A little preschool prep.
A marathon session with dot markers because he wanted to do them ALL!
Reinforcing all the letters with his favorite Cinnamon Schoolhouse Crackers.
Also, he's not wearing pants because this was happening last week...
It was finally time to give it a try!
First time SUCCESS!!
Keeping his hands busy is key!
Helping things move along...
At least he's enjoying himself, right?
Well, my toddler anyway! #toomanypottyphotos
Like father. Like son. 😃 #dirtridermagazine
I ask myself this question often (especially now that the girls are getting older). I'm reminded that as Christ followers, we are called to be in the world but not of the world. Do our choices, lifestyle, and conduct reflect our desire to be set-apart and holy for Him? It starts with us, doesn't it? Praying for all the wisdom and discernment as we approach the teenage years!
Last week, I took some time to clean out and organize my pantry. Boy, does it feel good! My pantry is not all that large and somehow it was hard to locate anything. I had too many boxes and packages taking over all the shelves.
I got rid of all the snack boxes and instead, put them in these open bins. It's nothing fancy but at least now I can see what we have and when we're running low on our favorites. Organization just makes me happy!
This also makes it easy for the kids to open the pantry door and see what we have.
On a side note: WE DON'T NEED ANYMORE SNACKS UNTIL THESE ARE ALL GONE!
When we were in Bakersfield, Lucy made us this salad one night and it was super yummy! We LOVE salads with fruit in this family so when we got home, I immediately recreated it. It has 6 simple ingredients: Romaine, spinach, chopped chicken, mandarin oranges, grapes, and green onions. Add your favorite vinaigrette and a light refreshing dinner is served! Thanks, Lucy!
Here's another one that I make quite often. Mixed Spring Greens with bell peppers (red or orange) cucumbers, tomatoes, carrots, strawberries, and blueberries. Just add your favorite protein as a side (salmon on this night) and dinner is done!
So, lately I've been on this sparkling water kick. First, let me just say that I've never enjoyed sparkling water... until now. I thought it tasted nasty and salty. I don't drink soda or tea so my go-to drink is always just plain still water. But every now and again, it's kind of refreshing to gulp down something effervescent. Especially in the summer! These fruit laced La Croix's are my answer! These are 100% natural, calorie free, sweetener free, and sodium free. Plus, they have lots of fun flavors! I've tried 4 different flavors so far and Mango is my favorite! Coming in a close second is Cherry Lime. And that's surprising to me because I'm NOT a fan of cherry anything. If you're looking for a refreshing healthy bubbly drink, give La Croix's a try. They can be found in your local Wal-Mart or Target stores. In fact, I just saw them in a variety pack at Costco, too with some interesting new flavors. Bonus: They're a fun, healthy treat for the kids!
Zach had his first experience with SLIME!
He wasn't sure if he wanted to touch it at first but he quickly caught on.
Fun for all ages!
We found him a Heffalump on Ebay last week and they've been inseparable ever since!
He's pretty much kicked Mickey to the curb. Mickey, who??
Sharing his snacks with Lumpy.
See what I mean? Inseparable!
Update: Potty training is going pretty well. He has no problem going #1 or #2 in the potty. It's just that he also has no problem going #1 or #2 in his diaper as well! We're probably a long way off before we're diaper free but I suppose consistency is key. I know from experience (with the girls), kids will give up diapers when they're good and ready. There's been no tears (on either side! 😄) and for the most part, it's been easy getting him to go sit on the potty. I know some moms that can knock out potty training in a few days but I'm just not one of them. He'll get it when he gets it and it'll be just fine. Life is too short to be stressed out about potty training. Ask me how I know. 😅😜 #pottytrainingdiaries
In the summer, I rarely wear my hair down because it's just too dang HOT around here. When we travel out of the area, I rarely wear my hair down because I don't want to spend too much time in the bathroom blow drying and styling it. Anywhere other than the desert, my hair tends to get frizzy because of humidity. You should see my hair in Hawaii! Oy! 😲 I have a natural wave (thanks, Dad!) but an annoying frizz that happens anytime I'm out of the desert. I decided one day last week to play up the waves and use a curling spritzer on my semi wet hair. Then to eliminate so much frizz, I simply used my curling wand to tame (curl) the obvious frizzy side pieces a bit. It literally only took me 2 minutes for both sides. I let the rest of my hair air dry, leaving it messy (or beachy). I think I can do this when traveling and not spend so much time trying to blow dry my hair straight when it will eventually go back to frizzy anyway! Next month, we'll be in San Diego for a week so we'll see how it goes. If not, there's always my go-to... a hat and pony tail! #messyhairdontcare #onlysometimesido
And last but not least, these words from Ruth @gracelaced have lingered on my heart ever since I read them. I highlighted the line at the bottom because this is the truth about who God really is. He is faithful! Sometimes, as a mom, we can feel like we're messing it all up or on the flip side, we can start thinking that we've got it all figured out. I don't know about you but intentional motherhood is the hardest job in the world but it's also the greatest. I fail at it everyday in some way but to know that God still uses me, in spite of myself, for His glory... Well, that's so incredibly humbling to me! There is freedom and hope in Him. In the end, it will have nothing to do with how well I nailed motherhood but EVERYTHING to do with His grace and how faithful He is! #hallelujah
