A Few of my Favorite Things....about my kids

Just wanted to write a few quick thoughts on my favorite things about my kids.....

:: Landon ::

He's so full of joy!  It's really hard to be in a bad mood when you hang out with this kid.

He's got a natural inclination to protect.  So much so that he gets upset when we reprimand Jillian with a firm or raised voice. 

He is full of self confidence without being arrogant and without an ego.

He's pretty willing to try just about anything and has fun while he tries.

:: Jillian ::

She's an observer.  You can see her watching, analyzing, and thinking where ever she is.

Once she sets her mind to something it's virtually impossible to change her mind.

She takes calculated risks.

She loves, loves, loves babies.

Taking a moment to write these things up, to focus on a few character traits, reminds me of one of my favorite quotes about parenting.....you can find it here.

I love discovering my kids.  What makes them tick.  What their strengths and weaknesses are.  What their talents are.  What makes them an amazingly unique image of an infinite God.

Yes, he threw a tantrum about THIS!

My brother Jared has a gift.
A gift of persuading and convincing people that certain ideas are not just good ideas but brilliant ideas.
This gift was often the instigator that got his friends into trouble in high school; mind you, it rarely got him into the trouble as well.
He likes to use this gift of persuasion for his own entertainment --- what can he convince someone else to do?  And not only what can he convince them to do, but what can he convince them is, in fact, a brilliant idea?

Jared also uses this gift on his own niece and nephew (my children) (although Jillian is much harder to "sell" the ideas to).  And Jared's gift worked like a charm on Landon one day......so much so that he threw a total, meltdown-tantrum about THIS.......

Yes.  That's poop, dog poop, on the shovel.

Check out those facial expressions.

Landon = "Yes indeedy!  I'm shoveling poop!  Stinky, smelly, dog poop!  I'm the luckiest three-year-old around.  And to think, my daddy almost made me go home before I had the chance to do this job!  Thanks Uncle Jared for letting me do this job for you."

Jillian = "Whhaaaaaaatttt?????  Poop?  THAT is what you're so excited about?  THAT is what the fuss was all about?  Ugh. Gross.  You're dumb."

Look at the care and attention he takes in carrying it.

Oh boy!  Found another pile!

About to throw it over the fence.  

In attendance of this wonderous job -- 

Rocky - the dog who's too dumb to poop in the woods

Jillian - who's still trying to figure out what's so great about this

Oh Yeah!!  Job well done.  

Thank you Uncle Jared, for convincing him that poop shoveling is an awesome job.  Just remember that your children will be younger than mine, and Jillian is much more like you and I than Landon is, when it comes to manipulation..........and that Landon's other Uncle is Bear, who eats ants and grubs.  We'll see who convinces who to do what in ten years.  *mwahahahahaha* (evil laugh sound)

My Favorite Things About Potty Training

This is a simple post......

1. Less diapers to change.  Which leads to less trash to take out.  Which leads to a better smelling house.
2. M&Ms are in the house.  And since they don't get M&Ms often, they're happy with ONE M&M as a reward......so as long as I can use self control a one-pound bag will last us awhile.
3. Both 1 & 2 save money.  

Beach Trip -- a late posting

Back in the early part of June we went on a week long beach vacation.  It was a giant family vacation.  The house had 6 bedrooms, 2 kitchens, huge porches, and a private board walk to the beach.  The furnishings of the house reminded me a lot of the church-retreat camps we would go to with our high school youth group, but the amount of space the house offered was awesome!  Four generations of Sparwaths (my mom's family) were under one roof.  So crazy and so fun!

Jillian thought it was funny to wear my Nana's hat.

She didn't like sitting in the sand, so she sat in beach chairs or squatted most of the week.

Landon and Josh building a sand castle.  I cannot even explain the amount of self control it took for Landon to wait ALL day to crash/wreck/smash it.  

This is one of those pictures that it's not until you load it on the computer do you see what you really photographed......the positioning makes it look like Jillian is kissing Josh's butt.

My brother attempted to braid my twelve-year-old cousin's hair.

The beach set-up.  

Jillian LOVES water, but was sooooo nervous about the waves, that this is the closest she got all week.....on the last day!

The crazy-spacious camp-like house.  The porches were so great.  So much room for the kids to run and be loud, without getting all sandy or bothering the rest of the family.

My parents' dog Maizy came.  She gets so anxious when she's away from home that she can't eat.  Jillian was the only person who could get her to eat all week.

Family boat ride!  Oh....making memories......  We're on one boat, the rest of the family is on the boat in the background.

The other boat got stuck in very, very, very shallow waters.  My brother and Uncle hopped out and had to push it off the bottom, to deeper waters where it was safer to use the motor. 

Ooooohhhhhh, the memories.

Tradition has it that we build forts on the beach 

and have a water balloon fight.  

Boys vs. Girls

This year, instead of forts, the boys made trenches about 5 feet deep.  

Sparwath family dance party, glow-stick-bracelets and all.  

This picture doesn't do justice to the dance moves this kid has.

The view from the house.  

Giant house. Fourteen people and two toddlers. One dog.

Three people and one dog from a condo down the street (more family).

Lots and lots of memories!