splish splish splash

Today is the day that Dash and Sammie have been waiting a looooooooong time for. We got to go to splish splish splash(country spings water park). It was in the fall that we were driving past the water park and dash asked if we could go. I told him we would have to save up some money to go since it is $45 just to get in the door! Not to mention the food while there. So we have been saving and we were able to go. I took just dash and sammie and we got in the water around 10:30 and left the place at 5:45 to get changed. We played most of the time, execpt for the frequent potty breaks for sammie(at least it wasnt in the pool). We had two meals there(that was $30 and a few snacks. The kids loved the water and always wanted to play the Isaac, which would be jumping off the side of the pool into the water like their friend Isaac Doese would do. It was about 3:30 that i could see sleep overtake sammie's body and honestly, i was waiting for her to fall asleep in the pool. She didnt, but did fall asleep at 5:10 when we were eating dinner! Poor girl! The kids had a blast and it was so much fun to spend time with them doing things that they have been looking forward to for soooo long. I am very thankful we had to save to go, because I think that made this day more enjoyable.

Created In God's Image

This thought comes to me tonight because of constant pain from an under the nail sliver.

I remember years ago my step mom and I having a conversation that we thought it was interesting that a sliver can hurt more than being punched in the arm could. We thought that was interesting of God to create us like that. But I just had a thought and maybe I'm wrong; either way we wont find out until we are in heaven and can ask God face to face.

Which do you think hurts God more, a sliver type of sin or gut punch type of sin. Based on my pain experiance I believe the sliver type of sin hurts God more. What would quailfy as a sliver type sin, you know the "small" ones. The ones we dont really count as sin. The ones we do daily. The gossip, the lying, the deceitfulness, the grumpiness, the angerness. I bet these hurt God more than that of murder, stealing, or pure evil.

Moving on up

Well, the time has come!
Time to step out of the Juniors department and into the Misses department! I guess being 25 and having 3 kids will do that to you. Oh, well! Everyone's got to do it sometime right?!?

Lost

Tuesday morning as we are trying to leave Mom time, the kids were being difficult. As I would get Dash's coat on, Sammie would take hers off. So since Dash was being the most difficult, instead of fighting with him, I choose to take the girls to the van after asking him to walk with us SEVERAL times. In the past, all it has taken is me to walk away and he will follow me. So I walked out of the church into the parking lot keeping an eye on the door waiting for Dash to come out. I got both girls in their seats and still now sight of Dash. So, I left the girls in the car and went in to get Dash. When I walked in the doors, he looked so sad and scared while talking with his teachers.  Mrs. Deboth told me that he was so scared and I responded with a "good". I know that sounds harsh, but I knew where he was and I knew he was safe. When he saw me, he just looked down with his sad puppy dog eyes and said, "mama, you lost me." I explained to him that for that reason when I say lets go, that you need to obey and stay close to mommy. "I love you and I dont want you to get lost. Dash, I knew where you were and I knew you were safe, but sometimes that is not the case. Dash it is really important for you to come and follow me." He acted as if he got it and forgave me for "losting him" but I did hear about it for the rest of the morning. I thought for sure Ryan would hear about it when he got home, but that wasnt the case. Hopefully something sank in!

1st word

I need to document this before I forget

Ali spoke her first word on Tuesday, February 16th, the day she turned 8 months, she said, "mama" at the dinner table. I was helping Sammie with something and Ali looked at me and said "mama" and since then she will come and climb me and say it!

Zoo Day 2-18-10

Make a Smilebox photobook

Zoo Day 2-18-10

Make a Smilebox photobook

1st vs 3rd

I think that it is amazing how much your parenting style differs between child number 1 and child number 2 and then again between child number 3. It may be because mine are so close in age, Dash and Sammie 14 months apart, Sammie and Ali 22 months apart, thus 3 children in 4 years! I would love to say that I have treated all 3 the same, but reality is that I have not.

Example: with Dash I could not and would not let him "cry it out". As a matter of fact it would make my blood boil and it began several arguments between Ryan and I. With Ali, I dont necessarily let her "cry it out" but I did instill the 10 minute method a heck of a lot sooner with her than I did Dash. I do this mearly out of I have no other choice. As I am lying Ali down for a nap I have a 2 and 3 year old out in the livingroom doing who knows what. So I follow the same routine each time, I cant just go put her in her crib and make her put herself to sleep, but I do lie her down drowsy sometimes and then if she starts crying, I dont jump on the dime to respond. I believe that because of this she is my BEST napper and self soother. So much so that the mornings that she wakes up at 5 cooing and babbling, I can simply ignore her and know that she will put herself back to sleep!

I also believe that I struggle with Sammie the most because of the age gap. She is not a girl that likes toys, she is personable girl. She likes people and to be with people and to be mean to people and to be evil to people. She is not one that I can just sit down and play with, but one that I need to sit down and read books to...ALL DAY if we had the time. Which leads me to either ignore her or ignore Dash and Ali. She is a girl that I cannot keep up with. I do not remember things being this way and I wonder if they would be this bad if Ali were not around(see previous post).

I know that I am in the most difficult and trying times with 3 kids under the age of 4 and I ask God for his strength several times a day and really that is the only way I can make it through :)

Would I do it differanty?

I have wondered this questions several times for no specific reason. It has crossed my mind if I would parent my children differantly if I only had 1 now, or if there were a larger gap between the 3 or (fill in the blank). Dont take me wrong, I do enjoy having all 3 children and I know without a shadow of a doubt that God gave them to me in His plan, but I cant help but wonder, "what would life like this be like?"

Ali and the Animal Crackers

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Unfortunately I got the camera a bit too late, but was still able to capture some cuteness with the bucket of animal crackers. Prior to this she was looking at the blue cap and trying to figure out how I got the crackers out of the bucket. She knew I got them out from the blue cap but wasnt sure how to figure it out! She gave up on that and grabbed a handful the last time she was in the bucket(the beginning of the slideshow).

Our Snowday Today!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

We were able to get outside for about 15-20 minutes today, before Abby and Ali had enough! Glad we were able to get out though. It was muchly needed :)

Uncle Daniel's Birthday

Make a Smilebox collage

stupidvideos.com

This video was taken awhile ago....July 5, 2009 to be exact. Dash is a kid that will see something and then feel the need to recreate it. Ryan had just been watching some videos of things crashing on stupidvideos.com and this is what Dash came up with.

Deactivated

I have just deactivated my Facebook Account. I am looking forward to having some of my life back :) I enjoyed the site, but I was sinning in that I was giving more time to FB than my kids and husband and God!

Lonely

I am going to come right out and say this because the first step to getting over it is admitting it. I have been feeling pretty lonely and full of doubt. I know that this is not where my Savior wants me to be, but I even feel distant from Him. I feel as though no one really can understand where I am coming from, lack of finances, lack of sleep, the ages and stages of my kids all at once, my work schedule, Ryan's work schedule, our lack of together time, my lack of friends and my easyness to be distracted by Facebook, my crazy long todo list, my messy house, my house that needs desperate repairs which leads me back to the first point, lack of finances. All this piles and piles on my stress bucket which leads me to be an angry mom. I am not angry all the time, but I am quicker to anger than before. I know at times I need to look at the positive and see how God has worked so that I can continue to trust Him and not let to thoughts tha Satan has put into my head stay there and be pondered upon. So things that God has blessed us with:
Ryan has a job
I have a job that I love! and is flexable with me
WE have a house
We have 3 very healthy children(in perspective of what we could have.)
We have 2 mostly functioning cars.
We have family in the area
I get to "stay home" most days with the kids
I get to enjoy the gifts that God gave us
Most of the things in our house were given to us
We have running water
I can read God's word to the kids without worrying about being killed

I can look at this list and KNOW all these things, I KNOW and believe what the scriptures say, so why do I find myself feeling the way I do? Why do thoughts of does God really exist? Is there really a heaven? Why does it feel like I am brainwashing my kids to believe these things? What am I missing that lets me allow these thoughts to ponder in my head and not see these things?
I guess that's all i have for now, unanswered questions that are pondering in my head without any direction to go. I try to throw them out of the thought process, but they keep coming back in. These thoughts usually enter when or shortly after I have read Revelation, but that has been awhile. I find myself going through the motions as Matthew West( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLJF9vaIJ_0) would say, but I am not sure how to do this differant. I am not sure how to grow closer to God I guess. I know the answer is to read His Word and spend time in prayer, but I have honestly never felt that when I do. So am I reading wrong, am I praying wrong? I am not sure how to live this life thing to the full.
I guess you could say that "In The Light" by DC Talk could sum up my feelings: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rcXYOoUBG3Y&feature=related

Wii

How many 3 year olds have proper bowling throws? All thanks to Dash's almost pro status he just bowled with his empty puffs containers with the proper stance and technique!

Saturday Chores

I started a new "routine" at the beginning of the year of doing some simple yet necessary Saturday morning chores. They are simple and mostly consist of dusting(by me), picking up the livingroom(kids), dishes(ryan or I) and then I add in a few other things that need to be done that week, topped off with Vacuming. I feel the kids should be rewarded for their hard work and really are too young to earn money for it. So they earn themselves popcorn and a full featured length film. They have been really enjoying the latest release by Disney/Pixar film "UP" and have watched the past 3 or 4 saturdays! I enjoy a mostly clean house for 2 hours and the kids enjoy a movie.

developement

Ali is starting to wave to us. She sticks out her right hand and slowly super concentratingly folds her fingers to wave. 

When is wants more food she slams her tray with her right hand~hhmmmm I think she might be right-handed.

She is a crawling machine! Starting to "walk". She loves pulling herself up to stand and can "push" her leapfrog music table around. But she really enjoys "jump starting"(bouncy up an down in one spot) vs walking. She loves playing with cars, balls, trains. She puts any and everything in her mouth. Loves watching TV with the kids and had goldfish for the first time the other day. She loves her Johnny Jump Up.

She is growing leaps and bounds and is getting super fun! THIS IS MY FAVORITE STAGE!

Potty Training

I am here to say confidently, that I have only one child in diapers! AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!
That feels nice :)

Sammie can keep dry during the day, through her nap, and most nights. So I still put a diaper on her at bedtime, but I just use one of Ali's. I am sooooo proud of her :)