Here's a Little Story...

...about a frustrated little girl, and her frustrated little mommy (okay...not so little...but it sounded good!)

Anyways...You see, this little girl (let's just call her Kynlee) is 9 months old, and really livin' life. She's full of spunk and personality! Greets people with a huge tooth filled smile every time, sings and dances whenever music is on, is talking up a storm (she says momma, dadda, Kal, and bye-bye clearly), and loves to play with her big brother!

The one thing Kynlee is not however, is as mobile as she (and I...oh wait...her mom) would like her to be. She's not crawling, nor is she walking, and as pleasant as that might sound...it's not. You see...she (this little girl Kynlee, that is) would like to be mobile, and gets RATHER frustrated when she's can't move about the way she would like. Does she roll you ask...oh yes! Does she scoot...uhhh huhh! Can she pivot and move about more than she makes you believe...indeed she can! Then why won't she? Ahhh haahhhh...the inevitable question!

Kynz sits down on the ground, immediately leans forward over her feet into what would look like a normal crawling position, the flops to her belly, and proceeds to scream as if her world has ended. Her parents have tried to let her get a little frustrated in hopes that it might make her a little more determined to move...but to no avail! The frustrated little girl, simply gets so mad she can barely breathe. We then prop her back up, only to repeat the process only seconds later. If she doesn't like her tummy so much...why doesn't she just stay sitting...or CRAWL...novel idea???

The one thing that does makes her happy EVERY time, is when she's standing up walking...with the aid of someones hands, the couch, or even a push toy...the problem...she can't crawl over to those items to get up on her own, and therefor is in need of constant assistance from someone who can help her! As much as I would like to...I just can't be by her side every minute of the day...just so she can be mobile. Talk about a 24/7 crutch...I am not!

I never thought I'd wish walking at an early age on any of my children...but I do! If she woke up tomorrow and decided to walk...that might just make my day!!!

Blessings,

Friends All Around

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this all before, but if I have...bare with me...I'm telling you again!


So...a couple of years ago when Kevin and I moved into our house, we prayed that the Lord bring us some neighbors we really connected with. People with children whom our children could be friends with, and people we had something in common with! Selfish, I know...but something we desperately wanted! Anyways...The house next door was being built, and one nice sunny afternoon we met the new neighbors. A nice young couple Jeff and Joy, with a little girl 6 months older than Kallen (Ellie) and a little boy on the way (River)! We weren't yet pregnant with Kynlee, so we didn't know the age relationship between our 2 youngest...but our eldest would be the best of friends...we were sure of it!


Well...what do you know! Our kids truly have become the best of friends, and we LOVE having them as neighbors!!! We hang out, let the kids play, "shoot the breeze", you know...all that friendly neighbor good stuff! Anyways...our kids have become friends, and as a result...we have become friends as well!!!


Another added bonus is the "mommy time" we have arranged for each of us! On Mondays Joy takes my kids for a couple of hours and on Thursday's I take hers! It's been amazing! I am surprised each Monday how much I can get done in as little as 2 hours. Sometimes I go shopping...(you know...alone...no kids...browsing...enough said) and sometimes I just sit home, read, sew or take a nap!


The kids get along SO well, and they LOVE the time they get together! It's wonderful! Thank you Lord!


So...about that "mommy time"...Last Thursday we brought out Kallen's Elefun game, and they ran in circles around that thing for almost an hour. It was hilarious! If you don't know what "Elefun" is...it's a little elephant air blower that blows little butterflies up it's trunk. The object is for the kids to try and catch the butterflies in their nets as they float around. Great fun, let me tell you!!!






Blessings,

The Memory Bible

Several different people have asked me what the book is that I'm reading with Kallen, so here it is! It's called "The Memory Bible: The Sure-Fire Way to Learn 52 Bible Verses. It's Alphabetical which is why we learned about God being and Awesome God, last week, and this week is the letter B...but I'll post about that next Monday!!! There are lost of different books, bibles, and devotionals that I found...this one just seemed to be a fit for now!!!

I got it at the Christian Supply Store in town, but you can also find in on Amazon.

Blessings,

A Single Tear...For a Single Bite!

2 hours 56 minutes.

His hand was shaking as the mac and cheese bounced around his fork. The crust on his arm represented the many wipes of tears, snot and drool that streamed down his face. The agonizing realization that if the fork entered his mouth, he had "lost", yet if it didn't...the table would remain his home for all eternity. Closer....closer....closer....in! His head dropped in defeat. "I ate bite mommy, I all done"...cue single tear streaming down his cheek!

Blessings,

He Must Get it From His Dad!!!

As I sit here...my TIRED, and oh so STUBBORN son, is once again (remember the egg incident)refusing to eat his lunch. Actually...we are now going on 2 hours (2 hours, 10 minutes to be exact), and he is still refusing to eat. He has been crying, screaming, picking his nose, twiddling his thumbs, trying to sleep (though I wont let him), and continually pushing his food away!

The thing is...he isn't necessarily refusing to eat because he doesn't want the food, but rather because he wants me to feed him. I tell him "no...you're a big boy", and the screaming fit starts all over again. You see...we have been very lucky that Kallen really hasn't shown any jealousy issues towards Kynlee herself, however he often gets jealous of the things we do for her. She gets carried a lot of places...when she cries, we try to figure out what's wrong...and yes, we feed her. Kallen has decided that he too needs to be carried, he needs to cry and whine if he needs something, and the only way he is going to eat anything is if we feed him as well.

The presently ongoing rebellion against feeding himself has now turned into an out and out power struggle and the fact that he isn't "winning" is really starting to anger him. He tried the "I need to go potty" trick, and I simply carried him into the bathroom, let him go, and carried him back to his chair where his oh so cold and unappetizing lunch awaited him.

2 hours 20 minutes now...I don't know about you kid, but I could go all day!!!

Blessings,

Awesome Indeed

A couple of weeks ago, I found a neat little Devotional bible for kids. There were fun pictures, CD's with music and bible stories, and 52 verses to memorize (you know...1 a week)!

Anyways...Kallen and I started last Monday, read a shortened and way condensed story about Moses, and began learning our first verse!

1 week later, he's mastered it! 1 down, 51 to go...in this book at least!

Psalm 47:2 ~ How Awesome is the Lord most high

Blessings,

She Eats...I Promise!

Kynlee had her 9 month "well-baby" check up today, and what do you know...she's still 16 pounds.

At 3 months, she was in the 115th percentile for weight...now...6 months later, she's in the 20 percentile. She has been 16 pounds and change for the last several months, and only inching up, ounce by ounce. To be exact...last month, she was 16lbs, 8 oz...Now, she is 16lbs 12oz. Woohoo...4oz's! Anyways, the doctor thinks she's extremely healthy, and that her weight is nothing to be concerned with. The fact that she is 16 pounds isn't the issue, but more that she hasn't really gained anything in a substantial period of time! So...we're supposed to be more aware of what she's eating, and make sure she's getting enough calories. Once again...nothing to be concerned with at this point, just something to be aware of!



So, here she is...all 16 lbs 12 oz and 28 inches!!!

Kynz

Kal (9mos for comparrison as always!!!)

Blessings,

Just a Little Reminder

My sister Danielle (who happens to be a few years older... and wiser) and I were talking the other day about potty training. I was voicing my frustrations with her, that I feel as if I'm the one who is trained...not Kallen. I ask/remind him every 30 minutes or so if he has to use the potty, and up until the last couple of weeks...we've had no real issues. When we're at home, he uses the bathroom himself, and I rarely even have to remind him...when we're out and about however...if I don't remember...he doesn't remember and wet pants we have!

Well, since we've been out and about so much the last few weeks...wet pants have been our middle name. Camping, I put him back in pull-ups, cause lets face it...although I basically took everything but the kitchen sink...the washer and dryer wouldn't fit very well in the camper. So...Now that he's been in pull-ups for the past several days...he's slightly regressed a little...and I've been forgetting to remind him to go.

So...my oh so wise sister suggested a watch. Brilliant idea. We went out, and got him a cheapo Casio watch that actually has a countdown timer on it that beeps every 30 minutes. He thinks he's so cool cause he's got his own watch, and we once again are going without accidents.

I have to remind myself that he's still young, and it's okay that he has to be reminded to go. He'll start telling me soon enough, and at least he goes every time I take him. So for now, we'll use the watch...a reminder for him as for me!!!

Blessings,

As the Dust Settles...

...or rather...washes down the drain, we are adjusting to being home again.

Piles of laundry line the hall, left over food stacked on the counter, mail and newspapers waiting to be sorted, and emails waiting to be responded too...we are getting there!

For those of you who don't know, we've had a whirlwind last week and a half, that actually seems more like a month or so.

Last Wednesday, March 26th, Kallen left with Kevin's mom and Dad to hang out at their vacation cabin for a few nights. Kevin, Kynlee and I drove over on Friday night only to be split up again. Kevin and Kallen joined the rest of the "men" in the family at my brother and sister-in-law's, while the "gals" of the family stayed at the cabin. A guys weekend, and a girls weekend! Fun, fun, fun! Us ladies shopped, till we dropped, talked, watched girly movies and just plain hung out! The guys rode horses, played in the dirt, watched some basketball and old westerns, and tried to plan and eat meals without the assistance of us ladies...I guess they basically starved! Needless to say, it was a great time, although the 5 days away from Kallen was WAY too long for me!

We came home for 2 days, only to run off again Tuesday night. We headed over the mountain yet again to join some friends for a family camping trip. Camper sitting on the truck, trailer loaded with the four wheelers and miscellaneous toys, food and clothes packed...here we go!

We truly had a blast, and enjoyed riding our four wheelers, playing with our friends in the woods, and hanging out as a family! Sighhhhhh...although we had fun...it's good to be home!

Home sweet home for the last few days

After their first ride together with the group...Kallen fell asleep!

Yup...helmet and all...asleep!

Racin' his buddy Dawson...D was trying to cut him off...cheater!!!

Kynz and I getting ready to ride...yep, she's in there...can you see her!

Shooting his gun with Daddy!


A view from camp

Blessings,