Puggle

Payton started Puggles last week at church. It is the 2 year old version of Awana's. She loved it and told me she learned a memory verse, "God made everything.", Genesis 1:1. It is cute to hear her try and say Genesis. Her favorite thing lately has been reciting nursery rhymes and Bible stories. It has been sweet and amazes me what their little minds can soak up. She loves the story of David and Goliath. She likes to act it out and says "David won because he loved God and obeyed God." How profound I know. She also talks about how Jonah was in time out in the belly of the whale because he didn't do what God said. She often puts on quite a show while she is in time out. She will sit in her chair and recite nursery rhymes over and over. We stand on the other side of the wall and laugh. Fun times.

Summer Nights

Fun Summer Nights

We love summer, but I am not a fan of really hot days unless I am on a boat at the lake. Payton will go to the window and ask to go play on her playground and I respond "Baby we will melt." So at night we like to spend most of our time outside. I have tried to think of some fun activites besides just the park or sandbox. One night we made a house out of a box. We painted the house, made windows, and daddy made a brick walkway and chiminey. I think daddy had more fun than Payton, but he was quite possesive over his project. Claire and I had fun watching. Another night we finger painted with chocolate pudding, something I have always wanted to do. Payton and Claire loved it. They also loved rinsing off in the water hose afterwards. It is really fun to sit back and watch Claire enjoy herself. We have also gone to the Laser Show at Stone Mountain, Brusters (too many times), the park, and lots of walks around the neighborhood. Summer nights have been fun this year.

Imangine It Children's Museum

We went to the children's museum downtown with some of our sweet friends Alex and Sydney. The girls had so much fun. The theme this summer is Under the Big Top so everything has to do with the circus. They played at the water table, the sand table, painted, played dress up, played in the market and watched a circus show. It was interesting to watch the girls as they watched the show. All three of them looked terrified, yet afterwards said they liked it (even sweet Claire looked scared). Claire had a great time playing too. Now that she is walking she can participate more. I enjoyed watching her explore. It was a full day and Payton is still talking about Bee-Bo the clown.

Reality

Okay, I just spent time looking at some of our friends blogs and then looked back at ours and thought, "I wish every moment was as perfect as they appear in the pictures." What do I mean? Do you see any picturs of the reality of the everyday events with having toddlers? Why do I not post the pictures and tell the stories of my girls having tantrums, deliberately disobeying, crying, taking toys from each other, throwing food on the floor, not staying in their seat like I asked, and all the other normal kid things they do? Because I want to only remember the "good" moments and I want others to only see that part of our perfect lives. The reality is there are many days that all three of us stay unbathed and in our pjs until just before daddy gets home; that all three of us get frustrated at some point on a daily basis and that we get exhausted and moody; that I wipe food off faces, hands, tables, walls, chairs, floors, and toys all day; that we have battles over simple everyday tasks like doing hair, putting on diapers, getting dressed, using our spoon, and getting in our car seat. There are some moments when even my disciplining seems messy and moody. Moments when I feel too exhausted to explain with love the reason why we do not do something. Moments when I am tired of being creative and making up stories and songs all day. However, In these moments I remember that this is my dream. I am living the everyday reality of my dream of being a mom and that I love it. I would not trade it for the world. It teaches me about God's perfect love for me, His desire for me, His constant grace that I am undeserving of, His patience and it even mirrors for me how I disobey Him over and over just like my precious girls do me at times. I love being a mom, Payton and Claire's mommy, even on the messy days.


Reality picture

Parties

Claire likes being 1 years old. She had two parties, one for family and one for friends. She got cake twice, presents twice and twice the attention. She also learned to walk the day after her party. She is very slow and careful which is much like her personality. Enjoy the slideshow of both of her parties.

Claire's First Birthday