Katie is 4

Katie November 2, 2009 Leave a comment

Oh what a girl I have! A couple of weeks ago, we celebrated Katie’s 4th birthday. She is one of a kind! Her voice is naturally loud and high pitched so she slips into whining very easily. She’s working on it though and doing a good job trying to corral all those emotions that come stampeding out of her. When she starts to break down and cry over something we try to encourage her to breathe. I know it sounds silly but it works – a few deep breaths and she’s a little less hysterical and you can better make out what happened in the first place. She is full of joy and her love language is time and attention. Unfortunately, that is in short demand when you have 1 big brother and 2 little brothers to share mommy and daddy’s time. She can be very silly but she’s also sensitive and caring. I’m proud of her. She’s beautiful to me and I thank God that I get to be her mommy. I pray that she and I will stay close through the years. It’s funny because I seldom have thoughts of my boys as parents but I often think of how I will feel when my little girl becomes a mommy and I get to hold her children in my arms. There is something unique and wonderful about a mother/daughter relationship.

being weird…

choices, homeschooling, parenting November 1, 2009 Leave a comment

I know most people go through times in their lives where they feel “weird”. Most of the time it happens when you are going through puberty and then hopefully you grow out of it. I have always been weird. Reading and my love affair with books would be a good place to start. I would literally have a book with me everywhere from the time I could read. I read anytime and anywhere and most of the time it wouldn’t matter what was going on around me – I could tune it all out. I was a public school student and that really got in the way of my love for books and reading. But I was quite the underachiever in formal education and so I would do the bare minimum of homework, you know scan the “reading” book story and answer the comprehension questions in quick fashion so that I could get back to the intriguing story I was involved in. Another way I am weird is that I detest rollercoasters. I just feel like God gave me feet, not wings so that I would stay here on His nice ground. I think rollercoasters are pointless. Those are, of course, just two examples of how weird I am. But now, as a grown-up, I am REALLY weird and just getting more weird it seems.
–I do not let other people raise my children (any age).
–I teach my children at home.
–I make my own laundry detergent.
–I take my children to church and teach them about God and His love.
–I spank.
–I use coupons.
–I clothe my children with yard sale, hand-me-downs, or clearance items.
–I let my kids get dirty, every day.
–I teach my children to say ma’am and sir.
–I expect obedience.
–I breastfeed my babies.
–I breastfeed my babies in public. (very weird)
–I enjoy spending time with my husband and my children.
–I respect my parents.
–I read my Bible and pray.
This list could go on and on. What is really neat is that I love being weird. For years, as an adolescent and into my 20’s I wanted to “fit in” and now the closer I grow to my Lord and the older I become I want to be more weird. In fact, I would love to be out and have people whisper as we leave “they are so weird”.
And that is pretty weird, isn’t it?
“Therefore come out from them and be separate, says the Lord”
2 Corinthians 6:17

Nana

memories October 13, 2009 1 Comment

We planted this rosebush at the front corner of our house. It was planted in April, right after we brought it home from Nana’s funeral. The past couple of weeks it seems we have all missed Nana even more. I think a big part of it is that one year ago we were all headed to Pensacola Beach to have a family vacation. She made a big deal out of celebrating Katie’s birthday there and making it special for all of her grandkids. Nana enjoyed fall, driving around Cade’s Cove and looking at the changing leaves, getting ready to laugh at her grandchildren in their costumes, preparing for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I guess what continually shocks me is she is really not here. Really not ever going to be here to see Katie’s haircut, to see Theodore dressed up as a scarecrow, to see Foster’s first missing tooth space, to watch Parker smile. And not here to check on us grown ups either, to call and see if we are taking care of ourselves, to encourage my husband and I to go on a date and take time for our marriage. Not one of us would have said to each other last year at the beach “we better enjoy this trip together because it will be our last one with all of us.” Grieving is an up and down rollercoaster. And I hate rollercoasters, so that’s a good analogy for me. The rosebush that we planted in Nana’s memory has consistently given us a beautiful rose, sometimes two or three but most of the time just one. Roses were Nana’s favorite flower and I love to have the reminder of the joy she brought to our lives. I feel like our rosebush is humble and that makes me think of Nana the most. Humility made her beautiful in the sight of God.

Relationship

daddy, Foster, parenting September 10, 2009 1 Comment

Chris and Foster have spent a lot of time together the past couple of weeks. Foster has gone dove hunting a couple of times with him. When Chris was working on his truck for over a week Foster was out there by his side trying to “help”. I am glad they have a good relationship right now and want to encourage and support that anyway I can. One way that is important is to have daddy involved in the daily discipline even when he’s not right there. And I don’t mean the “wait until your father gets home” scare tactic way. Yesterday, Foster made a bad choice. And instead of giving him his consequence I told him I needed to talk to his daddy and then we would decide and get back to him. When Chris arrived home, I told Foster to tell him what had happened and they went to a room alone to “discuss” it. Chris and I did settle on a consequence. But I think even more important was the conversation he was forced to have with his father. Chris said when Foster first came to tell him he started by saying “this isn’t an easy thing for kids to have to tell”. And with age and worse offenses it won’t get any easier but when you think of a parent-child relationship you are not just training them for their relationship with you. We are training them to know how to be in a relationship with God. It’s never easy to go to God, your heavenly father, and say “hey I messed up really bad today” but it’s important. How can we ask for forgiveness if we don’t admit what we did wrong first?

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"It’s my party…"

motherhood August 25, 2009 Comments: 2

Oh boy, look at those faces! I need to try to upload a video so you could enjoy the sound effects that go with these beauties! Parker’s cry is starting to evolve into the real baby cry, not the puny little newborn cry, but the put your hands over your ears kind. And Theodore, well, you know he’s 2 so he’s in the tantrum stage. We train and he repays us (me mostly) with the blood curdling screech of someone who has been attacked by a bear or hit by a truck. And then there is the “war cry” he does when Foster or Katie dare to touch something that belongs to him, or that he was playing with, or that he was about to play with. Because Theodore does not speak yet – his vocabulary of uh-oh and bubble just don’t help him communicate his anger and frustration at being told “no” or “wait”. I am a believer in training your child. Of teaching your children to listen and obey. I believe God calls us to this daunting task when he gives us the responsibility and blessing of children. One of the hardest thing in training any animal or child is consistency. And with a newborn in the house and starting to homeschool and my lack of sleep I have really been having trouble with being consistent. Really the struggle is with Foster and Katie even more than Theodore. Because their disobedience is coming from their mouth and I have been either ignoring or letting some of that slide. For example, if I say “Katie, go use the bathroom before rest time” and she comes back with “but mommy I don’t have to go pee pee” then a well-rested me would give her consequence (yes, probably a swat or two with the belt). I expect “yes mommy” or “yes ma’am” and hop to it. The same with Foster, and the bar is raised higher for him because he is older. The basic principle is disobedience = disrespect and if you are 3 and you are disobeying then you will be 13 and disrespectful. So I am trying to get back on track, be consistent again.
So if I do not train my children and then expect them to obey I am the one to blame. Proverbs 22:6 says “Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.” And to that I say “AMEN”!

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Theodore’s Two

Theodore August 24, 2009 Leave a comment


Theodore turned 2 on August 21. We had family over on the 22nd to celebrate and he really enjoyed himself. He was a little tired but he really hung in there. He mostly enjoyed eating, which is the same as any other day. His favorite gift was from his daddy. It’s a play gun that is almost as tall as he is and makes shooting noises. I didn’t go to the store when Chris bought it – otherwise I probably would have pointed out the age on it was for 5 years old and up. Oh well, that’s why he loves it I’m sure. He really believes he is at least as big as Foster. We are in the trenches of training with his behavior right now (more on that later). My favorite thing about Theodore is that he keeps himself busy but would drop everything if someone was willing to hold him and read to him or just cuddle. He is our cuddlebug and we love him so much. The funny thing about him right now is that he is not speaking. He says uh-oh and bubble and that’s about it. Other than that he uses sign language or grunts, whines and points for what he wants or needs. I am so curious to hear what’s going on inside that little mind so I can’t wait until he starts sharing some of his thoughts with us. The main thing I was thinking on his birthday is how thankful I am that he is healthy. The day he was born we wrote on the board “Thank you God for Theodore Reece” and that is still how I feel!

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Gratitude

gratitude August 18, 2009 1 Comment

Today has been a really crummy day. My mom, my dad, my husband and I all had things go wrong. The baby cried all day. The kids fussed and whined. So I knew when I was assessing the day on my way home from the used bookstore and I was adding up all the wrong things and all the crummy aspects of this day that I needed to stop. There are a couple of blogs that I follow because they help me keep things in perspective. One is Go Blog Yourself and this family has lost a child to cancer. Another is a missionary friend who is working in Africa with orphans and abused and neglected children. I read these because it keeps me mindful when I pray to remember them and their needs but also because God uses their reality to help me maintain an attitude of gratitude. How can I complain about a day where my family is healthy and safe? My children had 3 meals (and snacks) and played with many toys. My husband and parents had jobs to go to. I was holding a healthy baby. And tomorrow, we’ll celebrate my mom’s birthday.
I am so grateful for…
God
my salvation
my Bible
my husband
my children
my parents
my friends
my church family
my freedom
my physical and mental health
my home
homeschooling
breastfeeding
food to eat and feed my family
clothes to wear (and wash and iron)
shoes on our feet

One of my favorite quotes I collected in my teenage years was “I had no shoes and complained until I met a man who had no feet” I am not sure who said it but it helped me realize that it really is how we look at our circumstances that makes a difference, because most of the time there is someone out there who has it much worse than we do.

Miscommunication

Grammy, Grandad, humor, Katie August 17, 2009 Leave a comment


So the kids and I headed out after church today. Packing up the van and loading everyone but Daddy because we are spending a few days in Chattanooga with Grammy and Grandad. We actually haven’t made this 100 mile trip since January. In that time, we’ve added one more passenger (Parker) and Foster, Katie and Theodore forgot how long that van ride can seem. My sweet, little chatterbox asked me several versions and for a few days before we left “Mommy, how long will it take to get to Grammy’s house?” As I answered today, leaving the driveway “It will take a VERY long time Katie.” About 20 minutes passed and as we drove through Lenoir City she asked “Mommy are we almost to Grammy’s now?” my response, in an attempt to be more clear and have her understand was more detailed this time “Katie we are in Lenoir City, we still have to get on the interstate and then we drive for a very long time and look for Exit #11 and then we will be very close to Grammy’s house.” She chattered away for a few minutes and then said “Mommy are we on a date?” and I’m thinking – OK that’s out of the blue! Why would she think we are on a date? Because we are together and daddy’s not here? Because sometimes her daddy takes her on dates? Because Daddy and I talk about going on dates? I came up with nothing and so in response said “No, Katie we are not on a date.” About 10 minutes later, as we merge on to the interstate, she says “Mommy NOW are we on a date?” Oh. That’s what she meant. I said we had to get on the interstate. Get it? On the interstate, on a date… It’s no wonder children get so frustrated with us. Pay attention, they know what they mean.

Happy Birth Day Parker Elijah

baby, Parker August 10, 2009 1 Comment

We did not find out until he got here if baby #4 would be a girl or a boy. It makes it so much fun that way. So now we know – another brother. Katie was excited anyway. Her first comment after she found out the baby was a boy was “Yeah! I like boys!”

He arrived July 13th and he’s beautiful and healthy! We give all praise to God for trusting us with another miracle.

March – May 2009

memories August 10, 2009 Leave a comment

OK – Here comes the update in a short digest version.
March – My wonderful husband and I celebrated our 7th wedding anniversary. We sent the kids to my mom and dad’s and had the whole weekend and whole house to ourselves. We went out to eat at grown-up restaurants and watched grown-up movies and talked about grown-up things. It was really great.
April – I celebrated my 33rd birthday on the 6th. I felt different this year – I guess it’s something about being the same age Jesus was when He was crucified. It kind of raised the bar on what kind of person I wanted to strive to be and the kinds of things I wanted to fill my days with. On Good Friday, April 10th my husband and I led my 5 year old son to the Lord. We called both sets of grandparents and all celebrated with tears of joy. April 12th we celebrated Easter and my mother-in-law’s birthday. On April 19th, Foster was baptized and both sets of grandparents were there. On April 26th, Nana passed away, my mother-in-law who was just there at her birthday lunch and her grandson’s baptism was gone. I have never experienced a death this close. It was unexpected, my husband was only 28 years old. I was expecting another grandbaby for her to spoil with gifts and love. God’s ways are not our ways but HE is so awesome in the ways that He provides for us and lifts us up to carry on when we feel like giving up and sticking our heads in the sand. The loss of Nana has left a tremendous hole, more on that
later…
May – my husband celebrated his 29th birthday. Without his mom, it wasn’t the same for him.