Beautiful Calling

Photo Credit

I cried as I read a story by Michelle Lyn from A life surrendered. Then I cried as I read this:

Though I struggle, it’s not about release from the struggle, but allowing Him to change me through it.

Though I fail, it’s not about the mistakes I’ve made, but what He’s done to redeem me of them.

Though I’m faulted, it’s not about my weakness, but His strength made perfect in it.

Though I lack, it’s not about my inadequacy, but His adequacy.

Though I’m flawed, it’s not about being perfect, but allowing Him to perfect me.

Though I fall, it’s not about my failures, but his accomplishment on the cross, and that He meant it when He declared, “It is finished.”

~ Motherhood Redeemed Part 1 at One September Day

Is this not the most incredible reminder? I needed this today. Because I’m feeling like a failure today. Because I need to remember my life isn’t about me at all. It’s about Him. Sometimes I forget that.

In my life, Lord, be Glorified today!

Physio and occupational therapy have been a part of our lives from the very beginning. June 2012 Isaac turned one year and it was time to set our therapy goal for the year. Our goal seemed lofty: Isaac to be able to sit by his second birthday. At the time, Isaac was just rolling over and had mastered relatively good neck control so imagining the time when he would be able to sit seemed far off indeed.

Well the past year has been filled with hard work, fun play and lots of progress but as the months ticked by, it felt like we weren’t getting any closer to our goal of sitting.

At 20 months, while he was able to do a little army crawl and get around the house like crazy but core strength to hold himself upright? No way.

Well, last month his core strength improved by leaps and bounds and over a few more weeks, he was sitting up with propping and then on his own. It started as a few minutes and last week, he sat up for a whole hour during his speech/OT appointment.

Isaac, my big little Isaac, you are the sweetest, happiest, most determined little boy. You will be 2 years old in two weeks and my wonderful boy, you did it!!! You’re sitting – You are Sitting!!!

So hot…quite hot…with some rain. Interesting.

Praying for good weather while at Disney World but regardless, *God Reigns and the Son still Shines*!

Only 2 more sleeps until we leave…

• {*dad saw that quote that on a sign somewhere}

Last year we build the back yard playground and this year, we’re still finishing it up. This year, we’ve built the frame and have been busy hauling the chips in to fill it. I really wanted to put some nice woodchips around the area but didn’t want to pay an absolute fortune.

Did you know that often the county has a stockpile of woodchips from chipping up trees etc. that they have had to move for whatever reason? I simply contacted the municipality and they pointed me in the right direction.

But more about that later.

Tonight? I’m packing for Disney World! Just a few more sleeps to go and I’m not sure who is more excited. The tots or mama.

I’ll see you next month!

Hosanna; Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord ~ Mark 11:9

Good Friday is such a bittersweet day. The day we remember His death at the cross. The day He may very well have been thinking ‘better me than you’.

There’s a song reminds us that He could have called ten thousand angels. It amazes and humbles me that He chose not to.

                       He chose death. He chose me.

Easter Sunday. Resurrection Sunday. An empty tomb that means all the world to me. How incredible.

      He lives! Up from the grave He arose.

            He has victory.

                          We have Victory. Victory in Jesus!

Redeemed by the blood of the Lamb!

• Chloe copied out a verse we had on the chalk board a few weeks back. I meant to post it for Palm Sunday but you know how life goes. Happy Easter my friends!
• At the Cross, Victory in Jesus

The tots got a magazine from McDonalds a while back that had a pop bottle birdhouse craft in it. Since moving here last spring and hanging up our first ever feeder, our family has become bird watchers. The tots love, love, love watching the birds come to the feeder and trying to identify them. But Chloe has been becoming increasingly concerned about a place for the birds to live so the timing for this craft couldn’t have been better.

The past several weeks have been spent collecting materials. Every time we went for a walk, the tots filled the basket of the stroller with sticks, pine cones and bark. Each time Chloe went out bike riding, her basket came home filled with supplies. John wandered through the bushes finding just the right sticks. Our porch has been overflowing with bark, sticks and pinecones so I was definitely ready to get this craft done!!

Since DH has a love of McDonalds and that is where this pamphlet came from, I foisted this craft off on him  allowed him the opportunity to do this craft with them.

Because of the weight of the sticks and bark, we ended up using a hot glue gun. It was very effective however because of that, it ended up being more of an adult-assembled craft. Despite that, the children are very, very pleased with their craft.

Daddy, directed by John, climbed the ladder and hung the houses in just the right spots. Now we’re just waiting for a few of our feathered friends to move in.

My tots love baking. Mommy The tots love to eat said baking. Isaac is particularly in love with watching the mixer spin around and around.

Baking with littles is fun, time-consuming and messy.

It’s also worth it.

{did I mention it was messy?}

Side note: The messy kitchen? That wasn’t actually from the Whoopie Pie baking day, that was from the day we made banana bread. But I needed a messy kitchen picture to prove my point.

Do you let your tots lick the mixers? That was my favorite part of baking when I was a kid!

A few years back we discovered Lysol No Touch Soap Dispensers and I fell in love. Actually, I think our first one was a sample we got at Walmart. I remember thinking it was sort of a useless idea. Until I tried it. Now it is a kitchen staple! There are many varieties of soap you can get for them and my favorite is Vanilla and Brown Sugar! The soap actually lasts a long time, as do the batteries. And trust me, once you have tried this ‘no touch thing’ – you won’t want to go back!

Since I was already a HUGE fan of Lysol’s No Touch Dispenser, I was delighted to be able to participate in spreading the news about Lysol’s Decorate Your Hand Soap Dispenser Contest.

Simply head over to their Facebook Page and like it. There you will find the information about how to decorate your dispenser, including all the rules. Note that you can not decorate it with anything that is trademarked so be careful about what stickers you add if that’s the route you go. Starting on March 19th they will be choosing one dispenser for each of the 21 days. There are 21 Mini Tablets to be won ($329 value!).

On their Facebook page you will also find a coupon so if you don’t own a dispenser to decorate, you can save a little on your purchase. There is no purchase required to enter the contest so Lysol also offers a PDF paper copy for you to download and decorate so you can enter the contest that way too. I think that is pretty neat!

Since it is spring around these parts, we made ours a pocketful of posies. We used green paint for the body, glue, construction paper flowers and pipe cleaners for the stems. When we painted it, we put some tape over top of the sensor area so it would still be fully functioning when we were finished. If only I had thought through our paint selection a little better. Chloe (6) and John (4) always paint with a washable paint so I dug it out and away we went. It was only afterwards that I realized if we plan to wash our hands with soap and water, we’re going to have an issue with paint washing off due to water splatter. Ah well, lesson learned.

So what are you waiting for? Head over to Lysol’s Facebook Page and snag your coupon and go get your dispenser {or print out the PDF) then get decorating!

• #LysolHandSoapContest
• “Disclosure – I am participating in the Kid Who Touches Everything blog tour by Mom Central Canada on behalf of Lysol. I received compensation as a thank you for participating and for sharing my honest opinion. The opinions on this blog are my own.”

My little tots had photos done the other day. KS Photography did a beautiful job on the photos. I’m so happy with them. My goal for our photos was everyone looking happy – direction wasn’t so important.

{Chloe 6 ~ John 4 ~ Isaac 21 months}

I’d say met our goal. Everyone looks happy and cute. The top left photo of Isaac being squished by by Chloe and held by John – it’s a good capture of my tots.

But my absolute favorite picture of the whole session is this one; funny, happy Isaac in a basket holding that crazy carrot that he fell in love with. I love his smile, his teeth, his sparkly eyes…{and the well-behaved bunny right beside the basket!}

It’s been a few weeks since I had the opportunity to go to the Mom Heart Conference. I’m still processing, working through and implementing the things I heard and learned. I’m a slow processor.

Something that I came home from the conference mulling over was about my ‘children’s emotional cup’.

Now let me start by saying, I am a good mama. I love on my children; I snuggle them, hug them, tell them I love them. I feed them, clothe them, read to them, and write them love notes {and then read said notes to them since they’re too young to read!}. We go to the park and I push them on the swings, we bike ride, play board games and fly kites. We bake cookies and eat those cookies {yum!}.

I know all of the above things are filling their little emotional cups with good things; thoughts of love, feelings of security, knowledge that we are a family who does life together.

But the more I thought about our days, the more I realized that I was missing something. I don’t play with them the way they need me to play with them. This was {sadly} confirmed when I said to them, “mama wants to make a play date with each of you. John, right now mama is going to feed the baby then I’m coming downstairs to play with you. Go get ready! Chloe, you can play with the baby in his room until dinner while mama plays with John. Tomorrow afternoon you and I will have a date too.” 

Then Chloe said to me, “mama, I’m so excited. You are always too busy to play with us. I can’t wait!”. John didn’t say anything but he smiled like I had given him the moon and stars. Then he darted down the stairs and got all his army men into position, and waited patiently for me to join him.

My heart was saddened to hear that Chloe (6) thinks I am too busy to play with them during the day. I know this isn’t really true because I’m careful to limit computer time and even limit housework during the day so that I’m free to go for walks, bake, go to the park and read stories all day long. But my tots are lacking  ‘mommy playing with me one-on-one on the floor with my toys with me’. That half an hour I spent playing army men or Barbie/ponies one-on-one yesterday really made a huge impact on them. This mama is planning to incorporate that on a regular basis. I actually wrote it in my planner to try and do weekly so I don’t forget.

Every person is so different. We all interpret love in different ways. My tots and I are doing things {chores/reading/walks/the park} together all day long. I never would have imagined that my tots felt I was too busy to play with them because I didn’t get down on the floor one on one with them occasionally.

Is there something that you’re missing about your tot today?

{And on a side note – I stink at playing Army Men. On my Facebook page today I’m asking for ideas!}