Chalk Art

It has been so incredibly hot outside lately! We are melting away in the 'ham. Our outdoor activities are being kept to a minimum... this is one of our latest, brief outdoor adventures!

Whatcha Reading...

I am a reader. I love to read in the small amount of free time that I get every night while Chris watches Caroline. This is crucial to my sanity and allows me to do some housework and push my reset button and be a better Mommy! Moms: I highly recommend it!!! I like to read girly fluff, historical fiction, memoirs and biographies, and some self-help.

These are a few of the books that I have read lately:

Being a Stay-at-Home-Mom is an honor. Mothers choose to stay home or work for various reasons and neither choice is the absolute right choice for everyone. Working is sometimes the only option that makes sense financially for a family or some moms feel like they are better, more patient mothers when they put in fewer, yet more meaningful hours with their little ones. My personal opinions are in no way, shape, or form a reflection of anyone else's life or the choices that I think anyone else should make. This is what works for us.

I happen to love being home, even on the hard days, and am so grateful to my husband for being my biggest cheerleader in our choice for me to full-time parent our daughter. I wouldn't trade being home for the world and consider myself so fortunate to be able to do so, but, honestly, it really is the most difficult job in the world. I love being home and watching my child learn... everything. She's a little sponge and so eager to learn at this point. It is just such a fun age and I can't imagine missing a second of it. At the same time, a part of me wishes I had more free time or just time away to not be in teacher mode constantly. It can be mentally exhausting to repeat the same three word phrase over and over and over or to "read" certain books... and recite it from memory since you have already read it hundreds of times.

So, as the titles of the books I've recently read suggest, we have a very strong-willed child on our hands. She is an angel sometimes. She is also a kin to demons at others. I feel somewhat guilty for outing my child like this, but my little one can throw a fierce temper tantrum! She is also a cuddly, little love bug most of the time. However, the moments in between those sweet moments have been giving me a tremendous amount of anxiety lately! haha!

Since the terrible two's are just around the corner, I am fully aware that I am going to need to put together a game plan for how we intend to discipline our child as she grows. This is where the aforementioned books come in. She is already a handful and we are already putting some of these into practice now. We will be adding others as she comes to understand us better. We already use many disciplinary tactics and I am searching for more effective ways to raise our daughter into the woman that we hope she will become. We have a lot of work to do over the next 17+ years!

How I WISH there was an instruction manual out there for the fool proof way to raise a child. Emotions are tricky things, especially in regards to toddlers! Since she can't verbalize her wants/feelings yet, we have a major communication barrier. There are many guides, but what works for one child doesn't for the next and .... it is hard. It is so difficult to be confident in the decisions that you make for your child.

We all want the best for our children. We pray daily for guidance, we ask for advice, we educate ourselves on various parenting methods... and really, you just have to give it your best and hope you get it right, right?! For someone who micromanages the details of our life, accepting this is so extremely difficult for me.

All of this said... I am so glad that I have these decisions to make. : )

Checking Email!

In the mornings after I get my coffee and Caroline has her milk, I check my email and read the news online while Caroline typically watches Dora, Jungle Junction, Elmo, etc... whichever she prefers.

But a few mornings ago, I looked to the floor beside me and this is what I found. Caroline working on her "laptop" that Aunt K gave her for her 1st Birthday. She created a little desk with a pillow. It's cute, but I have to admit that it made me feel a bit guilty. I know she was just wanting to do what Mommy was doing, and all children do that. I just hope she doesn't see me do this too often and I am trying to be more mindful of time spent in front of the laptop.

Come to think of it though, Caroline also jumps on the floor with me when I do my crunches most days. She can't really do the crunching action but she scoots up really close to my side or sits on my stomach to play... So I probably shouldn't be so hard on myself.... My little Mini-Me!!!

Flying High!

Flying High...

where is Daddy??

Have a lovely day, Everyone!!!

I Miss Daddy!!!

Today when Caroline woke up she wanted her Daddy! She kept asking for him and yelling down to the basement(to his man-cave) hoping that he was just playing his game in the basement and that he would come up and get her. Sad stuff! SOOO, we rectified the situation by turning on Daddy's ustreamtv:

He is so funny....

... he gets BIG kisses!!

We miss you today, Daddy! Hurry home! :-)

New Best Friend!

Caroline has a New Best Friend. She has recently really gotten into Sesame Street and Elmo. When she found a Baby Tickle Me Elmo at Target a few days ago... it was a must!! You tickle his little belly or toes and he sings a little song. Elmo has been attached to Caroline since we brought him home and goes everywhere that we go! She sleeps with him at night and he sits with her in her highchair when she has her breakfast/dinner.

Elmo even gets to go to TJC to have lunch with Daddy!

Chris was doing paperwork, so Caroline thought she should do the same at her desk!

We really need to get her a chair for her "desk"... it can double as a timeout chair when she acts up. And notice the paci... We have to use it when Chris is on the phone with clients... she is so LOUD!