Beds, babies and dogs

Okay, just a few days ago I blogged about wanting to move my daughter out of our bed and into her own. She is five and it has been a struggle. We finally put our foot down and told her she had to sleep in her own bed. After many tears and a few minutes of tantrums but after awhile she was quiet. We thought she had fallen asleep in her bed turns out she didn't. She was cuddled up next to Foxy on the dog bed. The good news is she was out of our bed but we are still working on getting her into her bed.

I want my bed back!

We have three kids and made the mistake of letting them sleep with us when they were little. Now that our daughter is five, I am ready to have our own bed. If I have any advice for other parents it is to not let your kiddos sleep with you. The trama of moving them out of your bed and into their own room is horrible. We didn't let the kids sleep with us until they were out of the babybed. It was when they could toddle into our room. I will be the first to confess it was easier to let them crawl in bed with us rather than take them back to bed.

We have tried talking and even moving her in her room every night. Or pediatrician said to lock the door to our room and let her cry. That is not something I am willing to do. Anyone have any suggestions?

15years is not nearly enough

Today my husband and I are celebrating our 15 anniversary. I look back at how incredibly young we were. I was just 20 and Jerry was only 21. I was not even legal to drink but I could decide whom to marry and spend the rest of my life with.

I would love to say it was a fairy tale comes true. In the most part it is. We are still married (that is incredible in today's age) and we have three of the most wonderful children in the world (not partial at all). However, that doesn't mean we didn't have our difficulty. We had our first child when we were not financially ready. Jerry had just changed jobs and I was working at the YMCA and trying to finish my degree in education at UTA.

We made it through that crisis growing stronger if not more determined to make our little family survive. The pregnancy was difficult and my husband was amazing through those months.

Mitchell our first-born!

Two years after Mitchell was born we tried to have another child to our dismay we did not get pregnant right away. This was a difficult time in our marriage. I focused so intensely on having another baby I forgot about the blessings of a wonderful husband and son. Eventually, we had Jonah,who is a delight.

Jonah our second blessing!

Following quickly on the heels of that pregnancy, I had Paige. God's timing is always perfect.

Our little princess!

Jerry and I have worked diligently on our marriage for the past seven years. We joined a Marriage Enrichment Group that meets once a month to work on keeping the marriage healthy through Biblical practices. When Jerry and I first married, we did not attend church even though we had most of our young lives and did not get back into the church until our first-born was three. Like others, we got back into to church because of our children. I believe that our marriage may not have lasted if we had not turned to God for the strength to work when times were hard.

Jerry is my best friend. If I have a bad day or a great day he is who I talk to. He has always been my biggest supporter and cheerleader. When I wanted to stay home with the kids he said okay we can make it work. When I said I think I want to write he paid for my conference and made sure I could go securing time off to keep the kids.

So maybe right now I can't stand on the mountaintop and yell "I love you, Jerry" but I am sending it out over the net so more than just the birds on the mountain top will know. I am the most blessed woman. The joys and sorrows we have faced only make us stronger in our love for each other. I pray that God will see us through another 15 years Xs 3.

Clowning around for five!!

As I said earlier my daughter just turned five although she thinks she is twenty-five. She had her birthday party at the house Saturday with friends and family.


Princess Pea also had two very funny visitors who did tricks, made balloon animals and painted faces. Surgarlump and Jeep-hers came and visited with the kiddos.

At first I was a little afraid to have clowns at her party. I mean they are really popular at kids parties anymore but somethings never change. The kiddos had a great time and I think she will remember this birthday for years to some.

My little one is Five!!!

My youngest turned five this week!!! She is our little Princess Pea and one of the greatest joys we have.

It amazes me that five years ago on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving, Jerry and I were blessed with our first and only daughter. It is truly amazing how fast they grow. Jerry and I will continue to thank God for the blessings of our children.

Happy Birthday little Princess Pea!!!

Success in School

The boys brought home their report cards and both received all A's. We are so very proud of them. Jojo is doing extremely well in first grade. He is a top notch reader. Mitch is in his first year in middle school and if you have read any of my post on that you know it has not been an easy transition but he is doing so well in school.

I have asked others how to help your children be successful and the answers are very similar. Here is what I have heard from teachers and parents.

1. Listen to them. Sometimes this is difficult when we are struggling with all the demands of life. It is important for your children to know that they have your ear to discuss what is going on in their lives.
2. Don't over commit. Think of all the sports, music and club activities that today's children are involved in. In today's society we have placed our children in so many activities they have no time to relax. This can lead to frustration thus interfering with their academic success.
3. Be INVOLVED. Believe it or not your child wants you to be there. They want to spend time with you even when they are teens. Yes, they may treat you differently not wanting to curl up in your lap is a good thing at the age of 12 but that doesn't mean they don't want you around.
4. Be in contact. Teachers want parents that are actively involved with the school. Email is a great way to stay in contact. Some schools even give parents access to lesson plans and grades online. Use these resources.


What advice have you learned to help your children be successful?

Grumpy sick

I went to pick up my six year old from school and we shared this converstation.

Jojo: Mom, guess what!
Mom: I don't know. What?
Jojo: We had a BOY sub today! He was cool.
Mom: Oh, where was Mrs. W.?
Jojo: Yesterday she was grumpy sick and today she was really sick.

It makes me wonder and worry a little about what my children say about me. Do you have any great stories about what your kids say?

Growing up!

Have you ever realized how hard it is to let your children grow up? All this time while my oldest was growing from an infant to toddler to adolescent and now preteen I would always think of what he would be when he grew up. I have a wonderful son who is incredibly smart, loving to everyone but his siblings (hoping that will change one day) and really just an amazing kiddo. I guess I could be partial maybe just a little.

Well, he has been away at aquatic camp for the past week and I have been held prisoner to the telephone, never wanting to miss his calls. Before he left I thought it would be great for him and to be totally honest at the time I was a little tired of his preteen attitude. What I never took into consideration is that I would miss him so much. No, I didn't miss the rolling of the eyes, sighs, or the mumbling as he went to do whatever chore he was asked to do that he felt beneath him. What I have learned from this experience is that even though he is twelve, he still wants to hear from his mom before he goes to sleep at night and I am blessed that we have that type of relationship.

The week seemed to last an eternity and now he will return home Sunday for a total of three days to leave again for church camp in another state. Maybe I will be tired of his attitude after a while in his presence and I'm sure the sibling fighting will commence within an hour of his arrival home but I know that when he is gone again I will miss him terribly and my dh will remind me that he will return home in just a few days.

When will he call?

Well, we dropped my oldest son, Mitch, off at camp this week. Yep, sending them away to camp is worse than the first day of kindergarten. We traveled four hours to take him to camp all the while we listened to The Shack on tape but more about that later. I was excited about taking him to camp since it is at the college I attended. The problem is....I never realized how much I was going to miss him. He called once already from camp and said he passed his swim test and loves the snorkel set we sent with him. I can't wait to have him home for a few days before he leaves again for church camp. Maybe we will see him more when school starts. Sigh...at least the sound of arguing has diminished to only two and not three.

The Moore's take on Burger's Lake

This weekend my husband's side of the family joined forces with us as we took on Burger's lake for the day. I think we have found a new hot spot for all of us to go. I have to say I have the most adventurous sister-n-law. Lori challenged me to go off the diving boards both high and low along with a ridiculously high slide. And you know a challenge has to be met face on. What an exciting challenge they turned out to be. I will confess that I will never go off the high dive again. It is different as an adult, I am sure the fact that gravity pulls harder on my body than it did when I was younger and of course lighter.

Boy does time change things, the last time many of us had been to Burger's lake was in the late eighties and well it has shrunk. I remember it being so much further to the diving boards. One thing that did not change it was a lot of fun.

I love the fact that we were able to get together an enjoy this time together. I know the time we have together is short and I look forward to spending that time with those I love. I loved watching Princess and Lil Princess play together in the water. Isn't it great to have a cousin to play with. Jojo had so much fun jumping off the diving board and he can't wait to go back again. Captian M loved hanging out with his Uncle Wes. but my favorite part was watching my husband let loose and enjoy himself. I look forward to many other family outings together.

Daddy's

Is there some man in your life that has taught you how to live. These pictures are men who fill the role of father. Everyone says how loving and caring their mothers are but you don't seem to hear how much fathers have impacted your life. In fact we tend to hear how much fathers are not present in the lives of their children and this is the reason for all the problems with today's youth. I don't disagree that there are many dads that are not present but I want to sing the praises of those men who are present. You make a difference and often you are lumped in with those who are not doing what they need to do. Fathers play an amazing role and there are so many that are active in their children's lives. Fathers teach work ethic, responsibility and honor. My father played a huge role in my upbringing. I grew up a military brat with a strong sense of right and wrong. I knew that I was loved and cared for. My daddy always believed I was capable of doing anything I wanted and to this day he is still standing by cheering me on. My daddy also was my security. I knew I was safe with him near. I remember going camping and I would be frightened to sleep in the tent unless my daddy was there. I can remember when daddy would go on TDY and I would sleep with my mother or my big sister because my security was not there. My daddy demonstrated to my sister and me how we should be treated. My husband is much like my daddy but if you asked them if they were alike they would deny it. Truth be told they are both amazing men. Jerry provides security for my children just as my daddy does. He works hard to show rather than tell my boys how real men behave toward women. He demonstrates how a Christian man lives his life for Christ. He shows by his actions how to love, respect others and become the person God wants us to be. These lessons he learned from his father. I am blessed to have Joe Moore as my father-n-law because he helped to mold the man that my children call daddy just as my daddy helped to mold me to woman I am today. Take the time today to thank the men in your lives and give thanks to God for them.

Happy Father's Day to the wonderful men in my life! I love you so very much.

We love you Chris!!

On my sixteenth birthday, I didn't get a great party like every girl dreams of. Instead, my sister had my nephew on my birthday. Let's just say I was not pleased about the day she chose to drop this child on our family. That has since changed. I am very proud of my nephew, David who walked the stage to accept his high school diploma. Now he begins his life as a man and no longer a child. He will have to make decisions for himself with only himself and God as counsel. I wish him the best in this new phase of his life and am very honored now to share my birthday with him. I know that great and wonderful things await him. Chris we are so proud of you. Be sure to stay true to who you are, know that you are always loved by your family and you are never alone for you are wonderfully made and loved by your Heavenly Father.

Ready or not middle school here he comes!

He will never let me stumble, slip or fall. For he is watchinh, never sleeping. Psalms 121:3-4

My oldest son will be entering middle school next year and I have to say I am terrified. He will be entering the unknown sort of like a twilight zone. I don't know of anyone who says "Oh to be thirteen again" or "My middle school years were the best years of my life." No, most people remember those times as painful. A struggle to find out who you wanted to be and normally not finding it. I remember how vicious other girls were to each other at this age. This past weekend he had several boys over for a sleepover in a tent in the backyard. Most of these boys I have known since they were in preschool and kindergarten. I have seen this group of boys grow up together all going to different schools in different districts. There is one common factor though, they all have been brought up in strong Christian schools. I believe that this has given them a foundation to build their identities on. They know that they are loved by not just their parents but God. These children have a head start in finding out their purpose in life.

Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day!

You don't realize how much your mother means to you until you grow up and have have children of your own. Being a mother is incredibly hard. You are put in charge of these intense free willed beings and expected to guide them to adulthood alive. I remember how terrified I was when I was left with my first child. I am sure the nurses laughed at the desk when I called for help because he had hiccups. The cure was a pacifier. Who would have thought that would have been so terrifying. That same child is now twelve and is responsible for an amazing amount of gray hair I have now.

I am now past the diaper stage with all of my children but at the time I thought it would never end. We supported the Huggie stockholder for ten years. Too bad at the time I didn't own stock. I remember the frustration and the thoughts that I would have the only children graduating from high school in diapers. I am happy to say that isn't going to happen.

There are so many milestones we see our children reach and at the time we are so excited to see them reach them. The first smile, hearing the word mama, first steps or when they learn to ride the bike without training wheels. I don't think at the time I really valued all those milestones. I was excited with each one but I would love to turn back the clock and cuddle with my babies asleep on my chest. Take the time today and do something with each of your children. There will be a time that they won't have the time.

Band concert and growing up.

My son and his sixth grade band had their competition yesterday and they did a fantastic job. Mitchell's band made a 1! I loved seeing them all celebrating together. I remember going to this same competion when I was in Sixth grade and how excited we were when we scored a 1. Sandy Lake has not changed at all in the many years and I mean many years since I was their but it was so much more fun sharing this time with my son.

I know that the time is fast approaching when he wont want me to go on the school trips. Just today he asked if he could walk home rather than be picked up. It seems like just yestureday he went to kindergarten and next year he will be in middle school. Gosh they grow so fast. I wish I could turn back the clock and spend just a little more time cuddling with him when he was little.

He made 1

Let me celebrate my son's accomplishments. He made a score of one on his percussion solo. He also made a one on his ensemble! We are so proud of him.

A real princess

Tuesday nights are my oldest son's soccer practice and as usual we were running late. My daughter was wearing her Cinderella costume and there was not time for her to change so she went in her costume. To my amusement both of her older brothers were not impressed with her clothing selection and begged me to keep her in the car during practice. I did not do this as she was so proud to be wearing her princess outfit in public.

When we arrived at the practice Mitch ran off to join his team and the two younger one went to play on the slide and swings. At the end of practice as I was walking back to the car with my children, my daughter picked up a dandelion and blew on it to make a wish. I asked her what she wished and she said to be a real princess. She does not understand that she already is a princess because she is a child of God.

You created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:13-14

My son's decision

Today was a great day in the journey of parenting. My oldest son professed his faith in Jesus Christ and was baptized at church today. He had asked my husband and I on several occasions if he could be baptized but we kept putting him off. I was baptized very early in my life. My mother can remember the event but I do not recall it as vividly as I wish. I really don't believe I understood what I was professing at the time. With this background I knew I wanted my own children to really understand what it means to publicly announce that you are a Christ follower and the desire to live for Him.

You look back at the milestones in your child's life. First tooth, first steps, riding the bike without training wheels, going to kindergarten, going to middle school.... Nothing compares to seeing your son begin his journey to grow closer to God. I caught myself filling with pride at his decision but really the pride is not for me to claim. It is a loving God who created my son and who will continue to be his heavenly Father. It really was an extraordinary day.

A wonderful marriage!

I am married to a wonderful man and today we celebrated our 14Th anniversary. I met Jerry my senior year of high school at an orientation for the YMCA. We went out on our first date that night but I didn't know he would be the one. In fact, I wasn't really sure I would go out with him but he was older and he was in college. Two points greatly in his favor. I am so blessed that we did go out that night. Because of Jerry, I have grown closer to God, have three beautiful children and know without a doubt that I am loved and cherished by my husband.

Jerry really is my better half. He has the patience of Job which is necessary when you are dealing with me. I tend to be volatile like a bad chemical reaction.

Jerry has shown me what selflessness really is. He works an amazing amount of hours to provide for our family and this sacrifice allows me to stay at home with our children. Jerry gives of his time to help others and with this example, our children are learning what having a servants heart is.

Jerry, I love you and since I can't shout it from the mountain top since none can be found in central Texas I will shout it on the information highway. I am proud to be your wife! You are loved and respected.

What is that smell?

Today I was reminded about how fast things can go really wrong. This morning I fixed breakfast (toast and instant oatmeal) for my kids, got them dressed, and signed folders. The normal morning activities before sending them off to school. My youngest son, Jonah split his cup of water on the kitchen floor so I asked him to grab a towel to clean it up. He cleaned it, gave me a kiss and rushed out the door with his brother to go to school. Nothing out of the ordinary right. Oh so wrong. As I sat on couch with my daughter reading a book, I began to smell something. Never in all my wildest dreams did I think something was burning in the kitchen until the smoke alarms began to go off. I hadn't really cooked anything this morning so history couldn't be repeating itself but that is another story altogether. I glanced over my shoulder to see flames shooting up from the island. Leaping like a gazelle (okay not quite that gracefully) over the back of the couch I grabbed the towel that was on fire and threw it in the sink. What caused the fire you ask? Well, I had lit a candle this morning to make the house smell fresh and not quite like the dogs that cohabitate with us. Well, my house no longer smells like dog, but I am not sure it is truly an improvement. The destruction was minimal just a melted telephone and chaired dishtowel and of course the counter top now has a strange brownish gold mark that resembles the phone. Has anything like this happened to you? Has the unexpected taken you in surprise and forced to to realize how blessed you are in all of your daily trials and joys.