Happy New Year!

Gray·son

 [grey-suhn]

noun:

1. A sensitive little boy with an extremely soft heart.

2. A wild tornado that waddles around the house unfolding laundry and stuffing it in kitchen cupboards and gives anything in it's path to the dog.

3. An alarm clock that wakes mom up 3-4 times a night.

4. A vacuum that eats up anything in it's wake, food or otherwise.

5. A VERY sneaky little booger that steals things from his sister and runs away giggling.

6. A future mountain climber that climbs on chairs, tables, toys, couches, beds, and anything else that happens to be in front of him.

7. Both the most annoying little brother and best friend to Lydia.

Synonyms: Stinky dinky doo, stink pot, stinky, little buddy, buddy bear, sweet boy, sugar bear

I'm learning more and more how difficult it is to function when this little man is awake! Thank goodness for Lydia who follows him around undoing his destructive-ness most of the time. If it weren't for my 'big helper'... well lets just say my house would be in a worse condition than it already is! Oh my babies are growing up! Woe is me :(

Grayson is taking on this task of turning into a destructive two year old something fierce while Lydia is working extremely hard on becoming a big 3 year old. I've been working on teaching Lydia how to help around the house. She's doing great at putting her laundry away, placing clothes on hangers, sorting the silverware and putting them away, washing anything plastic, and cleaning up after herself (and even brother!). 

SO awesome!

Fits aren't as frequent anymore (Grayson is quickly filling in those shoes!) and she's been so much more obedient. I haven't had to use 'the spoon' very often anymore. We've kind of transitioned to something that works SO much better for her. Whenever she's whining, throwing a fit, or isn't being a 'good listener', her nose goes to the wall for 2 minutes. I know it sounds silly, but we just don't have a good time out corner... so instead... it's just a spot on the wall that she keeps her nose on until her time is up. SHE HATES it. Very effective & it doesn't take long.

Grayson and Lydia are so different... all it takes to punish him is a firm no.

He's such a sensitive little guy! He falls apart into a puddle of tears if you just raise your eyebrows at him. I wonder what he's going to be like when he's her age? I guess time will tell... and sooner than I'd like!

So I thought I'd share a few of Lydia's favorite things right now... simply because I don't want to forget!

Activities: playing pretend, going outside, painting/anything crafty, riding her bike, helping mom around the house

Favorite toys: her new leapster book reading thingy (she'll spend hours 'reading' at night if we don't take it away), her baby dolls (she has two in particular), her back pack that she fills with random things (she's always on her way to Alaska or nana's house), stick sticks (stickers), the tin tea set that we all have to pretend to drink out of, and anything Grayson has... because obviously whatever he has is better.

Phrases: "Oh my WOW", "OH my goodness", "I can do it", "I think I can", "No NO Grayson!".

Best Friends: Jack Jack, Oh-Oh, Ava, Max, Towee, Chase, Bwytan (She prays for them every night!)

So update on me? Well things are changing so much around here! It's a new year and even more change is coming sooner than I'd like to think (more on that later). My mind has been fighting to stay on the present rather than on what's coming next and I fear that I'm losing the battle! I'm starting a 52-week organize your home kinda deal... and that's going to be quite the challenge for me... and I'm working on some DIY projects and ideas off of pinterest. I need something creative to keep the artist/musician in me at bay! I guess you could say I have some new 'resolutions'... to pray with focus and all of my heart, position myself to hear from the Spirit in even the littlest things (and follow through!), and to seek the Lord in his living Word with intention and purpose. It's not necessarily a 'New year' kind of thing, but more of an ongoing desire to become closer to Christ and rely on Him more in the everyday.

okay... I really need to go. In the time it's taken for me to type this Grayson has strewn crumbs all over the floor and couch from a piece of bread that I have no idea of the origin. My laundry is clearly unfolded now and all over the living room (I also should check the cupboards). I can see that the dog has obtained some new toys and is chewing on the batman sippy- Lydi will not be pleased. My dish towels are draped over the piano, there's chalk on the floor, and there are books EVERYWHERE.

oof.