Who's Barney Ard

Weston Tells It Like It Is

(while poking me with a stick) "It doesn't hurt Mom, I'm just killing you."

I was showing the kids a couple barns we passed on our way home and Weston tells me"I want to go to the Barney-Ard."

Seeing God

Jamie and Andrew are out of town this week, so Emma lost her bedroom companion. She hates sleeping alone. She'd rather share a room with a crying baby than be by herself so when I tried to put the kids to bed the other night she begged me to let her sleep in Weston's room with him. I told her it wasn't a good idea because she gets out of bed and plays with him so neither of them sleep. Emma promised she would be good but I was resistant. Finally Emma tells me, "Mom, I know God watches over us, but I can't see Him so I get scared." I was stunned at this comment and how she had brought up the topic entirely on her own. I've pondered this statement and what wise parental thing I should have said at such a great teaching opportunity. Something about how we don't have to see God to know that He's there and how we can feel His love. There would have been some discussion about faith and prayer had I been thinking. I probably should have reminded her about the Holy Ghost lessons I'd been teaching in sharing time.

Then I thought of ways that I "see God" every day. I see Him every time I look at my kids. I see Him when I look at the new baby robins on our porch. I see Him every time I'm doing service or receiving service. I see him every time I see a new flower blooming. I see Him every time I see the fireflies light up the night. I see Him every time I watch my husband playing with my children. In these moments and so many others I "see God" and feel of his love. I hope that I can share that with my children and that all of us will look for Him.

Andrew's Trick

He's been practicing this for a few weeks now but this is the first video I could catch and was able to post. He enjoys it and is very brave! Way to go bud!

Mom's part of the family too

It's bothered me lately that we have only a couple of pictures of me since our wedding (nearly seven years ago). I take lots of pictures of the kids but there is little photographic evidence that they have a mother in their life. Not that I'm good in front of a camera but I still want to have my kids look back and see what I looked like and know I was involved. Anyway, with this thought I pulled out the camera and attempted to take a pic of me with my boys (Emma was at a friend's). I first tried a pic with Andrew but got smacked in the eye just as the flash went off. Not very flattering.

Weston climbed up on the rocking chair with us so I got the three of us. The boys aren't looking perky, but at least they will know now that mom was around and smiled sometimes :)

Then Weston wanted to rock and feed the baby. He can be so sweet and gentle! What a good brother (when he's not pushing or bossing baby)!

Weston's Wiggle Dance

I was trying to post an Andrew video, but it wouldn't work, so you can enjoy this little thing Weston made up instead.

Emma's Preschool

Emma's birthday is September 2, the cut-off for kindergarten in Georgia is September 1. So school started today, but Emma is home with me still. The Georgia lottery funds a Pre-k program that is run by the day-care centers. It would be free for us (except $7 a week for food) but it's every day M-F and runs the same hours as school. It sounded like a bit much for a 4-year-old so I opted to keep her home and pull out some of my teaching stuff. I admit we're not into a real schedule here but she's learning a lot when she's motivated (that's the hard part).

Here's her letters (first one's traced, second one she wrote on her own)

Here's a sentence she read and wrote. Thanks Pop for having a name she can read. It's been a great source for funny sentences!

The Price of Happy Children

I sent the kids to play in the basement while I went to put Andrew down for a nap today. They were still playing quietly down there when I came out so I took advantage of the chance to jump on the computer. After some time I finshed what I was doing and realized that the kids were still happily playing (by this time someone would usually be in tears and screaming). I decided I better check in on them. This is how I found the playroom-

Holy cow they got out every toy in there (well, almost) and had moved on to ride bikes in the "bike room" (the barren part of the basement where we keep the bikes and cars). Luckily, we have an organized system for toys (see http://themomclub.blogspot.com/2008/07/making-clean-up-less-of-chore.html) and 30 minutes later, including a break for a diaper change and working with an imaginative 4-year-old (everything has to gallop, fly, or drive to its place) and an easily-distracted toddler, the room looked like this-

It's the biggest clean-up we've done in awhile but was worth it because my kids were playing nicely together and enjoying each other! Yes, this is how desperate I am to help my kids get along!