Sun comes out life gets BUSY

Sun comes out and life gets busy.... and my poor baby girls gets a double ear infection. So both of these things are why I haven't had a chance to blog. Right now the house quiet.... everyone is still sleeping ( it is 7:44am this NEVER happens in the Petit house :) so I figured I would take a minute to show you a glimpse into what has been happening the past few days.....

We stayed over night at my mom's house Sunday "grandma sitting" it was still raining so we had to find things for the kids to do... Tay's went and got our old toys, barbies ( shhh don't tell daddy they boys were playing with barbies :) and dress up. The pink flapper dress Kaitlyn is wearing was mine when I was little :)

Swimmer take you positions.... go.... The boys had their first swim meet on Monday!!! Jayden was really nervous and Zack was just excited his teacher let him try even though he isn't on the swim team yet. They both did a great job for their first time

M

Jayden swam the 25 free style, breast, and back stroke... his favorite is the back stroke

Zack swam the 25 free style, and breast stroke

And Kaitlyn just chilled with daddy... and said go boy go :) What a great cheerleader.. But she can't wait to get in the water. We just have to wait until she is potty trained :)

Oh and those pretty flowers from the 1st photo were given to me by my mom who found them on a drive that she took the boys on last week. With all this rain and now sun it looks like we will see ALOT of Spring in the next few weeks.. I am so excited

Tuesday night we had some friends over for Breakfast for dinner... here is a small glimpse of what we had... What you don't see is the bacon, sausage, potatoes, fruit, breakfast casserole and french toast casserole... ( for those who asked I will post the recipe later today). Of course like always way too much food. The kids played outside until it was dark and then came in ready to watch a movie. When I went to check on them this is what I saw ♥♥♥

Then a few minutes later I guess it was time to play dress up. Mat and I thought this was soo funny because they each have a piece of the same outfit on. So put them together and they make up a knight :)

 

Yesterday was back to normal day.. well sort of.. We ended up taking Kaitlyn to the doctors and found out she has a double ear infection. Then we stopped at my moms house since we were in Napa and the kids were so excited when Nana told them to they could strip and jump on the trampoline and Nana would squirt them.. This is there ALL TIME FAVORITE thing to do in the summer.. And yesterday was the first time in months I wasn't cold once during the day..  Oh you know the saying.. What happens at Nana's stays at Nana's :) Kaitlyn who doesn't remember the joys of this last summer didn't think it was such a great idea so Nana filled a little pool for her. She was happy as a clam ( where in the world does that saying come from or did I butcher it because I have been known to do that too ??) sitting in the pool while enjoying a fudgebar... oh the life ( sorry I don't usually bring my camera to doctor's appt. so I didn't have it with me ;(

Last night I had a head ache and was making every excuse when Mat got home to not go running....But I finally talked myself into it.. 4 miles done but was it worth it last night??? I am still not sure.. I found out that when the sun goes down the bugs come and and I must have had a dinner of gnats last night: Gross I KNOW!!! Running is so much harder at night then in the AM... The one good thing is my head ache went away while running but them as soon as I got home.... THUMP THUMP THUMP... almost the kind where you get sick kind of THUMP... So I laid on the couch where my AMAZING husband who didn't seem to mind the gross sweatyness... rubbed my FEET!!! Ya he is pretty amazing. A bit later though he did tell me to go and take a bath so I guess he did notice... So running to get a great foot rub after was worth it but hopefully my run tonight will be better...

Now it is 8:09 and the house is still quiet.... I better go and get a shower while I can.

Less Talk More Action

Time of less talk a lot more action. I admit I haven't workout in weeks...... I have used every excuse in the book  I am actually tired of hearing them myself. Pretty bad when you are tired of hearing yourself talk eh???

But mornings come too early, my day gets too busy, I have been sick, my kids have been sick... you get the picture... tired of hearing my excuses yet???

Last night I got caught up on the last few episodes of Biggest Loser and that did it for me. Seeing these people set a goal and push themselves so hard. There own bodies being obstacles for them. But they are over coming and seeing amazing results. I have NO excuse... but the rain was my excuse today :) Just like on Biggest Loser they have a goal which is to become the biggest Loser... 

So I have set a goal for myself.....

Napa Wine Country Marathon, Half Marathon & 10K - 21st Annual 

On October 29.....

So I have time and I am going to go for the gold... the full Marathon... 26.2 miles...

Let the training begin... Tomorrow :)

Anyone want to put themselves through this self inflicted torture with me???? :)

What!!!!!!! I wasn't ready for this......

So Thursday I posted about how my baby girl seemed to just wake up and decided she wasn't a baby any longer. Well it is true... we are officially potty training now.

She only had a few accidents yesterday and has been in big girl undies all day. I can't believe it as she looks so little sitting on the potty and because my dear boys didn't potty train until they were 3 and almost 4!!!!! But this just reminds me how God has created each of my children so completely different. They all have there gifts and talents. It is so hard as parents not to compare them with each other or even with other kids their age. Knowing this is one of my struggles I looked up what God had to say about comparing.
2 Cor 10:12 "For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise." So God is saying that comparing ourselves to others is foolish. Comparing in the Greek is- to judge of one thing in connection with another.
So we compare when are kids are the same age as other kids what they should be doing or what they can do which either gives us confidence in ourselves and our achievements as parents or discouragement in our lack of achievements when comparing to others. But our confidence needs to be in Christ ALONE....  It is God who created each one of our children different. Ps 104: 24 "O Lord, how manifold are YOUR works! In wisdom you have made them all!" It is with wisdom that God created each one of my children.  Ps 119:73 " Your hands have made me and fashioned me; Give me understanding , that I may learn Your commandments."

Then I read in Psalms 139:13-18 " For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, When as yet there were non of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; When I awake, I am still with You!"

I have to remind myself of this truth too... When I look at what EVERY OTHER mom is doing. I have even gone to the extreme before to go to a friends house who had recently got rid of all junk food in her house. Well guess what I did.. I came home... got out my garbage bag and started dumping the junk... When Mat walked in and saw this he was shocked and not too happy. It wasn't that he didn't want to eat healthy but it was my way of just doing that without talking to him about it first. And then maybe making a plan on how to make that work for our family. Even if they may be good things that doesn't mean that it is good for me or my family.  We can look to others because God has placed others in our life for a reason but we just have to use wisdom. Not do like I did and look and then come home and want to completely change what my family was doing because another family was doing something else!  I don't want to compare my house, my kids, my homeshool, my marriage, my looks, or my service to anyone but to just keep my eyes on Christ. For it is only when I do this will I find fullness of joy and contentment.  Just like the title of my blog my prayer is that I live my life looking unto HIM the author and finisher of my faith.
So today if I find myself looking to others at what, when, where, why and how they are doing what they do let that not over shadow Him who made me with His hands and fashioned me, before I was even a thought.... Look to HIM!!!

Not a Baby Any More

I was just about to walk out in the pouring rain to put some letters in the mail box before our mail lady came... Kaitlyn says" Mommy Poop" she has been saying this after she poops. So I tell her that right when mommy comes back I will change her.

Kaitlyn " Otay"

I come back and she says again " Poop" I ask if she has poops and she says "NO" So I do the mommy deed and take a sniff and no she doesn't have poop. So I ask if she wants to go poop on the potty? She gets all excited and runs right to the little potty. We get her situated and I give her a toy catalog we just got in the mail. She sits there and does her business.. My little girl POOPED in the Potty! I do the whole POOP POOP in the potty song and dance. She then stands up and looks in the potty and almost screams in horror.. Ahhh!!! mommy POOP PO and is crying at this point. Wow she is a little girl alright! Nothing like my boys who once painted themselves in poop!!! Yes it was completely utterly disgusting! Anyways back to the point of the story.. Kaitlyn pooped in the potty!!!

Now the growing up for the day doesn't end there..... Nap time comes and we gather all the things she needs ( remember she like to have everything in order before watching TV or sleeping :) I put her in her crib....

20 Minutes Later..........

 

She climbed out!!! And here is how she did it!!

She was trying to do it last week... But look how much can change in a short week! Time to go shopping for a toddler bed!

(In order to hear the sound pause the music player at the bottom :)

Another Monday!

Monday.. we have a love/hate relationship. I love the new week full of new mercies, adventures and that Mat is off.... the hate.... how it is so hard to get back into routine after the weekend and just getting out of bed is hard not to mention the messy house I have to wake up too. But today was a Monday like all others.... school, swimming lessons, grocery shopping, doctors appt, and major house cleaning, leftovers for dinner and back to early bed time. But the one thing different about today was on what a bad note it started on because of my negative/ tired attitude to the major overhaul God did in my heart, His grace and forgiveness and the wonderful way my day is ending.... Time spent with my beloved reading Teach Them Diligently by Lou Priolo...

I actaully got a head start and began reading this book a few days ago but who how timely it is for us... It isn't a "New" parenting method but just a gentle reminder of how to use God's word to train our children. Why do we think we need all these others things when all we need is right in front of us???
2 Timothy3:15, 16 " and how infancy you have known the holy scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness," A person can't change in ways that are pleasing to God apart from the Word. Every single behavior God in His word talks about. So why don't I use the word like I should. 1. Because I am lazy... it takes work to study, and then teach to my kids.  2. I forget that my kids aren't disobeying, lying or whatever against me alone.. but above all... God! I am so quick to get angry when I think I have been sinned against... but before I look at their sin I need to look at MINE... Remember the verse.. Get the log out of my eye before I see the speck in my child's. Wow how many times have I heard that and applied it with my marriage, family or friendships but I have never thought about it in regards to my children.....
    I am really looking forward to what God is going to teach Mat and I as we study what this really means. I pray also that God helps us to be doers of the word and not just hearers only... I pray we are able to put into practice using God's word to convict and instruct our kiddos! I am going to end with a question the book began with...

Have you ever stopped to ask yourself what it is you are trying to accomplish as a parent? What exactly is your objective??????
"And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, that we may present every man complete in Christ." Col 1:28 You don't have to wonder what your child should become. You know what your child is supposed to look like when you're finished training him. He is to look like Jesus Christ. Lou Priolo

                                                                        

DEAR day

                                        DROP EVERYTHING AND READ DAY take 2  3

I tried a few days ago but my throat hurt and reading just wasn't the best thing

We stayed in our PJ's ALL Day today. What a great idea! They were already dressed for bed tonight and also less laundry to clean. Mat might have to get used to us wearing the same thing when he leaves for work and when he comes home :) Just make sure you call me before you stop by please :)

So I did paper work this morning while the kiddos played which they did very nicely I might add. I found Kaitlyn in the puzzle corner just have a dandy old time pulling out every puzzle.

  But how could a mom get mad at that face???

Then while the boys played with legos I told Kaitlyn to go and get a book for me to read to her. She ran excitedly to her room and came bounding back to me book in hand. We sat down read that book, I told her to take it back and get another.. She did... Then after the 4th book her brothers finally caught on that I was reading and came to sit down.. Kaitlyn wasn't too happy about this and made her feelings known by saying NO MOVE while trying to push them away!  Well the book she chose didn't interest the boys so they left and it was back to our girl time. She was so happy to have some mommy time by herself. I need to make it a point to do this more often!

We ate lunch and cleaned up then it was time to get reading.. a huge pile of books, and getting cozy in mommy's bed .. We were set to go. Of course the boys picked this book.. Now this is one of the privileges of having boys... You get to read books like this.....

 IF you have a boy.. YOU HAVE TO GET THIS BOOK!!!! My boys love it and laugh the entire book. Which of course gets me laughing too. If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would sit and read a book about POOP to my kids I would have thought you were crazy... But little did I know how boys and POOP go together  ( I have never told you my POOP story have I???... I will save that for later date :)

  The adventures within the pages included Puss and Boots, What's in a River, Mercer Mayer books, and many others. And hour and a half later my voice was almost gone so it was time to watch their netflix movie while I got busy in the kitchen.....

 The menu tonight was pork chops baked in gravy which I found on

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Gravy-Baked-Pork-Chops/Detail.aspx

I changed the recipe a bit after reading the reviews and am happy to say this recipe is a keeper. Mat loved it!! Kaitlyn ate like there was no tomorrow and they boys even ate it but of course not without our prompting

 I also made wild rice and sauteed corn and broccoli

of course Mat put gravy on it all :)I also might add it was a low carb dinner except for the rice! Mat is going low carb again!! Would love recipe ideas if you have any!


Tomorrow I am hosting a birthday dinner for my brother so I got the chicken marinating for that and also made my first GLUTEN FREE chocolate chip cookies. I used my  favorite recipe from Mrs. Field and just replaced the wheat flour with Rice flour and used half butter half apple sauce. And guess what???? You can barely taste the difference!!! The only thing I noticed is that they seem to burn on the bottom a bit quicker so I had to watch them closely which I found out after the 1st batch came out burnt to the crisp on

 the bottom..oops... Here is the recipe in case you are wondering....
  Gluten Free Blue-Ribbon Chocolate Chip Cookies
2 1/2 C Rice Flour                     1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt                                1 1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C sugar                               1/2 C butter
1/2 C apple sauce                      2 large eggs
2 tsp Vanilla                             2 C semi sweet Choc. chips

Pre-heat oven to 350. In a medium bowl combine dry ingredients.
Mix wet ingredients . Then add flour mixture. Then bake but keep a close eye to make sure bottoms don't burn! Enjoy!



This is the first time in years I was able to eat a Chocolate Chip Cookie and not pay for it a hour later by being sick all night!!! It was a good day and looks like despite all the RAIN we are going to be having a good weekend!

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

If you give me a mountain of laundry......

Ever have one of those days where the morning comes all too soon, the covers are way too comfy, and your sick body fills like a 1000 lbs that just won't move.. Well I have had one of those mornings the past 2 days. Right after my last post where I was bragging about not being sick for 2 months then... Wham... the sore throat comes, head that is stuffed to the point that you think it might explode and body aches like I ran 10 miles. This is how I woke up yesterday morning... Yet as a mom no matter how comfy those covers are or how sick I feel... Got Get up.... Got to get going..... I heard the Mommy Yair yar you... Mommy yair yar you... MOMMY YAIR YAR YOU!!!! Ok ok... I throw back the covers and say a quick prayer for strength and up and atem!!! Walk to the kitchen grab a rice cake ( no more toast) and down some cold medicine.. Now time to homeschool.... Did some math and language arts then was planning on having a DEAR day... DROP EVERYTHING AND READ... but my throat hurt so bad reading didn't even sound good. The boys were so happy when at 11am they were done with school !!!! Guess what.. we did it.. we had a stay home play day.. Well at least the kids did :)

I figured that the mountain of laundry on my couch would become a fossilized there if I didn't put them away ( MY LEAST FAVORITE PART OF LAUNDRY!)  the tylonal started kicking in and I became a like character in one of my favorite kids books.......

   You know how it goes... if you give a mouse a cookie, he will ask for a glass of milk, once you give him the glass of milk..... :)  Well for me it wasn't cookies and milk but clothes and drawers. Since most of the laundry in the drawers had been sitting on my couch I figured ...... the drawers need to be cleaning out and purged of unused and out grown clothes... 5hrs later..... I was given a mountain of laundry to put away and I ended wanting to clean all the dressers in my house!!! Yes call me crazy but now we can actually close the drawers of the dresser in our room!!!!

Here I sit... still living off of cold medicine, thankful for Costco food court who helped me with dinner tonight :) and ready to climb into those comfy covers and sleep... Good Night everyone!

A Moment in Time

This moment we are living in right now has many "little" things that I will want to recall someday.  With my mommy brains that might not be so easy unless I write it down... So in this moment in time...

• I wake up to  " Mommy yair yar you?" Translated "Mommy where are you?"
•  Kaitlyn has been waking up at 6 am every morning on the dot and Zack and Jayden could sleep till 8 if I let them
• Zack is starting to read small words like mat, see, this and sat
• Jayden loves anything animals- and not just in this moment but every moment since he was 2 1/2
• I have a cooking light mag sitting on the coffee table next to me that I was so excited to start getting again but has yet to make a new recipe from it
• Zack says "Pairish" for Paris and "Irelish" for Ireland
• Kaitlyn sets the table by putting all the forks in a pile on the table and the basket of napkins on top of the pile :)
• I am doing a word study on LOVE and realizing that love is a decision and not "sweet feelings of affection" but the feeling are just the fruit of love! It will become a blog post one day soon :)
• The boys are writing letters to family every other day in place of their journal writing (be on the look out for a letter in your mail box!)
• I am beginning to plan Kaitlyn's 2nd birthday party... Oh MY our baby girl is going to be 2! We are thinking an Elmo theme since she loves him so!
• Our favorite family treat is the frozen yogurt @ Cultive in Vacaville we go at least weekly
• We have been healthy for almost 2 months now!!! I never thought I would say that
• Mat and I are finally!!! taking the membership class at church after only 10 plus years :)... he worked night shift every time it had been offered. We are so thankful for our local church body and our leaders!
• I have been eating gluten free for a little over a month and feeling so much better. Just made my first from scratch gluten free chocolate cake today!
• After watching Food Inc. we are considering trying to eat more organic within what our budget allows.. I am sure this to shall pass
• Kaitlyn loves shoes! 
• I have a big plastic garbage bag of summer clothes in the boys room just waiting to be put in the drawers and then worn if it stops raining any time soon(Just checked the forecast.. the clothes are staying in the bag for maybe another week :(
• Missing our family from Canada and thinking it is time for another visit.. Excited we are planning on going this summer
• Every time we are in the car Kaitlyn can be heard yelling. " MOMMY TOW.. MOMMY TOW.... MOMMY TOW.. MOMMY TOW..  (mommy cow) for each and every cow she sees... good thing we don't live in the midwest or she would be saying this non stop :)
• Zack has found joy in peeing in the garbage can NEXT to the toilet.. yeah don't ask me I don't quiet understand :)
• I am considering signing up for another 1/2 marathon or maybe a full this time (anyone want to join me??)
• Amazed at how fast Jayden is grasping each and every new math concept
•  Favorite dinners right now for Zack is garlic bread and chicken salad, Kaitlyn pasta or pizza, Jayden says garlic bread and broccoli (for some reason I don't believe this :)
• Kaitlyn doesn't like cabinets doors open and mommy has a bad habit of leaving them open so my little helper follows behind me closing the doors I leave open.
• Daddy is still raising baby chicks and even meat chickens this time. 
• Our backyard looks like a jungle just awaiting sunny days so that we may go and conquer it!
• Zack takes his chores seriously and putting away the silverware is his favorite
• When going to sit down to watch TV Kaitlyn has to have everything just so.. her water, blanket, favorite stuffed animal of the day (my mom says I was just like that when I was her age and I kind of still am :)
• Jayden favorite chore is to feed the dogs
• While on our way to our friends house for dinner  Jayden says " Mom it is 3 kids playing with 2 kids, it might not work out" :)  Then when talking to daddy they other day I heard this conversation Jayden-  Daddy what it your favorite animal?  Daddy - a baby  Jayden- what do you mean a baby? Daddy- You know like kids ( daddy thinking he is just messing with Jayden) Jayden- Oh I know what you mean now a baby goat.. a kid :) Oh how I love my logical child!
• Starting to think about summer and camping trips, getting caught up on scrapbooking, family trip to Tahoe??, warm long days!
• After talking about what a leader is  Jayden says- a leader is a server like Jesus because he did his servants work ( oh he meant a servant! :) Zack- A servant is the best leader of all God!
• I need to go and put my very tired little girl to bed
• I am looking forward to my brothers b-day celebration at my house on Sat... Fun time with my wonderful Family
• Ok I really need to go and put this now crabby girl to bed!!! :)
• mission accomplished... crabby tired girl is in bed
• I am so thankful for my wonderful hubby who clean it front of the house before our CT came today while I took the kids to an AWSOME indoor pool ( can't believe we had never been there before!)

• Love this verse John 15:12 "This is my commandment that you love one another, just as I have loved you." How has He LOVED US??? Rom 5:8 " But God demonstrated His own love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!"
• I am very THANKFUL for all my wonderful family and friends

I am loving this moment in time! Thank You Lord for giving me this time... Ecc 3:1 " There is an appointed time for everything. And there is a time for every event under heaven!"