But seriously... whatever works. :)
Monday, June 13, 2011
Potty Training...
Maybe Daddy taught him how to stand like that... HA!
But seriously... whatever works. :)
But seriously... whatever works. :)
Family Dedication
We participated in the family dedication service at our church this weekend. We dedicated both boys to the Lord and then enjoyed a cookout at our home with family afterwards. We really do love our church and the more I go, the more sure I am that this is the place we should be raising our children - teaching them to love Jesus and to love like Jesus. <3
We were also very thankful to have our family there to support us and celebrate with us. Caleb had a blast playing in his sandbox with his cousins (and required a serious bath afterwards). :) Thank you to everyone who helped make the day special!
We were also very thankful to have our family there to support us and celebrate with us. Caleb had a blast playing in his sandbox with his cousins (and required a serious bath afterwards). :) Thank you to everyone who helped make the day special!
I think the photo of Clayton & Owen might be one of my all time favorites. <3
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Reason #583,579,236,912 Why I Love Caleb
He was in on the couch this morning watching cartoons and I was in the other room feeding Owen and Caleb yelled, "Are you doing ok, Mom?"
He was checking on me. He's so sweet. <3
He was checking on me. He's so sweet. <3
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Speaking of Thank You
Stemming off the last post, it made me remember a conversation I had several months ago that has stuck with me. When Caleb was still in daycare, I was telling the teachers that he would be leaving soon because I was going to stay at home with him and the new baby. This one particular teacher had only been there a few weeks and told me that she hoped I like staying home, but that she recently went back to work after staying at home with her kids. One of the main reasons she said she didn't like it was because it was a thankless job. She said felt like her "job" was very unappreciated and that "no one says thank you for doing a good job at cleaning the house or feeding your kids lunch."
At the time, I didn't think much about it (other than... funny that she came to work in a daycare if she felt that way...) but I was in a hurry to finish dropping Caleb off and get to work on time. But now thinking back and after staying at home with my kids for several months, I can't help but think that it is just so sad that she felt that way.
A.) There are so many rewards that come with taking care of your children apart from spoken words of appreciation. I could go on and on about this, but it is extremely rewarding. Seeing them grow, learn, change, master new skills, etc.. I can't even begin to describe the delight I get from seeing and being part of it.
B.) The teacher mentioned her husband at one point and I can't help but think how sad it is that he (according to her) didn't ever tell her thank you - or if he did, she still didn't feel appreciated. Maybe I'm just incredibly lucky and this isn't the norm, but Clayton tells me thank you all the time. Whether I bust my tail cleaning the house, giving the kids baths, or teaching Caleb his ABC's, Clayton always shows his appreciation for my doing so - just as I try to always express my appreciation for him working so hard so that I am able to be at home with our kids. I feel like he appreciates me very much - and it would certainly make staying home and taking care of our children much more difficult if I didn't feel like he valued and appreciated it.
C.) Children should say thank you - and the teacher should have been teaching them to do so. How sad that this very reason caused her to give up when she could have easily done something about it. Caleb thanks me for changing his diaper and getting him dressed in the morning. He thanks me for giving him a bath. He thanks me for making his lunch. He thanks me for playing a game with him. If you want your kids to be thankful, teach them! She may not have been able to change her husband's behavior, but she certainly could have changed her children's.
My point is certainly not that woman shouldn't work outside the home, nor that staying home and raising children is easy. My point is simply that whatever your contribution to your family is, be it working outside the home or not, there is value to it. Each person's talents and gifts are different and we really have to be conscience of what we're contributing and be thankful of what others are contributing.
In Clayton's family, I feel as though we all contribute something different and I love seeing how it all works together. Until Clayton and I met, I had never lived near a lot of family to see this in action. His family is like a big puzzle - and everyone fits together to fill the gaps.
Clayton's sister - while in college and now working night shift as a nurse - has had the ability to contribute a whole lot by helping everyone out with babysitting. When I was working and if we were in a pinch with Caleb being sick and unable to attend daycare, Maria or Clayton's dad (who also works night shift), were almost always able to help us out. When you only get X number of vacation days and your kid is sick every other week as a result of daycare, I can't even begin to express the blessing this was to us.
Our sister-in-law, Dana, has also helped us out a great deal with babysitting. She quit her job and watched Caleb every day for over a year so I didn't have to put him in daycare until he was almost 2. I can't even begin to tell you what a relief it was to know that family was caring for our six month old baby.
Clayton's dad and his brothers all help each other when it comes to manual labor and stuff being done around the house - putting up fences, cleaning up flooded basements, building decks, cutting down trees, moving - even though everyone is really busy with families of their own, they still try their best to help each other whenever it's needed.
Clayton's mom always helps with everything she can - be it babysitting, taking sick kids to the doctor, picking up milk at the store, or hosting and feeding all 20 of us nearly every single weekend. I don't know how she has the energy to do half of what she does. She has taught me so much about what family is about - and what being a mother is about - especially when your kids are grown.
I know I've just barely scratched the surface of what everyone does for each other, but my point is that I really love that I have gotten the chance to see first hand how a big family all works together. It's amazing to know that there are so many people out there that we can count on. <3
At the time, I didn't think much about it (other than... funny that she came to work in a daycare if she felt that way...) but I was in a hurry to finish dropping Caleb off and get to work on time. But now thinking back and after staying at home with my kids for several months, I can't help but think that it is just so sad that she felt that way.
A.) There are so many rewards that come with taking care of your children apart from spoken words of appreciation. I could go on and on about this, but it is extremely rewarding. Seeing them grow, learn, change, master new skills, etc.. I can't even begin to describe the delight I get from seeing and being part of it.
B.) The teacher mentioned her husband at one point and I can't help but think how sad it is that he (according to her) didn't ever tell her thank you - or if he did, she still didn't feel appreciated. Maybe I'm just incredibly lucky and this isn't the norm, but Clayton tells me thank you all the time. Whether I bust my tail cleaning the house, giving the kids baths, or teaching Caleb his ABC's, Clayton always shows his appreciation for my doing so - just as I try to always express my appreciation for him working so hard so that I am able to be at home with our kids. I feel like he appreciates me very much - and it would certainly make staying home and taking care of our children much more difficult if I didn't feel like he valued and appreciated it.
C.) Children should say thank you - and the teacher should have been teaching them to do so. How sad that this very reason caused her to give up when she could have easily done something about it. Caleb thanks me for changing his diaper and getting him dressed in the morning. He thanks me for giving him a bath. He thanks me for making his lunch. He thanks me for playing a game with him. If you want your kids to be thankful, teach them! She may not have been able to change her husband's behavior, but she certainly could have changed her children's.
My point is certainly not that woman shouldn't work outside the home, nor that staying home and raising children is easy. My point is simply that whatever your contribution to your family is, be it working outside the home or not, there is value to it. Each person's talents and gifts are different and we really have to be conscience of what we're contributing and be thankful of what others are contributing.
In Clayton's family, I feel as though we all contribute something different and I love seeing how it all works together. Until Clayton and I met, I had never lived near a lot of family to see this in action. His family is like a big puzzle - and everyone fits together to fill the gaps.
Clayton's sister - while in college and now working night shift as a nurse - has had the ability to contribute a whole lot by helping everyone out with babysitting. When I was working and if we were in a pinch with Caleb being sick and unable to attend daycare, Maria or Clayton's dad (who also works night shift), were almost always able to help us out. When you only get X number of vacation days and your kid is sick every other week as a result of daycare, I can't even begin to express the blessing this was to us.
Our sister-in-law, Dana, has also helped us out a great deal with babysitting. She quit her job and watched Caleb every day for over a year so I didn't have to put him in daycare until he was almost 2. I can't even begin to tell you what a relief it was to know that family was caring for our six month old baby.
Clayton's dad and his brothers all help each other when it comes to manual labor and stuff being done around the house - putting up fences, cleaning up flooded basements, building decks, cutting down trees, moving - even though everyone is really busy with families of their own, they still try their best to help each other whenever it's needed.
Clayton's mom always helps with everything she can - be it babysitting, taking sick kids to the doctor, picking up milk at the store, or hosting and feeding all 20 of us nearly every single weekend. I don't know how she has the energy to do half of what she does. She has taught me so much about what family is about - and what being a mother is about - especially when your kids are grown.
I know I've just barely scratched the surface of what everyone does for each other, but my point is that I really love that I have gotten the chance to see first hand how a big family all works together. It's amazing to know that there are so many people out there that we can count on. <3
No Thank You
We've tried very hard to teach Caleb manners - especially to say "Please" and "Thank You." We teach him to say it at home to us - whenever we do something for him or he wants something. This may seem excessive, but if he's in the habit of doing it at home, it is more likely that he will remember to say it when he leaves our house and goes to school, church, a friends house, etc...
He does pretty well with it most of the time, but now I'm afraid he thinks it holds too much power.
We have conversations like this a lot:
Me: Caleb, can I have a hug?
Caleb: No thank you.
Seriously... like 3 or 4 times a day. Sometimes, it's not even a question. Like this:
Me: Come over here and pick up all these Lincoln Logs.
Caleb: Umm... No thank you.
Polite disobedience. I guess it's a little better than rude disobedience.
On a somewhat related note, last night we were sitting on the front porch eating ice cream and someone 3 or 4 houses down sneezed (we couldn't even see the person - just heard them), and Caleb yelled as loud as he could "BLESS YOUUUUUU!" :)
Lastly, my Patty (yes - that's part of her official title - "MY Patty"), shared this with me recently in a very sweet email and I thought it was just lovely. Being a parent is really about being a teacher - and more often than not, teaching by example.
If a child lives with criticism,
he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
he learns to fight.
If a child lives with fear,
he learns to be apprehensive.
If a child lives with ridicule,
he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with jealousy,
he learns what envy is.
If a child lives with shame,
he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with encouragement,
he learns to be confident.
If a child lives with tolerance,
he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with praise,
he learns to be appreciative.
If a child lives with acceptance,
he learns to love.
If a child lives with approval,
he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with recognition,
he learns that it is good to have a goal.
If a child lives with honesty and fairness,
he learns what truth and justice are.
If a child lives with security,
he learns to have faith in himself and in those about him.
If a child lives with friendliness,
he learns that the world is a nice place in which to live.
If you live with serenity,
your child will live with peace of mind.
With what is your child living?
He does pretty well with it most of the time, but now I'm afraid he thinks it holds too much power.
We have conversations like this a lot:
Me: Caleb, can I have a hug?
Caleb: No thank you.
Seriously... like 3 or 4 times a day. Sometimes, it's not even a question. Like this:
Me: Come over here and pick up all these Lincoln Logs.
Caleb: Umm... No thank you.
Polite disobedience. I guess it's a little better than rude disobedience.
On a somewhat related note, last night we were sitting on the front porch eating ice cream and someone 3 or 4 houses down sneezed (we couldn't even see the person - just heard them), and Caleb yelled as loud as he could "BLESS YOUUUUUU!" :)
Lastly, my Patty (yes - that's part of her official title - "MY Patty"), shared this with me recently in a very sweet email and I thought it was just lovely. Being a parent is really about being a teacher - and more often than not, teaching by example.
CHILDREN LEARN WHAT THEY LIVE
Dorothy Law Nolte
Dorothy Law Nolte
If a child lives with criticism,
he learns to condemn.
If a child lives with hostility,
he learns to fight.
If a child lives with fear,
he learns to be apprehensive.
If a child lives with pity,
he learns to feel sorry for himself.
he learns to feel sorry for himself.
If a child lives with ridicule,
he learns to be shy.
If a child lives with jealousy,
he learns what envy is.
If a child lives with shame,
he learns to feel guilty.
If a child lives with encouragement,
he learns to be confident.
If a child lives with tolerance,
he learns to be patient.
If a child lives with praise,
he learns to be appreciative.
If a child lives with acceptance,
he learns to love.
If a child lives with approval,
he learns to like himself.
If a child lives with recognition,
he learns that it is good to have a goal.
If a child lives with sharing,
he learns about generosity.
he learns about generosity.
If a child lives with honesty and fairness,
he learns what truth and justice are.
If a child lives with security,
he learns to have faith in himself and in those about him.
If a child lives with friendliness,
he learns that the world is a nice place in which to live.
If you live with serenity,
your child will live with peace of mind.
With what is your child living?
Sunday, June 5, 2011
A Young Lady
I don't wear dresses very often, but today was really hot so I opted for summer dress to keep cool. Caleb looked at me and said "You're a young lady, Mom."
Then a few minutes later, he said to Clayton "Mommy is your young lady"
I don't know where he's heard the phrase "young lady" but he can call me that any time he wants. :)
Then a few minutes later, he said to Clayton "Mommy is your young lady"
I don't know where he's heard the phrase "young lady" but he can call me that any time he wants. :)
Friday, June 3, 2011
Photo Editing & Caleb
My job as a photographer is just a little bit beyond Caleb's grasp at this point. He is used to seeing me with a camera and editing photos on the computer. He gets that I take pictures, but that part that really confuses him are the photos of people he doesn't recognize.
When I'm editing, he will stand behind me and ask about the people. I've tried to explain that when people want their picture taken, they call me. And when it comes to family and friends, he gets it, but the people he doesn't recognize totally confuse him.
When I'm editing, he'll point at the picture up on the computer and ask "Where's mommy?" or "Who is that?" or "Is that Caleb?" The other day I was editing pictures of a baby girl and he said "Is that my sister? I love her!"
Right now I'm working on family photos of a big group and he keeps trying to find people he knows in the pictures.
"Where's Opa?"
"Is that Austin?"
"Are you holding baby Owen right there?"
"Is that you?"
"Where's Mawmaw?"
"Who is that?"
"There's daddy!"
"Who are those people?"
"Is that baby Owen?"
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Are you ready for a break yet? I sure am.
When I'm editing, he will stand behind me and ask about the people. I've tried to explain that when people want their picture taken, they call me. And when it comes to family and friends, he gets it, but the people he doesn't recognize totally confuse him.
When I'm editing, he'll point at the picture up on the computer and ask "Where's mommy?" or "Who is that?" or "Is that Caleb?" The other day I was editing pictures of a baby girl and he said "Is that my sister? I love her!"
Right now I'm working on family photos of a big group and he keeps trying to find people he knows in the pictures.
"Where's Opa?"
"Is that Austin?"
"Are you holding baby Owen right there?"
"Is that you?"
"Where's Mawmaw?"
"Who is that?"
"There's daddy!"
"Who are those people?"
"Is that baby Owen?"
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! Are you ready for a break yet? I sure am.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
The Art of Randomness...
Caleb is a master at randomness. Here is today's example:
Me: What do you want for lunch?
Caleb: Coconuts.
I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. How he even knows what a coconut is, is beyond me.
Me: What do you want for lunch?
Caleb: Coconuts.
I couldn't make this stuff up if I tried. How he even knows what a coconut is, is beyond me.
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
Caleb's New Haircut
Mawmaw gave our big boy a haircut yesterday. Isn't he looking so handsome!? This mini-photoshoot was a spur of the moment thing. If always figures that the unplanned mini-sessions are when I get the best pictures of my kids. I guess there is less pressure that way. :)
Also, isn't the lighting on my porch scrumptious!? It makes for nice lighting even in the midday sun. <3
Also, isn't the lighting on my porch scrumptious!? It makes for nice lighting even in the midday sun. <3
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