First Week of Lent

Every year around Lent I give up something BIG.  Last year it was the internet and this year it's my iphone.  I am not even Catholic, but I find the ritual of giving something out of reverence for Christ's sacrafice is good practice for me.  It's no secret that I struggle with an addiction to technology and I fear that my children will as well, which is why I decided to "unplug".  So what have we been up to?

 

I visited Abigail & Isabella's class with our little chicks.  The expressions on their faces were priceless.  It's in these moments that I feel incredibly blessed to be at home with my children.  We also started swim lessons at the YMCA.  Abigail is so much more comfortable in the water than she was last summer. 

 

We've spent more time doing crafts and workbooks, here are Abigail's little clay animals.

Timmy got a haircut.  My little baby is not a baby anymore, he's a little boy.  Oh how he steals my heart with every smile, good thing because it would be difficult to overlook things like pooping on my carpet just seconds after not having his diaper on.  :)

We also flew a kite.  I am not sure why this simple act can bring so much joy to our day.  Watching the girls run with the wind keeping their kite in the air was pure bliss. 

 

After this maiden voyage, so to speak, I have been tasked to pick up lots of good quality kite string and we're bringing a power drill. 

I can't say that any of these activities happened because I wasn't tied to my phone.  I can say that I have been more present in and around the family.  Not worrying about who's texting me, who's emailed me, or who's doing what on Facebook has allowed me to focus on more important things.  Now I would be remiss if I didn't say it's a bit isolating.  Nobody calls anymore, and without text messaging you don't have as many human (if you can call it that) interactions with those outside your immediate family, but I'll trade that for more interactions with my precious kids.  There will come a time when my children will have their own families, and I will have plenty of time to text message all of you.

Sundaes for Dad

Science Experiment

A friend of ours Shana Cooper posted on Facebook a science experiment she did with her kids.  She took different liquids and put them outside to see which ones would freeze.  I thought it was a great idea so I copied a page out if her book. 

The liquids we picked were: soy sauce (girls love it), salt water, water, beer, apple juice, oil, coke, and pickle juice.   As you can see Tim made sure we excersied the full scientific method.  We charted each one of our hypothesis.

Unfortunately we didn't put them far enough away from the house, because our control (water) hadn't frozen overnight. 

So tonight at dinner we picked up our samples and Isabella recorded the results.  

Not entirely satisfied,  we're going to leave them out one more night to see if more things freeze.  Stay tuned for part two!

Timmy's first haircut

My little man was looking a little shaggy, so we took him in for his first professional haircut.  Aimee and Cary were relieved I didn't let Tim "trim him up" as they were not fans of his last attempt at cosmetology.   These pictures above and below are what Timmy looked like before his cut. 

 

As you can imagine, the experience was not at all pleasant for him.  I actually had to step away so he wouldn't see me in order for Holly, his stylist, to cut his hair.   The picture below was the "first" cut.

 

The girls tried real hard to calm him by blowing bubbles and playing with him, and it worked to some extent.   

 

It's amazing the difference a clean cut makes, I was shocked at how his neckline changed in just a few snips.  

Here is the final product, he went from being my little baby boy to my little boy in a matter of minutes.   Pretty handsome if you ask me. 

Abigail and Dylan sitting on a....

These two crack us and their teachers up.  So cute! 

WCUMC Christmas Program 2013

Port Aransas, Texas