Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Mommy's Going Crazy!!

Ok, ladies...it is only the second week of summer vacation and I am already going crazy!!! What is it about my kids?? They argue all the time. They don't mind, obey, listen or anything!!! I am just about to...be put away in the loony bin!!!!! Oh, and the attitude...oh my goodness! I can't stand all the attitude towards me or towards each other. Can you believe they even had the nerve to act up in Sunday School last week!?!? OH NO!! And was it this attitude of I want more, or what you offer is not enough for me...is what I have to give to them ever going to be enough?? Like for instance..."Mommy, can I have a piece of candy?"...."Yes, you may have one piece of candy."..."can I have 2?"....really? One is not good enough??? You want more? It is that way with everything!! We are not made of money. As a matter of fact we barely have enough right now to pay the bills and eat but they are still playing baseball and taking piano. We make it work because they enjoy those things. And heaven forbid if you tell them that they are going to miss a practice or a game...they act as if they are so miss treated. Urg!!!! I have had enough!!! I can't take it anymore! So, I have decided to deem this summer..............




Operation Attitude Change


If something does not change, I will totally lose it!! So, I was talking to Autumn's sweet piano teacher about how much they fight and she shared with me what her mom would do to them. If they fought they had to clean all the baseboards in the house! All of them! She said they had the cleanest baseboards in the whole town!! So, I was inspired!! Could that really help? Would that make a difference in their life...well, it is worth a shot right!! We have chore charts. They don't always work. But see I don't reward for the chore charts, maybe that is part of the problem with them. I feel that if I am expected to cook, clean, wash clothes, make lunches, and drive them around doing extra stuff...then they should be expected to help as well. I don't get paid for what I do, right? Anyway...we started on Monday. The attitude began and so did the cleaning!! They finished their chores and then more attitude from the seven year old. He seems to think he does not have to answer his sister when she is talking to her. Just ignore her. ALL THE TIME! So he had to scrub the kitchen floor on his hands and knees with a couple of wash rags. Yep, that's right! About 1/4 the way through he wanted a break...ummmmm...no way!! He worked and scrubbed until the floor was clean!!!! My kitchen floor is now sparkling!!

Tuesday...more daily chores...and then more attitude. This time from the nine year old. For some reason she just thinks she can be rude to her brother all the time!! Arguing over the Wii, just plain old attitude!!! She ended up having to clean the inside of the refrigerator! Yep that's right! My shelves inside my refrigerator are sparkling!!


!
She did a really good job! Then I got a really nice letter from her saying how sorry she was and she would try really hard to have JOY ( Jesus, Others, Yourself)!! Wonderful! Very sweet! They are now grounded from video games, or tv for 2 days for fighting over the Wii. *sigh*

Wednesday...today....here we go again. I had to go up to the church for an evaluation and they started out really good! No fighting, no rudeness! But,
it did not last long! Today is the day to test if I have to obey all the time or just some of the time. You would have thought they had been raised in a barn!!!! Craziness consumed my nine year old! I had asked her 3 times to settle down but no! And then when we got home she was so tired that the rudeness to her brother showed up. She didn't listen to him at all. He asked her 2 times to stop and she just kept on!!! I was sitting right there too!!! REALLY!!! Come on!!! So you know that wall behind the trash can that get absolutely yucky with food splatters...well it is clean now, along with the outside of both refrigerators! My house will be really clean by the end of the month :)


I can't tell you how it is going to work out. I just ask
ed them if they could tell me why they had to clean and neither one of them could tell me. *SIGH* Dang! I will continue. I will continue to talk to them, encourage them, share scriptures with them and anything else I can come up with. I am at my wits end! Spankings don't work well...they do but just for the day. Washing the mouth out with soap works for the day as well...BUT I need something long term. Something that will last. Something that may change how they view themselves and how they treat others. I am possibly going to plan a service they can do. Volunteering may help change their heart. I know that God is in control. I know the He is the only one who can truly change a heart but I am praying that He will use me as the tool to do so!!!




The last picture is of them writing sorry notes to their Sunday School teachers for the behavior that they had at church. We will be writing these notes as long as it takes. I need them to take "ownership" of the behavior that they choose to have.



Praying that this helps us out. Praying that God moves my children in a might way!! Will you pray with me? Will you ask God to move my children in a might way?? My hearts desire is that they will seek Him in all they do! Including how they treat others. I want so desperately for them to set the example for others to follow instead of always being the one following!!!!!



Hope your summer is starting off better than mine! Happy Sunshine Days :)

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Memorial Day

I want to share with you all the scrapbook that I made for my father...it is not just an ordinary scrapbook...it is one to honor his days serving this country :) It was given to my father on his birthday. The birthday before we found out that he had cancer. The first picture is at his party! It is the last picture that shows my dad truly happy!! He is wearing a Airforce hat and bomber jacket that we gave him as well....which is now hanging in my closet.




(I am sorry if it looks grainy or not quite right...it is a picture of a picture.)

My father was really proud of this country and serving it was an honor!! I remember lots of stories that he shared...if only I had written them down!! The next several pictures are of the book. I hope you can see them okay, I had to turn the flash off because of the glare off the plastic covering.

Ok...I loved making this book for my dad and now my children can enjoy it as well :)

Thanks Daddy for serving your country and willing to die for it! We all thank you for your service ♥

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Piano Recital


My oldest had her first Piano Recital on Monday! She was so nervous. I am so proud of her...she did a great job! Her teacher tells me all the time how impressed she is with Autumn's ability. Autumn has been taking piano lessons since February!! That is 3 months of lessons and then a recital, really? She is really fast learner and loves the piano so much...actually she loves music!!! It moves her in crazy ways :) Her teacher told me at the recital that Autumn can teach me the things she is learning, and I laughed. She has already tried to teach me somethings and gets upset with me when I hold my notes to long!!! Her teacher, Ms. E, told me that didn't surprise her one bit...Autumn will almost argue with her about whether or not she play an A or a B note...surprising??? No way!!! That's my girl :) Anyway, I just wanted to show you some pictures of that day. My beautiful little girl is growing up!!