Hard To See Your Kids Inherit Your Behaviors

It's hard to see your child inherit some of your behaviors. It makes you say, "Uh oh".
~Julie (me)

I Never Think To Replace Things Till I Need Them

I have several low cost items that need replacing, but I never seem to get around to replacing them. Mainly it’s because I never think to buy them till I need them. One of those items is oven mitts.

I am not very good in the kitchen. I manage OK and I haven’t poisoned anybody, but I am definitely not Rachel Ray. Maybe it’s because I don’t have that bubbly of a personality. Oh I can boil, both water and my temper, I’m just not coated in sugar like she is.

Anyway, today I realized that I really need to remember to buy some cheap oven mitts because the ones I have all have holes in them. I was reminded of that when my husband called. I was holding the phone with my shoulder and attempting to pull a roast out, when my finger that was holding the pan realized it had only a paper thin layer of cloth between it and the pan.

This is what my husband heard - a scream, a crash as I dropped the pan upside down and the roast fell out onto the coils, my 2 year old running around laughing and mimicking me screaming, some cursing from me and a “I have to go!” with a voice that sounded like something from the movie, “The Exorcist”.

I wonder why he hasn’t called back? I wonder if he’ll stop at the church for some holy water before he dares to enter our house. I wonder if he’ll even ask what happened. Nah, he’s too smart for that.

I must add oven mitts to the growing list of things I need to get. It will go right under the hair dryer that broke two weeks ago.



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Pizza Done!

You know you are serving too much not-so-good-for-you food when your oven timer goes off and your 2 year old yells, "Pizza done!"

"If a Child is Given Love"

If a child is given love, he becomes loving...If he's helped when he needs help, he becomes helpful. And if he has been truly valued at home... he grows up secure enough to look beyond himself to the welfare of others."

~ Dr. Joyce Brothers, 1974

This quote I think is so profound. It seems like common sense, yet so many children grow up feeling unloved. So many children never feel like they are valued. Many feel like they are always in the way, their opinions don’t matter and they have no voice. I have felt that way many times over the years and I know that I never want my son to ever feel that way.

I want to show him how much he’s loved and appreciated. I want to always to be able to listen to his opinion without judgment and to be there to help him when he needs it. I want to be able to help him grow into a mature, secure man that is a blessing to others.

God has blessed me with this little young life that is my responsibility to mold into the man that God wanted him to be. This is a huge responsibility – to be responsible for another human being’s life, but as mothers we must take on this task and make it our number one priority.

Many times, especially lately as we are in the middle of the terrible two’s, I have felt that I am failing miserably at teaching my son what is the proper way to behave. I often forget that for two year olds there isn’t much proper behavior that they are actually capable of doing. Temper tantrums, defiance and impatience are part of who they are and are expected behaviors. My frustration seems to enter the picture when I forget this in my attempt to mold him into this well behaved little person.

I’m not saying of course that we shouldn’t teach young children acceptable and non-acceptable forms of behaving, I think I just need to lighten up a little. For both his benefit and mine. I notice when I teach gently, but firmly and learn to pick my battles wisely, all is calmer and the house is more peaceful. Teaching him is my job. I just have to remember that he doesn’t have to learn it all at once.

My most important job in teaching him is that to make sure he knows beyond any doubt, that he is first and foremost loved. Loved by me and by God. I am not responsible for making sure anyone else makes him feel loved – that is their job. My job is to teach him that he is loved and he should love others as he is loved.

There are many other things I want him to learn like kindness, helpfulness and empathy towards others, bravery, patience, humor, serendipity, and so much more, but knowing that you are loved unconditionally I feel is so important. To know that no matter what, you are loved is the best gift you could give to your child.

So, if we want a helpful child, then we must help that child when he needs it. If we want a child who is a blessing to others, is a value to the world then we must be a blessing to that child and make sure he knows he is valued. If we want a loving child, we must show that child that he is loved.

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Nothing Says Summer Like a Popsicle On a Hot Day

I thought I would share these pictures of fun times with a popsicle. Doesn't it just bring back fond memories of when you were a kid?

Note that I am showing only the cute subject with popsicle juice all over and not pictures of me. I just look like I'm melting.


....and don't forget all the fun of showing off your colored tongue!

Oh, how kids keep us young.


Kids remind us of when we were young and they allow you to act goofy like you once did with no judgement. In fact the goofier you act, the more they enjoy it.


So go on, have a popsicle or two and enjoy the summer while it lasts! It will be gone before we know it and so will these fun times when they're little.

2 Year Old’s Amazing Number of Stall Tactics

It’s amazing how many stall tactics a 2 year old can come up with when it’s bedtime. Including, but not limited to; “I have to use the use the bathroom, cover up (insert name of favorite stuffed animal), cover me up, (as they continue to squirm around and pull the sheet off) I’m hungry, I’m thirsty”, which inevitably causes another bathroom request. Added to the arsenal are the, “Read me another story, I want to play with my cars, let’s go to the track and watch the race cars, I want to play outside, feed the dog”, it just goes on and on.

I think 2 year olds are underestimated in their capacity to come up with alternatives to doing things they don’t want to do like going to bed.

All these excuses take place AFTER the child is in bed. This list does not include the thirty minutes before that that required the constant reminding to pick up the toys, finish your drink, let’s go and brush your teeth and use the bathroom. As well, as taking forever to pick out what book to read and what song to sing. Add into the mix of wanting to talk to grandma on the phone before bed and insisting on going out to the garage to say goodnight to daddy even though daddy was going to come in at bedtime and say goodnight.

Sigh. Usually by the time I get him into bed and asleep finally, I am ready for bed myself! Can you relate?


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Rocking Chair & Wheelie Bars?

My 2 year old thinks the rungs on the back of the rocking chair are really wheelie bars like you see on the back of race cars. He rocks hard in it using the best of his racing sound effects.

He has such a one track mind!

He also won't go hardly anywhere without doing a burnout, pre-stage and stage, then he wants you to count down the tree by saying yellow, yellow, green! Then he takes off, sound effects and all. This is on the way to the potty, down the steps, in the grocery aisle - everywhere!



When watching the races this last Saturday, there were two racers in a staging dual on the line. He was doing his best idling sound effects while everyone watched and waited, then when they finally rolled in and were staged he revved up his sound effects and "launched" when they did. He probably had a better light though! lol

To say he's into racing would be an understatement!

And to say I'm one proud racing momma would also be an understatement!

Video of My Car On Alcohol

My husband helped me have some fun this past weekend when he let me borrow his alcohol carburetor. Normally I run gas. This allowed me to do some great wheelstands in my car and turn some great numbers. 10:30's in the 1/4 mile isn't too shabby for a car with a SBC, 9" slicks on a stock frame. We run on a very limited budget so we don't always have the latest and greatest parts.

Though after looking at the video I thought the wheelstands would be higher than they were. My husband rolled his eyes at that comment. Still, a great achievement on my husband's part for making my little car run so well. Too bad I spun in something on the track on the last run causing me to lose. Oh well, that's racing.

I Needed to Find Patience

Patience is something I definitely need more of. If asked to make out a Christmas wish list, I believe patience would be near the top.

It seems every area of my life requires me to bring a large degree of patience to it. I need patience with my son, my husband, my family and friends. I even need patience with myself who I seem to have the least patience for. I have also been wrestling at times with problems of choosing what is the right thing to do and what I really want to do. I currently have a situation that is testing my patience like this to the breaking point.

I have a neighbor who is very much addicted to prescription drugs and alcohol. I have never seen him straight. He is so messed up all the time and having a concealed carry license, he is packing a gun all the time. Not a good mix. He has pretty much gotten into it with everyone on the street at one time or another and I believe is very unstable making him dangerous. Though we do our best to get along, this neighbor sure does not make it easy. His latest trying of my patience gig is letting his dog and cat run loose. Both animals have decided that our yard and our flower beds are their most favorite places to use as their private bathrooms. I get so infuriated when I find their piles in the yard and in the flower beds I want to march down there and basically let him have it over being a very irresponsible pet owner. I have lost flowers and grass due to them urinating and dropping feces on them. But what upsets me the most is this is where my 2 year old son plays and I am constantly having to keep him out of areas that I have to clean up and hose down. Besides it being a nuisance, it is also a serious health hazard.

So many things that I so want to say and do pop into my head and I can hear satan urging me to go and do just that. What’s worse, when I try and come up with ways to discourage the animals from visiting our yard, the one thing that keeps popping into my head that would do the trick could also possibly kill the animal. Again, I hear satan urging me that this is the best course of action as this will get rid of the problem once and for all. But, luckily for me God has a way of coming through with all the reasons why I should not do such a thing. There are just as many if not more important reasons not to do such a thing than there are reasons that seem to justify me in taking such an action.

This morning, when yet again I found more feces in the yard I almost succumbed to satan’s urging and do what I knew was wrong. I almost set up the scenario that would cure me of the animals from coming back, but may harm or kill the animals. Also, luckily for me and my neighbor, he wasn’t outside for me to get into it with as I was cursing at having to deal with this problem and I was ready for a confrontation. God certainly does look out for me.

So, instead I came inside and asked God to direct me. He led me to the Bible sitting on my nightstand. I said aloud, “OK, lead me to the right passage that I need to hear.” This is the passage he led me to:

“May God, who gives this patience and encouragement, help you live in complete harmony with each other – each with the attitude of Christ Jesus toward the other.” Romans 15:5

In other words, I need to treat him as I would want to be treated and how Jesus would treat him. Though I may not be ready to treat him quite the same way Jesus would, (I much rather just stay away from him and he stay away from us) I can certainly not do what satan wants me to do to him.

So, here I sit, still mad over the situation, but relieved that God stepped in to convince me that the right thing to do was the best way to behave. I believe he has prevented me from starting a war that I and many others would have regretted.

Would it be selfish of me though to pray that God direct the animals to defecate in their own yard? Maybe God could convince the owner that he is being irresponsible and to clean up his act, both literally and figuratively. No, I think I might have a better chance at getting my prayers answered if I asked God to put an animal force field around my yard.

Praying for patience sure has helped me. I hope it helps you.

Peace.


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