in the water again

enmeshed

Some days this is how I feel.

we're back

OK, so where do I even begin.

Here are the parents in the the new Free Style. Before we pulled out of the drive way we told the kids we making a trip to Disney. They just thought we were about to make a trip to the beach, boy were they surprised!

This was out first ride, Magic Carpets. My man and I were like little kids. For the first two hours I constantly had tears in my eyes. I was just oozing with joy! The kids had no idea what to expect. They never knew what the next ride would be or what character they’d see. We were both shocked at how brave they ALL were. They rode everything!

I hate to say it, but I was such a dork. I was the mom who was super excited and kept pumping up the kids, my man did too. Here we are with Mickey Mouse!

I thought the kids would be scared of the characters, I was so wrong. #2 had the cutest grin on her face as she walked up to hug each one.

It was CRAZY! We went during one of the slowest weeks at Disney World. Our wait time for almost every ride was 10 minutes of less. An added bonus was the weather. There was a perfect breeze which made for a sweat free day! This is #1 in jail with Zurg. He loved the Buzz Light Year ride. His favorite was Space Mountain. He was able to ride it twice.

We packed lots of snacks and our lunch. That saved time and money. We ate dinner in the park and we all got an ice cream each day. #3 instinctively picked the messiest one.

After visiting the Magic Kingdom we took a day off to rest. We hit the pool and the beach. The pool was SUPER FREEZING COLD, but of course the kids got in anyway. That night we saw the best animated movie EVER: Meet the Robinsons. I was so happy to have a day to recover before we did MGM.

Well, I am exhausted. More to tell tomorrow….

disney here we come!

I am so stinking excited. Finally we are headed to Orlando. We were supposed to be getting back from vacation today but the kids have been sick for over a week with strep & bronchitis. So, we’re loading up the new Ford FreeStyle & heading south. Did I mention I got a BRAND new car this week?!

wow, what a fit

I need some chill time. #2 just had a fit from hell right on the floor in a shoe store. It was bad, I mean real real bad.

Here is how it went down.

We’d been shoe shopping for a while. All the kids were having a tough time obeying. It was our last stop and they were on their last warning: running in the store results in no candy or ice cream for 2 days. (This is so important to them, they only get 2 pieces of candy a day) I am looking at girls tennis shoes when I realize #2 and her brother are no where to be seen. I stop, call their names, not just once, but FOUR times. I get NO response. The store is very large. I move toward the front and call for them again, on the 3rd time they come sprinting toward me. As they approach I calmly say, ” Sorry guys, you just lost your candy and ice cream.” Next thing I know #2 is on the floor kicking her legs saying, “I WANT my CANDY!” It totally took me by surprise, I had to turn my head b/c I almost started laughing. So I ignored her. She kept on, increasing her volume with each statement. I stop and say, “excuse me” to the salesman. I turn to her and threaten another consequence: losing her beloved stuffed cat “Lucy” for an entire night if she does not get up and calm down. She decides to give me the evil stare and call out to me, “I don’t like the way you act mommy!” I am thinking, “Oh no she did not just say that! Who has possessed my child?” I kept thinking, surely this isn’t real, I mean I was unprepared. I had ZERO warning this fit was coming on and she’s never acted this ugly in public before. Well, I wish I could type that I was able to reason with her and we all walked happily out to our car, but that was no where close to what happened. It got much worse.

We are safe at home now. All the kids are quiet and in separate rooms so I can just sit and be still. I am really in shock. There were times I just wanted to scream to the top of my lungs but thankfully God helped me remain calm. Now I did raise my voice several times throughout the whole ordeal, but for the most part I remained relatively calm.

Update: Things are continually going down hill. #1 is emotional, the dog just chewed up his favorite lego guy: Star Wars Boba Fett. #3 is crying due to another skinned up knee and she is running a fever.

I think an early bedtime will be on the schedule for tonight.

the sweetest name I know

The kids were sitting at the counter in the kitchen finishing their lunch when #2 asked me, “Where did God get all His power and why did He create us?” Well those are some mighty big questions that opened up a mighty big conversation. We all four sat and went through creation, Adam and Eve and the choice/free will he gave to all people. Then I began to explain just how important Jesus is and what He means to me. I tell you, sharing my love for Christ with my kids, just the mention of his name, made my eyes swell up with tears. Tears of gratitude and love for a Savior who has blessed me with grace, understanding and unconditional love. In the end I could tell she didn’t understand it all yet, but I am so thankful for her questions and desire to learn.

first bath

We gave Charlie his first bath in the Edwards’ tub last night. He wasn’t really crazy about getting bathed but he did surprisingly well with the blow dryer.