The 5 Minute Rule

Like most moms, I have some rules in my house.  Not very many...but a few.  Don't run in the house, keep your drink in the kitchen or dining room, and using indoor voices.  One of the ones that usually stops fake crying pretty quickly is the, "If you're going to throw a fit, do it in your room" rule.  We don't usually have much "fit throwing" at home because they know this is what will happen. 

So, when the school year started, of course, we all had some adjusting to do.  It has been rough, and just when I think we're on a roll because we've had 3 consecutive "good mornings" in a row....we have a morning like this morning.

Let me just say that my son is a lot like his Daddy....and maybe a little bit like me.  Marc HATES mornings...and so do I!  He hates getting up, he hates having to eat breakfast so early, and he hates having to get dressed.  This is all so familiar to me, and his Dad just doesn't understand what we go through every morning.  Dad and Kirsty Jo get up every morning with a smile on their face, ready to eat breakfast and go.  Well...most of the time.  This morning was different...

So, this morning, with both my children throwing fits we had a problem.  I was quickly loosing my cool, we were running late, Kirsty Jo was screaming while I was brushing her hair and Marc had just stopped crying.  So, when we finally made it to the car I said,"OK, 5 minutes, no talking".  I got some complaints at first and simply said,"Time just started over."  What I found was after 5 minutes of silence, I was calmer, Kirsty Jo had stopped crying and Marc was eating his breakfast (that he had refused earlier). 

So, from now on, we have the 5 minute rule.  If we've had a rough morning, when we get in the car, there will be 5 minutes of silence.

PS: If you're wondering about the picture I chose for this blog here is my explaination: This is Red River, New Mexico.  Growing up I spent many summers here.  When I think of Red River, I think of peace.  During our 5 minutes of silence this morning...I thought of peace!

Daily Rambling....

I've had a rough week....won't go into details, but, thought I'd share some positive things about the week.

                                                I got to snuggle with Wyatt on Monday :)

Who can resist those chubby cheeks?

 

No face-timing but I did get to talk to my beautiful cousin

Brianna during her second week of college on Tuesday :)

 

Then on Wednesday, thanks to my mom, I got to go to choir practice.  Where we sang a beautiful song called Lord of the Small.  I've shared the lyrics below...they are by Johanna Anderson

 

Praise to the Lord of the Small Broken Things,
Who Sees the Poor Sparrow That cannot take wing.
Who loves the lame child and the wretch in the street
who comforts their sorrows and washes their feet.

...Praise to the lord of the faint and afraid
who girds them with courage and lends them his aid,
he pours out his spirit on vessels so weak,
that the timid can serve and the silent can speak.

Praise to the lord of the frail and the ill
who heals their afflictions or carries them till,
they leave this tired frame and to paradise fly.
to never be sick and never to die.

Praise him, O Praise Him All ye who live
who've been given so much and can so little give
our frail lisping praise God will never Despise.
He Sees His Dear Children Through Mercy Filled Eyes!

 

I also got to talk to my sister last night on the phone :) We don't do that very often so it was wonderful for her to call me to fill me in on her life ....

 

 

Back to School, Back to School

Back to school, back to school...some of you can finish that line.  My comedian son, who has never seen that movie but has heard it quoted, enjoyed saying that on our drive to town Friday morning. 

Friday morning, I woke up a little later than planned which unfortunately added to the stress that I had taken to bed with me the night before, and was still feeling.  However, we were able to get brand new school outfits on, hair done, lunches packed, backpacks were checked to ensure all the new school supplies were there and breakfast was made.  Somewhere in there, I was able to get ready for work and we were off to school!  This year was a little different because Marc started Kindergarten, which means he's now in the same school as Kirsten. 

I had been feeling a little sad that Marc was starting Kindergarten and Kirsten was starting First Grade, but, I sucked it up and we got to school.  I was so proud when we got to Marc's room and as we approached the door, he took a step back, but then went on in and hung up his backpack and put up his lunch.  His teacher helped him find his name at his table where he was very excited about finding some play dough ready for him.  He gave mom a hug and posed for a quick picture and then assured me that he was fine, and I could go.





While Marc was hanging up his backpack, Kirsten gave her Kindergarten teacher from last year a quick hug and waited for me by the door.  Once Marc finished hanging up his things I turned around to tell Kirsten I'd take her down to her room in a minute and found that she was gone.  After taking Marc's picture, I went down to her First Grade classroom and found her already sitting at her table working on her table work.  Her backpack and lunch box were put away and I almost lost it.  This 7 year old, clearly, has moved beyond needing her Mom to help her on the first day of school.  She humored me and gave me a hug and let me take her picture as well and then hurried me off to work.

 

I walked back to my car and kept it together till I was driving down the street.  Wasn't it just yesterday that I was holding Marc in my arms and wondering how in the world I was going to finish college and take care of two babies?  Wasn't it yesterday that I was holding Kirsty Jo in the NICU wondering how I could love something so small so much?  Wasn't it yesterday that she was going to daycare half days while she went to preschool?  Wasn't it yesterday when Marc was so clumsy that we were rushing to the Dr. every couple of months?  Wasn't it yesterday that Marc was so excited to go and play all day at Sally's and wasn't even quite potty trained?  I know that before I know it I'll be going through their things and come across this picture and think...wasn't it just yesterday?  

Warning...You May Not Like What This Says....

I normally stay out of political things...but this has to do with food too...and we all know how much food means to me.  The thing is though, believe it or not (lol), there are people that I care about more!  So, here is my statement regarding this issue that is bothering me...

I hate it when restaurants that I love to eat at discriminate against people I love.  I will have to find somewhere else to get my chicken from....

Georgia Trip 2011 Day 1

I'm going to try and blog through-out our trip. Maybe I will remember it better than past vacations. So, day 1 8:31am Everyone is still asleep. We got to Kansas City about 8:30 last night and then went to eat with my brother and sister in law. So by the time we got to the hotel and got everyone settled down it was midnight. So they sleep :)

Genesis 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.....

Tonight as I walked I enjoyed the sound of the thunder and the cows mooing in the distance.  I saw the beautiful golden wheat, almost ripe and ready to cut.  I smelled the wonderful smell of fresh cut alfalfa. And enjoyed watching and listening to Dutch Creek.  This is much of what my Grandma Audine loved. 

I have lived so many years of my life ignoring the beauty around me...I am thankful for the time I had with my Grandma. I'm so thankful that she shared her love for the land with me and that I can take the time to appreciate it now.

Fun Times...and Babies!

WOW! So many fun things happening lately!

We went to the zoo! The only face you can really see is Kirsten's but behind her is my nephew Marshall and Marc.  We had a great time!  There were many new baby animals at the zoo!

I got to hold my second cousin Nora during her older brother, Trevor's crossover from Cub to Boy Scouts!  (She did not care for the loud noises so we stepped out for a little bit)

Last but certainly NOT least...Wyatt was born on Monday, April 16th!  We are so happy to have him here safe and sound!  He's a beautiful addition to the Keesey family!





Autism Awareness

April is Autism Awareness month, so I'm starting a month early on raising awareness.  I am fortunate enough to be around people who have Autism, everyday.  There are people in my professional life and personal life that have been diagnosed with many types of Autism.

Did you know that Autism affects 1 in every 110 children?
Did you know that Autism affects 1 in every 70 boys?

So what exactly is Autism you ask?  Well,  Autism or Autism Spectrum Disorder (aka ASD) are general terms used for disorders of brain development.  There are many types of Autism and each case is different. The identified types are Autistic Disorder, Rett Syndrome, Childhood Disintegrative Disorder, Pervasive Developmental Disorder-not otherwise specified and Aspergers Syndrome. Some things you might see from a person with Autism are difficulty interacting socially, delayed language skills or non verbal communication and repetitive behaviors.  You might also see that people with Autism can have problems with motor coordination, attention, intellectual development and even physical health issues. They also often excel in things like math, art, visual skills and music!

To get involved or to find out more information about autism go to http://www.autismspeaks.org/. 

Things That Make Me Think of Her....

Tomatoes

Kleenex

Birds

Sunrises

Farms

Baked Goods

Mrs. Doubtfire and Fried Green Tomatoes

Cows

A Pillow and Blanket Laying Out on a Sofa

Watches

The Story of Rapunzel

Recipes

Flowers

Sunsets

Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Love

Walks on a Nice Day

Bibles

Library Books

A New Year....

For some reason I feel that the new year just started ummmm...Monday.  Not 20 days ago.  Maybe that is because several things in the first few weeks of January make me want to say ... that was last year, not going to dwell on it...gonna move on with a fresh start.  Yes, my family started the year with some difficult and trying times.  January 5th I stayed home with a sick little boy.  This is not something that happens very often at our house thankfully.  My kids very rarely are sick and when they are sick...it usually doesn't last but a day or two.  Early that morning my parents were woken up by the sheriff telling them that the Pallet Shop was on fire.  $40,000 in damage, thankfully, my dad believes that insurance will cover most of it.  Then that evening we said good bye to a wonderful wonderful woman, my Grandma Audine. 

Mary Audine Groom

10/12/1918-01/05/2012

My grandma was an amazing woman.  I'm not going to spend too much time on this right now because I don't feel like crying right now and because I believe that she deserves her own blog later on, which I am still working on.  But overall my grandma was Love.  She was loved by others and she loved others. 

A few days ago I did find out...after my fresh New Year start that my best friends Josh and Natasha are moving back to Kansas!  I am super excited about this because seeing them once or twice a year simply is not enough for me lol!  So I'm so excited to get to start seeing them a bit more....I posted a few months ago that they have a new baby, my nephew Lucas and promised some pics.  Here are Josh and Tash's adorable kids ... Zoey (2) and Lucas (3 mo)

 Are they not just about the most adorable things you have ever seen????  I love them soooo much and cannot wait to see them soon I hope!

Well I hope everyone has a great weekend.  I apologize for my kind of crazy blog today but felt like I needed to get something on here.

<3 If there ever comes a day when we cannot be together, keep me in your heart, I'll stay there forever. - Winnie the Pooh



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