Happy 9th Chris!

Chris celebrated his birthday quietly in November... well, sort of quietly:/

We had planned to do a family trip to the museum, until a toothache hit Chris the Monday before Thanksgiving :( Last February, he had a really deep cavity filled and I really thought that this pain meant that the tooth was finally infected and ready to go. I brought him into the dental clinic we use that day and they said it had to pulled by an oral surgeon. Chris was laying on the floor in pain (after a dose of pain medicine) as the surgeon told me over the phone he couldn't be seen until January!!

The "mommy" in me went to "momma bear" mode and I started calling around to get something done a little more quickly... like before Thanksgiving. Wisdom and advice from friends led me to a great pediatric dentist who took a LOT more time with us, took better x-rays and sent us to some great people.

Thankfully the "tooth issue" was resolved for a while at the university dental clinic:)

He had another "flare up" this February and was in severe pain for almost a week! Way too long! When we got to our dentist they immediately got a better x-ray that confirmed everyone's minds. Chris needed a root canal. So we're currently in the process of the procedure and he is doing awesome!

But now onto CHRIS....  what a great year he had!!

There was a big difference for us early in the spring... it started with me just being intentional about spending time with him... getting to know him more, sitting to read with him one-on-one and just us learning to "get" each other. Through this process I really began to see that Chris and I are probably a little more similar than sometimes I'd like to think. When we need to tidy our rooms but we'll spend hours in our room looking through old books, finding (and messing) with forgotten treasures... basically everything except cleaning:)  And we're also really good at looking like we're busy when we're really procrastinating on something we really don't want to do... like a math lesson or a work-related email that needs attention:/

Another super part of his year was him stepping out in his growing faith. The first part was being willing to say all the books of the Bible at the end-of-year RA meeting. It wasn't just knowing the books because some of the other boys had worked hard to memorize them as well.... he was willing to do it in front of everyone.

Soon after, during a church invitation he walked forward to make a profession of faith. On June 1st, Chris was baptized by his Grandaddy at our church;) It was a big day... but just another step of this little guy growing up.

When school started in September, Christopher was eager to volunteer for a leadership role in our home school 4-H Club. While he's definitely still growing into the role that he wanted to do, he stepped up!!

Finally, soccer!! The age group Chris was in put him as one of the "older" kids... in fact, he was probably the oldest kid on our team. But he rose to the occasion! He was a tough team player! And he was able to go to the "all star team" (a first for our family)!

It was at the all star game that he learned some perseverance and pushed through to the end. Our team was one of the youngest and those little guys played their heart out in the first game. Honestly, I didn't think Chris really played his best.... it was a team effort but he had some pretty big errors:( The kids had a LONG wait until their 2nd game... long, like 4 hours!

That final game was tough and the kids knew they had already "lost" the tournament.
It went into overtime,
Then a tied shoot out that Chris sat to watch because he wasn't in the first round of goal-makers.
Then "sudden death"... 3 or 4 more players were chosen. The 1st to make a goal, won the game.
They chose Chris to go...

And he made it! And they celebrated!

Chris ran around fir a second and then ran towards the coach... he's literally "in the air" here.

It's been an awesome year, Chris!! We are soo proud of you! All the challenges and ways you've pushed yourself. We've had some beautiful moments when I just get a peek into who God is molding you to be. And then other moments when I remind myself that you're still just a boy... learning, growing, and trying to figure it all out, too!

His favorites:


Color : Orange

Food: Pepperoni Pizza

Treat:  Chocolate Break-Up
Subject: Art
Animal: Siberian Tiger

Do inside: LEGOs
Outside Activity: Explore in the woods & water
Toys: LEGOs
Restaurant: O'Charleys
Book: Star Wars comic books
Movie: Star Wars
TV Show: Wild Kratts, Ben 10 (when allowed)
Interests: Marine life

Goals for his 9th year: Build a LEGO town

When you ask him what he wants to be when he "grows up" he'll respond " a Marine soldier"!

Nate's First Skate (at the rink)

We didn't start skating with the older three until we joined a home school group... so Anna was 6ish;) But Nate, the tag-along, has gotten some earlier exposure:)

It was too much though to see him in skates.

He didn't even go all the way around... but at least he tried:)

And a pretty good attempt for being 2:)

More Wordless Wednesday at  NapTime MomTog, 5 Minutes for Mom,  Mama to 4 Blessings, Go Graham Go

23 Months & Still Learning to Parent with Joy

So I am super late doing this post, but every month since Nate was born I have done a monthly post!! We are just ONE month (well half a month now!) from him turning 2!! And I just hated NOT posting this month!

I'm going with the phrase "better late than never"!

New Tricks

• Steering the Gator and will stop and move it if he feels like he is going to bump into something unless it's a person, then see below in the New Verbage
• Watches everything and tries to copy (see Momma's thoughts)
• No more paci!!! We couldn't find his paci as we left the grandparents' house at Easter. So we quit "cold turkey". At home after 2 days he found another paci, but Momma hid it away when he lost interest after an hour and he's been paci-free for almost a week(minus Sunday when he found it again...LOL)!! It really was too easy... he asked but it was a nice excuse to snuggle;) All 4 kids have had their pacis "taken" by 24 months !! And it's been easy each time. Of course we've had good excuses too... like "lost at Grandmas".
• Can put away silverware... matching the forks, spoons and butter knives

New Verbage

• MOVE! yes, my sweet little man tells us to "moov" when he needs to get by
• Go! he's been repeating that one from a reading lesson
• baby talk phrases  that sound like "I did it!" or "there you go!"
• He's got a few more animal noises down... like the "peeps" of chicks, cow's moo and he tries to do a horse's neigh (momma has a hard time with that one, too)
• He says "hi"... sometimes it means high up on something, other times it means hide:) He usually says "hewwwo" when he means to say hello.
• He's a chatter box... too bad we still don't understand most of it, yet!! I bet it's super exciting and very silly:)

Bad Habits

• I don't like calling his perseverance and problem solving "bad habits" but it sure gets him into plenty of trouble and messes! With maturity, these will be great traits... right now they add chaos :)
• His perseverance often leads to loud calls or cries when he doesn't get what he wants.... yikes, we are working with him "using words" and learning to wait patiently. We try not to give into crying, fussing or yelling for items. It's a lot of correcting and waiting for "nice" requests"! We also realize he is little and this will be something we will have to work on for a while;)
• Prefers Momma to take care of him when she is around. Especially bathing and putting him to bed
• Escapes from bed often, unless Momma sit in bed with him and reads to him, aloud to the kids or her own book.
• Everything thing is "mine!"....  fussing over other sibling's toys/drinks

Momma's Thoughts
We are thick in the consistent discipline and the correcting stage. I had forgotten how time consuming and emotionally draining it can be to have a little one who is in the toddler "me" mindset. Between demanding that everything the other kids (or anyone) has is "mine" or finding creative ways to get stuff he wants, Nate keeps us on our toes!!!

This stage could be one to complain about, but instead (knowing he is a gift) I appreciate having a beautiful, active, loud and usually sweet youngest boy. And I know that stages come and go and these challenging toddler days past by very fast (although it doesn't seem like it during the hard moments).

I"m also thankful for the journey I have been in to parent with grace and joy...

 To enjoy the kids at every stage, every day...  not because it's easy, or they are perfect children or because we are on vacation or Daddy's been home with us (and I have had help or "time to myself").

But because I am their MOM. I have been given this special role to love, train, teach and take care of  these sweet children! Through each season, sickness or tantrum... and I am challenged daily to "mother with grace". Treating them with grace and love like I have been shown by our Heavenly Father.

So as Nate attempts to take another toy(or pencil) from a sibling's hand or refuses to stay in his bed for a nap.... I get to choose to respond gently, kindly, and firmly with grace.

It makes all the difference in my family and parenting when in the middle of a "situation" that my goal isn't that the child needs to obey the first time (although we want them to) or that I feel like my house is crazy (because it probably is)... but the priority is my heart!! And then their little hearts:)

I kind of have a funny story how this looked like the other day...

 We were attempting to get through some home schooling work. I had Chris and Anna at our constantly-wobbly toddler table in the kitchen working on their timed fact sheets... they were being timed using the oven timer... a classic home schooling moment!!

And Nate comes into the kitchen, attempts to take one of their chairs, instead finds the stool, opens a cabinet drawer and goes digging through the drawer looking for something. I'm working with Lydia on an assignment in the dining room and I hear screams from the older two...

Nate is trying to poke them with an adult pair of scissors he got out of the drawer. I go running into the kitchen and scoop up Nate with the scissors so the oldest could finish (I mean really, who knew ONE minute could be soo exciting?). As the timer goes off, I am ready to "fuss"... an almost 2 yr with scissors... in the middle of a timed fact sheet that they really weren't excited about doing anyway... he knows better, right!?!

So instead of "loosing it", I send the older two back to the dining room table to finish the problems they didn't complete and I tell Nate gently( but firmly) that scissors have to stay in the drawer and are for Mommy and Daddy. He fusses at me for putting them away and then starts adamantly pointing to the screws on the corners of the toddler table.

The table is wobbly, the screws are loose and Daddy tightens them with the scissors!! He was trying to help :/

It was then I was thankful for the decision to speak kindly and calmly. The challenge NOT to "loose it" and the grace to not freak out on my kids when they look like they are doing wrong. I am learning these things and want to be willing to listen to them and try to understand them (and their hearts) more and more!!

Because these crazy, chaotic days are going quickly! And it's my choice to embrace (and attempt to enjoy) the chaos or fight it and be grumpy! So that is my heart right now... I'm learning. It's a journey, I pray for patience and wisdom daily and I am blessed to have sweet children who are ready to forgive and that give me plenty of opportunities to practice;) LOL!!

And now when I find this on the counter (done while I attempted to get cleaned up a bit for church)...

I can smile and really appreciate the reason... he is trying to help! I can thank him and we can clean up the "extras" together;)

Submitting the 1st picture to

 Shoot.Edit.Submit.,  Give Me Your Best Shot!!

17 Months

This weekend marked Nate's 17 month!! I was soo busy keeping him clean, safe and fed that I neglected to post about his being 17 months;)

He's the same as last month...

only faster

climbing higher... climbed on the top bunk bed last weekend!

lots of smiles

more opinionated... knows what he wants... when he wants it

pulling my hand harder to lead me where he wants to go

plenty of drool... that last canine finally popped through!

a bit louder

more "getting stuck"

busy-er... always finding something to do

messier

heavier... he's up to 24+ pounds;)

and  much more expressive;)

It's soo much fun having a 17 month old running around the house;)

He's a hoot... always keeping us entertained and busy:)

Just Two Racing Wheels

After months of watching his sisters ZOOM around on their bikes, Chris decided to try riding without training wheels a few weekends ago. Once he really tried it, he took off and LOVES riding his bike.

The obvious difference between girls and boys is even more obvious with Chris on two wheels now. He ZOOMS like he is in a race EVERYWHERE he goes:)


Love this pic. You can see Chris RACING ahead and Lydia behind him enjoying her ride;)