Alaina Starts School!

The title of this post is a bit misleading...because actually Alaina did a kindergarten homeschool with one of our friends and her daughter last year.  But yes, last Wednesday was her first day at a traditional school!

It seems like the time we had at home together these past few years went by quickly.  It has been an adjustment for me not to have her sweet little self around for practically the entire day.  But I knew that she needed to be in school.  She has a very active mind and gets bored easily.  So from an academic standpoint I knew she needed to go to school to learn and challenge her brain.  I also felt it was important for her to socialize with other children her age on a more frequent basis, more than I was giving her an opportunity to do.

Both she and I were nervous, I know, starting out...even though I knew it was the right thing to let her go, part of my mommy-protector wanted to keep her close and shield her from any hurts that might come along.  I wasn't too concerned that she could actually do the school work, but more so about her making friends and feeling accepted and all that stuff! I struggle(d) in these areas, so you could say I was a teensy bit insecure about everything! But I was trying to encourage her!

The good news is she seems to be doing great! Her teacher told me yesterday that she had a better day and seemed more relaxed.  Alaina also has talked about playing with other children at recess and she received special recognition in her teacher's newsletter for being a good friend to others! I am very proud of her!

I have to say I am super grateful to her teacher for being so sweet and sensitive to her needs.  I could not have asked for a better person to entrust my little girl to!

So as we start this adventure of school (it's still hard to believe I have a kindergartner!) I am looking forward to the good times ahead!

Looking back, here are a few pictures...sorry they are not necessarily in order!

My sister Tasha, me, and my mom (and Alaina in the bump :) )

My firstborn

Little Princess

Smiling at an early age (she was such a happy baby)

She was bald for so long!

Celebrating her first birthday

Daddy and Alaina at age 2

Little dancer Nov. 2012

Christmas 2011

Sisters and friends forever

Buds

She was probably saying "cheese" LOL

Thanksgiving is Coming!

It's been SO LONG since I have updated this blog! I really need to get back into it!  Haven't I said that before? :)

I am happy that the holiday season is right around the corner.  This year we are going to be celebrating Thanksgiving just the five of us.

There have been many people posting something they are thankful for each day on Facebook.  I think it is a great idea.  I have been guilty of looking at the negatives far too often when I should be having an "attitude of gratitude."

To start with, I am going to list a few things I am thankful for this year:

1. Jesus-my patient, loving, Savior and Friend

2. My hubby and best friend for the past almost 11 years (married for over 7!)

3. My darling little girls, and the privilege to be their mommy

4. The fact that my husband has a job and I am able to stay home with the girls

5. Health, which I am learning not to take for granted, even though I do so often

6. Having a nice little home and not having to worry about it being foreclosed on

7. The probability of being able to move to another home soon

8. Having pleasant weather to enjoy in South Florida in November

9. How far Alaina has come scholastically in a couple months under the teaching of one of our good friends!  She is right on track for Kindergarten next fall.

10. Even though we are saddened about what is happening in our country lately, I am glad for the principles it was founded on and the freedom I have to vote.

What are you especially thankful for this year?

Sunday Braids

Alaina was bald for the longest time as a baby.  Other than little trims and the couple times she has wacked a bit of hair off, her hair has not been cut.  The nice thing about it is the way it lays around her face.  I didn't have to do anything with it for a long time other than brush it.  With the twins, we are trying to grow out their bangs and right now they are always in their faces unless we tie them back.  However, Alaina does have some funny cowlicks and things going on.  :) Sunday morning I decided to put two braids in Alaina's hair.  I really liked how they turned out.  It was something different and I think we'll do it more often.  

Later we let our dog come inside while we napped.  She usually is not allowed inside...and definitely not on the furniture.  Alaina said that Sammy was getting on the couch.  Finally I came out to chase Sammy off and this is what I found...They were so cute together.

Smiles and Scotcheroos

After the great scare last Friday, I was quite tired out but Lester had gotten me the supplies I needed to make Scotcheroos and since I don't mind  (ok, really like) eating them too I made a batch.  This recipe came from my Grandma Brown.  These treats are sooo yummy.  I think we consumed the entire pan in day or two.

They are really easy to make, and Alaina enjoyed helping me.

1 cup white sugar
1 cup Karo syrup
1 cup peanut butter (creamy or chunky)
6 cups Rice Krispies
6 oz. butterscotch chips
6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cook sugar and Karo syrup to a boil in a sauce-pan.

Lower heat and stir in peanut butter.

Remove from heat.  Mix in the six cups of cereal.

Spread in 9x13 pan.

Melt the butterscotch and choc. chips in the microwave or double boiler, following directions on the package.  (Note: I usually melt them a little in the microwave, take the bowl out, stir, and repeat.  I ruined chocolate once by over-cooking it in the microwave-I think the term is that it seizes.)

Mix the chocolate mixture well and spread over the Rice Krispies and cool.

What child doesn't like to lick the spoon? :)

Splish Splash Taking a Bath

Jacuzzi tub + bubble bath = squeals of delight

The girls love to play in the tub.  After supper they love to get a bath together.  Usually during this time I get a little break, too, because it keeps them occupied in a contained area :).  One night last week Daddy gave them a treat and let them have lots of bubbles!

Thank you, Lord

I hesitated if I wanted to post this for all to see, but I feel like I need to praise God for what He did for us today.  The more I think about it, the more I realize that it was a miracle.

Lester has been working a lot on the mobile home next door, which he has recently remodeled.  He was working today on caulking  and painting the hardie plank siding.  Late this afternoon he came inside and said that the girls could come outside to be with him.  Alaina helped me get the twins ready (because they were in diapers only :) ) and I took all three girls outside.  I had a lot of housework to do (as usual) and welcomed the break from trying to keep the little ones in line on top of what I wanted to accomplish.

I was working for some time in the back bedroom, which is the girls' room, and I remember looking outside and seeing the twins playing in the backyard behind the neighboring home, having a good time.

A little while later, Alaina came inside to go potty and to get away from the bugs that were biting her.  She decided to stay inside with me.

After she had been inside for a while, Lester opened the door and asked if the babies had come inside.  I said no.  (Later he told me he had thought he had heard my voice while he was outside.)  He answered "ok" calmly but of course I started to worry.  Soon I went outside, too, and came to the awful realization that he did not know where the twins were.  We quickly surveyed all the area around our house and the neighbor's houses, to no avail.  I have to say...I was panicking.  If you don't know anything about where we live, you might not know how serious this situation was.  I don't know the exact measurements, but we live very close to a canal.  You can see the water from our front window.  The canal runs parallel to our street.  To get in the water, you merely have to cross the street, an area of grass, and then the ground slopes off into the canal.  Lester and I were praying out loud by this time.  We were both searching frantically.  I didn't hardly know what to do.  It was like a terrible nightmare.  It seemed like a couple times during this I could feel like God was telling me that everything was going to be ok, but I was truly terrified.  Lester and I were so scared the babies had gotten in the water.

Lester told me to get the neighbors to help us, so I went to the people a couple doors down from us whom I knew were home and banged on their door.  Of course they came outside to help.  Another man who works for a landscaping company down the street also was helping us.  Lester told me to call 911, so I went inside and grabbed his phone and did so, then went back outside while the dispatcher was asking me questions.

While I was searching behind our houses, I heard music to my ears...they had found the twins!  I told the 911 dispatcher, ended the call, and found my family down at the end of the road (a little over four houses away from us).  The twins had been found sitting on a rock in the WATER, playing in the WATER and kicking their feet.  (Later I was holding Christina and realized she was wet up to the waist.) The place they were sitting could not be seen unless you went down to the end of the street because of the ground sloping off.  Sometime during all of this happening Alaina had come outside and said she would help.  She was the one who actually found the babies.

I don't write all this to in any way put my hubby in a bad light.  He had his eyes off of the twins for like a minute and a half and they were gone.  He thinks they may have ran after our cocker spaniel, they were gone so fast.  Twins are so much different than single children.  It's true that they are double the fun but they can sure get into double the danger in half the time.

I cannot express how thankful I am to be sitting in my bed right now with the knowledge that my sweet little girls are alive and well.  This night could be totally different if not for the grace of God.  I was reminded of that verse "He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways" I believe my babies were guarded by unseen hands who did not allow them to take the fatal steps into the water.

After we came inside, we were talking about what had happened.  Lester didn't know how Alaina knew where to look.  She told us that Jesus told her where to look...

I listened to the song "You Are So Good to Me" by Third Day today before all this happened.

Here is are a couple excerpts:

"You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
You are beautiful my sweet, sweet song
And I will sing again

You are so good to me
You heal my broken heart
You are my Father in Heaven


You poured out all Your blood
You died upon the cross
You are my Jesus who loves me

You are my Father in Heaven
You are the Spirit inside me
You are my Jesus who loves me"


If you've not heard this before, it's really good-what a beautiful loving Father we have.

Sunday Pictures

Briella loves to be held by Daddy.

Our special 3 year old.

I put the headband over Christina's little ponytail and liked how it looked.  I think she did, too.  But we couldn't find the other pink headband for Bri-bri.

My energetic little twins!  I got the green dress Christina is wearing at a thrift store for free.   She has a dress like Briella is wearing, but I just wanted her to wear the green one because I like it so much.  

Smiles and piggy-toes

They'll be grown up before I know it-I love them so much.

On Sunday I often try to match or coordinate the girls' clothing.  It doesn't always work that way.  I am getting to the point where, sure, it's nice, but really...why does it matter?  To me they are precious no matter what they are wearing.  It's been interesting having three little ones to clothe.  I shop frequently on ebay and also at Goodwill and our campus thrift store.  I have a lot of fun dressing them and trying to find good deals!

On another note, we had a good service at church yesterday morning.  It was one of those times where we all spent a while in prayer, and I really needed it.  God still really needs to help me grow in many ways.  I am so glad for those times when I am reminded that He is in control.  I tend to be an anxious person and I need to be reminded to "let go."