November
Thanksgiving 2011
I thought I'd do a general update on the family since I've been seriously neglecting the blog this fall. I'll try to go back wards and fill in some things that I have been meaning to get on the blog after this. I've finally started downloading pictures directly to my lap top so that I can (hopefully) do some blogging while I have shirts going through my embroidery machine in the evenings.
*Disclaimer--I have hard time doing updates like this about my kids because I always feel like I'm saying, "Look how great my kids are! They are WAY smarter/cuter/sweeter than YOUR kids!" LOL Please know that is not my intention. I'm just trying to give family and friends some insight on what the boys are up to these days :)
Logan: Logan is 4 1/2 now and getting smarter every day. He loves his pre-k class and goes to school on M/W/F. He can write his name, all of his letters, is learning to add and subtract and is constantly asking "How do you spell_____?" and questions like, "2 plus 21 is what?" He still loves trucks, trains, airplanes, construction vehicles and anything else with wheels. He's singing in the 4 and 5 year old church choir this year and it is stinkin' adorable! They sang in church for the first time in October and we could not have been more proud. We're also doing a service oriented program at church that is geared towards teaching pre-school age kids to give back. We did a bake sale to raise money for the angel tree kids (these kids raised $2,000!!!) and will go this weekend to buy presents for the angels that were selected to match our children's ages. We also have prepared gift bags for children in the hospital and sent care packages over seas to our military. I'm *hoping* that he is getting what Christmas is really all about and learning to think outside of his little world. The MOST important lesson that I can teach my children is gratitude. I heard a quote the other day that said, "To be grateful is to be happy." and I think that is absolutely true. If you are thankful for what you have, you are not stuck in that constant need/desire for more and more all the time and you are simply happy with where you are and what you have.
Every day he does or says something that reminds me what a neat little person he is turning into. I enjoy being around him and hearing his thoughts on things. We're slowly broaching the subject of kindergarden next year. Logan does not handle change well and would be perfectly happy to eat the same things/do the same things day after day. He is SUCH a rule follower and does not understand why sometimes the other kids do not follow the rules. (Sound like anyone else you know?! Apple doesn't fall far from the tree.....Shane.....You know I love you, honey! xo) We work extra hard to encourage him to try to new things and to reinforce it with something postive when he does. He is very hard on himself, so I do not have to correct him often. Sometimes when I praise him, he'll come back and say soemthing like, "No, Mommy. I wasn't very good because I didn't listen to you." I have mixed emotions about it. On one hand, I like that he can recognize when he makes mistakes and that he is honest enough to admit it. However, I want him to have a high self esteem. I'm always looking for ways to build his confidence through experiences and for opportunities to praise him when he is stepping outside his comfort zone.
Graham is now 14 months old and changing every day. If you blink, you miss something with him. Today, he learned how to flush the toilet! (I'm not sure that is a good thing...) In bigger news then that, he is now walking! About a week ago, he started taking some steps here and there, and he's getting braver. I've seen him take about 7 or 8 steps at a time now. He's also talking and says, "Dada," "Mama" "kitty cat" and "bye bye." (We're also pretty sure that we heard him say, "Logan" today.) We're doing sign language with him, as we did with Logan, and he now signing "eat" and "more." We had to remove the knobs from our bathtub because figured out how to turn on the water. One of his favorite things to do is crawl out of the bathroom while I'm in the shower and then shut the door behind him. Then, I have to rush through my shower because I have no idea what he is getting into while I'm in there. (We have those double swinging doors that don't look. Mental note: I need a child proof thing for that door!) He can be half way up the stairs before you even blink, so we have to be extra diligent with our baby gates. He is a huge eater and can out eat almost anyone in the family. He signs "more, more!!" over and over. He loves to laugh--especially at Logan--and is already loving his big brother's cars and trains. I can say that I have honestly enjoyed every single baby phase with him to the fullest. I stare at him every night while I'm putting him to sleep and just soak in those moments. You just blink and they're four. (Just FYI, I still sneak into Logan's room and stare at him while he is sleeping too.)
And, me? Well, things are going good for me! I'm working my way closer to the mystical word of "balance." I'm trying to be more present in my life and live in the moment more. I've had to let go of some things and activities in order to make time for my business and allow plenty of family time. It's been a tough process, but I'm learning that I cannot do it all. It's better to keep the things in your life that you truly love and that make you a better person. My business is going wonderful. I'm truly grateful and amazed by what this has turned into. I'm finishing up my second highest sales month ever (second only to September 2011 which was insane. I think I'm still recovering from September...) My new mantra is: "Stress is a choice." I heard that on a pod cast the other day, and it's really helped me put things in perspective.
Okay, I promise to update again soon! I have Halloween pictures still to post that you can't miss because the boys were super cute and scary :)
Posted in: on Tuesday, November 29, 2011 at at 10:45 PM 1 comments
She made him a little pumpkin smash cake. So cute!
Family picture before cake
Blow out the candle, Graham!
Yummy!
He made a mess, but not quite as bad as his brother did at his first birthday. 
Then, we let him open presents from us. He loved the packages and the bows!
