On parenting a four year old

Well, almost four year old. I can't believe she is almost four. I know, I know, all parents say that about their children as they approach a birthday. Yet, it is so true. How can my little baby already be a... what? Is she still a toddler, or is she called something else now. The next thing I know we will be looking for clothes in the little girl section instead of the toddler section.

And back to the title, I'm not sure I really have any parenting tips. Most days, I feel like I am flying by the seat of my pants. I'm not sure if I have ever prayed more diligently for anything. Parenting is hard, exhausting, intimidating, infuriating, irritating, and confusing to name a few adjectives. And yet, it is also fulfilling, joyous, exhilarating, laughable, fun, and purposeful. It is one of those things in life that can be two completely different things at the same time.

As Brenna quickly approaches four, I am amazed by how many choice she has to make. Some are so hard, and it is hard for me, the parent, to teach her how to make good choices without crushing her free spirit. I am trying to teach her an obedient spirit and happy heart, while I learn it myself daily. Isn't that the way parenting goes.

We had a good week for the most part. We have spent a lot of time outside. The weather was beautiful most days. We didn't make it to the park during the week, but she and Daddy went to the this afternoon. She had a great time with Daddy and was glad to go with him. We were also able to go take some bluebonnet pictures yesterday. I'll leave you with the most recent pictures.


Jump rope still needs a little practice.



Brenna making a big mess in the dirt.


She was so excited to wear her princess dress in the flowers.

Half way

We are half way through March and I have written almost nothing. How sad is that. I used to write almost every day. Now I am down to once or twice a month. Not a good rate there. Hopefully I will start making the time to write again soon. This past week was spring break for Nathan. It may go down in history as the worse spring break for him. He had his wisdom teeth extracted. Although it was easier than some because three of the for teeth were erupted, it still doesn't feel good. He has spent a lot of time lying around, playing video games, and watching movies. At least he did get rest this week.

While Nathan was recovering, Brenna and I went to Austin to visit a friend who was visiting her parents. Brenna and Krissy had a great time together, and Amy and I had a great time too. Each time I get to see Amy, our girls have more fun together. They play well together and enjoy friendship. It is fun for Amy and I to watch. Unfortunately, this time, I forgot to take my camera, so there are no pictures.

I am busily trying to get this house packed. What a chore. It is easier to move across the street than across the country, but moving is moving. I still have to pack most things in the house. So, packing is what I will be doing for the rest of March. Not a fun chore, but it is for a fun reason this time. We are excited about our new house. Speaking of the new house, all the paper work is coming together. We received a letter of acceptance for the loan application. That is exciting. I think this is really going to happen this time. I can't believe Nathan and I are actually going to be home owners in less than a month.

I'll let the pictures tell what Brenna and I have done with the rest of our spring break week.

Good News

Wow, what a busy month February was. I won't even try to recap what happened all month. I will just say it was the missed blogging month. That happens sometimes.

So what is my good news today? The Texas Jones Family are under contract for our first home. We are very excited even though I am also very anxious. There is so much stress that goes along with buying a home. It is all happening pretty quickly. Our closing date is set for April 16th. Hopefully all the details will fall together and go smoothly. I don't have any pictures yet, but as soon as I do, I will add some here. We have two inspections scheduled for this week, so I should know a little more after that.

Well, that is all my news for now. I will keep everyone informed as we move along.

Westin and Brenna

I don't normally catch Westin in a cuddly mood with Brenna. Lately he has taken to sleeping in her bed during the day time. One night when I was putting Brenna to bed, he stayed there even when she climbed into bed. The moment was too precious for me to pass up. He stayed there with her through prayers, hugs and kisses, and the last drink of water. It was quite sweet.

Introducing, Du, du, du, dum...

LADY BRENNA!


She can conquer the world with a wave of her wand.


What mysterious thought lie behind those hidden eyes?


And a face that will turn heads.

Sewing, D-Now, and Pictures

I have been busily getting ready for this weekends Disciple Now. I am excited about the turnout of kids here in Karnes City. Hopefully all of them will show up on Friday. As the week is coming to an end, I am finishing up the last details and finding I have a little more free time. I am longing to start sewing again during nap times. Christmas break, a new puppy, and a busy schedule have really hindered my sewing. Not to mention that I added the puppies crate in our room. I'm not sure there is room to move my sewing table to the area I need to sew in. We will see soon. I am itching to start some of my new projects. I have several lined up.

On to a completely different subject. We have seen rain, rain, and more rain here. It has rained for days. I am beginning to feel like the old man that bumped his head. Brenna is going crazy being inside all the time. The puppy is going crazy being around crazy Brenna. I am going crazy managing both of them. I know we were praying for rain not too many months ago, but maybe some moderation would be nice.

There was a day or two last week where we were able to go outside for a short time. I'm so glad I took advantage of that time. I got some great pictures of Brenna and the puppy as they started to settle down after some hard running around and playing. I love it when I get a good picture unexpectedly. Enjoy the smiles.

Lessons of parenting

Parenting has taught me many lessons about myself and my relationship with Christ. Yesterday, I was taking the puppy outside but didn't realize Brenna wanted to come too. Sophie finished outside before Brenna had a chance to get out there with us. As we were coming inside she was screaming at me because she was so frusterated and mad that she wasn't getting her way. I tried to explain that she could go next time and that it was a quick trip, but she wouldn't listen. She screamed at me so loud that I'm sure the neighbors could have heard. She has been told that she can't talk to mom like that so she was disciplined for her actions.

Later we were talking about why she got in trouble. I was sure to explain that it is okay to get mad a Mommy but it is not okay to yell at me like that. She needs to use her words and tell me why she is mad. I gave her an example and we went on to the next subject. I hope she learned that she can be angry when she doesn't get her way, but she can't be disrespectful or disobedient. Big lesson for a little girl.

Big lesson for a big girl. How often do I throw my hands in the air and scream at God with my actions when I am angry and don't get my way? I throw my own adult style temper tantrum. Not the appropriate reaction. It is okay for me to be angry and tell God what I am feeling, but it is not okay for me to disobey or become hard and disrespectful. I wonder if I will ever learn this lesson. Anger has always been an issue with me. I deal with it better today than last year or the years before, but it is still a struggle. I hope that one day I will really know and believe that God is big enough to hold my anger and other emotions. He made me an emotional being and doesn't want me to hide my feelings from him or myself. I cheat both of us when I do that.