Big week for H!

It has been quite a big week for our firstborn!
has a new room (no longer sharing with baby bro)
first back to school night
started kindergarten
recited weekly verse in front of the whole school
experienced carpool (way cooler than just our little family)
first soccer game
scored 2 goals in the soccer game...
And tomorrow if our first day of homeschool Kindergarten!
So many fun things for our biggest kid!

silly kiddos on the way to school

Our family getting ready to bring H in for his 1st day!!

Flagged down the ice-cream truck after school for a special treat!

Soccer:

Loving that Daddy is the coach!

H and his best friend E!

 GOAL!!!

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What I didn't expect this week was how hard all of H's firsts would be on Bug.  Once we were in the parking lot leaving school, Bug lost it.  "Why isn't bro coming with us?  I want to stay too!  I want bro to come home with us..."

Her sadness didn't last all too long, when we got home I put B-man down for his nap and Bug and I played dolls for 45 minutes.  Do I dare admit, I have never played 1-on-1 with her for that long!  It was such a treat to just get to focus on her for window of time!

She is now enjoying our new routine and doing quite well with bro gone at school.  Tomorrow is our first day of homeschool for H for Kindergarten, so we will see how well she does sharing my attention with both of her bros : ) 

Though I was dreading the busyness of this season, I am really enjoying the unique blessings of this season more than I expected I would!

busier than I want to be

Life has been a whirlwind the last 3 weeks...
We got home from Alaska
unpacked
did many loads of laundry
did some school supply shopping
was home a total of 4 days
then I flew the coop and went to Utah... all by myself
had a WONDERFUL time in UT with friends and my sister and nieces
came home to my wonderful husband who was thoroughly worn out and had a new appreciation for what I do, and a new resolve that 3 is PLENTY of kids for us!
more prep for school
more prep for my "mom job" at school {i'm the event coordinator for the annual fundraiser... which is only 9 weeks away}
ministry stuff for church
swimming lessons 2-3 times a week
fun hang out time with friends
finally hanging pictures on the walls... getting more settled everyday {though 2 months in we should probably be all of the way settled}
lots of time at the waterpark- 3 times in 1 week...
more school prep
more meetings for school and ministry
scrubbing crayon from my car interior- thanks to my 2 year old
dealing with throw-up... thanks to one kiddos ever so sensitive gag-reflex lots of dishes and messy floors at home
never ending piles of papers and toys
i am feeling tired
i have been so distracted by all that is happening around me that I haven't fully soaked in that my baby starts KINDERGARTEN tomorrow!
I don't want to be so busy with the perifial things in life that I miss out on the importance of big milestones for our family!  As much as I am dreading having a school-aged kiddo, having life dictated by when the school bell rings, school vacation schedules and activities.  I am really excited for all that is in store for H this next year!  I just need to do a better job figuring out how to function in our new stage of life... to not let the necessary busy overwhelm me, and to know what other "busy" we just have to say no to!

Cheers... and some tears, to our new season of life!

ps. so very thankful I get to homeschool him 2 days a week!

Alaska

Last week we had the privilege of going to Alaska to see my mom and step-dad.  We had a great trip, and the biggest take-away for us was how blessed we feel that our kids get to experience such an amazing place!  We always loved our trips to Alaska when we lived in Utah... but now living in crowded suburbia of SoCal, it made us cherish the open space, majestic mountains, quiet waters even more!

If you have never been to Alaska, you really should add it to your "bucket list!"  God's glory is seen all around!

Patience

I need a little more patience in my life!  Especially when we are heading out the door, or it is bedtime!  It seems like I tend to be in a rush for both of these occasions... both of which happen daily... definitely an area I can't be complacent to not change!

I keep thinking about the fact that "LOVE is PATIENT!"  I want to love my husband, my kids, my friends, neighbors and strangers.  Yet, am I showing them patience??

Am I taking the time to really listen to what my child is trying to tell me?
Am I interrupting their story?
Am I listening fully (not letting my mind race a head to a to-do list)?
When milk is spilled or any other little acident happens, am I patient in instructing my little one to clean it up, or am I quickly get frustrated, loosing my cool and raising my voice?
When it is time to get in the car, am I planning for the time it takes to really load 3 little ones (and all their gear) up?  Or am I trying to hurry and rush everyone out the door, scrambling at the last minute?
Am I enjoying the process (especially bed-time), or am I just looking forward to it being done?
Am I making life feel like a crisis because of my impatient responses?
Is the clock or my child's heart more of the guide of my day?

I am by nature not a patient person!  Not at all!   I don't want to tell you my ugly answers to the questions above... so I won't.... but I can tell you that I so desire growth in this area!  And I am going to start praying daily for a patient heart!  A thankful heart that can be patient!

If you need some encouragement on patience, you should read this amazing post from Ann Voskamp.

Playroom ideas

we have a play room, which I love!  Whoo Hoo!  And with a door that closes, which is even better : ) I have been scrounging the lovely internet for ideas of what I want to do in this space.  I want to make it fun for the kids, functional for our storage of kids stuff and a place we can hang out as a family.  Her are some of my favorite ideas from Pintrest.com.

 

i love this growth-chart that I found here

 

And this is the bookshelf we were planning on getting.  Love the baskets, love the map, love it all! 

And I love the idea of a verse being a piece of art in the room... ahh so many great verses, which ones for which rooms.

I love the idea of having a chalkboard in the room.  Love the idea found here for making one!

And an art wall, area... set place to display all of the treasures my kiddos make!

There is not one room in our house that is completely settled... give us 6 months! Haha!  I will post pictures soon of what we have done so far.  But hope you enjoy all of my lusting of completed rooms!  Someday, someday : )

Oh, and I just saw this on one of my favorite blogs... an instant fort!  My kids would love that!

ps. if you don't know what pintrest is... it is the BEST image search on the web! 

Pace of life

Today, we stayed home ALL day, and I had the realization that our pace of a day directly correlates with my patience and perspective.  You see, I have been short on patience lately and my perspective on life has been a bit grim... but we have also had a hurried pace of life... with all of the details surrounding our move.

This week I have been intentional to SLOW down, and man I feel like a new woman!  I spent so much of the day smiling and laughing with the kids.  Even when they needed correction and consequences I was calm, had wise words to say (PTL), and was able to better draw out their heart.  I so wish everyday could be like this.

I know school starting is right around the corner (part-time homeschooling), soccer will be starting for H, Mr. Steady's job is going to be crazy busy in the Fall, we will have new commitments with church, and I have a pretty big event that I am planning.  If I think about that hurried pace it makes me want to stop the clock.  I so very much like/ need/ thrive in this slower pace of life!  I pray that in the next few weeks of calm, that my heart can be prepared for busy.  That rather than dreading it, I pray that we can move forward with great anticipation of what each day will hold.... that busy won't necessarily coorelate with me being stressed and short-fused.

I know it will take some time once Fall is underway, to find our new grove and pace, just like every season change in life takes adjustment. 

a few new conclusions... (for me... lots of you have already had to figure this out)
I have a school-aged child... that means 3 mornings a week we have a set time we have to be out of the house... uggh!
To not regret every school morning, I have to be totally prepared... hmmm, need to figure this one out
That I might will have to say "no" to a lot of things that sound fun to me, but need to know that I can't do everything with everyone.


Can anyone relate??  I know some of you out there think that I am crazy! You like life at a fast pace and you think your kids do well with lots going on... but for me and my kids SLOW is what we do best : )

All american weekend

Last weekend we were able to go and see some of our best friends that live in the Santa Ynez Valley.  We had an AMAZING weekend!  The Santa Ynez Valley feels worlds away from the hustle and bustle of the rest of SoCal.  There are huge open pastures with cows grazing, acres and acres of beautiful vineyards, quaint  main street areas, honestly it is idyllic!  We love it up there!

The weekend was perfectly planned out...
Picnic in the park
Berry picking
Slip-n-slide
Triptip sandwiches... yummy!
S'mores around the campfire
Dressup clothes (for the kids)
Playground craziness
Wine- tasting
Vineyard tours
Peanut butter M&Ms (perfect paring for a Merlot, don't you think)
Running through the grass
Hike through the creek
Tadpole catching
Sweet time with one AMAZING family

 

Good thing last weekend was so fun... we won't be doing much this weekend... I have bronchitis... who gets that in the summer?? Uggh!