Simple Pleasures

It has been nice and warm here in Texas and we were lucky enough to enjoy a warm winter rain the other day.  The kids and I had so much fun splashing around in it.  I took a little video while trying not to get the camera too wet!

Peeping Toms

The awful nap time "incident" has changed things forever around the house.  We went back to putting on onesies under the kids' outfits - they have yet to figure out how to rip these off.  As the paranoia set in, we considered covert ops for surveillance, complete with infrared cameras we could operate from the computer.  However, times are tough so we had to get creative.  

Enter the era of the reverse peephole.  Now we can spy on them from the outside looking in without ever entering the room.  Grandpa Glass thought of this genius idea, effortlessly installed the peephole and coined Mari as the "peeping mom." 

Apparently this spying thing runs in the family because we've seen evidence of little proteges popping up all over the place. 

Cohen & Noah Doing Backyard Surveillance

Undercover Ops For HOA Compliance

Noah Works On His Agility Training

Sophia's Puppy Dog Stakeout

Finn Screens The Living Room

And apparently we need to heighten surveillance on Jazmyn since she devoured Mari's Valentine chocolates without leaving a trace of evidence behind!

Hallelujah!

There is a bible verse that I often repeat over and over to myself which is more of a coaching mechanism for me than an act of worship.  "In everything give thanks for this is the will of God..." (1 Thessalonians 5:18).   That's a hard one to remember at times but we truly have a lot to be thankful for so I thought I'd list our top 3 hallelujah moments of the week:

3. 3 Hour Naps!

We changed the schedule up so the kids only have one nap a day. This has been tough to keep them occupied with minimal meltdowns for the longer wake time stretches but a 3 hour nap is well worth it!  I really don't even know how to fill all of that time yet!  

2. Time Outs Are Working!

We've been doing timeouts for months now and they never seemed to sink in.  We put them in the little nook outside our bedroom door and have them sit there until we come back for them a minute or so later. The kids almost thought it was a game or extra attention time that they'd get to have once I returned for them.  Threatening time out was like offering them a cookie, they were all for it! I've seen a dramatic turn around this week where they clearly see that time out isn't any fun and they are starting to stop the behavior with a simple time out warning.  It's amazing to me!  All the persistence is paying off - (well that, or they are finally getting to an age where they can comprehend it - whichever it is, I'll take it!)   

1. Family

Grandma and Grandpa Glass came to visit last week and let us parents have a weekend away in San Antonio.  Oh, how nice to enjoy some time away, if only to appreciate all that we truly miss when it's not right in front of us. Plus, my dad has some work to do in Houston and is staying through the end of this week. It surely is nice to have some extra hands around here - especially when changing up the schedule, thank you, Dad!  

Picnics in the Backyard = No Cleanup, Yippee!

The second broken pot of the week and no one was hurt!

Mr. Clark

Our good friends, The Murrays, need your prayers today. Please pray for their little Clark who is in the hospital and having difficulty breathing.  If you have a moment, hop over to their blog and let them know you are praying for them.  

For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them.
Matthew 18:20

Sure, Finn, Rub it in! Kick me when I'm down!

Mari has been feeling pretty worn out lately and was worried she hasn't been enjoying the little things (see previous post).  During the day, she has always looked forward to nap time for a little peace, to clean up, prepare for the next awake time, and, if there is enough time, catch her breath.  

Skip ahead to today's afternoon naptime....

It is time to wake them up, see those beautiful grins and hear the sweet giggles when you open the door.  A certain smell, though very familiar, waded through the air.  BUT, something is different this time. Today, Finn decides he would like to sleep in the buff and, you guessed it, do a little "poopy painting".  Our little artiste doffed his pants and diaper and painted his body, his face, the crib, the curtains, and the floor with his POOP!!!!  Where do you even begin?! Unfortunately, I was at work (bummer) so my baby was flying solo with the Bleach brigade.  

We have been dreading this day and hoping it would never come.  Thankfully, we have good friends who have forged the way.  McNulty's - the pallet of duct tape is on the way!    

At-Home Workout

People often ask me if I workout. And yes, I do. I sweat my butt off every day. I think I sweat more working from home than I do working out at home. This mom stuff is hard work.  There is no frilly apron or high heeled shoes over here. Most days, I feel like I am in a full-fledge workout - forgetting to put a smile on my face for hours at a time, I just put my head down and do my best to get through the routine. I have over 80 pounds of children that I am lifting, tugging, pushing, pulling all day long. And when they're off to nap, I'm left with a mess which requires a lot of sweeping, scrubbing, folding, lugging...  

How did this childhood dream of being a mom turn into a dreaded home workout?  I've been asking myself this so much recently and I've realized it's my own choice. I am simply forgetting to have fun. Chill out about the mess and just be silly.  Ask God for strength and accept it. Take time out for myself and let the laundry go.  It's a mindset that I have to work at daily (minute by minute at times!) and one that I can control. 

A book that has helped me tremendously to put the silly back in my day is the Toddlers Busy Book.  There are so many fun activities that I would never dream up. For instance, today I turned to a page with an activity called "Trampoline Fun". Basically it said to pull your child's crib mattress into the living room and let them use it as a trampoline.  At first I was like, really? That doesn't seem like a good idea - they'll ruin the mattress.  They'll learn how to jump right out of their crib and then I have a bigger problem.  All of these excuses ran through my head. But then I thought, why not? So I jammed some music and pulled out two crib mattresses and we danced and jumped and did somersaults and wrestling matches. We all laughed and had such a great time and I didn't think one time about how much I was sweating.

For the Lord God is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation.

Isaiah 12:2

Silly Sophia Spots the Camera Lens

Cohen Can't Understand Why Anyone Would Make A Stroller For Just One Baby

The Boys' Nightly Post-Dinner, Pre-Jammies Wrestle-Mania Match

Mercies New Every Morning

Thanks to each of you for responding to our urgent prayer request post yesterday!  Sophia perked up so much this morning. She finally ate a little breakfast and drank some fluids without us having to force it on her. She was playing happily with her brothers this morning and seems to be bouncing back wonderfully.  A big change from yesterday when she wouldn't eat or drink anything and slept the whole time she was at home.  The boys are still well and not showing any signs of feeling sick.  We have a well check for all four of them tomorrow so I'm happy to have the doctor listen to all of their lungs to be sure we're not missing anything.  We are dancing around here praising God for such a dramatic turnaround!  Thanks again for your prayers.

"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is Thy faithfulness."   Lamentations 3:21-23