The Men Stick Together

He loves his daddy.

And I love that...

He was making his way out to where Eric is building our new swing set.

Lincoln follows him everywhere. I mean, everywhere.

Me? Jealous? Nah.

It's not like I carried him for 9 months, had swelling in my ankles that could've been in a documentary on Discovery Health, or had major surgery to remove him from my womb.

Ahem.

It's interesting to me that while Lincoln loves me and is attached to me, it seems that he knows Eric is a guy or something. Like there is this unspoken bond. I don't know, I'm new to all that digging in the mud, fixing cars, "man code" thing that is clearly coursing through their veins from a very young age.

It's cute, though. I love my manly men.

Annnyway. We have a handful of excited little girls on our hands about this new swing set. They played in the sprinkler when we weren't at the pool this past weekend while Eric worked on it.

Here's hoping we can finish it soon. And by "we", I mean "Eric" :).

Hope you're all having a great week so far!

(Curls Galore)

Love that girl and all those little curls :).

Unplugged

It's a quiet morning here. The younger kiddos are playing doll house and the little guy is asleep. I am so behind on all things internet that I think my laptop is about to disown me.

None of that matters though.

I hate to admit it, but I've been seeing lately how consumed I can get with so many distractions that are taking time away from my little's. When a 3yr old rushes to bring you your phone because a text or alert just came through, I believe there is an overuse issue.

I felt convicted, and a little embarrassed.

3yr olds have better things to do...

I deleted my Twitter and personal Facebook app on my phone. I left my blog Facebook because, well, it doesn't consume much time and those of you who are there crack me up. For real.

So right now I can only check those personal accounts when I get a chance to open my laptop. I know. It's like being back in the old days.

I had started to wonder what it would be like if I hugged the kids as often as a notification went off on my phone - or if I pulled them close and told them how much I loved them every time I reached for it to check a social network.

I gave it a go, and lets just say that the kids were really confused as to what was happening. They loved it, and I realized how much they needed it. But I think I needed it more.

They get a lot of love, but in todays world, they need all the love and affirmation that they can get at home. The more the better.

I want more time for the kids, more time for writing about our little family, and more time to take pictures...with my actual camera, not my phone.

Not that I won't use any fun networking things, I just need to use it wisely and at appropriate times, you know? If I have to put my hand in my kids face and tell them to wait while I finish an update, it's probably not at a good time.

I never want to forget how Lincoln puts rocks in his little shirt pocket...

 I know it sounds crazy, but you should try it. Every time your phone goes off or you want to check your Facebook feed, hug the kids instead. It is really worth it.

Not to mention the housework. Turns out that it's really not that overwhelming when your face isn't glued to your phone for half of the day.

Like we've all said a million times, they're only little once. They need their mama's attention, and I am determined to give them all that their little hearts need.

I've struggled lately with feeling consumed by them, and feeling like I have nothing to call my own outside these walls. You know, the mommy meltdown. I know some of that came from a lot of distractions. I think when we accept our calling and pour ourselves into His plan that He has set in action, true contentment will follow.

So I'm trying, and I'm needing to find total contentment in His plan for me - and for now, it's with a half dozen kiddos.

All grace. Even the draining times.

So here's to more time squeezing my kids, and less time reading statuses. Sound like a plan?

The Chain Of Events

I put him down...

The worried look sets in...

 

The lips comes out...

 

He confirms to all who will listen that this is the worst moment he's had in 13 months...

 

And then I pick him up and give him whatever his little manly heart desires...

He knows how to work the system. Already.

Oh well, how can I resist that quivering lip??

I Have A Lot Of Feet To Cover...

And I like to cover those sweet toes with the best of the best.

It's been a month since Ella and I flew to the other side of the country to hang out with the folks at Nike. Have I mentioned that we loved every second of it? And that the people and the company and all their products are amazing? I thought so. The video they made of that weekend was SO great to see...
 
Pretty cool, eh?

I have been running for quite some time. And I've been an athlete for even longer than that. In fact, when we walked into the Nike Research Lab I said, "Oh goodness, the smell of the track, I love it.".

It just brings back memories. Good memories. Strong memories.

After we learned so much at Nike about the new Nike Free's, I knew I had to give them a go. I wore them the whole time we were there, and by the end of the trip, I knew they were made for my early morning runs.

Folks, I don't write about things on the 'ol blog unless I'm passionate about it. So hear me when I say that you must try these shoes. They are so light and so flexible, I promise you will thank me - actually, you'll be thanking Nike.

And let me get just a tad girly on you all. The new colors they have out right now are nothing short of fabulous. Mine are so, so bright and I get LOADS of compliments. How great is it that you can have a rockin' pair of running shoes that are super stylish as well?

Train more effectively AND look cute while doing it? Um, yes please. You can find my kicks here.

Our group from that weekend had so many great people...

Ella and I are 3rd from the left :).

Good memories. Great times.

I even put Lincoln in some flexible shoes of his own, and they are hands down the best shoes I've ever had for a new walker. And that says a lot cause I've had a lot of new walkers in my time.

He'll be the star Quarter Back in no time.

So anyway, take my word on these shoes. They are fantastic! Kids Nike FREE Run: If your feet flex, shouldn't your shoes flex too? Must-have flexibility for young feet.

Hope you all had a great weekend!

“Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Nike via Glam Media.  The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Nike”

Boys Are The Opposite Of Girls. It's A Fact.

Sooo...Lincoln broke half of his front tooth off. Yep, cracked that thing right off after he preformed the king of all nose dives.

This boy. Is SO different. Than his sisters.

Today, after he almost knocked himself out by running into the refrigerator, and then insisted on chasing and then picking up bugs outside, I thought I could use a refresher of how different boys are than girls.

And I'm starting to think that the word "different" doesn't even do it justice.

So I went back and read through my field trip experience where I led more than my fair share of 1st grade boys around a museum. It was a good reminder :)...

------------------

I went on a field trip yesterday with Ella's 1st grade class to the Kid's museum. Yep,  with all 26 of them.

I thought if running around the museum wouldn't help labor along, at least the bus rides would. Goodness, I don't think that bus missed one pothole.

Go ahead and add potholes to the list of Things That Make Pregnant Ladies Pee.

I knew the moment I heard Ella and some other little girls singing a cute girly song, while the little boys in the seat behind me were yelling, "my butt is on fire, my butt is on fire!", that I was about to get a close up view at how different the 2 genders are.

(I had to turn and look out the window to try to hide my laughter as the teacher told them to stop yelling that.)

And while you would think it was full of learning about science and solar systems, I got to spend the day with a group of boys who taught me a few things.

1. Boys run, they don't walk. And they don't care about leaving you in the dust even though you're pregnant and waddling.

2. "Get in a straight line" somehow translates to "push each other over and act like you're throwing grenades."

3. While the girls play tea party at the water table, the boys will try to dunk each others heads. Repeatedly.

(note to self - its hard to correct and/or discipline them when you think what they're doing is hilarious as well. Insert parent chaperon fail here.)

4. Pointing at you with the fake gun they made with their hand and making shooting noises is sort of a sign of endearment.

5. They can go to the bathroom alone, unlike the girls in the group who have to go together. And they don't play in front of the mirror while in there. They get their business done, and they get out.

6. At lunch, they just eat. They aren't sitting down to chat with their friends about the 1st half of  their day, they are re-fueling, catching a quick breath, and then moving on. Why chat when you can play?

7. Sweating is just part of who they are, because they never stop moving.

8. They don't really want to ask for help, but when they do, it is so, so sweet.

9. The girls are clearly more interested in them than they are in the girls. They have bigger things on their plates, like saving the universe.

10. Bodily functions are a topic of interest, and apparently are hilarious as well. The more embarrassing, the better.

11. There is no drama with boys like there is with the girls. There is a disagreement, maybe a shove or a "stop it!!!", and then they carry on. It's wonderful.

12.Pregnancy doesn't interest them like it does the little ladies who have a million questions. One little boy summed it up well when he said, "Umm...Ella...I think you're mom is pregnant...or something." I'm pretty sure that was the nice way of saying, "Ella, your mom has put on some weight in the mid-section since the Christmas party."

Goodness, it was a small glimpse at what it's like to spend the day with such rambunctious little spirits.

Made me even more excited to watch our little guy grow.

So what else can you tell me about boys? What else am I in for, friends? :)

They Are...

my handful...

my crew...

my giggle boxes...

my "clean up in aisle 3" offenders...

my entourage...

my little gymnasts...

my reason for saying "don't-make-me-come-up-there"...

my grocery shopping partners...

my reality check...

my challenge to be a better me...

my reason the neighbor kids are always here...

 my shove to seek Him more...

my group that flushes un-flushable things down the toilet...

my gifts...

my reason for sometimes wanting to pull my hair out...

my cuddle bugs...

my joy...

my hardest job...

my wake up call...

my "color on the wall" crew...

my deep breath...

my adventure seekers...

my grace personified...

my sanity...

my sidekicks...

my loves.

And most importantly, they are the ones who call me mama.

Thankful. Blessed. Challenged.

They wear many hats :).

Hope you all had a wonderful Mothers Day!

I'm Hooked

We've been doing this and that...and the other thing.

It has just been a busy week over here. Hubby was out of town for work, soccer games, I cleaned out the storage room and lived to tell about it.

And Lincoln declared this the "boys table"...

Oh and wait, I have become addicted to something on Netflix.

It's true. I am hooked and I'm not ashamed to admit it.

I know that the rest of the world watched Friday Night Lights a few years back - but me? Well, I just started. Sweet mercy, to say I am "a little into it" is like saying "I kind of like Target".

I am not usually a huge TV show person, mainly because I can hardly keep my eyes open if I sit down after the children are in bed. You know, cause all those little feet keep me moving all day long.

But friends, I started watching one night a couple weeks back and I can't look away. I CAN'T.

I am so concerned with how Eric & Tammi are going to make it through the pressure of the football season, and how Tim Riggins is ever going to have a chance in life without parents to guide him, not to mention the fact that Smash just got suspended for 3 games and how on earth are we EVER going to make it to state without him???

You see how I am saying "we" instead of "they"? I might as well move my family to Dillon.

Sorry. Clearly, it's a problem. Talk some sense into me, would ya?

So anyway, I'm off to make some dinner, fold another load of laundry, head out to a soccer game, put my little loves to bed...and then try not to get sucked into watching episode after episode till well after midnight.

I'll let you know how that goes.

Hope you're having a good week!

A Refreshed Bond

She's just like me.

She has my brown eyes and my dark blonde hair. She's also got my stubborn personality and my sensitive heart. We are two of a kind, but it can get rocky, the relationship between Ella and I.

I could feel our relationship changing this past year as she grew, matured, and became more independent. A new stage for her and a new stage for me. That dated picture of her on my sidebar is a vision from the past - now there is a pretty young girl with grown up teeth and her own story to tell.

I can round up a group of toddlers with the best of them, folks - but parent a tender, growing girl? That's been a change for me.

It's that transition from needing me to do things for her, to needing me to just be there for her. To listen about her day, talk about something mean that was said at school, or answer questions about this and that.

You know, when they go from physically demanding to emotionally demanding. It's a new phase for me in my journey of motherhood.

This past year it seemed that the connection between us started to change. The busyness of chasing younger kids out of the bathroom after covering the floor in soap, the potty training, the homework, and trying to tend to everyone's needs - all of that can consume a mothers energy.

Ella started to become more my helper, and less my baby. A bittersweet thing.

I hated it. And I wrestled inside with the changes as she challenged me more and as I tried to control the budding personality from my baby that is now almost a 3rd grader.

Sassiness, she's got it. She's just like me, remember :)?? 

I've learned that you have to push through every new (sometimes rough) season to build the relationship that God wants you to have with your child...

My mom tells me, "She's just feelin' her oats". And she's right, all kids do. They need to know the boundaries. And they need a lot of attention and molding.

Right before we left for Portland I was telling some girlfriends how this trip would be a stretch for me - in a sense, it was going to take me out of my comfort zone. Instead of chasing the youngin's all day, I was going to be alone with a little girl that needed a refreshed connection with her mother.

And somewhere between the flight there and the flight home, a new bond was born.

Between eating pizza in bed, facing unknown territory together, and being somewhere where we only had each other, God opened my eyes.

I saw a little girl that will be turning 18 instead of 8 before I know it. I skipped ahead to a time when she will experience her first heartbreak over a boy, and she will need another night of pizza in bed while we talk and rebuild what was broken. I saw that someday she will fly somewhere to see her friends, be with her man, or pursue a career. He reminded me that these fleeting moments when she is curled up next to me needs to be soaked up as much as possible...

She listens to everything I'm saying, even though she pretends like she's not. She needs my attention and my approval, even though she acts like she doesn't. And she needs me ready and willing to listen, even when she doesn't feel like talking.

She's a sweet, sweet gift. She's caring, loving, adventurous, and has taken on responsibility that is beyond her years.

This raising kids thing is a challenge, there is always a new phase to adjust to. But it's so worth it.

So here's to more mother/daughter dates, nail painting, and time away with my growing girl - even if it's just a walk around the block :).