tell him "I love you", the way he turns his face back towards me with a casual smile. I know at that moment that his smile says "I love you too". This image will forever be a snapshot in my memory album.

April 7th - National No Housework Day!

This morning, I chased my dog with the vacuum cleaner.  It's the simple things in the daily life of being a housewife and mother that bring a smile to my face :)

Then I realized it was National No Housework Day!  How could I possibly forget?

So I turned the vacuum off and put the mop away.  Sure, there are days when I decide without some sort of national honor that I want the day off.  But nobody knows about those days.  People think I clean and cook all day... gotta keep up that June Cleaver image!  But today makes it official.  I don't HAVE to do anything because I'm off duty.