Let's Get Real Thursday

Dear writers of Daniel Tiger:

Your show is great, really. My son loves "meow" (as he so affectionately calls it). My husband and I enjoy your show and most of the parenting techniques... Really, the "when you feel so mad and count to 4" song saves us daily from tantrums; and the "try new foods" song saves many a dinner battle.

However, we feel you are lacking in a few things that you definitely need an episode for. Sometimes, Daniel Tiger needs a little more discipline... I mean would a lesson on timeout really be so bad? The cat never gets in trouble! Selfishly, I would love if you would do an episode and song to END WHINING. Oh my word... My two year old has enter the stage of whining for and about everything and anything! It's driving me insane! The "count to 4 song" stops tantrums soo effectively, please help me with this area! Let's have an episode where Daniel whines too much and learns how not too. Also, Daniel needs to have a baby sister/brother. You could do soo many episodes on this transition... I mean why keep him an only child when you could open up to so many new parenting areas!?

Sincerely,
Loving fans who want more :)

We have only watched season 1 from Netflix and have no idea how many seasons you have done yet.. so maybe some of this letter is pointless and you have already addressed some of these things... But if not, please head my advice and help a momma out!

Let's get real, who else uses this show to help them in their parenting!? What would you want to see on here?

Let's Get Real Thursday

Let's get real, making friends as we get older is harder. When we are younger we make friends based on similar likes/dislikes, what "clique" they are in (or not in if you were me), sports and/or sports teams, etc. As we get older, I think, we crave deeper more significant friendships. As you become a mom, it can be even harder to make friends, or keep old friends. And it can get even harder if you are a working mom to make new friends... because hello, who has the time!? Am I right?

My friend, Cathy, always says that friends are in your life for a reason, season or lifetime. I never understood just how true that was until we uprooted our lives to move to Texas, then as we entered ministry and again as I became a mom. I would much rather have a handful of some amazing depth-filled friends, framily (friends that are your family) and prayer warriors. And I have come to appreciate and celebrate each friends, whether they be for a particular reason, season or lifetime.

Tony and I have been blessed by some incredible friends in all areas. We are blessed to have people in our lives that cry out to God on our behalf, that love us like family, that love our son as their own.... I am blessed to have some amazing sisters who constantly encourage, uplift and point me to the cross.

I have had friends in my life that were for a reason. To help me get through a particular chapter or crossroads, or were going through the same things as us. Friends for a season of life.... Seminary friends (some that will be lifelong), momma friends, high school/college friends. Lifetime friends are a treasure though. Those are the ones that you can live thousands of miles apart and still pick up right where you left off with with every phone call and/or visit. Those are the ones that you know are praying for you and your family, even if you haven't gotten to talk in a month.

There is a group of us from our high school youth group (and spouses) that we have kept up with and get to have a reunion with each one's weddings. We hope to be able to have yearly (lets get real, every other yearly) reunions together and have our kids run around. We have ministry friends from different churches, all of us moving to different parts of the world, that we keep up. Tony has a few good men that he calls weekly/monthly to catch up with and pray with. There are seminary friends that text each other and pray with each other. I am making some amazing friends here at work during this season that are ministering to me and encouraging me. Groups of momma friends always ready for texts for prayer, advice, vents or laughs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

I praise God for how blessed we are with all our friends from each reason or season of life. How about you.... Do you have a few good friends? Do you have a hard time making new friends like I do?

 

*Not all friends pictured.... do not be offended if there is no photo evidence of our amazing friendship :)

Kinda Relaxing Weekend

I love and hate long weekends.... Love them for all the extra time I get with my boys at home; and hate them for how easy it is to fall back into wanting to stay home!... Anyone else with me?

Anyway, we had a wonderful, mostly relaxing long weekend. Friday night Grayson got to hang out with one of his (several) favorite sitters while Tony and I went to see a student in Into the Woods. When ministry and date night combine for a theatre show, that's a win in my book! :)

Saturday we got to be lazy and snuggle on the couch in the morning (that is my absolute favorite!). Tony and I did some car and garage cleaning while G napped... that's the not so relaxing part. I even got brave and gave Grayson his first haircut via momma! He did great and I think I did a pretty good job, considering I've never done it before! Hoping to be able to do it myself for a while until he has an opinion about his "style".

Saturday night  we went out to the  country for a BBQ and fun with some ministry staff/friends. I always love having lots of kids running around! Grayson loves playing with all the kids and having "siblings" around.  They had so much fun running around the farm and taking a "tractor" ride!

 

 

 They even broke out some fireworks! The kids all got to play with sparklers - This was the first time Grayson actually did it by himself and he LOVED it!....

 

Then there was the time he tried to kiss the sparkler....

 

For Memorial Day we took a drive Galveston for the day. With Tony's busy season in student ministry kicking off this coming weekend, we wanted a family day at the beach to get away. It's Galveston... So there was a LOT of seaweed... but for us northerners, it was a beach and ocean! :) The wind was blowing in some cold and the water was a little chilly, but that didn't stop the boys from having fun in the sand!

 

 

The beach was fun... But I forgot that it's not so relaxing when you have a toddler! There's never sit and relax... it's all play, run, play, throw sand, play, snack, play, run some more..... Exhausting!

Did you have a good long weekend? Did you get to relax??

Let's Get Real

I know I haven't blogged this week, I've been super busy with work and life... BUT also because THIS week's let's get real is being featured over on the Houston's Mom Blog! I cannot even begin to tell you how excited I am to be guest blogging for them with a little Let's Get Real post! So head on over there and check it out! Hope it gives you a laugh and hoping to do it again sometime! :)

 

Let's Get Real Thursday

Let's get real... You may have a coffee problem/addiction when you bring your toddler milk/juice first thing in the morning during cartoons and he asks for coffee. :/  Haha... Really, every Saturday morning the three of us sit and watch a cartoon or movie, me with my coffee and Grayson with his milk... I must ask for it a lot or talk about my love affair with coffee a lot for him to start picking it up. Awesome.

What are your addictions or habits that you kiddo picks up? Let's get real, we've all been there!... right!? :)

You know you're a mom...

You know you're a mom (of boys) when... you lay down in bed and get stabbed by a "cachow" car... or  any other toy, really.

You know you're a mom when... You find a pacifier in your pocket on date night or girls' night out.

You know you're a mom when... You notice spit up in your hair in the middle of your work day... or boogers wiped on your pants at toddler level.

You know you're a mom when... you realize you have mis-matched shoes/socks/earrings on half way through your day.

You know you're a mom when... there's goldfish at the bottom of your purse.

You know you're a mom when... you have the ability to not gag during a smelly diaper change or fart in the face.

You know you're a mom when... you can pick your kid's nose without a second thought... ew.

You know you're a mom when... black circles under your eyes are a permanent fixture on your face.

You know you're a mom when... You go out on a date and look down to realize the buttons on your shirt are mis-buttoned... Or better, your shirt is completely inside out.

You know you're a mom when... While shopping you put back the shirt/dress/whatever so that you can get your kid clothes instead.... because they are little and cuter!

You know you're a mom when... you don't get to finish a single meal without sharing with your toddler.

I could not stop laughing while brainstorming these with a friend.... Join me! Comment your own! :)

Let's Get Real Thursday

One day I will remember to blog on another day of the week besides Thursdays... But let's get real... Some weeks it's just not going to happen! ;)

So last week I talked about how much Grayson is like me in the strong-willed/bull headed department. Now let me explain how he is like Tony... ORNERY! Sometimes he gets this sneaky little smile on his face - and he looks just like Tony! It is hilarious.

I'm sure every toddler goes through this stage where they think that if they hide something, or if they themselves hide, no one can see them. Grayson will even just close his eyes and stand along the wall, thinking we can't see him. So while eating dinner one night, Grayson said "all done!"... and I told him he needed to eat one more chicken nugget or green bean before he was done and could get a "snack". So he put it up under his arm (like in his armpit) and said "Where'd it go!?" Like it had suddenly disappeared! It was the funniest thing! He also does this with foods he doesn't like, sneaking them in his seat in the hair chair and says "all done!"

He was eating a sucker for his "snack" after dinner one night and wanted to get down. I told him he had to eat it in his chair so he didn't get sticky all over. So he stuck it in his armpit to make it "disappear" so he could get down.

He also loves to run into his room and sneak his pacifier out of his crib and he'll come back in the room where we are covering his mouth. He's also been known to hide rocks and/or cars in his pockets and I don't find them til laundry day.

Can't wait to see his little imagination and sneaky-ness grow. Tony's already giving him pointers! :)