Kids are OUT of control and Irvine Park

 My precious, beautiful, perfect children are out of control! My two year old is obsessed with his poop, hitting, pirates and coloring anything but paper. He is impulsive, destructive and...well, normal for a 2 year old boy. So my sweet supportive friends keep telling me. Presley is Trent's partner in crime and often gets Trent to do the dirty work (I am finally catching on).  So we are in need of a schedule, consistent discipline, less TV, patience and love from their mother. In addition a good incentive/reward chart. I wrote many of the things she does in a day on Popsicle sticks. She starts out with all of them (projects, dress ups, Polly pockets, riding her bike, TV etc) As we complete them they go to the "I got this" she can see her progress and I can praise her for them throughout the day. If she loses them, they go to I lost this. The reminder is there for her to see. I can also be flexible with that as well, allowing her to earn it back. in addition to this I started a jar that has really special things written on popsicle sticks like a family night, watching a special movie, not having to nap and so on. I will let her pull from the jar when she has an exceptional day. I am still thinking about what Incentive I could do for Trent. The only thing he really cares about in life is his pirate hat and candy so I can only hand so much of that out and plus with childhood obesity and all....now the most important ingredient....momma must have a quiet time with Jesus and lots of prayer. I feel like I have hit my first real challenge that I will face in parenting. I feel very overwhelmed that I am going to get so behind in the discipline that it is very difficult to come back from.

 Each week that passes by, though Trent's screaming and tantrums have increased, but his ability to engage and enjoy and even focus is getting better. He had a blast at Irvine park...every animal was pure excitement for him.

Being goofy next to the goat

 Presley...still my observant concerned Presley...when she is not sure of something she stands back and observes and isn't really worried as much as concerned...love her.

"no, I don't want a picture" then folds  arms...

Nutella and PB sandwiches...mmmm

park day isn't a park day without at least one timeout!!

This, that and a spat...

For Halloween we took the kids to a "Trunk or Treat" event at our church. People decorated their cars with games out of their trunk. The sanctuary was turned into a bunch of little activities for the kids. It was low key AND I loved that. The next night we went trick or treating with our friends to about 10 houses. Trent was amazed at first that all he had to say was trick or treat and he would get candy! After the first few houses he just walked slowly behind eating his candy. Presley looked just beautiful as Mulan. She played the part beautifully. Trent was a pirate and he also played that part beautifully!

We are busy as usual. I am very happy about the time change.  I have allowed Presley to stop napping and instead go to bed early. Terry and I were really losing our quiet evenings together because they were not getting to bed until 9 9:30. Without a nap she is really tired and truly ready for bed.

Soon we will take a trip up north to San Fransisco to help serve in the Tenderloin community http://www.sfcityimpact.com and we will possibly see if what God has been stirring in our hearts is a call to be up there more or permanently.  We are going with two other families and our own children. We will stay in our time share but then head down for a day back into the tenderloin area to serve at one of their events. We shall see...I desire to live like our life is not our own.

We put a full bed in Presley's room. It's actually really precious because that was Terry's Nie nie's bed.  She loves her big girl bed and it didn't cost us a thing! We can bless our children without having to lavish them with expensive items! not to say you can never spend money on our kids...just for us to know we don't HAVE to have money to bless our children.

Yesterday on the way to church we made memories, bad memories by having an insignificant spat on the way to church. We became THAT family. Selfish, controlling flesh reared it's ugly head as we defended our positions. If I say sorry first, then I'm his doormat, if he says sorry first than he's mine. So it continued. As I sat in worship tight lipped angry at myself I cried out in my head to the Lord. Why do you love someone like me that tramples your grace by putting myself before what's important and even best for me? I can never be used by you because of this. I'm not worthy...but my response this time was different as the enemy told me the truth of the state of my heart and the sin I committed in an attempt to keep me down. I began to see that this is how an vicious cycle of a Christians walk is kept ineffective! I got out my sword and sliced him down as I raised my hands and boldly proclaimed "o praise the one who paid my debt and raised this life up from the dead" it will never be because of any greatness in me that I stand approved  before God but by his atonement from the cross. I can hold my head up when I fail not because the sin I committed wasn't that bad, oh it was, but because he paid the debt I owe because of it...now onto kingdom thinking and Jesus living again!!! It ended with repentance to each other and our children and a vow to take hold of the overcoming power that we have in Christ Jesus, the Holy Spirit!  I know that we can never avoid disagreeing again, but I praise God, giving Him all the glory for the help He has given us to grow away from patterns of the past and are changed to look more and more like Him.

In other insignificant things, today I hurt my foot. I can hardly walk on it. Ahh...I had so many plans today. Park, laundry put away, organization, dr.s for annual checkup. Not being able to put much pressure if any on it has thrown a wrench into the plans. I think it's just a strained something and will get better quick.

That is a few of the things that stick out in my mind of the last two weeks or so...

Pictures over the last 6 months

Broke my oil bottle

Best little baby wearing, pirate in high heels ever!

oobleck (cornstarch and water) trent LOVED this. One of the things Trent and I do when Presley is at pre-school

Going through a drumming phase...

The youth going to homecoming took a picture with Trent

Trent hugging Chase's leg

Reminds me of a picture I have of Presley...I'll have to dig it up ;)

Miss Presley

Meet the teacher day of Pre-school and breakfast at Ihop

Trent's 2nd birthday

I just think he looks so handsome in this hat

My beauty

Presley's birthday cake...wow! Nana really got a special cake

Presley in the bounce house on her birthday

Leave Trent unattended for more than 5 seconds and this is what you may get....found him with a straw getting ready to drink out of the (unflushed) toilet

Trent got into the paint....

Yes....that's your tummy

I just happened to have my camera, one of the many places he gets himself stuck! Curiosity gets the toddler stuck...

Why play with the train set when I can sit in it???

Mom, you think this is crazy...wait until 6 months from now when you find me on top of my (bolted) dresser, touching the ceiling while I am supposed to be sleeping.....

Presley in ballet...

Terry went electric...traded in the gas guzzling charger for a volt

A few pictures

A few pictures from the last few days

We baked bran muffins and brought them to a rehabilitation home for the elderly on the street. Presley was super shy but Trent said in his monotone voice "hello".

We watch a couple scenes of this with Presley and she was fascinated! It doesn't surprise me actually, she likes cooking shows. She really loves to see Jesus depicted on screen. I keep telling her that he is just an actor....

Presley has eczema and we have notice that gluten aggravates it. So we look for low gluten ways to cook food. Both kids had these and they loved them both!

Hard to tell here...but the face is the precursor to all out tantrum with screaming. John Rosemond (LOVE this parenting author)  says that tantrums and hitting at two are normal...whew!! thank-God for that.

what I see all the time...the back of Trent holding something and running away from me...

In our kitchen I have a couple star charts for caught being good...they love getting their stars!

My parents watched the kids on saturday night so we could go to a church service....this is how it usually ends. My dad passed out on the couch and my mom reading to them. They love my parents, and my parents love them.

Plane watching after bible study on Friday....Trent LOVED it. Presley...ehh...she just loves family time.

To the Ends of the Earth

16 years old and born again. March 29th 1995 marks the day where I was finally experiencing peace in my heart that I had longed my entire life. For the first time I was at peace because I knew that no matter what came at me in life, what people may say of me, what or who I lose, I will always be OK because the God who created the entire universe and always was with no beginning and who knows ALL things...loves me. Not just loves me, but wants me, is willing to transform me. Transform the darkest, ugliest parts of me that I have spent a lifetime covering up and justifying to myself to anyone who caught on. This God was enough to give it all up for. While I was being transformed He could even use me to transform others through the power of His very Presence called the HOLY SPIRIT. I would be a History Maker for Christ...I would be a history maker for Christ. I felt like the girl in the picture as I boarded a plane for a mission trip to India.

TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH I would go.

So my transformation began. I battled my addictions. I tried to honor God with my life.  I dealt with my baggage and I grew...and I began to get blessed...like REALLY blessed.

I excelled at work. I got married. I had kids. Bought a house. And somehow I began to fear that I would lose those blessings...I began to worship the blessing (ahem...that's called idolatry) rather than God.

After my kids were getting a bit older, and the dust started to settle after the chaotic time of having babies was coming to an end....I knew I was missing something. Where was the "History Maker" from long ago? Where was the brave, bold, strong warrior girl of God?

She... was too busy crying over the fear of losing her children. Too busy being angry or frustrated with not getting her needs met in a marriage. Too distracted by the typical media/electronic distractions of our day to spend time with God...for reals...not just for checking off something on my list. Too busy coveting an up to date kitchen. The list goes on, but over all just too darn busy thinking about me. 

December of 2010 marks the time in my life where I was having an all out crisis of Faith. I really doubted God's existence altogether. Praise God that I knew enough to realize it was spiritual attack, that I was going to have to "wrestle with God" over this. That I was about to have an encounter close to what I experienced back when I was 16. 

Then HE SHOWED ME THIS...

"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." Matthew 11:28-30

AND THEN THIS....

So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. 17‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, 18I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. 19‘Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent. 20‘Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me. 21‘He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne. 22‘He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’” 

How in the world could I be lukewarm? 

luke·warm (lkwôrm)
adj.
1. Mildly warm; tepid.
2. Lacking conviction or enthusiasm; indifferent:

... NOT ON FIRE, SOLD OUT, INDIFFERENT, NOT CONCERNED.

Even though I spent time in the word nearly everyday, never missed church, and overall tried to honor God in my life I was not feeling like I had an abundant life at all...in fact I was heading for an all out crisis of faith.  To make matters more complicated after revisiting the gospels...How much does my life look like HIS?

To make myself okay with God I changed what the bible describes lukewarmness to accommodate where I was at. Because of my "accomplishment" of basic morality, reading the bible, seeking God,  I felt covered that surely I was not lukewarm...but I believe I was. 

I was lukewarm because being crazy for God (HOT on fire) could require pain, sacrifice (I mean REAL sacrifice...like give up your house sacrifice) discomfort, loss...loss. Loss. I was really afraid of losing all the blessing God had blessed me with. Husband, children and so on. I was lukewarm because Lukewarm is the safest place to be...ouch. 

And you know what??? I know I am not alone. 

I serve an almighty, faithful, loving, committed GOD. He was faithful to woo me back, then patient as He began to show me something was wrong, and steady after I realized I was lukewarm and stumbled through what it meant to be on fire. 

So WHERE do we begin...ask God to revel where you are lukewarm. Measure your life against scripture. Measure it against Christ and the early church. One way I felt I was very lukewarm is I was not too concerned about the worlds pain (ENOUGH to do anything about it). 

Then get in the word. Study whole books at a time not just a few scriptures out of a devotional book. Study it like your life depends on it. Study it like you will have a final on what that particular book was saying and how it fits into the whole bible and God's plan for us. Then get on your knees and pray like we mean it for HEART CHANGE!!! He is the only one who can change us to be ON FIRE, SOLD OUT, CONCERNED AND COMMITTED. 

Once again I feel like the girl in the picture...TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.  All glory to Jesus. 

Everyday can't be perfect

 Today was one of those crazy days...Terry usually takes Presley to pre-school so that he can take her on a date to breakfast. But today I took her because he had to work early. Then I came home to drop Trent off with Danielle (a sweet girl from our youth who we love so much!) so that I could go to the dentist. After that, I rushed to pick Presley up and then everything went from hurried to crazy to frustrating to we-may-as-well-go-to-bed because it is not going to get any better. Greeeeat attitude right?? Trent fought his nap like his life depended on staying awake and since he has conqured climbing his tall dresser (it's bolted to the wall) he needed something else to do. He decided that taking off his diaper FIRST as to not soil the fresh diaper, then drop a load in his bed and then walk all over it, smear himself with it and then the spindles of the crib and then the wall...when I came in he was looking at me like "what? I am still in my crib...what's you're problem?"

I was smart enough...no, by the Grace of Almighty God I decided to not discipline him at all at that moment, rather just plop him in the bath tub...then when he was not in earshot begin to say how I really felt to the walls. And you know what happened next? Terry, like the night and shining armor he is, walked in the door and then in true hero fashion saved the day (and money that would have been spent for my psyh hospital bills) and took over...as I cleaned up the aftermath.

It was already 315 at this point, so there was no use in him taking a nap.

It is now 730 and Trent ofcourse went to sleep fairly easily and we are now watching Mulan. Presley is curled up in her Daddy's lap and they are having a conversation on how to pronounce Mulan in Chinese.

And that was my day :)

Memorable conversation with Presley "one day when I get to heaven I want to be wearing a dress, with pearls and I also want a cricket..mommy I want to be mulan" Then I say you want to be Mulan in Heaven? And she says no silly, for Halloween.

So happy that we were able to snap these pictures in the morning!

Smile pretty for the camera (apparently I said don't look at the camera though)

Quick! Make a silly face