Who's the Parent?

We have struggled lately with bossiness from our eldest child. In fact, I am beginning to wonder who is the parent around here. Grayson seems to think that he is the dad and is constantly ordering Hope around, correcting her, etc. I read a while back in Creative Correction that an idea for disciplining this was to allow the child to do all of the parent's responsibilities for the day. For example, make lunch, wash clothes, dishes, etc. I am not sure how well this will work with an almost five year old. We did tell Grayson that if he continued he could do all things that a daddy does if we heard him correcting Hope.

Today I was in my room and heard Hope say, "Grayson, if you don't stop it, Mommy's going to make you wipe my bottom." I laughed and thought, "Great, now we have another mini-parent in the house."

Mommy's First Girl

I keep asking myself, "Where did Hope get this attitude, standing with her hands on her hips?"

Hmmmm...I wonder...

Hope Turns 3!

You are such a joy and delight to us.

This year we have watched you turn from a toddler into a little girl.  You have a sweet spirit and love everyone.  You light up the room when you walk in and are quick to give kisses and hugs to those you love.  Pops like to steal all your kisses and then make you tell everyone else that you are, "fresh out."  You will giggle and giggle telling Mimi that you are fresh out of kisses.

You are everything girly.  You love shoes, necklaces, bracelets and purses.  Most mornings you will get up dress yourself and will have completed the outfit with all the accessories.  The more it sparkles, the more you love it.  A purse always goes with us and your favorite shoes are silver sparkle flip flops.  You often times want your hair to be in a big ponytail, just like Ainsley Robinson's. You love Ainsley and look up to her.

You love princesses and dress up. You love playing mommy with your dolls. It warms our heart to hear you singing Jesus Loves Me and Holy, Holy, Holy to them. You have an active imagination and role play often with your brother.  You also like to play games with him.  Your latest games are Cootie and Zingo.

This year you have found a love for riding your tricycle and will ride "bikes and trikes" with Grayson on the driveway.  You want us to say "hello" when you drive up and "good-bye" as you drive away.  You also love play-dough, playing house in your playhouse and swinging. You have always loved the swing.

You still love to cuddle and want mommy or daddy to cuddle with you at night before going to sleep. It reminds me that you are still little. Every night you want to be covered up in your Cinderella blankie and you want to wear frilly nightgowns.

Hope, you still love pink.  You will hear people in our family saying, "I wore pink today for Hope."

You have captured our hearts and light up our lives.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Hope E.!

We love you so very much.

Big Girl Bed

This spring we have said good-bye to diapers and now good-bye to her crib. It seems like just yesterday we were fixing a pink nursery.  When did baby Hope get so big?

End of Year Program

Where has this year gone? I started the year not getting a  picture on the first day b/c I had a four week old.  For the end of the year, I managed to find the camera, but not get any pictures of the kids together, the kids with their teachers or the kids with us.  Boo. Bad mom.  At least I have some pictures.

We had a great year at Crosspoint, with great teachers and great friends.  The kids would ASK to go to school during the week and today asked why they couldn't go over the summer. That says so much to me about their experience at school.

Here are a few snapshots of their last day.

Michaela, who still won't smile for the camera, waiting for me to finish getting dressed.  She matched Hope in dress and bow, but I don't have them together. They looked really cute, if I do say so myself.

Hope's class sang Jesus Loves Me and the Wheels on the bus.

Hope is on the left in pink, crossing her heart. This is one of her favorite songs to sing. We have sung it to her ever since she was a newborn, both at nap and bedtime.  I hear her now singing to her babies or in the car.  She knows the second verse too:

Jesus loves me he who died

Heaven's gates to open wide

He will wash away my sin

Let this little child come in. 

There is not a sweeter sound (other than the silence of naptime) to me:

She also sang the Wheels on the Bus.

The Wheels go round and round:

The doors go open and shut:

Grayson has grown so much this year. Of course he is in the middle because he is the tallest. Is anyone surprised?  On his right is his friend, Hudson and three to the left is his buddy, Truitt.  It was fun for the three of them to be in class together, although I think the teacher had her hands full with them.  Boys!

Their end of the year song was from Toy Story: You've Got a Friend in Me.

God or Target

Jamison has been home this week as he is in between jobs. I think it's been great to have the help and to have some family time. I think the kids are enjoying daddy being around as well. One of the things he has seen is how many questions I answer in a day.  Where Grayson leaves off, Hope picks up. It's incredible.  At the zoo yesterday, we answered at least nine thousand "why" questions, many which were a series of whys that ended in one of us saying, "That's the way God made it."  "God" is the good, safe, truthful answer to all of our questions. Not long after we got home, I told Michaela that I bought her a new sippy cup. Jamison asked, "where did that come from?"  To which I said, "Target."  Jamison quickly replied, "Of course it did.  In fact, all questions in this house can be answered with either 'God' or 'Target.'"

Your parenting tip of the day is brought to you courteous of Jamison Smith.

Hope and the Dark

Yesterday we got some much needed rain! Not enough, but some rain.  The kids were at school when the storm blew in and it was dark.  When I picked Hope up from school she told me, "Mommy, it was really dark when we laid down for a nap."  Grayson quickly interjected that the lights had gone out in the school.  I asked, "Hope, were you scared?" To which she replied, "No, Jesus was in the room with me."

Oh my heart rejoiced.  Yes, a little with pride, but so more that I have been working with the kids on the omnipresence of God, that He is always with us.  It was a little love to me that perhaps they are listening after all.

We have also learned this verse, "When I am afraid, I will trust in you."  Psalm 56:3

Now if I would only learn to trust in my fear like they trust in theirs.   My fears are different but never the less, God is sovereign and God is in control. Most importantly, I can trust in Him.

A Girl and Her Shoes....

Once upon a time there was a little girl who loved shoes....hmmmm, can't imagine where she got that from. Both grandmothers and her mom LOVE shoes.  Hope prances around in her little high heels, her silver sparkle shoes, her house shoes, all day long.

A little background. Grayson went through a period of time where he was scared of the dark. He wanted the light on in his closet, so we chose to let him have it. To me, it beat going up there every five minutes to reassure him that there was nothing in his room.  Closet light = peace for mommy :).  Of course that meant that Hope also wanted her light on because big bubby had his on. So, tonight as J was going through nighttime routines with Hope he turned her light on.  He then tried to shut the door so the room wasn't as bright.  To which she said, "Daddy don't shut my door that far because then I can't see my shoes."

Cousins

What a fun weekend!  My brother and family were in town from D.C.  Oh how I wish they lived closer. The kids had the best time playing together.  It makes me long for the day when we can all live closer and play together more often. On Sunday, my cousin, Kelley joined us with her twins, Gage and Ainsley. I am not sure that my mom's house will ever be the same.  There were six kids that were 5 and under there: Grayson (4.5), Gage & Ainsley (3), Hope (2.5), Chance (1) and Michaela (9 mos.).  Jon and Robin also announced the name of the newest cousin due in August, Carson Jack Crockett! 

Michaela and her bonnet - this picture reminds me of Miss Scarlet and her bonnet in Gone With the Wind!

Chance getting ready to jump.  

Ainsley and Hope

Ainsley, Hope and Michaela

Now for all of them....

Easter 2011

Easter Celebrations began with making cupcakes for Easter dinner. I had two little helpers that were super eager to help, especially because the process involved lots of sugar/candy.

Decorating!

Eating the candy.  I am sure that the kids ate more candy than they put on the cupcakes. Well, so did mom!

The finished bunny basket.  Strange thing, on Sunday morning all the twizzlers had snapped in two so it looked like the cupcakes had antennas. Grayson blamed the Easter bunny for sabotaging his cupcakes.

Happy Girl!

The morning began with an Easter egg hunt in the back yard:

Did he leave any on the roof?

The Easter bunny left Michaela her own separate eggs on a towel, how thoughtful.

Yummmm....puffs!

Good luck getting a good Easter picture....here's how things really went down...

After church we headed to Conroe to see my family!  Poor Mimi was cooking and didn't make the pictures

Pops and Michaela

Pops and the kids

Nana and Hope

Nana and the big kids

Papaw and the big kids

Jack and the Big Kids

Jack talking to Michaela

There was yet another Easter egg hunt! Thanks Uncle Justin!

Jesus is Alive!

 He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay.  

Matthew 28:6

Today Hope made a megaphone in Sunday school.  it was so she could tell everyone that Jesus is Alive. She came out and followed instructions in full force.  All through the church she was yelling, "Jesus is Alive."  Oh to have the inhibitions of a child and to yell as loud as we can, "Jesus is Alive." For that is the reason we live, that is the reason we celebrate, that is the reason that sin is dead and we are not. He's alive! He has risen! He has risen indeed!

Class Easter Parties

We had a fun filled day of Easter parties for the kids. Since they were at the same time and both kids wanted me there, Mimi came down to help out.  I missed Hope's egg hunt as I got there 2 minutes late.  They were out the door and done.  Here are some pictures from the day.

Sweet Michaela Joy missing her morning nap.

Mommy and Hope.  We are working on sitting in a lady like position.

Mommy and Her Girls:

Grayson's Class:

Grayson and His Buddy, Hudson:

Mimi and the Big Kids:

Mommy and the Big Kids - they were tired of pictures, can you tell?