My Top 10 Books Of The Summer

I have really enjoyed reading this summer.  I guess it is my way of "getting away" since I never seem to get to! LOL  Although my husband isn't too thrilled when I lose myself in a book, I have done so with many this summer.  So, Here are my...

Top Ten Books I Have Read or Will Read This Summer:

1. Redeeming Love By Francine Rivers - The BEST book I have EVER read!!

2.  The Shack By William P. Young - Great story but difficult to understand

3. Three Weeks With My Brother By Nicholas Sparks - Great read of his autobiography

4. The Short Second Life of Bree Tanner By Stephenie Meye - For Twilgiht fans!

5.  The Last Song By Nicholas Sparks - 1000 times better than the movie

6.  Dear John By nicholas Sparks - I did my Sparks catch-up reading this summer! LOL

7.  At First Sight By Nicholas Sparks - This is the sequel to True Believe by Sparks

8.  Forever By Judy Blume - Not a recommendation, just something I had laying around

9.  Scarlet Thread By Francine Rivers - I am currently reading

10. 3 More to Go This Summer: 'The Choice', 'Charlie St.Cloud' and 'Eat, Pray, Love'

Dialogue Monday

MaMaw: "You don't point pretend guns at people, Brayley, it's not nice!  You don't shoot people!"
Brayley:  "What do you shoot?"
MaMaw: "You shoot deer and..."
Brayley: "...and turkeys and ham!"
;-)

Beach Smiling

Top 10 Bittersweet Baby Moments

This Tuesday I was kinda busy and decided to borrow a list from 'Parenting the Tiniest of Miracle Blog'

Top Ten Bittersweet Baby Moments:

"Do you remember...

1. ...the first time your baby WANTED you to put her down so she could get moving?
2. ...having to pack up those first tiny outfits knowing your baby would never wear them again?
3. ...realizing it was time to stop swaddling?
4. ...when the "slap-slap" of little hands and knees on hard floors was replaced with the pitter-pat of little feet?
5. ...how it seemed like one day your baby became interested in grabbing things other than just your finger?
6. ...knowing that it was time for your baby to be introduced to new foods and acknowledging that you could no longer take full credit for every ounce of growth? ;)
7. ...when it suddenly hit you that your baby would no longer stay where you put him and nothing was "safe" anymore?
8. ...the day when your baby no longer seemed (so) interested in the bottle, the binky, or (most of all) the breast and, while you knew that was good and natural, it also hurt a little?
9. ...when that gummy grin became a toothy grin?
10. ...noticing the hand dimples were gone?"

It took me back a few years (well, except for the breastfeeding part!)!  Maybe it brought back some memories for you, too.

Dialogue Mondays

Brayley: "We can't ride the elevator.  It is out of order."
Mommy: "Oh, I didn't know it was broken!"
Brayley: "It's not broken, it just needs more order in it!!"

2 Year Old Brayley

Top 10 Things I Love/Hate About The Toddler Years

While currently experiencing them with 2 toddlers, I have come up with my...

Top Ten Things I LOVE / HATE About The Toddler Years:

1.  I LOVE the fact that my son wants to snuggle and hug on me because I know that soon he won't want to!

2.  I HATE the fact that both of my toddlers already hate school and they are still in daycare!

3.  I HATE the fact that they already pester each other and fight.  I thought that didn't begin until at least 10!

4.  I LOVE the fact they like to do chores!  I know it won't last long so I am enjoying it now!

5.  I HATE the fact that my princess is still in diapers even though I always heard that girls and second children are faster to potty train!

6.  I LOVE the fact that they are learing something new every day and that I get to watch them as they discover new things!

7.  I HATE the fact that I don't get to stay at home with them and watch them discover every new thing!

8.  I LOVE the fact that my children already know about Jesus at this young age!

9.  I HATE the fact that I can't give them as much single attention as I would like.  I know they are both attention hungry and I thank grandparents and great-grandparents for giving them one-on-one time that they need!

10.  I LOVE the fact that God has blessed me with this cute, tiring, stressful, WONDERFUL little family!!

"Children are an inheritance from the Lord.
They are a reward from him.
 The children born to a man when he is young
      are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
       Blessed is the man who has filled his quiver with them

He will not be put to shame

when he speaks with his enemies in the city gate."

Psalm 127:3-5

Dialogue Monday

Brayley: "Mommy, can I watch 'Jack and Gary'?"
Mommy:  "What's 'Jack and Gary'?"
Brayley: "You know, that movie I watched with the cat and that mouse."
Mommy:  "Oh, you mean 'Tom and Jerry'?!"
Brayley:  "Yeah, that one!"

Daddy's Little Girl's 1st Birthday

A Borrowed Top Ten...

Today I borrowed a Top Ten.  I came across it on another blog and thought about revamping it to my own personal answers.  After reading all ten, I decided against the revamp since my answers would be almost exactly the same.  On that note, here are my borrowed...


Top Ten Reasons Parenthood Makes You Skinny (In Theory)

10. You have to buy diapers at Walmart instead of that cheesy goodness crab dip at your favorite restaurant. Cheese and crab meat...it doesn't get any better! Oh, how I miss you!

9. Even if you can afford it, you don't have the energy to take the kids out to dinner. I've given up on ever eating a hot meal in a restaurant when my children are present. Why go out and pay for a cold entree when you can eat a cold dinner at home any night of the week?

8. Half of anything you put on your plate will be eaten by your toddler...if not all of it.
I'm afraid that when Liam's old enough he'll eat the other half of my food. Why does food from Mommy's plate taste so much better than the exact same food on the kids plates???

7. You want to set a good example of eating habits, so you snack on carrot sticks and cheerios instead of snickers bars and potato chips. Yet somehow your kids always have cookie crumbs on the corners of their mouths? Ahem...Aunt Heather alert!!

6. You're burning way more calories chasing and playing with your toddler than you ever did at your over priced yoga classes. But, oh, aren't you glad you own those yoga pants now? I pretty much live in mine daily. 

5. You choose showering during their nap time rather than eating lunch.*
I learned the hard way to only shower if ALL the kids are sleeping. What can I say? Sometimes smelling fresh and clean trumps a cup of Greek yogurt!

4. You choose going to sleep as soon as possible rather than eat a quiet dinner after the kids are asleep.*
*I'm not advocating skipping meals on a regular basis...so unhealthy! I'm just saying it happens every now and then.

3. Breastfeeding burns more calories than you consume in a day.
Maybe this is why I'm always SO hungry right before bed???

2. Grocery shopping trips with kids almost always get cut short on account of...you have kids with you.
The list hardly ever gets completed!

1. Your sweet child(ren) have given you more motivation than ever to take better care of yourself and set a good example of heath and exercise!

###

Good theory, right? Hurray, my "fat pants" are too big!! But who shrunk my pre-pregnancy skinny jeans?! Yoga pants it is!

Dialogue Mondays

Brayley:  "Mommy, I turned your alarm clock off for you."
Mommy:  "Thanks, B!  Mommy has issues remembering to turn it off instead of hitting snooze."
Brayley:  "What are ish-hues?"
Mommy:  "Ha, something your family is full of!!"
Brayley:  "Oh!"

Pimp Riding

B shopping with me for Father's Day

Top 10 Things I Swore I Would Never Say As A Parent

When I was growing up I remember thinking how unfair life was. It always seemed to me that I wasn’t allowed to do something or I was always getting in trouble for something that my brother obviously did.  On more than one occassion I muttered under my breath that I would be a cooler mom, a more understanding mom, a mom who wouldn’t have all these rules and chores.  Oh, didn't we all!!  AND THEN, we became mothers!
My perspective drastically changed. Now with two toddlers of my own I find myself saying things that I swore would never come out of my mouth. So, here are my...

Top Ten Things I Swore I Would Never Say As A Parent:

1. "Because I said so!"
2. "I'll give you something to cry about..."
3. "I brought you into this world, I can take you out!"
4. "You better stop while you're ahead!"
5. "One...Two...Three!!"
6. "No!"
7. "Were you raised in a barn?!"
8. "Yes, what?" Answer: Yes, Ma'am
9. "Go to your room if you're going to cry!"
10. "What part of NO don't you understand!?!?"

I guess the saying is true: The more things change the more they stay the same.

My perspective now is, I turned out great so I should follow the teachings of my wise mother!  ;-)

Dialogue Mondays

Brayley:  "What in the world of my Jesus!?!?"
Translation- 'Oh my gosh!', 'What in the world!', 'Holy cow!', etc.