This morning, Emily was getting dressed and I told her she was beautiful. I asked it if she had worked hard to get to be so beautiful, she looked at me and said, "No, Jesus made me this beautiful!"
I love my life in these moments.
Carrie in Texas
Monday, June 30, 2008
Sunday, June 29, 2008
The Moral is...Everything is not what it seems...
After the maze park we went to another park in The Woodlands, the description stated that the park had a slide that is encased in a hill. Well what would you invision...
Not quite this. But the kids loved it and it was a very beautiful park.
Carrie in Texas
Matt and Ethan's 8th Birthday...
Ahoy Matey's
Matt and Ethan shared another birthday! They had a pirate party and it was great! We arrrggg'ed and swaggered and swashbuckled our heart out!
I can't believe my baby is turning 8!!! I just can't.
Carrie in Texas
Thursday, June 26, 2008
Reading and why we do it...
I am reading a blog and the writer of the blog posted this from another blog... Yeah I know!
This article entranced me, it encouraged me, it enlightened me and it gave me truths. I believe these things but could never express it as eloquently as this blogger! I encourage you to read it, especially if you are not a reader or if you do not read to your children!
Carrie in Texas
This article entranced me, it encouraged me, it enlightened me and it gave me truths. I believe these things but could never express it as eloquently as this blogger! I encourage you to read it, especially if you are not a reader or if you do not read to your children!
Carrie in Texas
Isn't God Amazing...
The work will wait while you show the child the rainbow, but the rainbow won't wait while you do the work. ~Author Unknown.
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Things you can do to really mess up your kids...
I took my kids to Sagemont VBS, it went really well regardless of the sheer volume of children there! The church has a series of parenting classes for adults to attend while the kids are at VBS. I of course decided to attend! So anyway, the first of these classes is a classes called Things you can do to really mess up your kid...
1. Put them first.
I felt when I read this that they meant if you did this that a child would grow up to be selfish because everything had revolved around them but this was not the thought process of the teacher. The teacher said that If a parent continually puts the child first, leaving all the parents needs out that a child is taught to undervalue himself because he saw you undervalue yourself. Now this is not the Oprah methodology where MOMS take HOURS for yourself you deserve it! This was simply go to the doctor, get a haircut, love your husband, don't allow your child to interrupt you, got to the gym and take care of yourself. I found this fascinating... but true. I do "give" up things for my children, every mom does! But I know my children have seen me buy things for my hobbies or get haircuts, I take time for my husband and I try not to allow the kids to interrupt-
It basically says that teaching your children to undervalue themselves breeds a generation of martyrs, it breeds codependent people and they themselves cannot not establish healthy relationship with boundaries.
What was that book on boundaries that was so popular? hm mm????
VERY INTERESTING...
What do you think?
2. Don't dismiss your child's feelings.
Now I am usually pretty good at this but still feel I fall short. I remember my dad telling me when I was in trouble to stop crying. I remember thinking, you cant just tell a person to stop crying - it was how I felt! Now I have said to my kids I will talk to you when you stop crying, I have told Emily to stop crying, but generally when she is faking it! Which is often!
I try to validate their feelings, I am dramatic and very emotional and know I have passed that on to my kiddoes (Did anyone else notice???)
Or when they tell us they are angry have you ever said, "You are not supposed to feel that way." It is a feeling, they cant help how they feel, they might need to work it out. The Bible doesn't say do not be angry, it says be angry and do not sin! Feelings are feelings. Telling them they aren't supposed to feel that way induces guilt and shame and they may stop coming to you in the future.
3. Now here is the kicker...
The best way to mess up your child is to teach him to depend on himself.
I thought and thought, well I assume they don't mean how to feed himself or go potty, they must mean teach them to depend on God. Well the teacher did but he took it a step farther.
He explained that the very common phrases, "YOU CAN BE ANYTHING" or "YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TO" are basically lies. I just sat back and listened and low and behold he is right. Some people just cant be something. A kid can work as hard as he wants to for as long as he wants and if his brain isn't what it needs to be he will never be the greatest scientist in the world. A kid can dream and believe and train but the likelihood of him becoming a world champion basketball player is very, very small. A child can be told, "You can be anything you want, but it just isn't true. WE ALL HAVE LIMITATIONS. The whole reason for unfolding the truth of this vicious lie we have been sold is this... Let's talk to God about it.
Let's pray that God shows you the path HE has for you.
Lets depend on God.
Lets pray for His guidance everyday so that we accomplish HIS will.
Let God put HIS dream for you in your mind.
God made you and God has a plan for you.
Let God order our steps.
Our kid can want to be an astronaut but if it is outside of what God has purposed for him, it means very little. We need to train our children to depend on God. We cant lie to them and tell them they can accomplish ANYTHING. Yes they can do lots of things and accomplish many things but not anything. They need to accomplish what God has for them, they need their motive, their goal, their stamina, their push to be for God's vision and not merely their desire.
If God designed your child to be an astronaut than he can be one, he will have the brain capability, the eyesight, the lung capacity, the stomach for G's, a lack of claustrophobia etc.
So the lies isn't that your child Cant be anything if you have a problem not thinking your child can accomplish anything, the lie is that your child shouldn't be anything, other than what God planned for him!
All in all it was a thought provoking night...
Carrie in Texas...who hopefully hasn't messed them up to bad, yet.
1. Put them first.
I felt when I read this that they meant if you did this that a child would grow up to be selfish because everything had revolved around them but this was not the thought process of the teacher. The teacher said that If a parent continually puts the child first, leaving all the parents needs out that a child is taught to undervalue himself because he saw you undervalue yourself. Now this is not the Oprah methodology where MOMS take HOURS for yourself you deserve it! This was simply go to the doctor, get a haircut, love your husband, don't allow your child to interrupt you, got to the gym and take care of yourself. I found this fascinating... but true. I do "give" up things for my children, every mom does! But I know my children have seen me buy things for my hobbies or get haircuts, I take time for my husband and I try not to allow the kids to interrupt-
It basically says that teaching your children to undervalue themselves breeds a generation of martyrs, it breeds codependent people and they themselves cannot not establish healthy relationship with boundaries.
What was that book on boundaries that was so popular? hm mm????
VERY INTERESTING...
What do you think?
2. Don't dismiss your child's feelings.
Now I am usually pretty good at this but still feel I fall short. I remember my dad telling me when I was in trouble to stop crying. I remember thinking, you cant just tell a person to stop crying - it was how I felt! Now I have said to my kids I will talk to you when you stop crying, I have told Emily to stop crying, but generally when she is faking it! Which is often!
I try to validate their feelings, I am dramatic and very emotional and know I have passed that on to my kiddoes (Did anyone else notice???)
Or when they tell us they are angry have you ever said, "You are not supposed to feel that way." It is a feeling, they cant help how they feel, they might need to work it out. The Bible doesn't say do not be angry, it says be angry and do not sin! Feelings are feelings. Telling them they aren't supposed to feel that way induces guilt and shame and they may stop coming to you in the future.
3. Now here is the kicker...
The best way to mess up your child is to teach him to depend on himself.
I thought and thought, well I assume they don't mean how to feed himself or go potty, they must mean teach them to depend on God. Well the teacher did but he took it a step farther.
He explained that the very common phrases, "YOU CAN BE ANYTHING" or "YOU CAN DO ANYTHING YOU SET YOUR MIND TO" are basically lies. I just sat back and listened and low and behold he is right. Some people just cant be something. A kid can work as hard as he wants to for as long as he wants and if his brain isn't what it needs to be he will never be the greatest scientist in the world. A kid can dream and believe and train but the likelihood of him becoming a world champion basketball player is very, very small. A child can be told, "You can be anything you want, but it just isn't true. WE ALL HAVE LIMITATIONS. The whole reason for unfolding the truth of this vicious lie we have been sold is this... Let's talk to God about it.
Let's pray that God shows you the path HE has for you.
Lets depend on God.
Lets pray for His guidance everyday so that we accomplish HIS will.
Let God put HIS dream for you in your mind.
God made you and God has a plan for you.
Let God order our steps.
Our kid can want to be an astronaut but if it is outside of what God has purposed for him, it means very little. We need to train our children to depend on God. We cant lie to them and tell them they can accomplish ANYTHING. Yes they can do lots of things and accomplish many things but not anything. They need to accomplish what God has for them, they need their motive, their goal, their stamina, their push to be for God's vision and not merely their desire.
If God designed your child to be an astronaut than he can be one, he will have the brain capability, the eyesight, the lung capacity, the stomach for G's, a lack of claustrophobia etc.
So the lies isn't that your child Cant be anything if you have a problem not thinking your child can accomplish anything, the lie is that your child shouldn't be anything, other than what God planned for him!
All in all it was a thought provoking night...
Carrie in Texas...who hopefully hasn't messed them up to bad, yet.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Happy Birthday Mary Faith...
This is how much I love my friend Becky Eck...
Just so you get the full effect of the cake, it is on a board that is 2x3 feet. The head is a 9 inch diameter cake pan, the body and tail is a 13x9 size cake cut apart and the hair is 11 regular size cup cakes! Joel has to come pick it up in the van because it is to large to go in our car without turning it sideways!!! But it turned out pretty darn good and I have done my duty for quite a while!
BTW, Emily wants a horse that big for her birthday cake, Yeah.
Carrie in Texas
YODA, YODA, YODA and some more YODA
We drove to Baybrook mall three days in a row this week to watch the progress of the 8 ft YODA build. My kiddoes loved it! When they left today the Master Builder had a little more to go but he was mostly done. The kids got to "build" bricks and in turn these bricks were used to build YODA! It was great, it was free and it was INDOORS! Forget the gas money we spent...did I mention it was a YODA made of LEGO'S!!!!!
Friday, June 20, 2008
11 YEARS...
My husband and I have been married 11 years come June 28. Yes, 11 years. I cant believe it either...
This is what I want for my anniversary...
Dinner at Brennan's in Houston,
to see Hancock at the movies,
white stock in a clear vase!
This post is for the same day but has two different parts, the first part is merely a reflection of our day yesterday. The second part is my own reflection on a personal epiphany I had yesterday!
Part One...
We had a very busy day yesterday, we got a lot accomplished! Emi had gymnastics, which she is doing great at! We did laundry, cleaned, vacuumed etc. which just has to be done! We also ordered Matt's cake for his birthday, it is a pirate ship and it is adorable. Although I don't guess a boy turning 8 wants an adorable cake- so lets call it "perfectly piratey"? We went to the park, I kept reading stuff about the No Child Left Inside Contest. This was a contest in Connecticut that got family's outside and in the state parks! I decided I would do my own no child left inside contest for myself and for two days now- yes that doesn't sound like much, but it is for me-we have gone outdoors for something. We rode bikes and played outside on Tuesday and on Thursday we went to a nearby park and fed the ducks, and played! It has been wonderful!
Part Two...
Okay so here is the lightbulb moment, the background is this...I decided to take the kids to the Pompeii exhibit at the MFAH, which by the way is ending on Sunday so if you want to see it..GO.
Anyway, we were going and on the drive there the kids were terrible. I gave them warnings, I explained that they HAD to settle down and than I was silent and let them dig their own hole! And let me tell you it was a very deep hole. So I couldn't at this point take them into the museum...I wouldn't have taken them into a Chuck E Cheese at this point! I was very upset because number 1 I really wanted to see the exhibit and 2 I was feeling sick from the way the kids were behaving. I physically felt ill. It is the point where you have told your kids what to do and you honestly expect them to obey, when they don't and just will not listen I often feel panicked, sick, like a failure and of course angry. I took them home, gave them a very basic meal of bread and water -just kidding. I than sent them to their rooms.
So to my great big lightbublb moment... it was important in my opinion for them to see the Pompeii exhibit. I feel to go to things like this exhibit enhances their education and widens their life experience. Anyway, I felt it was important. IT was more IMPORTANT for me to deal with their disobedience. Big flashing bulbs here... I know that training up a child is important but I have had in the past trouble following through on the training part apparently. I don't think I am a horrible mom and I know that I have particularly more spirited kids than perhaps others do. I don't care. I officially do not care what another human being on this planet thinks about me and my disciplining methods. I am often concerned if someone will think I am to harsh or not harsh enough. I am often concerned when I tell people something I did that they will not agree with it. I am often concerned that my kids will not like me. I am often concerned that I am doing the wrong things. Done... I am done with being concerned! If I tell my kids to not do something, if they do it there is a consequence. Period. Now I do for the most part stay on top of my kids.. but I let the world influence how I do it. There is nothing on this earth that is important enough for them to experience or will have as much affect on their life as learning obedience. If they obey me, most probably they will obey God. Isn't that the purpose? Isn't that my goal. Not Pompeii or seeing Kung Fu Panda or attending a birthday party... my goal is my children learning the WAY and not departing from it.
Let me know when it is in your parenting life that you got this lightbulb moment or if in fact you never did!
Carrie in Texas
Part One...
We had a very busy day yesterday, we got a lot accomplished! Emi had gymnastics, which she is doing great at! We did laundry, cleaned, vacuumed etc. which just has to be done! We also ordered Matt's cake for his birthday, it is a pirate ship and it is adorable. Although I don't guess a boy turning 8 wants an adorable cake- so lets call it "perfectly piratey"? We went to the park, I kept reading stuff about the No Child Left Inside Contest. This was a contest in Connecticut that got family's outside and in the state parks! I decided I would do my own no child left inside contest for myself and for two days now- yes that doesn't sound like much, but it is for me-we have gone outdoors for something. We rode bikes and played outside on Tuesday and on Thursday we went to a nearby park and fed the ducks, and played! It has been wonderful!
Part Two...
Okay so here is the lightbulb moment, the background is this...I decided to take the kids to the Pompeii exhibit at the MFAH, which by the way is ending on Sunday so if you want to see it..GO.
Anyway, we were going and on the drive there the kids were terrible. I gave them warnings, I explained that they HAD to settle down and than I was silent and let them dig their own hole! And let me tell you it was a very deep hole. So I couldn't at this point take them into the museum...I wouldn't have taken them into a Chuck E Cheese at this point! I was very upset because number 1 I really wanted to see the exhibit and 2 I was feeling sick from the way the kids were behaving. I physically felt ill. It is the point where you have told your kids what to do and you honestly expect them to obey, when they don't and just will not listen I often feel panicked, sick, like a failure and of course angry. I took them home, gave them a very basic meal of bread and water -just kidding. I than sent them to their rooms.
So to my great big lightbublb moment... it was important in my opinion for them to see the Pompeii exhibit. I feel to go to things like this exhibit enhances their education and widens their life experience. Anyway, I felt it was important. IT was more IMPORTANT for me to deal with their disobedience. Big flashing bulbs here... I know that training up a child is important but I have had in the past trouble following through on the training part apparently. I don't think I am a horrible mom and I know that I have particularly more spirited kids than perhaps others do. I don't care. I officially do not care what another human being on this planet thinks about me and my disciplining methods. I am often concerned if someone will think I am to harsh or not harsh enough. I am often concerned when I tell people something I did that they will not agree with it. I am often concerned that my kids will not like me. I am often concerned that I am doing the wrong things. Done... I am done with being concerned! If I tell my kids to not do something, if they do it there is a consequence. Period. Now I do for the most part stay on top of my kids.. but I let the world influence how I do it. There is nothing on this earth that is important enough for them to experience or will have as much affect on their life as learning obedience. If they obey me, most probably they will obey God. Isn't that the purpose? Isn't that my goal. Not Pompeii or seeing Kung Fu Panda or attending a birthday party... my goal is my children learning the WAY and not departing from it.
Let me know when it is in your parenting life that you got this lightbulb moment or if in fact you never did!
Carrie in Texas
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Show getting cancelled...
I am so tired of the shows I like getting cancelled! You get into a show, you get to know the characters and than poof they take it off the air! I understand that this is real life and those "actors" might want to go onto other things but to us they are characters and suddenly, sometime without warning those characters are ripped from our lives! For instance Las Vegas, the last show was Delinda bleeding out having a baby, there was no conclusion, no resolution, no clue as to the lives of the people in the show! Not cool, people. NO I shouldn't become emotionally involved in a tv show, but it is an outlet. Tv is a release from the everyday life, people doing and being involved with things I will never have the opportunity to do. I like experiencing life through them a much as I do a character in a fictional novel? What on Earth is the difference? I am just sad when they cancel a show without warning or without a real feeling of closure in the characters...did so and so married the love of their life? Or did the child you have practically watch grow up become the person you thought they would? Did the job get finished, the family get back together, the question needs answering! So all I am saying is a little bit of closure would be nice!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
"But I don't want to go among mad people," said Alice."Oh, you can't help that," said the cat. "We're all mad
here."
We truly are all mad here! I often wonder what Lewis Carrols life was like to have written such strange, strange things! What a truly amazing imagination! I feel like Alice in Wonderland sometimes, I dont want to be around all the craziness but I cant seem to get away from it! I will admit I am absolutely party of this equation, I have my own craziness to deal with!
Do you think normal exists? Dont you think that "normal" is actually just being mad and that "un mad" people are the ones who arent normal!!!!!!
HMMM???
Carrie in Texas
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Mexican Train...
Have you ever played Mexican Train??? We played for the first time at my friends house and we were hooked. We played last night with the kids for the first time and they did awesome! Emily really caught on and even played something Dave and I had missed while we were helping her. She is so smart! Kaitlin really liked the game, she had quite a few plays foiled!!! Matt only lasted one round but he seemed to like it well enough, but the Nintendo was calling his name!
We played two rounds I won both! Yeah! We had a great time!
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Friday, June 13, 2008
Kids Singing VBS 2008
The kids went to VBS at a church near here and they had the best time. They have gone all week and the theme was Outrigger Island. They had all kind of Hawaiian treats, and crafts! My kids enjoyed themselves so much. Tonight was parents night and the kids preformed the songs they had learned all week. Emily was totally into it! Matt and Kate had the greatest time!!!
This video is a little over a minute long, but I promise every second is worth watching! Sorry for the bad quality!
For all those new to blogging... I thought I would just mention that if a passage is highlighted in a post that if you double click on it there is a link. For example on my last post there is link to Amazon to look at Elmer. There is also a link to the MFAH storytelling registration page.
I hope this helps you to enjoy my blog more!!!!
I hope this helps you to enjoy my blog more!!!!
The kids and I went to storytelling hour at the MFAH today. We had such a wonderful time. It is the third time we have gone and I think it is wonderful. Today's focus was colors, so we saw 5 works of art that used a lot of color. At each work of art, the docent reads a story. We had a wonderful docent named Jessica. She had picked great stories and we had not heard any of them before. We saw a Picasso and read a story about Elmer an elephant who was very colorful and I just loved it! I found other Elmer books at Amazon so we plan to check those out at the library soon!
"See, a little sacrifice is good for kids. My daughter made herself a
gameboy once. I was a little worried when she would sit on her bed with her
little contraption making beeping noises to herself while staring at it. I
guess she figured it wasn’t as good as the real thing. It was the only homemade
toy that didn’t last more than a day."
This is taken off another blog I read, Principled Discovery. I want it duly noted that there are kids even more creative than mine!!!! I thought this was hilarious!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
I have had the worst headache today, it actually started yesterday. I am very impatiently waiting for it to go away! I have trouble thinking clearly, I cant function properly, I took some medicine a while ago and can really feel it kicking in! I am signing off for the night , I will leave you with a picture of a brain and everytime you look at it let it remind you of someone you know who suffers from head aches and think kindly of them!
Deanna, this is for you~~~
Beauty...
My kids in the photography class yesterday took some great shots. We used the macro setting of my digital and I was pleasantly surprised with how well the pictures turned out! Here are just a few!
We were talking about famous photographers and I started with one I thought they would all know, Ansel Adams. I love his shots, I know it might be a photograph that everyone and his dog has on his wall but I just think they are beautiful. Just a tidbit of information...Ansel Adams was born in 1902, He was living in San Fransisco during the Great Earthquake and Fire in 1906. During the craziness of the fire he fell and broke his nose and that is why it is so crooked! Isnt that interesting.
Carrie in Texas
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Travel...Experiences...Living...Exploring...
Imagine seeing the pyramids with your own eyes, feeling the insufferable heat the sand burning your eyes and throat. Imagine passing through the Lion's Gate of Jerusalem, walking in the steps of Jesus. Imagine seeing the Lincoln Memorial and all the National Mall and remembering what our Forefathers had in mind for our nation. Imagine seeing the Statue of Liberty, staring up from below in all her glory and Majesty, and knowing that she stands for the freedom we share with all Americans. Imagine stepping onto Ellis Island and walking the steps your great grandfathers grandfather walked, knowing the hardships he faced to offer future generations of his family the freedom he craved.
Travel...Experience...Living...Exploring...
I want to see it all. I want to experience anything I can. I want to travel the path of Lewis and Clark. I want to run my hands through the water in the place Ponce De Leon found the fountain of youth, I want to feel the spray of Niagara Falls. I want see the longest bridge ever built, or the biggest totem pole ever carved. I want to walk through the Palace of Fine Arts in San Fransisco and the Presidio of San Fransisco Park. I just want to see everything!!!! Here are some pictures of just a few, few, few, few places that I want to see just in this country!
Carrie In Texas
Where I still haven't seen everything!
Monday, June 9, 2008
Well Texas is now a proud owner of a LEGO store. It is located in Baybrook Mall. It is open now but the Grand Opening is June 20-22 and they have a special "come build Yoda" thing going on!
School day...
How to vaccume the side boards.
How to decide what to give away to a charity.
How to decide what to throw away.
How to organize the stuff you have left.
How to lug 5 bags of give away, 4 bags and two boxes of trash downstairs!
How to make a family of 5 fit everything they own plus their school rooom in 4 bedrooms total!
I am determined to do and it and I will overcome.
I will overcome my need to keep EVERYTHING.
I will overcome my need to buy every book under the sun.
I will overcome my need to start 20 projects... all at once.
I will overcome my childrens inabilibty to put any thing away.
I will overcome the bad habits I have that taught my children not to put any thing away!
I will overcome, I will overcome, I will overcome...
I will let you know how it goes
How to vaccume the side boards.
How to decide what to give away to a charity.
How to decide what to throw away.
How to organize the stuff you have left.
How to lug 5 bags of give away, 4 bags and two boxes of trash downstairs!
How to make a family of 5 fit everything they own plus their school rooom in 4 bedrooms total!
I am determined to do and it and I will overcome.
I will overcome my need to keep EVERYTHING.
I will overcome my need to buy every book under the sun.
I will overcome my need to start 20 projects... all at once.
I will overcome my childrens inabilibty to put any thing away.
I will overcome the bad habits I have that taught my children not to put any thing away!
I will overcome, I will overcome, I will overcome...
I will let you know how it goes
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