sharing

the darling arielle is giving away a super sweet $50 gift card to anthropologie. i have never shopped there before but want to and have heard great great things about it. head on over to this post to follow her for that one entry and see how you can have more than one chance to win. [like bloggin about it!] it ends may2nd.

hello monday you are full of more than enough gifts and so i shall count them to be reminded:

...Jesus died on the cross for ME [andYOU] all because He loved us.

...for it was by grace that He did so. there was nothing we have to do to get Grace.

...how great is it that all three boys slept in this morning [a Monday no less!] and that

...I was able to enjoy that quiet peace that came with the silence of sleeping boys 10 minutes before they woke up...

...which also translated into 10 minutes of morning husband alone time before the sleeping giants arose!

...to a day filled with amazing wonder of what is to come & what God may have planned with our evening

...to the trust in God that is hard to rely on but MUST occur in order for things to continue

...for the love of family & friends & relatives that is ever-present.

...for carpools where I don't have to drive my kids to school 10 times a week [only 4!]

...for conversations with aunts that include PRAYER!

#153-162 and more here

all is well

Source: wildolive.blogspot.com via Pam on Pinterest

Happy Easter!
Thank you Lord for sending your son and sacrificing him as a substitute for our sin...

So many things going on this weekend. I want to update you on how my Lent sacrifice went the past 40 days, on how the Great Cloth Diaper Change event yesterday, and other things on my brain. Like time. And my word of the year - new. But not now. Taking this day for family and going to get some other important work done [like making our house look pretty for showings & an open house next weekend!]...all the while trying to not let the little things bother me and take up precious space in my head!

Love you all. Remember to take time to remember why it's a long weekend...
God is GOOD.

check-in

Almost 30 weeks. 10 to go.
Comfort level is mediocre. Exhaustion level is high.
baby4[steve] is now the size of a squash.

Baby’s energy is surging, thanks to the formation of white fat deposits beneath the skin. (Have those kicks and jabs to the ribs tipped you off yet?) Baby is also settling into sleep and waking cycles, though -- as you’ve also probably noticed -- they don’t necessarily coincide with your own. Also this month, all five senses are finally functional, and the brain and nervous system are going through major developments.

[pic&stats source]

A name for this baby is going to be hard to finalize. The name for boy3 was hard to figure out, & the middle name finally was decided in the hospital.

That's all to report this time around :)

wordless-ish

oh cookie dough how we love to eat you.

About Me

Today I visited a lil blog called Lemon & Raspberry. & Amy wrote a guest post over at -

Topic? About me pages. And so after a long month or more of mine sitting dormant, I have finally been inspired to update it. Go see :)

drum roll please...

THE CHANCES were great. 25% to be exact.

Four entries. [You lurkers that boost my stats are making me look bad! hehehe...]

Folded up nice...

Choose a boy to pick one [in this case boy1 offered kindly...]

and the winner of her very own copy of Ain't Misbehavin' is TammiIsBlessed! Congrats :)

monday

hello there miscellany monday...

1] it's not quite 9am [almost 10 by the time i publish got around to publishing this] and i am feeling like having a nap already... just one of those days where cleaning up after sicks boys totally exhausts me.

2] today is my darling husband's birthday & i was so tired & distracted by the sick children that i forgot to say happy birthday to him before he headed out for work. with the wonders of technology a text message makes up for that... and so will the dessert we have tonight [as long as everything else for the day pans out]

3] hardwoord/laminate flooring [you know, NOT carpet] is great for days like this. easy clean up - of course, after you think of rolling up the area rug after cleaning it four times in the last 16 hours. [mental note for next house, don't even consider carpet for any rooms]

4] see why i am tired now? and there is still many a things to do & get ready for our BIG event on saturday. and emails and laundry and dishes and meal cooking. one.thing.at.a.time.

5] will be adding prayer to that list for today. consistent. never ending prayer. that's what'll get me thru my day.

"Pray without ceasing."—1 Thessalonians 5:17.

6] the giveaway is over and winners will be announce eventually. i had big plans of vlogging about it, but no such luck yet. c'est la vie!

and so if you happen to be the praying type we would appreciate if you do so for us... we need all the help we can get today! thanks for joining us on this insanely mundane & miscellany monday. it could totally be worse. it could totally be worse. it could totally be worse. but the toddler on my lap having an impromptu nap is super sweet...

Life...

...and don't forget the book giveaway that ends Saturday! [low entries ;) ]

i [heart] pinterest

Source: lovelife.typepad.com via Pam on Pinterest

Kal art - I swoon... and can't wait till I can get baby4 his own personalized set of AWESOME prints.

Bus rolls like this make me swoon too... I have a perfect spot for this - one day, not here or now tho...

 

Source: lovelife.typepad.com via Pam on Pinterest

Hello options!

Source: lovelife.typepad.com via Pam on Pinterest

counting continues...

...God showing me that I am blessed, I am gifted with much much more than I need.

...getting shivers feeling His presence.

...through all the 'to dos' & 'must dos' & 'dont wanna dos' life still does go on whether it is done or not.

...sunshine, oh that beautiful sunshine.

...constant reminder that I am growing a human being inside of my body whether it be with a kick in the ribs or bladder & an ache or pain here or there, it's real and it's happening for the last time.

...trying to find the words for the feelings but really - God already knows & He will give you [read:me] any words that are needed.

...definitely no motivation for preparing meals three or more times a day - but a husband that comes home and is hungry enough and helps accomplish that goal!

...a toddler boy [2] that is undecided who will put him to bed - mommy or daddy? but then has a huge smile plastered on his face when both sing & pray with him to put him to bed.

...extra 'alone' time with boy1 after the littles go to bed since there is no school tomorrow. [meaning time with parents to himself!]

 [pretty sure every child of mine has a HUGE goofy bone in their body!]

...braving the pre-school parent crowd to get boy2 into filled up/filling spots in the fall with success!

...the battle it took to get me out the door to do so but knowing it will be so good for boy2 to be in that type of environment especially before he goes to kindergarten.

...finding delicious nutritious snacks that won't accentuate & increase the size of my love handles, all the while fulfilling my hunger & that little bit of sweetness I crave

...yoga! attending an hour class where I can modify it to my pregnant body [but told I am still quite 'bendy'! - thanks darling ;)  ]

& have that relaxing time for 'ME'...

& also when in that yoga silence praying to God about whatever is on my heart so that He can renew me...

[#138 - 152 of 1000+ gifts]

An a sidenote - hockey is dictating our life this year. No real surprise you know! It is officially play-off time. This means more hockey is watched on tv then anything else, and more tv is watched than at any other time in the year. It also means that the husband and I have agreed on a name for baby4 [aka babySteve]. How are these two related?  We have decided that either a first or middle name will be chosen from a player on the winning team of the 2011 Stanley Cup. It will be a memorable year and perhaps I will always remember who the winning team was for 2011, or at least one player on that team...

Wordless-ish

It is hard for me to have a post without words, really!
I am coming out of the closet, so to speak. I have these privacy issues that I deal with and often have feelings of closing &/or privatizing my blog [don't worry I'm not going to!] like I have done in the past. But these kids are so stinkin cute, it's hard not to share pictures with my audience! Just make sure that when you see us out in public you come over and say "HI! I read your blog." Then I won't feel so freaked out. Honestly. It makes me feel better. I will still call them boy1&2&3 because even I forget their names.

[a cheesy grin just for YOU from boy3]

And don't forget to enter the current giveaway. If you don't think you need the book, think of someone else who may...

There's also the super kick butt event I am planning [and trying not to lose sleep over!] Check out the Great Cloth Diaper Change for Winnipeg on facebook here. The non-facebook pre-registration page goes live later today... Will link ya up then!

i heart pinterest

Source: homegrownhospitality.typepad.com via Pam on Pinterest

Ain't Misbehavin' & a Giveaway

There are thousands, no MILLIONS of 'how to' books out there. How to parent. How to discipline. How to do this and how to do that. I don't have the time to read any of it, never mind get through the first chapter of each one! The internet is also a multitude of knowledge and opinions on how to discipline your child. In the end, I read bits and pieces of it and apply the stuff I think will be useful to the situation. Done. I don't read a whole book before I decide to take action. It needs to be NOW. And quick.

I received the book Ain't Misbehavin' by Alyson Shafer in the mail. The biggest thing for me? I don't have to read the whole thing in order to review it for you :) I did take some time to read the intros and a the first few points she mentions. There are also some topics that need to be dealt with in our family and so I have read those as well.

Alyson writes on over 100 different behaviors that are common and normal to children. They are topics most commonly asked about on her radio show that is now in it's 6th season! She shows parents how to stop flipping between being too firm and too permissive, but rather striking the right balance of respective yet effective with their discipline. Perfect.

What strikes me in every single 'how to' book out there? There is no one way to do things. And you take what you learn 'with a grain of salt' and either apply it to a tee, modify it to the situation or completely forget what you have read/heard. With children's behaviors, lets face it, there are many different ways to solve issues & what will work for their personality. Alyson does well on the tactics that she has tackled, but some are missing and I can honestly think of more... In one instance she doesn't have her facts right either. Sleep. She states that starting at 4 months old 9-12 hours of sleep is needed, plus two naps that are 2-3 hours each. In my experience, not every baby has two good naps like that. Mine would have three naps in a day [and my mommy brain does not remember when that transitioned to two] and often not long ones. Of course, every baby is different.

Ain't Misbehavin' does have many great points and strategies though! In the chapter, from trough to table Alyson promotes solutions and points out that "we are to change up our goal from making children mind our orders (obedience) to making them want to do something (cooperation) we have to create conditions that foster cooperation." So for something as little as setting the table Involve your kids: ask them to sign up for chores. Shake things up: change things around a bit! No one wants a life sentence to setting the table each and every meal. Create teams: have them pair up with a sibling or parent for the task, it will go by much quicker and get some quality time in! Let natural consequences unfold: Let dinner simmer and wait until your asked 'when's supper?' and your response can be 'when the table is set!' If someone is hungry they will set the table, no matter if it is their turn or not... Alyson also suggests to Show your appreciation, Let siblings help and Bite your tongue!

Want to read more? Visit her website here ,buy it on amazon.ca or win it here!!
So be honest [I know every child is not perfect!], why would you want to win a copy? You have until next Saturday April 16th to let me know for your chance to win a copy of the book. Good luck!

Disclosure - I am participating in the Ain’t Misbehavin’ program by Mom Central on behalf of Wiley Publishing.  I received a copy of the book to review and gift card as a thank you for my participation.  The opinions on this blog are my own and are not influenced in any way.

You will find me...

find me here to today...

beyond...

beyond gifted...

... with new mercies each and every day.

... sweet kisses from the 2 year old running back and forth between mamma and daddy in the morning. [oh to have that energy at such an early hour!]

... fear of giving birth to baby4 and not knowing what to expect or what will happen but knowing that God will have His hand on it leading every single moment.

... past friendships that seem to have dwindled and are still lingering in my heart but knowing that the current friendships are the HERE.AND.NOW. and that is what is important.

... junior high friend who is now provinces away yet we still meet up for coffee and catch up time when she comes to visit [and one day i can hopefully meet up with her there?!?]

... the haircut that also meant an hour of 'non-mom' time.

... as i mentioned before - time.

... blessed with the gift of time with my boys.

... time to enjoy it with them on a walk around the block last night.

... story time before bed.

... singing time before bed.

... upon a paper purge I found this and was reminded that I am loved.

[click to enlarge]

All these gifts are immeasurable. Putting it into words these gifts I have been blessed with makes me realize more and more each day that it is the little things that count. All the materialistic tendencies need to be thrown out the window. They are temporary anyways!

[#126-137]

monday

Randoms:

1] hockey is over for my boys, but the weekends still seem to fill up no problem... and this weekend was no exception. helping a family move, making the house 'sell ready', having grandparents over so parents have an evening out to celebrate a birthday with friends, and sunday - most importantly going to church and learning a valuable lesson from the message! it was an eye opener. most definitely. the point to it all was that we can do more, we can live with less to give more, we can take more than that one hour on sunday to serve Him.

2] the great cloth diaper change. yup i signed up to be a host. it's a LOT of work and i haven't even dug into all i need to yet. it will come together, i know it...

3] nerds. i didn't share them today. and only once did i share the big box that i stashed away. yup i stash things like a chipmunk. it's embarassing but it's true. like i said on twitter today - there is just some things a preggo mamma doesn't share sometimes ;)

4] i'm all outta random things for this random monday. it's silly because i am usually quite full of them... i can think of more things for my 1000gifts though so i should that instead!

thanks for joining me on miscellany monday :)

Do you like giveaways? I just posted one over on the Tiny TreeHugger blog today. Go check it out!

And there is one coming up on this blog soon too :)