Very, Very Excited

I am so excited and have a tiny bit of mixed emotion about next week’s engagement for me and a group of ladies from my church (we all go to the same inter-denominational Bible study together).    Beth Moore.  Need I say more?  I love her teaching style, anointing, depth in the Word of God and her overall person.  AND, I love her worship leader.  I went to her live telecast event in April of 2010 at one of the satellite locations but must say I know the last event that made an eternal impact on my life will pale in comparison to this LIVE event.  We’re talking a room of women together seeking the Lord.  Can’t wait.  My slightest hesitation comes with my baby boy.  For over two and a half years (not including pregnancy), I have never spent a night away from him.  This will be a first.  I hope I can make it.

Check Out My Little Brother’s Blog/ Website

click on photo

Zac is very gifted in many ways.  He can figure out how to build or fix anything wood or mechanical and is growing his skills every day.  I set this blog up for him last night.

25 Things to do with a Wiggly Toddler Boy (other than get frustrated)

Reposted from here.

1. Put him in an empty bath tub, give him water colors and let him go.
2. Put rice in a cake pan and let him pour from cup to cup.
3. Put him outside everyday regardless of weather.
4. Give him a small spray bottle of water and a rag. Set him loose on the fridge front, bathroom tile, linoleum, etc.
5. Make homemade play dough; give him a rolling pin.
6. When reading aloud, ask him many questions. Get him pointing, naming, giggling over each picture.
7. Have him run and tag the front door, run back and give you a high five, and repeat. And repeat. And repeat.
8. Find an empty box we can fit in; stay in the room with him to ensure safety- but get that book you’ve wanted to read for a while, because he’ll be busy for a while.
9. Teach him how to build a fort with the cushions.
10. Let him spread the PB and J.
11. Play with him for at least 10 minutes at a game he loves. This will satisfy much of the need for attention that leads to naughtiness.
12. Bubbles!
13. Boys tend to be tactile learners; stacking cups and plastic containers in an accessible cabinet can be fun.
14. Fill the kitchen sink with soapy foam; get out a big ladle and some cups and let him go at it. Let him “do dishes.”
15. If you have a play house, let him throw a safe ball out of it.
16. Find an old spoon and let him dig in dirt.
17. Music facilitates learning like no other activity. Make up silly songs to everything- be silly and tease your children with music.
18. When he is feeling mean and you are feeling mean, tickle him.
19. Don’t be afraid to repeat activities often; if he is getting restless, immediately choose a “go-to.”
20. Let the little guy “help” you in all of your tasks until he discovers his blocks or trains again. You’ll be teaching him valuable skills. This one can be hard because we want to get things done, but the boy will be grown soon and might now want to help anymore. This may be one of the most special times of your lives.
21. Play a favorite dance song of yours; let loose and dance around. Your boy will either laugh or join in; both are fun.
22. Use your pull up bar low on the door frame- and let him swing.
23. Find markers and a notebook; let him go to.
24. Assess his needs- is he hungry, tired, wet, overstimulated, bored, or lonely?  Help him fulfill that need.
25. Replace every negative thought immediately with a positive one. Instead of, “My kids drive me crazy” think on purpose “This is a phase; Jonny really is a good kid” or “My kids must be bored. What can I do to help them?” See an article on this here.
http://powerofmoms.com/2009/04/thought-replacement-therapy/

Hamden Trip for Color/Furniture Ideas

If you are ever in the Baltimore area, you have got to check out this store TROHV in Hamden.  Unbelievable.  My dream store to own!  Today my friend Beth and I meandering down there on her day off and were looking for the same store by a different name but stumbled upon it anyway.  Fell. in. love.  Instantaneously.  Of course, a brought my other smaller camera and the batteries were deader than door nails.  Beth saved the day with her phone.  You can’t grasp the awesomeness of this until you see it in person or maybe we had a little better of a camera.  I think we are going back Saturday night.  We will see.

The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up {Plus Giveaway}

The Girl Creative: Just Something I Whipped Up {Plus Giveaway}: Hi, it's Tara from Trendy Treehouse ! Diana was so sweet to let me be here today to share my new shop with you. I am so excited! Thank ...

Little Man is Big Man on the Farm

On Friday afternoon my little guy and I went to the farm to help my aunt decorate for the opening of her corn maze.

During a necessary diaper change in the way back of my car, Henry noticed a car full of young girls had pulled in.  He was quite disturbed that I had otherwise occupied him upon their arrival.  After all, he is the tour guide at the farm.  As soon as I finished putting on his pants, he raced down to make instant friends with the crowd and show them around.  As you can see in the photo.  I was up the hill and around the corner working but of course checking on him every five seconds.  I was able to quickly get my camera and get a few shots of the crazy little guy in action.

Here he is holding hands with one of the seven sisters.  All of them didn’t come that day.  I tried to catch him holding hands with the mom a moment earlier but missed the shot.

Oh yah, I’m cool.  I’m working this crowd.  I’ve got them wrapped around my finger.

Henry didn’t want to miss out on his opportunity to decorate.  This was the display he built on his tractor.  Not bad!  Actually quite nice.

Here he is surveying and rearranging.

 

The corn maze open yesterday, so today my friends Amy and Beth and their kids and a couple of the their kids’ friends joined Henry and me at the farm.  Amy’s daughter is pictured above running with glee through the field towards the maze.  Her middle son is in front with the green shirt and Henry is to the far right under her hand.

Here they are looking at the baby piglets.

For some reason I focused in on the valley rather than Emma.  But here she is on the horse.  This little girl is DYING to have her eighth birthday party on the farm.

Ethan and Amy looking at Wilbur the pig.

Getting a little nervous about the horse twitching.

The guy in the lion suit behind the kid on the horse deserves the son in-law of the year award.  He’s Mrs. Myriah Mae’s husband and has dedicated his weekends to be the cowardly lion in the Wizard of Oz theme of the maze.  He is standing with his parents who were so cute to come see their son all dressed up.

Here we are (part of our group) finding clues and answering questions in the maze.

Sitting on the tractor.

Eating ice cream from the local creamery.

If this doesn’t say big man on campus, I don’t know what does.

He was on his way to show Emma the baby turkeys but first had to jump up on the tractor to show off to Emma.

The baby turkeys aren’t so small anymore.

Henry is throwing up hay in the background.  Ethan is just going with the flow.

Here is Henry rolling down the hill.  We were about to go in the maze for the second time.  Henry ran up to the egg shop and hid on me.  He scared me half to death but was also making it clear he had his own agenda entertaining folks at the farm and I need not interfere. 

Lulu on the right is my friend Beth’s daughter.  Henry talks about her ALL the time.

The beautiful Mika trying to be cool.

But can’t quite handle the twitching of the horse.

Beth, please get on the horse.  No way.  I hate horses.  Please?!?!?  No, I’m never getting on the horse.  We really want a good laugh, so please just get on the horse.  No.

Office Vision

Here are some elements I am attempting to pull into our office, though it is taking me forever.  Most of them are things we already have that I will be repainting or reupholstering (thanks to the help of my mother in-law Linda).  Yay for gifted in-laws and I have some!!  So the fabric over the settee will actually be the fabric shown below (I think).  I moved away from blues for a while… well not really.  I have always had it as a minor accent color.  I have a farm table in the basement in major disrepair.  I am not sure what it will look like, but I want it as a desk.  Our office chair I might paint bright red.  Our dining room chandelier might get painted white and moved to the office to replace the 1970’s ceiling fan.  I will be making curtains out of the fabric in the upper left.  Hopefully we will see all of this come together I the next few weeks.

saw this on Pinterest via my friend Jessica and liked it.