Taking a Break

We are off on a family trip with Matt's entire family to celebrate his parents 50th Anniversary. What a gift of love! :) While we are gone, I will be taking a break from blogging and will most likely make that a two week break as I have a lot to do for our co-op when I return. Regardless, I hope the break brings me fresh ideas and renewed messages to share from the time away.
God Bless!

Labels, labels, labels!

Lately, we have been working at trying to figure out just how God wired one of our girls little minds. Both of our girls are very bright in different ways. Amazingly, they recall facts and details of what we study as well as daily life events in ways that just sit me on my heels! Regardless, for one of my girls, school work is just hard. Writing, spelling and reading to be exact. Math is a breeze. Anyway, we have been trying to figure out if there is some kind of disconnect in her little brain causing her to not be able to what she wants to do so badly and others her age do daily. So, in that process, I am finding that there are really two worlds out there...the label her people and the don't label her people. I think I understand both sides, yet I am starting to have a bit of an opinion with this as we deal with it personally and oddly it is exactly the opposite of what I use to feel when I was teaching in my classroom years ago!

When we go to the grocery store, how do we know what to buy? How do we figure out what foods are best for our family? We read labels. When we are buying gas for our van, what tells me I am putting the right kind in my van? Labels. Look, a label is just letting you know what is inside. It allows the person to know what they are "getting" so the recipe can be followed for a complete cake. I just know right now, as her mom and teacher, I do not know what I am dealing with completely and I need to know how God wired her little mind so I can learn how to best teach her and prepare her for life on her own as she continues to grow. Without knowing this, I feel frustrated and like I am playing that lovely baby shower game with the baby food jars that have the labels torn off....total frustration! That frustration is not just with my teaching her and not finding success. The bigger frustration comes from within her. She feels it. She knows she can't do these things and it makes her mad and it really has started to make her feel like she is not smart, which is so not true! The girl can give us directions from the lake to our house with no help which is an hour away! That is not a girl who is not smart!

Regardless, I just keep praying that we will go to the right place and find what we are dealing with so we can find the things that will give us the tools to connect those wires of learning for her. I can't wait till we finally do that and those light bulbs start going off one after another in her little brain! It is going to be a bit like fireworks around here soon! I can just feel it!

True Treasures

Beanie's birthday party at the lake was so much fun! I would love to share pictures, but we had a little tragedy while there. As one of the girls was passing the camera to me, she let go before I had it and it landed in the lake!!! My first reaction, praise God, was not anger! It was a panic to find it, but not anger, which is a big deal for me as I LOVE pictures. She was so apologetic and truly did not mean to do this. Matt went ahead and took the kids out to tube while I waded through the muck and mud to find the thing. No luck! I was sure it was a lost cause which at that point, I did have to text a couple friends/sister to remind me that my pictures on that were not what mattered. Losing one year of birthday pictures is nothing compared to losing the respect of your daughter by putting a thing ahead of her heart. So, when they returned, my spirits where back to where they needed to be for a party. She got off the boat and immediately told me that she wanted to buy me a new one. I reassured her that the camera is not what I was worried about at all, yet I wanted to retrieve the pictures if possible. I stated again that she is much more important to me than any camera or pictures....so not to worry. It was an accident. She decided to go trudging for that thing though. No luck either. So when Matt heard all of this, he decided to give it a try. You know what...God does amazing things through our men. I mean, I don't know how long I was in that nasty mud but I did not just stand there for two minutes and climb out! Regardless, he found it. The card dried out and does work so pictures are safe. Camera on the other hand is toast. My girl, reassured that God answers prayers, even little ones about cameras, because she had been praying about that camera/pictures the entire time they tubed. I'd say that is a lesson in finding the true treasures in life indeed!

A Perfect 10!!!

Today is my "baby's" 10th birthday!! I can not believe how fast this 10 years has flown by! Truly, I remember the day we sat her sister down to share the joy of finding out we were parents again and she would have that sister she wanted. That was so long ago yet I do remember it like it was yesterday.

We are headed to the lake house with two of her buddies from church today. So I don't have much time to write, but will give my top 10 things I adore about this girl when we are home.

Just wanted to take the time to say, Happy Birthday Beanie! I could not be more proud of the young lady you are becoming! Love you sweets!

Double Dutch Days!

The other day we had two of my nieces spend the day with us. The girls love having cousins over to play. It just so happened that I had just purchased new jump ropes and hula hoops for the girls to enjoy. I'm all for simple fun in the summer. I guess I am all for simple fun all the time really. Anyway, I must say I enjoyed looking out my window and seeing the girls all wrapped up in a Double Dutch tournament. It was so fun! Naturally, I grabbed the camera and headed outside to soak it all in.

All four cousins chanting along while taking turns jumping.

Little Bit trying to figure out the rythym of jumping rope.

Beanie jumping with all her might.


Doodle's turn.

NayNay's jumping high indeed!

Now I need to remember next time to put the camera down and join in! I just am thrilled to see all the kids enjoying simple things in life that bring such joy. Truly there is not much to jumping a rope. But the memories these girls will have for years to come of the days they enjoyed double dutch or whatever else they sang...well those are just priceless moments.

Phase One and Two and Three!

Yesterday I shared that we are in the process of painting and setting up Doodle's new bedroom as she enters her teen years. She is very excited that she is picking the colors, designs etc. It is hard to believe that when we moved into this house 10 years ago, she was 3 and I was the one making all the decisions. Regardless, this time it is her and I could not be more excited to see her taste growing through this process. I have taken a few pictures of before and during the process so far, which involves saying good bye to the playroom walls, which my sister-in-law and I painted 5 years ago.

My little hills full of flowers with Bean's choice

of yellow on top since it would become her room.

Then we had all of the cousins paint flowers with their fingers all over the wall to add that sweet touch. That was the wall that really hurt to cover up. Transitions are hard for all of us....no matter how old! :)

The infamous cousins flower wall....each one of those petals has a sweet little face to go with it. Such sweet memories.

So after we sanded the flowers down, we had to prime over them to make sure they do not show up through the new paint color. For some reason, Doodle really doesn't want those flowers anymore...go figure! :)

Both girls helped with sanding the flowers off the wall.

The same cousins flower wall once I finished priming

those precious flowers....I had to walk away for a moment. :(

After sanding everything, filling the holes in the wall from pictures being hung, we had to sweep up our mess. Bean loved that!

Bean is quite the little helper

Next came my personal favorite job..(note the sarcasm)....painting the ceiling! Woohoo! Love it! NOT! However, last night, Bean, Matt and I were able to punch it out in an hour. Where was Doodle....finding her happy!:)

Doodle curled up finding her happy....no messes in that bed! :)

She is an early to bed, early to rise kind of girl so when we decided to paint the ceiling late last night, she offered to help but really there was not enough room for all of us to do it, so she headed to bed, thanking Daddy for his hard work. After getting going, he decided to let Bean give it a shot. She did a good job. I think Doodle would have liked trying but I was secretly wishing I was doing what she was by that point....sleeping! :) So, today we paint the new color on the wall. A color I did not pick. A color I love...a beautiful shade of blue aptly named Ariel!

Doodle painting her room.

My girls decided I needed proof I painted. Took pic when I wasn't looking! :)

Beanie got into the painting action!

The last flower on the wall....

Beanie struggled to paint over it.

See...I'm not the only sap around here. :)

Having your kids help with these projects just make them more fun. I love having a family that enjoys doing all things together whether it be riding rides at Disney World or painting a room! What a true blessing!

Transition Time

Well, this summer my girls are moving into new territory in many ways. First of all, Doodle turns 13!! You hear me? 13!!! Not sure where that time went, but I do know I adore the young woman she has become and continues to show us daily. Beanie turns 10! That is right, people. My baby turns 10!!! When did she stop using a paci?! Ha! Just teasin'! Time has flown by and it is a joy to see Bean shedding her little bashful side and soaring with the big kids. So, we enter the teen years, exit the single digits all the same summer. Along with that, we are changing rooms. The girls use to share a room and I used our third bedroom as a school room. A few years ago, the girls needed some space to call their own and we gave up the school room. This showed us just how different our girls truly are. Doodle's room is always spotless and Bean's is a bit more creative cleaning. :0)
Anyway, Bean's room is a bit smaller and she just has more toys and such now that Doodle is starting to come out of the toy phase really. Doodle still enjoys her dolls, which I will so encourage for as long as she desires. :) But Bean has doll house stuff, dress up, baby dolls, building toys, etc. More stuff needs the bigger room and the bonus...bunk beds! :) So, we are emptying out the room to paint Doodle's new "teen" room. It will be lovely when done but the growing pains today are big. Doodle can't stand clutter and to take two rooms down to one is nutty for her. She has had to walk out several times to "find her happy" as we say. :) I will post pictures later of the before, during and after. Can't wait to see it when it is all done. For now, we are a in the land of transition! :)