EIGHTY FIVE

The other day, the boys and I were outside cleaning my car out when I heard one of the neighborhood ducks. I looked up and he was running at us full force! I asked him if he wanted some bread and then opened the door to run in and get some...he actually tried to follow me in the house! So, we brought some bread outside and a bowl of water and he enjoyed a snack and a drink before he waddled off (not before thanking us with a loud quack). Ever since then, almost daily, he has been coming to our house around 3:30 in the afternoon and quacking until we come outside and feed him! The kids get a huge kick out if this...the dogs,not so much.

"Not the cry, but the flight of the wild duck leads the flock to fly and follow."~Chinese Proverb

EIGHTY FOUR

Spring is here! We have been outside nearly every day! There is a short period of time here in Kay/Houston where we can be outside without melting or being in a body of water, so we are taking in all we can!

Boys are so funny to me. You give them something with wheels or an action figure out of a Happy Meal box and they are happy for hours! On this beautiful day, Kai took his little green matchbox car and drove it all around the yard (making sure to stop in the sandbox)! I guess it's in their chemical make-up because I don't recall Amaya ever really caring about one little toy for any length of time. She was, and always has been more content to draw or play house or school. Kalan is the same as Kai...give him something with wheels and he's happy! Perhaps this is why everywhere we go we see little boys with trains/cars/spiderman hanging out of their pockets!

"A treasure to a little boy does not consist of money, gems or jewelry. He will find far greater pleasure in the wonder of a rock, pebble, stick or beatle."~Unknown

EIGHTY THREE

I was folding laundry in my room when Kalan came to join me...lugging along his dinosaur, a baby and a Lady & the Tramp book. While I sat and folded, he sat his baby and dinosaur beside him and "read" them the book....even beginning with "Once upon a time..."

CUTENESS OVERLOAD!

"Babies are such a nice way to start people"~Don Herrold

EIGHTY TWO

I am so irritated right now! A while back, Adam bought me this nifty new camera phone that takes great pictures (for a phone) because he knew I was doing this project and lugging my bigger camera and 3 children places was kind of a hasell. So, usually when I take a picture, I just forward it over to my tmobile album and I can resize it there and save it. Well...the tmobile website link is broken and so I can only save my pics as a tiny thumbnail and so when I resize it, the pics are blurry and out of focus. So, that's why the quality of these next few pictures is less than stellar!

Okay, off my soapbox, lol! Here is my sweetie asleep with his dinosaur. When Amaya was this age, she was already potty trained and in a big girl bed. I waited until Kai was 3 to move him (I enjoy sleeping, so knowing they are still in a crib lets me rest more peacefully :)) and I am pretty sure we will wait until Kalan is 3 to move him as well. He seems to be growing up so quickly that there are some things I try to hold him back on so he'll be my baby for a while longer. (Notice the pacifier I still don't have the heart to take from him..it's his BFF) With your first kid(s) you are just so amazed at every milestone they hit, so you are anxious for the next and you can't wait for them to do more things. Before you know it they are 6 1/2 and you hardly remember them being a baby (though time seemed to slowly tread by at that time)...Kai is about to be 4 next week now. I found some pictures yesterday in a box of mine of when Amaya was 3 and Kai was 1...and it seemed like it was a million years ago! I guess God blessed me with a 3rd child so that I would finally learn to slow down and enjoy his babyhood!

"If I had my child to raise over again

I'd build self esteem first, and the house later.

I'd finger paint more, and point the finger less.

I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch and watch with my eyes.

I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious and seriously play.

I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging."~Diane Loomans

EIGHTY ONE

I love having a girl!! Amaya finally has enough hair (and patience) to let me style it different ways. Though most mornings we are in a rush to get dressed and have breakfast before the bus gets here, we do occasionally have a couple of extra minutes for me to braid or twist her hair. I just love Amaya, she is beautiful inside and out and makes me so proud to be her mother!

"A daughter may outgrow your lap, but she will never outgrow your heart."~unknown

EIGHTY

Okay, so this picture needs an explanation.

I feel like in my journey as a mother to three young children, it is my obligation to show them how to be respectful and moral individuals. So, I cooked up this idea and presented it to the jury...my kids. Each week, we will have one virtue to work on. This week, patience was chosen because so often I find us yelling at eachother out of frustration and irritation. So, Amaya and I made 6 signs that said "Patience"on them and hung them around the house as reminders to work on this throughout the week. At the end of the week, if we feel like we have become better balanced (not perfect) we will treat ourselves to ice cream (the main reason my kids agreed so readily to do this with me), and will move on to the next. My main goal is that we will find a happy balance where we can all learn to express ourselves in a more positive and mature way. Have you ever tried to teach patience to a 2 or 3 year old? Wish me luck!!

"Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete and will have everything you need." James 1:4

SEVENTY NINE

Kalan found this hat and thouroughly enjoyed puting in on & taking it off for quite a while! Give a kid a hat...he's happy for hours! I just love his little gap tooth smile :)

"In childhood, we press our noses to the pane, looking out. In memories of childhood, we press our noses to the pane, looking in."~Robert Brault