Summer fun!

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Kru is learning how to eat Cheerios!

Clearly he has a long road ahead of him, 
but when this is your teacher, what do you expect?

Daddy Daughter Date

David took the girls on a "date" tonight.  They were so excited.  They wanted their hair done, they didn't fight me when I got them dressed.  It was cute to see them look forward to their date.  I was also surprised they seemed to know what a "date" was.  They kept asking if they were going to go on a "big boat" like Mommy and Daddy or if they were going to go on a plane like Gaga and Papa (my parents just got back from a trip to France).  I guess I use the word "date" more than I thought! 

They went to Chick-fil-a for Kids Eat Free night.  David got them Sprite which is a very rare treat.  He said they didn't enjoy it as much as we thought they would.  They might have enjoyed a juice box more.  They played in the playground a little bit and then got an ice dream.  All 3 of them really enjoyed themselves.

Kru and I stayed home, cleaned up the house a little bit and he went to bed early.  I can't wait till hes old enough for us to go on dates, too!

We have a consonant sound!

Kru started saying the "B" sound yesterday! He says it all the time now and today I think I've heard a few "P" and "G" sounds, too! He is certainly having fun with his sounds.

Getting big so fast! Too fast!!

One of my favorite nights

This is going to be more like a journal entry than a blog post for me tonight. I just don't ever want to forget this night. David is out of town and I typically HATE putting the kids down when he is away. I'm usually impatient and grouchy. And of course, when I have a bad attitude going into it, my kids feel it and respond unfavorably. Its just a bad cycle all together.

But not tonight.

My mom and dad were here and the girls were loving their time with them. We danced to the songs of Glee for about an hour. It was so fun (who needs the gym?!? Talk about a workout!!)!! We calmed down, the girls were still entertained so I was able to put Kru to bed without them getting impatient and then my parents left and it was their turn.

It was just precious. They had the happiest hearts, obeyed without me having to ask more than once and were just a complete joy! We read stories, cuddled and kissed.

I started reading a Bible book to them last night -- its a Bible story book for Mothers and Daughters that I got from David's mom when the girls were born. I thought they were still a little young but wanted to start the habit of reading Bible stories to them as soon as possible.

Well, I was wrong.

They got it.

They really got it. It was so amazing (Thanks Mother, this book really blessed the 3 of us tonight!). We were reading about how Eve disobeyed God and ate from the tree God told her not to. They immediately responded to the word "disobeyed" and said Eve should get a spank-spank or go to time out. It went on to say she was punished and I asked the girls if they get punished when they disobey (I wasn't sure they knew the word) and they said they do. They knew what punishment was. And the book talked about how Eve's punishment was to leave the beautiful garden where all the animals were and the girls were sad for her and said "Disobey is a no-no. She has to go to time out".

I don't know if I'm even coming close to portraying what a beautiful moment this was for us. I think more than anything God is really showing me that he is HERE in our lives. I've prayed every day for almost 3 years (I got pregnant in June 3 years ago) that my children would truly KNOW him and now that they are at an age where they are understanding the world around them I've wondered if I was doing a good job. I'm sure thats something I'll always question, but tonight, I feel at peace. My girls know who God is, they are beginning to understand that we lift our hands to him in praise. That we obey him and his commands and when we don't there is punishment.

Next time you see them ask them "Who is the apple of your eye?". They will be sure to tell you that its Jesus! And I'm beginning to think they actually have an inkling of what that really means.

Thank you, God!

Love this!

Here is a video of Pressley dancing in church. We attend the 2nd Service at our church and the kids are in nursery. We've started taking them into the beginning of the 3rd service so they can enjoy the singing. We've been teaching them that we are singing to God and tell him how much we love him!! They really enjoy this time and although I'm sure they don't "get" all of it right now, I know those precious seeds are being planted. I can't watch this video with out tearing up. My hearts prayer is to raise my children to know the Lord and have a personal relationship with him. I hope Pressley's heart (and Lyla and Kru's!) always dances for our Heavenly Father.

I love when she stops to lift her hands (like they are doing on stage), I told her later than when she does that she is lifting her hands to God telling him how much she loves him. She lifts her hands during songs we sing at home now! For some reason Lyla was in a cuddly mood this week and was in David's arms but she can really get into it, too. I'll try to capture that another time.

Family Date night

David and I went on a cruise a few weeks ago.  We had a blast (I'm sure I'll post about this more later), we have desperately needed to reconnect.  A LOT of things have changed for us in the last 27 months!  This was our first time away since becoming parents -- my first night away from my kids other than when I was in the hospital giving birth to Kru!  We decided we needed to have more date nights, go away for a night or two a couple of times a year and save the big trips to do with the kids.  We did NEED this cruise and wouldn't have traded it for the world but we just kept seeing things we wish we could have shared with the kids.  David's family loves to go on cruises so I'm sure we'll go again soon and will get to share it with our kids, I can't wait!

Anyway, as I said, we want to do more date nights.  I was planning one for David -- one I knew HE would love -- a LOST series finale date night.  I woke up one morning and decided to do it that night, so it was kind of thrown together but come off really well.   I got all my ideas from this great website The Dating Divas, they are a bunch of married women that give ideas on how to date your hubby.  I love it! 

So, our date...

I planned on doing a few theme things for David and I to enjoy after the kids went to bed but as I was getting ready I realized the girls would really enjoy a lot of this, too.  So, I decided we would have a family night first, put the kids to bed, and then we'd have our date night time.  It was a great night!!

Our "Dharma" stuff.  Food, a manual (love notes from all of us), a gift which was a shirt with the Dharma symbol:

Our LOST cake. This could have looked a lot cuter but like I said, last minute.

Here we are in our jammies, eating our LOST cake and watching The Incredibles in our life boat (kiddie pool).  This was my favorite part of the night.  Playing in the life boat was SO much fun!  I blew it up while the kids were napping and it was standing up in the kitchen when the girls woke up.  Lyla walked into the kitchen and gasped, she said "Its my big boat!".  She has been so hung up on boats lately!  She is CRAZY about them.  And I thought it was hilarious she knew it was a boat!!  Its very similar to the kiddie pool my mom has at her house so I thought I'd have to convince them it was a boat and not a pool but, nope. 

Playing in the boat was so fun! They loved to "fall out" and let David and I save them. They loved to swim in the "water". They loved to ride the side of the boat like a horsie. Let me tell you, putting a blow up kiddie pool in your den creates a ton of creative play. We will do this again just for the heck of it!

Then the kids went to bed, we turned on the season finale and drank our Dharma White Wine.  :o)  Good times.

More Funny stories

Yesterday after naps Lyla announced her name is now "Juicy".  The girls have never named anything before.  I've tried to get them to name their dolls but the "names" they come up with are always "Dollie" or "Baby".  So when she gave herself a name I tried to encourage her and asked her what Pressley's name is.  Before Lyla could answer, Pressley said "My name Strawberry!".  So cute.

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This morning the girls have been spending a lot of time playing with their kitchen set.  They were putting the play food in their "purses" and chatting with each other, it was sweet.  Then Lyla comes over to me with her purse full and says "bye-bye Mommy!  I'm going shopping for new shoes!".  I think it struck me as cute because she was so specific.

And now...

Tooth #2!! 

Go Kru!!

Kru News

First of all....

WE HAVE A TOOTH!!

It must have come through last night because it was not there yesterday.  I knew it was coming and told my mom this week that I thought it would be soon, and sure enough!  There it is!  Its his lower left (if you're looking at him) tooth.  And I've tried to get a picture, but its not quite big enough to show up, but I'll get one soon.  

And, just to document for myself.  I've been making Kru his big boy food, just like I did with the girls.  He started on carrots, just like the girls did and he's also eaten homemade pears.   I hate to admit this, but he has had 3 jars of Earth's Best.  The girls never ate a bite of store bought food but I just wasn't sure I'd have the time this go round, so I bought a few jars.  I even started Kru on Earth's Best and he wasn't crazy about it.  I thought it was just the new taste and tried again, still not to crazy about it.  So I tasted it and it does that that "store bought baby food taste".  I know they don't put any junk in there, but it still tastes weird to me.  So, I whipped up a huge batch of organic carrots and pears -- it took me all of 30 minutes from start to finish and I now have 4 ice cube trays of each.  

The first time I fed him "my" carrots he couldn't get enough!  Kept opening his mouth for more.  IWe even ended up with a clean bib because he didn't spit them out.  It made me so glad I did it.  And I had forgotten how fast it can go and how rewarding it is.  I remember with the girls thinking I could seriously make baby food for a living.  And now I remember why I felt that way!  I just love it.   So did my girls.  And now, so does my boy.  Yay!
 
 

I love this picture

Pressley's Owie Eye, Day 2

Pressley's Owie Eye

My girl has an owie.  She fell off a stool in the kitchen.  Every time I look at her it breaks my heart.  But she is fine.  Playing like she always does.  I'm praising God for his protection, it could have been much worse.

Greenville Children's Museum

A couple of weeks ago the Moms of Multiples Club paid for all the members to go to Greenville's new Children's Museum downtown.  I didn't think I was going to be able to make it but in the end we were able to go!  My mom watched Kru so I could have a fun morning out with the girls.  It was so wonderful!  One of the best days I've had in a long time.  I just loved being able to explore with my sweet girls.  And, they loved it, too.  We have been hoping to go soon but were a little put off by the cost but now that we've been I would tell anyone to GO!  Its well worth the money.

There was a kid-sized grocery store that the girlies LOVED.  This was probably their favorite thing to do.  They both loved filling up their grocery carts but all of the pictures I got of Pressley she is looking away from the camera -- at her groceries, apparently she was either too busy to give me a good picture or I just didn't do a good job of getting a good picture of her.  But, I did get some good ones of her working the cash register, which she loved.  All of the food items had big barcodes that would actually scan at the check out and she thought that was just too cool.

They also had a little cake decorating station -- just like in a real grocery store.

They had this AWESOME play area in the middle of the museum. The girlies were still too young to climb on it (you have to be 3) but enjoyed playing under it and around it. There were also some other little play things around it they enjoyed. Like the mirror steps you could walk on.

They have a fun little construction-site room.

And a light-up tube you could crawl through.

They also had a farm room. It was adorable. It had a little farm house with fully stocked kitchen, fireplace and child-sized lounge chair. It also had farm animals. A hen-house, with eggs that fell into a basket. A cow you could milk and some rows of "dirt" you could plant flowers and veggies in. I loved this room, it was my favorite. The girlies loved it, too.

We can't wait to go back!  And hopefully, Daddy and Kru can go with us next time.

Changes...

We've been making a lot of changes around here.  Good ones!

We are eating MUCH healthier.  We got rid off all high fructose corn syrup and hydrogenated oils.  We are eating hormone/antibiotic free meats.  Eating more veggies and beans (since the healthier meat is much more expensive).  I feel this is the way God designed our bodies to eat.  There was no chicken nugget tree in the garden of Eden.  These amazing bodies he has given us have adapted very well and we are able to eat the crap thats all around us, but it isn't part of his original design for us.  So, we're trying to be a little more natural with our eating habits.

Its been wonderful!  I love watching my girls snack on fruit, hummus and edamamme -- all of which they LOVE.    Instead of cookies or fruit snacks.

I'm back to making my own granola.  Yummy!!

I've started making my own wheat bread.  There is nothing like the smell of a fresh baked bread.

We've only been this way a little over a month and I can see a big change in the way I feel.  I have more energy and less of that rock-in-my-belly feeling.  I'm also losing weight!  Yea!

We are doing more organic.  I"m trying very hard to at least stick to the "dirty dozen" when buying produce but if I do buy something non-organic am using fruit and veggie wash -- at least that makes me feel better.

I just can't tell you how much better I feel knowing this way of eating is what I"m teaching my children.  Not to eat out or buy processed foods -- which we used to eat a lot of.  

Now, don't get me wrong, you will still see us eating "bad for you foods" from time to time.  But if we abide by this new lifestyle at least 80% of the time, thats a HUGE change, right?  Every little bit helps.