The Alphabet Quiz

Something fun... and you might learn something new about your daughter, sister, or friend...

Alphabet Quiz
_
A. Attached or Single? Attached.
_
B. Best friend? Alison Ashley
_
C. Cake or pie? Chocolate cake... yum...
_
D. Day of choice? Friday!!!

_
E. Essential item/items? A Sharpie marker and wet wipes

_
F. Favorite color? Red

_
G. Gummy bears or worms? too sweet, i crave salty
_
H. Hometown? St. Petersburg, Florida
_
I. Favourite indulgence? Enchiladas Veracruz from Cantina Loredo
_
J. January or July? July
_
K. Kids? 1 - Austin
_
L. Life isn’t complete without? dreams... hopes... wishes:) and out loud laughter!
_
M. Marriage date? August 2
_
N. Number of brothers and sisters? One sister (Jenny) and one brother (Adam)
_
O. Oranges or apples? Oranges - I'm from Florida
_
P. Phobias? Heights and fairs - I think fairs are creepy, isn't that weird!
_
Q. Quotes? There isn't anyone you can't love once you know his or her story - Mr. Rogers

__
R. Reasons to smile? Orange Sherbet
_
S. Season of choice? Autumn and it's here!!
_
T. Travel Dreams? Greece
_
U. Unknown fact about me? I think I might have double jointed toes
_
V. Vegetable? Corn
_
W. Worst habit? Coca Cola! I love Coca Cola!
_
X. X-ray or ultrasound? I don't think I've ever had an x-ray, but have had an ultrasound...
_
Y. Your favourite food and restaurant? see above... Enchiladas Veracruz at Cantina Laredo
_
Z. Zodiac sign? Sagittarius- but I don't fit any Sagittarius descriptions:)

Now it's your turn! I want to know you from A-Z! Have fun!

Mommy's Photo Shoot!

I blog in mass amounts, can you tell?
Weeks can go by and I haven't written anything and then all of a sudden, four new posts. This is because all conditions must be write for me to post.

1) I need new pictures
2) I need to have something to say
3) the camera needs to be in my possession instead of the trunk of my car
4) Austin needs to be napping
5) the house needs to be clean (ha, ha, that is making me laugh out loud!)

Anyway, these pictures have been sitting on my camera and I wanted to share a story.

I don't know if it is the metabolism of a 30 year old... I don't know if it is the stress of a PhD... I don't know if it is just the fact that I love food... but none of my clothes fit right now. I decided that the time was right to change things, so I have been going to the gym several days a week and trying my best to eat right. After all, who has money to buy a new winter wardrobe??? As I see it, due to Texas heat, I still have a month or a month and a half before I even need to open my tubs of winter clothes, so I am hitting the gym.

The other day, Austin asked me if he could have a lesson on using the camera. How could I resist? I am the mother of a one and only son, this child can have anything he asks for :) (not really!) So, I taught him how to take pictures and here they are. A photo shoot just for mommy.

He stood back, looked at the camera after taking these pictures and said,
"Mmmm... you are beautiful, mum!"

What did you say, Austin? Did you just say the word beautiful?

"Yeah, mum, BEAUTIFUL!"

Forget the gym, I'm eating those bbq chips I hid away and wearing sweats all winter! My son says i'm beautiful:) How cute!

God's Still Working on Me!

God's still working on me
To make me what I ought to be
It took Him just a week to make the moon and the stars
the sun and the earth
and Jupiter and Mars

How loving and patient He must be
'cause He's still working on me!

That song was one of my all time favorite childhood songs to sing, and I love teaching it Austin now. When I saw him wearing this construction hat the other day, the song kept replaying in my mind. I am so thankful that God is still working on me and my family!

Happy Birthday, dear Truxton

The Birthday Parties have begun!

"This is the day that the Lord has made. Let us rejoice and be glad in it!"

Some days are easier to "be glad" than others! I love birthdays. Absolutely LOVE birthdays! I believe that the entire month should be spent celebrating a person's birthday - especially mine:) After having been through the experience of birth, I now take birthdays even more seriously. There needs to be cake - a big cake! There needs to be presents... and there should be a party to celebrate that precious life that God has created and sustained.

So, when we received two birthday invitations for this weekend, I was thrilled! I know my limitations and my son's limitations, however, so we only said Yes to one of the parties!

Below are some pictures of Austin at Denton's version of a bounce house party place.

We were surrounded by bounce houses, bounce slides, bounce fire houses, bounce pirate ships, etc. etc., and Austin decided he wanted to ride a tractor for the first hour of the party!

Austin on a tractor

Hour 2 of the party, Austin finally decides to try a bounce house - look at the pride on his face for conquering his fears! Good job, buddy!

Singing Happy Birthday to Truxton

Drinking juice and wearing that precious party hat!

When we got home, I asked Austin to tell his daddy about the party. This video shows his response!

"for He who promised..."

When I was in college, I came across Hebrews 10:23... "Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful."

He is faithful. When I am faithless, he is faithful.

This morning I have been thinking about something that makes me sad - it doesn't matter really what it is, we all have those things from our past and present. Those situations that we just don't understand and every time we think about it, we just feel sad. We wonder why things turned out the way they did... etc... why we lost that friend... Well, you understand.

Today is going to be a fun and busy day, and I really don't have time to sulk, so I decided to think about all the things that make me "oh, SO happy."

First of all, there is my boy.

and then there are simple things like bulletin boards. This is a picture of one of my sweet students, Kati, but I want you to look in the back. This week, I have been putting up a new bulletin board. The other teachers tell me that I change my bulletin boards too much. I do. But, how can I refuse... I am a teacher through and through and just walking through a teacher supply store gives me oodles of new ideas for bulleting boards.

Anyway, with the weather changing, I really wanted an autumn bulletin board. I asked my coteacher... "Is there a Bible verse that talks about autumn?"

Now, back to this morning... this post is so jumbled!
Feeling sulky, I decided to go to Bible Gateway.com to look up some verses to claim today. There was a verse written across the bottom of the page - the verse of the day.

“Be glad, O people of Zion, rejoice in the LORD your God, for he has given you the autumn rains in righteousness. He sends you abundant showers, both autumn and spring rains, as before.”- Joel 2:23

Oh, he does bring the autumn! and he does bring the showers! The rain comes from him, and I can choose to look at it as an abundant opportunity or a reason to sulk. Today, I choose the opportunity.

Praying for your child's class

This is just an idea that I wanted to share in case anyone else wants to use it.
This is one way that you can pray for your child's class with him.

I asked the teachers for permission to take pictures of each student in Austin's class.
Then, I printed them and put them in a cute little album that I bought at Michael's for about $5. It is a little styrofoam album that he decorated himself.

Then, every night we talk about his day and then flip through the book and pick one person for Austin to pray for. He loves looking through the album at his friends and practicing saying their names.

Have I told you lately that I love Austin's school?

and so does he:)

Austin's friend, Truxton

Logan

Did I mention this is a class full of 2-3 year old boys?

Not at all Egocentric...

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.
Philippians 2:3

Here are just some examples of our recent conversations at home...

me: Who does Mommy love?
Austin: (screaming) AUSTIN!
he signs for more...
me: Who does Granny love?
Austin: AUSTIN!
me: Who does Daddy love?
Austin: AUSTIN!
still signing for more
I go through all Aunts and Uncles, cousins and grandparents
he still signs for more

me: Everybody, sweetie, Everybody loves Austin!
Austin: smiles and lays his head down for nap time.

WE all want to know we are loved, don't we!

I have been working with Austin on the letters in his name. This was our conversation today.

Can you tell me the letters in your name, Austin?

A-U-S-T-U-V-W-X-Y-Z!!! and then he screams AUSTIN!

Well, that was a good try... let's look at the letters and try again...

A-U-S-T-I-N-Z!!! AUSTIN!!!

That was great, AJ, but there is no Z on the end of your name. Do you want to try again?

A-U-S-T-I-N!! AUSTIN!!!

Very good, buddy, that's your name!

Over an hour later, we were reading a book together called "Fun Farm."

Before I opened the book, I asked Austin if he saw any letters on the cover that he knew.

F-U-N F-A-R-M (he screamed!)

Do you know what that says, sweetie?

AUSTIN!!! (he screamed!)

Oh, well

"Lord, it is so easy to think that this world revolves around us! At the age of two, Austin already knows that he wants to be loved and he wants to talk about Austin! Please help him to come to an understand at a very young age that our lives revolve around YOU and YOUR GLORY. I ask that you would give Austin great sympathy and compassion for those around him, even in his little two year old class. I pray that you would help me to model a life lived for others rather than for myself."

Thoughts from a Preschool Teacher...

Psalm 127:3
Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.


Our class learning the i sound for "itchy"How could I not love teaching?

Painting with egg yolks after reading green eggs and ham
short e sound

Last week, we were studying the short u sound - umbrella!

As I have been reading all my friends blogs lately, I have realized that many are sending their children away to preschool (many for the first time). I wanted to share some thoughts that might help both parents and teachers alike!

Please pack a change of clothes... One of my requests as a preschool teacher is that parents always pack a change of clothes in their child's book bag. You would be amazed at the responses I receive. My precious has never had an accident in her life. Little prince hasn't had an accident in over two years... I am so excited for princess and little prince. You would be amazed, however, at the number of children who don't want to come in from the playground in order to take a potty break and end up having their first accident in twelve years. Sometimes, we just need a change of clothes because there are 11 other children in the room, someone spills their juice at snack, it lands in your child's lap, and they don't want to be wet for the rest of the day.

I love what I do, and I would love to talk to you about it! I would love for you to ask me for my email address, phone number, etc. so that we can talk about school. I am a preschool teacher because I absolutely LOVE hanging out with your child all day. Typically, however, the beginning and end of school are the most hectic times of day and it is difficult for me to talk while I have 12 children jumping off tables in the back of the room.

I am putting this in here because I am not only a teacher, I am the mother of a preschooler and need to hear it... the most important one today...

Please try not to take things personally! Personal story, the other day when I picked up Austin, the teacher told me, "he startled me during nap time he was farting so loudly." Instead of laughing with the teacher and say, "That's my boy! He takes after his dad!" I started worrying the whole way home... Do I not feed Austin appropriately? Does she think that our family has bad manners? How can I teach Austin not to fart during a nap? Do I need to change his entire diet? I was taking it so personally. It is not personal!!!

I hope that this helps a little. I will try to add other "teacher tips" in days to come!

Happy Thoughts!

I haven't updated my blog in several days. I have oodles of pictures just sitting on my camera - but my camera is in my car, and I am in bed. Yes, bed! On Saturday, I came down with a fever and today I am still in bed. I can't talk! I have completely lost my voice...

Yesterday, I was so frustrated with feeling rotten, that I walked into the kitchen with tears rolling down my cheeks. Austin (who was attempting to open the refrigerator doors by himself) looked up at me and saw my tears. I squatted down so I was at face level and he said,
"mama, don't cry!" Be SO Happy!"

I think that he has overheard me tell the story several times that my favorite words of his are "I'm so Happy!"

So, today as I lay in bed, I can't talk, but I can write - and write I will, and I will think about all the reasons that I have to be SO Happy! After all, I have a little one listening to everything that I say!

So, here are some of my favorite pictures of all time. We were living in a tiny (900 sq. ft) apartment. I had my couch pushed in front of the fireplace so we would actually have room to move (breaking ALL decorating rules), but we were having so much fun.

How can you not love a baby dressed up as a dog!

Enjoy, and today make the decision to be Oh, SO happy!

Can you tell I'm procrastinating?

So, I need to work on my paper, but Austin and I just had another funny conversation.

I am working on a paper about Soren Kierkegaard. Austin just saw a picture of him on my computer and said, "Who's that, mum?"

"His name is Soren, Austin."

"Oh, cool mum! Hi Swimmin" (as he waved to my computer!)

Watch out Michael Phelps - my son has a one track mind!

I am SO happy!

A few of our favorite things.

This is a typical conversation at our house these days...

"Austin, will you put your school bus away?"

"Yeah, mum"

"Did you mean to say, Yes, m'am?"

"Yeah, mum"

We have no idea where he picked it up, but he always says "yeah, mum" and "no, mum." It actually makes us laugh now when we hear it, and it has become one of my favorite quirks about Austin.

While he definitely has his moments of frustration, anger, etc., Austin is typically just a happy, laid back child. The other day, he was throwing a fit because I buckled his seat belt for him (instead of letting him do it himself!) I was trying to get going instead of waiting the 20 minutes that it takes him to figure out his seatbelt and buckle it... (you understand)

Anyway, he was crying and crying in the backseat and I was trying to distract him.

"Austin, would you like a granola bar?"
"Yeah, mum."
"Did you mean to say, yes m'am?"
"Yeah, mum."

A few minutes later I turned around in my seat to see how Austin was doing. He looked at me with all seriousness and said.

"I am SO happy, mum!"

What priceless words to hear from your two year old.

A Bible Lesson

These pictures are upside down and hard to see, but I have a paper due tomorrow on Soren Kierkegaard, so I am trying to post more quickly than normal!

On Sunday, Austin and I were spending some time talking about Bible stories when we had a very cute moment.

We started by working through a sticker book about the story of Jonah. We talked about how Jonah had to go into the water when he didn't listen to God.

Austin loved the pictures and story so much that he wanted to do another story when we were done. I quickly turned to the story of David and Goliath and started explaining to Austin that David went out to fight Goliath. Austin, holding the sticker of David started saying....

"No, mama! No, mama!"

I replied, "What Austin, you don't want David to fight Goliath?"

No, mama! Austin cried! He wants to go swimming!

So, that is how David ended up in the ocean with Jonah!