Playtime with Emmy and Kate

Friday morning was rainy and gray. A perfect time to meet friends at the mall to play! As we drove to the mall Madeline kept asking me if I could see through the smoke (it was foggy outside). She is very concerned about safety. If I do not buckle my seatbelt immediately upon entering the car, she makes a comment. And she often worries that I am driving too fast or in the grass.

Anyway, we spent Friday morning at Crabtree Valley Mall playing with Emmy and Anna Kate. Actually, Emmy and Madeline played and Christy ran after Anna Kate while I ran after Ryan. When Christy and I tired of our chases, we plopped our little ones in their strollers and headed to the food court while Madeline and Emmy held hands behind us, laughing and giggling and walking zig zags. I love watching these girls together. They are both very tender and have very sweet spirits. When they play together they really seem to understand each other and thoroughly enjoy one another's company. It is such a joy to watch them.

This is an aside, but they had this new eatery called Crisp. It had a wonderful selection of salads and wraps. Christy ate there while I went to Subway. Today, I wish I would have eaten at Crisp!!! I'm such a creature of habit. I think I will have to go back to Crabtree just to eat there.

Here are some pictures of our fun time.

A sweet moment between brother and sister.

Look at these sweet girls. You would not believe how hard it was to get a picture with both of them looking at the camera and smiling at the same time.

Check them out driving together. I was all out of quarters and I think Madeline convinced Emily to ask her mommy for quarters. I was a little embarrassed by this, but thankfully we were with Christy. When we got home we had a conversation about how we do not ask our friends' mommies for something that "we" want.

RyRy and Emmy driving the ice cream truck.

This week has been difficult with Ryan. I feel like we are new parents all over again. When I tell him "no" he usually does not listen. If I tell him to come, he often ignores me. And if I ask him to do something and he does not want to, he tells me no. Last Sunday he started hitting me and screaming if he does not get his way. The crazy thing is that the boy gets disciplined. Last night Matt and I had a big conversation. He is calling his mentor from Virginia today to discuss our struggles and seek wisdom. In the meantime, we are uniting and committing to be on top of him, discipling every act of disobedience. While I desire him to develop a strong, independent personality, he must learn to respect Mommy and Daddy and those in authority over him.

Mohawk Mania

Yes, it's true. Ryan has a mohawk. When Daddy first suggested it, I said NO WAY. Of course, he persisted and I finally gave in. Though, this is not my hair cut of choice for my sweet boy, I admit that it is funny. On Friday night, Matt was walking ahead of me in Target. As a couple passed Matt and the kids, the women said to her husband, "Did you see that little boy". Ha, ha, ha. I got a good laugh and was even bold enough to tell her that my husband gave my little boy a mohawk. We still have hope that Tim and Anna might give Ty a mohawk too. Come on Tim and Anna, they could be BFF's!!! And imagine the fun we will have in 20 years when we show their girlfriends and wives these pictures. :)

Ballerina Perfection

Here are a couple pictures of our sweet ballerina. When Madeline was born, I thought we would be perfect parents. I had read so many parenting books, and Matt and I had spent hours upon hours discussing how we would parent. Of course, parenting has turned out to be much more difficult and not so clear cut. Though Madeline loves ballet, she does not like her ballet class. After one session she told me that she did not want to go back. Of course I asked her why and she told me that she did not like it because she was not very good at it. At her age, none of the little girls are very good at it, as their bodies are still developing fine and gross motor skills. Anyway, Matt and I went to great lengths explaining how no one is good at something when they first begin, but as they practice, they get better and better. However, this little lesson is not sinking in, as she persists in saying the same thing after each ballet class. For me as a parent, it makes me nervous to see this trait in her, as I don't want her to feel like she has to be perfect at everything. I was and am that way and it did and does keep me from trying new things, and I don't want this for her. Though her personality may tend toward perfectionism, I hope we can steer her to have confidence and try new things regardless of how good or bad she is.