God created

This morning Clara asked all kinds of questions about what God created:
Did he create grass? yes
Did he create trees? yes
Did he create houses? no, man did

So on my list of things to do/read to my children: Genesis 1.

Is this God revealing himself to me? It can't be pure coincidence that I shared at MOPs that I feel God has never "talked" to me and a lady said she was going to pray for me (and another lady at our table) that God would reveal Himself to us. And now...as I pray that my child grows a strong faith...she is asking questions about our faith. Innocent little questions that really anyone could just blow off. Is this God at work...working through my daughter, answering my prayers about her...by growing her faith...I'll grow in mine....

Joseph speaks

Joseph's 1st two word phrase: "Clara eat."
Joseph's 1st sentence: "Clara did it." As he points to his radio while it is playing some other type of music besides his usual nighttime classical music.

And since the first day of school, anytime Clara's name is mentioned he adds, "school bus." "Clara, school bus."

First tooth

October 5, 2014

Clara pulls out her first tooth today at breakfast. First visit from the Tooth Fairy tonight.

Bottom right front tooth.

Do you hear God?

Clara asked me tonight, "how did you know to name me Clara?"
I answered, "God told me."
She said, "God told you?! God talked to you?"
Then she asked, "how can we hear God?"

Wow, so how to answer that...I don't know. God really has never spoken to me. Well, not never, yes I did hear him tell me (in church one weekend in September 2008) in my second trimester of my first pregnancy that I was going to have a girl and I was to name her Claire. (closer to her birth, Mike thought of her middle name "'Grace" so instead of Claire, we went with Clara-which was my grandma's name.)

I said, "that is a good question. One needs to be quiet, sometimes God speaks in your heart, sometimes your brain."
Clara then adds that one can use their ears too. She then tells me to be quiet and stop talking so she can listen for God. She says she cannot hear him.
I say, "well you need to be quiet. You know how in church Daddy and I are always telling you to use your listening ears, that is a good time to listen for God."
Clara tells me again to stop talking so she can listen for God. Again, "I cannot hear him."
I say, "well, relax. Let the silence of the night take over. And just listen."

Goodnight my sweet Clara. I pray (so very hard) that He talks to you.

Meet Benjamin

The zebra with no stripes. He has a brother named Ben.

Meet the Snowdog family

The Snowdogs have 7 children, 2 girls and 5 boys. Their ages are: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8.

The 1 year old is a girl and her name is Bella.
The 2 year old is a boy and his name is Kyle.
The 3 year old is a boy and his name is Denny.
The 4 year old is a boy and his name is Nenny.
The 5 year old is a boy and his name is Ficky.
The 6 year old is a boy and his name is Bill.
The 8 year old is a girl and her name is Lilynn.

They have 3 dogs and 3 cats as pets. The cats names are Trixie, ??, and ??. The dogs are named Ben, Teder, and Killin.
 Chapter 1
The kids go to preschool, kindergarten, and elementary school. The 2 year old and 3 year old are not in the same class at preschool. The baby stays at home.

Chapter 2
The Snowdogs are home and the 2 year old and 3 year old are watching their t.v. shows. The 2 year old likes Jake and the Neverland Pirates. The 3 year old likes Sofia the First.

Break dancin' moves

Joseph never stop your break dancin' moves (and to classic rock too :) ).

Love him!

Falling in love

So according to Clara, she and Joseph are falling in love and are going to get married soon.

She tells me this after her bath this evening. She attempts to kiss Joseph on his mouth. And follows that with, "I'm falling in love."

"With who?" I ask.

"Joseph." Her reply. "We are getting married soon."

Love her!

Blankie and Juppy

Found this photo. Just like Clara has her Puppy, Joseph loves his blankie and "Juppy" (Joseph's puppy).

Around six months of age, he attached himself to this puppy lovey blanket Mike and I bought him. I guess...trying to save the blanket that matches that puppy, I took this other blanket out places with us, and he attached himself to that blanket as well. He needs 3 things when he needs comfort, going to bed, or riding in the car: his blankie, Juppy, and his pacifer (ugh..once again we have a child who loves the pacifer).

Joseph says mommy

So the day after I posted that Joseph had yet to say "mommy," he said it (July 21, 2014). Oh, it was so sweet. And I love hearing it. But...now that he can say it, he never stops. He loves that he can speak another word too.

And today...today he said "cookie" very clearly.

First two word phrase: "Clara eat."

Oh and when he waits to get someone's attention, he taps them...on the shoulder, leg, arm...whereever. It is so cute.

Clara's preschool graduation

I'm going to cry :( ...

walking down the aisle in her cap and gown

her class

her lead teacher : Ms. Debby (her other teacher was Ms. Lindsay). Looks like Joseph likes Ms. Debby also

outside in the garden. Clara has a huge imagination. This was Sixties and Rock's house (imaginary monsters).

Getting creative with stacking toys

When all else fails...

 

go into fridge and get out the beer cans.

 

Joseph's milestones

I have not done a very good job at keeping up with Joseph and his milestones.

• 1 week: he rolled over from back to front. And then did it again at two weeks.
• By 3 months he was rolling every which way and all over the house.
• Sat up by himself by 6 months. Stood up onto things at same time. Cruised shortly after. Could sit down from standing at same time and pick up items off floor in standing/cruising position at same time. He also climbed stairs around 8 months (long before he walked).
• Was army crawling very early and crawling for real by 5-6 months.
• Was walking by 10 1/2 months (he took his first steps at my parents house on the first Friday in September).
• Cannot remember exactly when he said his first word but his first words consist of: Daddy, Clara, Teagan (a dog-and I have to always remember that whenever he saw something that walked on 4 legs, he called it Teagan). As of today (July 20, 2014), I have not heard "mommy" come out of his mouth :( . 

In addition to the words he says, he also can "say"/express: thank you and excuse me. And one of his favorite things to do these days is close doors. And when he does, he says "bye, bye."

He loves to cuddle, I call him my "cuddle boy." He loves to give hugs when you get home or are leaving to go somewhere (he got that from Clara).

He climbs everything at the playground, even those things that say "ages 5-12." 

Kindergarten

Kindergarten...when did this happen?!....

Our baby girl, minutes old

Clara at 1 year old. Cake smash=success

2 years old, already reading ;)

3 years and so happy

4 years, becoming a lady

5 years old, not a baby anymore

But I am that mom

I realized that one of my previous posts was probably a little negative (well yeah it is...but it is real, it is my life). To add something positive, here is the mom I strive to be:

I am that mom who will run around and play with my children. Who will support their imaginations by placing their imaginary friends in the car when we go for rides, will listen to their stories about what they did with their imaginary friends, will dance with their children, will play hide and seek with them. I will watch them at the playground...I WILL be present in their lives. I will tell them that I love them, that they are special...not only in my eyes but also in God's.

They are my life!

Joseph turns 1 (November 9, 2013), Clara turns 5 (March 1, 2014)

Joseph's cake and cupcakes

And he chooses the...Rosary.

Yeah, no cake smash on Joseph's 1st birthday.

Showing us her age

Telling us her age. Boy was she happy to be turning five.

Her cake. Forgot to get photo before it was cut. She asked for a white cake with chocolate frosting in the middle and pink frosting on the outside. And lots and lots of sprinkles on top.

Enjoying her cake.

Joseph enjoying the cake, finally...since he wanted nothing to do with his cake on his birthday.

The words he says

Daddy, Bible, water (but it comes out "wawer"), I think I am called something like "namu." He has his own language, he does have a lot to say and tell us. Oh, and boy is he starting to get frustrated (and so am I) because he isn't understood.

Just use the English language Joseph, you can do it, I know you can....He understands most everything that is said to him. And I know it is all up there...in that brain of his...it just needs to come out of his mouth :) .

I am not one of those moms

Who has those perfect children...who get along 24/7 and love each other every second of the day. No, I am the mom who's children one second will be laughing together and the next one is screaming at the other one. They know how to push each other's buttons and they do it quite often.

Who has the perfect relationship with her children. I wish and pray all the time that I will learn to control my temper...but I tend to yell when I get upset with my children. I do my best to let them know (especially Clara since she is old enough to understand) that it is their action or behavior that I am not happy with...not them.

Who has the perfect relationship with her husband. After a day of listening to nothing but screaming, whining, crying, I am tired. And my husband usually gets the worst of it. They say that we hurt the ones we love...I must really love him...but he puts up with a lot from me. I do really love him.

Busch Gardens Christmas town 2013

Who has the perfect house. We have crumbs on the floor, dishes in the sink, toys scattered about, toothpaste on the vanity, laundry piles (whether clean or dirty) lying around. I do my best to spend quality time with my children...after spending that quality time with my children, I am tired. I do my best to keep up. (and seriously what is more important...a spotlessly clean house or making memories with your children that will last a lifetime.)

Who will remember everything. I forget to return phone calls, to send emails, to go to doctor appointments. Yes, I got that bad...I forgot to take Clara to one of her doctor appointments. I do my best to write things down...remembering to write it down, I often forget that part.

Who has the perfect looking children...who's hair is up in the perfect ponytail, who is wearing clothes that match. My girl has her own style these days when it comes to her outfits. But that is what makes Clara Clara, she is a free spirit. And I like that. And she is beautiful, her eyes are brown, her lashes are thick, her cheeks are rosy...and she is imaginative, smart, funny, strong willed...beautiful inside and out.

I am not strong, I am weak. I can't keep my eyes open in the afternoons, I'm tired. I am not one of those moms who enjoys being a stay at home mom. I am doing my best to raise my children to be great children and in the end great adults. I love my children, I really do. That is what is most important...loving them and showing (and telling) them how much I love them. That means...there will be crumbs...there will be piles...but there will be laughing and smiling and hugs and love all around.

Don't feel sorry for me, I am not complaining (well maybe a little), but this is real life. And life ain't perfect...it is okay to admit and make public. We all have flaws.

My kids are the best and the love I feel for them cannot be described or kept bottled up. I really could kiss them and hug them all day. And eat them up!

Joseph 15 months

Clara turns 5!

Isn't he just the cutest?!

I could just eat him up :)

(This was when he would do this thing with his lips, sticking out his bottom lip and "sucking" on his top lip. After this photo was taken, he stopped doing it.)

He has come a long way

He may not be talking to us to communicate but he certain does communicate with us. He points at what he wants and goes "uh." He now shakes and nods his head when asked yes and no questions. Oh and he knows "all done" in baby sign language (however, he rarely uses it...he also masters skills, does them a few times and then moves on to mastering more). So it is fun starting to have "conversations" with him.

He also understands "time to go upstairs to bed/nap." When said, he turns to the stairs and starts to climb. If asked where his blankie and Juppy (Joseph's puppy) are: he will go find them. So besides starting to "talk" he is starting to listen and respond to what we say in ways that show us he understands what we are saying to him.

Joseph's first word...maybe, possibly, kind of, sort of....

Mike and I are not used to a nontalking baby at this age. At this age, Clara was speaking two word phrases and asking simple questions like "where's Bear?" Joseph has yet to really talk.

Very early on he started saying all the consonant sounds (baa, gaa, mama, dada, t, and even l). And he would just babble and babble all day. But no words. When Clara was nine months, she very clearly spoke her first word "Daddy." Joseph says "dada" and even "mama" but doesn't mean anything behind it. I don't count those as his first words.

But the other day, he picked up the book "I Touch" and brought it to me to read. Open to first page and it is a picture of a ball. I say "ball" very clearly. He says "ball" back (but lacked the "L" sound at the end). So I repeat ball and he repeats his version of ball. He turns the page and we come to "water." I proceed to say "water" and he, in his own version says "wawer" (lack of "T" sound).

I was starting to wonder if his hearing was off but I think this clearly shows it is not. He heard how I said the words and he repeated them as a 1 year old would say them. So I guess he really has said his first words.

Only thing, it also sounds like he has said "daddy" (but with no meaning really behind it). I am so trying to get him to say "mommy" (with meaning) so I can have a child say and use that word first (before the word "daddy.")

A first...the birds and the bees

Had my first real experience with the birds and the bees subject this morning. Clara asked me how babies get inside mommies' tummies. I started with well....

Then she went on to say "Adin Sousa at school says that they cut mommies' tummies to put the babies inside."

I said, "well they don't cut mommies' tummies." Then I proceeded to start explaining that mommies' have eggs inside them and I started to give an illustration using birds and how their babies hatch out of eggs. But then she moved on and was no longer interested in hearing anymore.

But had she wanted to listen more, I would not have said that human babies hatch out of eggs (and plus she knows that is not true, I wouldn't want her to think I tell her lies), I would have explained in terms she understands that a woman's egg is inside our bodies and a man is needed to fertilize the egg. And then the baby starts to grow.

A first anyway whether the whole subject was explained or not. Even a first with the simple fact that, she heard info from a kid at school. I can really see where some parents are coming from when they feel very strongly about teaching their kids sex education. I don't know if I exactly want my child to believe a woman's tummy is cut and then a baby is put inside. Of course, I am not going to sit down and teach my 5 year old all about the birds and the bees right now but I also don't want her hearing the incorrect information from kids at school.

This is also just funny...how these questions/subjects just start to happen and come up in a child's life.