WHO is on your To Do List?

I found an awesome post I wanted to share: Godly Priorities For A New Year

Our priorities as Christian mothers should be:
- God
- Husband
- Children
- Home
- Self

(I'm sure you can quibble the last two...but the first three are SET)

Take a look at your To Do List. Is "Time with God" even on there? "Tell Husband 'I Love You'" or "Snuggle Children?" Do you have time for YOU on there? Or is it all chores and errands?

Let all things be done with decency and in order. 1 Corinthians 14:40

Challenge for the week: Take time to reorganize your To Do List. A great sheet that's already made up can be found here: http://meanmamareviews.files.wordpress.com/2010/12/wifetodolist.pdf  Or, if you lack a printer, use it as a jumping off point and do your own!

Let me know how it goes!

Activities 21 and 22

We did some new things this week!

21) Drawing with Daddy

22) Fingerpaints!

I was hesitant to do it...one for the mess and I wasn't sure he'd like it. This is the child that makes me wipe his hands mid-meal so he can go back to eating! However, he liked it!!!

He used the very tip of his finger to paint...and ended up wearing as much as he painted. And he MAY have eaten some (because you have to taste things, right?)

Thankful For My Husband

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers.

Today I'm thankful for my husband. I probably should have written this LAST week because our anniversary was actually Dec 15th!

We've been together for 5 1/2 years and married for 4. We have one spirited, adorable, loving son with another on the way in just a few weeks (seriously, like 4 weeks).

I'm thankful that he's been an amazing father and husband. He went through Air Force Basic Training so that he could provide for our family. When I said I wanted to stay at home he supported me 100%. He's been sacrificing time to himself and time with his family to go back to school so that he can advance his career. (Trust me, 2 nights a week makes a HUGE difference)

Has marriage been easy? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA........no. Has it been totally and utterly worth it? YES!!!

We've had our ups and downs (who doesn't?) and come out of it stronger than ever. He stands beside me when I feel strongly about something and holds me when I'm weak.

Hug your husband today.

Andrew Peterson
Dancing In The Minefields lyrics

I was nineteen, you were twenty-one
The year we got engaged
Everyone said we were much too young
But we did it anyway

We bought our rings for forty each
From a pawn shop down the road
We made our vows and took the leap
Now fifteen years ago

We went dancing in the minefields
We went sailing in the storm
And it was harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

"I do" are the two most famous last words
The beginning of the end
But to lose your life for another I've heard
Is a good place to begin

'Cause the only way to find your life
Is to lay your own life down
And I believe it's an easy price
For the life that we have found

And we're dancing in the minefields
We're sailing in the storm
This is harder than we dreamed
But I believe that's what the promise is for

So when I lose my way, find me
When I loose love's chains, bind me
At the end of all my faith, till the end of all my days
When I forget my name, remind me

'Cause we bear the light of the Son of Man
So there's nothing left to fear
So I'll walk with you in the shadowlands
Till the shadows disappear

'Cause he promised not to leave us
And his promises are true
So in the face of all this chaos, baby,
I can dance with you

Taking Christ Out of Christmas

I thought the title might grab some attention!

It's a popular subject this time of year. There are entire websites devoted to the "cause" of keeping Christ in Christmas. There are lists put out by groups telling you which stores to avoid because they refuse to say "Christmas" on the grounds that it's offensive.

I'm going to submit a different thought. You've been told to fight these companies that are taking Christ out of Christmas...but what are you doing to put Christ IN Christmas?

It seems like a simple question doesn't it?

Today's Scripture choice is
Matthew 10:33 (NKJV) But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.

I know there are probably a few people out there bristling right now. "I have NEVER denied Christ!!!" Before you click away, let's look at another definition of deny:

2: to refuse to admit or acknowledge

Do your toes hurt? I know mine did. 

You can passively refuse something. If you don't actively acknowledge that Christ belongs in this season then you are in danger of passively denying him. It can be as simple as a prayer before a meal. You can show the love of Christ by donating your time at a homeless shelter. Sign your Christmas cards "Love in Christ" instead of the standard "Merry Christmas." Read the Christmas Story in the Bible to your children this year. Do Advent activities. Take the focus off of Santa and gifts!!

This year be aware of how you're projecting your faith this season. Is Christ in YOUR Christmas?

Activities 19 and 20

19) Church Nursery!

20) Making Music

He has one of those baby piano things that he loves to just BANG on and make noise. He even created his own sign for it. (He does the "music" sign normally and for this one he taps his forearm)

New Schedule? And a Kid Update.

I realized recently that Franklin needs a routine. Not necessarily an exact time kind of thing, but at least a rhythm for the day. I mean, we kind of do this already, but we could be better.

And it figures that the day I decide to start is the day when we sleep extra late, Franklin is extra whiny, and the weather is dreary!

In any case, I'm trying to abide by it somewhat...

8am-9am Wake up and Get Dressed (well, Mommy gets dressed anyway...)
9am-10am Cartoons and Breakfast
10am-11am Chores/Packing
11am-2pm Activities/Lunch/HOPEFULLY Kid Down for nap
2pm-4pm Possible Mommy Time (blog, projects, etc...)
4pm-4:30pm Ready for Daddy Home
4:30pm-5pm Daddy Unwind/Mommy Make Dinner
5pm-6pm Dinner
6pm-8pm Family Time
8pm-9pm Bedtime Routine (bath, brush teeth, quiet time)
9pm-9:30pm Franklin to Bed
9:30pm-? Mommy and Daddy Time (might be spent sleeping...)

Well, today we woke up at 9am so that started the list off "wrong" and Franklin is extra clingy today so Mommy isn't getting much done in her hour for chores (I did get dishes done and some clothes hung up) The weather is terrible so going outside isn't an option at the moment.

Now for a Kid Update!

He's talking!!!!!!!

I know, I'm shocked too. In the past week or so he's started saying:
-block
-box
-bottle (he said it this morning and it was REALLY clear)
and his speech is getting more clear. I'm picking up on some of the phrases he says.

So yeah, this kid might actually talk. Awesome, right?

AND, yesterday we tried church and Franklin did great in the nursery! One of Stefan's coworkers (that Franklin knows and loves) works the nursery sometimes. So, we decided to give it a try with her in there...and he did awesome. She said he just played with toys the whole time and barely paid her any attention (she even left at one point and he didn't notice) The service was good, too. We're planning on going back.

Are You Yelling?

I yell...frequently. I hate doing it, I really do. It's one of those things that I really really need to work on changing (Hmm, New Year's Resolution anyone?) I yell at my son. Seriously AT him. I know it's different than yelling and having him understand. It's mostly just yelling in his general direction. Does it stop the behavior? Nope. Does it make ME feel any better? Nope. What do I actually accomplish? I raise my blood pressure and make my son mad.

It's actually Biblical. Proverbs 15:1 (NCV) A gentle answer will calm a person's anger, but an unkind answer will cause more anger. 
I like the way the New Century Version puts it. It's very plain. The New King James version says A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

So, when my son gets mad and yells back at me it shouldn't come as any surprise...God kind of told me what would happen if I yelled first.

Challenge: The next time your child does something frustrating take a second to pause, repeat the above verse, and FORCE YOURSELF to answer softly and gently. Teach your children to answer each other the same way. Do this for one week and see if you don't notice an improvement in how your children react to you and each other. (Moms of toddlers: You might have to look REALLY HARD for the difference...)

Activities 17 and 18

17) Pouring Activity

It originally started as water...

But that proved to be a bit too much of a messy challenge...

So we switched to ice and were much more successful.

18) Coloring on a Box

Franklin isn't one for coloring. He doesn't hold the paper with his other hand so it doesn't work out quite so well. Today I had the brilliant idea to have him color the boxes we're using to move.

It was MUCH easier for him and he had a blast!

I Confess!!!

I'm starting this feature for many reasons. There are a ton of "Mommy Blogs" out there. Reading these can offer tips and laughs but it can also create a sense of doubt in ourselves. See, I've come to learn that a lot of people put their best face forward when writing a blog. So, you see the good parts and nothing else. They don't tell you that they dealt with tantrums ALL DAY the day before or that it took them an hour to type the post you're reading because they had a toddler in their lap trying to "help" type. You don't read rambling posts about how they cried the other day because their children were being terrors. Yes, there are honest pages like that, but I think we need MORE! We need honesty. We need support. We need to read that a fellow mom felt immense despair and how she got out of it. We need to be the mom that felt that despair and be able to read comments from other moms saying, "I was JUST THERE!"

Enter "I Confess." Each week I'll do a blog (at least one, maybe more depending on the week!) where I confess something about my week. It can be something embarrassing or something more serious. I'll offer a link-up opportunity and a button to link back. If you feel like you want to participate you'll have several days to write up a blog and link up.

The only rules:
1) You have to be brutally honest. No sugar-coating. If you sat and cried for an hour then don't trim it down to 10 minutes.
2) Comment, comment, comment. Even if it's just a *hug* or something. We're baring souls here.
3) Be supportive. I know there are several sides to each story. If you don't support spanking and a mom confesses to spanking her child several times you aren't being supportive if you say, "That's abusive! How could you??"

What do you think? Interested?

Activities 15 and 16

;
Yesterday was my 4 year marriage anniversary...so I really tried to limit my posts.

15) Playing at the new house 

He was trying to put dirt on me

He was FILTHY when he was done. I know it's a picture of the future. I see a lot of sweeping in my future...

16) Walking on Cushions 
We did this before in Tot School (something I need to get back on top of...) Here's the vid in case you missed it: