cute picture

Having a toddler is exhausting!  Constantly on the move and he has NO ability to play with anything by himself.   When left to his own own devices he ends up looking looking like this:

So we are taking our vitamins, finding fun things to do on pinterest, praying this phase ends quickly and finding the joy when we can.

Off to clean the washable marker before it becomes permanent ; 0)

Merry Christmas!!

What a month this has been.   Lots of things that have needed our attention, lots of sickies, and not a whole lot of sleep.  Add a holiday and preparation for a kitchen kitchen remodel and I'm left with nothing.
My brain has been over run with so much lately and yet as I sit here looking into our sad but sparkly Christmas tree, I am struck by just how blessed we are.

Favorite place to sit...IN the tree

Wish you and your family the Lord's richest blessings this Christmas Season.

No Judgement

You know...it's easy to be judgmental when you're on the outside looking in.  Take my opinion on pacifiers.  My thought has always been, when they're old enough to walk they should use pacifiers only for bed time.  I would have my own judgmental monologue as I passed an older child walking around a store with a binky in there mouth.  Enter Mason.  This kid can ONLY function at times with the pacifier. He is in such a sensory upheaval right now, that at times, especially in public, his only way to cope is the binky.  We have a chew stick and he will tolerate it but the binky is his best friend. 
It didn't start out that way.  My two other kiddos lost the binky at about a year old.  It went away when they had a cold and were unable to suck and breath at the same time they went away.  This worked for them.  I seriously question if Mason would choose  breathing over sucking. 

Sleep can be another judgmental topic. 
Whether children should be allowed in their parents bed. 
Whether you should stay with them till they fall asleep.
Noise/no noise

We have been through it all with this kiddo.  Our latest adventure with sleeping is unlatching Dylan's bunk beds to make one giant bed for both Mason &Dylan to sleep in. Dylan has been begging us to do this.  So today we made it happen.  We are worried it will disturb Dylan's sleep because Mason has been up no less then 12 times a night in the last week, but it will go along way in thickening their bond.  Dylan wants so bad for Mason to like him.  Mason is working on so much of his own stuff that he really can't be bothered. So we are praying for some glimmer of sleep hope. So pray with us won't you, for sleep, bonds, and no judgment. 

D.O.N.E

Today has been one of those days.  The type they talk about in Alexander's Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad day book.  Just stinky.
I woke up to find my wedding band is missing.  It must have slipped off somewhere or I absent mind idly took it off but it isn't anywhere I've looked.  And that makes me sad.
The day went on as any other day, sick kiddo who stayed home, a toddler who woke up screaming and felt compelled to keep that mood the rest of the afternoon.
So why I thought going out to dinner to support Dylan's school was a good idea was beyond me.  But I shlepped 3 boys to a loud restaurant where upon being seated Mason full force head butted me.  Steve appeared at that point which allowed me a quick get away to the bathroom where I proceeded to cry and yell at God about being D.O.N.E.
My yell quickly changed to a prayer and my tears stopped and I left the bathroom.  Although had there been a window I could have crawled out of, I might have considered it today.
You ever have one of those days?  The type of day that seems just awful to you.  So here I sit, in quiet for now.  Not feeling guilty that the dishes aren't done or that the table didn't get wiped off...nope I'm enjoying my soft blanket and maybe some Oreo's in my near future.  Tonight I rest because tomorrow I will do it all again.
Maybe tomorrow I should start the day with Oreo's and my Bible ;0)

Turning 2

Today at 7:57am our Mason turned 2!!

He has no idea what this day means.   He enjoyed the breakfast muffins and the evening dinner with cupcakes and ice cream.   He loved his gifts and playing with his brothers.  

For us it has been a day of remembering.   I thought of his birth mom today, like I did last birthday.   So happy she chose life.

Our little monkey keeps us young, active, and praying for wisdom. As any true 3rd child should do.  He is a gift, and I can't say enough about how blessed we are.
Thank you Jesus for this family!  It's truly your design.

Sawing Wood

I'm sitting on the comfy couch in a not so comfy position listening to a snoring, heavy toddler who has found comfort in my lap tonight. 
We are in another funky sleep "thing".  He has found his way into our bed every night this week and some of last.

What has always amazed me about motherhood is how much power I have in the comfort of my children. Mason goes from a screaming crib climbers to a snoring snuggle bear in the matter of minutes in my arms.  Dylan can get mad like no ones business, but I give him a hug and all the walls come down.  When Ty is feeling overwhelmed and is struggling so, he will lean on me, and as I put my arms around him I feel him let go and the world is better for that moment. 

What a blessing, what a feeling.  It's moments like these that make the other ones not so bad.  And trust me...those icky moments are pretty frequent with a growing almost 2year old.  But as he lays here sawing wood, I see the perfect precious gift that God has given us and so many hopes, prayers, and wishes run through my mind. 

Those hopes, wishes, and prayers have been listed in many other posts.  So while I sit here getting a back cramp, I will continue to thank Jesus for all of this.  It is so much more then
 I ever deserved and gives me so much more pleasure then I ever know was possible. 

Seasons

I love, love, love the cooler weather.  It reminds me that slower, cozier days are ahead.  We have been quite busy this September and not all of it is fun.
But now is the time when we find our groove, our flow, and some peace. 

My oldest is struggling this year to find his groove.  He started middle school with all the fun chaos of changing classes, having different classes on different days, and a true locker.  He loves most of what he's doing he just can't find a way of organization that works for him.  So we pray, email school, and talk with his doctor. 

My heart aches for him.  He wants to do well.  He wants to remember.  He wants to be just like everyone else.  And as his Momma, I wanna make it all right.  I want to fix what he doesn't like, but this is his journey.  And although we will go through it together it is his to
experience
learn from
And ultimately change or love. 

He is uniquely and wonderfully made.  He is the comic relief in our family.  He is our famous chocolate milk maker.  He is a fantastic big brother and a very loving son. 

It is this momma's prayer that he will feel his family's love, be held by his Heavenly Father, and will find his special place in this new season.