Closing Out Week 2...

Wednesday we were going to go to our baby gym to do open art, but I realized the kids were overtired, so we slept in. :) Then, we had a million errands to run. By the end of the afternoon, I felt we all three were wanting to do something more "fun" than running errands. It was late in the day, and I knew we were approaching naptime which equals grumpy time, but I took my chances. The kids and I packed up and headed down to the public beach area at Lloyd Shoals Park on Jackson Lake. It is only $3 to park and the rest is free. The bathrooms are clean, too. :) You know how I am about that. I will admit the beach isn't always superclean. I do see cigarette butts, but oh well. You can't have it all. We went down there last year a few times and it is perfect for the kids to play in the sand. I will admit we don't go out far in the lake. You see minnows and brim pass you by and that's far enough for me! :) Note: I do NOT point out the fish to the boys. I am sure it would all be over with after that. :)

When we did get in the water, I noticed Preston seems afraid of it this year all of a sudden. :( He did the same in the pool at High Falls. Both times it was chilly though, so I am hoping that was it. Jackson starts swimming lessons in a few weeks, and the teacher is hoping to "secretly" slide Preston into taking them too without him realizing she is teaching him by just making it fun for him. We'll see. I'll have to update you on how that goes.

I make a point to take them to places like this alot before we go to the beach in Florida to try to start getting their skin a little tan so maybe they won't burn so bad in Florida (well, Jackson mostly.) We'll also see how that works, too.

Preston is not too sure yet about the lake water...


Jackson made a sand pie!

Working on the river around the castle... that of course Preston kept messing up much to Jackson's dislike...grumpy time was fast approaching

Grumpy time and all though, the boys had a blast. More than I did I am sure because I did have some sassiness from Preston and then not too much later Jackson had a complete meltdown. :( He apologized, and I know he was just tired. But, still. It kind of blurred my memory. :) We'll have to try this again earlier in the day.

On another note though, you can see they didn't care if it was grumpy time or not...

This is my favorite! I love seeing them working and playing together like this! I hope they are always best buddies!

That's pretty much a wrap for week 2! It will end with the boys having a sleepover at Maw Maw's while we go to Savannah for a quick trip for our anniversary! I am so ready for that! And, I can bet the boys are, too! I think Jackson enjoyed "getting away" when he went to school himself! I bet if you asked them going to Maw Maw's tops all the week's activities! There's just something about grandparents. :)


Addendum: One more thing...I forgot to say that the boys are now firmly convinced they want a sea-doo. If you know me and sea-doos, you know if they ever ride one it will be with their dad not me! When I fall off those things, it takes years for me to get back on! Paul said they have to be older...way older! But, I was shocked that they weren't afraid!

More Week 2 Fun!

We have been busy, busy, busy this week, and unfortunately it is not going to slow down anytime soon since vacation is right around the corner. You know how there are always things to prepare to go out of town! But, it is always worth it! This week we had to go get my oil changed. I typically like to go when Jackson is in school, so I only have one to deal with the dreaded wait. But, no option for that this time. I also hardly ever let them play with waiting room toys, but I caved this time. They were thrilled. What is it with waiting room toys? Why are they so enticing? Even when they aren't even good ones?

Then, that night when we went to Chick-fil-A for dinner, I forgot that it was craft night! Yay! The kids got to decorate visors. Funny how even though they've done this many times before, they still get excited! Thanks, Chick-fil-A!

I am finding that our summer might have to slow down a tad bit because I have inadvertendly been letting them stay up later at night. Remember how when you were little, you loved that part? Well, they haven't been sleeping later to make up for it. Rather they are getting up earlier. :) Guess I've made things SO much fun, they cannot wait to begin their days. Haha! I'm sure that's not it! Jackson keeps asking when does school start back. Am I really that boring?

Love ya, little rascals! Mommy is so grateful to be able to do all these fun activities with you!

Week Two...in Whoville

Tuesday we went to the free movies (if you don't know about these, check them out!) at Great Escapes theater in McDonough. I am so happy the boys are both at the age now where we can go to the movies. Thankfully, I started Preston going early so he does really, really well. Of course with popcorn. :) He's a little man that's easy to please if you have food. Hmm..wonder who he gets that from? Bobby? :) We saw "Horton Hears a Who" and I didn't stop to think when I heard the title it would be related to Whoville from "The Grinch Who Stole Christmas." I loved the movie! I love Whoville! None of us had seen it before, and it was even better that we accidentally ran into some friends to sit with and watch it together. The boys enjoyed the movie, too. Althought I still think I did more because I even cried at the end. I seriously need a life.

Jackson and his friend, Allison

We can't wait to go back this summer to more free movies! Next week though, we've already seen the one that is playing, so we are going to see "Up." I have heard great things about it, and we cannot wait!

Remembering

Today is mine and Paul's 8 year wedding anniversary! Making that a total of nearly 18 years altogether for us being in each other's lives. I decided to post a picture we took together to celebrate our first "anniversary going out" in October 1992. So, we were thirteen years old. Wow. We actually really don't look that different. :) And, really besides responsibilities and maturity, our love really isn't all that different either surprisingly when I give it deep thought. I am so blessed to have spent over half my life with my best friend by my side who also functions as my husband! :) Some people never meet their soulmates until way later in life making their times together so brief. I don't know how to thank God for making my situation different. I wouldn't, I mean really, really wouldn't change anything about us or our relationship. Happy Anniversary, Baby!

Mean People and God

I know young children really don't have the full capacity to understand completely God's plan for us for salvation. However, I cannot not tell my children about Him. I feel even if they only grasp half the concept or even less, I still want to start speaking to them very early about Him. I feel like I've done a better job with Jackson than Preston which bothers me. :( (Jackson wanted to be read too all the time at Preston's age and we often read his children's Bibles Erica gave him. Preston doesn't sit still as well for reading, but I need to find another way to reach him and be more diligent...oh well..that's another post. :)) Anyway, tonight I was struggling to try to explain to Jackson about staying close by me in public and in stores. I am not using a stroller anymore with Preston unless absolutely necessary. Mostly because he pitches a fit to get out, and well if he gets out then I have three things to keep up with! (I have no idea how moms of more than two survive!) The kids are getting braver and braver of hiding from me in clothes racks, etc. etc. I tried to explain that there are mean people who might seem like even mommies or daddies and they might seem very nice. However, there are mean people..people who don't possibly even believe in God as I put it that might want to snatch little children and take them from their parents and hurt them. (Sorry if I am freaking anyone out! Like I said I don't want to scare my kids, but seriously guys my biggest nightmare is abductions! I watch too much 20/20 I guess! I'd rather them be terrified to leave my side than get snatched!) He told me later that now that he knew there were mean people who didn't believe in God, he would stay away from them. I used that opportunity to explain that often we might not know who is mean and who is not. That he should never trust anyone or go with anyone without my permission no matter how nice they seem.

Somehow then we got on the topic of the "mean people" not knowing God. I explained to him that is why whenever we are around people we should make sure to tell them about God, in case they don't know. Then, heaven came up and we talked about how when we leave planet Earth that is where we go to be with God. Jackson asked, "When do we come back down to Earth?" I explained we don't. We stay in heaven and live with God.

So....then....he asked. "When I go to heaven, will you go there with me?"

WHAT!!!???

I explained the best I could that yes I would end up in heaven, too. Our whole family would. He said that Preston might be scared of God since God might be so big. He wanted to know what God looks like. I was explaining beautiful with light all around him. I told him eventually we would all be there. Then, I tried to find a lighter topic of conversation.

Later at bedtime when he was saying his nightly prayer, he prayed: "Dear God, please have all the mean people know God."

Oh, my. This is tough! I am so glad he has a tender heart. I just hope I can keep it that way, and that he grows more and more. And, I need to devote more devotional time to my little P. Maybe I can convince him God is in "chage" instead of Buzz Lightyear! :)

Who's in Charge?

As you may remember reading previously, both of my strong-willed children are very consumed with being "in charge." (http://mythreejpms.blogspot.com/2008/08/battle-to-take-charge.html) Of something. It doesn't really matter what. Stuffed animals will do. Jackson has gotten better about this obsession. Preston on the other hand lately has taken it to extremes. He asks all the time if I am in charge. Then, he'll ask if Paul is in charge. Often he will follow up with saying we are in fact not in charge and that he is in charge. (to which we gets in trouble.) :) And, what is really funny is he also will ask us "You not in chage nmore?" (You not in charge anymore?) He asks this when after we scold him for something we then act happy again. It's like he thinks if you are being nice and sweet, surely you aren't in charge anymore! And, Preston is one of those kids that is so darn cute when he is wrong and being disrespectful it is hard not to laugh when you should be reprimanding him. Trust me. Everyone holds back the laugh.

So, imagine our reaction when Sunday night Preston got upset as he often does when Paul gets on to him, and he said this:

"Mommy, Daddy towd me what to DO! (crying)"

I explained, "He has to, baby. That's his job as Daddy."

With a scrunched up face, gruffy voice, and burrowed brow, he proclaimed, "Daddy's not in chage! Buzz Wightyear is in chage!"

You heard it folks. Buzz Lightyear. He's in charge. Whew! Glad we got that handled. I'd been wondering all this time who really was in charge. Glad Preston cleared that one up for us.

Week Two is Just Beginning...

And already we had a great day! For once I just took in the action and didn't take pictures. Sorry! Sometimes you miss stuff by having the camera in hand, so I didn't take any pictures today while we were at High Falls Water Park again. I figure you got enough already, right? :) We went with our friends, Katy and Ella. Ella is Jackson's age so they had alot of fun together. Also, my sister ended up being there, too. Jackson was happy to see Aiden as well. I am so thankful they seem to play together very good lately whenever we happen to run into them.

And, on another note, today was a fabulous day because Jackson became a hero! He saved mine, his, and his brother's life! And, possibly the life of our home, too! I had cooked dinner, and when we were done I came upstairs to order some pictures online. I also was on the phone. Incidentally, it ended up I had left the skillet with hot grease on the eye and left the eye on the top of the stove ON! I have no idea how long I was upstairs, but trust me it was a while. The kids were playing upstairs as well as downstairs. They were giggling and having a good old time downstairs when after a little while, Jackson came upstairs and nonchalantly said, "Mommy, that thing you cooked the chicken in downstairs is making all this white cloud stuff." Notice no exclamation point on the end of that sentence. He acted like every day your house becomes filled with white smoke! No big deal. Let me also add they get in big trouble for interrupting my phone conversations (which he did). So, thank goodness for children who disobey!!! I threw the phone down when it clicked in my mind what he was referring to and ran downstairs to turn it off! The entire downstairs was all smokey. I cannot believe the fire alarm didn't go off! We opened up the doors and turned on fans, and I gave Jackson a high five for being my hero! Then, of course, I had to call my mother-in-law back to tell her what happened because when I threw the phone down I think I gave her a heart attack.

Whew! Isn't it so warm and fuzzy when God watches out for you?