Pre-School Update =)

After taking the whole month of December off due to schedule craziness I was really excited to get back to doing preschool with Ryan and Scott at home. I am still really new to teaching preschoolers so I've had to search out lots of avenues to become comfortable with it. I am also teaching a small group of preschoolers on Thursdays so that has been really good for me as well. They are super different than 2nd graders and 3rd graders! =) A lot of what I am using right now is from prekinders.com and Mailbox magazines - such great resources! It has been a lot of fun since starting back and I am finally starting to feel like I'm getting the hang of it! =)

Using spaghetti noodles to trace over his sight words. Also good for fine motor skills! Plus it was just plain fun!

Scott had quite a bit of fun too!

And my floor was a mess!

        

Got this idea from a friend..it is better to use pom poms but I didn't have any at the time so I used buttons. Glue magnets to the back of them and put the rainbow paper on a metal cookie sheet.

Weather graphing

And changing our weather chart.

Puzzle work!

Scott working on the rainbow sheet (sorry out of order!)

Lowercase Uppercase matching (Ryan wanted to do the rainbow..can you tell?? lol) Yes I let him do it next! =)

Button Sorting by color, size, and number of holes

Tray full of items for him to sort by their beginning sound.

He really enjoyed doing this activity.

Figuring out a tough one. =)

And ofcourse to occupy Scott while Ryan was working. =)

This is mainly just to keep record for myself so that when Scott is learning I can look back and remember what I did with Ryan. If you have any good ideas for preschoolers or websites I would love for you to pass them on! =)

Happy 2 Years Scott!

Two years ago I remember only getting around 2 hours of sleep before waking up at 3:00 AM to get to Mission Hospital by 4:00 AM to introduce our little Scott into the world. I was a bundle of nerves; more anxious than with Ryan because this time I knew what all it involved. Things went smoothly and by that evening as snow began to fall little Scott Patrick was born. I can remember the doctors talking with Josh about the snow in the forecast as I was pushing and I thought, how funny that was, so everyday to them and so life altering for me. When Scott was born I was absolutely smitten with him and so excited about having a new baby to add to our family. He is such a special little boy and it is so hard to believe he is 2 years old!

Scott definitely has some personality and here are some things we have laughed over and taken notice of. We are so proud of who God has made him to be.

~ He LOVES suckers. He will do anything for one.
~ Brushing his teeth is one of his favorite things to do. If he hears the water on, he comes running. (Of course only if he gets to control the toothbrush)
~ He looks like me. Don't believe me? I have the baby pictures to prove it! =)
~ He has a quick temper. He has been known to bite, push, hit, throw, and pull hair. We are working on this. ha! =)
~ He is tender hearted and seems genuinely concerned over someone hurt.
~ He is a daddy's boy through and through.
~ He laughs easily and always has even when he was tiny. I love that about him.
~ He is a funny kid and I have known that since he was an infant. I can remember telling Josh that something about him was funny to me and made me laugh. He has ever since.
~ He loves Ryan to pieces. They are precious together.
~ He cuts his eyes at people all the time and it is hilarious. Something he has always done.
~ He knows how to hold and shoot a gun. He has also watched his papa skin a deer and didn't bat an eye.
~ He is fearless and super tough.  As his nana says, "He's a tough old knot." =)
~ He is an entertainer and loves to dance and sing in front of people.

He is such a joy and adds so much to our everyday lives. We are blessed to have him. Here are some memorable moments from his last year. Happy Birthday Scott! =)

The ER visit

So high!

"Daddy shoot deer!"

Time for a big boy bed. =)

Sweet smile

Trick or Treat

Infectious laugh

Mommy's little helper

1st haircut

Leaving my mark

Baby belly!

Learning to feed himself - lol

1st Ocean splash

We call this the "Moses picture"

Happy boy

Go ahead...Make My Day

So grown up together!

Fun at the beach!

Kid's Camp 2012

Rainy Day blues

Brother love

See my molars!

     

                                                                    Love that smile!

Why bad behavior is a good problem to have...

Ok...right off the bat.... bad behavior a good problem?? No way! Are you crazy? We all want our children to make their beds daily without complaining, always wait patiently when adults are talking, and respond to cooked broccoli with a resounding "YES!" right??

Behavior has been a major topic of discussion at our house lately. We have a toddler who is slap in the middle of the terrible 2s. He is text book. lol - And then a preschooler who can often pushes our limits as well. Josh and I have talked a lot about discipline and what it looks like for our kids, what they respond to, and what their love languages might be. It HAS to be a topic of conversation around here because it is what we are in the middle of.

What we are discovering is that terrible attitudes, tantrums, disobedience, and disrespect are actually an ok thing to SEE in our kids. The bible tells us that we born into sin and that it is problem for us from day 1. So...why does it surprise us when we come face to face with it in our children? It is actually a blessing to SEE bad behavior that is noticeable, eye-catching and obvious. This, in turn, gives us a perfect opportunity to speak into their little hearts. If there is sin, (which we know there is because of what the bible tells us) but you don't SEE it, that seems more scary in a way to me. There were times in my life when from all outward appearances I seemed to be a mannerly, Godly, sweet natured little child. Despite this veneer, there was lots of inward sin in my life that no one knew about so no one had to opportunity to speak into my life and help me see it.

SEEing the sin is so important for us parents. The exposure of it humbles us and shows us our need for Christ. There are no good kids! We are all born into sin. All of us...the sweet little girl who seems to never do anything wrong and the kid in your classroom at school that has given you gray hair. Its just that some sin is seen and some isn't.

We should be thankful for the SEEN sin in our lives and our children. SEEing it is the only way we can repent and ask for God's grace to change.

OCC and a haircut

  This week Ryan and I talked a lot about Operation Christmas Child. Last year he was really too young to understand, so this year we spent time looking at our globe, filling out a personalization sheet, picking out items, and packing them together. I really enjoyed it and I think he did too!

I'm pretty sure we have enough candy for 3 or 4 boxes! =)

I am hoping to be able to track the package so we can look at what country it traveled to! 

Yes I broke down and got it cut. I have been asked twice lately if he was a girl or a boy so I gave in. It made me sad. The wildness is gone.  =) We were super thankful for the lady in Boone who cut it. She was wonderful and very patient with him.

So handsome!! =)

I love it! =)

                                        

The accident

Last Saturday we were enjoying a relaxed afternoon...pork tenderloin on the grill, veggies in the oven, Charlotte's Web on for the kiddos. We had company coming in 15 minutes. I was in the shower when I heard a loud thud, a cry, then a long silent pause which turned out to be Scott holding his breath. I didn't panic, this is pretty normal for us...(at least 3 or 4 times a week). Then, Josh ran into the bathroom and said, "Carrie, get out now we have to go to the Hospital!" Before I had even seen it I was crying. Josh is usually pretty calm.  As it turns out, Scott had fallen off the couch and hit the coffee table. We decided I would stay home with Ryan, finish dinner, greet our guests, and let Josh take him. I am sooo thankful Josh was home. Here are the pictures of my poor lil guy. 

After the initial crying, Scott was actually pretty calm. Josh said he drank his juice in the car and talked to himself. =)

Josh said the nurses gave him a stuffed animal and juice when he got there. 

He also said Scott blew kisses to all the nurses. =)

This is the finished product. They glued it instead of stitches. He was super tough! =) Thankful for Josh and everyone at McDowell Hospital for taking care of him quickly and doing a super job! =) So thankful also to God for looking after him when I couldn't. It could have been his eye and the doctor said he prob would have lost some vision. Thank you God for your love and care over him!