Twirls 'n Curls

This afternoon Tom and I returned from an overnight getaway, and I remembered too late my promise to "bring back a surprise" if the girls were good. Scrambling in my emergency fun box, I came up with some candy necklaces. "Perfect!" I thought.  I gave Hannah (4) hers first, and she munched away happily.  Linsey(6), was slightly more suspicious. "Are these for Christmas?" she asked doubtfully. "Mine has a Christmas tree on it." "Those are regular trees, and the necklace is for anytime, " I assured her quickly. Still doubtful, she looked at me questioningly, "Then why does Hannah's have Santa on it?" "JUST EAT your candy!" And the moral of the story is...   Never look a gift horse in the mouth!!

As parents, we know our kids will grow up to become just like us (more on that in this post ), so I wanted to share a few values I'm trying to teach my three little mamas-in-training: ~Look for the good in unexpected places~  ~Don't be afraid to try new things...~ ~...but always ask permission first!~ Failed haircut attempt   ~It's okay to cry~  ~Family is forever. Be there for each other~ And, most importantly... ~Always, always, always be yourself!!~  Question: What values are important for you to pass on to your kids?

Keep hanging on! "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Philippians 4:13

We've had such a busy, fun week, I just had to share a few highlights: 1 ~ We just had a big birthday party for Hannah, who turns 4 this week.  I mean, 18 little people running around my house and eating everything in sight. It was chaos, and I loved it! I had a bunch of creative games planned, but by far their favorite was "Monkey, Monkey, Banana," like duck-duck-goose only they tagged each other with an inflatable monkey. Next time I'll stick to the classics! Holy cow, it's MY birthday?!?  2 ~ My sister bought me a Sneaky Chef cookbook awhile back, and I am totally addicted. It's all about sneaking veggies into regular recipes. I've added pureed carrots to orange chicken, pureed cauliflower to tuna salad, and sweet potato to french toast, all with great results! Even my husband is "willingly ignorant" and has enjoyed the new recipes, as long as I don't tell him what's in them. There are some free recipes and tons of resources fro...

  Lately I've caught myself watching my husband interact with our girls. I know I should be spending time on my own activities, but I just can't seem to tear myself away. How blessed they are , I think to myself, to have a daddy who loves spending time with them. How blessed I am to have a husband who comes home every night to a slightly messy, often chaotic household with 4 women vying for his attention! If you grew up in a home like ours, (and especially if you didn't!) you understand the importance of a healthy father/daughter relationship, and you know they are hard to come by. So here are a few principles I've committed to, as a wife/mother, to help their relationship grow: 1. Never speak negatively to or about my husband in front of our children. I've always tried not to speak negatively about Tom in public, and I am becoming more aware of how I talk to him in front of my girls as well. Kids hear hurtful comments and don't understand that we were j...

Ever feel like this? After having 3 little girls in 4 years, I relate too well to this overused, unappreciated little fairy. I have days when nothing seems to go right, when it seems like everyone I know has conspired to make me as frustrated as they can. When I feel that way, I've found it's usually because I'm giving out more than I'm taking in. So I stop and evaluate what is making me "lose my head," so to speak. And it's probably more than just the spilled drink that set me off. Maybe I'm physically exhausted from being up at night with a sick kid. Or I haven't made time to relax because I'm so busy taking care of the needs of others. Often when I'm busy, my time with God doesn't scream quite as loudly as my children do, so He gets pushed to the bottom of my list. Then I feel guilt on top of the stress I already have. Once I pinpoint what is making me stressed, I take steps to resolve it. Fast. Because no one wants ...

Our older girls, 3 and 6, were so excited to have their artwork featured in a local art show last night!  For being a small town, we have some amazing talent. So all day, the girls kept reminding me, "Don't forget about the art show, Mom!!" and, "What time is it? Is that close to 6?" When we arrived, we were led to two rooms filled with different paintings and sculptures from local artists. The first thing the hostess told us was to look carefully around at all the artwork, because we all got to vote for our favorite artist. Linsey's eyes got huge. Then cookies were mentioned, and Hannah's eyes got huge. I took her to get one, and Linsey wandered away for a few minutes. She came back really excited and whispered in my ear, "Mom, let's go vote! I looked at all the pictures, and I'm my favorite artis t!" And that's when I knew she was destined to be famous...don't all great talents think their work is the best? :) Linsey h...