Book Review: Cleaning House

 As a stay at home mom I often find myself doing most of the chores around the house.  In the past I have told myself that my children couldn't do a lot of the day to day housework.  Sometimes because it's just easier to do things myself.  But after reading Kay Wills Wyma's new book Cleaning House  my whole perspective has changed.  She introduces us to her family and an attitude of entitlement that she has observed in not only her own children but in the younger generation as a whole.  She shares with her readers what she calls her epiphany of how to help her children do for themselves and do away with that attitude of entitlement.  She puts together a 12 step process where she tackles one step per month to train and equip her children for real life.  What I loved the most about this book is that the 12 steps are totally doable for any family and most importantly very practical.  Also, she points out that every families' goals will look a little different but the main purpose is to raise children who aren't afraid to work to help themselves and others.  Each chapter documents how her children react and respond.  I also enjoyed just reading her book.  She is real and writes like she talking to a friend.  I think anyone who is looking to make a positive change in their family will appreciate Cleaning House!  I am excited to implement her 12 steps in my own family.



*I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review.

Twinsie Tuesday: Double Blessings

 I am so thankful for these two amazing little boys!  They have brought so much joy into our family.  I love to watch them bounce through the house dragging blankies behind them.  I love to watch them interact with each other hugging and holding hands and sometimes rough housing and tumbling on the floor.  I love that just like the color of their hair they are so different.  Levi cuddly and talkative.  Liam full of action and curious about everything.  They keep our lives interesting and I am so grateful to be their mommy.  They really are our double blessings!

Thankful for Full Hands

If you're a parent of multiples or parent with multiple children  you most assuredly have heard this statement..."Oh!  You have your hands full!"  It's usually from perfect strangers passing by my cart full of children in the grocery store.  Normally I just respond with a smile and keep on going. But I was thinking about that statement yesterday.  Yes I do have my hands full right now...they're full with dirty diapers, potty training, sticky faces, lots of laundry, busy boys, homeschooling stuff,  managing a home and family, and much more.  But they're also full of lots of laughs,  sweet hugs, goofy smiles, and special memories that will last long after they've grown and started their own families.  Those things make it more than worth it!  We prayed for full hands and got an overflow  of blessings and goodness in the form 3 fun and happy little boys.  What could be better than that! 
 

What a Difference a Year Can Make

There isn't a truer statement for us right now.  In my last post I wrote about the new house that we moved to and how we were just getting back into the routine of things.  Well, because of unexpected circumstances,  J changed jobs and moved again, this time back out of state.  Fortunately, back to familiar place and one of our favorite places, Texas!  But all of the moving has only been about 3 a month ordeal.  So what about the rest of the year? Well...

We are officially the parents of two year old twin boys!  Their birthday was last month  and we celebrated in the middle of moving with a small family party at home and the boys had a blast.  So much has changed for the twins since last year.  All the fun things they do and the cute stuff they say.  It is hilarious to watch them interact with each other!   And with so many changes the one thing that hasn't changed is the joy these two sweet boys have brought into our lives.  We love being the parents of twins and I'm so grateful to be their mommy. 
                         

Getting ready for their party!

 We have another year of homeschooling under our belt and we are diving into a new year of second grade material.  It's hard to believe that Tru is seven let alone in second grade.  I will say one of the best decisions we've made as parents has been to school him at home, but it has also been one with many challenges and learning opportunities for myself as a mother.  I think homeschooling is a daily decision to lead your children in every area of their young lives guiding and teaching them.

He's thinking deep thoughts...

Another year of marriage to my awesome husband, J!  We have come a long way from our first years of marriage.  God has blessed us and guided us even in the less unlovely times, it's usually my unlovely times.  So what has changed in our marriage since last year?  Well, for me I can say I am working harder at showing J respect.  I found some tangible ways to were to start by giving him my full attention when he's talking or sharing ideas with me.  Also, caring about the things he cares about and taking interest. Having a nice tone to my voice, especially when I'm asking him for help with something.  Doing what he asks me to instead of just blowing it off because it doesn't seem as important to me.  All of these things anybody would appreciate in any relationship.  Do I get it right every time?  No, I miss the mark but I have made a conscious decision to shoot for it.  One of the great things about marriage is it's not a marathon, it's more like a long journey.  We are growing together and committed to having a better marriage with every passing year.

Let me just brag on J for a minute.  One of the things I've noticed he's started doing for me lately that has improved our marriage is he has been texting or calling me through out the day just to say hello.    It makes me feel so good to know that he's thinking of me. It is a small thing that has a lot of impact on my day.  Small things add up to big things you know.   And isn't that what a year is anyway?   In a year there are a lot little things going on. Some that are mundane and ordinary and some that seem huge and life changing.  But they all add up together and before you know it things have changed.  Hopefully it's good changes.  In our case I've seen more good changes this year than bad and for that I'm so thankful! 

"We are assured and know that [God being a partner in their labor] all things work together and are [fitting into a plan] for good to and for those who love God and are called according to [His] design and purpose."

Romans 8:28 (Amp)

Outdoor Explorers

So we're finally finished with the business of  packing and moving thankfully and we're working on the settling in process.  We found a unique rental a little ways from town surrounded by nature and lots of trees.  The house is working out well for us and the boys.  The front porch is a family favorite and with this amazing Autumn weather we use it!

We have been spending our time walking trails, builiding forts, and entertaining "special' visitors i.e. caterpillars, a turtle, and a family of snails.  We have not had the pleasure of meeting the lizards that live around the porch.  However, the last lizard catching attempt did leave Tru with a tail that he was very fascinated with...talk about science lessons at your front door!

 Then ofcourse we have the "Wildman" aka Liam who would proably happily live most of his life outdoors if we let him.  He can't get enough of being outside.  He is a little explorer.  Levi, who enjoys the outside too, loves collecting rocks.  Anytime we walk outside and he will come back in with both little fists full of rocks.  Isn't it funny the things that a parent will do because their children love doing it.  I  would not call myself an outdoorsy person, but I  love that kids are enjoying the outside stuff and I enjoy that!   So I would say so far the new place is working out great.

Looking Ahead

So I haven't fallen off the face of the planet and I have no other excuse for neglecting this blog other than I just haven't gotten around to it lately. So I think an end of Summer recap is in order...

We've spent the last bit of summer celebrating birthdays, mine included as well as Tru's. He turned 7 last Monday...CRAZY! It really is mind blowing how fast kids grow up. We also got to visit with some great friends  from out of town last month.   They took a little time off and hung out with us on a Sunday and we really enjoyed that.  We did have a major project going renovating a house we were going to lease to own but that actually fell through over the weekend. It seems to all worked out okay.   We were bummed at first, but we know that God has something better on the horizon for us. So never the less we will be moving sometime next month which has us packing and searching for a home all at once. If there's something this family can do it's pack. And in the middle of the packing we are homeschooling and I'm working a little part time job on the side. I'm actually waiting on the curriculum to come in this week. Tru is starting 2nd grade this year and we're ready to get started.

A little busier, but who can complain with cooler weather, hopefully, coming and Fall almost in full gear! I love the Fall! So be looking for a few Autumn projects in the works as well as some Fall homeschooling ideas. It's the best time of the year and I can't wait for it to get here.

Can't keep a Little Boy Down

This is one of my favorite pictures of Liam. He is non stop from the time his little boy feet hit the ground in the mornings. He's always climbing, bouncing, playing and he rarely walks anywhere, he runs. He has always been our busy guy. But last week was the first time I had ever seen him slow down. He picked up a little cough the weekend before and by Monday you could tell he wasn't himself. He wasn't playing or running through the house. In fact he spent a lot of time on the couch watching his brothers play and looking somber. He even let me cuddle him for as long as I wanted to. Which for anyone with busy toddlers knows that's a rare thing indeed! We had never seen him so under the weather before.

Definitely not the norm...

.

So I took him in to see the doctor and found out he had a little upper respiratory
infection and it was affecting his ears. This was the first sick visit we have ever had since the twins were born and I have to say we have been so blessed when it comes to having healthy kids. God gets all the praise for that! So after getting a very disgruntled Liam to let the doctor listen to his heart and look at his ears, she prescribed some medicine to help with his ears. He wasn't keen on being a patient or taking his medicine, but he did it with moderate resistance. It took about a day and half for him to be back to his former self, but by the end of the week he was smiling and bouncing around the house like normal. There's nothing I enjoy more than hearing our boys play and run around through the house and I am so thankful Liam recouped quickly. God is so good!

Recipe Turn Around: Chocolate Frosting Pops

So I stumbled on a healthy chocolate recipe a couple weeks ago. I found it at Chocolate Covered Katie's site, where she specializes in making desserts healthy. Her recipe for Chocolate Frosting Shots looked amazing! I had to try it. The recipe is pretty simple and you can get it here. But basically it calls for full fat canned coconut milk, cocoa powder, vanilla, and a little sweetener(I used Truvia). So I made it this weekend, but I accidentally picked up the low fat version of canned coconut milk. It tasted good, but it wasn't working for a frosting. It didn't have the same look or texture as frosting. So there I was trying to figure out how to salvage the recipe when I thought of something...

Chocolate Frosting Pops!

The low fat coconut milk didn't get thick enough for frosting, but was the perfect consistency to freeze. So I poured my "frosting gone wrong" concoction into a Popsicle mold and was very pleased with the results. Next time I will add a little more sweetener to cut through the bitter in the cocoa. Now I can't wait to try this recipe with the right ingredient. But I think I found a new healthy summer treat, because the boys loved it!

DIY: Burlap Wreath

I love to decorate with burlap and when I found this great idea for a burlap wreath on Pinterest I was hooked! So after pinning it, I followed the link over to the Top This Top That blog, where I was pleasantly surprised at how easy this wreath is to make! Seriously, it was so simple and I only needed 3 items to make the wreath. Check it out for yourself here!

So I swung by Hobby Lobby and picked up a metal wreath form, burlap ribbon(found it in the floral dept too), and a little embellishment and I was on my way. I was able to start and finish it while the twins were napping last Saturday. So with a quiet house I started looping the burlap through the wire...

pulling and fluffing as I worked it top, miidle, & bottom. Once the wreath was finished I fluffed a little more. Then tied some bright summery flowers with twine and hung it on our front door.

It makes a great summer wreath, but it could work with any season with a few changes to your embellishments. I love it when I can make something that works all year round. Oh and be sure to check out the Top This Top That blog, she has lots of great inspiration and ideas for making your home beautiful.

A Beautiful Vue: Growing Boy

Wow! Look at this kid...where did our baby go? I took this picture after his last night of soccer camp. He had a blast and he's played hard, can you tell? I looked at this picture later on and thought to myself when did he get so tall and that I can see a glimpse of the boy face giving way to a man face. It's crazy to think how fast time has passed since he was born. I could go on and on but I wont! Tru you are one awesome kid who never ceases to amaze us and we are so grateful God blessed us with you. Man I love this growing boy!

Review: Time4Learning Online Curriculum

This past spring Tru and I hit a wall with his school. He was getting bored with the traditional book work curriculum and we were butting heads a bit when it was time sit down and get his work finished. So I did a little research and came across Time4Learning. It looked like it would be a good supplement to what we were already using. I also thought a we both would appreciate a change. So we signed him up and we've been using it about 2 1/2 months now and it has become our main curriculum that we use along with our more traditional workbook lessons.

Basically, Time4Learning offers 4 different subjects Language Arts, Math, Science, and Language Arts Extensions (which is like social studies) all in one online package. Once your signed up, your child can log in to their account, and get started. You can pick which subjects you want your child to work on and even build a lesson plan. We focus on the language arts and the math, but sometimes he will use the other subjects. When it comes to science and history I pull a lot from our local library. Both the language arts and math lessons do a great job of getting the material across to him while keeping it engaging and fun! The math lessons have pages you can print out to go with the lessons, too.

Within the first month his reading had improved and he was much more confident about reading on his own. I think he actually enjoys reading a little more now. Tru is in the first grade level, but Time4Learning gives us the option to go a level below or ahead anytime we want. Also, we can retake any lesson if he needs to. I can log in to my parent account and track his progress. It helps me see where he might need to review a lesson, how long he spent on each lesson, and records everything he's done. I can also set up how long his sessions are and use a variety of parent resources like spelling word lists, science supply lists, and reading lists. You can also put together your lesson plans which I found helpful. When it comes to price I think it's pretty reasonable for our family living on one income. It's 19.95 a month for one child and then 14.95 for each additional child after that. There isn't any kind of contract either, so we can cancel at any time if we need to.

Now when Tru is working on his lessons it doesn't give him the option to pause a lesson. So if he's in the middle of it and needs to use the restroom or gets distracted (it happens) he might miss something and can't go back over it with out retaking the whole lesson. It would be nice to have a way to pause the lessons or come back to one particular place in the lesson. It hasn't posed any major problems, but he's not always as enthusiastic about a lesson the second time around. It is not a Christian based curriculum so you wont find any bible lessons or anything like that. I'm with Tru while he's working on his lessons and we've never had any problems with the curriculum conflicting with our beliefs or anything like that. I think Time4Learning would work well with everyone's approach to schooling their children.

All in all as a homeschooling family we have had a great experience with Time4Learning and will continue to use it as Tru finishes first grade this summer. I hope this has been helpful to anyone who is thinking about using Time4Learning and I would be happy to answer any questions. I enjoy teaching my boys at home and using this curriculum with our first grader has helped make it a little more enjoyable for all of us!


***As a member of Time4Learning, I have been given the opportunity to review their program and share my experiences. While I was compensated, this review was not written or edited by Time4Learning and my opinion is entirely my own. For more information, check out their standards-based curriculum or learn how to write your own curriculum review.

Father's Day Photo Shoot

I'm a tad late on the Father's Day post. We just had so much fun last Sunday and I didn't get a chance until today to get on the laptop. And anytime I have a chance to dote on my guy, I want to take it!
I could not ask for better Daddy for our boys than J. He loves them so much. When he walks through the front door at the end of the day the boys are always there to greet him with squeals and smiles. He is the type of dad who gets down on the floor and plays with them. He holds and hugs them and patiently teaches and guides them. He works hard for his family and we are so blessed to have him leading us!
For Father's Day this year I got the boys together for pictures. The idea was for the boys to hold signs that would line up to read "Happy Father's Day!" and "We love Papa" and "Papaw". I had seen a few different versions on Pinterest and thought it would be a great gift.


Well I was right about it being a great gift, everyone loved them, especially J! It was a simple idea, but even the simplest idea can turn complicated when 1 year old twins are involved. They weren't interested in holding signs imagine that, right. With Levi I couldn't catch him looking at the camera. And Liam, well, he wouldn't sit still for more than a few seconds. Signs were thrown to the ground, stomped on, and sat on. Tru was a huge help with distracting and yes even tossing a few crackers in laps just so I could get a still shot. There was only one melt down. In the end I had a lot of pictures and only a few that I thought would work.









I guess when your 1 you really have no desire to pose for pictures. It makes me laugh after looking at our out-take photos. Tru was more than willing to pose and have his photo taken. He has always enjoyed that, one might say he's a little bit of a ham. It all turned out great in the end and I think J had the best Father's Day yet!

A Beautiful Vue: Liam

He loves to swing!

A Beautiful Vue: Our Song

Today or maybe yesterday depending on how fast I get this post out, J & I had our ninth wedding anniversary! We're going to celebrate this weekend, but he did do something really special for me. He had one of our best friends, who is a very talented artist, paint the lyrics of our wedding song. Check it out...

Our friend, Jessica, painted these pieces and did a great job. Some of the words have flecks of gold shimmer to them and the colors are exactly what I would've picked out. I just love these pieces! She is so talented. I am always amazed at what she can do. She has a really great blog, TechnaChroma, where she writes about all the projects she is working on, the different artists who inspire her and pictures of it all from murals she's painted to individual pieces you can even purchase. Check her out here!

The lyrics are from the song, The One, by Skillet. We listened to a lot of Skillet through our dating years...I don't think in J's mind we were ever dating though. He says he knew from early on that I was the right person, so I guess he was just biding his time waiting on me to catch up. It took me a little longer to know. So anyway this song was the song I walked down the aisle to at our wedding. We knew from the first time we heard it that it would be our wedding song...it didn't take me long with that decision. Anyway, I think he did great job with this one. I know he put a lot of thought into it and it means something to him,too. Whenever we look at these paintings it will remind us of our beginnings and the story of US. But best of all that our story has got many many years to add to it...I'm thinking at least 50 or 60 more! Thank you Jody. I love you & Happy Anniversary!

Twinsie Tuesday: Bath Time Stories

Living with a house full of boys is not a clean job. Tru is pretty self sufficient when it comes to bathing. It is a job when it comes to bathing two messy toddlers. Bath time when the twins were infants took a lot of preparation and time. We bathed them separately. If J was home, he would take the clean baby and do the drying job while I took the next baby and bathed them. If it was just me at home, I would pull the bouncy seats in with me. So while one baby was sitting in his seat I would bathe the other, then drying and dressing that baby in the bathroom, and putting him back in his bouncy. Then start the process all over again while the first baby would watch safely from his bouncy seat. It wasn't a fast ordeal, but it worked. I never felt comfortable with two infants in the bath tub at the same time, even with the the bath seats.

Now that they are a little older, 19 months last week, they take their baths together. I still have to be prepared. Probably now more than before. I collect the supplies. Towel, wash cloth, diapers, lotions, and pajamas. I gather up the twins, herding is a more accurate word for it. Closing the door behind me because one always manages to make a run for it while I'm helping his brother. Once both boys are in the tub I let them play for a couple of minutes before we start washing. They each get a cup to play with, who needs expensive bath toys, right. They have started rinsing themselves off, each other, and sometimes even me. Very rarely do I make it out of a bath time with dry clothes and recently I had a cup of water dumped on my head while washing their hair. I guess he thought he'd help me multitask. The floor is almost always a little wet too. I don't let bath time run too long, I then scrub them down, and once it's over I pull the plug and pull one boy out at a time. Drying and dressing him quickly next to the tub while the other little boy splashes and plays. It's not always an easy task bathing two wiggling toddlers at the same time, but it has been the most efficient.

We do a little double duty during bath time too. I brush their teeth before we bathe them. They both love this because when I finish brushing their teeth they get to practice on their own. They will actually ask to brush their teeth...I'm going to ride that wave as long as possible! It's the perfect time because they are sitting still and we get in their night time teeth brushing out of the way. Bath time can feel like a drudgery. So I try to mix it up with bubbles and bring out the toys when they just wont be still. Then there are those days where I have just sat them both in the tub and rinsed them off just to be finished with it. But my favorite thing about bath time is the time I get with them separately while drying and dressing. Ever since they were infants, I took this time to talk to them and cuddle them one on one. They still have the clean baby smell after bath time,too. It's usually the craziest and loudest right before and during baths. But bath time is also a signal for them and the rest of us that the day is winding down. I had read when Tru was little how important a bedtime routine is, so we always used a bath as the beginning of that routine. By the end of bathing the boys and getting them ready for bed I welcome the bedtime routine. It means a bedtime story, prayers, and hugs. One of the best parts of our day!

Book Review: How We Love Our Kids

I was really excited to get this book in. It took me a little while to finish it. I have to have quiet to read and there is very little quiet in house full of boys. Thankfully I found time this afternoon during nap time to finish and I'm glad I did...


When I finished reading How We Love Our Kids I was encouraged to be a better parent. I caught some insight on my flaws and how to overcome them. The book covers 5 different love styles of parenting, what those parenting styles look like as children, and unique qualities to look for in our children. I did have a little difficulty pinpointing my own love style of parenting, but when I looked over the Parent Toolbox in the back of the book it helped me better understand. It also talked about how understanding your children's feelings, validating them, and then helping them communicate their feelings is vital to their success as adults. It gave a great list of "soul word" to help describe those feelings in the Parent Toolbox.

My favorite part of the book came in the final chapters. These chapters go over the seven gifts that every child needs from their parents and how to give them. The gifts are Insights, Comfort, Power, Frustration, Confession, Laughter, and God. Each of these last chapters explain what they are and how to apply them in our families. Also, what can happen if these gifts aren't received. The final chapter covers the gift of God and was the best way to tie the book up. It talks about how we as parents have an important job in reflecting God's love to our children and how God has set up a blueprint for parenting. Milan and Kay Yerkovich pull it all together by pointing to God's word, stating that God is love and how he relates to us in 3 primary ways bringing about results only He can bring. I think I like this chapter the most because of this exert...

"God is our perfect model for parenting. If we imitate God's love as detailed in 1 Corinthians 13, we will see our kids, seeking to know them for who they are, always trying to understand and meet their deepest needs. We'll initiate relationship by entering their world and walking toward the miracle and the mess, even when our kids don't appreciate it. We'll teach them to manage the consequences of their actions, but always with the loving goal of repair and restoration of relationship. And we'll seek to find the balance of offering justice in love. At times parenting will require great sacrifice. We'll have to give up some of our freedom, endure losses, and sometimes grieve, but we must never give up trying to break down barriers that separate our kids from love. This is what God does."

This last chapter energized me as a parent. It reminded me that being a parent isn't a job...it is a ministry probably one of the most important ministries there is. We set the pace for these little ones and is not something to be taken lightly. What an incredible responsibility and gift! I am very grateful to have had the opportunity to read this book.

***I received this book for free from Waterbrook Multnomah in exchange for an honest review.

Kid's Craft: Leaf Project

I want to make a confession...I have not been very consistent with art projects in our daily homeschooling life. I'm going to have to start working more artsy things in. Tru and I really liked this project. It was super easy, inexpensive, and lots of fun! We were blessed to receive this book a couple of months ago.

The first few pages in the book have colorful examples of what you can make with a variety of leaves, mostly animals, and the supplies you'll need and the how to's. I liked that it talked about what to look for in the different seasons and it even had a little science lesson and field guide in the back. It did take a little preparation and patience. After we picked our leaves we had to prepare them and wait a week or so for them to dry.

We cleaned our leaves by soaking them in warm water for a few minutes. Then we gently dried them with a paper towel and placed them on newspaper.

Then we put another piece of newspaper on top and placed them in a thick book. We used a dictionary. After about a week they were ready to be used. When we pulled them out they were dry and perfectly flat. Tru thought it was pretty cool.

Once the leaves were dry Tru picked the animal he wanted to make and put it together. All by himself. He was so excited! It turned out pretty good...I know I'm probably partial...but it did. We just used a little construction paper, some glue(not glue sticks), and some cotton swabs to smudge and clean any excess glue. Walla! A fox made out of leaves from our front yard.

You could even use more leaves to make the landscape around the animal. We might do that with the extra leaves we have left. I know for sure that come this Fall we will be doing another leaf project. It would be a great family thing to do collecting leaves together once the leaves have turned different colors. Just thinking about it makes me want to fast forward through summer and skip right into fall!

Baby Gate Down!

Six months ago we had sweet little 12 month old twin boys. They were fairly mobile in that they crawled to get where they wanted to go. They were content to clamor up and down the hall way and once Liam got the hang of it he even speed crawled. I could put them in their play room with the baby gate up and they would play happily with out any sign of protesting. Now lets fast forward 6 months...we still have the sweetest little twin boys, but they are 18 months old now and not only are they mobile, they are very seldom still.

Levi and Liam are doing all the normal things 18 month old toddlers do. I think the only difference is they utilize each other. If one learns something new the other usually picks up on it. And ooh this has been the week for learning new skills. I was picking up toys in the family room when Levi reached up, gripped the door knob, and walla open door! And of course this was an invitation for Liam to try too. I walked up on him later fiddling with the same door. Earlier that day, I was putting the little boys down for a nap when we had our first crib escape. I put Liam down first and went after Levi, because as soon as he saw Liam go into his crib he bolted down the hallway to hide. I found him behind the couch, scooped him up, and started back down the hallway when I heard a thump and a cry. I ran back into their room and there was Liam on his bottom in the floor red faced with tears streaming down his cheeks. He had crawled out of his crib! Yes, OUT OF HIS CRIB! Picking him up I checked him for any signs that he might be hurt. Thankfully, he was fine just a little startled from the fall. I kept him up a little while longer just to be sure. We do have two cribs so I have since switched Liam into the other crib thinking it's taller and doesn't have a built in changing table to hoist himself up with. Levi hasn't shown any interest in climbing out and wasn't there to witness Liam actually escaping. So maybe we're in the clear for a while.

Not only do the little boys have each other to practice and learn from they also have Tru. Especially Levi, he will follow Tru around the house like a second shadow. It's so funny to me that they will just sit and watch him do something and I can see them thinking and their wheels turning. Almost like they're filing it away for when they get older. They have watched Tru hop over the baby gate in the past and just recently have been getting passed the gate. With a little teamwork a loose baby gate comes down easily. I've watched them squeeze out and I've seen them just plow it down all together.

It's amazing to think about how much has changed in six months and how different they'll be in another six. I can say one thing that we will be doing some baby proofing around the house and getting some stronger baby gates. It seems like only yesterday we brought them home. They were so tiny and slept very little those first 3 months. I guess we've traded sleepless nights for busy busy boys and I wouldn't have it any other way. ~I would love to hear any of your stories about your multiples or singletons and the changes that keep you amazed and/or on your toes.~

A Beautiful Vue--A day in the lives of Liam & Levi

After I laid the little boys down for bed tonight I walked down our hallway and into the living room only to be met by a mess of toys, a couple mismatched baby shoes, random kitchen items(they love to play with our kitchen stuff), and a few more odd and ends from the day. There was a trail of these things from the family room to the kitchen. I started to pick up thinking to myself I know I picked these things up earlier. Now our little boys didn't do all the mess, but they did do most of it and just like any little boys their age they are curious and full of energy. I told Jo while I was tossing toys in the toy box that other than their nap after lunch Liam and Levi hadn't stopped all day. So what do two 17 month old toddlers do all day. Well let me show you just a little bit...

they "help" put away groceries...

they drive buggy carts...

they try their very best to open anything they might be able to reach after rummaging through the kitchen cupboards(see the open cupboard on the right)

and most of the time they are in too much of a hurry to stop and take a picture(see very blurry photo). Now that's just a tiny bit of their busy day. I don't think five little pictures could really sum it all up. When I look at that last picture of Liam it reminds me that our time with our boys, while they're young, passes in a flash and how I should cherish every minute of it. Even on our craziest days when my energy is spent and I just push the toys and clutter aside, I can still find joy just in the simple fact that I got to spend my day with our kids. Our boys make life so much more interesting and fun. What an awesome privilege we have to get a front row seat in watching it all.

A Moment in Our Week...

I love that Liam is so focused on his task.

Schooling at Home--Making it Work

This is our second year homeschooling. Since our move 5 months ago we wanted to be sure Tru connected with other kids who home school too. So we hooked up with a great homeschooling group in our area and what I found was that it wasn't just for Tru. Through different activities and functions I've had the opportunity to get know the other parents. It has been so helpful and encouraging for me. I've got to talk with people who've been home schooling for much longer than us and hearing what has worked for them through the years. I've picked up some new ideas and some fresh perspective on making homeschooling work for our family.

One thing I've struggled with in the past is trying make home schooling like the school I experienced growing up. I was a public school kid. Thankfully, while visiting with another parent at a Valentines Day party, I was reminded of this. Homeschooling is NOT school at home...it's in the car, at the park, in the library, at the grocery store, on the soccer field, at church, and at home. Even at home I've found that our best learning time happens in the living room reading a book or going over a lesson in the play room while the twins are playing. We do spend our focused math time at the table. I'll be honest with you I like the idea of just sitting at the table and plowing through subject after subject, but that hasn't worked for us. Tru is a six year old boy who is very active and he's not meant to sit at our table for hours at time.

Our family is unique. Every family has a differ dynamic to it. I am learning that I can not compare our homeschooling journey to other families journeys. I especially have to be careful not to compare everything with the "typical " school stuff. From what curriculum we use to how and when we school we differ from others, especially "typical" school, and that's okay. When it comes to the way we home school we are definitely more on the eclectic side of schooling. We use one curriculum for math and a couple different ones for phonics. And as for everything else I pull from our local library, the internet, and hand me down stuff that I've received along the way. The beauty of homeschooling is that I'm not forcing Tru to fit school. I can make school fit to Tru. If something isn't working we can find something that does. We can slow down or speed up according to how he's learning. We move at his pace.

Lastly, it's not always easy. We have hard days for sure. Just last week Tru and I were butting heads. We usually have reading lessons to start our school time off, but lately it's been like pulling teeth to get him to sit down for a lesson. So we switched the subjects around and started with his math first, something he enjoys, and it seemed to get him in the whole "work" ready mode. We had a few frustrating days until we switched some things around, but homeschooling gives us the opportunity to find what works for Tru and make it happen.

But what makes the not so easy days more bearable are the good days in between. It encourages me and stirs my passion for teaching our children at home when I see Tru catch onto something that he's been working on. Those are our small rewards and much appreciated blessings!

~"Train up a child in the way he should go [and in keeping with his individual gift or bent], and when he is old he will not depart from it." (Proverbs 22:6 Amplified Bible)

Bringing my Boards to Life

Every time I look around Pinterest I find something I want to cook, buy, decorate, or make. Now I know I have more things pinned than what I have actually made or cooked. But recently I have done a couple things that I pinned on my boards...

Found this idea of using an over the door shoe organizer and I hung it on the inside of my pantry door. It has been a great in organizing art supplies and handy pantry items.

My second come to life pin was a Coffee filter wreath. I used foam tubing for the wreath part. The foam only cost .97 cents! So much better & cheaper than the white foam. Found the idea from a Pin that originated from The Penny Parlor blog's coffee filter wreath and then I found another great coffee filter wreath pin from The Little Brown House blog

Who knew a little foam tubing, hot glue, and some brown coffee filters could make this...

And I finished during a couple of the twins nap time!

Enjoying my Boys!

So I'm up late tonight and fully enjoying the quiet house. Silence doesn't always get the credit it deserves...it's nice. Also, I enjoy my rowdy boys more after some quiet time. I was perusing on Pinterst this evening and came across this great article on why boys need their mothers. Here's the link, http://kelleyward.hubpages.com/hub/Parenting-Boys-What-Boys-Need-From-Moms so you can check it out. The title of the article is Parenting Boys: What Boys Need From Moms, by Kelly Ward.

So in her article she talks about 17 specific things that boys need from their moms. All of the points were good and very true, but the one that summed it all up for me was the last one about just enjoying your son's boyness. It made me stop and think I don't know if I always take time to enjoy their boyness.

When I think about boyness I think of the moment their feet hit the floor they are moving ninety to nothing. Liam will literally run up and down the hall as fast as his little legs will carry him. And of course the constant "If I can put my hands on it, I should climb it!" is a popular philosophy in our home. We are starting to see Liam and Levi, who are 16 months old now, develop their own individual style of play and personalities and it's ALL boy. One of my favorite parts of the day is just to sit in the playroom floor and watch all three of them play. I mean really in their own world. Sometimes alone or interacting with each other it's always good. They are balls of energy most days.

But enjoying their boyness is more than just rough housing and bustling energy. They have their "quiet" discovery time, too. As a mom I get the front row seat to watch when something has sparked their interest and they have to figure it out. Whether that requires them to stoop down low to follow a trail of ants or pull something apart just to see how it works. These moments of intrigue usually bring up lots of questions and generally come up while we are running errands. I find myself being asked questions like how fast a tornado goes and what do lady bugs eat and how come I can't hear what Tru is thinking(my new favorite). A lot of our school discussions are brought on by Tru's questions. One of the many pros of homeschooling, but that's another post.

Oh and the snuggling! I don't think this would be considered enjoying their boyness, but it is mentioned in the article. It is something I enjoy most and Tru is always willing to do if it will keep him from going to bed. I hug my boys. They need it just as much as girls. I love to get down on their level and just wrap my arms around them! Sometimes it's solicited and sometimes I have to catch them, but whether they want it or not, I have to cuddle them. I know someday they will be full grown men, with a life and families of their own and I want them to look back at their boyness with fond memories that will warm their big manly hearts.

There are days that as a mom, I need to refocus and chill. But just taking the time to think about all the wonderful blessings these sweet boys have brought into our lives renews my momma mind. I want to see them fulfilling their God given purpose as mighty men of God. I know that is our goal, for J & I, as their parents. And how awesome is it that God blessed us with 3 great little boys! Wow and to think all this started with a quiet house!

Our boys on the move. Levi...

Liam...

& Tru with Levi who has learned how to climb onto the kitchen chairs...this new talent has brought on some new challenges! Good times!