Spring Break 2013

This was our first "real" spring break with the kids and I wanted to make the most of it.  We decided against taking them out of town, but I think we did a pretty good job of entertaining all week long.  After this week, I'm bound to be qualified for Activities Director on a cruise ship!  Thank goodness spring break is only seven days:) 



We started off the week right, eating breakfast at IHOP.  Dad even came, too!  Jackson found his perfect dish--the pancake platter.  It has two pancakes and four slices of bacon.  They really should just rename it the Jackson Platter.

 

Later that day we got out lots of Play Doh...



and then played Headbanz with Maddie.  It's a really cute game for kids where they have to ask questions to be able to guess which card is on their forehead.



On Tuesday, Jackson's buddies came over to play.  We only get to see Cason and Chase while they are in town visiting their family, so this was a fun treat.  Even better that it was 70 degrees outside and these maniacs could play until their hearts were content.  They started with a basketball game, moved on to soccer and ended with baseball.  We even got out the pitching machine and each boy had two turns batting.  Such a great way to spend an afternoon:)



After two days at home, we revved things up quite a bit by taking a journey to the Dallas Zoo.  After sitting in lots of fun traffic and being rerouted around to the back parking lot, we finally got there.  Thank goodness there were camel rides at the entrance!  My kids were pumped to take a spin on Matthew the Camel.



For some reason, Lila was all about finding the crocodiles.  Gigi very sweetly read the map with her and we set out to find them.



Before we went to the crocs, though, we wanted to see the Giants of the Savanna.  Hayley and Sawyer were the only other friends brave enough to go with us that day and we had fun on our second trip to the zoo with them.  The other time we all went, this part of the zoo was closed.  Thank goodness it was open this time.  We had worked so hard to get there!


 

We got to see the elephants in one area.




Then ostriches, gazelles...



giraffes...

 

and zebras, too.  Jackson remarked on how there were four different kinds of animals all in the same area and they were all getting along so nicely.  Good point, J man.



We really, really wanted to feed the giraffes, but the week of spring break is just not the time for it.  There were SO MANY people in this area.  This was as close as we got to these beautiful creatures.



"But, mom, I want to feed the giraffes!"




A little later we looked hard for the cheetah...

 

and found him lounging in the shade.



After lunch, we bought the kids snowcones.  Jackson's highlight of the day!  Go figure.



Then we let the kids monkey around with these guys...



which was very popular.

 

Can you tell?



By the time we made it to the flamingos, little sister was down for the count. 




We still hadn't seen the monkeys or tiger yet, though, so we trekked on in search of them.  Thank goodness the monkeys were in full swing.  They were so fun to watch!  After over four hours at the zoo, we were ready to pack it up.  The kids had fun, but their mama will NEVER be going there again during spring break.  Lesson learned.  Just go on a weekend.  Trust me!



The next day we picked up Madison and Gigi and headed out to Grapevine to go tour Legoland.  We wanted to have lunch at the Rainforest Cafe first, but there was over an hour wait, so we passed.



I spent a few dollars in change letting the kids try to "feed" the crocodile and they were just as happy.

  

Lunch ended up being in the foodcourt, which also had this fun carosel!




We want to ride!



Then it was our time to go get in line for Legoland.  We bought tickets online and had a thirty minute timeslot to be there.  Thank goodness, because the line for people just walking up and buying them that day was 3 hours long!  Spring break strikes again!  Can you sense my anxiety about this week??! 
We waited about 45 minutes and finally got inside where we learned how Legos are made.  After the little tour, they let us loose inside the park.  We went on a ride where we got to shoot the bad creatures with our laser guns...and then saw this really cool room with everything made out of Legos.



They had built the Dallas skyline, including the Ballpark in Arlington, Cowboys Stadium and the giant ferris wheel from the State Fair.  How cool!




While the girls were checking out all of that, Jackson was having a blast inside this 3 story jungle gym.  It was a little crazy in there and he fit right in.  Thank goodness the girls weren't big enough to go in--they are too sweet for all those rough boys.

 

Dirk loves Legoland, too!


 

Jackson and I waited quite a while to ride Merlin's Apprentice...




and the girls had fun in the little ones play area.

 

After that, Maddie and Jackson got to drive go carts...



and then we ended the day with a really neat 4D movie.  As we were standing in line, Lila fell asleep on my shoulder.  I didn't know any better, so I took her into the the movie and let her keep snoozing on me.  Then the movie started.  It was all good until the water hose from the screen started spraying us with REAL water!  Then the wind machine came on and it was super windy, and pretty cold!  Sweet girl would flinch every time the water hit us, but she never woke up.  Meanwhile, a row behind us, the big kids were having a ball.  It was a great way to end our day, just maybe don't take sleeping children into it.  Thanks, workers of Legoland, for the heads up!




Friday arrived and we packed up our car and headed north to the ranch.  It was a gorgeous weekend and the kids and I were so thankful to be able to spend it outside.  We fed the horses and checked out the llamas and just had a great afternoon with Hayley and Sawyer.



While waiting for our other friends to arrive, the boys squeezed in a little baseball.  There's always time for baseball!

 

After welcoming Matt, Emily and Riley to the ranch, we all hopped on four wheelers and the polaris to go see the horses.


 

Matt was such a good sport and offered to ride in the back of the polaris.  Little did he know that Sawyer was unknowingly holding down the dump button.  He came close to dumping Matt out of the back, too!



First, the big kids got to ride...



and while they were doing that, Jackson was catching up with his buddy, Mr. Dub.  Right after I snapped this picture, Mr. Dub had had enough and took off super fast!  Thank goodness they were so close to the rail, because Jackson had to think fast and grab the fence as he rode by it!




Matt hadn't been on a horse since childhood, but he did great on Princess.  For some goofy reason, though, she just sat down on the ground with him still on her.  I guess she was done!

 

The Cowgirls of Denison, Texas.  Yee haw!




After all the little kids napped, it was their turn to ride.  Emma made many laps around the corral!





We ended the evening with a good ol' fashioned BBQ dinner. It was the only way to round up these 5 wild indians.



 

Case in point, Riley spilled juice on his shirt so he had to take it off.  While he was shirtless, Lila saw him and decided to join in the fun.  Then we couldn't get her shirt back on her!  They ran around and around and just laughed their little heads off.  Fun with friends...makes this mama's heart so happy.



 

Princesses Galore

Guess who got new bedding for her big girl bed yesterday??  Yes ma'am!  Memaw found this precious princess bedding at Babies R Us and brought it over right away.  Lila was really, really happy about it.  It has Belle, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty on it.  Perfect.

Think she slept in her bed last night? Not a chance.  We shall try again tonight.  One of these nights it's bound to work, right?  For all of you waiting on the edge of your seat, I'll keep you posted!

Big Girl Bed!

Who hoo!  Lila has a big girl bed now!  Yes, you heard it right, folks.

Yesterday afternoon the men in our house converted Lila's crib into a toddler bed.  Hooray!

This little girl was all smiles and so very excited about her new big girl bed.

She even pretended to sleep in it for us and that big grin never left her face.  (On a side note, what's up with Justin Bieber on the right?!  This is J's new pose.  He's gotta be getting it from somewhere.  We think he must be doing the Bieber.  Let's just hope he doesn't start sagging soon.)

Since the time change had all of us thrown off, Lila Lou skipped her nap yesterday.  No prob. Bed by 7:30?  I'll take it!  She was asleep in her bed and we were all in amazement.  This child hasn't slept in her own bed, crib or no crib, for at least 2 months.  But alas, the celebration didn't last long.  By 9:30 she was up again and said she'd rather sleep on her palette in our room.  On the floor.  Not in her comfy bed.  On the floor.  Go figure!

Honor Your Parents

I usually try to keep my blog light-hearted, and often times think it would be easy to get an altered view of our daily life if you only looked at it though the rose-colored glasses of my blog.  Truth is, it's not all that funny or easy sometimes, but Jared and I are doing the best we can, that I know for sure!

Today's sermon at church really hit home.  It was on the 5th commandment, Honor Your Parents, which is the only commandment that comes with a promise.  Maybe it is because we've been struggling with our son in the area of obedience lately, but it just resonated deeply for me.  I think that anyone with kids will be able to relate well to this post, and maybe it will even help someone, too.  Goodness knows, I need all the parenting tips I can get, so whenever I hear some good ones, I feel compelled to share them. 

Yes, even this precious little girl can be difficult sometimes...

as can her strong-willed brother!

Honor your father and your mother, so that you may live long in the land the Lord your God is giving you.  Exodus 20:12

We honor our parents in three ways.

1.  Accepting their authority

-this is for kids who are still living at home

- the parent-child relationship is a God-given hierarchy that was made for the benefit of the child

Children should accept their parent's authority by obeying them all the time.  Notice it did not say only when the child thinks that their parents have good ideas!  All. the. time.  My children need work in this area!

As parents, we are called to assume loving authority over our children.  We ought to be Godly examples and flee from sin.  I realize that this is a high standard, but I still wholeheartedly believe that we ought to strive for it every day.  Our children deserve the best from us. 

2.  Affirming their faithfulness

-this is for adults in reference to their parents

As adult children, we should offer our own parents gratefulness about how they parented us.  I know that Jared and I both came from loving, stable homes, that instilled morals and values that are still with us today.  Thank you, mom and dad!  You did good work.  We are trying our best to pass on those values to our kids. 

3.  Meeting their needs

- this is in reference to adult children as well.  I am blessed to be able to live 6 minutes from my family, and I talk to my mom on the phone at least once a day.  There are lots of people who may not have the same relationship or circumstance, but it's still just as important for them to meet the needs of their parents.  Our pastor discussed how often times older adults (50s and 60s) find themselves in a position of needing to care for their parents.  Sometimes the natural thing to do is to bring the elderly parent into your home, or it may be to find a good retirement home for them to move into.  Those are ways to meet your parents' basic, physical needs--roof over their head, hot meals available, and medical assistance if needed.  It's just as important, though, to make sure that you meet their emotional needs as well.  If that means a daily visit, do it.  It if means a daily phone call, do it.  If you are not in contact with them, you can always pray for them every night.  He pointed out that sometimes adults look upon this calling as expensive and inconvenient, and both of those things are probably true.  Then he pointed out that it was probably pretty expensive and inconvenient at times for your parents to carry you in the womb for 9 months, give you life, and then parent you for the next 18 years.  Point well made:)

Why do we as parents fail sometimes?

1.  Laziness - even though our kids know that they are not supposed to throw balls in the house (hello? Jackson Hays, are you reading this?), sometimes we don't enforce the rule until it breaks something that we value.  I am so guilty of this.  I tell J not to throw balls in the house, but I get worn down by it and eventually let him win.  Then a few minutes later when that ball hits something of mine, like a vase, and it breaks, I get all kinds of upset at him.  Anyone else been there??  If I had just been consistent with the enforcement of the "No balls thrown in the house" rule, then nothing would have been broken and my blood pressure wouldn't be skyrocketing as I scream, "Look what you just did!"  Bottom line.  Parenting is hard work and we shouldn't take a back seat by letting the laziness inside us take over.

2.  Insecurity - some parents lack the backbone to discipline their kids, for fear that they won't like them any more.  As soon as the kid hollers, "I don't like you!" or "I hate you, Mom!" then they back down and let the kid have their way.  In case anyone hasn't noticed yet, kids are master manipulators.  And the worst thing that can let happen is for kids to make you lower your standard of acceptable behavior until your child likes you again.  I know we hear it time and time again, but children have plenty of friends.  They only have two, maybe four, parents, and they desperately need for them to give them boundaries and guidance that only parents can give.  As parents, we have got to suck it up sometimes, take the heat, and know that even though our kids may not like our decisions, we are making them out of their best interests.  I've often thought to myself that if your kids don't get angry with you every now and then and holler at you that you're unfair, then you're probably being more of a friend to them than a parent. 

3.  Sin in our lives - Sin takes up your time.  If, as parents, we are sinning, then we will eventually begin devoting a good amount of our time to that sin.  That's time that we are taking away from our kids and not nurturing them as we should be.

Children should submit to their parents' authority.  This is one of my favorite parts.  There should always be an equal balance between the amount of authority kids have and the amount of responsibility that they have.  Think about it for a minute. When kids are little, they have no authority--they get bathed when we say and dressed in what we want them to wear.  At the same time, they have absolutely zero responsibility either.  As kids get older, though, both sides should rise at the same rate.  When kids get into their teen years and think that they wany total authority over what they can do, parents should ask themselves if they are ready to bear all the responsibility, too.  If the answer is no (as I assume it would be) then the parents do not need to give in to their teenager and allow them complete authority over their lives.  I think about how this can apply to my life right now, as the mother of a 6 year old.  As Jackson has grown more capable of doing things on his own, I have tried to give him the opportunity to do so.  We've begun giving him a weekly allowance for chores that he does.  I hope it's building more confindence in him as he sees that he can make the bed, set the table, and feed Tyson sometimes.  Right now he doesn't really ask for much authority in his life, but I know as time goes on, he will.  I pray that his daddy and I will be able to keep the balance as it should be.

I'll end with this. Pastor Todd also shared that he prays this for his kids on a daily basis.  He prays that his kids would fall so that he can be there to catch them when they do.  That way, he will be able to gently teach them better ways before they grow up and go out into the real world.  I thought that was such a good thing to pray for, because goodness knows, my kids are going to fail.  I will also pray for the wisdom to teach them well when that happens. 

I know that we can all do better at honoring our parents, so that we may live a long life in this beautiful world that God has given us.

If you're still reading this, can I get an Amen?  Brother Jerry would give me one, I know that for sure.



Tooth News and Open House

Call it good instincts, or maybe just good luck, but before I picked Jackson up from school yesterday I went through the Starbucks drive-through and bought a few cake pops for my kids.  Little did I know that when I picked him up he would have big news for us!  He said, "guess what, mom?"  Then he showed me his tooth necklace and I put two and two together.  Yes!  He lost his 4th tooth at school!

Cake pops to celebrate!

Last night was also open house at his school, so dad came home early and our fam headed up there.  He was so excited to get to show us all of his work...

especially his research project!  He chose to research Tigers and he did a very good job.  After looking at his project, he took us over to the computers...

where he showed us a program that they used called Symbaloo.  Lila got a kick out of listening to the different animals that he had learned about.  She said the sheep sounded like cows, though:)

After touring his classroom and checking out all the critters in the terariums, we went out to the hallway to see more of his work that was hanging on the wall.  The picture directly above his head, about a foot taller than him, is the one he made.  He chose the shape rectangle and then made a self portrait using only rectangles.  Pretty cool!  We had fun seeing all of the neat things that he's been working on at school, but my favorite part was just seeing how proud he was of himself.  He asked at least three times on the way home, "Did I do a good job?"  Yes, my little man, you most certainly did!