Owning Your Problems

I am taking a Love and Logic Parenting class on Thursday nights. Last week's lesson was on "Ownership of the problem." "A child who knows his problems are the concern of another, concerns himself with none of his problems," says Jim Fay (Love and Logic guru).

This really hit home with me and my little Kenyon. He lives a very carefree life and I suddenly realized how he doesn't have to worry about much because I am worrying for him. I spent lots and lots of time this week kindly "giving" him back his problems and trying (emphasize TRYING) to not let him see me worrying about them.

So after a pretty successful week, I was able to go volunteer in his class at school today. I was there first thing in the morning as all of the kids were walking into class. They would each take out their homework folder and put their homework and behavior calendars in a basket at the back of the room. I noticed Kenyon instead wandered over to check out the classroom pet gecko and then slowly meandered to his desk. At this point his teacher came back to give me my instructions. Thankfully I know and love his teacher who also taught Maya. I said, "Kenyon didn't turn in his homework/calendar." She replied that he never does and the helpers always have to go get it.

"Hmmm," I thought.

So I strolled over to him and whispered, "Kenyon, where is your homework and calendar?"

Kenyon replied, "In my backpack."

I asked, "Why didn't you turn it in?"

"The helpers always get it out for me," he stated.

And that's when I realized how true this all is - he is a smart kid who has figured it out. At home, mom takes care of everything and at school, his personal assistants/helpers do.

(Picture taken after the boys' recent haircuts)

Baby Noah

 In case you were wondering... Baby Noah is still with us and cuter than ever!

He is sleeping through the night now which makes me love him all the more.

 

 

These pictures were taken after church a couple of weeks ago... I think he was ready for a nap! :)

Mornings

Our mornings are full of rush, rush, rush to get Maya and Kenyon to the bus stop by 7:30 am. Once they are on the bus, we come home to clean and do laundry. When I am really focused on cleaning, I will discover these 2 running around playing together.

Then I look closer and they are usually up to something naughty. This day it was chalking Devin's face. "Owen putting on makeup," Devin said.

Some days we venture out to places like the library and put quarter after quarter in the car just to see those smiles!

And on Tuesdays and Thursdays while Devin is at preschool and Noah at daycare, Owen and I venture even further to have lunch with friends or on this day we went to the Mexican Market - always an adventure there!

Life is good and I feel like I am finally adjusting to being a Mommy to 5. I can always tell when I am coming out of my "new kid haze" when my house is a little cleaner and I venture out more and more. This "coming out" usually coincides with the baby sleeping through the night - Thank you Noah for now giving me 10 hours at night!

Very blessed to have these 5 great kids!

Winter Weather

Crazy rainstorms today in Mesa, Arizona. As I was driving the kids to school through flooded roads it looked like this:

My first thought was, Arizonans don't know how to drive in Winter weather. My second thought was, I have become an Arizonan! I used to drive up and down Parley's Canyonin Utah in crazy snow storms and now I am frightened to drive in a little rain.

Poor Devin is TERRIFIED of thunder and spent most of the day hiding or clinging to me. A friend suggested I get a recording of thunder and play it on days I need him to be more mellow.

 

It sure was a nice change from the heat, but now I am ready for our true winter weather: sunny and 70 degrees days!

Project Complete

Our little remodel has been completed for several weeks, but I have been waiting until I have all of the finishing decorating touches done (still want bedding for the boys' beds and throw pillows for the couches!) and Jer finishes the last items on the to do list before posting pictures. Then I realized it might not ever be done since it is a constant work in progress so here is the state it is in now!

Here are some before pictures of the loft from several years ago:

And after:

We did a big closet (it even has 2 windows!) and I am loving it! The boys' toys are all in there and I have all of their old clothes organized in bins which makes for fast switches when one of them needs a bigger size of clothes.

Very happy with the end result. I thought I would miss the huge loft, but I love, love, love sending the boys to their room to play and the extra room for sleeping at night is great. So lucky to be married to such a handyman who transformed this place in just 2 weeks.

Maya's Trip to the Salon

After a long summer of lots of swimming and a husy Mommy that might have not braided Maya's hair as often as I should have, Maya's hair needed some attention. I scheduled for a deep condition and braid at a local beauty school.

She thought she was the coolest!

We lucked out and got a girl who has been braiding siblings and friends hair for 14 years. I have always prided myself on doing hair, but I think this lady showed me up! :)

Very happy with the finished product after being at the salon for 3 hours. We will be doing this again!