First ever...Not My Child, Monday!

Welcome to Not My Child! Monday. For the first time, I'm joining MckMama in sharing all the INSANE things my children have done lately. MckMama reminds us that while our children do wild and crazy things, we shouldn't be ashamed to share them with the rest of the world.

At least someone else can get a laugh out of how they drive us nuts!

It was NOT my little girl who, at a beach play date last week, came out of the water and stood in the middle of the beach and shouted as loud as she could, "I'm going potty Mommy!" so that EVERYONE, including ALL the people I did not know, could hear her clearly. Nope, Sammy would NEVER do that, especially since she was only a short distance from the bathroom!

It was NOT my children, who took insanely long naps until almost 5:00 p.m. this past Saturday and Sunday...the TWO days that we needed to get them out and get out of the house by a certain time. And, they couldn't have chosen to sleep late on a week day so that I could utilize their nap time! Of course NOT!

After two hours of taking wedding pictures this weekend (and doing a WONDERFUL job), Sammy did NOT say right before having to walk down the aisle, "Mommy, I'm all done," and sit and refuse to go down the aisle.


(She did finally agree to walk down the aisle after I promised her an ice cream cone when the wedding was done!)

It is certainly NOT my little boy who says, "car wash" and "gas" EVERY time I drive past a gas station. And he does NOT scream the words at the top of his lungs until I finally acknowledge that indeed we DID drive by a gas station. (And I mean EVERY gas station, people!)

My children, especially Sammy, do NOT cry almost every time I pick them up from the church nursery or children's church. Nope they are always SO HAPPY to see us, and always are ready to leave their fun little toys, books and little friends.

Nope, NOT my children!

Warning: LONG fair post ahead!

Brad and I have lived in Brainerd now for over 5 years...

...and this year was the first year we hit the Crow Wing County Fair.

In our defense, we were usually on a youth missions trip, and we had heard such mixed opinions about our fair that we just didn't make the effort to go.

This year we were not in Detroit or Poland or anywhere else with our students, and we decided to put all the rumors aside and check it out for ourselves.

On a scale of 1 (being the lowest) and 10 (being the highest), I think we'd give the fair a 3...maybe 4.

(Sorry to all you fair goers and lovers!)

We did have a nice time as a family, but there just isn't much to our county fair. We didn't want our kids to go on the scary looking rides, and we didn't really want to spend money on food...even though that's usually why people go to the fair.

But the kiddos did seem to have a good time!

So we packed a picnic lunch and spent about two hours there doing wild and crazy things like...


...playing "Plinko"! Sammy and Caleb totally out played us! I only managed to make it into one "winner" spot, and Caleb made it into two spots, and Sammy made it into ALL THREE! She actually won a "Pulse" t-shirt. Nice job, little girl!


...looking at all the animals. The kids really enjoyed going into all the barns and seeing the animals close up.


...driving tractors...


...and driving really old cars.

One of the highlights for Sammy (aside from spending at least 30 minutes in the old school house coloring...we could NOT get her out of there) was going to the "Kids" Kountry" and learning about feeding animals, harvesting crops, going to the market, and getting paid for all of her hard work.


Here, Sammy is getting ready to feed her animals.


Sammy is feeding the chickens and collecting an egg.


Now she's feeding a sheep and collecting some wool.


She really liked driving the tractors around.


Here she is milking a cow and collecting some milk.


She also got to dig a hole and plant some seeds.


There were also vegetables to harvest as well. After that, she took all her produce to the market and received "fake money." She took her "money" to the "store" and was able to buy a treat. She decided on applesauce, and she even shared it with Caleb! What a good sister!

Honestly, we did have a good time...maybe we're just not the fair-going type. One thing I will say is to make sure to go early during the day. It was way less crowded, and we didn't have to park as far away. I did learn about these different kid contests where they can color or paint or build something and enter their work to be judged. A friend of mine's children made a KILLING because of all their entries. They won gift certificates and cash prizes. I plan on entering some of Sammy's work next year. We also did win 2 t-shirts (the Pulse and Fleet Farm) and a $10 gift certificate to Super One Foods.

So...maybe a score of 4.5 is more deserving!

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree!

I love books, and I love to read. When I was a child, my mom would punish me (you know when I talked back or didn't finish my chores) by taking away my books.

Yes, I was that kind of nerd!

So when I chose English Education as my major, it really didn't come as a big surprise to anyone.

For six years I taught some of the greatest young adult novels...To Kill A Mockingbird, The Giver, Hatchet...just to name a few. I LOVED teaching those books and also passing along my love of reading to my students.

Now that I have two small children, reading...well, ANYTHING...is a challenge. And for the past two years, all I've really read have been text books for my graduate work. So getting back into a groove of "reading for fun" has been harder than I thought.

So even though I don't have the time to curl up with a good book for 2-3 hours a day, I do curl up on the couch for at least 40 minutes a day with my kiddos. They each pick 3 books (sometimes more than that) at nap time and bedtime, and I read them stories about trucks, fairy tales, Thomas the Train, Noah and the Ark, and how to pray. I LOVE this time! And now that Caleb can actually sit for longer than 2 seconds, it is such a treat to cuddle with them and read to them.

But even greater than that is the fact that they LOVE to read on their own!


They love books and going to the library. Caleb is especially enamored with anything having to do with trains or trucks.


Sammy also LOVES being the "teacher" and reading to me.


They spent hours looking at books and reading side by side.


It makes this lady one "proud mama"!

Not Me, Monday!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday. Once again, it's time to confess all those crazy, silly, and downright funny things we have done in the past week! Our good virtual friend, MckMama leads us always in our endeavor. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have NOT been doing this week.

Confession is so good for the soul!

Even though my little 2 year old son had not been asked to be a ring bearer in a good friend's wedding this weekend (Sammy is the flower girl), I did NOT still buy a VERY CHEAP tuxedo (for like $6.50 at a consignment shop) for him. And upon hearing that the bride and groom chose an older boy (thank goodness...Caleb would have NEVER made it down the aisle) I still did NOT take Sammy and Caleb into Sears to get their pictures done because even though he's not a ring bearer, the dress and tuxedo were too cute to pass up!

At a play date at the beach last week, I did NOT ignore the fact that Sammy had stolen a water toy from a complete stranger and did NOT wait to officially intervene until the unhappy child (and correct owner) chased after Sammy to get it back. No, I always make sure my children obey completely and only play with the toys they bring to the beach, and I NEVER let my children's behavior slide so that I can finish a conversation with a friend.

I did NOT ignore my dirty dishes for almost THREE days and only begin to wash then when it began to smell like something had died. Nope, I'm always the model housekeeper!

I did NOT run a 5k (3.1 miles) on one of the hottest days of the summer. I did NOT think once about backing out since I hadn't been feeling well. I also did NOT forget to take a picture of me and my running buddies. And by the time I remembered, the only picture of me was taken almost 3 hours after my run was NOT the one below. Grrr!


And I most certainly did NOT lay down at 11:15 after church on Sunday and proceed to take a nap until 1:30...forcing my hubby to scrounge around the house for food for him and my kiddos. And after waking up and putting the kids down for their nap and eating a quick lunch I did NOT lay back down for another nap around 2:00. No, I did NOT! Who has time to nap! NOT ME!

Fun in the sun!

Summer has finally hit Minnesota! It was near or above 90 degrees all last week, and the humidity was through the roof!

It's the middle of August, and it FINALLY gets warm....figures!

Because of the heat, last week we did two beach days with friends...


Seriously, Caleb could LIVE on the beach! He is so happy and content...and still tries to eat sand when I'm not looking! Stinker!


Here, the kids are working hard on filling the "communal bucket." They did this for at least 30 minutes...not exactly sure why it was so much fun!

Getting the beach takes so much effort...but it is so worth it once we are there!

Then, on the other days, I filled up the ol' kiddie pool and let the kids....


...fish?

Yup, Sammy "caught" fish most of the time. Big ones, little ones, ones that were purple, and ones that tried to swim away.

Where did she get her imagination!


Not sure about the imagination, but she certainly got her good looks from me!

Not Me, Monday...it's been awhile!

Welcome to Not Me! Monday. Once again, it's time to confess all those crazy, silly, and downright funny things we have done in the past week (or weeks, since it's been awhile)! Our good virtual friend, MckMama leads us always in our endeavor. You can head over to her blog to read what she and everyone else have NOT been doing this week.

Confession is so good for the soul!

When driving my mother in law to meet some family from the Twin Cities, I did NOT bribe my children to be good in the car by promising ice cream from Dairy Queen.

I also did NOT buy them a sundae to share, and then once we loaded the car, proceed to go through the drive thru and buy myself a peanut buster parfait and eat it in front of them while I drove.

Nor did I do everything in my power to keep them awake during the hour and 20 minute car ride back (even though it was close to 3:00 and WAY past nap time) so that I could put them down for a long nap when I got home.

And my sole purpose was not because I wanted them to get in a good nap, but that I WANTED to take a nap! (They did take a GREAT nap once we got home, by the way!)

I did NOT eat, over a one week period, eat three entire Hersey chocolate bars covered with peanut butter late at night because I was tired and stressed and overwhelmed and missed my hubby terribly. (Did I mention he had been gone 14 out of 20 days from July 18 through August 6?)

After watching five children, ages 1 to 4 1/2, for almost three hours, I did NOT eventually cave and put in a Veggie Tale video AND then a Dora video. Nope, I wouldn't have placed children mindlessly in front of a television.


At the Crow Wing County Fair, I did NOT let Sammy color and color and color in the old time school house (just because she did not want to leave the fair) and color and color until I almost screamed!


After both Brad and I were sick for a couple of days, Sammy's room did NOT look like this...for like two straight days...because I was so tired and sick and I really didn't care.


And here's the clincher!

I did NOT let Caleb wear a band-aid EVERY DAY...for over 2 and a half weeks...in the exact same spot...because he threw a fit every time it came off.

Don't believe me?


July 12


July 20


July 22


July 25


July 29...notice he's sporting TWO band-aids! Good thing they are cheap!!!

Happy Not Me, Monday!

What happens when both parents are sick with colds?

This!


And this!


I have been battling a cold since Thursday, and Brad woke up Friday morning with whatever I had. It is SO HARD when both parents are sick! Sammy and Caleb have a bit of runny noses, but are overall doing well. I was so looking forward to this long weekend since Brad was going to be home FOUR DAYS IN A ROW...but, we've been spending most of our evenings and nap times in bed trying to get better. And neither one of us has had any energy to clean up...well, really anything. So we will continue to live in used tissues scattered everywhere and will keep dodging all the toys littered around the house as we try to get better.

But, on a good note, the kids have been playing pretty well and pretty contentedly by themselves.

See!

Seriously! When is someone going to clean up this place!

It's true what they say...

...the days are long, but the years fly by!



Being a mother of toddlers is exhausting! And some days, yes, I confess, I try to make the clock to move more quickly to 8:00 and bedtime so that I can get some stuff done around the house or just relax.

But, as Sammy gets older and learns more things (seriously, she can ride a bike--with training wheels AND swing by herself--when did that happen!!!) and takes small steps every day towards independence, I cherish each day with her more and more.

Even when she wants to sing her favorite Bible songs at the top of her lungs...in the clinic waiting room. Even when she wants me to play ponies with her..."just for a few more minutes, Mommy." Even when she gets up to go to the bathroom at night...at least three times.

I'll admit, some days ARE long, but these (almost) four years with Sammy have flown by!

Today was a good day...

I know I've been complaining a bit about Brad's schedule this summer. Granted, it has been very busy and a bit rough on our family the last few weeks, but this is the lifestyle that we choose to live.

And it's a life that we would never want to change.

But despite being a single mom, and despite Caleb crying for his daddy at 6:00 in the morning, and despite having to change EVERY diaper...today has been a good day.

This morning Caleb woke up early, but was easily comforted back to sleep. And after Sammy woke up, she cuddled in bed with me for a few minutes and then headed back to her room to play for awhile. And I didn't get out of bed until 8:00!

That, in itself, is a miracle!

Then we headed to a play date with some friends. How I LOVE play dates! They have breathed such life into me this summer. Connecting with other moms and meeting new ones has been so thrilling. I am such an organizer and connector and extrovert that this totally turns my crank.

After three hours at the park, I took two very, very tired children home for nap time. I was able to clean the house a bit and spend some time on the computer relaxing. I LOVE nap time!

Then, right after Caleb woke up, it was time to head into church to have supper with Brad and the rest of the Missions: Brainerd students.

(FYI, Missions: Brainerd is an entry level missions trip that all our students are required to do before they participate in any other missions trip. Students sleep and eat every meal at our church and serve our community all week. In the past, we've done Vacation Bible School, back yard clubs, painted homes for the United Way, done lawn care and landscaping, walked dogs at our humane society, and a variety of other things.)

This year, our students were sponsoring a "parent's night out" and offered free babysitting for three hours.

That's right, free babysitting!

And even though I tried to convince Brad to sneak out on a date with me (he's kinda running the trip, so that really wasn't going to happen), it was such a glorious night for me.

Sammy and Caleb got to be with the same friends from this morning AND Brad decided to stay in Caleb's room to spend some much needed "daddy time" with him.

It was such a blessing for me, Brad, and our kids!

Not to mention the other couples and single parents that were able to enjoy a night out. (Oh, and they even handed out a bunch of $5.00 coupons at area restaurants! They really did think of everything!)

So I got to run errands...by myself! No car seats, not whiny kids, no making sure Caleb hadn't climbed out of the cart! My errands got done so quick! (Totally underestimated how long they would take me BY myself!)

I also got to spend some time reading and doing my devotions. And I also went on a three mile run!

It was so refreshing!

Brad made sure the kiddos were in their pajamas when I picked them up, and after a few stories (and a light snack) at home, they were off to sleeply land.

What a good day!

You know, I really don't think we stop to enjoy the good days enough. And even if we do, our memories of them fade so fast.

Oh, but it's easy to remember the rough days...the days that we wanted to climb back into bed and hide under the covers. The days that we wanted someone else to come and take our children away. The days that we thought would never end.

It's our human nature to remember the bad and not the good.

But that's not what God wants us to do.

Psalm 106:12-13 says, "Then they believed his promises (remembered what He had done) and sang his praise. But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel."

He wants us to remember who He is and what He has done for us and NOT remember the lies that Satan tells us every day. The lies that we aren't good enough mothers or that people don't like us or that we must be the only person struggling...

And He longs for us to DAILY remember Him...that's why He says over and over and over again in Deuteronomy..."do not forget."

"be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery." -- Deuteronomy 6:12

So, today I will remember...remember a wonderful time spent with my children and my friends....remember the gift of THREE wonderful hours...remember that God does and will continue to provide exactly what I need, when I need it.

I will remember...