Parenting

I don't know if anyone still reads this, but I think I will use it again at least as an outlet for now. I have decided that I love parenting. I know you are thinking, "Shouldn't you have decided that long before now?" Well, I knew I wanted to be a good parent and I was willing to do whatever it takes to raise my kids right. But somewhere in there I lost the LOVE of parenting. Let's be honest, it's not always fun and it's a LOT of hard work. Since I am insanely smart and I know love is not a feeling, I have made a decision to LOVE parenting. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my kids. But I have days that I wish I didn't have to deal with them. Lately, my saving grace has been Col. 3:15 "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful." I constantly remind myself that the peace of Christ rules me, not my flesh. Therefore, I am able to be patient when I don't feel like it. I am able to correct lovingly when I really just want to yell. And I am thankful for the opportunity to raise up Godly children. I am thankful that I have great kids. I am thankful that I have an amazing husband. I am thankful that I am able to stay home with the kids and raise them the way Jeremy and I want. I LOVE parenting!

Little Seeds

So, it's been almost 2 months and the tip of folding her hands is still working on Chloe! Praise Him! This post isn't really a tip other than just encouragement. We are finally seeing some of the fruit of our labor in Chloe! She doesn't always use manners the first time when she is with us. But, really, how many of us do at home? Yet, when she is with others she is the picture of perfection. We get frustrated with her because at home she seems ungrateful, always wanting more, more, more. Yet, when we are not around she is appreciative of everything and everyone. Even though it seems like we are just talking into the wind, the lessons are sinking in. I just want to say that all the hard work does pay off. Keep working, keep planting seeds because eventually you do see it. I know we often use the scripture "train up a child in the ways they should go and when they are older they will not depart from it" and think long term. But this scripture is also true of short term lessons. Yes, we do want to see our children grow into successful, Godly adults. But we also want to see them be gracious, loving children. Sometimes I get impatient waiting for my flowers to grow but it does take nurturing and TIME!

Having two kids is more work emotionally and mentally than it is physically. I can handle the multitasking it takes to raise two. Today I had both kids by myself. Jeremy had to leave long before they were up and won't be home until early tomorrow morning. It was nice that I didn't have anywhere to go today, so there was no time crunch. Right now, Chloe is going through a stage where she is super emotional and in need of constant attention. And Logan is still young enough that he needs my attention. We had a great day together, but after focusing on giving each one equal quality time, I'm exhausted!!! I have great respect for single parents that do a fantastic job of raising their children. It is quite a job to give individual quality time, family time, teach life skills, and somewhere in there find a little time for yourself!

Girls

Nonstop talking must be a girl thing. Chloe talks nonstop!!!! We were at a graduation party last night and Chloe talked to everyone. At one time I looked over and she was still talking but no one was listening to her. It didn't even phase her that she was talking to the wall. How do you get her to stop? I have watched her before talk to someone for 30 minutes straight and never pause for air. And sometimes if she starts running out of things to say, she uses tons of filler words! "Um, Mommy... Mommy... I think... Mommy... Mommy... Did we... um... is that a donkey? Oh, wait... I mean... I saw a yellow bird...." The girl literally talks just for the sake of talking. Even if she has nothing to say, she has to be saying something.

So, I have no special tricks or such to fix this. I am open to suggestions!!!! Right now, I simply tell her that I need 5 minutes of no talking- which usually gets me 2 minutes. And I admit, in the car sometimes I just turn the radio up louder :) You know you've done it too! Or I have her to go tell it to Logan. Poor kid. Hopefully he's not a talker or the insanity will set in. Like I said, I'm open to suggestions!

ReDiscovered

Ok, so I pretty much had abandoned this blog because I didn't think anyone read it. But a friend sent me a message asking for it to be updated. I promise to update this site regularly if you promise to start leaving comments so I know you are reading it! If we've never met, PLEASE leave a comment! I would love to get to know you!!!

So here is this week's tip. This is something that has saved my sanity and kept me from tossing Chloe out the window. She has more energy than the average kid and it does get on my nerves at times. Energy doesn't just cease to be, it needs an outlet. So when I see Chloe on the verge of losing self control and going crazy, here is my new trick: I make Chloe sit down and fold her hands in front of her face. Then I tell her to focus on squeezing her hands as tight as she can. When she has done that, I tell her that while still holding her hands in front of her she is to focus on keeping her self control. Sounds crazy and sounds too easy to be true. I was skeptical at first. I mean, have you met my daughter? Or my husband? The time she spends squeezing her hands uses energy but also seems to calm her. The first 5 times we tried it we did it at home so that if it failed, no one was around to witness it. But it worked! Then I got really brave and tried it in public. Again, it worked! I don't know how long this will last, but until I find the next trick this one is a good one!

Tuesday- Jan 23

Since she was first born, we have been pretty careful about letting Chloe have sugar. One thing we definately noticed with her was that sugar brought out the aggressive side of her. So, she really doesn't get much. But what fun is it to be a kid and not get sweets? So, I have found many "sweet" solutions without all the sugar. Of course, fruit is great. But when others are having desserts, what fun is fruit to a 3 year old? One of Chloe's favorite treats is Jell-O. Fortunately, they make a sugar-free one in most flavors. You can also make your own gelatin, but Jell-O is so much faster & easier! To make them more fun, we do a few different things to them. I use seltzer water or club soda instead of the 2 cups of cold water. Also, I pour them into individual cups. Clear plastic works great- they are cute and since they are disposable, there's not clean up! Then right before we eat them, I add fresh fruit on top and make whipped cream. Cool Whip has a sugar-free version now that is pretty good. Depending on the fruit, sometimes I just make my own to tone down the sweetness. They make pretty desserts and they are easy and ok to have in the evening before bed!

Tuesday Tip- Jan 9th

So, I would have told everyone about this product line much earlier but I wanted to wait until I had first tried it. I am absolutely in love with the products of Mama Mio. They are amazing! My favorite one has been Tummy Rub Oil. It is not like the usual belly creams. Instead it is an oil that is designed to give skin extra elasticity for those months of stretching. I have been using it, and at 7 1/2 months, I have not developed any stretch marks. I especially like that my skin is always soft and never feels itchy. Plus, the smell is pleasant- I could even handle it on my sickest of days. I know where to buy it in the Seattle area, but have no idea elsewhere. I will admit that it is a little pricey but has been worth every penny. So far, I have used the Tummy Rub, Boob Tube, Moisturizing Shower Cream, Super Rich Body Cream, and Wonder-full Balm. I believe they also make after-baby products, which I will probably try also. :) Here is the website if you're interested. www.mamamio.com