Sockball

Colton: Hey Dad, do you want to do something?
Jason: What would you like to do?
Colton: I don't know, throw the sock or something...

Icemaggedon boredom at it's finest... At least he knows not to throw anything else in this house!  But really, my poor child has resorted to throwing a pair of socks rolled into a ball for entertainment purposes.  

Mom Lessons, Part 1

I've been doing this motherhood thing for a little more than 15 years now and I've learned a few things. And since most of my friends have younger children and often ask my advice, I thought I might share some insight.  Maybe my advice can spare you from tears and heartache and if nothing else, at least you know you're in good company.

BUT, if at any time my parenting advice only manages to reveal that I'm completely and utterly crazy and my children will need lifetime therapy... then please disregard my sincere attempt at parental guidance and rescue me from this place!

I've learned that:

• Raising a toddler who throw hours-long tantrums (that is correct, HOURS) was really much easier than raising hormonal teenagers.
• These little people WILL most definitely eat you out of house and home.  Your pantry may be full for a short time after a trip to the grocery store and then it just disappears.
• And if your children have even ONE item missing from the pantry, they will go into full panic mode and will claim starvation until the pantry magically produces that one item they think they would die without.
• Boys stick.  Bad.  
• Girls can stink too!  But they tend to care enough to shower, hallelujah!  
• Anything that belongs to you, also belongs to them and can at any time grow legs and walk away.
• Anything that belongs to you, definitely doesn't belong to you.  Crazy how that works!
• Kids have their favorite foods and when you try to do something nice and make their special food, they've changed their mind and don't like it anymore.  Your job is to know this ahead of time.
• Siblings fight.  While normal, it is not acceptable.  But they don't care what you think when they feel the need to pick on their sibling until screaming, crying, or fighting ensues.  Or all of the above and then you have no choice but to join their fight.
• You will one day despise the word "stop!"
• Teach your children to sleep.  You will appreciate it when they are older and sleep-in or simply recognize the need to go to bed early.  Not to mention the added benefits of your sound sleep when they are smaller.  It's even okay to turn the baby monitor off.
• There is such a thing as a stupid question (and teacher's lie when they say there isn't).  Help your children find the blessing in their brain and teach them how to use it.  If they ask you a question they can fully figure out on their own, ignore them.  They'll figure it out for themselves.
• Obedience does not come naturally.  I was a very obedient child (I said child, not teenager) and always did what was expected of me and went above and beyond what was asked of me.  Not all kids feel the need to do this.  I fully expect this fabulous quality to pay off when they are older.  I'll keep you posted.
• It's okay when you fall short of perfection and it's okay for your kids to see you make mistakes.  It teaches them grace for themselves and others.  At least that's what I'm hoping for!
• Some of the best memories are made around the kitchen table - a toddler learning to eat new foods has so much fun playing with their food while eating.  It's okay for them to make a mess, just recognize you are the lucky momma who gets to clean it up three times a day.  And it's so much fun to play an impromptu game of Rock, Paper, Scissors at the dinner table.
• While it's okay to stalk your children, it's also a good idea to give them some freedom to learn the world for themselves.  Pray your children make life-learning mistakes while still under your roof so they can learn the best method of correcting those mistakes from you.
• No matter how up-to-date you stay with fashion and the latest trends, you will still be old and embarrassing to your children.  Embrace it and embarrass them in return.  Remind them of that screaming fit they threw in the grocery store that one time and how humiliated you were then.
• When they come to you with a new joke, act excited like it's the best joke you've ever heard and then beat them to the punch line.  Don't let those little people think they're smarter than you!  They need to know you are one step ahead of them at all times.  It's a healthy dose of fear at a very young age.  It's good for them.
• Their science and math homework in Elementary school will outsmart you.  You won't even attempt Middle and High School homework and they won't want to ask you.  See my advice above, this is the need to outsmart them at every other opportunity you are given.
• Your children will indeed work together to gang up on their parents.  And they will also collectively keep secrets from you.  That's all I know about that.
• Laundry.... what the crap?!?!  It's never-ending!  My little lovelies change so many times in a single day.  Don't even muster up the energy to fight about this.  It's a small dose of freedom and really isn't worth the battle.
• Take a nap!  And never feel guilty about it. 

I can't even imagine what these next years will teach me.....  For now, I will sit in my closet hiding, drinking my Dr. Pepper, and wondering when their father will get home from work.  

Making pancakes with Colton

This morning Colton learned how to make pancakes. I had a few tears realizing that I have taught each of my kids how to make pancakes and am fairly certain this was one, if not the very first, thing they learned to make by themselves and even understanding the measurements.  I was proud of him too!  He had the option to stop and eat his own pancakes but he persevered and completed the task perfectly.  Every pancake was golden and delicious!!

Thanks bubba for making us breakfast :)

Driver's Permit

Cameron got his DRIVERS PERMIT TODAY!

While I'm excited for him, I'm terrified to be in the passenger seat with him behind the wheel.  And I don't feel old enough to have a child driving, but yet somehow I am.  It's very unnerving.

Camping Trip 2013

I haven't been camping in over 12 years.  The last time I was forced to camp, I was 6 months pregnant with Courtnie, slept in a tent on a lass than satisfactory air mattress.  And it rained.  It definitely did not leave me with good memories or with any desire to camp again!

However, both Mom and Dad planned a camping trip with EVERYONE on board.  I had no other option than to brave the trip and embrace being out of my comfort zone as best as I could, which meant I had to drop my negative thoughts and especially my less-than-enthusiastic attitude.  I asked Dad if he got us a cabin and he said we had a "shelter".  This is our so-called "shelter" and he wasn't kidding!  The walls aren't even solid, concrete floors, and nothing but a metal picnic table.  I knew we were roughing it then.

Then he hung this beautiful sign just for me, which reminded me to embrace the wildlife... and the fact that I wasn't in a four star resort with all the pleasures of comfort.  He knows me well....

Colton is about the only child now who will let me take his picture without protests or extra time spent primping for my "candid" shot.

Here are Courtnie and Jason attempting to rub sticks together to start our campfire.  While they spent a good hour or so on this task, the rest of us gave up on them and started a fire in the pit.  I must say, their persistence was quite impressive!

The Camp Master himself :)


Pictures of our nature hike.  We called Colton our Trail Master; he led the way for every hike and was very pleased with himself.  He made his poor momma hike down ravines and back up by way of slippery dirt.  We took random detours that included beautiful sights as well as off-the-trail hiking in thorny bushes.
















Family time.  Our Camp Master fed us extremely well this weekend.

And we spent many hours just hanging out and talking.

Campfire and games by night included s'mores, Would You Rather?, Charades, Bucket List, telling scary stories, and hour long game of Rock, Paper, Scissors that we never completed.










The Camp Master also took pictures of the kids sleeping, at least the ones visible from their mound of covers anyway.








The family did a little fishing.  This momma took a nap so these photos are courtesy of Aunt B.

And here are some panoramic views courtesy of our Camp Master.  The first photo is our first sitdown by the campfire and the second is our family's Sunday morning worship time.

And on our way home we decided to make a stop and complete one of Courtnie's bucket list items: to be in two places at one time!  She and Dad were both in Texas and Oklahoma at the very same time together :)

Family Bucket Lists

While sitting around the campfire this past weekend, we began discussing items on our bucket lists.  It was really neat to hear what everyone dreams to do and has big plans for.  I want to remember this time spent with family and help them achieve their goals.  Sometimes there is a piece of me that can't wait for time to move forward so I can see how my children achieve their dreams, but then I really don't want them to grow up at all but remain my sweet little babies forever.

Jason:

• Buy land and live in East Texas
• Go to a Denver Broncos game in Denver, CO
• Take the family to Disney World
• Visit Fenway Park in Boston

Brandie:

• Take a romantic island vacation with my husband
• Have my own garden and lots of fruit trees
• Be a foster parent
• Get in the car for a getaway vacation with no destination in mind, just drive and go
• Rock drug babies in the hospital nursery by day and walk the streets and minister to those in prostitution at night

Cameron:

• Go to Ghana on a mission trip
• Take an exotic hunting trip
• Create a brand of clothing
• Visit Chicago's  Wrigley Field, Yankee Stadium in New York, and Boston's Fenway Park

Courtnie:

• Be in two places at one time
• Dance on Broadway
• Take a selfie with Taylor Swift
• Judge a dance competition
• Live with a friend when she's older

Colton:

• He thinks we're nuts and wonders why we aren't just happy to play outside and go hiking in the woods 

Random Facts About Me

• I wiggle my toes to go to sleep
• I talk to myself and reply to myself... but I'm not crazy!
• I suffer from social anxiety
• I have absolutely no desire to leave my country.... ever!
• I have a serious fear of having my hair cut
• I am a very sorry loser
• I wear my flip flops year round
• I want my own garden and chickens one day
• I love to blog and I love to read
• I still use a paper calendar/planner and look through it everyday
• I'm habitually early everywhere I go
• I can't hear out of my right ear
• I'm terrified of needles
• I sleep with the covers around my head with a tiny tunnel for cold, fresh air
• I've had a total of 7 piercings and hardly ever wear a ring in any of them anymore
• I was once VERY materialistic
• I hate to color, one little mistake and you have to redo your whole paper. Far too stressful.
• I'm a BIG crybaby, I cry all the time. All.the.time.
• I don't eat any food that once loved in water. People dump dead bodies (like Osama) in the water and I have no desire to eat digested dead people.
• It ticks me off when people stab my butter. I'd rather throw it out and buy a whole new tub. Rude!
• I freak when I see milk sitting out on the counter for any length of time. Germs!
• Don't EVER touch my pillow.
• I don't like vegetables, but I eat them.
• It actually HURTS when my feet are touched.  And afterwards, I have to rub the touch out until the pain goes away.
• I'm a germaphobe
• I love going to the dentist
• I like to sleep in and go to sleep early... and take a nap... everyday
• I am passionate about the fight against human trafficking
• I'm terrified of elevators
• I'm addicted to Medicated Blistex (Softlips is a very close second)
• I'm terrified of pain
• But gave birth naturally three times because I feared the epidural more
• My family nickname is "Nene"
• I love and appreciate all things chocolate

Back to Work

Lots of things going on around the Gautreaux house as of late.  I've started working with a catering company, which has me working 2-3 nights a week.  It doesn't seem like much but it has shaken our household.  I haven't worked and been away from the family since before Courtnie was born and it was only for one year in Cameron's life.  To say these kids are lost without me here to feed them, get homework done, taxi them around activities, and put them to bed, is an understatement.  I started 4 weeks ago and we are still working on smoothing the bumps and planning better.  I added this evening job to my growing list of responsibilities - being a mom and wife, taking care of our household chores, top chef, watch a little boy Mon-Thur, drive three children around every.single.day, manage the finances, laundry... I just don't have the time to list all my responsibilities of the being CEO for the Gautreaux household.

I do enjoy working, very much so.  It's the season in life right now - dance, baseball, cheer, dance, baseball, baseball, dance.  These things add up!  Not to mention my teen and preteen grow multiple sizes within 2-3 months and need almost an entire new wardrobe!  Holy cow no one prepared me for growth spurts like this!!

I hope that my children read this one day and know that I wasn't out having fun and entertaining myself while they were stuck at home at the mercy of Dad's cooking.  I hope they know that every evening when I stroll in, sometimes after midnight, that I tiptoe into their rooms and give them a kiss and say 'I love you'.  I hope they know that it pained me to leave them before they even got out of school and that most times I teared up because someone else was the lucky one to drive them to and from activities.  I hope they know I worked evenings for them to be able to have all that they wanted; that this money was set aside specifically for their activities and not spent on whirlwind vacations (although that sure does sound lovely!).

I hope my children know that everything we do for them is done with love.

Someone sweet thought of me and sent me flowers.  Nobody has claimed to have sent them yet but what a wonderful feeling to know you have someone thinking or you and praying for you :)

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