Got puzzle?

For anyone wanting a bit of a mental challenge, check this out: http://n.nfshost.com/1.html

Here's a hint: the idea is to count as high as you can; you have to figure out what URL to go to next based on what you see on the current page.

Have fun!

Our Little Superheroes

Good Morning! I am excited about this new way to communicate with you all. It is more user-friendly than the webpage is (at least for me), so I'll be able to post updates more frequently and let you know what exciting things are happening on a weekly basis. So, thanks in advance for indulging me.

You know, Brandon and I at one point had believed that if we could survive the kids being 3 and 1 year old, we'd have it made from there on out (until, of course, puberty sets in). Boy, were we wrong. Connor being 4 and Kylee being 2 has brought on a wealth of new challenges and joys. A couple of recent examples for you....

We were at a playdate last week where our hostess had prepared lunch for us. At the conclusion of our meal, Connor jumped out of his seat and promptly thanked our hostess for lunch. Kylee, on the other hand, refused to say thank you. I restricted her to her booster seat until she did what I was asking her to do. I will make a long story short by saying that she sat in her booster, sat in two different time-outs, got a spanking, had an individual conference with the hostess (who generously offered to try to coax a thank you out of her when she could see how stressed I was getting), and we STILL left the house without Kylee ever saying thank you. We have met our match with our little girl, that is for sure.

Rachel once asked me "so, do you read much in considering what works and what doesn't with your kids?". I replied with great confidence that no, my nursing experience was quite helpful and outside of that, I hadn't needed to do much reading about childhood development and behavior. I am sure that somewhere, I have seen a book entitled "Raising a Strong-Willed Child". I have thought on more than one occasion lately that I should look into checking that one out from the library if I intend to survive raising our daughter with an ounce of dignity.

I have to admit, though, that as frustrating as she is sometimes, I hope that our daughter never loses her spunk. I really admire the way that she takes charge of a situation and isn't afraid of the consequences (granted, this is much more admirable at home than when we're at someone else's house). She is so joyful and it is rare for her to not have a smile on her face. Her belly laugh will make anyone chuckle right along with her. If you ask Kylee, life is just great about 95% of the time. What a good example of courage and unabashed joy she is for me--one who often worries too much about failure or what other people will think.

Connor, our eternally compliant child, is doing such a great job at preschool. I drop him off outside of his classroom where he gives me a hug and a kiss (I plan to savor that for as long as it will last) and he just marches right in to his room like it's no big deal (keep in mind that last year, his teacher had to literally peel him off of my legs and I listened to him scream bloody murder as I stood in the hallway). What a gift! He is maturing and growing by leaps and bounds and continues to be so kind and compassionate. He had a huge first last weekend at the Liberty Fall Festival. There was a pirate ship that children could play in, but the catch was that parents couldn't go with them. As you know, doing things on his own has never been Connor's forte. After watching for awhile, he decided that he wanted to go play on the pirate ship all by himself (this was no small ship, either. There were dark tunnels, stairs, and then a slide that the kids had to go down to exit). He navigated his way through the ship all by himself while we stood and watched. He had a GREAT time. I stood there with tears in my eyes watching our firstborn branch out on his own and I realized that all too soon, he won't need Mommy and Daddy there to hold his hand all the time.

One of Connor's favorite pastimes as of late is to dance. He wears a straw hat that belonged to my Grandma, turns up the music, and just goes for it with all his might. It is quite a sight. I am so proud of him for expressing himself, and it always brings a smile to my face.

Connor informed me the other day that he wants to be a firefighter when he grows up (it is a good thing that he's not considering being a dancer full-time. He has definitely inherited Daddy and Mommy's inability to move and groove). Then, in the next sentence, he said that he thought that he might want to "drive an airplane like Grandpa". It struck me how wonderful it is going to be to watch him paint on the blank canvas that is his life--he has so many wonderful opportunities ahead of him, and I know he will make this world a better place. Both of our children will.

I cherish our children's everyday heroics. They teach me so much and help me to recognize even life's smallest blessings--finding the strength to be independent, trying new adventures, and sometimes just taking a minute to move and groove in a way that only you can. I am so thankful that God has blessed us with two little superheros of our very own.

Just getting started...

Well, that's about it for tonight! This blogging thing is new to us, but it seems to be a good way to let people know what we're up to, so we're going to give it a shot. Check back often!

Little Miss J...

Kylee is all 2! One of her favorite words right now is "NO!", and she likes to push boundaries. The problem is that she is so darned cute while she does it! Anyway, she loves to color (even on the walls and herself), and her vocabulary is expanding at an incredible rate. She loves to keep up with big brother and the other older kids. Here's our little munchkin at home on the swing, another favorite past-time!

Connor goes to pre-school

Connor James started pre-school this fall, and is doing great! He's one of the older kids in class, and does a great job of playing, learning, and helping. Miss Amy has said very good things about him, and we're really proud of how he's doing! Way to go, Con-man!!!

First blog message...!

More info coming soon...!