Thought For The Day

Happiness is like a butterfly. The more you chase it, the more it will elude you. But if you turn your attention to other things, it comes and sits softly on your shoulder.

----Anonymous

I Could Never Say Thank You Enough....

to my wonderful husband, Bryce. He is such a great father and a very good husband, who is learning how to become a better husband each and every day. I am so lucky that I have a husband who will help me with our children and help with the household chores. Bryce and I have had some rough times during the past 4 years, but I think that we have come through each trial a stronger couple. I know that I have vented or complained about him doing this or not doing that, but in reality, I know how lucky I am to have him as my husband. I just hope that one day I feel like I am truly worthy of someone as great as him. Bryce, I love you very much! Thank you so much for all that you do around the house and for the times that you get up with the kids in the middle of the night. I know I don't tell you enough, but I really am thankful for you and all of your hard work. I can't wait to be sealed to you for all eternity!

The Tie That Binds Us?

I am sure we have all heard the story about the NY mother, who kicked her 10 and 12 year old daughters out of the car for fighting. And I am sure that some of you reading this have either had those same thoughts or threatened to do the same thing. I came across a very interesting article today on the internet that I wanted to share. Now, I don't have any personal experience as a mother yet (I'm sure my day is coming), but I do have plenty as a younger sister. This is the article: http://www.newsweek.com/id/194933?gt1=43002. As I was reading this article, I began to think about how I will react one day one Cooper and Sara are really old enough to fight and bicker. "That fighting is normal between creatures who live together. We bump up against our worst and best selves in the confines of our families. Arguing with siblings or cousins is how we learn to negotiate with the world." First, children learn to fight physically and it is usually over the silliest things. Cooper has been known to push Sara over because she was looking at one of his books. It is our jobs as parents to teach them how to use their words. And hopefully, that means less cruel words. I know with Cooper being such a talker all of a sudden, Bryce and I are very careful with the words we do use around both kids. Unfortunately though, fighting is one of those things that we as parents have to let our children figure out. How many young girls get married thinking that life is going to be blissfully happy and then they have their first fight with their new husband. "You don't really see who someone is until you have your very first fight." How true this is. So, what do we as parents do to try to get our children to not fight as often? Do we buy them more toys? Do we jump at their every command? "But in general, I wonder how we will learn to know each other if our kids grow up isolated by headphones in their own individual electronic worlds. It's one thing for teenagers, who are going through the natural separation process to tune out, but it's another thing for 10 year-olds to think that disengaging is the answer to conflict. Maybe part of the answer is to try and make peace with the fighting and not judge the kids or ourselves so harshly. That annoying bickering is a tie that binds us."

So, now my question is this. Do you think this mother, who made her bickering daughters get out of the car 3 miles from their home, should have been arrested? Should she have to spend time in jail? I didn't realize, until reading this article that she was actually a lawyer and they lived in a home that was worth $2 million. I don't think that this is something that she does frequently and I don't know if it is something that I would ever do, but I could see how 2 bickering kids that don't listen could totally drive a mother to do something like that.

Thought For The Day

If you don't like something change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it.

-- Mary Engelbreit

This has been one of the hardest things for me to learn. I am slowly getting there. Why should I waste my time and energy on things that I cannot change? The only person that I can change is myself. I cannot change anyone else. That is what makes us all different. We should just learn to accept each other for who we are, without trying to change each other. If each of us did this, just think of what a happier world this would be!

Spring Has Sprung!

I just thought I would give everyone a little update on what we have been doing. Since the weather has finally warmed up, (yay!), I have been trying very hard to take the kids outside and let them play for a little bit. Well, I guess I should say let Cooper play because Sara hates the grass and the concrete! She just wants to be held. I am sure that when she finally starts walking, she will be chasing Cooper all over the place outside. So, I posted some pictures below from where the kids and I were playing in the backyard. As you can tell, in some of the pictures, Sara is not a happy camper! Cooper had a lot of fun playing with sidewalk chalk and picking mommy and Sara flowers. Sara, of course, wanted to eat her flowers.

On Friday, the kids and I went to our very first playgroup. I actually found the playgroup on Yahoo groups several months ago, but didn't have the courage to go until last week. Yeah, I'm a dork! Anyways, it is in Moses Lake and it meets every Friday morning. Of course, the day that I decide to go only one mom showed up, but that actually worked out pretty well for me. The other mom, Anne, had a little boy named Bryson who is 2 1/2 and a 10 week old baby girl named Lily. So, Cooper and Bryson played on the playground and chased each other around. While, Sara meanwhile, enjoyed the swings (and chewing on them of course!). It was really great to get out and be able to meet a new mom and make a new friend. Sorry, I didn't take the camera on Friday. I was rushing out the door and totally forgot about it. Anyways, I am really excited to get to meet more new moms and hopefully for Cooper (and Sara eventually) to make some friends. So, that's what has been going on in our little world the past several days. What's been going on in yours?

One more thing that I forgot to add. Bryce was offered the Interim Manager position at work. We hope that this will turn into a full time position. Hopefully, we will know more about the Interim position sometime this week. So, if everyone could please keep Bryce in your thoughts and prayers as the interviewing process for the actual manager position is very grueling. Thanks!