Trying to Figure it Out

I'm trying to figure out what to do with this blog.

I love the idea but blogging is supposed to be fun for me.

I'll let you know more when I know!

How to have FUN at HOME (on Spring Break)

We are staying home for Spring Break. It's never been a tradition in our families to go away for Spring Break...so continuing on the tradition of staying home, we enter our first grade school Spring Break.

Remember, we attend a year around school...so we get TWO WEEKS!!

I think this is awesome...and daunting.

Finding enough things to do around this "small town" is a task when you have 3 young kids. Luckily, they are only 2 years between P-man and the Twinners; so whatever we do will most likely engage them all and not just one or two.

So what do you do with three kids ages 6 and 4?

ROLLER SKATING!
Our local roller rink (which is a 20 minute drive) is having free skate for 8yo and younger everyday next week from 10:30am to 1pm. Looking forward to doing this as my kids have never been skating!

MUSEUM!
The public museum is downtown and has both Dinosaurs and a Lego exhibit! Can't wait to go!

BOWLING!
The bowling alley in the next town South of us is closing in May. Hopefully we will make it to this place before it closes. I grew up bowling in this alley and want my kids to experience it once before its gone.

THE ZOO!
We have 3 Zoo's within driving range. THREE! I think that's pretty awesome! We have been to all 3 and like all 3 for different reasons. I'm hoping the weather cooperates so that we can visit at least one over break!

LIBRARY!
We can always use new, fun books. But Libraries always have fun things over Spring Break! Our local Library is having a drop in craft time, story time, and other fun activities for kids and teens over the week of Spring Break!

MOVIES!
Local theaters are showing Frozen for free for kids 12 and under and just $4 for adults for most the week! I don't think we'll go to this one because my kids have seen this movie enough over the past 2 weeks but it's a great deal!

What other things have you explored on your home spring break week? We have two weeks to fill so bring on the ideas!

Pressing In to God (under the pressure of Anxiety)

Fear. Anxiety.

Two very real words to me.

I'm learning to press in to God and press in hard. Over the last few weeks I've been struggling with anxiety not only for myself but for P-man as well (my battle with anxiety goes back 10-15 years, or more). As we ready him for first grade there are a few things he needs to work on and just buckle down and do! I pray that the anxiety he might feel be released from him and to let me carry the burden. I know this is wrong. I must give it to God and let HIM carry the burden.

Let go and Let God!

In my own life, I'm learning from my son. He's a child and has a child like faith. He knows God goes with him and when things are scary he just goes along (probably for fear of what might happen if he gets left behind). How true is this for me? Not at all true. I'd much rather be left behind than face the scary situation. I hate the way I feel when facing my fears. The anxiety wells up in me and I can hardly catch my breath.

This past Saturday we were returning from a mini-family vacation and Hubby was very sick. He couldn't drive because he had to lay down. ANXIETY. I hate driving outside my comfort zone, which is a 3-5 mile radius around my house depending on the day. Most the time I can drive anywhere if there is a licensed driver in the car, which on Saturday there was except he was very ill and I knew he wouldn't be able to take over for me.

I had to get my family home. I had to "buckle down and do!"

There was a lot of prayer. I was very real with my kids in this situation. I told them mommy was nervous about driving and that they should pray. And I heard Sweetie praying out loud and my anxiety released for a minute. I knew that stinky devil was attacking me, so I prayed, a lot. There was peace in me, I knew I could do it but I had to get through the anxiety first. By the time we were half way home (about 40 minutes into the trip) I was feeling more relaxed and less anxious. I kept talking to the kids, telling them how I was doing, because for some reason expressing my feelings helps, even if it is to my kids.

This was good for P-man to see, too. He has scary situations he has to get through at school, but by me showing him that persevering through the anxiety is the only way to the other side of it, I pray he learned a little something from me.  Because he has taught me so much about myself through his own fears and anxieties.

We got home safely and I was exhausted. Because driving with anxiety makes me tired. It takes every ounce of energy to do it and when I get home I. Am. Tired!

Anxiety is a daily struggle for me, sometimes hourly. But by pressing into God in each situation, praising him when I get through it, and pressing in before the next one comes around, I relieve the tension in me. GOD relieves the tension in me.

Some days I go without anxiety, and it's always worse when I'm not feeling up to par.

Some day I will be healed of this, but for now I'm trying to find how it can be used for God's glory. If I didn't have anxiety I wouldn't understand P-man's situation. So I thank God for that. I pray my anxiety gets used to Glorify my Creator!

Learning about my Kids Learning

There are so many aspects about our lives, that we are held in an endless state of learning about ourselves and others.

(image taken from Focus on the Family website)

I've really been into listening to podcast's, lately, as I do my morning chores. The first one I listen to most mornings is Focus on the Family. At the end of February they replayed a two part podcast (which originally aired August of 2013) on Discovering your Child's Learning Style Part 1 and Part 2.

I was entranced by Cynthia Tobias and her insights into how our children learn. With P-man just going off to Kindergarten and the Twinners preparing for Preschool, I began to shape in my mind how I can best help them succeed in their school work.

In the back of my mind I understood the learning and processing that took place all along. But to hear it with real life examples injected into the descriptions I began a deeper understanding of each of my children and how they learn.

First, was how people process information, which is basically one of two ways ::
1) Cognitively :: which means you are analytically wired (Hubby, P-man, A-man)
2) Globally :: you're a big picture kind of person (Me, Sweetie)

Second, there is how we learn our information, one of three ways ::
1) Auditory :: learning through listening
2) Visual :: "which ideas, concepts, data and other information are associated with images and techniques" (taken from Wikipedia)
3) Kinesthetic :: physical learning

I can place not only my children, but also myself and hubby in these categories. It helped me focus on our differences, our similarities, and especially how to diffuse "situations" where learning is taking place through play. I'm looking at each individual child's learning style and beginning to nurture it, and help them see their learning style as well.

I will go equipped to the Twinners first day of Preschool armed with the knowledge of how my child learns best so the teacher can help them succeed! (not that I want her to change her teaching style, but how best she can help them engage in different areas where they differ.)

I will be the mom that if my child does homework best by sitting on their head, I will nurture that. If they need peace and quiet and a desk, I will nurture that. If they want to pace and talk it out, I will find them a quiet room in the basement and I will nurture that!

I love learning about my kids and now that they are getting older and beginning to realize they can learn in different ways I want to help them learn...because it's different from me, it's different from daddy, it's different and that's okay and it's wonderful and it's best for them.

I hope you have a chance to listen to the Focus on the Family podcast. The links are at the top of this post.

Prayers for P-man

Can I ask a favor of you?

Will you pray for my P-man?

Selective Mutism is harder to overcome than I anticipated. I was so very optimistic that my little guy could do this faster than any. I should have known from his stubborn nature and my own battle with anxiety that it wouldn't be easy.

Here we are at the end of March, he started school at the beginning of August, and he still hasn't said anything to his teacher. As we ready him for first grade there are many things that need to be in place. Doctor's diagnosis papers, informing and keeping next years teacher up to date, and one more thing but I don't care to list this one just yet (but will you still pray for it, with great intensity; it is his biggest obstacle).

As I send him off to school today I find myself doing two things.

1) I tell him as he climbs down from the car "You are brave, buddy! Have a great day! I Love You!"

2) As he walks across the street, boards the bus and the bus pulls away I am praying with great fervor that God gives him a successful day!

One more favor, please?

Pray for my own anxieties/fears/restlessness and the discouragement I feel
with this situation be covered with God's peace! Ask him to take the weight of it off my shoulders and that I might willingly release it to him. As a parent it is so hard to release our children to him, why is that though, when we know He can do far more for them than we ever could? God loves my child more than I do, it seems impossible, but it's true.

I hope you don't mind me pouring my heart out like this, but I, WE, can really use the prayers! To all those out there that have been praying...THANK YOU! We do feel them!

You have no idea...

When people hear I have a 6 yo. boy and 4 yo. b/g twins most people's immediate reaction statement is "wow, that must keep you busy." You have no idea...

They say that the average 4 year old asks 437 questions a day. Now, times that by two and add in that both twins have been referred to an ENT for hearing issues and you have some pretty tired momma ears, right! You have no idea...

I shop at a local grocery store because 1) I know the people there, 2) There's not as many places for the twinners to hide or run away to (it isn't Meijer after all), and 3) Because my kids like that I know the people there and are getting to know these people to. They enjoy saying hi to "pony" (who is actually a real person not a pony ride; remember it's not Meijer), sitting on the bench near the checkout lane I almost always go through, and they have learned that donuts in the bakery are an awesome perk to a great trip. Yes, bribery happens for my sanity! Don't judge me. You have no idea...

I think of many blog posts a day and formulate an outline in my head. Then the whining of kids, the demands of the house, and the calling of the oven that it's dinner time take over and when I sit down to write a blog post it's...gone. My body is tired, my brain is tired, my eyes are tired, and I just want to sit and watch TV and enjoy some relaxation with the hubby. When the kids are asleep and I look at their sweet faces...You have no idea...I can't wait to do it all over again.

You have no idea...unless your a mom, then I applaud you. You are amazing! I know...I live it...I have an idea!!