We Love you Daddy

I loved this idea so much I just had to do it myself. I got my kids all spiffed up and then colored on each of their feet with washable markers. My four year old was delighted and was begging to color on mine later. (Guess that's something fun we can do this summer ;) YAY! Color on Mommys feet! )
Then I hauled each one out to the yard and lined them up :) I think it turned out rather well...

Fathers Day

It's getting close to the time where as a mom I reflect on what a wonderful father my husband is. He is kind, caring, disciplining and playful. However the area that I see him most shining in is living how he wants his children to live. Our boys are modeling their lives after him. There are so many things I hear echoed by them and jokes I see them copying. The are desperate to be just like daddy.

Most recently my husband has started the "Insanity" workout program. He works his butt off and I'm very proud of him for having the will power to stick with it. I'm one of those people who get a gym membership in January and start getting lazy mid February! But the thing that has impressed me most with his devotion to staying fit and being healthy is his excitement to invite our children to work out with him. A couple of nights ago I snapped a few pictures of them working out with him. It's cute but it's also a good reminder to myself.

Who am I modeling to my children? What do I want for thing and what is important? Recently I've been reading the book "Effective Parenting in a Defective World" by Chip Ingram. He says "Character is always more caught than taught. Always". Now, I know that this is common sense. But it hit me hard. Do I really want my kids to copy my worship, lifestyle, prayers, devotion, habits, stewardship, generosity, schedule, love and kindness? What needs to change in my life for my childrens sake? Now is the time to change them. Not tomorrow, once my children have started mimicking my behavior, but now.

Melted Crayon Art

I am a major pinterest junkie. I always find these crafty things that I put in a folder of "things i'd like to do...". Most of these never amount to anything but I loved this one so much I decided to do it myself for my daughters bedroom. She currently is in a bare room with a white crib, white sheets, one chair and no decor except for a wooden elephant clock. It was time to start adding a few girly touches. There are a few more pieces I'd like to make but this one seemed the easiest :) So this picture is my copycat version. The link to the original is here: http://www.aroundbeads.blogspot.ca/2012/01/grandmas-garden-crayon-art.html?m=1

Just a fun day!

Being a pastor, my husband has Mondays off. We usually try to make the very most of them. So yesterday we went to a BEAUTIFUL lagoon near our house and then finished with some backyard playtime. It was such a nice day.

Creating a Good Routine

As a stay at home mom it can be hard to establish a good routine. Life is always changing, naptimes adjust or end, different activities are started, but there is a lot of downtime. I need to find a routine or I end up just going with the flow and then we don't ever accomplish anything! My kids are far happier with a steady routine. So I decided to take a tip from Supernanny and make my own daily schedule! We don't follow it religiously but it helps me realize where my time is going. It really is more for me than the kids anyways.

It looks pretty set in stone, but it's soft like clay. If we plan to do other things, or someone is having a meltdown we just do the old switcheroo and it's really no big deal. 

I like to have my career be SAHM. This in no way is stay at home tv watcher or stay at home reader. I want to engage with my children, teach them to play alone, together, to enjoy reading and making things with their hands. Without a schedule it can be easy to find days that slip into those other categories. That being said, Mommy's do not get days off and finding a little down time is always a good thing :)

Fun with Face Paint

Make believe is always fun and the boys have a current obsession with anything that roars.

Dinosaurs, lions, tigers, hippos (yes they think hippos roar... who would have thought?)

Anyways I found some facepaint crayons at the dollar store the other day and here we are :)

My little tigers.

The website I found this tutorial on is: http://www.parenting.com/gallery/tiger-face-painting

The Keg Baked Garlic Shrimp

Every year my wonderful hubby and I have gone to the Keg on our anniversary. We ALWAYS order the same appetizer. We always devour it. Then I always come home wondering how to make it. I look online for a few days and then become to saturated with the excitement of Christmas (our anniversary is December 18) to remember to find it. 

BUT after 7 years I finally got tired of only having this treat once a year. I scoured the web and finally found it… 

I love shrimp. I love garlic. I love cheese. I love bread. and oooh i love butter

This is my happy place! 

So here is what you need:

2 escargot plates, i got mine from Stokes

12 shrimpies (i like them tails off, but in my picture above you can see I only had tails on, no big deal)

6 tablespoons of butter (DONT USE MARGARINE. I tried. was terrible)

a few cloves of garlic, minced

a few tablespoons of parsely, chopped fine

1/4 cup jack cheese, shredded

1/4 cup cheddar or marble cheese, shredded

a few squirts of lemon juice

Now to cook up this buttery goodness:

1. Melt your butter in a sauce pan. 

2. Add the garlic and parlsey. Saute for a few min.

3. Add the shrimps. Saute until they are pink or warm the whole way through. (I use precooked shrimp. But if you aren’t you’ll want to wash them before you stick them in, and cook them till they are pink and puffy)

4. Get out those escargot plates. Place one little guy in each hole, and add some of the butter/garlic/parsley mix to each.

5. Cover with cheese.

6. Stick in oven and broil until cheese is melted and a little crispy. Kinda like a good pizza. 

7. Serve, with some crusty bread, to your husband who will think you are some chef extraordinaire. (No need to tell him otherwise) I dip my bread in the butter once all the shrimps are annihilated. We like a cold glass of coke with this tasty treat but I think most people would enjoy a glass of wine. 

I found this fantastic recipe from http://www.mooseandlulu.com/

They have lots and lots of other yummy recipes so check them out! 

Bathtime fun

My kids all love bathtime so it’s never a struggle getting them in :)But this idea I saw this on Pinterest made it so much more fun!

Glowsticks in the tub are a big hit now :)

What an easy fun game! and again… NO CLEANUP! :) hahah.. i’m terrible!

Children Crave Discipline

Yesterday was a great day. The boys let my husband, me and the baby all sleep in til 9:30. I can’t remember the last time that happened. Must have been when our first one was small. Anyways we slept in and my husband was home for the morning and then off to work til late. He’s been working a few 15 hour days this week and I don’t think that will end until after Christmas.

We got grocery shopping done, had some company over in the afternoon. By supper time tho, my younger son was exhausted, the baby had a tummy ache and both of them were screaming. The baby was in her high chair, so 2 minutes of her crying wasn’t going to hurt anybody. My 2 year old was standing beside the table having an all out screaming tantrum. I was thinking “all right we will deal with you after i finish my cold potatoes”. 

Midscreaming my son starts bawling something I cannot understand but after a few times of screaming it I began to understand this:

MAWMMEE I NEEEEED A TIIIIIMEOUUUUT!!!!!

My dear 2 year old son was begging for discipline. He knew he wasn’t acting right, he knew that he needed to be dealt with for his actions. 

If my 2 year old knows he needs correction, why am I so frustrated with correction from my Heavenly Father who loves me so much better and corrects me far more lovingly than I ever could? 

I am thankful for my son who loves me enough to understand that I love him through his bad behavior and that there needs to be consequences for poor behavior. 

So i lovingly scooped up his little body and set him on the timeout chair. His screaming stopped and with little whimpers he was happy to be disciplined by a Mom who he felt safe enough with to ask for discipline. 

Then I turned around and giggled to myself. 

Hebrews 12:9-11
Besides this, we have had earthly fathers who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the Father of spirits and live? For they disciplined us for a short time as it seemed best to them, but he disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (ESV)

Life Size Dressup

This past summer my husband went on a missions trip to San Francisco. On his way home he picked up two 3 foot stuffed superheros: one for each of our boys! :)

The kids have been a little restless in the house lately. We haven’t gone to the park because it’s been raining so much and I’m a bit nervous to give the little one a cold AGAIN! so today we decided to play dressup with their superheros. The boys picked the clothes out of their own drawers and had a blast! Which is great because those superheros have not seen much playtime recently :)