Comfort and Joy

I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will
give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow.
Jeremiah 31:13

Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Going to be a Christ Methodist Boy

Austin has been accepted at Christ Methodist Day School and will start Pre-K there in the fall.  We are really excited about him being a student there and feel 100% sure that this is where the Lord has him.  It is a precious school that I feel confident is a good fit for Austin and our family.  I am really looking forward to seeing him grow and flourish at this precious school.

A little about Christ Methodist:

Philosophy

Christ Methodist Day School was established on the belief that each individual is a child of God, a unique expression of His will.  We, the staff, faculty, and parents, are committed to the task of helping each child develop his/her full potential academically, physically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually.  It is our goal to help each child learn from the concept that God planned and created this world and all that is in it.  Such a Christ-centered environment should equip the child to meet the challenges of later years from a Christian perspective.  Christ Methodist Day School believes that learning is enhanced when the home, school, community, and church work together.
Mission Statement
Christ Methodist Day School is dedicated to quality Christian elementary education for boys and girls.  We promote spiritual development, academic excellence, social responsibility, and personal integrity.
Vision
Our vision is for all students at CMDS to develop into:
  • Students who embrace the love of God as demonstrated by the life and sacrifice of His son, Jesus Christ, and who strive to grow in spiritual maturity as they follow Him.
  • Students who take responsibility for excellence in their own learning by pursuing academic challenges, and who learn to think critically and creatively under the guidance of nurturing and qualified teachers.
  • Students who value and respect diversity, and who treat others with the love of Christ.
  • Students who conduct themselves with honesty and integrity.
Beliefs
  • Each student is a unique creation of God with spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional, and social needs.
  • Children's talents and abilities are acknowledged and reinforced allowing each student to develop spiritually and scholastically.
  • Each student is encouraged to develop a sense of Christian values toward family, school, society, and self.
  • Developmentally appropriate teaching methods and challenging expectations allow students to reach their potential as independent learners.
  • Students are provided learning opportunities in a safe and stimulating environment.
  • Learning is enhanced in a Christian atmosphere where there is a cooperative effort among church, teachers, parents, and community.
  • We believe in a learning environment which respects ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity.

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Ski Trip

This past Friday the family loaded up and drove to Maine for a weekend with friends.  David took off Friday from work so we left Boston around 9:30 and drove straight to Freeport, Maine to stop for lunch and walk around the outlets.

The LL Bean Flagship store is there which was really neat to see.  The boys enjoyed the fish pond and aquarium.
Watching the fish at LL Bean flagship store in Maine At LL Bean Flagship store in Maine
There was a bubble in the aquarium that you could stick your head in and feel like you were inside the tank with the fish. The boys got a big kick out of that.

 We also stopped in a few more stores but it was more work than it was worth to shop with kids. Patagonia store
We left Freeport and drove the last 1.5 hours to Bethel, Maine.  Miller took a 45 minute nap and sweet Austin stayed completely quiet the whole time so "Mudder" could sleep.  It was really sweet. Sweet boy sleeping in the car
I know Miller's paci is orange with pink and yes David does hate it but paci's are hard to keep up with so we just go with it.

Once we got to the cabin we suited up in our snow gear and played outside.  The daddy's pulled the kids and mommy's on the sleds around the house and down to the resort. It was really fun and the boys loved it.
IMG_1516 Taking a ride on the sled with the kiddos
 Saturday we woke up early to a delicious breakfast and headed for the slopes. All the kids stayed at the ski resorts daycare while the parents skied all day. I was a little nervous about how the boys would do being left at a place they didn't know but they really did well. It helped that their friends were there as well. Austin because he was over 3 got to try out skiing with an instructor. David and I skied for a little while and then came down to the bottom of the mountain to watch Austin. Skiing
I should have listened to my husband and not let Austin see us. We watched him come down the bunny slope one time with his instructor and then I heard him say he didn't want to do it again.

I thought if he saw us he would try it again but my plan backfired. A skiing 2
He instead got really upset when he realized we were continuing to ski without him and he was going back to the daycare.  He kept saying that he wanted to go home (which meant the cabin).  David tried skiing with him one time and then the poor instructor had to pick him up and ski down the rest of the mountain back to the daycare with him screaming in his arms.  It was pretty traumatic and I was really sad about it.  If you ask him now though he will tell you that he loved it and wants to do it again so obviously it didn't leave a lasting impression.

 David and I went back up the mountain and found our friends. Steph & I Its on like donkey king
We continued to ski the rest of the day until we hit the point where we were all freezing and ready to get warm and see our kids.  We picked up the kids and headed back to the cabin.

Each couple was responsible for a meal over the weekend.  One couple cooked a delicious Thai dinner which we all enjoyed after the kids were put to bed.
The girls with babes The boys
The girls
The next morning the boys woke up bright and early (5:40 am) ready to see their friends. We convinced them to lay quietly until 6:15 and then they were ready to start the day. I was in charge of breakfast so we went ahead and got up and going. The boys wrestled while I prepared breakfast. IMG_5951
2 of the families headed back early on Sunday so we made sure we got a picture of all the kids before they left.
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Austin and Miller love Sebastian.  They have become quite the trio!IMG_5974IMG_5975
I love this next picture of Remi on the move and all the big kids just watching him.
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I'll do another post from our Sunday adventures.

Sunday, February 26, 2012

a little tease of our weekend...

On the lift Skiing A skiing 2
Be back soon with a recap and more pictures...stay tuned!

Friday, February 24, 2012

Five for Friday

1.  Another tasty and healthy recipe to try.  No Bake Energy Bites.  Austin loves them and told me the other day "Keep making these mommy, I love them!".  I think that is a good enough reason to keep making them.
Energy bites Energy bites 2

2.  Naps are still hit or miss with Austin.  4 out of 5 days he doesn't fall asleep but he honestly doesn't need it like he used too.  I just need him to be quiet so I can have some peace and quiet and so he doesn't wake Miller.  I made a chart and for every day he doesn't get a knock on the door telling him to be quiet he receives a sticker.  2 out of 3 days he's received a sticker.  Hoping this will help some. Nap time chart

 3. Austin is a finger sucker, has been his whole life. It's time for him to quit. He teeth are moving and he is sucking his fingers raw. He is sucking them dry and then they split open. Pretty gross so its time to stop. I made a chart for that too and everyday he doesn't suck his fingers he gets a sticker. After 14 stickers he gets the dump truck at the toy store he has been eyeing for months. He wanted this dump truck when he became potty trained and I said no because it was too expensive. Now I'm willing to buy about anything to get him to stop sucking his fingers. Only 2 out of the last 4 days has he received stickers. He will suck the nasty tasting stuff we put on them off and then go right back to sucking. He is a strong willed little guy.  Hoping these 2 visuals will help remember.  Sucking fingers chart

4. I saw this on Pinterest the other day and loved it.  I need it for the boys room.  I have said this to all 3 of my boys since they were born and now Austin says it to me.  So precious!
Source: etsy.com via Brittany on Pinterest

5.  Embarrassing photo of me but prime example of why you need to pray for my husband.  He asked me to smile for the camera and this is the face I made.  I wonder where Miller gets his quirkiness from. 
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Happy Friday!

Tuesday, February 21, 2012

Weekend recap with Instagram

Close to mommyDriving the bus
1.  Always close to mommy
2.  Playing in the plane at the Childrens Museum
Playing in the kitchenLove!
3.  Playing in the kitchen at the Childrens Museum
4.  Walking with daddy to get donuts
Such a good dadAre these Cheetos?
5.  Needing a break from walking
6.  At the office supply store Austin asked "Are these Cheetos?"
Loves his fries at Tasty BurgerBe still my heart
7.  Enjoying some french fries at Tasty Burger
8.  Driving home from church and I turned around and saw this.  The sweetest picture I've ever seen.

Friday, February 17, 2012

Five for Friday

1.  Days like I have had this week make me wish for a bigger house.  1000 square feet is pretty small when there are 4 of you.  Austin is supposed to be napping in my bedroom because the boys can't nap together and I can hear him everyday when he is supposed to be napping.  I am trying not to let it bother me but it drives me crazy.  Our bedrooms share a door so I have to go in there numerous times to tell him to be quiet so he doesn't wake his brother.  I wish I could stick him on the other side of the house where I didn't have to worry about him waking Miller or I wish he would nap.  A girl can wish!

2.  I love Adele!  I love that she rocked it at the Grammy's. 138352792PH099_The_54th_Ann
She totally deserves it.  I love listening to her while cooking dinner and trying to relax (hard when there are 2 little munchkins running wild during the witching hour but it definitely helps tune them out a little).  A new band my husband introduced me to is The Civil Wars.
grammywins
They too are pretty incredible.  My new favorite thing is Pandora with either Adele or Civil Wars Station on.

3. We are going skiing with some friends in a couple weeks and we are super excited.  I hope I can remember how to ski.  Its been a while.  Hoping its like riding a bike.
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4.  I have been very sad about Forrest lately.  I think now when the waves of sadness and grief hit me it feels like a punch in the gut.  Over 4 years have passed since he left us but there are moments where I feel like it was yesterday.  Our church had a precious ceremony on Sunday where they presented the first graders with their first bible.  The child picked the person who has been most instrumental in their Christian walk and that is the person who presented the bible to them.  It was such a sweet time and I immediately thought of how Forrest would have been our first to receive his bible.  I envisioned David giving the bible to Forrest and I just lost it.  I really can't explain it except to refer to my quote of feeling like you have lost a limb.  Most days you live life normally with one less limb but then at times you realize the limb is gone and life is harder without it.  I miss him so much.  I saw this quote and was reminded of the beauty that has come from his life and legacy.



5. On the note of blessed things we have had some incredible volunteers head up new projects for the Forrest Spence Fund.  These volunteers are such a blessing to the Fund and I am so excited about the new programs we have started at Le Bonheur because of them.

Our friend Cozy has started making these precious Kimono's for the babies in the NICU.  They work perfectly because they velcro around all the tubes.
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Aren't they the cutest things?  The staff at Le Bonheur loved them and can't wait for the babies to wear them.  They will be such a blessing to the babies and parents.
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Our friend Holly has headed up the Unit Appreciation program for the Fund.  Each month we are picking 1 or 2 units to appreciate at Le Bonheur and let them know how much we appreciate them.  Holly just delivered the first months goody bags to the Cardiac Units.  We picked the CVICU and Cardiac Floor because February is Heart Awareness month.  Holly did a GREAT job on the goody bags and the staff wrote thanking me for such a precious gift. P1210830-001P1210857-001P1210843-001
The poem below says:
Hearts are Red,
Sometimes families are 'Blue'
Thank you for the uplifting
& loving things that you do!
-The Forrest Spence Fund.

Holly came up with that...so perfect!
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Any advice on what to do with my no napping kid to keep him quiet so his brother can sleep?

Thursday, February 16, 2012

Valentine's Day

We had a great Valentine's Day.  The boys received balloons and homemade fruit snacks (which tasted terrible). I found the pin on pinterest and thought I would give it a shot but she didn't put that they taste terrible.
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At the beginning of February the boys and I created a Valentine box to put notes and special things in until Valentine's. This was a big hit with Austin. One of his biggest love languages is affirmation so he loved seeing what was written about him/for him each day. Miller liked it too but not as much as Austin. I haven't quite figured out his love language yet. =)
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The balloons were a big hit though.  I look at them as the gift that keeps on giving because my boys will play with these for days.
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My funny valentines
Miller woke up earlier than Austin from his nap so we had a little quality time together. IMG_5939IMG_5936 IMG_5935
My sweet husband came home from work, took the boys with him to the grocery store, and then came home to cook me a delicious dinner. I think him taking the boys to the grocery store for 20 minutes of quiet was the best gift. I read by myself and it was perfect.  The dinner was delicious as well.  I have always said that if David had more free time I think he could be a great cook.  He unfortunately doesn't have any free time.
 Making my v-day dinner!
David's valentine gift was homemade banana pudding.  This is his favorite dessert so he loved it.  We are also celebrating this Saturday night with a date out.

I felt very blessed this Valentine's Day to be surrounded by 3 boys who love me.