Another Saturday at EPCOT

I love Disney Christmas decorations. There is nothing like it in the world I truely believe. It makes the parks even more magical! At EPCOT you get to see how each country celebrates and decorates for Christmas. I also love how they have the different looking Santas in each country. This year the Christmas tree in America had trains running under and around it. Of course our boys LOVED this! We had to stand here for a long time to watch and discover. Right across the way the Candlelight Procession was going on and John O'Hurly was the guest speaker. Sean and I enjoyed listening to the beautiful voices sing and John talk.

Sean with the singers and O'Hurly behind him in the background Sean and I

Christmas Decorations

I had the desire to put out Christmas decorations today so I figured I'd better take advantage of this desire. The problem was that Sean had to work today and all the decoration are in the attic. The way to get into the attic this in the garage and you have to climb a latter to get in. I've been wanting to get stairs so bad but we haven't done it yet. So Boston was my helper and held the latter and I passed things to him. He was so excited about this! I got most everything down except a few boxes that were too heavy to hand him. We managed to get both trees up and decorated. The boys were especially excited when we opened up the kids Christmas box. We have a Fisher Price nativity set, a Christmas train and many other fun things. Below is a picture of the santa Aunt Margie sent us a few years ago that moves and says the entire "Twas the Night Before Christmas" story. They all sat there quietly and very focused on Santa.

Thanksgiving 2008

Happy Thanksgiving. This year we went over to Sean's parents house for lunch where his Uncle Ty and his daughter and granddaughters were in town. We had a nice lunch and the kids played on the playground a little until Boston feel off the side of the slide and gave me a heartattack.

Then we headed to my parents house for Thanksgiving Dinner with all our family traditonal foods. Sweet Potatoe pie, green bean casserole, squash casserole, mashed potatoes, turkey and gravey. Yummy! I brought a bread turkey over for fun as well. We were very stuffed after two Thanksgiving meals!

Making cookies with the boys

Today we made tollhouse cookies, the first of a lot of cookie making over the holidays! I love making cookies with the boys...I just don't like the clean up. Ha Ha! It brings back so many beautiful memories from my childhood and making cookies with my mom. Licking the spoon and eating more batter than cookies! I'm so blessed to be able to create these memories with my own children.

They were so excited about making the cookiesDallas and his yummy batter
Boston and his batter spoon

The boys playing music while waiting for the cookies to finish baking. It was nice and LOUD in the kitchen..LOL

Girls night out

Tonight a few of my girlfriends and I went out to dinner at California Pizza Kitchen and then to Starbuck to continue getting out of the house a little longer! When you are at home all day with childen having a night out with your girlfriends is just so important!!

Out of school for Thanksgiving

The kids are out of school all week for Thanksgiving so I wanted to have some fun things planned to do. So yesterday we went to EPCOT with Nena for a little while and the boys rode the Mexican boatride, kind of like Smal World and loved it! Then headed to the lakehouse just in time to catch a beautiful Sunset. It had been a while since we've been to the lakehouse so we had a ball! Although it was cold outside the boys still enjoyed playing on the beach and getting wet!! I don't know how they didn't freeze to death. Boston was out there swimming in it!

Epcot again

Back to EPCOT again today. We sure have been enjoying this park as a family recently. We sometimes park at the Contemporary Hotel and ride the long monorail over. The kids love this.

Asher enjoys holding on to the rail.

Our pond

We are really enjoying the pond being back up again. For at least a year the pond was all dried up and all our ducks and otters went away. The ducks are back and we have enjoyed feeding them again. Although Dillard scares them away a lot of the time.

Luke's b-day party

Today the boys had a fun time at their friend Luke's birthday party.

Playing in the hay after the obstacle course

Dallas climbing the rock wall. Asher in the background. Asher loved sliding down the slide with Boston

Boston getting ready for his turn in the bug obstacle course. Asher even participated and was so cute. Dallas enjoyed finding all the different bugs.

Pizza and cupcakes...yummy!

Dallas lip licking

Dallas has started a habit of licking his lips, top and bottom. He does it so often now that it almost scabs up.

My boy time

So I've come to realize that I have special time with each boy most days of the week. On Monday, Wednesday, and Fridays while Dallas is in school in the morning Asher and I spend the mornings together. Then when Asher takes his afternoon nap Dallas and I have our time together. And usually once Asher and Dallas have gone to bed Boston and I will have what he calls a "hang out" time together. He'll often come in and ask me, "Mom, can we have a hang out?" Since Sean is working a lot he's usually gone or working from the home office, so I have that time to spend with Boston. I didn't realize I was having these special alone times with each child until this week. I realized how great it is for me and for them. It's amazing sometimes the things they want to do when their brothers aren't around, or how different they act, or the smile on their face when they know they have my undivided attention. Dallas often wants to go jump on the neighbors trampoline, swing in the front yard or have me tickle him over and over again. Boston enjoys talking, reading books together, helping me with whatever I'm doing or coloring. Asher is so young he still pretty much follows me around but he also enjoys swinging, walking to the mailbox, or going to get a cookie at Publix with me. I'm so grateful to be able to have these special moments with each of them. They are each so special and different in their own ways and I love them all!!!

Dallas Neuro Surgeron Appt

Dallas had an appointment today with a Neuro Surgeon today. The Neurologist wanted to have him look at the ventricules and a small amount of fat found on the bottom of his spine. He did say that the ventricules (which are in your brain and shaped like two bananas) are a little bit bigger than normal. It could mean water on the brain (or hydrocyphilus) but the doctor didn't seem concerned and thought maybe he was just built that way. We will have an MRI in 4 months to make sure they aren't getting bigger.

A Good Mom

Today I felt like a good mom.

Not because I baked my own bread or made homeade cupcakes for school, or because I had fancy craft time or baked a gormet meal. (I did none of those.) But because I genuienly tried to enjoy every moment of today. The good....and the bad. I never raised my voice today. I never lost my cool. I stayed calm, patient and happy. And trust me there were MANY moments that could have easily gone south for me. But I prayed all day. I talked to God constantly. It was like an ongoing 13 hour converstation with Him. Many moments I was asking Him how much more he thought I could handle. Dallas pooped in his pants while in the waiting room at the Neurosurgeons office and pooped 7 times today total. There were many tantrums, back talking, disobeidence and me questioning my parenting skills. But I stayed the course. I cherished each moment for what it was. Some were learning experiences for all of us, others were teaching character traits, others were seeing God's great love and others were pure Joy. But as I wrap up the day with the boys waiting in the other room to read some books I wanted to take a moment and record these thoughts....before they so quickly slip away.

Boston's Church Thanksgiving Program

Boston's church Wednesday night Choir class had a little Thanksgiving show for all the parents tonight. They sang a few songs about Thanksgiving and it was very cute. They also let us in on all the things they are doing and learning in class. I was impressed with all the things they are doing and all the work the teachers put into the program and I'm so happy Boston loves going and has so many precious little friends in his class!

Boston is standing in the back left

Where has the time gone?

Wow it's been 2 weeks since I have blogged! That is the longest I've gone since I started blogging about 2 years ago. The funny thing is that it really doesn't even seem like it's been that long. I feel like November came and went and I was sleeping or something. I think I've been in survival mode lately. So many tests going on with Dallas and just trying to figure out how to be the best parent for him that I can be. The stress of it all has been exhausting. The ideal mother I measure myself against in my head isn't realistic in any way at all and I'm letting her go as I pray for God to make me the best mom I can be. There's so many women out there that "display" themselves a certain way when they are away from home. The sad thing is that a lot women (me included many times) actually believe they are perfect in many ways We believe they are doing a better job at being a mommy, running a household and being the perfect wife. But the truth is that none of us are. We are all sinners and only by the grace of God can we do a great job. I do wish everyone would be transperent. And I wish we as women wouldn't compare ourselves to other women. God made us who we are, he gave us the husband that is the right match for us and he gave us the perfect children for us to parent. We are the only ones that can do the best job with them. And as hard as parenting seems sometimes I hold onto that truth. I know that he made me to be the parent for Boston, Dallas and Asher, and through him I can do the best job I can do. Again, ONLY through Him can I do it! With a constant conversation with Him all day I can parent them. It's not necessarily the "right" parenting book or the "perfect" parenting style, its by being in the Word, by drawing closer to God, that he can give me the answers I need, the wisdom I desire, and a heart like Jesus.

I'm running this race. And just when my water bottle is out and I feel like I can't go on, God always steps in, picks me up, and carries me to the finish line in record speed!

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

So for a little bit this morning I'm going to "catch up" on the last two weeks of blogging so I don't feel like they "slipped away."

Dillard the soccer player

While the boys were trying to play soccer in the backyard today Dillard wanted in on the action. Of course she was quick to get the ball away from them and not give it back. It was a funny scene watching the boys chasing her to get the ball back!

Chalk Train Tracks

While playing in the front yard today we made a train track with chalk. All the boys had a great time pretending they were trains on the track. They had a great time and mommy enjoyed watching them play so great together, even Asher in on all the fun!

T-Rex Restuarant

After a day at Disney we went to the new T-Rex restaurant at Downtown Disney with Sean's parents. Wow! It was the most amazing place. We've been to Rainforest Cafe many times but I really think this was even better. The dinasours were just awesome and the way the decorated it was like you were really there, even with an iceage area! Boston was in total awe and couldn't get over it, Dallas held his hands over his ears the entire time because it was just too much for him. We had to feed him because he wouldn't take his hands down. Asher was hilarious the whole time. He had us all laughing! He doesn't some of the cutest and funniest little things. By the very end Dallas took his hands down and started to enjoy it. He even went around with me and looked and touched the dinasours. And that's all he's talked about ever since. He said he wants to come back again tomorrow!

EPCOT: the kids favorite park

Today we headed over to EPCOT after Asher got his haircut. The kids love the extra long monorail ride over and they both agree that this is now their favorite park. And I'd have to agree. It's not as crowded or crammed together and there is hardly ever a wait for the rides. And they have lots of rides for the kids. Today we took them on Spaceship Earth for the first time. Every time we walk by they say they don't want to ride it, like they say for any ride they haven't been on. But this time there was no wait so I told Sean we are just going to walk on and say nothing to them. When we walked up they have a mural and they were both very quick to point out that God was on this mural, it was cute. Sean and I were very impressed with the renovations they have done on the ride. They even have computers for each car. And at the end they take this picture of you and use it in the little movie, it was so cute. Asher was the cutest of all the pictures with his little head bobbing around another body!

The boys favorite ride here by far is Nemo. And after you get out you can explore all the underwater stuff here. They LOVE looking at all the fish, dolphins, sting rays, sharks and all the Nemo fish as well. Asher will stand there for hours pointing and excitedly saying, "FISH!!!!" They also love the little playground area with all the shark educational stuff, they always bee line it for that. The Crush show is also very funny. Be sure to ask him where the bathroom is!

We got to ride the renovated Figment ride today too. I always loved Figment growing up and I was a little disappointed with the stuff they took out of the ride, I was a little big sentimental about that. And I don't think Asher or Dallas will ride it again because at some point they blast you with air that stinks horribly (teaching you about your sense of smell). Asher's face looked like he had smelled the most horrifying thing on earth. Dallas freaked out with the air blasting in his face and talked about the smell all day.

We tried to ride the ride in Mexico that is like It's a Small World but it was broken down. Next time...

There other favorite thing to do here is to see the outside train park that is next to Germany. They LOVE to stand here and watch the trains go by. Of course we always stop in to see our neighbor that works at our favorite restaurant in the park in Germany, Octoberfest!

We haven't yet gotten them to ride Test Track. We did ride the Energy ride (or dinosaur ride) and they all cried through most of it. A little too scary and dark (and they talk about the theory of evolution like it is what happened.) Dallas rode Soarin' once and loved it until the end when the fireworks go off on the screen. He hates fireworks so this didn't go over very well.

So that's just some of the stuff we love about this park. Each time we go we find something new and fun and look forward to going again next weekend

Asher's 1st Haircut

Asher got his first haircut today at the Barber Shop on Main Street at the Magic Kingdom. We have had all three boys get their 1st haircuts here because they make a very big deal out of it.

BEFORE

First they get Mickey stickers all over them to distract them.Then when they cut the hair they save it in a little souvenir Mickey style way so Mom and Dad have his first curls. They are also known to blow bubbles and have little light up toys to distract. Asher didn't need those because he was just so happy the whole time! (Boston and Dallas did need the assistance of those toys because they were crying most of the time!) Today we were even lucky enough to be there when the Barber Shop Quartet came in to sing. We even got to hear some Christmas songs. They even tap danced, music to Mommy's ears! After he was done he got his Mickey ears with 1st Haircut written on the back. (If you want they will also sprinkle them with pixie dust and I hear the girls get pink Mickey ears...but I wouldn't know that from experience!) To top it all off they receive a certificate. All this for $14, you can't beat that price...and at Disney non the less!!!I was very happy with his haircut. She was able to take her time and still have it long enough to see some curls. But at least it's a little of an out of control afro!

TOYS!

The toys have started to take over the house. They are creeping around into each and every room, making cleaning an hourly battle. So I determined for the uptenth time, "We have TOO many toys!" But this time I decided to DO something about it. So I collected every single toy (well almost all of them) that we have and piled them into the living room. Wow. What a beautiful, clean, non cluttered house it is now! The only problem was the huge mountain of toys now in front of the tv. So for the next few days I went through them, one toy at a time, sorting, throwing away, donating, selling pile, etc. I still have a few boxes to go through but what a difference it's made. There's less to clean up and we know where everything is! So keeping the toys under control is going to be a major goal around here!

This is a toy we have had since Boston was very small. I bought it at a garage sale and it's been one of the best toys we have. Asher and Dallas will sit and play with this for 30+ minutes and play beautifully together. Sharing, laughing and having a blast. It's these kinds of toys that are worth their weight in gold! And it's also so great to see Dallas and Asher bonding in this way. For so long Boston was the one that really took to Asher, but since he's been in school this year I've noticed a bond forming betweent these two and it's so precious!