mother's diary

Reading thru the discipline book recommended by Faith. It's seriously encouraged me because I didn't have much luck putting into practice current baby techniques of letting them cry or old techniques of discipine. So a lot of the practices recommended in the book we have done just thru building relationships with our two little ones and adapting to their needs and what's right for us.

I think some people look at me and think I'm overly sensitive to my children but they're just as important to me as any adult so I do listen to them and answer them when they call me. And i'm flexible with their routines.

Caleb is super shy with people he doesn't know well and in a family of loud laughing social butterflies it's a bit hard for some to understand. But myles and i were both shy when we were little so he has a double dose of it! We don't try to force him to say hello, etc we just try to encourage him and interact with him.

I'm going to keep a diary of my little ones. How they're developing as little people...how our relationship grows...the many changes.

Today's note:

my son says 'no' a lot. I'm told at this age 'no' is normal. But he also has a habit of turning any suggestions into the negative....if he's said 'no' to something then even things he normally likes doing will get the negative response...eg: if I say do you want to go outside he will say, 'no don't want to go outside'. do you want a hug 'no, don't want a hug'....etc.

He is very strong willed. And refuses to do anything someone else tells him, if he gets in his 'negative' mood. What does this mean for him? I find myself asking the LORD why does he need to stand up for himself so? why does he need to be so strong willed? I wonder what he will have to face in the future, that he might need this in his personality?

I have learnt not to tell him to stop doing something instead I give him something different to do. Eg: instead of saying move back from the tv, which he immediately says 'no' to, I pull his couch out and say 'caleb come and sit on your couch' or if i'm sitting on the big couch I will say 'come sit with mummy' and he does. Without any problems.

caleb

just had a ditzy moment. If you read this faith sorry, for making a mess of your comments! forgot that you have to approve comments on your blog 1st.

I had a hard moment today. With caleb and discipline again. He had the worse trantrum. And screamed at me when i took something off him that he was ripping up. In the end he said sorry and we hugged etc. But scared me into doing something about it.

So just ordered the book Faith recommended , actually there were a few. But thought I would start with the discipline one and see from there. Might get a whole library of them :)

just a little romance

a little romance can go a long way...an act of kindness, thoughtfulness, of love...can make a girl feel like someone else out there gets who she is and wants to be a part of her life.

It's an interruption in her day to say 'i know you and I love you so much I just had to show you.'

It shows that person knows what makes your heart melt, what makes you smile and laugh, what brings out the best in you. What makes you shine!

We love to feel loved. I'm trying to capture that feeling...but I can't quite express it well enough. It's like standing in a crowded room and everyone else is out of focus except you. That's what a little romance can do.

It's what the LORD does when he interrupts your day just to say that even though he has so many sheep he still sees you and he knows who you are...his daughter, his son. And he knows exactly what you need and when you need it.

A little of that magic is all a girl needs in her busy hectic day. It's enough to make her want to wash her man's dirty feet with love :)

my family

myles

My man playing with my children.

proving to be a very productive time without my man. only because my brother has pitched in to help me sort my backyard. Since we did the biggest loser comp. it has been full of sports equipment. I do have a lot of stuff to get rid of! Purging I think is great for the soul. Including old attitudes!

I miss myles. I knew I would but it's not his presence like I thought I would. He is such a big help with the children and weekends we spend even more time together. It's not in relation to the kids. I just miss my hubby.

Absence does make the heart grow fonder. We have been together 19 years and I realise he has changed so much in the last 10 years or so. It made me realise something about myself. I still treat him as if he's the same. Instead of learning to love and appreciate who he is now.

It doesn't help that the man I fell in love with was so awesome and ahead of his time! But now at 40 he's learning what it means to be him, who God created him to be, warts and all.

I am one of the lucky ones. My husband is supportive and loving and he never stops trying. He's forever trying to accommodate me. And I need to do the same with him. Old attitudes of mine have no place in this new family of ours.