Great Wolf Lodge

A trip to Great Wolf Lodge gave Michael and I a chance to see the world through a little one's eyes. Upon arrival, Carter was immediately mesmerized by all the decor and animation inside the Lodge.

His amazement continued as we entered our room and he found out that he would have his own room. The room was divided and he got to sleep in an area all by himself. What a big boy! I'm not sure if he was more excited about having his own part of the room, having his own TV, or this fire place.

While staying at the Lodge, we played in the water park for countless hours. Carter rode everything he was tall enough to ride. Connor enjoyed splashing the pool with us and watching his brother run around.

Carter and I both have a sweet tooth so we loved ending our evening at this cafe'! After Carter grabbed his snack, Michael took him to hear a story in the lobby.

After a great weekend, it was time to go home. What a fun trip!

It worked!

I recently finished reading Childwise. As my children venture into a new age bracket, one way I keep up is reading the appropriate book from the Wise series. Childwise covers ages 3-7 and provided me many ideas to help shape the hearts of children to help foster the characteristics we would like to see in our children.

Principle #12 in the book really hit home. It states that constantly reminding a child to do what is expected only means you have no expectation.

As I read, I couldn't help but think about all the reminders we give Carter prior to coming to the table each time he eats. By now, I thought he knew what to do but was relying on us. So I put the practices into place right away. I began by using the phrase, "you have the freedom to come to the table when you use the restroom and wash your hands." I used the phrase for each meal for two days and then wanted to see if he was ready to take responsibility for this behavior. Prior to dinner, I asked Carter if he had the freedom to come to dinner. He said, "No, I haven't gone to the restroom or washed my hands." And then, he went and did both tasks. I couldn't have been more proud. This carried over to him taking his shoes off at the door without reminders and cleaning up his toys.

Carter is excited to show his responsibility so we have added this virtue to his chart and he is doing great!

Carter's First Dentist Appointment

Carter had his first dentist appointment on Monday. He had been looking forward to this appointment for few days. Carter enjoys brushing and flossing his teeth and was looking forward to showing them off to the dentist. When he first climbed into the seat, he thought it was so fun. I was very proud of his courage in this new environment. Carter climbed right up and once Wheezy was on his lap, he was ready for a picture.

Carter was looking forward to watching TV while getting his teeth cleaned. Seconds after the dental hygienist arranged all her tools, Carter asked about the TV and when it would come on. She was so kind and turned it on to Curious George.

Finally, the exam began. We told the hygienist that Carter to counted his teeth this morning. We wanted to see if he counted more or less than the dentist would count. Carter counted 15 teeth. To help us determine how close he was, she counted them as soon as she began the exam. As it turns out, he has 20 teeth! Then she tickled his teeth. This was his favorite part. She used bubble gum flavored toothpaste and he thought it was so funny. When the dentist came and looked at his teeth, Carter received a great report!

A Wonderful 1st dentist appointment!

Connor's Dedication

On Sunday, Connor was dedicated at RCC. Both Michael and I are honored to be able to ask the Lord to guide us in our parenting. Committing ourselves to raise Connor according to the principles of the Bible is the most important thing we will ever commit to doing. The Bible tells us to "train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it." (Proverbs 22:6) We both take this commitment very seriously and are grateful to have a church help support us in this.

Carter Fun Event

He did it! Carter earned 25 stickers which means he got to plan a fun event. We have been working very hard to highlight the positive virtues in Carter. He has been earning stickers for listening, kindness, respect, and self-control. His goal was 25 stickers to get a fun event with several positive rewards on the way. I wish I would have taken his picture when he count his stickers when he was earning is 25th one. He was so excited.

So what did he pick? Kangaroos Jac's.

Michael and Carter had both been to Kangaroo Jac's previously but I had not. I had no idea what to expect but I knew that Carter always came home so happy after playing on the inflatables. We had a blast. Carter enjoyed each and every inflatable and he laughed the whole time. It was great to see him interact with the other kids and watch him make good choices. He followed each and every rule like a pro! I'm so proud of him.

Here he is climbing straight up the inflatable to then slide down very quickly!

Carter wanted Connor to be able to join in the fun. I am looking forward to the two boys being able to enjoy events like this in the future

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What a fun event. I'm glad we were able to reward his good choices with such a fun time.

Way to go, Carter. Keep up the good work.

Blogging

I have wanted to start a blog to remember all the fun times that my family has each and every day. What a better week to start than one in which I have off from work.

Prior to having kids, I spent hours scrapbooking in order to capture those moments forever. After Carter was born, I continued to scrapbook, however the frequency was much lower. I began creating digital scrapbooks but felt I was letting go of a hobby that I once loved.

And then I got pregnant with Connor. My scrapbooking supplies got boxed up and hauled into the attic. Why? We just didn't have room any more for my closet of stuff. So I haven't scrapped since finding out I was pregnant. Oh, how I miss it. So, onto another way to chronicle our lives. Blogging. Since I can blog while cooking lunch, talking to a three year old, and watching a 6 month old play with his toys, I may have more success capturing the moments I don't want to forget.

Here's to a new adventure...Happy Blogging!

Summer Days

Do you remember those lazy summer days?

I love seeing summer through the eyes of my three year old. Carter enjoys being outside no matter how hot it gets. The laughter that fills the air as he squirts the dogs with his water gun can make anyone smile.

When we are not playing in the backyard, we enjoy spending time at Busch Gardens. This weekend, we spent our longest day at the park since having children. Carter loved playing hide and seek with daddy as I played with Connor and tried to help him fall asleep.

So, what does Connor like to do while his brother is enjoying the summer? Connor is all smiles these days. He loves to play with his crawling ball and jump in his jump-a-roo. He also loves to talk all day. He has recently started eating solid food and is loving life.

We have a month and a half of summer left. What will it bring?