Back to School Bash

A few of our friends got together last evening for a little Back to School Bash to kick off the new school year.  It was so much fun! We love going to the campground  - playground, basketball courts, splash pad...what's not to love? Elton grilled hot dogs and hamburgers and the kids played their hearts out.  Can't believe another summer is behind us.

In true Jones fashion, in the middle of a kickball game, we looked over and he was pant less, tee-teeing.  No shame, that one.  The little 4th grade girls giggled and we had to take Jones away to explain, yet again, when it is appropriate to take off our clothes, tee-tee outside, etc.

Bless him.
I am not sure how many cupcakes he consumed last night.  Two before dinner, I know.  Oh well.  You only start PreK once, right?


 We used bribery to get them all to sit still long enough for a picture.  Works every time!

Happy 2013 School Year!

Hey, Everybody! We're going streaking!

This child of mine. Mental images of him in about 15 years bring me to my knees praying. Praying hard.

Trey was out all weekend being the Spiritual Director for a North Mississippi Happening, which means I was single-momming it again. I have said it before, and I will say it again, God bless single parents, military parents, etc. 


Literally cannot sit still. 

Friday when I got to the school to pick up Jones, he was sitting in the time-out chair.

He is no stranger to the time-out chair, mind you, so I thought little of it until I asked what he did to earn such a spot.

He mumbled something then looked at the floor.

That's when his teacher walked over to give me the news.

He and his partner in crime, Slade, were caught both laughing hysterically because THEY PULLED OUT THEIR MANHOOD for all to see.

Then Jones ran around the room.  WITH HIS PANTS DOWN.

God bless those sweet innocent girls in his class.

The whole way home I talked to Jones about what a "private part" is and why it is important not to show anyone your private parts except for mommy and daddy. And that, while it is OK to get naked in front of family members during bath time, it is never OK to do so at school in front of friends.

He responded with "Hey! Look at that man! He is cutting the grass!"

We are working on paying attention.

Then I told my husband.  He found this much funnier than I did.  He told me I had to deal with it because he thought it was much too funny to take seriously.

This streaking incident comes after the announcement Jones made last week:

"Took off my clothes. Had to. I love being naked".

Help me.

(re)claimed Project

I am doing something new today - I am linking up with one of my favorite bloggers, Kelly, at Kelly's Korner

I am so excited to share about (re)claimed Project! I have several friends who on the board for this amazing charity, which started last year in my home town of Starkville, MS.

You can check out the website here: www.reclaimedproject.org

Taken directly off their site:

Reclaimed Project currently supports:

RESTORATION HOPE
Restoration Hope serves the oppressed and fatherless by partnering with established ministries in Sweetwaters, South Africa, that are demonstrating the unconditional love of Christ and working to restore hope to places being destroyed by poverty and injustice.
ORPHAN CARE CENTER
The Orphan Care Center in Lobatse, Botswana, was founded by two recent Mississippi College graduates who desire to serve the orphaned and vulnerable children in this country ravaged by AIDS. Botswana is home to more children orphaned by AIDS than any other country in the world. Some 93,000 children have lost at least one parents, and many are infected from birth. Women in the local church make headbands from scraps of traditional African wedding fabrics to provide food, medicine, clothing and educational materials for the Orphan Care Center’s children. Reclaimed Project will support a number of initiatives in this holistic orphan care ministry.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Orphan care and adoption has been something on my heart for as long as I can remember.  Even as a little girl, I would tell my mom that I was going to adopt. It was one of the first things I told Trey when were dating! Obviously, we haven't adopted children into our family, but the passion for caring for orphans still continues.  Currently we have set up monthly giving to (re)claimed as well as sponsoring a child, Ruth, through Compassion International.

Check out this video to give you a little bit of insight into the work that is being done in Botswana:




I had the opportunity to go to a fundraising event for (re)Claimed a few weeks ago in Starkville to hear Korie Robertson from Duck Dynasty talk about her adoption experience.  (Side note: she is adorable and I want to be her BFF)

It was such a fun evening, and strengthened my desire to carry out James 1:27 - "Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world."

I mean, any time you have the opportunity to put on fake beards in a photo booth with friends is a good time, right?

I encourage you to find something that you are passionate about and DO something! What I am doing now is so little, but my constant prayer is that God will open doors for me to do something BIG, if it is His will.  But if we all do something little, think what a BIG difference that would make!

 

Thanks, Kelly, for asking us to share!

*Photo credit - all pictures (except the one of yours truly and Meaghan) were taken from the
(re)claimed website.*
(http://reclaimedproject.org/)

Wednesday Round-up

Here are a few products I have been digging lately. 
What are some of your favorites? Am I missing the boat on something? Do share!

Mr. Clean with Gain. My house smells so clean when I use it. I almost feel like a homemaker.

Dior lash primer. Confession. I don't actually own this. But I have used it once and am convinced I can't live another day without it.  My eyelashes were almost as long and thick as my son's!

Erase Paste.  Go to Sephora right this minute and get you a jar, you weary moms.  I was a Bobby Brown girl for a while, then a drugstore girl, now I am a mix of a variety of make-ups. This is the best I have found for covering those bags.  A little goes a long way, so you can totally justify the price. 

Vanilla Almond Milk.  Where has this been my whole life? I die for a bowl of plain cheerios with this stuff.

Baby lips. I don't care if you call me a tween. I love this cheapo balm. Try it!

This is not so much a product, but a song.  I can't go a day without listening to it ever since my discovery of this band.  The words, the instruments, the cool Mumford and Son-esqu of them all.  I totally dig it.

Happy Hump-day!

First bite.

Ms. Annie and Ms. Essie both ask me every time they see me if I have started giving Anna Joy food yet.  In short, no.

Have you seen the size of her? She is not lacking.  We are doing just fine nursing and pumping, pumping and nursing.

They finally said to me "She's got a real healthy appetite (translation: fatty) and food may satisfy her more. We can't feed her bottle to her fast enough!".

Ok, fine.

So Saturday I went to the store and bought that baby oatmeal stuff, mixed it with some boob milk and gave it to her.

She didn't like it.

I haven't tried again since Saturday.

And honestly, I don't have the energy to add another thing to my routine.

My chances of winning mother of the year are dwindling more and more with each passing day.

When I am with her, I am nursing her.  It is the only time when I am at home that I am forced to sit down and rest.  I may or may not take mini-naps while feeding her.  Don't take that away from me!

And I am not letting her teachers feed her first.  I made all of Jones' baby food, I can't just buy Anna Joy the off-brand jars of beans and shove it in Ms. Essie's face to deal with.  That's my job.

So what's a mom to do?

Apparently if you are me, exclusively nurse until they ask for a chicken nugget.

Oh.

Let's back up to last week, shall we?

Trey took twenty kids to this amazing place in Alabama for a week.  A third-world simulator, of some sorts.  Life-changing experience for the kids, and Trey.  You can check out a little bit about it here: www.sifat.org.

God was at work BIG TIME.

Where was I?

Glad you asked.

I was single-momming it here in Columbus.  God bless single parents. 

Trying to get both kids fed, dressed, somewhat happy and to school in time for me to be somewhat presentable and at work in Starkville, 30 miles away, by 8:00 AM is no small feat.  How do people do it? I am clearly weaker than most.

Going to be honest - I had more than one really bad mommy fails.


Like that time I locked myself in the kid's bathroom, cried,  took this selfie and sent to my sister with the text "Send wine":

things just got real.

Moving on....

My energetic, non-stop, lovable, wild-man didn't like his daddy not being there.  We have more than a few kinks to fix before Trey's next week-long adventure, which will be here before we know it. 
Trey starts school full-time next month and our life is about to hit the fan.  I would replace the word "life" with another four-letter word, but I am a minister's wife.  Just know I am thinking it. 

As it turns out, Jones needs his daddy more than we thought.  He turned on me.  For real.

There was that night he fought bedtime for three hours. THREE. HOURS. 

Or that time he slapped me in the face for asking him to take off his PJs and get dressed for school.

Lest we forget the picture frame breaking, the demanding to be naked and the screaming of NEVER!!!!!!! whenever he was asked to do something.

Thankfully, God knew I needed the easiest baby on the planet to accompany my strong-willed son.  So he sent me this angel pie:

During a moment of sheer desperation, I ordered two parenting books: "Making Kids Mind without Losing Yours" and "1,2,3 Magic for Christian Parents".  I have started reading both. A book review coming up soon.

With any luck, I will have my child jumping up and down in eager happiness ready to obey me in no time.  In which case I will write my first book "Making Your Kids Mind Once You Have Already Lost Yours".

He's a sweet soul.  And my goodness he is hilarious.  We just have to figure out what works for this strong child. 

They love each other.  Sweet, sweet moments.

In the meantime, prayer and wine.

Meet Ruth.

Our new Compassion child. 
Sweetest smile.
Uganda...I will be there one day!

my sister got hitched.

The final Tomlinson sister is married.
Happy couple, happy day. Beautiful bride, beautiful wedding.
 Proof of God's perfect timing and provision.

We love you, Laura and Clay Armstrong!

 
 Photo credit: Tricia Butts at Betty Donne Photography
www.bettydonnephotography.blogspot.com
 

Six months old

How is it that this sweet baby is six months already? I seriously could eat her up.  She is the most kissable thing in the world! Sweetest baby. Ever. 

At 6 months Anna Joy:

• Weighs 17.8 lbs (80%) and is 50% in height. Fat & happy!
• Sleeps through the night almost every night.  Has since she was about three months. Angel baby.
• Loves to be held! (don't mind if I do...)
• "talks" a lot more than Jones did at this age.  She squeals, laughs and smiles all the time.
• adores Jones and follows him with her eyes wherever he goes.  The feeling is mutual. He loves her so much and tells us so all the time. 
• still nursing in the morning and at night and takes two bottles at school.  I am still pumping away in my office! We haven't tried cereal or any food, though I plan on doing so this weekend.
• so content and laid back.  Thankfully she goes to whomever, whenever, wherever! She just goes with the flow on anything.
• Has yet to be sick. Jones started getting chronic ear infections around 4 months which resulted in tubes at a year and half.  She has been illness free so far! Just goes to show that staying home vs sending to day care doesn't play a huge role in illness. I stayed home with Jones and we battled infections all the time.  She has been at school since 12 weeks and is healthy as can be!
• has no teeth. I thought for a while we may be teething, but I don't think we are just yet.
• Her hemangioma on her back is getting larger and larger, as expected.  The Dr. is confident it will go away by the time she is 18 months old.  Jones is so concerned about it everything he sees it and wants to put a Band-Aid on it and give it kisses.  Sweet boy.
• the love of our life - Trey and I are desperate for her to stay a baby forever.

4th of July weekend

Although it rained and we didn't do anything too exciting, we had a great 4th. It is always nice to be off work for a long weekend. 

It rained a lot - like, flash flood - but we still managed to have fun.  And on Friday, we loaded up the kids and went furniture shopping in Tupelo. We found some pretty stuff! They are delivering it tomorrow morning. Yippee skippee!

I wanted a photo shoot to document Anna Joy's first 4th.  These were the best I could get....