Mother's Day is coming...

Hmmm....construction paper and a food processor...
...flower seeds and a dehydrator....
....markers and LOTS of focused coloring....

If you are NOT Grandma W, Grandma D, Nana or Grams....you may click here to find out what we're making...in case you need fun ideas. Sorry, you four have to wait...they're in the mail!!

Wordless Wednesday from the Past: Oh, brother...

Funtime will Friends...

I wonder...

If I can talk them into...
driving the matchbox cars in rows...
so it looks like I actually vacuum!?
Nah! Probably not!

U Gotta Luv a Parade...

Two cutest boobahs there!
This pics for my brother...
The band's my favorite part of any parade...although I wish they'd been in uniform...
DadE holds on tightly to sweet boy!
Well behaved horsies!
Lubby's favorite...a BLUE firetruck!!

Color Mixing...

We mixed colors yesterday and today. Oooo...so much fun...almost like magic! Blue and Red make *gasp* purple...WOW...can you believe it??
It was 85 F yesterday...but my kids don't need a pool...oh, no!! Bucket dunking anyone??
Today was overcast...so we flick painted...and then mixed colors...and then had a screaming fit cuz it started to rain and MomE made everyone come in. What are you saying...MomE can't control the rain?? Humph!

Friends...

The Sweet Boobahs are headed outside for snack time on the steps! Awww! Such good friends. Most of the time...except for when they're not...haha! They sit and talk about what kinds of animal crackers they have in their bags. They pretend the animal crackers are going potty...giggle giggle! Oh well, potty on the brain...ya know!
In case you're wondering...no he doesn't wear that shirt EVERY day...but I do several small loads of wash a day with the potty training business so it was clean again...and he likes it. I call it his rocket shirt...but he informed me that it is a spaceship. Just so ya know!

Potty Training Song Adaptations!

Do you see the BIG BOY having a Sesame Street picnic? Look a little closer...
...AH, HA! Big Boy Underwear! He has been successful THREE TIMES..and he is very excited. We will not count how many puddles...that's just defeating information we aren't blogging about!
We sing songs while we sit on the potty. Do you? We sing many words to the tune of Twinkle Twinkle Little Star...and MomE's not even tired, yet! HAHAHA...the songs get really wacky depending on my sleep and caffeine levels, of course!

Tinkle, Tinkle Little Bud
In the Potty, like you Shud (should)
You are MomE's big big boy
How I love you, you're my joy
Tinkle, Tinkle Little Bud
In the Potty, like you Shud (should)

When we pee in the potty...MomE sings opera...and everyone giggles. Oh, and everyone who pee peed gets candy! So, who's routing for a poopoo this afternoon?? ME ME ME!!

Emmer Bean has been amazing with her star chart. REALLY high tech...dontcha think? I actually have a nifty chart program thinger on my new MacBook...but I forgot to print it off last night...so whipped one off FAST this morning with Crayons.

She LOVES shiny stars! She says sliver instead of silver...isn't the sooo cute? She gets a sucker for every row of 12 she fills as MomE's helper. Today she made her bed, dressed herself, put on her own shoes and socks, brushed her teeth, gave Caleb potty compliments/encouragement, and set the picnic up for lunchtime. There were more...but I'm not keeping track of specifics...just trying to keep the atmosphere positive and encouraging. So far it's working. I like positive reinforcement!

When I put Lubby down for his nap...yes, I'm using pull ups for naps (call me chicken...go ahead)...I said, "Calubby, are you MomE's BIG BOY?" The little man who usually shakes his head no to EVERYTHING I say shook his head no once...and then reconsidered and nodded his head yes! "Yes MomE, I's a BIG BOY...do the pee pees in the potty!" YEAH!!

Oh Dear Lord,
Please help me to keep this positive perspective. May the Words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart please you today. Help me to be patient and long suffering as I teach my children new lessons and skills. I know that you are infinitely patient and long suffering with me...even when I don't get something right for the millionth time. Oh, I want to be like you! Please help me!
Amen.

Preciousness!

Wild Easter Pics...

All that time spent on matching in blues and yellows....
remembering the camera....
and then we were running late...and nobody wanted to stand still...oh well! *sigh*

They's still cute...says I!

Marriage Monday: Stepping Back...

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Eph. 2:10

As I've mentioned before...I'm a real DOER...and that's not such a bad thing...usually. I'm energetic, bubbly and generally full of laughter (even if it's just with myself). However, it's when I start to justify using gifts and time that God hasn't prepared for me...that the problems come in. Suddenly, I'm impatient and angry, disrespectful and domineering.

I find it so interesting that the very minute my Loverbrain's priorities at work or home get off...I am fully aware (and generally barking about it). However, when my priorities are off...I justify things instead. *sarcasm* Of course, all of my good works are just me using my gifts for God.* I can even turn this around to make my husband look like the un-spiritual one. Oh, the shame of that just kills me...
The truth is that FIRST THINGS MUST COME FIRST. God, Darren, Children....then Family, church, etc. No more doing all those things that I thought were fun, or needed to be done, or that I could do better, or sort of fit in the cracks of my time schedule. No more justifying that if I get it done on "my own time (ie. when he's a work)" that it doesn't affect him or he doesn't need to give input on my involvement in those areas.

God does want me to do good works and use the gifts He's given me...but He has also commanded me to put my husband and children first...before those other good things...be they Bible study, choir or banquet. It's time to STEP BACK...and re-examine. If I cannot be a respectful and submissive wife while juggling other things...I need to question if I should be doing them at all...for now.

Maybe you need to step back. If you're anything like me, it is very difficult to focus on being supportive, submissive and respectful if you are busy busy...flying everywhere.

So, do you need to step back into line with God's plan? Are you doing the good works He has laid out for you to do? Are you putting those first things first!?

"Wives, submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." Eph. 5:22-24

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue." Prov. 31:25-26

"However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband. " Eph. 5:33


Please join E-mom over at Chrysalis...It's Open Topic month...


Want this button?

Photos used in this post are courtesy of theflowerexpert.com and planetnatural.com

He is Risen Rolls!!

I decided to try resurrection rolls with the kids this year. Overall, it was a huge improvement on last year's resurrection cookies...in time and effort...and in taste!!! I do miss all the scripture and details of the cookies though...so probably when the kids get older, I'll go back to doing the cookies.
MomE looks a little tired, no? We talked about the white marshmallow reminding us of Jesus' body being wrapped in white clothes...the butter reminds us of the anointing oil...and the cinnamon/sugar reminds us of the spices the women brought...
The biscuit seals up around like the tomb and the stone. This was very messy business!!
DadE thought it was funny that some of the tombs burst...ahem. He said, "Look, the grave couldn't hold Him!" Hahahaha!
He is Risen...the tomb is empty...and er, sticky!
"He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay." Matt. 28:6

And yes, I did this the night before...because there are limits to my abilities...there, I said it. I couldn't figure how to get out the door, dressed up, with all our stuffs for the SUNRISE service...AND do the rolls before in the morning...soooooo....we did it the night before...*sigh*

Springtime at the Zoo...

A few days ago we went to the zoo with friends! It was so much fun. We went to the warm butterfly house first...cuz the morning was a bit nippy. It was uncrowded and beautiful. All the bromeliads and orchids were blooming and there were butterflies everywhere.
I even caught a Blue Morpho with it's wings open! Gorgeous!!
Lubby loved the sharks...and even bravely stuck his hand in the water. That's a first...maybe he'll actually pet one this summer. Yes, you're supposed to pet them. They're nursing sharks or something...Of course, I wouldn't be excited if my baby stuck his hand in a regular shark tank...Geesh! Hahaha!
These baby kids were barely a whole day old...and sooo sooo cute! There were six altogether...to two mamas. Makes me think of one of my favorite song....
Mares eat oats, and does eat oats...and little lambs eat ivy. A kid'll eat ivy too...wouldn't you?
The ring-tailed lemurs had babies too. This blessed mama had twins. Awwww!
Here's my two darlings looking at the rhinos..."They's so cool!"

Letters of the Week: T and U!!!

T is for Tiger and Turkey. I don't usually make two a week...but when I asked which animals started with T...they each came up with one...and so...we worked with it! They were so proud!!
See, the Tiger has teeth...and the turkey has a gobble-gobble!
Emmer was slightly perturbed that the U was upside down...but I explained that it wanted to stay dry! "Ohhhhh!"she said...and then speckled rain above!

For those interested...Caleb was being a robot...hence, the box!