Playing Catch Up....Again.

Yes, it's true.  I haven't blogged in over 3 months.  Life is great, crazy, fast and rarely leaves time for updates.  Yet, they continue.  Milestones are met, laughter is heard, and memories are made even when I don't have the time to share in a timely manner.  Pictures tell stories much better than I do, so I hope you enjoy.

 Supposed to be a birthday toy for Jackson!

 Happy First Birthday, Josie.

 Happy 3rd, Jackson

 The messy cake moment...red velvet stains skin, FYI :)

 Jackson's first trip to Chuck e  Cheese's

 Rangers vs. Yankees - Jackson's first baseball game

 Sweet times - Sweet friends

 We really need to invest in 3 swords...2 isn't going to cut it for long!

 Favorite time of the day.

 Happy Fall Y'all.

 Pancakes with Mamma Z

 Trick or Treating at work with Mommy

 Silly Boys

Too Cool!

Awesome pictures of Josie

We had some new pictures taken for Josie's upcoming 1st birthday.  Courtney Brown took them and did a fabulous job!  Check her out at her blogspot:
www.courtneybrowndesign.blogspot.com

Choices and Consequences

We use the words "choices" and "consequences" with Jackson a lot.  We try not to threaten him with punishment, we just warn him before he makes decisions about what will happen if he makes a bad one.  This is a constant energy zapper for me throughout the day simply because remaining consistent is important and that means asking Jackson every 5 minutes what his choice will be.....  Recently I have really been convicted that the way I feel as a parent must only be scratching the surface of how God must feel about me and my choices throughout life.  I desire so badly for Jackson to always make the right, easy choice so that I don't have to punish him, so that he doesn't have to experience the pain of consequences.  However, I'm never tempted to "let him by" because I know that if he doesn't learn now to obey and make healthy decisions, he'll only face them later again and it will only be harder and the consequences worse.  It is sobering to think of these things when I come to the Lord in prayer knowing He often begs me to make better choices and trust that He really knows best for me.  The rebellion I get so frustrated with in my child can only be amplified when coming from me to the Father.  How sad it makes me to think that I do this so often.  Conversations I have with Jackson really do play themselves out between me and God daily.
Mommy :  "Jackson, please pick out a few books for bedtime."
Jackson: "NO, I just want to play with this car...5 more minutes, OK?"
Mommy:  "You may choose to pick out your books now or have no books at all."
Jackson:  Ignores me and runs to the living room and hides...laughing."
Mommy:  "OK, Jackson, you have to go to bed now with no books...this is your consequence."
Jackson: "NOOOOOOO, I want books right now!!!"
Jackson cries himself to sleep, angry at me.

God:  "Holly, it is quiet right now, why don't you pick up my Word and read?"
Holly:  " NO, I need to finish these dishes, then I'll sit down and spend some time with you, OK?"
God:  " Now really is the best time, I"m calling you now, not later. "
Holly:  "Be right with you...when I empty this dishwasher I'll be there."
I finish the dishes, pick up a few toys, clean the bathroom, heat my coffee up, take one sip.  Josie wakes up crying, time is up.  I nurse her, then Jackson is up before I finish.  I spend the rest of the day disappointed that I never got to sit down, read, or pray.  I never really heard what the Father had to say to me.  My consequence was much worse than no books in bed.

Toddler Tidbits

Ok, Josie has been a lot more interactive lately. She is starting to clap her hands, do some simple sign language (milk, more, sleep), and play peek-a-boo, among other things. We were all sitting down for dinner together last night and Josie got done eating and wanted to play. She initiated peek-a-boo with mommy and daddy and had both of us oohing and cooing over her saying "Where's Josie.... THERE she is! Meanwhile Jackson was finishing eating and quietly observing all of this. At one point Josie quit doing the hand motions in front of her eyes and, in an effort to keep her going, Holly and I started saying over and over... "Where's Josie...? Where's Josie...? Where's Josie...? Where's Josie...?" with the octave of our voices raising each time we said it. Then, out of nowhere, in a deep matter of fact tone came an answer from Jackson,

"She's right there."

Toddler Tidbits

Hi Everyone, We are in the dog days of summer here in Texas. It is so Hot. I know it has not been exactly nippy at home in Tennessee (or in New York for Uncle Jake), but the Texas heat is just oppressive in the afternoon sun. So, we've been trying to play outside in the mornings and keeping it cool with shades drawn and ac running in the afternoons. What has also been heating up is Jackson's little mind. He says and does some of the funniest things. I hope to start sharing a few of them with you more often through the blog so that you can follow what is going on with us and we can record all of these little things that make life so colorful that we may soon forget as life whizzes by...

Three Sunday mornings ago he had really tested the limits of my patience, and found it. I had been burned out by his constant disobeying and diversion tactics. -- Here is an example: Jackson, It's time to brush your teeth. "I want Jackson's toothpaste." Ok, here you go. "No, I want Mommy's toothpaste." Jackson, your's is already on here, open your mouth. "NO! I want Mommy's toothpaste!" Open your mouth. "No, I don't have to." Yes, you do. Open your mouth. "No I don't." BOY! Open your mouth or lose a book [we usually read two books before a sleep cycle]. "I want three books." Jackson, we only have two books before bed and now you only have one for disobeying. TEARS... "NO, I want two books!" (Toothbrush buzzing)... Open your mouth. -- I angrily told him that Daddy's patience was gone and he would have no more timeouts and no more losing privileges, all tuss-tusses for the rest of the day. We went to Church that morning and in the moments of spiritual reflection, I realized that I was at the end of what I had to give of myself in being Dad to Jackson. I prayed for God to renew me so that I could just level out emotionally and react more appropriately, but I also prayed for God to use me as a means of showing His love for Jackson through me that went beyond what I had the capacity to give. I didn't want God to fill me up so I could then pass it on, because my capacity is limited. I wanted God to fill me up so I could be kind again and then I wanted Him to keep pouring so that the Love that came to Jackson through me was not from me but from God Himself, which is worth a whole lot more. I left the service and God had indeed renewed me and replenished my reservoir of Love/patience and I was trying to think of a way to tell Jackson in a simple way what had happened. When I picked him up from his class I said, "Hey Jackson, Daddy got his patience back. God helped me. I found it." He seemed to understand and we decided to start the day over, with a peaceful result. Then yesterday morning, after another trying weekend in which I had to discipline him a lot and he had clearly been frustrated, I told him we were going to Church and he responded "Good, I need some patience." - and he really meant it. I laughed and laughed and laughed...  seriously though, please no birthday toys with sharp points or blunt ends on them.

Some Fun Video

And she's off!

Counting with Daddy.

Adoring Big Brother

I can't help but love these two pictures of Jackson and Josie.  She lights up whenever he is around and he has such a kind spirit towards her.  We are so blessed.  These two are really growing up and becoming their own little individuals.

Jackson has been potty trained for a few months now, he can count to 25, put puzzles together, and is sounding out and reading some simple words.  He loves his class at mother's day out and playing with his friends here on the 5th floor at Swiss Tower (family campus housing).  He has become very helpful lately to me by carrying things to the car, picking up dirty clothes, and comforting Josie at night as the fall asleep (in the same room)!  They are sleeping great together at night and waking bright and early together in the morning...6 am usually :(.  His favorite television show right now is Kipper the Dog, a British cartoon with exceptionally dry humor that he finds hilarious!  He is gradually leaving the crazy 2 year old phase and maturing a ton in his understanding and reasoning skills.  Thank goodness!

Josie is 11 months old now and starting to army crawl.  She loves blueberries, eggs, and zucchini.  She doesn't babble, she screams high pitched girly screeches that crack Jackson up and he answers her in the same manner.  It's too cute to stop most of the time and extremely funny when Jackson finally covers his ears and frowns...that's payback!  She has battled another round of eardrum ruptures which has led us to make an appt. with an ENT for August.  Hopefully we will be reassured that all is well or given some direction on treating this problem.  Josie is still very much baby.  I remember Jackson seeming so much older at this age, but she is perfectly content to be coddled.  We all accommodate her very well :).  What a blessed mother and wife I am to be surrounded by such great children and a loving husband.

Fun in the Sun

We enjoyed a really fun and relaxing vacation at the end of May.  Mrs. Pat (Jonathan's mom) was celebrating a milestone birthday and requested the mother of all celebrations!  She invited my family to join in the fun, so my sister and her husband (Heather and Dustin), my parents, and Jonathan's brothers and Brianna (Jeff's girlfriend) all met down in Gulf Shores, AL for a week at the beach.  Yes, for those of you wondering, before the oil made it ashore!  It was amazing to have so much help with the kids, so my experience was most restful.  The kids got the rare opportunity to bond with some of the aunts and uncles they rarely see.  What a treat for Jonathan and me to hang out with both of our families at the same time!  We are so grateful that our families are so close and enjoy one another.

They really do love each other.

Isn't she just beautiful?

Uncle D let Jackson use his I Pad to play games...brave soul!

Sunbathers

My sweet sister.

Jackson's New Favorite Pastime.

Strawberry time in West Tennessee

We made a trip home in May to visit the Strawberry Festival in Humboldt.  Jackson loved the floats and marching bands....and the pretty girls!!  We had a wonderful, relaxing trip home.  

It was a hard choice...watching the parade or loving on sis :).

Such a good patient.  He always lets his Mamma Z clean those teeth.

Relaxing with her Papa Z on the tire swing.

Month in Pictures

We had a great April here in Dallas. We have enjoyed the beautiful Spring weather and been out out out!! We had several visits from family and lots of time playing with friends. Jackson remembered quickly the candy part of Easter. Yes, we really did share with him the real meaning of Easter, but in reality all he cared about was the eggs full of candy! Hopefully one day he will understand that the abundance of Christ's love for us is far sweeter than any morsel of chocolate.

Show me the candy!


Little love from my handsome fellow.


Splashing around with his BF Peyton....with a bit of a sugar rush!


Gran Pat donated a computer mouse just his size. Now he is totally independent...scary that he is only 2.