I'm Back!

Well, life is starting to slow down. I have been crazy busy preparing for Marigold Festival and then making the 20 orders that came from it. Then, etsy decided it was time to pick up and I had 7 orders come from there. I also took on a second accounting job that I do from home. It's perfect, just not perfect timing. I have to get them caught up from January, so trying to spend time doing that as well. Whew! I am ready to slow down and start enjoying my daughter again. That is why I am a stay at home mom. Two weekends of Spoon River Drive to go and then nothing on the calendar until December! Can't wait!

Jazlyn Pooped in the Potty!

I have been working with Jazlyn on potty training for awhile now. She does really good when she's at home and is naked. She tends to pee in her clothes when she's wearing them. Well, today I had to get groceries and took her with me. When we were in the third store she said she had to go pee. I took her to the bathroom but she didn't go. She really doesn't like using public toilets. We had two more stores to go to so I was sure she would just pee in her pull up. When we got home, I asked her if she had to go pee and she said yes. I took her pull up off and it was dry! I made a huge deal out of it and gave her tons of hugs and smooches. Well, tonight she came to me upstairs and said she had to go poop. I again made a big deal out of it and she sat on the upstairs toilet and didn't poop. I told her she was not to poop on the floor or she would get in trouble. I went back to the kitchen and she said she'd poop here, meaning her pink potty chair. She sat on it but just peed. I told her not to poop on the floor or she would be in trouble. She said "I go in timeout?" I said "Yes, if you poop on the floor you will go in timeout. If you have to poop, poop in the potty." She said "I don't wanna go timeout." So I said "then poop in the potty and not on the floor." We both came downstairs and Doug and I were working on some craft items. Next thing I know, Jazz is hollering from the bathroom saying "I pooped!" We went in there and sure enough, she had pooped in the potty! We danced and laughed and she of course got a sucker. Then she starting singing "I poop, I poop" It was so cute! One step closer to no pull ups and no diapers and more importantly....no more cleaning poop up off the floor!!!

First Day of School

Well, today Austin starts 7th grade and Brandt starts 3rd. They were all smiles when they walked out the door and forgot to wave at us, of course. The morning went really well. I'm sure it won't always be this easy throughout the school year. I pray they have a good year and like their teachers. We'll have to see how Jazlyn adjusts to them gone. I hate to see another school year start, yet am excited for just me and Jazlyn time again. It also means a much quieter and hopefuly cleaner house. It's all part of life. You raise them to become responsible, God honoring adults. I truly hope I'm doing my job and doing it the best I can.

Ready to go?

I needed to go to Hobby Lobby last night. Jazz was being a major momma's girl and wanted to go. I told her to go pick out something to wear while I got ready to go. I came in her room and she had her two piece Gymboree bathing suit on. It's super cute, but not exactly what I had in mind for her to go out in. Once she realized she couldn't go swimming and she couldn't go with me in her swim suit, she let me get her dressed.

Should Probably Start Keeping Jazz Out of the Bathroom When the Boys are pottying

I bought an inflatable turtle for Jazlyn to use in the pool. Austin was so excited to show it to her so he blew it up and brought it into the house. She loves it. She's was riding, or bouncing, it around the house. Then she grabbed the tail that was sticking up with both hands and said "turtle go pee in the potty." I laughed and then told Doug, she probably doesn't need to be watching you guys go to the bathroom anymore.

Conversation while at my mom's

Mom: I was brushing my teeth and Jazlyn wanted to. I told her she had to ask you so she starts yelling "mom!" She's in there brushing her teeth right now.

Me: You didn't put toothpaste on her brush did you? It's actually poisonous and children can actually die if they consume too much.

Mom: (turns and runs for the bathroom)

Austin: And to think she raised three kids.

Me: Yeah! It's amazing I'm alive.

She's just washing her hands!

The other day, Doug used the downstairs bathroom. He came out and I could hear the water running. I asked him if he left the water running and he said no, that Jazlyn was washing her hands. I just gave him a look since he was letting her play in the water, something I don't let her do. A few minutes later, he goes in the bathroom to check on her and just starts laughing out loud. I go in and Jazz is in the sink. She looked at me and said "I play in wattie."

He's Back!

Austin went to church camp this week. He was really excited to go since his cousing Clayton was going with him. Doug had to get up at 5:15 am and take him to the church office. I was really glad it was Doug's day off so I didn't have to get up and get Brandt and Jazlyn up to take him. Jazlyn asked about him everyday. For some reason she thought he went to Kimberly's house. I would tell her Austin will be home in a few days and she would say "Ausie at Auntie Kim's." I have no idea where she got that from but it was so cute!

At Least it wasn't the Floor!

I was sitting on the couch last night watching TV. Brandt was playing with his army men and Jazz was doing whatever. Austin is at kid's camp for the week. Well, I turn to see what exactly Jazzy is doing and see that she has the tiny pink cup from her set of dishes between her legs. Yep! She was peeing in it. I laughed and was like "what are you doing!" She tried to act like she was just playing with it, but when I took it there was pee all over it. I guess I should be thankful that she didn't just pee on the floor!

I don't want a tomboy!

The boys love to build legos and bionicles. The thing is, they have to explain them to me. They show every weapon, every attack they can do, all the missiles on the ship, EVERYTHING!!! I try to listen, but that's just not very interesting to me. So, Austin came and explained three bionicles he built to me. Then, Brandt came and explained 2 he had built. While he was explaining, I was thinking how glad I was that Jazlyn was not a boy. She would like Barbies and what can you explain about them? What they're wearing? That's something I can get into! So, while Brandt was getting his third Bionicle to explain to me, Jazz walks up with one and starts telling me all about it in her two year old gibberish. I did catch Bad Guy at one point but that was about it.

I want a girly girl! Not one that likes cars, mud and bionicles. I think I'm fighting a losing battle. Doug already has her loving Mustangs, big trucks and the Bears. I came upstairs the other day and they are on the bed looking through magazines trying to find Mustangs. When she found one she would pump her fist in the air and say "Mustang!" She absolutely loves Doug truck. Anytime she hears a loud engine she says "daddy's truck!" It's one of her favorite places to play. She also throws her little fist in the air and says "Go Bears" anytime she sees the Bears emblem. She also has two older brothers that she absolutely adores and loves to play with. She already comes in from playing outside dirty from head to toe just like Brandt.

She does have some things I'm thankful for though. Like how much she loves shoes! She is constantly putting on a different pair and walking around in them. She'll wear anybody's. She also loves her "pretties." That's what she calls her bracelets. She'll put them on, of course she then pulls them right off. If she finds a hair bow she'll try to put it in her hair. I love it when she'll come out of her room with a hat on and if I put one on her she'll wear it most of the day.

So, I guess she can take after the men in the house in some areas. After all, she's got three really good ones to look up to. As long as she keeps her other girly qualities, I think I'll be ok.

Garage Sale Bust...Potty Bust

I haven't blogged all week because I've been preparing for a garage sale. But, since the paper messed up our ad, it was basically a bust! Also a bust? Jazzy's potty training today. I kept her in under pants today. I had my large tent up and she is between the side and the rack I had up for my Jazzy Girl stuff. I could totally see her but she is crouched down with her hands over her eyes. I said "Jazzy, what are you doing?" She says "I hidin' " I said "are you pooping?" "no" Yeah, she was. So cute, I guess if she couldn't see me, then I couldn't see her. So, I had to clean out her pants. Then she was inside playing with Emma and peed her pants. I put a new pair on and she peed again. She does great naked, so maybe I should just raise her as a nudist!

It's always cuter through the eyes of a child

Jazzy has been potty training for about a week now. She is doing so good...well, as long as she's naked. If you put a diaper on her, she just pees in it. She does ok sometimes with undies on. Well, now she has diareah. So, I've been keeping a diaper on her after having to clean out under pants with diareah in them twice yesterday. Yeah! Not that fun. Well, when she has diareah, it's pretty noisy. She'll go "I making bubbles!" It's so cute. Of course, I know that I then have to change her...not so cute!

Fearless! Uh! Oh!

The kids and I got invited to going swimming at a friend's parent's house. They have a 24' above ground pool. They had a ton of swim stuff and the boys had a ball! Jazlyn was the one that totally scared me! She was fearless! She didn't want to wear swimmies or a life jacket. I finally got her to put a ring on because it was Dora. She took it off after awhile. She jumped in off the side of the pool to me several times with no hesitation. They have stairs that go in instead of a ladder and she played on those forever! She tried to just walk off of them. She didn't want my help at all. I kept trying to explain to her that she would go under the water, but she's 2! She almost went under once, but it really didn't scare her. They had squirt guns and she had so much fun squirting me and her brothers. I didn't know she could squirt one. Guess I'll have to buy her one to play with. We ended up staying almost 2 hours. I've really wanted a pool, but now I'm a little hesitant. I'd have to be in it constantly to watch her because I know she'd just jump in if left on her own!

Lovin' the Library

Every summer, the library has free programs. We have gone to a few over the last couple of years. This year, Aus and I went to a see a storm chaser. It was pretty dull and we left half way through. Then Wednesday, Aus & I went to a magic show. It was pretty funny. Then yesterday, Austin, Brandt and I went to a fishing workshop. It was outside, and they had a ton of fish they showed to all the kids. They told what they were and a little bit about them and even let the kids touch them. They also had a few frogs and turtles. They had two giant snapping turtles that the kids loved! Austin's favorite thing was when one of the men dropped a fish on his back! Austin and I are excited for Tuesday night because they are having a Murder Mystery night. Maybe we'll solve the crime, you never know!

New Pool for Jazz

I bought a pool at Walmart today for $10 for Jazz. When we went to the park yesterday, she thought we were going swimming since I said we were going to play in the water. I decided she needed a small pool of her own. Austin put her slide in it and she kept sliding down into the water. She also really wanted someone to play with her and was saying "c'mon, play with me" It was so cute. I said no because the water was fresh from the hose and freezing! Doug, of course, ended up in the pool with her :) Kimberly gave us her easy set pool for the boys, but we don't have a pump that fits. The kids are having so much fun playing in it with just a few inches of water in it. They run and jump and slide in it. They played out there today for a couple of hours. Isn't it funny that we spend all this money on amazing toys for our kids, and then they play in a pool that isn't even set up.

A Good Day!

I was sitting at the computer this morning, eating breakfast while I was checking my email. I could hear Doug outside mowing the lawn and the kids upstairs giggling and playing. I knew it was going to be a good day. Tonight we took the kids to the park by the river. They have an area that has a bunch of water jets that squirt out. Kids can run and play in them. Brandt loved it! Austin said he would have loved it if there wouldn't have been so many kids. Jazlyn acted like she wanted to go in, but once Austin got wet with her, she didn't like it at all. We then crossed the street and went to the playground. Jazlyn loved that. It wasn't that big, but that was ok. After that, we finished up the day with Dairy Queen. What a good day with family. I couldn't ask for anything better!

Happy Father's Day

I did not have the best dad growing up. I know that towards the end, he definitely would have done things differently if he could have. I say that to say how thankful I am that my kids have Doug. They fight over who gets to sit by him at restaraunts, they get excited to "play" with him and if given a choice, they would choose him to read a book to them instead of me. This brings me to what happened today. I bought Jazlyn a Dora the Explorer seek and find book. She was sitting at the island today looking at it. She motioned to me to come over and said "come here." I started reading the book with her. Then Doug walked in. She literally pushed me aside and motioned for Doug to come over and said "come here." Then he came over and read with her. At first, I was a little offended. Then, I realized how precious it was. I LOVE that my kids love their dad so much. Even more, I LOVE that he loves them that much! So, I can take a back seat...at least sometimes.

Bedtime Conversation

Brandt is spending the week with mammaw so I've let Austin and Jazz sleep with me the last couple of nights. Here's how last night's conversation went:

Jazlyn: I love you mama

Me: I love you Jazlyn

Jazlyn: I love you Aussie

Austin: I love you Jazlyn

Jazlyn: I love you mama

Me: I love you Jazlyn

Jazlyn: I love you Aussie

Austin: I love you Jazlyn

Jazlyn: I love you mama

Me: I love you Jazlyn

Jazlyn: I love you Aussie

Austin: I love you Jazlyn

Jazlyn: I love you mama

Me: I love you Jazlyn

Jazlyn: I love you Aussie

Austin: I love you Jazlyn, this could go on for awhile

Me: Yeah, I think we're going to have to stop answering her

I Pee!

Jazlyn came up to me and said "I Pee!" No, she hadn't peed on the floor, she needed to go. So I took her to her Dora potty and she sat down and peed about a 1/4 a cup. Austin and I cheered and hugged her. This was the first time she said she had to go and actually did. I rinsed it out while Austin got her a sucker. Then, she sat down and peed again, about a tablespoon this time. She jumped up, screaming "Yeah!" and clapping. So, I rinsed it out again. I came back and she peed again. She did this five times. Finally, I went upstairs to clean the kitchen. I could hear her downstairs telling Austin "I peed! You want to see it? Come on! See it!" Hopefully this will pass soon and she'll simply pee once and be done with it. I'm not complaining though, just super excited that we're making progress!

It's OK to say "no"

I was recently asked to be the children's director at our Pekin Campus that is launching in September. At first, I was like Yeah, I'll probably do it! Then, I really got to thinking about all I do right now. I am a stay at home mom, I run Jazzy Girl Boutique, I do bookeeping for a business and soon to be a second one and I'm treasurer of the PFK at the kids' school. I am also trying to enjoy my kids while they're young. It's so hard when it's church! I want to volunteer! I want to be involved! I want my kids to see me involved! But, I also want them know that it is ok to say no. After sitting back and looking at my life, I realized that this is not the position for me at this time. I can be involved in an area that is not a 10-15 hour a week position. I don't want to miss Jazlyn coming down the stairs with Doug. He's in his softball uniform and she has a pair of socks pulled up past her knees just like him! So I've found a position that is needed, that I'll be good at and that is only a few hours on Sunday. It's so good to serve and be a mom! I wouldn't want to give up either one!

Be Careful What You Wish For!

I have one less child this week. My mom left today after being here over the weekend and took Brandt home with her for the week. Not that I ever wish for less children, but I definitely wish for some quiet at times. This morning they were bouncing off the walls. I swear someone sneaked them all energy drinks. Jesse came over to help Doug do the cam lights in the kitchen, so mom and I took Brandt and Jazz to the store with us. Jazlyn came up to me while I was getting fabric cut at Hobby Lobby and said "bruddie and I runnin." That pretty much summed up the morning. Earlier, Brandt was supposed to be cleaning his room since the attic entrance is in there. I go in to find him and Jazlyn under all the covers on the bed. She sticks her head up and says "bruddie and I hidin" They wouldn't listen and they ran everywhere! At that time, I wished to go back to the Turkey Festival where I didn't deal with kids, just mostly quiet and an occasional customer. I read and got some crafting done. Now, it's back to being a mom. It's weird how different it is with just one less child here. I really miss him. I'm sure if he was here, Austin and him would either be fighting or running around like mad men. I'm going to try to enjoy the madness going forward. Take some deep breaths and smile, because one thing I'm realizing is that this is but a moment. They won't be running around here forever. They'll be running around elsewhere. Today it's with mammaw, tomorrow it'll be their friends and then to start their own life. I don't dread it. It's a good thing. I just want to enjoy now. What do I wish for? The joy of watching and enjoying my children...everyday...no matter if it's a good day or bad.

It'll all be different once SHE has kids!

I had the Tremont Turkey Festival craft show this weekend. While I am sitting there, I keep seeing all these kids walking around with these HUGE blow up swords. They are, of course, hitting each other along with other people. They would also squeeze the handles and it would make a squeaking sound. I was thinking how glad I was that my kids were not coming to the festival. Then, I get a phone call from my mom telling me they all decided to come to the festival. I really didn't think anything about it. So, the boys walked around with Auntie Kim and Joe. They come back about an hour later with, you guessed it, big HUGE swords. One for each of them. I asked where they got them and Kimberly said "it was only $3 apiece for them to play the game and win them." She had a huge smile on her face as she said it like I would be so excited. Within the next 10 minutes I could not tell you how many people they accidently hit with them. They then gave Jazlyn one and she walked over and hit a little girl with it. I was thinking, once Kimberly has kids, she'll realize why I had a grimace on my face while she had a big smile on hers.

A Big First!

I was having a terrible morning today. I woke up at 4 am and couldn't fall back to sleep until almost 6. Then Doug got home a little after 7 and Jazz woke up so I had to get up. Everything kept falling off the shower shelves while I was showering. Annoying! And to top it off, I got the hiccups in the shower and they wouldn't go away until I drank a big glass of water. Ugh! Well, then I asked Jazz if she wanted to take of bath, which of course she did. I had put her in big girl underwear this morning because she had peed through her diaper and I didn't want to put one on her just to take it back off 15 minutes later to put her in the bath. When I took her undies off there was a little bit of poop in it. I asked her if she needed to go poop and she said yes. She started to poop so I told her let's poop in the potty. So, I put her on her potty chair and she sat there and finished pooping! Yeah! Ok, so it was halfway out already, but still! She sat there and finished! Hopefully this is the start of no more diapers!!! Amazing how a little poop can change my day :)

It's All About Winning

Yesterday, I was working on birthday party hats for Tremont Turkey Festival. I use my big cutting machine to cut out the cardstock for the bases. I was having Brandt push the button on the computer to start the machine. Of course, this turned into a competition. The machine was beating me. It would finish cutting one before I had another mat started. My kids, at least my two boys, always want to win. "I ate the first bite" "I got the first drink" "I stepped inside the door first" Anything they can make a competition, they do. Where does this competitiveness come from? Is it just something innate in us? This made me wonder if I'm teaching them to win at the most important race of all. Are they winning for Jesus? They can win at anything on earth and it all be for nothing if they lose the Big Race!

Hebrews 12:1

Therfore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.

When to start blogging?

Is there ever a good time? Maybe while I was on bedrest 2 1/2 years ago. That's probably the only perfect time. Right now, I'm terribly busy, but aren't we all. I have a three day craft show in 3 days. Of course, I'm cramming to get everything done. Why do we wait until the last minute? Last year I said I wasn't going to do this, yet here I am again. This year, my focus has changed. I realize that my kids aren't going to be little forever. They are growing up so fast! My baby turned 2 last week. I can hardly believe it! My other baby is 12. That's even harder to believe. So, I decided, in the midst of everything to start this now. I'm hoping to record a little piece of my family's life. Not only for your sake, but for mine as well.

Well, time to get busy. See you tomorrow...hopefully.