Fast Road to Sanctification - Being a Parent!

Happy Father's Day!

These first two pictures are courtesy of the Rizzos.

I am currently loving the old show Leave it to Beaver.

I'm almost done with the first season (I get a disc at a time thru NetFlix.)

Formerly, I had no real opinion about the show,

but as Simon is getting older I am finding Wally and the Beaver cute, funny, and charming.

I literally laugh aloud SO MUCH during most episodes.

And, I can clean the kitchen while I 'watch' them!

Our kitchen has never been cleaner.

Here is Evie playing with her shadow at the Rizzos.

Evie has charmed us, for sure~!

Matt and Simon surprised me with this white coffee table and plant one day.

I was trying to refinish and then paint an old coffee table white.

Matt and Simon saw my distress and completely surprised and blessed me when I came in one Saturday. They'd been to IKEA and Simon loved surprising me .... and Simon got to ride in the front seat since that the only way they could get the box into Matt's little red car was to have Simon sitting in the front seat.

Our little container garden area

We're going on almost a month without internet at our home.

It is nice to have more time for other things and to weed out so many of the other voices and distractions.

We think it's probably just for a season (at least two months for sure to recoup the cancellation fee). We've definitely had more of an appetite for things we'd rather have an appetite for as of late, and we've been surprised at how easy some things have been.

We're going on almost two months for (basically) no tv/games for Simon. Simon says he loves not having the tv and video games, and he is so much more creative and interactive. Discipline is easier b/c I'm not timing the tv or video game for thirty minutes and then having to discipline if the kids weren't 'happy and obedient' when we turned it off.

The tv is in our kitchen now, which sounds weird, but it fits in there better for us because if the children are allowed to watch something, I'm right there cooking or cleaning or folding laundry.

The kitchen table is uncomfortable for becoming a 'couch potato' and if we do watch something, we can multitask so much easier than just plopping on the couch!

It seems like we all have been convicted/led/impressed upon to give up something lately - Matt the xbox, Me facebook, and Simon tv/game time.

Okay, Simon wasn't really 'led' but he followed well.

I love how God knows what is best for us in each season and how He is faithful to work in us both to will and to do what pleases Him.

Internet has definitely been the hardest to let go of, but when we both felt it was the obedient thing to do for the time at hand, it was easy to let go and to call Verizon.

And what's funny about it is that what we thought would be so hard is actually so nice!

summer snapshots

A couple of weeks ago Matt and I tried out the newest yogurt place in Carrollton. (These places must be making a killing since everyone is trying it.)

We took a picture worthy of the FAIL blog (the dumpster smelled like rotten fish b/c of a sushi place next door.)

BUT, actually, unbeknownst to us, this was the back door that we walked into.

The front of the store was quite charming ...

I was treated to a girls evening and sleepover at my friend Kellie's house last night.

Evie liked having her toenails and nails painted.

On Simon's list of things to do this summer was to plan a video game party/playdate.

He made invitations and planned a video game playdate at Chuck E. Cheese.

It's a great inexpensive and cool (temperature) playdate - they open at 9 or 9:30 and all the games are one token (plus there are great online coupons for token deals) AND if you pack a picnic lunch and a promise to stop at a park, lunch is at virtually no cost as well!

I didn't get any cute pic of Evie (this is Eva - not confusing at all, right? You should be there when Evie, Eva, and Ava are all together.) Evie LOVED it though ... the kid section has lots of fun rides her style as well. Mostly she loved sitting in the Bob the Builder car and every once in a while I would pop a token in there for her.

Simon really wants a pet. He has cried for a dog and it almost breaks my heart, but we are holding strong so far.

He currently has several roly-poly(ies) in his bedroom in a glass container. They die rather quickly.

He told me one day that the roly-polies think that he is their Daddy. And, at bedtime, he'll ask me if we want to go check in on them together.

Since they are usually dead, he is prompted to think critically regarding their care.

"I don't understand, Momma. I gave them everything they need. Maybe I accidentally gave them poisonous leaves? Maybe they didn't like the bread .... or the raisins."

Simon has also been more aware that his red hair is different than most children.

He explained to us regarding the Kinder program at his school that some children get to stand and talk ... he didn't.... BUT he "thought they would want me to because of my red hair."

Also, Matt took him to the dentist (I know my limits) and Matt said it was really funny that in the middle of his cleaning he asked the hygienist, "Do you like my red hair?"

Staycation Weekend

We were spoiled this weekend by housesitting for some friends of ours who have a pool.

And, with record breaking heat for June, the timing was perfect!

I love this little suit on Evie - reminds me of pictures I've seen from the 1950s and 60s!

Evie is pretty timid around water, like her big brother who only last year braved sitting on the steps inside a pool.

She was happy just standing around, and that was fine with me!

Evie's a lot like me, and I am very timid with new things, and I am the kind of person whose favorite thing at Six Flags is waiting in line -- for the conversations with friends ... the kind of friends who don't care if I don't ride the roller-coaster at the end of the line.

Simon is starting the summer by sitting on steps; so, who knows, he might progress if we put him around pools more!

On Saturday night we were really spoiled because we were going to Ava's 2nd birthday party that involved grilling out ... so we didn't even have to cook!

Here's a funny conversation when we came home that night.

Simon: Mom, will you read me my bible tonight?

Me: Yes, just a sec.

Simon: OR, did you actually give Ava my Bible, mom?

Me: We gave Ava a Bible like yours, but you still have yours.

Simon: (wistfully) Maybe they are enjoying the Bible right now....

Parenting was easy with Si staying on the steps or the little attached pool, and Evie barely emerging from the screened porch.

Third day : Evie wanting to get in the float that otherwise we'd force her to get into.

My 'spa' moment with a homemade yogurt and tumeric mask .... and I ate a grapefruit while it set.

Happy to spectate

Evie, you really don't need the float if you're not getting in the water.

We went bowling one night.

Last week I bought Simon and I bowling shoes at Academy Sports for only $19.99 each!

They pay for themselves in only 4-5 bowling visits and we are signed up this summer for the Kids Bowl Free program - so any weekday Simon can play two games free. The catch would be shoe rental prices so I went ahead and bought us some upfront. I also paid $25 which gives four adult family members the same two-game a day privileges. Any weekday until mid September I believe. The con is that it is from 9-6 so Matt can't normally go with us even though he was able to go w/ us this last Friday.

This is from the weekend before .... Simon still has his Spiderman face paint on ...

Simon had two miss two days of school last week w/ a mysterious rash and fever... the pediatrician says it was just a virus but that we can expect things like this for another 6 months or so since mono is still affecting Si and weakening his immune system.

He was not moving much for about two days and would fall asleep many times throughout the day ..., once at the kitchen table!

The Arboretum on Memorial Day weekend

Children's concert at the Arboretum

I am excited to have a summer that I hope will be slow enough that I can enjoy my family, patiently train my children and find ways to be a blessing to others!