MixandMatchMama and Pinterest Told Me To Giveaway!

Friends! I am so excited!

Shay over at MixandmatchMama and Sheaffer over at Pinterest Told Me To are 

hosting their fabulous 12 Days of Giveaways and they are

giving away an 

AMP MD ROLLER SYSTEM 

from ME - to one of her lucky readers!

You guys this tool is beyond amazing.

In literally ONE MINUTE of use,

it will ROLL AWAY not only

FINE LINES - 

but 

ACNE SCARS

and even...

STRETCH MARKS.

Its incredible - and its not even available for purchase until the beginning of 2014 - 

so to get your hands on this baby now is a real treat!

Hop over to MixandMatchMama   and check out Pinterest Told Me To for details to enter!

ALSO:

anyone who decides to become a PREFERRED CUSTOMER with me

before the end of the giveaway - will receive your choice of :

Our award winning MULTI-FUNCTION EYE CREAM,

SUNLESS TANNER, or

LIP MICRODERM STICK

You can check out my website here:

Shea at Rodan and Fields

Here we go again!

Well- it's time to tell the world, (because my tummy is already "speaking" out) that we are expecting another blessing in the form of a baby in June of 2014!

To answer your questions:

1. No, this was not planned! We were stunned, as we thought this really was not a possibility!

2. Yes, we are excited. We feel so humbled that even though we often don't feel fit to parent the 3 angels we have, The Lord finds it a part of his perfect will to have another child of his to be be raised by us.

3. We are 12 weeks, and the due date is June 6. (I am 12 weeks based on this date) The scheduled c-section would be set for around May 31st. Let's be real- my body has never gone to 38 weeks. It's safe to say, we will have a baby end of May.

4. This will be our last, as permanent medical procedures are being set in place to ensure this as real truth. The Lord has graced us so much in our journey as parents, and we know that will continue with the 4 we will soon have.

5. We would appreciate your support. It's common for families to have 2 or 3 children, but past that, when you tell people about adding to your family...you get a lot of strange looks. You get a lot of whispers behind your back, and that doesn't feel good. Each life that God knits together has purpose and deserves to be celebrated. We want this baby to be as loved upon as Anslee was as the first child we welcomed into our family.

6. We would love a boy. We would love to add another girl to this crew. Either way- we have great reason to be excited. Either something new to experience, or something we are EXTREMELY familiar/comfortable with. We do have a boy name, though! Our list of girls names has run short over the years.

7. When this baby joins us, Anslee will be 5 years and 4 months old. Kensington will be 3 years and 4 months old. Laynee will be right at 22 months old.

8. No, Laynee will not be potty trained when this baby is born. I wouldn't know what to do if I potty trained a toddler without having an infant around while doing so...so to keep history the same....

9. We will find out the gender in January!

10. I am feeling ok- out of 4 pregnancies, I've never thrown up in the first trimester, so that is wonderful! I just mainly can't keep my eyes open. My bedtime for the last 10 weeks had been 9 or so. Ha!

So...here we go again!

Shea Moses
Rodan and Fields Executive Consultant

The Problem With McDonalds

On rainy days, hot days, or cold days

I like to do 1 of 2 things with the girls.

1. Go to the library.

2. Let them ransack the only play place in Brownwood, Texas.

McDonalds.

Today it was hot and rainy and we had just been to the library last week,

so McDonalads it was.

It seems like there is a situation that occurs everytime we go to McDonalds.

One time, Kensington peed in the top of the play area.

Everyone had to come down and it had to be cleaned.

From time to time we witness CPS supervised visitation meetings between

biological parents and their kids who have been placed in the foster care system.

Its always really awkward and little sad for me to watch. 

I hate that for all parties involved in those visits. It can't be easy.

I have seen the bully kids.

I have seen 12 year old playing the 3 and under area.

My kids have been cussed in front of by other young kids.

I once saw a young pre-school age boy who could not keep his pants

on for some strange reason.

Today was another one of those days and I have another story.

A little boy came up to Kensington while we were eating.

He had a rocketship toy in his hand and put it up to her head

(as if it were a toy gun).

He said,

"I'm gonna shoot you dead."

Kensington and Anslee just looked back at him,

they had no idea what he was trying to "play".

Thank goodness they were confused.

Yall. I didnt know what to do. His guardians (who looked to be grandparents, possibly?)

were on the other side of the play area and did not see or hear any of this take place.

I just said, Oh - we don't play like that. Thats not a nice way to play with friends.

He ran off and didn't come back.

I just told my girls after he left that it is never

"fun" to play using the words "shoot" and "dead".

We don't need to pretend like thats a fun way to play.

I don't think they really understood too much of what was going on -

But it just makes me sad that I had to have this type of conversation with my 2.5 year old.

It was probably totally innocent play, and that little boy probably had seen something 

on TV or maybe has older siblings, or a daddy that goes hunting or something.

Who knows.  

I just know it didn't sit well with me - someone pretending to shoot my daughter dead.

There are just times when I don't really know what to say or how to handle

little moments like these that will come up. 

What would you do? Could I have done something better?

Am I making this a bigger deal than it should be?

Sometimes, I am just still a silly first time mama!

Our First 2 days!

Anslee has had an amazing past two days! Sweet girl is already learning tons, and nothing is more precious to see!








Yesterday, was her first full day at Cross Classical with her teacher and her class. Her day began with the chapel service. (Mamas get to stay for this part!) we did the pledges (pledge of Allegiance, Pledge to the Christian Flag, Pledge to the Bible) we recited the first 2 verses of Proverbs 3. By the end of this year- they will have memorized all of Proverbs 3. (35 verses). It is always encouraging knowing their school day starts with Reverence for The Lord- seeking him first for the wisdom and knowledge they will gain during the day.

Then- throughout the day their teacher had many learning activities for them. They are starting with learning about the 7 days of creation (we are memorizing at great song about it to the tune of "are you sleeping?") Then they followed up with math and reading and recess!

I got these pictures texted to me from the day!





I got a great report at the end of the day. Though I was worried- as we had a little episode in chapel. All the new students were introduced in front of the school and given a gift. All the other children walked back nicely and quietly to their seats and Anslee just got uncomfortable and naturally just laid down in front of the entire school. Her teacher swooped her up, and apparently- she was good to go after that.

Today was our first day at home. It was probably 3 hours total of instruction time at our table. We also began with prayer and bible verse memory. We talked about creation and reviewed the creation song. Then- we got our quarter mile run in!



This girl loves some run time! She took off at the high school track and did not stop! In a dress and everything! Me and the sister girls just walked behind her. She wanted to keep going, but Laynee needed a nap- and the football team was standing in the field right next to us running drills. It felt weird- so I wanted to leave.

Here is what most of the day looked like!




Math


^she will present her "all about me" report to her class tomorrow!





I loved this^activity. I got clothespins and wrote the letters on them (upper and lowercase- apparently, that's of value...ha!) and she had to match the letters on a piece of paper and place the matching letters together. They did this in her classroom, too- and I just made a non fancy version of this for at home! Fine motor and letter instruction in one activity!


Kensington really enjoyed being involved. She is learning the verses and songs right alongside Ans. Her brain actually catches on quicker than Anslee's sometimes!

While reading our bible story- Kens wanted to read a bible story to her baby-








On another note- this kid is half monkey. Her crib is lowered- and here she is. Perched herself right on up- and yes, she climbed out during nap time yesterday and crawled right up to me. I was in the kitchen- under the full notion she was asleep.

Well! We are ready for day 2 at school tomorrow! :)

Shea Moses
Rodan and Fields Executive Consultant

Random Shorts

Laynee is at an awkward stage of life.

I am specifically referring to the nature of her hair.

Too short to be pulled up with a bow.

Too long for headbands (hair sticks out in the most awful way)

Both the big girls went through this. Hated it then,

hate it now.

If you know me, you know I am particular about a few things.

As girl mom, its hair. 

Parts need to be straight. No bumps allowed. A bow always.

Laynee's awkward hair phase is putting a kink in our style.

Still as cute as ever though. No doubt on that.

Found this little back to school gem.

Fits perfectly into the insulated lunch box.

3 different compartments for full meals at school.

Freezer block on the bottom.

All the compartments fit like a puzzle piece on each other.

Most organized this mama has ever done lunch.

Boom.

Been catching sticky hands in the sugar bowl lately.

Super Star mama.

Sweetest sister hugs right in front of the 

biggest mess. How we do.

Never too early to be practicing selfies.

I find photos of the like every.single.day. on my phone.

They don't look like grandparents.

School starts Monday. Tuesday We will begin working at home.

I have a feeling this will be normal school time behavior at our house.

Laynee is 1!

Oh my goodness!

July 31st marked by youngest babes very

1st birthday!

Can't believe she is on her way to toddlerhood!

What a whirlwind of a year it has been!

One year ago - 

I posted this pic for the world to see her sweet face for the first time

She was 5 lbs and 12 ounces of pure sweetness.

She looked so much like her big sister girls - but we were not surprised about that.

She didn't want to nurse, because sleep was the only thing her tiny body 

thought it needed! Bless her heart - we ran her ragged that day trying.

She came out of the womb needing a fingernail clipping

The moment they lifted her little purple body over the cover for me to see, 

I was hooked. She had me. She still does.

Over this year - we have transitioned so much!

She went from 5-6 naps, and is now down to 2.

She transitioned from nursing to a bottle.

She started sleeping all night long around 8-9 weeks.

She went from sleeping in our room to her own crib in her room at 7 weeks.

She loved a swaddle, and we broke her of that at 21 weeks. 

Her hardest time was 4.5-6 months. The dreaded Wonder Week 19 

was not kind to her at all. 

Her sweetest time was 6-8 months.

She went 7 days straight during this time without crying 1 time. 

I almost took her to the doctor to make sure her "cry" still worked.

(No worries. It did. Still does.)

During this time, she went from 3 - 2 naps, 

and handled that transition very well. 

She crawled at 8 months.

She got her first tooth at 6 months

Now at 12 months, she has 6 teeth (4 top, 2 bottom)

and a 7th coming in on the bottom. 

She takes a few steps here and there - I would NOT consider her walking.

She loves to talk! She loves to wave.

She loves to eat. Clapping is still her favorite.

Here we go. Toddlerhood is always a special time. 

I am seeing HUGE signs of a strong willed little thing blooming in her.

Someone already knows how to make her voice be heard among the sisters.

Can't wait to see who she becomes to be!

Happy 1st birthday to our sweet baby Tiny!

We are so thankful for the way she has completed our family!

Cross Classical

I am sitting here thinking about my oldest daughter beginning her life long journey of learning. She begins this process in roughly 2 weeks. We are so excited about this method of education we have chosen for her. This is going to be a HUGE year for her, and I am anxious to see true growth in her in ALL areas of her life. Yes. ALL areas of her life. Most importantly - her worldview. We are attending Cross Classical Academy, here in Brownwood where the foundation of her education begins by teaching a BIBLICAL worldview. All things we learn on an academic level are grounded in the teachings of Jesus and how he instructs us to approach our world.

Cross Classical is a University Model setting, where they have formal classroom instruction 2 days per week. (Monday and Wednesday) On Tuesday and Thursday, I will be Anslee's teacher. We will follow the lesson plans and curriculum set by the Academy, but I will be guiding, instructing, and most importantly - engaged. I will not sit back and watch her learn from an outsiders perspective. I will have a firm hand in what she is learning and how she comes into knowledge. Am I not her first teacher anyway? The method to which she will be taught is extremely innovative and will be challenging at just her level. It will be fun and practical for her 4.5 year old mind, but will sharpen her developmentally while she enjoys learning new things.

This is from our School's website:

PURPOSE

To invest in the Kingdom of God by supporting parents as they raise a generation to love the Lord whole-heartedly and to be Christ-like leaders in their homes, churches, communities, and the world. Deuteronomy 6:4-7

MISSION

The mission of Cross Classical Academy is to minister to families by partnering with Christian parents to provide for their children a classical education founded upon a Biblical worldview so that these children may commence a lifelong pursuit of knowledge, wisdom and understanding in their purposeful and passionate service of Jesus Christ, for the glory of God. Cross Classical Academy has adopted a university-model approach which integrates professional instruction with parent mentored study and character development to achieve a college preparatory level of academic excellence.

VISION

Community of Christian educators and families that impacts, influences, and transforms lives through academics, character development, servant leadership, and the arts.

VALUES

Cross Classical Academy prioritizes the following values: honesty, integrity, perseverance, love, service, passion, compassion, leadership, endurance, truth, joy, peace, faithfulness, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control, hope, humility, joy, faith.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I can't believe she will be attending a school that has the mission and values that school holds. It expects parents to be a vital part of what their children are learning. It is founded on what The Bible says about learning, how we become wise and how we receive knowledge. 

Classical learning is set up like this. 

 

You begin with grammar. Its the base. The foundation. Facts - memorization is key here. You burn into forming brains truth and sense. You build from there. Grammar is our school goes from Pre-K to 4th. Logic begins in 5th. Logic ties truth and facts together. It makes sense of what was learned well in the grammar years. Rhetoric follows with details, original thoughts, debates,piecing all truths together and understanding relationships between ideas and then building upon them. 

I love this model of learning because it makes sense. So you can look at the end goal for education that you seek for your child's life and you break that goal down into tangible learning styles for where the child is developmentally. Example: If you want your child to be able to speak clearly and confidently at their first job interview one day - you can break those skills down and teach them one at a time on an age appropriate level. In Pre-K our children will do book reviews. They stand up in front of their class, and with the aide of their teacher they will state the name of the book, the author, and the main character in the story. They learn to address their peers. They learn how to speak on topic. They learn how to follow direction. They learn how to speak about something they read. They begin to communicate about something they are trying to understand.

I have always been a huge fan of "begin as you mean to go". I LOVE the idea of having an end goal in mind and taking small steps to get there. This means that everything she will do will have real purpose. That is exactly how this method operates and I am thrilled that we get to help Anslee begin reaching her goals (I guess they are our goals for her now, that will essentially be molded into what SHE wants for her life, and hopefully this will help figure out her own goals as she grows into being able to do that for herself.)

To be perfectly honest, I am very emotional about this process beginning. I feel like what I think most "kinder moms" feel as they usher their babes off into the world of schooling. I feel that way, because this year is truly going to be a year of routine education for Anslee. I will see a major advances in all areas of Anslee's life 9 months from now. I know I will be floored at what she will be able to do then, so I feel like her journey to learning is beginning now. I hope that she enjoys each moment of this new adventure and that she will gain a new perspective - the beginning to a biblical worldview - in her pre-school year with Cross. 

21 on 30.

So today I am 30. I mean, how did that happen? Why do I still think like a 15 year old most of the time? Should I not be more organized, put together, responsible, and less emotional, careless, and self centered? Then again, age is just a number, right? Well - here are some thoughts I have as I turn the big 3-0.

 1. When I get to go shopping I keep gravitating towards the sweat pant/athletic gear section. Is this because I have a sub-conscience effort to be fit/atheltic or is it because my reality says my clothes need to be a bit more elastic in some areas?

 2. When I am looking at make-up - I am thinking about what will be "too bold". Wow. Its not about highlighting good features anymore. Its all about what will blend the best. 

 3. I actually care about anti-aging skin care now. I used to wash my face 3 times a week in a good week.

 4. I am consumed with the next diet fad. What will really work for me? Advocare? Metabolic Effect? Hydroxycut? (Hey - Sean Lowe supports the brand, so I looked into it.) 

 5. Speaking of Sean Lowe - would it be very 20-ish of me to admit to my obsession of reality TV? I love it. Or is it very 30-ish of me to be living out the younger hope in 20 somethings lives? I can't decide. 

 6. Do not get me started on the handful of gray hairs Tyler constantly points out to me. I am now trying to figure out how I can work out getting "color" added in to my hair care regimen budget. I have been interested in coloring my hair before now. Never! 

 7.I drive a mini-van, and I love it.

 8. I must have coffee every single morning or I am not effective in any way.

 9. Anyone have any good suggestions for a great fiber supplement? 

 10. I actually remember celebrating my dad's 30th birthday. We took him black "over the hill" balloons and a cake to his office that day. I think I was 6.5 years old - but its weird that I remember that day for exactly what it was, and now I am that same age. 

 11. Taylor Swifts "22" makes me laugh. And remember the good times. 

 12. I am realizing how somethings 10 years ago were HUGE deal. They are mere details now, that I hardly remember anymore. 

 13. I think in terms of trimesters instead of semesters now. 

 14. I told Tyler right around the time we got married that I wanted to have all my kids by the time I was 30. I have done that, and I feel so blessed. 

 15. My biggest accomplishment for this year: Having a 8 month old and a 4 year old stay content while I potty trained the 2 year old. 

 16. I can totally remember when my facebook news feed was full of "relationship status updates" that were exciting to see for my friends. Now - my newsfeed is filled with pictures of their sweet babies. Isn't it telling how our FB newsfeeds clearly depict what stage of life we are in? 

 17. I need a good at-home teeth whitening solution!! STAT! 

 18. Keeping up with the Jones' can be a real problem in life. 

 19. For some strange reason, the older I get, the worse I have become at knowing my basic grammar and spelling rules. Bless my kids hearts - for they will be taught wrong many times I think. 

 20. Chiropractors are worth every dime. 

 21. So, I wanted to do 30 thoughts on becoming 30 - but since I wish I was still 21 (sometimes), I'll stop here. Well, that and I am officially out of brain power so this will have to do!

 Hope you all have a great day, and that if you are in your 30's - or close to them - you can appreciate and relate to my major problems in life right now!

Last Week.

This girl

is buckling herself up from start to finish in her carseat.

and 

this precious girl 

 is now dressing herself from head to toe.

No mama needed.

and Laynee? 

Well she is just eating meals with the rest of the family now.. 

What? 

and all of this has happened over this last week.

Why didn't they send me a memo to let me know 

they were all planning to become more independent  at the same time?

I have a feeling - this trend is just going to continue on. No stopping them now!

How We do 3.

Right now in the United States, the average amount of children born into a single family is 2.5. I will never understand the decimal in these studies - I know its all scientific...but I am not sure that a .5 can't turn into a 1 after 9 months of pregnancy, right? No. Oh well. The things we will never know.

About 6 of 10 Americans believe smaller (2 or less children) families are ideal. This leaves about 1/3 of Americans who openly prefer a larger family. This is a significant decrease since the 1970's. Prior the the 1970's the majority of American families preferred larger families (meaning more children were a welcome part of the home). Clearly - the sexual revolution movement and the invention of the birth control pill changed the way Young couples saw the future of their families.
I got that information from this article online and this one, too. 

Why We Chose 3:
Well, actually we did not choose 3. So far, 3 has chosen us. In fact, if our plan would have been put into place - we would probably only have our 2nd daughter right now. Our 1st and our 3rd pregnancies were surprise blessings. Both of which we are and will be forever grateful for.

I came from a 2 child family. My brother and I are 13 months apart, I am the older of the two of us. Tyler, my husband, is the youngest of 3. He has two older sisters. I always pictured a family of 4, because that was what I knew. Tyler always pictured a family of 5, because that was all he knew. We both agreed on more than 1. Thinking back to welcoming our 2nd daughter...and how she came out of the womb acting like a "middle child" I was pretty sure our family was not complete. I was not, however, ready to welcome a 3rd pregnancy when it happened. 10 months ago, I gave birth to our precious surprise and simply can't bear the thought of life without her. A family of 5 we became. 3 daughters had been gifted to us.

My daughters are 4.5, 2.5, and 10 months. When Laynee, our 3rd, was born her sisters were 3.5 and 18 months. We are busy, our house is always a disaster, and people give us lots of sympathetic smiles when they see me at grocery store wrangling all of them. I think I will always think back on this time in my life and wonder how I did it - but right now, I don't know anything else. All of these kids need to be fed, have naps, be playing, and learning to grow to be functioning future members of society. That is my job - and so I do it. Every day. I don't know anything else. I used to know what it was like to have 2 small children. I don't remember that very well anymore.

The Adjustment Period:
Whenever you add a baby to the family, the dynamic has to shift. You never know what its going to be like and how the family will react until the baby comes home and becomes a normal part of life for each member of the family. Our two daughters are on such a routine, and they are so young - that their adjustment was easy and comfortable. They continued on with everything they knew - their life was not shaken a bit. They carried with the same daily activities and really never skipped a beat. One advantage in having all of my children so close together is that they were still both so egocentric in their development that while they may notice the baby being there, the baby didn't interfere with the only world they lived in: the world of "me".

Tyler and I had to of course find a new normal. This time, VERY UNLIKE when we added the 2nd, we were able to ease into our new life. We already had the experience of having to multi-task and divide and conquer. We were still in that mode - and just stayed in that mode and it was no different. It didn't really even feel like more work - just a slight change into how we would set up our many different tasks for the day.

Before we welcomed Kesington (our 2nd daughter), I had a lot of anxiousness in regard to how in the world could I give another human the same love to another. The love I had for Anslee was unlike any type of love I had ever experienced. It was one of kind, and it was love to the core of my very being. How could I not be "cheating" on Anslee if I let myself feel that for another? I struggled with this for my entire pregnancy. When we added Laynee, I was very aware that it is POSSIBLE and such a GIFT to feel and experience that for each child and love is never divided - only multiplied. My love for Anslee was never compromised or lessened when Kensington came. When Laynee came, we added more love to the mix and we knew that emotionally that was NOT going to be a struggle. I feel that alone made our adjustment easier - being confident that nothing was going to be taken from the older siblings emotionally by adding another.

So, we knew how to meet the physical demands of multiple children and knew all it would take was figuring out a tweaked system to make it work when we added the 3rd. We also knew how to meet the emotional demands of multiple children and knew that adding a 3rd child would just grow the love of our family even more.

Our Day
So, how does our day look like with 3 kids that have needs to be met? I'll share how our day unfolds!

6 am : mom wakes, spends time with Jesus, goes for a run, and showers. Dad goes to work
7:15 am: I wake up the girls. I get the big girls to the potty. As soon as they are done, I grab Laynee out of bed and change her diaper and give her a bottle.
7:30 The girls are eating breakfast. I usually make breakfast casserole once or twice a week and I just heat it up and serve it to them. I ALWAYS make their drinks the night before - so all I have to do is set it out on the table in the morning. I also feed Laynee her puree's while the big girls feed themselves. I usually have toast for breakfast really quick in between feeding everyone else.
8:15 I get all the girls dressed and brush their teeth. They usually match because that keeps my brain going in the same direction. Its really just easier. I also do my very best to have their clothes picked out the night before as well. Then I do their hair!
9:00 The baby goes down for her nap - and I play with the big girls outside or do some sort of playtime/learning/craft with them. I take Kensington potty.
10:00 I try to split the big girls up and have them play separately for a while. Sometimes - They watch TV I drink coffee at this time :) I usually try to get Kensington to the potty again. Anslee just goes whenever she needs to and I don't keep tabs on her like I do with Kens still.
10:45 I get Laynee up and give her a bottle. While she is drinking her bottle - I will make the big girls lunch.
11:15  Again, another potty break and washing hands before we eat. the big girls are typically having lunch now if we do not have a play date or lunch outing planned for the day. If so, we are playing/eating together with friends at this time. I feed Laynee puree's and finger foods while the girls are eating. If we are out and about, I feed Laynee in her carseat or in her stroller.
12:30 Kensington (2.5) goes down for her nap. She is always ready at this time. She usually passes out within 3 or 4 minutes of being laid down.
1 pm Anslee (4.5) goes down for a nap in my bed (they room share, but not for nap time)
1:30 Laynee goes down for her afternoon nap. I love the 30 minutes I have alone with sweet Laynee bug. We do lots of clapping, and peek-a-booing during this time. As well as reading a couple of books. I eat lunch when ALL the girls are in bed for nap. I enjoy my food when I can eat it in peace, without interruption so I choose to wait to eat.
2-3 pm: I work on my Rodan and Fields business :)
3:00 Kensington and Anslee get up from their nap and we re-do their messy hair. Potty break. Daddy is home from work! yay!
3:30 Laynee  is up from her nap, and needs a diaper change and a bottle.
4:15 We usually try to leave the house for a quick errand or activity as a family at this time. OR I am cooking dinner (if I didnt let the crock pot do it for me earlier in the day) and Tyler takes the girls somewhere or at least into the backyard!
5:15-5:45 Dinner happens sometime in this time frame. All girls get fed.
6:15 bath time. This is an interesting time of the day. If its a weekend night - I am flying solo, as Tyler would have been home during part of the day ( he usually works overtime) and works nights on weekends. I put all 3 of them in the bath together. We brush teeth, blow dry hair and get in our PJ's.
7 pm - in bed
7:30 usually everyone has fallen asleep finally. I eat dinner and do whatever chores need to be done. I do more R+F work.
10:00 I watch FRIENDS re-runs on nick at night and fall asleep.

That is a pretty typical day in our world. If it is planned out and makes sense, and if everyone knows what to expect things run smoothly. Even with being so busy. This is our schedule now - but when Laynee was younger and napping more..we of course had to make adjustments. Of course, Sundays are a little different. Next year - Anslee will begin her classical/university modeling school program in the fall - so this will look a little different as well. We roll with the punches. I don't expect this to change much over the summer months though.

How I handle the "little things" with all 3:

potty training.
-Ive never potty trained a child without a baby being around. I do not know anything different. Every time I have potty trained a child, they have had a younger sibling around that still needed tending too. When I potty trained Anslee, Kensington was 4.5 months old. I was nursing her, and she was still a little bit colic. But - its do- able. When we potty trained Kens, Laynee was 7.5 months old. We did send Anslee to the grandparents for the 1st day - because Anslee would have been bored with having NO attention from us, and she would have REALLY been wanting Kensington to just come and play. By day 2 - Kensington had a good enough grasp, that Anslee came back and was her biggest cheerleader. Laynee, just sort of hung out. Tyler was off when we planned this - so someone was always available for Laynee, while Kensington was still being closely monitored.

loading the car.
I swear it takes 17 minutes for us to get from "get your shoes on girls" to buckled in the car and backing out of the garage. Really. I have to really get started getting into the car 30 minutes before we need to pull out of our driveway. I always load Laynee first. She needs help for every step in getting in the car obviously. Kesington is to climb into her carseat and sit and wait for me to buckle her while I finish up loading Laynee. Anslee, is to get into her car seat and buckle the chest buckle part herself. She can get one of the acutal bucks on the bottom bucke by herself - but not the other yet. She is almost there - so after I have buckled Kensington and Laynee - I snap Anslee's last buckle. Then I get in the car.
*Note* We have a van with automatic sliding doors. AMAZING. The middle row of the Van is actually two captains chairs. The captains chair directly behind the passenger seat in the front is Laynee's. Her carseat lives there. We TOTALLY removed the captains chair behind the driver seat. This is great for 2 reasons. 1. I can easily get in and out to help Kensington and Anslee who are in the very back (bench) seat in their carseats.2. There is a LOT of floor space all of the sudden for when I go grocery shopping or when we travel and have a lot of junk.

Traveling:
We do not travel very much. We really don't. In fact, the longest trip that Laynee has ever made has been 1 hr and 10 minutes down the road. We always leave first thing in the morning - and have breakfast in the car. We try to get wherever we are going in time for Laynee to get her first nap. If we were traveling further - we would leave a bit closer to Laynee's nap time, in hopes that she would take her first nap in the car. She has just truly never had to do this. Our family is 30 minutes away or 1 hr and 10 minute away - so that is usually how we handle that. We have a pack and play for Laynee when we travel and the big girls can stay in a regular bed at my parents or at my in laws home. Still, if we keep a general routine that is close to "Normal" when we travel - everyone is happy and content. We still have yet to stay in a hotel room with any of our kids. Ha! Well - Tyler did once, with Anslee and Kensington - but I never have. (When they did, it went fine - they rented a crib at that time for Kensington)

Room Sharing:
Anslee and Kensington have shared a bedroom for about 10 months now. Its gone REALLY well. In fact - they have become so much closer because of it - and better sleepers because of it. They can both sleep through each other making noise. They began room sharing when Laynee was 3 weeks old. For the first week, they had a bedtime an HOUR earlier than usual - so they could enjoy the novelty of being in the same room and could talk and laugh for a while...but still actually fall asleep at a decent hour. I separate for naps. They would not fall asleep for nap time if I had them in the same room. We have tried before a couple of times and it did not work, so now Anslee naps in my bed. She sleeps great for nap in there. At night - they will end up tuckering out and will fall asleep - but they could literally waste the entire normal nap time talking, so we do separate.

Bath Time:
Bath time is crazy. My girls have sensitive/dry skin - so I try to just bathe them every other day, because it can really dry their skin out more if they are in the water too often. They all 3 will take a bath together. I wash the big girls hair first and then wash their body. They can play for a little bit while I get Laynee all washed up. The difficult part is after everyone is all clean. I take Laynee out first, dry her off and get her in her PJ's. I let her craw around and play with toys on the floor while I dry the big girls off. Then I will blow dry the big girls hair and bring Laynee up to join them for brushing their teeth.

Bed Time:
I always put Laynee to bed first. I give her a bottle right before bed, still, but she is taking less and less each night it seems - but I am still happily offering it to her. While I am in her room doing her bedtime routine with her, the girls are usually entertained with Mike the Night or Mickey Mouse clubhouse. Then I will come and get them and put them to bed together as soon as I am done with Laynee. Of course if Tyler is home for bath and bedtime - he is super helpful and will divide the responsibilities with so we can be as efficient as possible!

Sundays:
Sundays are tricky for us. Church is clearly a huge priority for our family, and we do our best to keep our girls on a normal "Sunday schedule" as best we can. Our Sunday School begins at 9:45 am and Church begins at 11 am. Tyler and are currently switching off who gets to go to Sunday School (and take the big girls) so that Laynee can get her nap. So every other Sunday I go and the other Sundays - Tyler goes. Like I mentioned before - Tyler works weekend nights, so Saturday nights he is usually out until 2 am at the earliest. Every Sunday I will get up and get the girls  up and dressed and fed and ready to go. If its my Sunday, Tyler never wakes up until its time for Laynee to get up from her nap at 10:45. If its his Sunday, I wake him at 9:10 so he can get himself ready - but still have had some sort of sleep from the night before. If he is off on Sunday (He works a 1 pm - 10 pm shift on Sunday to ease him into day shift work for the weekdays) then whoever went to church will come home, and pick up Laynee and whoever stayed home and we will go to big church. (We live 4 minutes away from our church...if that).

So life with 3 is wild, and certainly requires a lot of "movement" throughout the day, but I feel like if you make a plan that has a purpose for what you want to accomplish for the day - it can be done with minimal stress! Having 3 is wonderful, and truly - does not require much more energy than having 2!

To Make Her Happy!

Disclaimer:

This is a total brag post - and I don't even care.

I need to document this so I can remember it forever.

My sweet Anslee girl has a heart of gold, yall. 

She really, at 4 years old, finds ways to be empathetic 

with those around her. If she can tell I am upset

about something - she tries really hard to understand why. 

If Kens is upset about something (which if you know my sweet Kens...)

she immediately wants to be a source of comfort. 

Today, we were at the store and we passed by a section of flowers.

Anslee immediately looks and them and says to me:

"Mama. I really want to buy these beautiful flowers for Molly,

because she is my friend and they will make her happy."

We were not really in the market for flowers today - 

but I was so taken back by my girls thoughtfulness

that I quickly said yes and that we could take them straight over

to precious Molly girl.

Sweet Anslee,

may you always have the heart you did today.

Pure joy to watch your heart be forming into

something so very, very beautiful.

Thank you, 

for reminding mommy that little things,

when done with a selfless spirit are gifts

that leave a mark on someones heart for lifetime.

  Precious Molly - 

thank you for being such a sweet friend to Anslee!

great friends are hard to find, and Anslee has a gem in you!

10 months old!

Laynee Bug is 10 months old! She is a busy bee

these days and we are having a ball!

Eating:

Laynee is eating super great. She certainly can put back some squash, peas, sweet potatoes, purple carrots, blueberries, bananas, quinoa, mango, - and much more - but just to name a few. She is slowly adding finger foods to her diet and getting used to them. She has had black beans, bread, rice, and pieces of green beans. She was a chronic gagger that for a while, but I think we are past all of that now. She does still have a bottle - but we are for sure in the gradual weaning process of that. She has even had some days where she only had 3 liquid feeds. I plan to be down to just a sippy cup in the next 2 months. She is doing well so far with a her sippy cup, she caught on much faster than the two big girls did. 

Sleep:

Sleep is great! Girl loves to sleep and she sleep SO quietly. She even wakes up quietly. She takes a morning nap and an afternoon nap. This week we moved to a 2-3-3.5 schedule and it seems to have ironed out some rough naps we had the week before. So, she has 2 hours of awake time before her 1st nap, 3 hours of wake time before her 2nd nap, and 3.5 hours before bedtime. Sometimes it gets to 4 hours - but she is always back in her bed by 3.5 hours because she always seems so tired at that point. She sleeps in a pack n play, her crib, the travel crib at my parents house, the regular crib at Tyler's parents all just fine. She doesnt fall asleep in her carseat - but I think that is more because we are never out and about when she needs to be napping really. I don't think she has fallen asleep in her carseat since she came out of her newborn/new baby coma around 3-4 months old. She sleeps 12 hours at night and her naps are anywhere from 1.5- 2 hours during the day. 

Crawling/Pulling Up/Cruising

This little love bug got off to a later crawling start (8 months) than both of her sisters who started right before 7 months and right at 7 months, but when she finally did, she took off and never looked back. Now, if I am not keeping a close eye on her - she gone. She is stealthy, too. She is quiet and quick and so my challenge to keep her out of the dogs food bowl has been set. She pulls up on everything and is cruising around our ottoman, around her crib, and the couches. She cruises around my parents coffee table and our entertainment center, too. She does something I I have not seen much of - she will be crawling and then all of sudden in end up on her hands and feet, like a bear crawl - push up position. Its like she wants to push herself to standing, but can't. Its funny.

Playing with The Sisters!

I have loved watching her being able to really play with her sisters lately! They include her in everything they are doing. They play with their Little People Princess castle a lot together, and now - Laynee goes right with them to their bedroom when they run off to play together. They will all 3 laugh together and Its just the sweetest (squealiest) noise! Sometimes Layee will grab at something they are playing with and they do not appreciate that, but they always share and Anslee really understands now that Laynee is still little and doesn't understand that grabbing at a toy is not "playing the right way". They LOVE playing in the bath tub with her. They give her all kinds of toys to play with and always make sure they don't splash her face. Same thing in the swimming pool. Kensington has even started baby talking to Laynee while they play - its so funny to watch. 

Talking and Teething

Laynee babbles all day long. She is my little jabber queen. She does have a few words she says pretty clearly - "ma-ma" and "da-dee" and "nigh-nigh" She can sometimes say "bye bye" but does not wave yet. She only has 1 sign - "more" and she is super spastic when doing it. I laugh almost every time. Our Laynee teeths with grace. She has 4 teeth - two on top, two on bottom. She has only had 2 days where her teeth were bothering her enough for teething tablets, and they were not consecutive. Her top teeth bothered her the most. Sophie is her best teething friend, and if I am wearing a necklace it goes straight to her mouth every.single.time. 

Favorite Toys:

Like I mentioned before, Sophie is her best little carry along toy. She squeezes it and of course chews on it.  She likes her exercauser, and LOVES the little people princesses. She has a bright starts rattle she likes and studies a lot, and then any of the toys that make noise she is a huge fan of. We have a kitty cat keyboard that she goes to town on pretty often. She doesn't have an attachment lovie or security item at all. I will probably introduce her to a blanket soon. Anslee got attached to hers around 13 months and Kensington wasn't until MUCH later - like in the last 8 months or so, really.

Laynee and Lolly:

Laynee loves our new dog, Lolly. She reaches out and grabs for her, and Lolly loves her, too! She is constantly trying to lick her and sniffs her all the time. Poor Lolly has taken a few hard plastic toys to the snout with Laynee's spastic motions, but she never flinches. Lolly will come up to Laynee and lay beside her. They were fast friends, no doubt. All the girls love our Lolly Pop (as Ans always calls her)

We are loving life with this sweet, quiet, happy, healthy, energetic,

baby girl!

R&F

I am so excited. My world changed 7 days ago.

My "S" turned into a "W"

I was formerly, Shea Moses, Stay at home mom (SAHM)

Today, I am Shea Moses Work at home Mom (WAHM)

I am thrilled. I am already so much more fulfilled with who I am,

and who God says I am by making this little tweak to my title.

I have partnered with Dr. Rodan and Dr. Fields.

You know them.  They did this.

They revolutionized the skin care market with this one. 

3 Billion Dollars later - adolescents everywhere 

are acne free! A True teenage dream.

Well, What they did for adolescent skin with Poractiv Solutions, they are doing

for more mature skin. By more mature, I mean, if you are no longer an adolescent.

I know. I had a hard time realizing my skin at 29 is considered "aging".

Thanks to the Doctors, I am ok with that because now I have this.

These products were originally flying off the shelf at high end retail stores

like Bloomingdales and Nordstrom.

They were the number 1 seller for skin care in these department stores.

Everyone wanted to get their hands on them, and for good reason. 

So they changed their business model to make that happen. I am so glad they did!

 I am loving this line and I can't believe I get to actually work

for this company and still be at home with my babes.

So, as you can see above, there are 4 different regimens in this product line.

1. Anti-Age/Redefine: Ready to be rid of wrinkles? You want this.

2. Soothe: Sensitive skin? Red patches? You need this.

3. Reverse: Sun spots? Age spots? Not after you use this!

4. Unblemish: Adult acne? Acne scaring? USE THIS.

Oh. Here is the biggie. Not that everything above isn't HUGE.

But this is Massive. This is crazy.

Want a face lift? Ok. We can do that. Easy.

 Seriously. Use this once a week. This machine walks you through, step by step,

on how and where to use it at what strength level.

No one needs botox now. This little gadget is going to keep my skin

29 years old for the next 50 years, minimum. :)

I work with an amazing team. They are driven, motivated, fun to visit with,

and most of all, super encouraging and very very helpful.

I want to share this with everyone. Not only the products, but the business opportunity

if you are interested. 

We are a no home parties, no high pressure, non inventory stocking gig.

The momentum is huge right now, and I am glad I jumped in with both feet

on the ground floor. I love that I am earning while I am learning!

I would love to sign you up as a preferred customer! This way - you 

get 10% off, free shipping, and other random perks througout the year!

Here is my website: take a minute to look around!

smoses.myrandf.com

1 Corinthians 13:4-5

I am trying to discipline myself in memorizing scripture. This is no easy task!
So- Anslee recited the entire theme song to "Sofia The First" the other day- word for word. I decided that if she can memorize that, and several of the books we regularly read for fun- she can join me in this journey. My hope is that the earlier they learn it- the deeper it will penetrate their hearts and that it will be forever a part of them.
I thought the Love Chapter would be a good one to start with. Guess what? Kensington decided she would tag along with us while we memorized together.
Here they are :)

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

A Welcome Burden?

This is not one of those Pinterest perfect blogs.

If you know me in real life - you know I am not shy

to own up to a fault (or two or three, or way more.)

We have as many hard days as we do good ones.

 

This week has been a toughie. Yes - Its only Tuesday.

This week has been good for 1 thing.

Feeling like kiddos are a burden to other people.

I am not sure there is a much worse feeling.

I know they are not perfect, but,

they are little - and they are learning.

I sometimes find it hard to be as patient as I need to be - 

so I get it. I really do.

Do a mom a favor - make her feel like her kids are welcome

where she is. Sometimes, there is no other option.

I bet she is trying really hard.

It will go a long long long way.

I promise.

Easter

Christ is RISEN and I rest easy

knowing I have HOPE in his promise

made TRUE.

Easter always stirs up so much emotion in me.

I fee like I live in the dark on 

"good" Friday - knowing I nailed him there.

Sunday I celebrate and am overwhelmed with

thanks and gratitude when I take in the depth

of the cross, and better yet, the resurrection and what they mean for me.

Easter has become different for me over the last 4 years.

Now - I become overwhelmed at how Christ suffered for me-

but in the same way he has suffered and rose

for them.

Little as they are, I see their sin. I see the sin they are so unaware of.

The very nature of being separated from Christ is real in them.

They are little, and they are precious in his sight - 

but as of today they do not know him. 

They are His, but they don't know it. 

It will only be a season before they understand the truth of his promise.

The promise that was made true this past weekend

as we celebrate a RISEN savior who conquered DEATH

so that THEY will LIVE next to HIM

ETERNALLY.

There is not a whole lot I want to rush along in their lives,

but would savlation reach them, already?

 

 

 Genesis 49:18

"I wait for your salvation, O Lord."

 

I long for the day they claim the one who has already claimed them.

My heart can't rest until they see Him for who He is. 

We grow weary trying to fight the good fight for them. 

Satan will not win this battle. Christ has already won.

May Jesus reveal himself to them in time he has set for them, 

and may Tyler and I have the precious honor of being a part of their journey to him. 

 

 Psalm 119:81

"My soul longs for your salvation;

I hope in your word."

 

Even as we fail him often, may we still help them know 

who Saves.

Titus 2:11

"For the grace of God has appeared, 

bringing salvation for all people.."

Happy Easter 2013

 

 Genesis 49:18

"I wait for your salvation, O Lord."

Some of old pictures of some of our Sweetest Easters together

Easter 2009

Easter 2010

Easter 2011

Easter 2012

Easter 2013