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...